Back in 1917, Rev. Elmo Arnold Robinson published a two-part history of Universalism in Indiana in the Indiana Magazine of History; the numbers of the journal were vol. 13 no. 1 (March, 1917) and vol. 13 no. 2 (June, 1917). You can find these articles in various places online, but perhaps the most convenient way to obtain them is through JSTOR; unusually for JSTOR, both articles are offered free of charge.
“Universalism in Indiana,” part one
“Universalism in Indiana,” concluded
Robinson later wrote the book-length history The Universalist Church in Ohio (Ohio Universalist Convention, 1923). And yes, there is a connection to Palo Alto: Robinson served as the minister of the old Palo Alto Unitarian Church from 1921 to 1926; he was fellowshipped as both a Unitarian and a Universalist minister.
Very cool. Remnants of some of those early Universalist churches are still around. I remember doing a story for our local paper 20 years ago or so, and interviewing a minister who served two churches in Ohio, tiny congregations, and I think the minister herself was part-time. But still going….! Thanks for posting this, Dan.