Who's That Really Young Missionary?

It isn't every day that a photo I see in the archives has names clearly on it. But this one has names I know too. John L Bench, Nels P Nelson, George E Hill, George A Macdonald, Melvin Henderson, Lewis R Anderson & LeRoy Pugmire. But who is the little boy?

That took a little digging.

First I start by seeing when the mission service of these seven men overlapped. It turned out to be sometime between September 13th, 1898 and November 29th 1898. I knew Bench and Nelson had served in Tennessee. The other names were new to me, so I assumed they had served elsewhere. But what event would have brought them all together at the same time?

Then I found a description of a newspaper article printed in a few Utah papers, including the Sanpete Democrat, and the Manti Messenger. which had reprinted an article from the Chattanooga Sunday Times. The original article, which I have been unable to locate, had recounted the history of the Southern States mission and arrival of a new mission president: Ben E Rich. The article went on to describe the mission office staff and their roles. Nelson - first assistant, Anderson second assistant, Hill - Stenographer, MacDonald - Bookkeeper, Bench - commissary clerk & D P Felt - in charge of The Southern Star. With exception of Felt, this was like a mission office photo. Felt was not transferred to the office until October 23, 1898, so the photo was probably before then.

There were two other adults in the photo who were not named in the article. The first was Melvin Henderson. Melvin arrived at Chattanooga on September 13th 1898 and was assigned to East Tennessee, which included Chattanooga. In fact, up until President Rich, the policy established by John Morgan was not to proselyte in Chattanooga for fear that it would stir up animosity within the city making it difficult to conduct mission business. President Rich reversed that policy in 1898, making very possible that Henderson was in Chattanooga opening up the area.

The other was LeRoy Pugmire. LeRoy was not strictly a missionary, meaning his name does not appear on the missionary record.  He arrived with Elder Ben E Rich in September 1898. He was the son of Nancy Emeline Rich, a half sister of President Rich. It appears that LeRoy Pugmire had some kind of arrangement where he attended school in Chattanooga, possibly living at the mission home, and proselyted when not attending school.

That led me to discover that in September 1898, President Rich left Chattanooga to meet three people who were arriving by train in St Louis Missouri. They included his nephew LeRoy Pugmire, his son Lorin F Rich (age 18), and the wife of his first assistant Amanda Rosetta Bunnell Nelson. Amanda and her husband had two children, the oldest was a 3 year old boy named Leland. The record doesn't say Leland accompanied Amanda to Tennessee, but I did notice it is on Elder Nelson's lap that the little boy is sitting. Circumstantial? Maybe.

Alvin Verd Washburn's Mission

[Since this is intended to be primarily about Verd's mission I have left much of the detail about his life before and after out of the narrative. What I have included was done for the sake of understanding what his mission was like for him. - BAllen]

Alvin "Verd" Washburn was born on 16 July 1897 to Jesse and Luella Washburn at Huntington, Utah. Verd was their first child and the family moved around for few years (school in Provo, a mission to Arizona, etc) before homesteading in Duchesne. As the oldest Verd took on more than his share of work. One of those responsibilities led to an accident when he was 16 years old. Although I have found a couple different recollections of the accident, they agree on the most important points. While driving a wagon his right leg was caught in the front wheel. The damage to the bones of his knee & leg were significant and he spent three months in recovery, and some of that in traction. Because of the damage to the flesh, which had to be regularly cleaned to prevent infection, a proper cast could not be used, so the bones did not knit back together properly. The knee joint healed two inches out of place.

Although Verd wrote that his recovery "seemed like an eternity" he did take advantage of the of the time to hone his musical talents. The accident did nothing to hinder his "fine baritone voice." He apparently already knew how to play the trombone and "through considerable sacrifice, the family acquired a piano for him to play." Miraculously, Vern learned to walk again though he did have crutches he used at least part of the time. After graduating from 8th grade, Verd studied music at Brigham Young Academy, where his father went to school.

"Returning to Duchesne at the end of the school year, he was set apart as the Sunday School Superintendent in his local church congregation. Although young, this experience prepared him for the Church mission call to the Southern States Mission which he received in July 1914 at the age of seventeen. The mission headquarters was in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Verd had been promised in a priesthood blessing that he would complete a mission. Luella records, “Had it not been for this promise I wonder if we would have had faith enough, considering the condition of his leg, to have accepted the call.” Before leaving for Tennessee, Verd was fitted with a lift for the shoe on his injured leg. The family reports that he left his crutches behind. Despite his physical limitations, he walked hundreds of miles in the mission field, successfully completing his mission." 

