The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-12-15
HISTORY OF WEST RICHMOND FRIENDS MEETING
PREPARED BY PROF. HARLOW LINDlEY OF EARLHAM

The movement for the West Rich
mond Friends Meeting was not the
product of momentary enthusiasm.
Many Friends had long felt that as a
denomination they should take advan.
tage OF the opening In West Richmond
with It's two opportunities-the grow
Ing territory of West Richmond and
the opportunity for service by the
faculty and student body of Earlham
college.
In 1899 John Wilhelm Rowntree a
minister from England was on a relig-
ious visit to this country with an es-
peciaf concern for the work Of young
Friends, as exemplified in the Bible
school and Christian Endeavor society.
In the early autumn of that year he
was entertained in Allen Jays home
on the National Road, West.
Young People Convene.
While there he called together sew.
eral OF the younger people from the
different Friends meetings in Rich
nond and-expresed his deep interest
In Earlham college and her young
people, and his conviction that there
should be strong vigorous meeting at
the college so that, as the students
Dame. up from the different Friends
meetings, they should find here type
pf meeting that could utilize their tai
hnte and send them back to their home
meetings strengthened and ready to
assume somewhat of the responsible
tiles OF the church
Allen Jay sympathized most deeply
With John Wilhelm Rowntree's thought
In this matter and In the next few
years as he looked ahead and saw
with prophetic eye. the place and
scope the Five Years Meeting would
hold to the church at large, as well as
here in Richmond, vision for the fu-
.ure Of the society gripped him and
until his death. the determination to
tndeavor to bring his vision to reality.
never left him. Toward the close Of
1906 or early in 1907. Clarence Case.
hen pastor OF South Eighth Street
Meeting. made a map showing the To-
cation OF Friends in Richmond. When
finished, the map showed three con.
siderable groups OF Friends--one In
East Richmond, one north Of the rail-
road, and one in West Richmond.
Committees Are Appointed.
In December 1907 committees were
appointed in bouth South Eighth
Street and whitewater Monthly meet
ngs to consider the subject Of relig-
GUS work for Friends on the West
Side of the city. Several Joint confer
noes Of these committees were held
md the discussions were conducted In
IN earnest and Christian spirit. Az
ne Of these conferences sub-commit-
.ee was appointed to investigate and
mako definite propositions If possible.
rhe subcommittee invited the Friends
vest Of the river for conference at
-arlham college the latter part of
November. 1908.
4 gocd'y number of West Richmond
friends were present and many OF
hem expressed their belief that the
ime had come when some effort
lhould be made made to establish
meeting west of the river. Allen Jay
poke earnestly Of his great desire to
ICE The College and the community
,n.ted In n meeting for worship. Then
8 tho work Of the Five Years Meeting
,ecame more unified there would be
,eed for a central building which
,hould be for American Friends what
he Devonshire House was for English
friends. He expressed the hope that
hese three needs might be combined
n one great central building, which
hould be equipped with committee
ooms, offices and an auditorium.
Hannah ID. Francisco spoke OF the
ceiling that had existed among Friends
or more than fifty years that there
hould be a meeting west OF the river
nd II there was no other way she
7ould offer her home for the use Of
UGH a meeting until house could be
ecured. Before the conference ad-
burned a committee was appointed
call upon all Friends west Of the
liver to see how many might desire
monthly meeting to be established
md II they we're willing to support
Mch a meeting.
Secure List Of Names
The names Of 140 persons, members
Whitewater and South Eighth Street
ionthly meetings were secured who
expressed themselves as desiring a
aonthly meeting in West Richmond.
Ifter a full discussion the large joint
ommittee united in recommending to
he Quarterly meeting that the request
these Friends be granted. The
quarterly meeting in December, 1908,
ppointed committee to take this re-
uest under consideration and in
Iarch, 1909. the Quarterly meeting
ranted the request. to become ef
ective when name for the meeting
nd place for holding it were pre-
ented to the Quarterly meeting. In
une. 1909. after the desired informa-
on had been given, West Richmond
tonthly Meeting Of the Religious So
iety of Friends was established by
whitewater Quarterly Meeting to be
pened on July IA, 1909. at 1880
clock p. m, at Earlham College.
!. Quincy Hill, Rachel Baily Hill,
timothy Nicholson, Eliza W. Hiatt,