Arkansas City Gospel Hall, KS

Arkansas City Gospel Hall was an open brethren meeting thought to have met in Frederick Thompson Horton's home 1889-1938, as well as at 118 N. Summit. See his bio for details on his life. In short, Fred became a Christian in 1882 due to the influence of Scottish evangelists John Smith and Charles W. Ross, and was employed as a dispatcher for the St. Joseph railway, and was promoted to assistant to the chief dispatcher of the Oklahoma division of the Santa Fe railway in 1889, which led him to Arkansas City. In 1902, the assembly had fifteen people regularly breaking bread.

In either 1887 or 1897, Fred constructed a Bible verse two miles north of Arkansas City on a bluff, "Christ Died For The Ungodly" in stone lettering that was 476 feet long and 18 feet high, for the benefit of passenger trains driving nearby. The railway auxiliary encased it in concrete towards the end of Fred's life, and it is maintained today by several Christian groups, as well as the local Boy Scout chapter. By 1902, he also placed the words "Eternity Where" on the side of a hill a mile away from the other.

Locations

• home of Fred Horton
  • 324 N. A Street +1898-1938+
  • 415 N. B Street +1904+

• 118 N. Summit St. +1900-1904+

Correspondent

• Frederick Thompson Horton 1889-1938 (b. 1860 Galesburg, IL - d. 1938 Ark City, KS)

News

1900's

• ACDT 1900-3-28: "I.R. Dean, of Waxahachie, Tex., will conduct meetings every night this week at the Gospel hall on North Summit street. Everybody is invited."
• ACDT 1901-2-9: "Gospel meetings at hall, 118 North Summit street, beginning Sunday evening, February 10, and continuing (D.V.) through the week. Come! Bring your Bibles and prove what you hear."
• ACDT 1901-4-15: "James Erskine, a Scotch evangelist, will hold religious services every evening at Gospel hall, 118 North Summit street, to which all are invited to attend."
• ACDT 1901-12-14: "Gospel services tonight and Sunday night at the gospel hall, 118 North Summit street. Subject, "Christ Died for the Ungodly". Preaching at 7:30 p.m. All are invited."
• ACDT 1902-12-16: "Special gospel services at the Gospel hall, 118 North Summit street, beginning tonight and continuing through the week. Preaching at 7:30 p.m. by T.C. Bush, of Waxahachie, Tex. All are invited."
• ACDN 1903-7-24: "Fred Horton entertained the children of the Gospel Hall Sunday school last night at his home on North A street. Gramophone selections were a prominent feature of the evening. Many delightful games were played, and after being served with ice cream and cake the children departed, well pleased with the way they had spent the evening."
• WRT 1903-7-30: "Fred Horton and wife last evening gave their Sunday school a lawn social n their own lawn. A goodly number of members of the Sunday school were present and together with the neighbors who were there, made a large crowd. Typical of Mr. Horton's methods, he furnished the ice cream and cake and other dainties, making everything free to those present. It is needless to say all had a good time and enjoyed Mr. and Mrs. Horton's hospitality."
• ACDN 1903-9-5: "Mr. W.J. McClure, of Los Angeles, Cal., will preach the gospel in the Gospel hall, 118 North Summit street. All are cordially invited to come. Meeting at 8 p.m. Sunday."
• ACDT 1903-9-5: W.J. McClure, Los Angeles, will preach the gospel on Sunday at 8 p.m. in the Gospel Hall, 118 North Summit Street. All are cordially invited to come and hear the "old, old story that is ever new".
• ACDN 1904-8-20: A Narrow Escape: "This afternoon Mrs. Frank Branine, who lives with her husband over the Gospel hall, on North Summit street, had a narrow escape from death by an overdose of morphine. Her husband tells us that she has been suffering from nervousness and loss of sleep, and has been using morphine to get relief. Today she took an overdose, but her danger was discovered in time, Dr. Day summoned, and at press hour she is said to be out of danger."
• ACDT 1906-5-1: "D.W. Schenck and H.H. Pratt have formed a partnership and engaged in the real estate business. Their office is in the old gospel hall on North Summit street."

Sources

• Ancestry.com
• 1904 Address Book of Some Assemblies, published in England
• Newspapers.com
  • Arkansas City Daily Traveler
    • 1900-3-28; 1901-2-9; 1901-4-15; 1901-12-14; 1902-12-16; 1903-9-5; 1906-5-1
  • Arkansas City Daily News
    • 1903-7-24; 1903-9-5; 1904-8-20
  • Weekly Republican Traveler
    • 1903-7-30