Verd described his mission this way. “The [missionary] work was very difficult and there were few rewards but serving my Heavenly Father was a wonderful experience for me which I have never regretted.” Of course, teasing out what he actually did on his mission is the point of this post so lets get to it.

Elder Alvin Verd Washburn arrived in Chattanooga on October 19th, 1914. According the mission records he was assigned to the East Tennessee Conference. But there was something going on about Elder Washburn's assignment that was different from assignments of other missionaries. It may have been due to physical limitation his leg or it may have been due to how people thought he should be treated because of his leg.

1. There is no note in the East Tennessee conference report welcoming him into the conference, which is odd since the customary welcome happens so regularly that it was nearly formulaic.
2. He is not included in many of the reports made on the East Tennessee Conference. When the conference president names people and the places they are working, Elder Washburn is seldom included. For the first six months, I can find no record of where he served within East Tennessee.
3. In some cases when he is included, he does not appear to have a steady companion, or his work is noted as being done with a member of the mission office staff, or someone who is normally working elsewhere.
4. He does appear in some photographs of the missionaries in the conference, but not all of them. The first is at the start of his mission. The second shows him with East Tennessee missionaires at a time when he was serving in Georgia, The third doesn't even look very much like him, though that may be due to the poor quality of the image. 

With that said there are some key events that show Elder Washburn had a normal proselyting mission. There were at least six baptisms he performed in Tennessee alone. I don't know of any in Georgia, since I don't have baptism records for that area. He was teaching school while he was there, so he might not have had any.

Verd was in Chattanooga for the 1914 visit by President Joseph F Smith. There weren't many times the President of the Church visited missions, so this one made news all over the Southern States. Verd had been on his mission for only 5 weeks so probably had no idea how big this was. 

In fact although he was assigned to the East Tennessee Conference, he probably stayed the entire first month in Chattanooga. And I don't see him him getting out for several months, though he certainly could have. In the meantime there was a photo taken (based on who is it in) sometime between Oct 29th and Nov 28th which shows all the missionaries in the East Tennessee Conference. My best guess was that it was taken at Chattanooga, either just before or just after Pres Smith's visit. Elder Washburn is on the left in the red box.

For the next five months I see nothing about where Elder Washburn is working. Missionaries were often give different assignments in the winter months, often in the cities instead of the countryside. If I had to speculate as to Verd's whereabouts based on later events on his mission, I would suggest he could have been teaching at one of the mission sponsored schools. These were small one to two person operations. He would teach the following year in Georgia, so it isn't much of a stretch. Not all of these schools were documented, but there was one in Brockdell, Tenn in 1916. The school could have been active in 1915 as well. This could explain why he was not with the other missionaries. Even beginning with that pure speculation, however, I can find nothing to support it.

It is April 1915 when we find Elder Washburn in Cumberland County with Elder Walter H Todd. Todd arrived in East Tennessee from North Carolina and jumped from area to area each month, probably spending only one or two months with Elder Washburn. The reports show the two doing missionary type stuff, meeting people and preaching to some. Elder Todd does not stay around for long. By June Todd was reassigned to Ohio.

In June Elder Washburn appears again where preached five meetings in an unspecified location with the help of Elder Arias G. Belnap who was assigned to work in the mission office. Were they preaching in Chattanooga near the office or somewhere else in East Tennessee requiring Elder Belnap to travel? The record doesn't say.

Two weeks later Elder Washburn and Elder Lewis G. Winter are working in an unnamed community where the missionaries have been preaching for "five years." The report describes a singing master who was teaching the people in the vicinity the songs of Zion. Knowing Verd's love of singing and that he studied music at BYA in Provo, I am tempted to think it is Elder Washburn who is doing the teaching. Elder Winter was a brand new missionary and Elder Washburn was his first companion. By the end of July, Elder Winter in baptizing in Warren county with Elder Workman, so the two did not stay together long.

In early August Elder Washburn has his first two baptisms; a married couple: Matilda Bedwell & Andrew J Bedwell Jr. in Pikeville, Bledsoe county. Elder Washburn reported two more baptisms in Bledsoe County  in September though I haven't identified them yet. It may be that the two in this report were the same as the two from the previous report. 

In November 1915 there were two more baptisms: Nancy Shannon & George Shannon at Soddy in Hamilton county. "A large crowd assembled at the river to witness the baptism, and previous to this ordinance a meeting was held - on the bank of the river." Nancy & George were a young couple - 18 & 22 - with a one year old son named William. George was confirmed by Henry Levi, who was not a missionary, but a neighbor who had joined the church two years earlier. It appears that Henry's wife Amanda was George's sister.

