The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-07-09
QUAKERS WILL.
REVIEW STORY
Of 100 YEARS
Centennial of Founding of In
diana Meeting to be Con-
Quoted on August l5-Re-
calls Pioneer Days.
DETAILS COMPLETED

and shad-bellied coat. and his wife
in hard-sell-silk bonnet and plain drab
garb. Seldom are the thee" and
thou" and the first month" and
second day." instead of January and
Monday, and other expressions OF the
plain language of the Society OF
Friends heard on the streets of Rich
mond. known for nearly a century as
the Quaker City of the Wegs," to diff
ferentiate it from Philadelphia, the
eastern capital of the denomination.
Gone also are the log churches, de-
void of ornamentaIion, with split logs
for pews, where once the Quakers
were wont to sit in meditation, some
times for hours without a spoken
word, until the spirit moved a mem
Der to pray or to testify of the faith
that dwelt within him.
Influence Felt in Indiana
But even if the external character
istics of the pioneer Quakers have,
vanished with the forests of oak,
black walnut and hard maple out of
which they carved their homes in
eastern Indiana, the impress of their
denomination is still visible in the
communities which they founded and
the moral forces which they eXerted
with telling effect on the institutional
development of the whole Hoosier
state
Their opposition to slavery, their
belief in equal suffrage, their fight
against the liquor traffic, their advo-
cacy of penal reform and betterment
of correctional institutions. their lead
ership in the formation of the public
school system of Indiana-all are i'm
pressive Quaker contributions to the
history Of Indiana.
The first Quakers came to eastern
Indiana from North Carolina in 1906
and 1907. settling in the Whitewater
valley, whose rolling hills, fertile acres
and abundant springs of water induc-
ed them to describe it as the Prom
ised Land"
Organize in 1921
Within a decade Friends had occu-
fitd the valley, and in 1921 they we're
merically strong enough TO organ
.. indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends.
which today Is the largest body of
Quakers in the world, exceeding in
numbers and denominational influence
even London Yearly Meeting.
Nicholson to Preside.
The 100 years which stretch between
the birth of Indiana Yearly Meeting
and its present commanding position
will be celebrated here on August Is.
Timothy Nicholson, intern stionally
known for his work in behalf of prison
reform, founder of the Indiana Prison
for Women and Girls, and president OF
the Indiana Anti-Saloon League since
its organization, will preside at the
anniversary celebration. The achieve
ments of Indiana Yearly meeting will
10 h,r 7 TO-
head Of the department of history at
Earlham college, and director of the
department Of history and archives
of the State Library. Rufus NJ. Jones
of Haverford college, will deliver an
address. Episodes in the history Of
the denomination will be presented in
pageant at Earlham college. Henry
Painter, of Spiceland, will exhibit a
collection of pictures Of every Quaker
meeting house of the Yearly Meeting
Many relics of pioneer days will be on
exhibit.
Indiana Yearly Meeting was organ
lied in a log meeting house, "a feet
square. The novelty of such a con-
vocation in new country" writes an
old Quaker, "occasioned much prepara-
tion to entertain its members. Not a
few beeves, calves and sheep were
sacrificed, and hen roosts were in
vaded. Barns prepared for dodgers
and the floors OF houses used for beds.
Some came in wagons and carts, de-
void of paint. in lieu thereof pitched
with tar. Some of the tacklings on
the horses had husk collars and raw
hide traced. Others came on horse
back, some with their wives on behind
A goodly number came as pedestrians,
and in some instances barefooted."
Build Brick Church.
The suggestion two years later OF
building a larger meeting house of
brick was considered very enterprising
by some and was deplored by others
who feared lest it be a little ostenta.
tious" for Quakers. The new meeting
house was occupied in 1924. The re
port of the "overseers" says: Stone
foundation, loads, 225; shingles, 1920;
glass panes, 1929; walls, 100X60X30 in
lower story; money expended, S3,4S9.
9112."
A painting of the old meeting house
3s it stood when the Yearly Meeting
was conducted in 1914. made by Mar
Gus Mote, one of Richmonds frs
artists, was discovered in an attic
of this city by Prof Harlow Lindley
and now occupies a promineat place II
the library of Earlham college. The
old meeting house is used as a ware
house by lumber company.
Some of the grandsons and grand
daughters OF the conductors on the
Underground Railway System, who's,
three branches from Cincinnati, Ohio
and NJ ad son and Jeffersonville
Indiana, converged in Levi Coffin:
LONE in Fountain City, six miles nortl
of here, will be present at the centen
nial celebration TO recount the deed
of their forefathers.
Helped Many Slaves.
The Coffin home, still standing il
the quaint Quaker village, was called
The Grand Central Station of th'
system. Coffin was a prominent mem
Der of Indiana Yearly Meeting, and i
is estimated that 5000 slaves wer,
moved through his home to Canada
When he was in charge of a largt
wholesale house controlled by anti
slave forces in Cincinnati, nearl!
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