Friends Church History

Alba, Neck City, Purcell History

A Brief for History
By Marvin L. VanGilder, Press Historian
The Carthage Press, January 13, 1972

F. A North and associates in gathering data for the 1883 History of Jasper County entirely missed the significant Quaker movement which already was making an enduring impact upon the county's social, economic, political and theological environment. That movement should be included in the recounting of church building in the county.

North may be forgiven. A number of other historians in subsequent years also failed to notice the Quaker presence.

It was a quiet presence, never intended to attract attention. The members of the Society of Friends, exponents of peace, calm, compassion and quiet faith, came without fanfare in small family groups aboard neat ox-drawn wagons in the months immediately following the Civil War.

Apparently they came generally from Indiana, across Southern Illinois and across the width of Missouri to the valley of Spring River.

Once on the scene they settled in calmly to build neat little cottages along the river valley on either side of the Kansas-Missouri boarder, adding their quiet strength to the human resources of Cherokee County, Kansas, as well as Jasper County, Missouri.

On the Missouri side, most settled northwest of Carthage near Alba Trading Post and thus near the future sites of Alba, Neck City and Purcell.

Probably the first to arrive and John Haworth, with his family, who moved into the region during the summer of 1865 and who were followed immediately by Harmon Haworth and Benjamin Barnett with their families.

According to a "Sketch History of Alba Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends in its 75th or Diamond Jubilee" (1969) by C. Ralph Lemmons, the Quaker settlements were enlarged early in 1866 with the arrival of Benjamin Meeker, Isaac Mardock, Elwood Haworth and several others with their families.

A meeting-the word is used by Quakers as a noun and has approximately the same sense as the word congregation as used by most other Christian groups-was formed in 1866 with the families already named near the state line and with families headed by John Hutchins, Absolem Hollingsworth, Erasmus Folger and others in Jasper County all active participants.

The invaluable sketch history was made available for our study by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Holden, co-pastors of Alba Friends Church through the good offices of Mrs. Marileen Erwin, Purcell, president of Tri-City Historical Society.

First formal organization of the Friends in this region dates from 1868, according to the Lemmons account. Spring River Monthly Meeting was organized with its base on the Kansas side of the line, in 1868 and at the same time affiliated "preparative" or outpost meetings called Union and Fairview were established on the Missouri side.

Eventually Spring River became Riverton Monthly Meeting, Union became Alba Monthly Meeting and Fairview retained its original name.

It is apparent although not documented, that all three had meeting houses constructed about the same time as completion of formal organization.

The Union Meeting House is believed to have been about a mile west of the site of Alba on the grounds where the Friends Cemetery of Purcell later was established, while Fairview Meeting House was about 3 ½ miles to the east and somewhat north of the site of today's Fairview Friends Church.

The cemetery site and adjoining land were purchased May 14, 1869, and May 16, 1872, from Mr. And Mrs. Calvin Harvey.

One record indicates construction of the original meeting houses of both Union and Fairview Meetings was completed in 1870. That year, it was reported the two had membership of about 200, "the largest single settlement of Friends in the state of Missouri".

Names of some 100 members were transferred in 1868 from the roll of Spring River Monthly meeting to that of Union Monthly Meeting, giving the Missouri unit fully separate status. The transfer list follows: Arron and Elizabeth Street and children David, Lindley and John. John B. and Elizabeth Hutchins and children William, Charles, Rhoda, Wilson, Mary, Isaac, Elizabeth, John and Lucy. Joseph and Naomi Stanley and children Rachel, Nancy, Alice and Thirsa. Jonathan and Esther Wheeler and children Mary, John and Isaac. Joseph and Clarisa Frazier and children Isabelle, Alvah and Martha. Solomon and Susannah Wright and children George, Rachel and Charles. Isaac and Rebecca Frazier. Robert and Eveline Reagen. Amos and Abigal Carr and children William, Hezekiah, Sarah, Mary and Cyrus. Erasmus and Virginia Folger and children Eusebia, Ammon, Martha and Mary. Uriah and Rebecca Baldwin and daughter Guliema. Ross and Rachel Smith and children Edgar and William. Elam and Lavena Stephens and children William, Hannah, Francis, Louisa, Emma, Franklin, Ida and Oscar. William F. and Hannah H. Bray and children Mary, Sarah and John. George and Elizabeth Shafer and children Isaac, Joseph, Mormon, George and Elizabeth. Anna Hollingsworth. Rachel Johnson. Caleb Hubbard. Isaac W. Johnson. Hannah R. Smith. Virginia Thompson and daughter Anna. Archillis Johnson.

On June 18, 1869, Spring River and Union Monthly Meetings formally were affiliated, as confirmed in a gathering at Union Meeting House, as Spring River Quarterly Meeting. The combined membership was 769.

After the plat for the town of Alba was filed March 24, 1882, the Friends began planning a new site and about 1894 the Union Meeting House was moved to Lots 1 and 2 of Block 5, Original Town of Alba, purchased from James H. Lanhler.

The name change to Alba Monthly Meeting officially was dated from May 26, 1894.

In 1903, the original meeting house was sold, with Trustees Jesse Hodson, David Woodmansee and Herney Hubbard acting agents for the meeting.

The edifice was used for a time as an apartment building, then was moved to another business site in Alba and eventually became the property of H. Betebenner, who operated a shoe store there.

A new meeting house was erected about 1904. At some time early in this century a parsonage was added to the church property.

Through the years numerous improvements and expansions of both the church and parsonage structures have been made.

Records reveal names of modern pastors beginning with O. J. Kelly, whose period of service was concluded in 1929.

Those who followed were: Ray Houston, 1929-1931 along with Ruth Houston, 1931-1934. Will and Anna Patton, 1934-1942. Oscar and Grace Thompson, 1942-1946. Ruth E. Conley, 1945-1950. Irwin and Goldie Foss, 1950-1951. Roy and Lois Key, 1951-1963. Wesley and Iona Murphy, 1963-1967. C. Ralph and Stella Lemmons, 1967-1969. Will and Anna Patton, 1969-1970. Gerald and Shirley Holden, 1970-. Lemmons in 1969 listed all then involved in the work of Alba Friends Church.

Named as active members were Mrs. Myrtle Betebenner, Chester and Ben Black, Mrs. Edna Chidester, Harvey and Mary Cook with Gregory and Gail, John and Vonda Cook, Phillip Cook, Mrs. Mary Davis, Miss Deborah Lee Johnson, Mrs. Ethel Jones, Roy and Lois Key, Virgil and Alica Kirk, Mrs. Alcie Jean Lassiter, Mrs. Goldie Patterson, Keith and Tre? Rider with Lurena, Mrs. Rosella Sidenstricker, Elmer and Kathleen Weeks with Janette, Mrs. Fleta Williams, Mrs. I. Wright.

Associate members were Mike and Dave Davis, William and Bret Lassiter, Jacqueline Sidenstricker, Jonnie and Danny Weeks.

Also named were non-resident members, Mrs. Pearl Cooper, Carthage Route; Rollyn Hubbard, Joplin; Mrs. Mary McCullauth, Chula Vista, Calif.; Mrs. Steve Newton, Webb City, and Carla and Leo Smith, Madiera, Calif.

"Through all these years," Lemmon declared, "the main purpose of the church has been to help lead people into a experience of salvation, to teach and train children and all under our care in the way of the Lord, that they might be able to live for and serve the Lord rightly in this life then be prepared to meet Him in the life to come.

"May the time never come that the church will fail to proclaim a message that we honor and glorify our precious Lord.""

The calm Quaker presence continues to strengthen Jasper County.