Page images
PDF
EPUB

Pepper building until a congregation of 350 members outgrew those quarters. Meetings were held in the Willis Wood theatre until the church building at Thirty-first street and Troost avenue was completed. The church was built at a cost of $227,000. The seating capacity of the main auditorium is 1,052. The church was opened December 28, 1904.

The Third Church of Christ, Scientist, was reorganized in July, 1903. Church services were held in a rented hall until July, 1906, when the old building of St. Paul's protestant Episcopal church on Westport avenue, between Baltimore avenue and Wyandotte street, was leased and remodeled. From the original Christian Science churches two others have been established-one in Independence and the other in Kansas City, Kansas.

It is estimated that between 700 and 800 persons are daily under Christian Science treatment in Kansas City. There are about fifty regular practitioners, twenty of whom are established in offices. There are two public reading rooms, one under the auspices of the Second church, opened in 1893, and the other under the auspices of the First church, opened in 1899 and situated in the church parlors.

The Hebrews of Kansas City, previous to 1868, met for worship only twice a year in small rented halls. The first congregation, under the name of B'nai Jehudah, was organized in the fall of 1870. The Hebrew Burial association, organized in 1864, was made a part of the new church. This association had bought a piece of ground at Eighteenth street and Lydia avenue, but at the end of six years the ground was found to be too small and thirty-seven bodies were removed to Elmwood cemetery. B. A. Feineman was at that time president of both the Elmwood cemetery association and the board of the temple.

In June, 1872, the congregation received its charter, the first service by Rabbi M. R. Cohen having been held in Masonic hall, Fourth and Walnut streets, in 1870. Succeeding Rabbi Cohen came Rabbi E. L. Hess, Rabbi D. Burgheim, Rabbi A. Grossman and Rabbi Eppstein for terms of two or three years. The first temple, a frame building at Sixth and Wyandotte streets, was completed in 1875. The congregation soon outgrew the first templein a few years-and another temple was erected at the corner of Eleventh and Oak streets. The new temple was dedicated in September, 1884. Rabbi Isaac Schwab of St. Joseph, Isaac M. Wise of Cincinnati, S. H. Sonneschein of St. Louis, Joseph Krauskopf of Kansas City, Henry Berkowotz of Mobile, Ala., and others took part in the impressive ceremonies at the dedication. Rabbi Krauskopf was the first of a trio of rabbis who were taken from the Kansas City congregation one after another to become church leaders in the East. Rabbis Henry Berkowitz and Samuel Shulman were the second and third. All were brilliant lecturers and keenly interested in the welfare of

the city. The present rabbi, Henry H. Mayer, has shown a similar interest in civic affairs, and has the honor of being organizer of the Kansas City Pure Milk commission, pledged to save the babies. In the nine years he has been here, the congregation has doubled its membership. A new temple for B'nai Jehudah congregation at the southeast corner of Linwood boulevard and Flora avenue, valued, including the ground, at about $150,000, was completed in 1908. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 1,000. The building is constructed of Bedford stone, in Grecian style.

The First Universalist church was organized in Kansas City, October 3, 1892, under the supervision of Dr. Q. H. Shinn, western organizer of the General Universalist convention. Services were held in a hall until the church built by the Reformed Episcopals on the southeast corner of Tenth street and Park avenue was purchased and fitted for regular use. The Rev. Charles R. East was the first regular pastor, serving the church two years. He was succeeded by the Rev. Luther F. McKinney, who remained one year. The society was without a regular minister until October, 1902, when the Rev. Mary Elizabeth Andrews began a pastorate which still continues.

Various philanthropic institutions have been furthered by this church.. Classes in the study of Emerson, Plato and Browning are conducted by the pastor each week. The church has no creed, but the principles around which closer co-operation is obtained, are as follows: The universal fatherhood of God; the spiritual authority and leadership of His son, Jesus Christ; the trustworthiness of the Bible as containing a revelation from God; the certainty of just retribution for sin; the final harmony of all souls with God.