At the end of the month Elder Washburn was transferred to the Georgia Conference where he taught school for the winter in the town of Buchanan, Georgia. While he was there a branch was organized in February 1916 and an M.I.A. was organized. In March 1916 there was a conference held at which Verd played a trombone solo. Below is a photo taken at that conference, sans trombone. 

I have to say that this photo needs some kind of explanation. The record is quite clear that Elder Washburn is teaching in Buchanan, Georgia. Yet here he is in a photo of East Tennessee missionaries. He does not get transferred back to East Tennessee for another month. But there are several possible explanations for this. 1) Verd could have been one of the visitors from Georgia and the photo is therefore just mislabeled. 2) Verd could have been considered still part of the East Tennessee conference and was only on loan to Georgia to teach school. 3) The transfer in April could have really happened in March at this meeting but was incorrectly recorded. Which one is right? Or are none of them right? We may never know.

In April 1916, Elder Washburn was (officially) transferred back into the East Tennessee Conference.

In May, Elder Washburn teamed up with Elder Samuel E. Rockwood in Bledsoe county. Elder Rockwood had been teaching in Brockdell in Bledsoe county for the winter. Later that month Andrew J Bedwell Sr. - father and namesake of an earlier convert - was baptized in Pikeville. Elder Washburn officiated the confirmation.

For June, July and probably most of August, Elder Washburn stayed in Bledsoe county. He had three different companions this month. Elder Joseph F. Mecham was in the first part of June. Elder Mecham became ill and by the first part of July was on his way home. That illness led to Verd getting a new companion. In the later part of June Verd was working with Elder Judson L Tolman, but he too leaves for Fentress county before the middle of July. By August we learn that Verd's third companion is Elder Walter G Willis, and the two of them baptized five people that month; four of them by Elder Washburn, one by Elder Willis, all in Bledsoe county. The two spread out into neighboring Sequatchie county, holding street and hall meetings.

On Aug 29th, Elder Washburn is participating in street meeting being held by Elders Joseph Soelburg and Brigham R Wheeler who were both assigned to the mission office. I can't say whether the two mission office Elders went to Elder Washburn or if he went to Chattanooga. Either would have been quite possible.

At the end of September Elder Washburn and a new companion, Elder Merlin G. Shumway, were transferred together to the Middle Tennessee conference where they preached mainly in Memphis all of October and into November. The two worked closely with the local leadership to strengthen the recently organized Memphis Branch.

After six weeks in Memphis both Elder Washburn and Elder Shumway were released to return home.

Whatever concerns the mission leadership may have had about Elder Washburn and his leg, they appear to have dissipated by the end of his service. He may not have traveled as much as some other missionaries, having spent some time teaching school or preaching mostly in a single county. But he taught, preached, and shared his talents. And that led to more than just a few people joining the Church. 

What Weird Trick Will Identify These People? #5 Will Surprise You!

[This blog post will be cross posted at Keepapitchinin and Juvenile Instructor.  - BAllen]

A while back we did a post where we tried to match the names of missionaries on the back of a photo to the faces of the missionaries on the front. Well, today we are going to try that again. Only this time it will be a little harder. We can thank Quincy D. Newell, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Hamilton College for her interest in this photo.

For a higher resolution and uncropped version of this photo please follow this link to the Church History Library: https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE7714343

The photo above has a vague label "Elders at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee," a date range from 1894 to 1905, and no readily visible identifying marks. When viewed in person there is some undecipherable writing in the margins written in black ink on a black background which might be names or perhaps only notes from when it was submitted to the Church Historian's office. None of those marks are visible in the scanned image.

It is a great looking photo. Aside from the scenery, the figures are relatively clear, positioned aesthetically, with a mixture of power poses and casual indifference. It has been used in scholarly and church publications before. LDS Church History tweeted the photo last Sunday. Sometimes it came with a description that disagrees with our tentative identification, though as far as I know, none of the descriptions have named any of the individuals in the photo.

The red letters you see on this version I have added for the sake of this exercise. Amy Tanner Thiriot's (you can see some of her work here: http://theancestorfiles.blogspot.com/) quick eyes identified one of the people in the photo as possibly being Ephraim Nye (marked as 3 above). For those who may not have heard of Elder Nye, don't worry. He was perhaps the shortest tenured mission president at the time.

