Nashville Mormons in 1916

Mission news reports don't indicate an active branch in Nashville in 1916, though there were frequent street meetings and several meetings in indoor public venues.

In January of 1916 there were four missionaries working in Nashville. It appears to have been common practice for missionaries to spend the winter months in the cities, rather than traveling in rural areas where travelling without purse or scrip might leave them un-sheltered.

The four missionaries who were in Nashville for the winter of 1916  were Elders John Hendry Stevenson Jr., William Stanton Hamblin, George William Barrus, and Nels Ursel Anderson. One of them shared with the editor of the mission newspaper how they applied to the Chief of Police [probably J. W. Smith] for a permit to hold open air meetings.

They "were treated with much respect and were granted their request. The chief informed them be was willing to do all in his power to assist them. He said that on three different occasions he had visited Salt Lake City and was very courteously treated by the "Mormons." He spoke in high terms of the founder of "Mormonism."

It would be 1930's before a branch with a Sunday School, a Relief Society, a Primary & a "Young People's" organization was set up. But that is a story for another day.