Unfortunate business interests caused a financial hardship for Isaiah and Hannah, and they moved with their children from Guilford to Lyndon, Vermont, in Caledonia County, about forty miles from the Canada–US border.

Willbur Fisk was raised in Lyndon, and at age 16 he was admitted to the Peacham Academy in Vermont where he completed a course of instruction in two years.

Fisk was not known as a particularly devoted student while in college, but after a year or so decided that a career in law was at odds with his Christian character.

Fisk was plagued by respiratory problems throughout his life, and ill health in Baltimore caused him to move back home to Lyndon to recuperate.

[2][citation needed] His influence with the conference reversed its opinion from principled opposition to higher education to the establishment of secondary schools and colleges.

The success of the Academy under his direction was noted by many Methodists, and he was then offered the presidency of the new Wesleyan University which was being established in Middletown, Connecticut.

[1] As an indication of the high esteem with which he was regarded by his contemporaries, he was elected to the office of Bishop in 1835, which he declined to devote his energies to educational matters.

His views may be summed up with this quote from his writings: "The great object which we propose to ourselves in the work of education is to supply, as far as we may, men who will be willing and competent to effect the political, intellectual, and spiritual regeneration of the world."

While in England, Fisk gave many sermons, and throughout his trip he was actively engaged in carrying out his assignment of acquiring supplies for the university.

In 1838 Harper's published his book describing the European tour: Travels On The Continent Of Europe; Viz., In England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, And The Netherlands.

The question of slavery was one of the burning issues of the day, and one that often put Willbur Fisk at odds with many of his fellow Methodists.

Willbur felt that the abolitionist approach would split the church and prevent those who needed Christian love and teachings the most from receiving it.

Toward the end of his life he regretted some of his arguments, but still stood on the principle that a unified church was the quickest way to emancipate slaves.

Whether his way would have worked is open to debate, however, in one sense he was correct—in 1844 the Methodist church did split along exactly the lines that he predicted, and only twenty years after his death the nation was plunged into war as the time for talking about slavery ended.

(Prentice p. 188) Fisk was instrumental in securing funds for a translation of the Bible into the Mohawk language in 1831 (the project was completed in 1839).

In an expression of true friendship and Christian charity, faculty members and students of Wesleyan University helped Ruth for the remainder of her life.