In the 1902, when Ben E. Rich was President of the Southern States Mission, a decision was made to split the mission in two; north and south. The Northern portion was called the Middle States Mission and Elder Rich was called to be the president. A small portion of the Eastern States Mission (West Virginia) was moved into the Middle States as well. The southern portion would keep the name Southern States Mission. A new president was selected: Ephraim Nye. Within a year, however, while attending to mission business in South Carolina, Elder Nye passed away. The two missions were quickly reunited under President Rich and the Middle States Mission ceased to exist.

But this is not a story of the Middle States Mission, or even President Nye. Our story is about the photo. It is President Nye's possible presence in the photo that is a boon for us. It was common for arriving missionaries to do the tourist thing and visit the top of Lookout Mountain. The mission office was in Chattanooga, and Lookout Mountain was an afternoon excursion for them. The Church History Library has scores of such photos, some labeled, many not. This one falls squarely in the "not labeled" group.

And here is the important part. Chattanooga, Tennessee and the northern portion of Lookout Mountain, was not in President Nye's mission. Tennessee was now part of the Middle States Mission. With the split of the mission, Elder Nye moved the office to Atlanta, Georgia. Thereafter, new missionaries met the mission president in Atlanta, not Chattanooga. A trip to Lookout Mountain would have taken perhaps two days for the round trip, with train and hotel expenses on top of that. A side trip out of the mission with the mission president and new missionaries would be unwarranted. Such a trip likely never happened.

So what about the photo? That looks like President Nye. And those are missionaries, right?  Well, it turns out that there was one time of which we know when President Nye was in Chattanooga with a group of missionaries. On the 28th & 29th of June 1902, President Nye was at the old mission office. President Rich invited President Nye and President McQuarrie of the Eastern States Mission and brought in the Conference presidents from the three missions involved for a chance to meet their new leaders. At the meeting were...

A. Ben E. Rich (Middle States Mission President)
B. Ephraim H. Nye (Southern States Mission President)
C. John G. McQuarrie (Eastern States Mission President)
D. Walter Wright (North West Virginia Conference)
E. John A. Morrison (South West Virginia Conference)
F. Edward John Smith (Chattanooga Mission Office Staff)
G. Joseph H. Peterson (Chattanooga Mission Office Staff)
H. Charles H. Hyde (Chattanooga Mission Office Staff)
I. Nathan Harris (Chattanooga Mission Office Staff)
J. Milton Moody (Mississippi Conference)
K. Lorenzo Crosby (Virginia Conference)
L. Anders Mortensen (Virginia Conference)
M. William H. Wilcox (North Ohio Conference)
N. Jacob Crosby (Florida Conference)
O. Ozro Crockett (Middle Tennessee Conference)
P. Limhi F. Zundel (Georgia Conference)
Q. Joseph Johnson (Kentucky Conference)
R. Henry B. Elder (South Ohio Conference)
S. Eugene C. Miller (North Carolina Conference)
T. Clarence E. Ranck (Alabama Conference)
U. Theodore P. Henderson (South Carolina Conference)
V. Frank L. Brown (Alabama Conference)
W. Howard H. Hale (East Tennessee Conference)

Of course there aren't that many people in the photo. If the photo is related to the conference, our assumption is that not everyone from the meeting opted to go on the trip to Lookout Mountain. President Rich and his office staff had probably been there dozens of times. Most of the other missionaries who were part of the Southern States mission had probably been there once or twice themselves. It is easy to imagine a few of them deciding to not join the others. And sometimes missionaries had to forego doing the tourist thing because their train was scheduled to depart before the group would return. Many new missionary group photos on Lookout Mountain do not include everyone who started that day for exactly that reason. With so many people returning to so many places, it was unlikely the train schedules would cooperate.

With that in mind, our task has two parts. First: Demonstrate that this photo could indeed have been taken during the June 1902 meeting. If we could identify two or three of the people in the photo as being people on this list, particularly if those identified were not already in the Chattanooga area, that would do it. Second: If this is the list, connect the names with the faces.

Those of you with a keen eye will have already noticed that there is a black man in the photo. His inclusion was certainly deliberate. But I have no clue about his name, or his relationship with the others, thus the mystery. It isn't likely he was one of the missionaries above. I think we all know why (and wish it were otherwise). Identifying the others in the photo might lead to a journal entry or letter describing the event, which in turn may help in identifying him.

So without further ado, on your mark, set, go!

