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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]] 1889-1938.
==Parents==
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. In 1889, he accepted a position as Assistant to the Chief Dispatcher of the Oklahoma Division of the Santa Fe railway, hence the occasion for his relocation. 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. See [[Arkansas City Gospel Hall, KS]].
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.
==Scripture Hill==
The stonework was constructed either in 1889or 1897, mostly by Fred himself, with sometimes a an African-American friend helping himwho had a wagon. It took seven months to build and whitewash. In addition to 476 feet long and 18 feet high, the letters are 12 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. It was rebuilt thrice over a 30 year period, and the stone is from the hillside where it stands. It is said that "his wife and kids would hitch the horse to the wagon and head to railroad yards to pick up Father for supper. Afterward, he'd be off to the hill, on foot." Several church groups and civic organizations (including the Boy Scouts) have maintained the lettering over the years. Awhile back, some folks installed three crosses near the stonework that they have lit by kerosene certain times of the year. Passenger trains no longer travel in the area, although cargo freight trains still use the tracks, which have been moved some. Motorists can see the lettering when traveling on the nearby US Hwy bypass, especially during the Autumn months.
==Also See==
* [https://www.ctnewsonline.com/news/article_5ca3bc10-7acc-11ea-9515-c3f400090464.html 2020 article]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsXQFclcZ6E&t=38s YouTube tribute]
* [https://www.lasr.net/travel/city.php?Scripture+Hill&TravelTo=KS0104033&VA=Y&Attraction_ID=KS0104033a007 Leisure & Sport article]
* [https://blog.reformedjournal.com/2017/02/10/heavyweight-evangelism/ 2017 Reformed Journal article] "Heavyweight Evangelism" by James Calvin Schaap
** revised for [https://www.christiancourier.ca/heavyweight-preaching/ 2019 Christian Courier of Canada].
* [https://locojoe.com/home/2017/02/08/scripture-hill/ Randy & Nova's Home & Travel Scrapbook]
==Sources==
* Our Record
* ''Words in Season'': 1938
* Jack Dickson 2-28-2023