William Salter

Who was William Salter?

William Salter was an American Congregational minister, public orator, social activist and historian.

Graduating from Andover Theological Seminary in 1843, Salter and his companions — the so-called "Iowa Band" — went West to Iowa when it was only a territory to organize congregations, build churches and battle sin in all its infinite varieties. They were the single most distinguished Protestant group of their time, and Salter, through the years, emerged superior to them all, according to biographer Philip Jordan.

Salter began his ministry in Jackson County, preaching in the Maquoketa area. In 1846 he became the second pastor of First Congregational Church in Burlington, Iowa, and remained senior minister of this congregation for more than 60 years until his death in 1910.

According to Jordan, "Salter played a dominant role in transforming the slovenly community, where filth filled the alleys, pigs wallowed in streets and cows grazed on the public square, into a prosperous and cultivated 20th-century Burlington." He was instrumental in establishing a public library and getting a library building built. He served as president of the school board.