1. John Roland Halliday ? - CHL
2. Angus Kepp Nicholson ?  - CHL
3. John Mathew Johnson Allen - Tyson
4. Isaiah Cox Jr ? - Whizzbang
5. Pond ? - Ryan
6. William Henry Hindley ? - CHL
7. Leonard Spencer Harrington ? Bruce
8. Frederick Moroni Houston ? - Ryan
9. Francis Bent Rolfson - Ryan
10. John Jacklin - Ryan
11. Thomas Rawlings Smith ?  - Ryan/CHL
12. Albert William Buckwater ? - by default
13. George Thomas Taylor ? - Bruce

For extra credit (bragging rights?) Someone with the ability to inspect this photo in person, perhaps someone who lives in the Salt Lake City area, might be willing to look at the writing in the margins to see if they are decipherable. If even one of the names could be teased from the writing that would help in the identification of the photo.

Chattanooga Branch (Re)Organized 1932

Above is a photo of the Chattanooga Sunday School published on November 7th, 1933.

At a conference in Late 1932 in Chattanooga, President Miles L. Jones re-organized (according to a note in the mission news) a branch of the Church. Elder Leander Britton, a local Elder and convert since 1900 [see note below], was appointed the President. The note is odd, considering Elder Britton was Branch President before the re-organization, and there was no apparent change.

Although I have not been able to identify most of the people in the photo, Mission President Miles L. Jones appears to be the man on the right in the back (white hat & glasses) and the woman in front of him resembles his wife, Isabelle Chase. Given that he appear to be holding her arm, I think it is a pretty safe bet. In addition to local members President "Lee" Britton, and Elder J. T. Cheek, recent converts in the district include Charles Hollifield, Mary Shelton, Hattie Nash, Olive Nash, James Nash & Benjamin Nash. Some of them (or none) may be in the photo. If the photo was taken on the Jones' February 16, 1933 visit, then Sister Lucile Curtis is likely in the picture as well, since she was touring the mission with the mission president and his wife.

Note: Leander Britton was baptized on Aug 27th, 1900 by J. W. Berry, the son of William S. Berry.

Jacob F. Miller En Route - March 1883

Chattanooga Tenn. Sunday March 4 1883

...Tuesday 27th left home for mission. Bro. F[ranklin] D. Richards was in the train riding to Ogden and gave us some good instruction. A Doctor from Park City a rabid anti Mormon was on the train and was very bitter and noisy in conversation. We had a great number of conversations on the train and distributed quite a number of tracts. I had several interviews Thursday with a Baptist minister, C. T. Chaffee First Baptist Church. He told me that the Baptists were the most numerous sect in America, the Methodists ranking second, that the salary of a minister in Nebraska ranged from $500 to $5,000 and averaged from $1,000 to $1,200 also that he had the largest Church in the state. Nebraska offered nothing for view except corn, cornstalks and hogs. Iowa offers marked contrast by its rolling hills and Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee add considerable timber to the prospect.

We reached Omaha Thursday evening, crossed the bridge reported to be 2750 ft long to Council Bluffs and took the St. Louis Kansas City and Northern train¹ for St. Louis, where we obtained late breakfast Friday Morning. Took a tramp through the town, which seems to be mainly of brick, wrote to my Father and Thalia. Twelve of us including Bro. Morgan went to visit Shaw's Garden. A very large tract of land is here laid out as a place of pleasure resort. A large number of tropical plants are to be found in the green house, one corner is devoted to Scriptural plants. Amongst them my attention was particularly attracted by a tiny Ceder of Lebanon. A large variety of Cactus adorned the green houses, half a dozen Century Plants were in one. A Pomegranate in one as also palmetto, gum elastic and Camphor.

In the evening we embarked

on the Ohio and Mississippi Railway for Cincinnati. I passed the night in conversation with a stranger, W. T. Nelson of Hillsborough Ohio, between five and six hours were spent in rapid religious argument the remainder of the time in general conversation. My companion gave me control of the argument, by objecting to any opinions and appealing to the written word in the Bible as sole criterion. He had previously laid down as an axiom that the majority were always in the wrong and so could make no logical appeal from the wording of the Scripture to the general opinion of mankind regarding its meaning. In general conversation he informed me that the principal native trees of that part of the country were the oak, hickory and beech on the poorer soil; the walnut and sugar maple in the richer; and the sycamore and elm on the riverbanks and lower lands.

We took the Cincinnati and Southern railway for Chattanooga Saturday morning arriving late Saturday evening. Bro. Rigby found that he had been robbed. I think on the O & M Train I saw one steamer crossing the Ohio. We crossed the Mississippi in the dark. A partially disarranged switch nearly through our train off the track yesterday, The Conductor stopped the train to learn the cause but gave us no information on the subject. A young assistant told us the train narrowly missed being thrown into the river. We crossed a bridge yesterday 286 ft high. We stop here [in Chattanooga] at the Florentine Hotel.

