B. J. Palmer - Early Life

Early Life

B.J. Palmer was born on September 10, 1882. B.J. was son of Daniel David Palmer (or "D.D."), the founder of chiropractic. The Palmer family of six resided in the back of a grocery store that D.D. operated. In 1885 D.D.'s wife became sick and died, after which D.D. remarried numerous times.When D.D. had settled with a new wife, he moved the family to Letts, Iowa, and he worked as a schoolteacher and a magnetic healer, developing chiropractic. Palmer claimed that he cured a deaf man, Harvey Lillard, who was a janitor by trade, by manipulating his spine.

When D.D. had developed chiropractic, he felt the desire to keep it secret for fear of others stealing his ideas. Eventually, patients and his wife convinced him to teach chiropractic. D.D. was reluctant to allow B.J. to learn chiropractic, but eventually gave in and allowed B.J. to study under him. B.J. assumed control of the school that his father had founded in Davenport, Iowa.As a result of his development and promotion of the profession, B.J. became known as the "Developer" of chiropractic.