All Souls' Unitarian church of Kansas City was organized in the summer of 1868, with the Rev. Henry M. Smith, Agnes Smith, E. D. Parsons, Amos Towle, G. S. Morrison, Alfred Pirtle, Ross Guffin and Henry A. White as original members. Meetings were held in rooms over stores and in halls until 1871, when a frame building was erected on Baltimore avenue at a cost of about $5,000. The Rev. W. E. Copeland was the first pastor, and was succeeded in turn by the Rev. C. E. Webster, the Rev. Enoch Powell and the Rev. W. S. King. The work of the church was interrupted in 1880. The Rev. D. N. Utter became pastor in 1881, and under his ministration a large gain in membership was made. In 1884 the Rev. Robert Laird Collyer, D. D., was called to the pastorate. While he was in charge was erected the brick church edifice on Tenth street, near Broadway, at a cost of nearly $25,000. The Rev. John E. Roberts withdrew with about two-thirds of the congregation, then numbering some 500 people, and organized the "Church of This World." All Souls' church edifice was then rented to the Christian Scientists for some months, and the Unitarians met in the rooms of the Athenæum, where services were conducted by the Rev. W. G. Todd.

Later in the same year the congregation returned to its church home and installed as pastor the Rev. George W. Stone, whose services continued until June, 1900, when he resigned in order to resume his labors as field agent of the American Unitarian association. During his pastorate the church was reestablished and an indebtedness of $10,000 was liquidated, three-fourths of the amount being paid by two friends of Mr. Stone in the East, conditioned on the remainder having been paid by members of the congregation. The Rev. Charles Fergusan became pastor in 1900.

The oldest German Protestant church in Kansas City is St. Peter's German Evangelical church, founded in 1865. In 1867 a frame building was erected on Walnut street, between Ninth and Tenth streets. A substantial church edifice was built, Oak street and Irving Place, in 1883, at a cost of $13,000. This had been dedicated only a few days when it was entirely destroyed by a tornado, the calamity occurring only a few minutes after the Sunday school scholars had left the building. The church was rebuilt. The first pastor was the Rev. J. C. Feil, who served from 1865 until 1874, when he removed to Marthasville, Missouri, and was succeeded by the Rev. H. F. Kirchoff. In 1878 the Rev. Mr. Feil again became pastor, and served until May,7 1895, when he retired from active work. His successor was the Rev. John Aauer. About 300 families attend the church.

CHAPTER XIX.

CHARITIES.

The problem of caring for the poor and neglected in a great city is well worked out in Kansas City and finds its solution in the many charity associations located here. From very small beginnings, many different institutions have developed, endeavoring to keep pace with the manifold and growing needs of the hour. In an age of specialties the work is naturally divided so as to easily meet special requirements.

The federation of Kansas City's charities was effected October 18, 1899, under the name of the "Associated Charities of Kansas City" and active work was undertaken the following January. The first officers and executive committee consisted of W. C. Scarritt, president; the Rev. Henry Hopkins, D. D., vice-president; the Rt. Rev. J. J. Glennon, D. D., vice-president; S. A. Pierce, secretary; I. E. Bernheimer, treasurer; H. S. Boice and F. M. Howe. This is a federation, not a consolidation, of the city's char

ities and philanthropies, twenty-five in number at the time of its organization, and, although one or two changes were made, the number was the same in 1908.