Jacob F. Miller's route from SLC to Chattanooga

Bairds Mills Wednesday March 7, 1883

Sunday March 4th. We held a meeting in my room at the hotel. Bros. [John] Morgan and [Alphonzo] Snow gave us much good advice about our conduct in the missionary field. Following this we met on Cameron Hill² named during the War in honor of Secretary Simon Cameron. Pres. Morgan, then a young man served in the war under General [John T.] Wilder. The General, now a resident of Chattanooga met us on Cameron Hill and jested with Pres. Morgan about the Battalion he was now leading. All the boys received their appointments Sunday evening except myself. I received mine Monday morning. We all left for our fields of labor Monday.

¹ Actually purchased in 1879 by Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway so by the time Elder Miller rode it in 1883, the name had already changed.
² Cameron Hill sits in the center of downtown Chattanooga, providing an excellent view of the city. It would later be developed into a residential district with a rail to the top, with a casino and a Civil War memorial park. Today most of the hill is occupied by an office complex for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee.

A Mysterious Sermon

Mary F. Quinn of Hill City, Tennessee wrote about her conversion to the gospel and the mysterious sermon she heard on a cold night that played an crucial role. 

Please make room in the last column or some out of the way place for a sermon that I heard sometime before I heard the Elders preach.

I am of a very studious disposition, especially regarding the truths found in the good old Bible; truths that were taught me by my dear mother, who died about three years prior to the event I desire to narrate. 1 had been studying the Bible, trying to understand some of its hidden mysteries as taught by the Seven-Day Adventists, a doctrine I was, at that time, investigating. Prayer meeting had been dismissed, 1 knew, as I could hear the neighbors as they were returning from the Oak Hill church at Evansville, Tenn.

It was an extremely cold and bitter night in January, 1897, everything being perfectly still. I had retired to my room up stairs and finding my husband and the baby asleep, 1 soon went to bed and lay thinking, studying over what I had been reading, being unable to sleep. Suddenly I heard a low murmur as though a prayer was being uttered. I was surprised; knowing as I did, the meeting had been dismissed, and even if not, that I could scarcely hear it so far away, and yet so distinctly. I tried to divert my attention away from it, but could not, so, raising up, I lifted up the blind to learn, if I could, its source, but was unable to. I then began wondering who it could be in the Oak Hill church that could speak so distinctly, and would be out at such a late hour. I soon discovered it was not a prayer, but a clear, well delivered sermon. I then got up and raised the window but was still unable to locate the source. I tried to find out if I were really awake. I tried to center my mind on my dear mother, but could not; finally I concluded to give my whole attention to the sermon for such I found it to be. For at least an hour I lay there and listened to one of the best sermons I have ever heard in my life. It was as some one preaching in mighty power, but in such haste as though desirous of saying all possible in a given length of time. Still every point of doctrine was made as clear and simple to me, so that I could understand each idea as it was presented. The words were spoken so clearly and distinctly and yet it seemed to be so very far away. I lay there entranced sometime with my blood running cold, as I tried to fathom what it all meant. I continued to listen until the words ceased, and you may well know how upset my mind was by this time.

I dared not tell any of my folks of this mysterious sermon as they are not in the least superstitious, and I held my secret for three weeks before I told anyone. ^hen I related it to a dear, good old lady who was visiting with me. She could give me no satisfaction and about three weeks more passed away when news came that strange men were in the vicinity—men known as Mormons. Word came that they were then on their way to Oak Hill; stories of all kinds were told, but still I was not frightened, although I did wonder what kind of a race of people they were, and desired to meet them.

I did not have long to wait, for the day following I had the great pleasure of meeting the first Mormon Elders and was very agreeably surprised to find them anything but as I had heard. Elders Soren Peterson and Earnest R. Needham were their names. They left some tracts and announced a meeting in the Oak Hill church. I could not attend their first meeting, owing to a heavy rain, but I perused the tracts and literature they left with us and I felt much benefitted thereby, and thirsted for more.

I went out to hear them later and was struck with delighted amazement when I recognized the same sermon I had heard six weeks before. The same low clear tone and plain language with the same simple, yet so beautiful, in its every detail.

