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During a late 19th-century play about Christopher Columbus, Webster Edgerly took the stage, performing while standing on the balls of his feet. While critics were baffled, Edgerly—a part-time actor, author, and future leader of the highly popular Ralstonism health movement—claimed this centaur-like posture prevented the loss of what he called the body's 'vital forces.'
Critics assumed it was a theatrical choice, but for Edgerly, it was a deliberate way of life.
Over the years, Edgerly authored more than 80 books, gained readers like Queen Victoria, and dispensed pseudoscientific advice on topics ranging from sexual frequency (once every eight days, maximum) to walking techniques (never walk in straight lines). He dreamed of building a vast city for his followers, purchasing land in New Jersey for this purpose. Edgerly believed Ralstonism held the secrets to health, telepathy, and extraordinary abilities. With nearly a million adherents, he even influenced the creation of the Ralston cereal brand. Yet, history has largely overlooked this eccentric figure, and for good reason.
Named after the renowned orator Daniel Webster, Edgerly grew up in Massachusetts and earned a law degree from Boston University in 1876. While he pursued acting and playwriting, his true passion lay in becoming a wellness guru. That same year, he established the Ralston Health Club, a venture focused on health, naming it after his mother, Rhoda Lucinda Stone. He later reimagined Ralston as an acronym for Regime, Activity, Light, Strength, Temperation, Oxygen, and Nature—core principles he championed.
The Ralston Health Club lacked a physical headquarters, existing primarily in Edgerly’s imagination. He authored numerous self-help books under the pseudonym Edmund Shaftesbury, including Lessons in Artistic Deep Breathing and Sexual Magnetism. These works offered questionable guidance, such as swinging a marble to boost 'personal magnetism,' a term Edgerly used to describe energy and charisma. He advised young men to pursue relationships with much older women before marrying someone significantly younger. (Edgerly himself married an 18-year-old at age 42.) He also invented a language called Adam-Man Tongue, claiming mastery of his teachings could grant powers like mind control and even immortality.
oculo/iStock via Getty ImagesThese extraordinary abilities, Edgerly claimed, required purchasing his books, which were often priced at a steep $25 in 1892 (equivalent to $730 today). The high cost added to the perception that his advice was exclusive and valuable. His books sold remarkably well, funding his luxurious lifestyle. With over 800,000 followers, or Ralstonites, Edgerly’s influence even reached Queen Victoria, who reportedly owned his complete works. Members proudly wore black armbands known as Ralstonettes to signify their allegiance.
In Star Ralstonism, a member guidebook released in 1900, Edgerly stated:
“It is encouraging that all ethical doctors who have examined Ralstonism support it and often prescribe it instead of medications to their patients. Any doctor who has studied this system and fails to endorse or utilize it can be deemed untrustworthy and unfit for practice.”
A mix of charlatan and quack, Edgerly still managed to gain influence in important circles. Beyond his royal audience, he formed a friendship with William Danforth, the founder of Purina. Edgerly had long advocated for a whole-grain breakfast, a surprisingly sensible suggestion, and Danforth believed Edgerly’s endorsement could boost sales of shelf-stable wheat germ cereal. Ralston Wheat Cereal launched in 1898 and performed well enough that Danforth partnered with Edgerly to establish the Ralston Purina company in 1902. To the public, Ralston became synonymous with health and wellness.
Sadly, Edgerly’s ideologies were not always benign. He supported eugenics—a deplorable effort to 'enhance' humanity through selective breeding—and his writings often promoted racist views, such as advocating for the castration of all non-Caucasian males. A core belief of Ralstonism was the vision of a purely Caucasian 'new race' that could live to 100 years without illness. His pursuit of a 'superior' humanity eventually led him to New Jersey, where he embarked on a project even grander than his books: creating a community of followers.
Edgerly relocated frequently, from Massachusetts to Topeka, Kansas, and then to Washington. In 1894, he began acquiring land overlooking Hopewell, New Jersey, aiming to build a city for his Ralston devotees. He envisioned 400 homes, six farms, and six estates, including Ralston Manor, his own renovated property. The massive 27,000-square-foot Victorian home featured intricate hallways and a third-floor classroom for elocution training. Its grand 72-step staircase was designed to accommodate a 36-piece orchestra, with musicians positioned on alternating steps. Edgerly adorned the grounds with trees from Japan, Norway, and China, creating an exotic atmosphere. He cultivated a lush garden, sharing its produce with locals to foster goodwill. Inside the manor, he continued his prolific writing, even constructing a separate room to avoid disturbing his wife with his typing.
Despite the popularity of his books, Edgerly’s Ralston utopia fell short of his grand vision. The Hopewell properties were costly, even for his affluent followers, and the lack of local job prospects deterred buyers. Only 25 lots were sold. His efforts to win over the townspeople also backfired. After constructing a water tank to supply the area, residents complained of its foul taste due to a crack that allowed contaminants to seep in. Eventually, Edgerly was ostracized from Hopewell and relocated to Trenton, where he spent his remaining years until his death in 1926.
Ralstonism faded into obscurity until the 1990s, when Janet Six, an archaeology student, stayed at Ralston Manor. By then, the house had changed hands multiple times and was owned by her friends. Intrigued by its history, Six researched Edgerly’s life and wrote a thesis about him. While her work revived interest in Edgerly, the Ralston Purina company showed little interest in its controversial founder. Their official history omits his name, mentioning only a “Doctor Ralston,” one of Edgerly’s pseudonyms. After Nestle acquired the company in 2001, it was rebranded as Nestle Purina.
Ralston Manor remains standing today, now used by its current owners for art exhibitions and fundraising events. Locals refer to it as the Castle and occasionally reminisce about the eccentric figure who once roamed its halls, devising elaborate ways to promote Ralstonism while balancing on the balls of his feet.
