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<p>John Shipherd, a Presbyterian minister, and Philo Stewart founded Oberlin, Ohio, in 1833. The town was named after Reverend John Frederic Oberlin, a famous minister in Alsace who had died in 1826. Oberlin College was established at the same time as the community. The town soon earned a reputation for its commitment to reform, in part because of its association with the college. In its early years, most of the residents were Presbyterians or Congregationalists. As the town grew in size, other denominations built churches as well. </p>

<p>When many students from Lane Theological Seminary arrived at the college in 1835, the community became known for its abolitionist sentiment. Oberlin soon became firmly associated with the American Antislavery Society. Some residents participated in helping slaves escape along the Underground Railroad. A number of the community's residents participated in the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Case in 1858. A federal marshal had captured a fugitive slave and was attempting to return him to the South. Oberlin and Wellington residents helped the slave to escape once again. Thirty-seven people were indicted for violating the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, but only two were convicted and served any time in jail. </p>