I went to hear them preach from time to time. Every sermon sounding so sweet to me I could not remain at home. Kind reader you may know how relieved I was to find a sequel to my mysterious sermon which so plainly foretold what I must do to be saved. I went to hear them preach on all possible occasions and I read all the books, tracts and literature, including that glorious Book of Mormon, and later my husband and I were baptised, turning our backs upon the world, taking upon ourselves the cross to face a cold-hearted world, with the promise of Jesus to never leave us alone. We were willing to he called by that despised name "Mormon," because we know this doctrine is not of man. The most blessed and beneficial day's work ever done! I can now sing "O Happy Day!" and mean just what I say.

My entire family stands united upon the Rock to face the world with an assurance of a true knowledge of this the glorious Latter Day Gospel. Joseph Smith being the worthy chosen of all the world; by and through him to roll the "stone" that Daniel saw, would fill the whole earth, preparing the way for the second coming of our Lord and Savior.

My earnest prayer is that all the honest in heart may embrace the first opportunity for accepting that which they will know is the truth as soon as they shall do the will of the Father.

Mary F. Quinn was born on Aug 13, 1863 to Joseph Lyman Brown and Dialthia Jane Travis in Rhea County, Tennessee. She married Julius P Quinn (1857-1917) in Rhea County on February 14, 1883. Julius was a laborer who specialized in carpentry. I was unable to locate records of the baby she spoke of in her story, but I did find two other children in various records including the 1900 census: Carrie L. Quinn (1885-?) and Carl H Quinn (1890-1948). The Oak Hill Church was outside the town of Evensville Tennessee in Rhea Couty.The Quinns were baptized on Aug 5, 1897, Mary by Elder James E. Hart and Julius by Milton H. Welling. By then the family was living in Hill City, a suburb of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Eighteen months later both their children were baptized too. The letter she wrote had no date, but was printed in 1899. Church records include a hand written note indicating Mary died in 23 Oct 1901, but she appears on the 1910 census and her husband's death certificate indicates she was still alive when he died in 1917.

I will open the doors for you

It occurred on the night of June 3 [1899] at Salem Church, James county, Tennessee. We had an appointment for meeting, but when we reached the designated place we found the doors of the church locked. A good modern Christian (?), one who superintends the Baptist Sunday school and sits in the "amen" corner at their periodical religious hurrahs, had performed this heathenish deed and skulked away to laugh and soliloquize over his night's work. "O, Father, I am thy good servant. Tonight I have done a righteous deed in locking the doors of Thy church against the Mormon Elders. Bless me, Heavenly Father, for this brave act of mine."

Father, forgive him. He thinks he is doing Thee service in persecuting Thy servants. Soften his heart and cause that he might see his wrong and repent of his sins and accept the true doctrines of Christ, the Gospel in its purity and fullness.

Some of our friends wanted to break the doors open and ring the bell, but we constrained them not to, telling them that we would preach in the dark. By 8 o'clock a large crowd of men and women, boys and girls., had assembled to hear the doctrine of the people that were "everywhere spoken evil of." A light was procured, and under the blue canopy of heaven, with no protector but God, and no comforter but the Holy Spirit, for nearly two hours we portrayed to them the Gospel in its beauty, and fearlessly bore our testimonies unto them. Stillness pervaded the place of meeting. The sweet and divine influence of the Holy Spirit thrilled us through nnd through and our warning voices, under its guidance, had the desired effect. The people became our friends. Sunday the doors were opened nnd we were privileged to hold two rousing meetings, causing many to investigate. Mr. Taley, the trustee, and a very dear friend of ours, told us when we left. "Come back, boys, nnd I will go and open the doors for you."

by ELDER JOSEPH HUGHES

[editors note: James County was formed in 1871 from a portion of Hamilton County. Unfortunately the county went bankrupt in 1919 and was merged back with Hamilton County. Salem]

President Joseph F. Smith and Other General Authorities of the Church Visit Southern States Mission

Following the dedication of a chapel in Independence, Missouri, on Sunday November 22, 1914, President Joseph F. Smith and his party take a visit of the Souther States Mission.

711 Fairview Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee

From Left to Right.—Bishop C. W. Nibley, Elder Joseph F. Smith, Jr.,

Sister Rebecca N. Nibley, President Joseph F. Smith, Sister Julina Smith, President Charles W. 

Penrose, Sister Romania B. Penrose, Elder Chas. A. Callis, Sister Grace E. Callis,

Elder Geo. Albert Smith. Sister Emily Smith is standing behind her father and mother.

 

[The following description was written by President Charles A Calllis of the Southern States Mission. and Published int he Liahona on December 29, 1914.]

