The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-26
Centennial of Founding of
New Garden Meeting Will
Attract Hundreds to the
Church, Sunday.
OLDEST MEMBER TO
MAKE AN ADDRESS
Interesting History of the
Meeting Written by Luke
Woodward, to Be an In
teresting Feature.
palladium Specially


Tomorrow will be day of reminis'
cences for the elder members OF the
New Garden Friends church Just
south of this town, when the centen'
NAL celebration of the founding OF
the meeting will be observed. The
church was founded in November
1911 and is one of the oldest church
es in the state.
Descendants of pioneers who set
tied in this part of the state, which
was then territory and which was
considered the western edge of cirili
zation, will attend the centennial eel
ebration Most of them cannot re
member of attending meetings in the
first church. which was built of logs
on the site of the present building. but
many we'll recollect the meetings helC
in the second church. The present
brick meeting house is the third.
A few members of the church are
eighty years or older and there are
quite a few of these members who
will be present tomorrow morning
when the program of the celebration
will begin. This fact gives evidence
Of the sturdy stock from which they
sprung.
The program for tomorrow's cele
bration is as follows:
Opening prayer.
Introductory remarks by 1saa,
| Thomas, the oldest living member Q
the church.
Reading Of items concerning the es
tabIishment Of the New Garden meet
ing by Mrs. l.. Ella Hartley.
The early history OF the meetinl
| prepared BY La he Woodsrd, to be =peaa
by Mrs. Alice w. Huntu .
Early Customs and Manners o
Friends. by Timothy Nicholson.
Short remarks by Alpheus True
blood, Sarah E. Woodard, l.. j. Wood
ard, Amasa jenkins, Dr. o. n. Huf
and others.
| Letters from absent members will
be read. among which are two from
Will Hill, of Minneapolis, and Col
James Hadley, of California.
Poems will be read which were wri,
ten by Luke Woodard and Ella Wood
ard.
! The committee in charge Of the al
fair is composed of Isaac and Clark
son Thomas, Mrs. Maryetta Towr
send, Mrs. M. l.. Thomas, Samue
Barnes, and Miss Fannie Elliott. Mis-
Elliott will preside at the meeting t
morrow morning and afternoon.
The program will be opened at tn
usual meeting hour and will be col
tinued in the afternoon. Dinner wi
De served in the school house.
The following paper, written
Luke Woodard. will be read tomorro,
by Mrs. Alice w. Hunt:
| History Of Meeting.
AS l cannot be present at the Gel
tennial of the establishment of tn
New Garden meeting 1 contribute
small sketch. You will pardon me
it should be in some measure a repet
ton of what others may furnish as
have no program by which l can d.
eide on what Is expected. AS I am nj
yet quite 100 years old the items th&
antedate my birth-and as l have n
books or reference-this must be sue
as I recollect hearing from others. A
to the names of early settlers and th
exact date Of settlement l venture 4
complete list; or who were the men
bers who comprises the meeting whe
it was set up In 1871. Some of tt
most prominent l can name: Obedia
Harris, Sr., and Obediah Harris, j
hnfh nictnpC. ExySr to,
small house on the southeast part
our home farm a few rods north
the residence of the late Billy Marin
: The younger Harris lived on the pla<
: now owned by Calvin Fulghum. A
other one of the most conspicuous ,
, these first families was that of n
uncle and aunt, Francis and Lyd
Thomas who settled on the piece
land now owned by their son Clarkso
? He gave the ground for meeting pu
poses where the present meeting is |
. Gated.
} II l remember correctly what ha,
been told the first meetings befol
the meeting was regularly establis
ed by West Branch meeting were he
| III tuc C1QEI OOOul0u E16II16 C6O1u-
! Indiana was then a territory ar
this new settlement was the westel
edge of civilization, as far at least
English speaking people were CO
cerned- From that point westwal
was 4 densely wooded wilderness
habited by Indians and wild animal
: These pioneers had no small task
l
= many hardships and privations.
them 1t may be said Other men labo
: ed and we are entered into their
: bors." The war of 1872 added to Il
perils and anxiety Of these early Sci
lers. To protect themselves from !
lContdnnsd q P1ge Tuo1
y ....