When was the Watchtower Society founded?

Answer 1

1881, although The Watchtower magazine has been published since 1879.

Today there are dozens of corporate entities used by Jehovah's Witnesses in dozens of localities. However, for most of its modern history, the Jehovah's Witness organization has primarily used three corporations. The information below is quoted from page 229 of the official history of Jehovah's Witnesses, entitled "Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom".

[quote]
Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society
First formed in 1881 and then legally incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania on December 15, 1884. In 1896 its name was changed to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Since 1955 it has been known as
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.

Peoples Pulpit Association.
Formed in 1909 in connection with the Society’s moving of its principal offices to Brooklyn, New York. In 1939 the name was changed to Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc. Since 1956 it has been known as
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

International Bible Students Association.
Incorporated in London, England, on June 30, 1914.
[unquote]

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_02.htm

Answer 2

It was in 1896 that direct reference to the Bible was officially included in the name of the legal corporation then being used by the Bible Students in their publishing work. At that time Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society became legally known as Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. The Society did not immediately become a printer and binder of Bibles, but it was an active publisher of them, working out specifications, providing valuable supplementary features, and then arranging with commercial firms to do the printing and binding.

In 1884 Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in Pennsylvania. A president of the corporation was to be elected annually. This provided a legal instrument, not dependent upon the life of any individual, to carry forward the Bible educational work. Charles T. Russell was elected president, and his office was looked to as the headquarters.

Even prior to 1896, the Society was doing much as a Bible distributor. Not for commercial gain but as a service to its readers, it drew attention to various Bible translations that were available, bought them in large quantities so as to obtain good rates, and then made them available for a price that was sometimes only 35 percent of the list price. Included among these were numerous editions of the King James Version that were easy to carry and use,

Answer 3

In 1881.