View source for Frederick Thompson Horton

F.T. Horton was an open brethren train dispatcher for Sante Fe railway that lived in Arkansas City, [[Kansas]] with an assembly generally meeting in his home. He built on a bluff two miles north of Arkansas City the text "Christ died for the ungodly." It was 476 feet long, 18 feet high and can be read from two miles away. Towards the end of his life, the Railway auxiliary permanently set the stone in concrete at an expense of $250.

Frederick Thompson Horton was born July 11, 1860 in Galesburg, [[Illinois]] to Silas Horton (b. 1827 [[New York|N.Y.]]) & Clara Jane Thompson (b. 1837 [[New Jersey|N.J.]]).  He was saved in 1882 at meetings held by [[John Smith]] and Charles W. Ross.  He lived in Arkansas City, [[Kansas]] 1889-1948.  

==Parents==
* Silas Horton (b. 1827 [[New York|N.Y.]]), son of Phoebe Horton (b. 1805 N.Y.); may have enlisted Civil War 1861-1863;
* Clara Jane Thompson Horton (b. 1837 [[New Jersey|N.J.]])

==Siblings==
* Elwood T. Horton (b. 1855 [[Illinois|IL]] - d. 1942 Brooklyn, [[New York|N.Y.]])
* Clarissa O. Horton (b. 1858 IL), high school teacher 1910 @ Galesburg, IL;
* William Byram Horton (1862-1936 Galesburg, IL); 1887 @ Chicago, IL m. Verna D. Cater (b. 1865)
** undertaker
* Bessie Horton (b. 1870 Galesburg, IL)

==Marriage==
On May 14, 1884, he married Rose Belle Storm (b. 1860 Walnut, [[Illinois|IL]] - d. 1949). She was the daughter of John Miller Storm (b. 1820 Cooperstown, [[New York|N.Y.]] - d. 1907 Arkansas City, [[Kansas|KS]]) & Ruth Elizabeth Parkhurst Storm (b. 1822 NYC, [[New York|N.Y.]] - d. 1851 Bureau, [[Illinois|IL]]). The wedding took place at John M. Storm's home in Nevada, [[Iowa]], and officiated by W.D. Payne.

By the time of their wedding, Fred was still living in Galesburg, and working as a train dispatcher for the St. Joseph, Missouri railroad. By 1898, according to a local phone book from that era, he was living at 324 N. A Street in Arkansas City, then at 415 N. B Street, where he lived the remainder of his life, where he was recorded in 1904 as having had an open Brethren assembly at 118 N. Summit, with services on Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. By that year, he was a train dispatcher for the Santa Fe Railway.

By 1906, the assembly was no longer listed in the phone book, although there were two "evangelists" listed of W.C. Shepherd & J.S. Daniels, unknown if Brethren.

==Children==
* Ruth Horton Wolfe (1891-1978) m. Clark Earle "C.E." Wolfe (1888-1960)
** Rose Ann Wolfe Cavanaugh (b. 1928 Winfield, KS - d. 2016 Edmond, OK) m. James V. Cavanaugh (1925-1990); moved to OKC in 1950;
*** Candice Sheppard (OKC)
*** Denise Hendricks (OKC)
* Rachel L. Horton Justice (1897-1979)

In 1929, Frederick joined T.C. Bush of Waxahachie, [[Texas]] to minister in the Midwest to several small assemblies in [[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], then at Fort Worth, [[Texas]], as reported in ''The Record''.

==Death==
''Words In Season'' 1938 obit: "Arkansas City, Kan. – “On Jan. 22, Fred T. Horton passed home to be with Christ. Age 77 years. An outstanding man among us for godliness. Born at Galesburg, IL. Saved 56 years ago at meetings held by J. Smith and C.W. Ross. A train dispatcher for 45 years for Santa Fe R.R. He built on a bluff 2 miles north of Arkansas City where he lived for 49 years, the text, “Christ died for the ungodly.” It was 476 feet long, 18 feet high and can be read two miles away. An invalid for 3 years and no longer able to take care of text, the Railway auxiliary permanently set the stone in concrete at an expense of $250. T.C. Bush spoke to a large company at the funeral services."

==Also See==
* ''Words in Season'': Aug. 1965 & Aug. 1972 contain tributes to F.T. Horton.

==Sources==
* Ancestry.com
* Findagrave.com
* 1904 OB AAB
* Newspapers.com
* Our Record
* ''Words in Season'': 1938