Claim: Joseph Osgood Barrett, a prominent medium, spiritualist and author, was expelled from the Universalist ministry for his unorthodox beliefs and moved to Madison, Wisconsin in the early 1860s.
Evidence: Joseph Osgood Barrett (April 13, 1823 – February 8, 1898) was a prominent medium, spiritualist and author. He was eventually expelled from the Universalist ministry by the Illinois Convention in 1869 for his unorthodox beliefs. In the early 1860s, Barrett moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he became a lecturer, writer, and forestry expert, as well as an editor of the Chicago-based newspaper The Spiritual Republic.