Kingston Presbyterian Church Documents

Collection

Identifier: MC 1498

Staff Only
Select files to request

Scope and Content Note

The Kingston Presbyterian Church Documents consists of letters, and 123 photocopied glass slides, dated from 1921 - 1925. Papers concerning the Kingston Church were found at the First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas February 15, 2003. The centerpiece of the collection is an unsigned letter presumably penned by Reverend Elmer J. Bouher circa 1923 petitioning a "sister" church in Rochester, New York for financial support to help build a school adjacent to the church. In it he describes the beauty of rural Arkansas and the steadfastness of its people, while providing "Exhibits A-H" to reinforce his claims of triumph over adversity and his vision of continued growth for the school and the church alike. Patrons may refer to photocopied glass slides for corresponding pictures illustrating "Exhibit A-G" Six letters of commendation for the community outreach taking place through the church at Kingston in 1921 were received by Reverend Bouher from the governor of Arkansas, Thomas McRae, and Representative John Tillman, as well as other State officials from the Department of Education. All were impressed by his leadership and saw it as a great model for community and church involvement with regard to education. This was referred to in the Elmer J. Bouher letter as "Exhibit H"

Dates

1921 - 1925

Creator

Kingston Presbyterian Church (Kingston, Ark.) (Organization)

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Information

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Use Information

No Use Restrictions Apply.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply. (U.S. Title 17)

Biographical Note

In 1916 Reverend Elmer J. Bouher arrived in the Ozarks from the Northeast to take over leadership of an abandoned Presbyterian mission church. He had a plan to engage with the local town folk of Kingston, Arkansas and meet their needs on a basic level while winning them over spiritually. Providing activities using the church buildings as a community center offered an opportunity to begin that outreach. At this time there was little emphasis on consistent school attendance due to the obligations most students had in their homes and working their farms. Ultimately, Reverend Bouher's goal was to increase attendance in the school and believed that subsequently the church would grow. This "Mountain Mission School" model followed a movement in the Presbyterian Church that focused on secondary education and vocational training. Bouher petitioned the Rochester, New York church for financial support to help expand the programs by erecting new buildings to accommodate the amount of students and families involved. Throughout the years the church was utilized for worship and fellowship, as a town hall, college, and eventually a medical clinic.

Extent

.25 Linear Feet (1 box)

Additional Description

Arrangement of the Papers

Materials are arranged by topic.

Acquisition Information

The Kingston Presbyterian Church Documents were donated to Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, on March 17, 2003 by Martha Rice Brewer of Fayetteville, Arkansas.