Its purpose is to co-ordinate the benevolent forces of the city, in order to promote the better and more intelligent relief of distress and to elevate the standard of living among the poor. Its aims are to secure co-operation among the public and private charitable agencies, churches and citizens; to procure accurate knowledge of all cases treated; to find prompt and adequate relief for all who should have it; to expose imposters and prevent wilfull idleness; to find employment for the able-bodied; to establish relations of personal interest and sympathy between the poor and well-to-do; to prevent pauperism, especially to see that no children grow up as paupers; to collect and diffuse knowledge on all subjects connected with the administration of charities. As will be seen by the foregoing, the three most essential features of the Associated charities are co-operation, relief, and prevention. It could accomplish but little without co-operation, and the more the hearty co-operation the better the results. Better methods of giving relief are studied and taught, in order that it may be prompt, of the right nature, and administered with the least possible demoralizing effect. Prevention is the ultimate goal, and while the working force is entirely too small this federation is doing much re-constructive, preventive, and educational work. Some of the departments maintained by the association are investigation, registration, co-operation, visitation, education, medical and legal. This agency investigates not only the Provident Association, but for all who so desire. It procures relief from the source best equipped for meeting the particular needs. It cares for 1,500 to 1,800 families annually. It does not duplicate the work of any other organization, but is the servant of all. The headquarters of the Associated Charities in 1908 were in the Charity building, 1115 Charlotte street.

The Kansas City Provident association was incorporated December 20, 1880. The members of the first directory who also were its incorporators, were B. A. Sheidly, Kersey Coates, Witten McDonald, Theodore S. Case, George H. Nettleton, Charles S. Wheeler, W. P. Allcutt, W. S. Gregory, John W. Byers, Thomas K. Hanna, J. V. C. Karnes, E. L. Martin, W. B. Grimes, J. M. Lee, M. B. Wright, T. B. Bullene, L. K. Thacher, C. A. Chace and C. B. Leach. Its functions, as stated in Article II, are "to look after the interests of the poor of Kansas City, Missouri, to aid them in securing employment when expedient and otherwise to assist them in such ways as may be deemed most judicious." As will be seen by the foregoing Article it was organized on a basis sufficiently broad to permit of charitable reliefs of any nature. However, its efforts have been confined chiefly to giving aid of a

material kind both to individuals and to families, as well as to procuring or furnishing employment whenever possible. The association, operated a stone yard, fuel yard, laundry and sewing room. It also carried a stock of staple groceries from which those needing provisions were supplied. From the time of its organization until the inception of the Associated Charities, in January, 1900, it maintained a corps of skilled visitors who visited with those in need for the purpose of ascertaining their needs. Great effort was made to give relief adequately and to do it in such a manner as to preserve the self-respect and independence of the recipient, if possible.

After occupying different sites, the association, May 1, 1894, moved from the southwest corner of Ninth and Charlotte streets to the northeast corner of Fourteenth and Locust streets. This property was purchased by the late August R. Myer for the use of the association and was the home of this association for nearly eleven years. Mr. Myer took great interest in the society's work, was its president for several years, and gave the use of this site for more than seven years besides liberal cash contributions to this cause. In the fall of 1904, the association purchased of the Women's Christian association a three-story brick building at 1115 Charlotte street. After making repairs, it moved to this new location, March 9, 1905, and still occupies the property in 1908, with the Associated Charities, the Visiting Nurse association and the Kansas City Pure Milk commission as an office and laboratory. The Provident association has been the agency through which many of the business men made their charitable contributions.

The St. Vincent de Paul society is an international organization founded more than one hundred years ago in Paris where its parent house is situated. The Kansas City conferences were established in 1881, the first officials being William C. Gass, president, and John O'Brien, secretary. The two local conferences in 1908 had headquarters at the Cathedral, 412 West Twelfth street, and at St. Patrick's church, 806 Cherry street. It is composed of Catholic men who meet weekly, take up collections, appoint visitors to look after the needy and distribute their relief in a systematic manner.

The Humane Society of Kansas City, was incorporated December 24, 1883 with Thomas B. Bullene as the first president. The main objects of this society are to aid in protecting children and dumb animals and in preventing cruelty, and to promote humane sentiments among all classes of persons. This is done by employing agents, with the authority of police; by encouraging the organization among children in all the schools of " Bands of Mercy," and by the circulation of books and papers for the purpose of educating both the head and the heart of the young, promoting kindness, consideration and sympathy toward suffering humanity and toward the lower animals. It is maintained by the annual dues of its members, which are $5.00 for each man

« PreviousContinue »