Wattles, John Otis (22 July 1809–20 September 1859), reformer and communitarian, was born in Goshen, Connecticut, the son of Erastus Wattles, a musical instrument maker, and Sarah Thomas. He received his education at the Goshen Academy. Growing up in the Congregational church, he underwent a conversion experience that drew him to consider a career as a foreign missionary. In 1833, after teaching for a few years, he entered the Oneida Institute at Whitestown, New York, a hotbed of evangelical reform associated with ...