The visit of President Joseph F. Smith, President Chas. W. Penrose, Elders George Albert Smith and Joseph F. Smith, Jr., of the Council of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishop, C. W. Nibley, to the Southern States Mission, is the greatest missionary event in the history of the Mission. President Smith is the first president of the Church who has visited this mission. He and his party were well received. They spoke to large audiences: they made hundreds of friends and they preached the Gospel in the power and demonstration of the Spirit.

Memphis.

The president and his party arrived in this city Tuesday, November 24th. During the day they visited places of interest. A priesthood meeting was held in the afternoon with the elders of the Middle Tennessee and Mississippi Conferences, at which good counsel was givien by President Smith and the other brethren. A public meeting was held in one of the largest halls in the city that evening. Several hundred people attended. President Smith, Bishop Nibley and President Penrose delivered excellent doctrinal discourses. A well trained choir, under the able leadership of Brother H. LeRoy Stewart, one of the local elders, accompanied by an orchestra of four violins, two cornets and a piano, rendered excellent singing. A vase of beautiful flowers was on the table in front of the speaker and the platform was decorated with palms. The Commercial Appeal, one of the leading papers of the South, made the following comment on President Smith: "Joseph F. Smith, head of the Mormon Church, visited Memphis yesterday. He spoke to a meeting of missionaries in the tabernacle in the Woman's Building in the afternoon, and at night addressed an audience of several hundred who filled the big hall. President Smith is positive in speech. He is a speaker of great force. Nothing he said last night could be construed as out of the ordinary at all. But as he voiced the plea it was not quite usual. He did not seem to be trying for an effect, but he did secure one. Several of the women who were present held their handkerchiefs to their eyes; several men almost seemed worried. There were plenty of unbelievers in the crowd, but all listened to him with great attention—even smiles were lacking."

Chattanooga.

Wednesday morning, after an all night ride, the visitors reached Chattanooga. They were taken to the Mission headquarters where ' they were welcome and honored guests. During the day historic places were visited. That evening a public meeting was held in the Lyric theater. A great audience assembled. Leading business and professional men were present. The speakers were President Smith, Bishop Nibley and President Penrose. Their discourses were able and convincing. President Smith was applauded at the close of his splendid address. The opening and closing prayers were offered by Elders Joseph F. Smith, Jr., and George Albert Smith, respectively. A quartet of elders sang very nicely a number of hymns. The Chattanooga Times, in its report of the meeting said:"President Smith made an interesting and attractive figure as he stood on the stage of the Lyric last night. More than six feet in height, massive, vigorous and apparently in the prime of life, he dominated the meeting. He commanded attention to every utterance. He grew eloquent through pure earnestness and enthusiasm in his subject.


Dressed in simple black, with a long gray beard that falls to the middle of his breast, he has the appearance of a prosperous, contented farmer, until he turns those great luminous eyes toward his hearer, and when looking into them it is not hard to believe that this man, standing at the head of a great religious denomination, is endeavoring to end his life-work by carrying his teachings to every part of the globe through a campaign of persuasion and education. After the meeting, President Callis introduced all in the audience who desired to meet President Smith, and for sometime he held an informal reception on the stage. He had a handshake and a kind word for everyone."


The Chattanooga News made the following comment: "We believe it is necessary for men to have faith in the Father of Christ and the Father of the children of men," declared Joseph F. Smith, President of the Mormon Church, in the course of an eloquent address delivered before a large audience at the Lyric theater Wednesday night. President Smith is a pleasing speaker and held the attention of his hearers throughout his remarks. He is a picturesque figure, tall, commanding with snow white hair and flowing beard. Despite the fact that the burdens of seventy-six years, sixty of which have been spent in advocating the principles of peace, union, love, good will and good works, as he stated in his address, he holds himself erect and the lines in his face suggest strength of character and gentleness.


In closing President Smith said: "I believe in Mormonism with all my heart. I know its principles are correct and true." "One of the interesting men who is traveling with President Smith is Charles W. Penrose, second counsellor to the president of the church. Mr. Penrose is eighty-two years of age. Within two months he will pass the eighty-third mile-stone in life, and he declares he is as active and hearty today as forty years ago. For twenty years Mr. Penrose was editor of the Deseret News, the largest paper in Salt Lake. He is one of the most faithful and enthusiastic of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, and has done much for the church."


President Smith and his party were entertained by prominent citizens while they were in Chattanooga. They had a pleasant visit with the mayor. They ate their Thanksgiving dinner at the Mission home, and they held a Priesthood meeting and Thanksgiving service with the elders of the East Tennessee, East Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio and Kentucky Conferences, and visiting members.

President Smith's party also made stops in Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. The building in the photo is no longer standing.