The assembly met from 1895 (or before) thru 1945 (or after), in Belleville, Republic County, Kansas.

1895

In the February 1895 issue of The Witness, a long-running British Open PB monthly publication, in the Lord's Work and Workers section, it was reported: Republic County, Kansas - "In the entire county, so far as we know, only 49 are separated to and meet in Jesus' name alone. We give away tracts and sow the good seed in much weakness. Pray for us."

The bold print is editor's choice. "Only 49" would suggest that the Belleville assembly was meeting long prior to 1895, and/or the evangelistic efforts of the 1890's in Republic County (and elsewhere) were tremendously blessed, as a Brethren assembly today of "only 49" in Kansas is considered modestly sized.

1899

There was a general store opened in 1899 in Belleville by A.H. Loomis and W.A. Hollandsworth. The relevancy of this is simply that the Loomis name is significant of leadership Diamond Springs Gospel Hall, KS from the early 1900's thru 1940's, and within the Elm Springs Bible Hall, KS near Gypsum, from the late 1930's thru the mid 1970's, the latter of which played a notable role in the founding of the Sunset Bible Chapel, KS started in the 1960's in Salina that still exists, as of 2020.

1902-1904

In 1902, Mike Hardesty moved from Belleville to help start first assembly in Colorado (Longmont) along with "William Milner, and his sons David & Joseph".

In the 1904 assembly address book, under Kansas is listed: Belville (sic?) with a contact of Rob Milner.

Robert Milner (1826-1907), with his wife Saloma Zea Milner (1835-1901). Presuming Robert's middle name was surely William. Two of their several children included:
- David Leroy Milner (1859-1927) married Ina Belle Muth (1866-1956). Ina curiously died in forementioned Longmont, Colorado, where the first Brethren assembly was planted in 1902 by William Milner.
- Joseph S. Milner (1857-1940) married Mary Margaret Oliver (1866-1914). One of their children included:
  - William Ralph Milner (1883-1965) married Fleta May Clabaugh (1886-1924), both died in Longmont.

It is worth noting that a Rev. Milner served as the charter treasurer of Washington Township, in Republic County, in 1872.

1927

Albert Burton Bachelor

The contact for the Belleville assembly in 1927 was Albert Burton Bachelor (1849-1930), 1203 Sixteenth St. Albert was born on Nov. 20, 1849 in Sterling Heights, Michigan, to Elijah (1808-1880) and Eunice (1808-1877) M. Wales Bachelor. Elijah was born in London, Ontario, Canada, and by 1840 thru 1850, living in Sterling, MI, then by 1860 farming in Melrose (near Cedar Falls), Iowa, then by 1870 farming in Clay, IA, then Brownville, Nebraska, and dying in Scandia, KS. Elijah's wife Eunice was born in Newfoundland, Canada, they were married in 1831 in Michigan.

Albert was employed by 1900 as a hardware merchant in Belleville, married in 1873 to Martha James (1846-1915), who was born in Belmont County, Ohio to Henry James (1818-1880) and Eleanor James (1822-1903), who also both died in Ohio. Eleanor's parents were Quakers in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Albert and Martha had at least two children that lived and died in Belleville:

Jesse Guy Bachelor (1879-1966) married Mary Blanche Hinman (1877-1951)
Frank Russel Bachelor (1876-1954) married Minnie Mabel Stone (1879-1958). Minnie was a daughter of Dr. Edward Stone (1841-1894), the first physician in nearby Narka, who also built a local store there later occupied by William Thomas.

After Martha's death, Albert remarried Alzina E. Burge Hill (1854-1921), who was born in Monroe Center, Ohio to Josiah Burge (1812-1868) and his wife Fanny A. Everts Burge (1820-1890). It's worth noting that Alzina's aunt Maria (1852-1925) married George Sharp Milner (1842-1918), Civil War veteran who was a grandfather to Archie Irvin Milner (1904-1971) who is the sole online mention having attended primary school at the Milner Schoolhouse which coincidentally hosted a Brethren assembly in 1927.

Milner Schoolhouse

There was apparently an assembly initiative, perhaps known as the Milner Schoolhouse Gospel Hall, KS meeting by 1927, separate from Belleville Gospel Hall, no further information is presently available, except that it is listed in the 1927 Assembly Address Book, published by Faithful Words Publishing in St. Louis, Missouri.

1962

There was a Phil Schwartz in Belleville doing a “Christ For Everyone” campaign in an old Safeway building, highlighting an evangelist Clifford Lewis. A man by the same name left Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian (Abilene) for Grace & Truth Gospel Hall in the late 1920’s.

Sources

The Witness, 1895 February
"List of Some Meetings in the British Isles and Beyond"; Printers & Publishers - London: Dawe & Son; Distributed by H.A. Raymond (London), Pickering & Inglis (Glasgow), and D.T. Bass (New York);
"A History of Republic County, Kansas" by I.O. Savage; Jones & Chubbic, Art Printers, Beloit, KS: 1901

Belleville Gospel Hall, KS

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