Urbana in Champaign County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Francis Bailey
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 6, 2025
1. Francis Bailey Marker
American New Churchman
1784
The First
American Publisher
of the Writings of
Emanuel Swedenborg
1787
"A bright example of active love
and of doing good to others
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1784.
Location. 40° 6.3′ N, 83° 45.531′ W. Marker is in Urbana, Ohio, in Champaign County. It is at the intersection of College Way and Dewey Avenue, on the right when traveling west on College Way. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 27 College Way, Urbana OH 43078, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Till Plains. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fun Fact 2 (here, next to this marker); Fun Fact 1 (a few steps from this marker); Fun Fact 3 (a few steps from this marker); Fun Fact 6 (a few steps from this marker); Fun Fact 5 (a few steps from this marker); Fun Fact 4 (within shouting distance of this marker); Urbana University (within shouting distance of this marker); John Anderson Ward Farmstead / John Quincy Adams Ward & Edgar Melville Ward (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Urbana.
Also see . . .
1. Francis Bailey (publisher)
this page online
He began publication of the Lancaster Almanac in Lancaster, PA in 1771 and published the United States Magazine in 1778. In 1781, he became editor of the Freeman's Journal. In addition to printing editions of the Articles of Confederation and Thomas Paine's Common Sense, he acted as printer for Congress and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Bailey was the first printer to refer to George Washington, in print, as the Father of His Country. He was also the first to print the first official printing of the first U.S. constitution, then called The Articles of Confederation.
He was the first American publisher of the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg in 1787.
Bailey was taught the printing trade by Peter Miller in Ephrata, Lancaster county. In 1778 or 1779 he removed to Philadelphia where he published a newspaper. Eventually he returned to Lancaster. Bailey's daughter-in-law managed a press shop in Philadelphia in 1818. (Submitted on September 12, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.)
2. Francis Bailey. Approximately 2010, the gravestone was relocated to The Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum located in Bailey and Barclay
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 6, 2025
2. Francis Bailey Marker
Photographed by Craig Doda, September 6, 2025
3. The Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum
Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 66 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 12, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
