USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 40
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A series of resolutions was adopted defining the work of the association to be :
I. To maintain a reading room as a place of resort for young men.
2. To provide a course of public lectures.
3. To foster Sunday-schools now in existence, and to establish new ones where needed.
4. To hold meetings for prayer, conference, and exhortation, especially in neighborhoods not otherwise provided with the means of religious instruction.
5. To distribute religious tracts and Bibles.
6. To relieve the wants of the poor and unfortunate.
7. To visit prisons and asylums.
8. To search out young men who may remove to our city, to surround them with Christian influences, to obtain employment for them, and in various ways, to render aid.
The expenses of the first year were four thousand, one hundred thirty-four dol- lars and five cents. which included fitting up of the rooms as well as the running expenses. The money secured was: from subscription, four thousand five hun- dred and sixty-four dollars (thirty-one gifts of one hundred dollars each being recorded) ; membership fees at one dollar each, one hundred and ninety-nine dollars.
It is evident therefore that the membership of this first year consisted of one hundred and ninety-nine men, but there were no meetings for men only, all meet- ing's being for men and women.
The association occupied two floors-second and third, a saloon being on the first floor. The rooms included a reading room, parlor, hall and amusement rooms. The furniture, books and periodicals were obtained from the Young Men's Reading Room Association, which had previously occupied these rooms, by assuming a debt of three hundred and fifty dollars, made by that association. The reading room was well supplied with periodicals even from the standpoint of this day and the library was established with one hundred and sixty-two volumes, the gifts of friends.
From the standpoint of the young man there were few attractions beyond the reading rooms to lead him to expend even the dollar required for membership. The association was largely, during these early days, a center for active Christian work in various parts of the city and country. There were no privileges exclu- sively for members and there was little effort to enlist young men in the associa- tion, unless they were interested in active Christian work. Probably as a result
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of this fact, a group of remarkably strong and persistent workers was formed who laid a foundation for the broader and greater work of the years that followed.
The first year of the association's life was largely occupied in organization and trying to find its place. With the second year under the presidency of Mr. E. A. Daniels, the real work began though along the same lines as in the first year.
The third floor during this year was used partly as a hall for meetings and partly ( for a time at least) as a sleeping room for homeless men.
As the association had been organized to do Christian work, the members undertook what Dayton seemed to need most-the organization and conduct of mission Sunday-schools, for it is a somewhat striking fact that at that time such work was done by few if any of the church organizations of the city.
The Brown street mission near Fifth street, Patterson chapel in Edgemont (then called Browntown). Calvary chapel in North Dayton, Wagner school- house northeast of the city limits, Mumma schoolhouse north of the city, the Dayton & Union freight depot, Harshmanville, Good Hope school and Mt. Pleasant school-all were organized in this and the immediately succeeding years through the work of the active members of the association. Among these are the names of men who have done much for the city-Mr. George L. Phillips, A. F. Payne, John H. Winters, F. W. Parker, Herman Darrow, L. M. Davis, M. Jennings, O. P. Boyer, Patterson Mitchell and other members of his family, James Mellowes, W. K. Eckert, W. M. Mills, Samuel Kittredge, John H. Weller, Caleb G. Parker, W. B. King, Edward Brenneman, D. E. McSherry, J. S. Os- borne, Frank Mulford, John Dodds, C. V. Osborn, Chas. H. Crawford, Dr. W. W. Stewart, Dr. E. F. Sample, and a number of younger men who received their early training in Christian work through these methods. From these effects have come as direct results, the Hartford Street United Brethren church, the Trinity Methodist Episcopal church and the Wagner United Brethren church.
In another direction useful evangelistic work was done at the Soldiers' Home, the county jail, the city prison, the workhouse and through outdoor services, special evangelistic meetings and camp meetings. The men who were leaders in all these movements left a record of faithfulness rarely seen in the Christian life of any city. Perhaps one of the most significant was that of Mr. Samuel Kittredge who for thirteen consecutive years took charge of the work in the prisons. For ten years, Mr. W. B. King and Mr. Edward Brenneman and their families with Messrs. D. E. McSherry, J. S. Osborne and Frank Mulford had charge of services during the summer on the campus at the Soldiers' Home.
Not the least of the results of these years of the work was the uniting of the Christian people of the city, bringing all denominations together and leading men to know each other's power. The association served as a center and a rendezvous for all forms of Christian work. While these men did not reach so many young men, they were laying strong foundations and outlining new methods.
There were still no exclusive privileges and practically no paid membership. In 1872 there were only 42 active paid memberships, or including contributors 140. Most of the members were men past thirty. It is said that in 1874 there were only three young men in the membership.
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The Secretary during the first four years was Mr. H. P. Adams. He was wise, active and devoted. Under his leadership the good work was undertaken and grew to considerable influence. He remained until the spring of 1874, re- signing to go to Baltimore. For the few months following Mr. Adams' departure Rev. Jas. W. McNary and Mr. W. A. Wagoner served as temporary secretaries directing the work during the summer.
In June 1874 the national convention of the Young Men's Christian Associa- tions was held in Dayton. It was notable as being the first convention after the Civil War at which delegates from the south were present. Not the least of difficulties of the presiding officer of that convention, Mr. Taylor of Detroit, was the necessity of keeping members from sectional debates and other references to the past that would recall the differences. The kindly spirit of the southern representatives particularly did much to encourage the brotherly feeling which has always since that time existed among the associations of the country.
Among the attendants at this convention was a young Canadian, then secretary of the little association at Hamilton, Ontario. His manner and intense earnest- ness attracted attention to him and the committee of the Dayton association then in search of a new executive officer were led to give him a call to be the secretary of this association. He accepted and in August, 1874, David Ainslie Sinclair, a young man of twenty-four years of age, "a green Canadian" as he was described at that time, began his life of service and blessing to Dayton. Little did he think or did those who united in the call that he was so largely to influence the life of the city, indeed of the nation, through the years of his unselfish sacrificing effort. The history of the Dayton association and almost the history of the moral and spiritual life of the entire city during the succeeding 28 years is largely the life history of this remarkable man who gave himself undividedly to the city of his adoption and particularly to its young men and boys.
With the arrival of Mr. Sinclair the work began to develop, gradually tak- ing on more definite methods for young men, though a number of years passed before his ideal was thoroughly accomplished. In his first report in March, 1875, Secretary Sinclair said that the reading room was used to its utmost capacity ; that the Sunday afternoon praise and prayer service (open to both men and women) was limited in attendance by the size of the hall; that the Sunday school teachers' meeting on Saturday evening led by pastors in rotation was rapidly increasing in attendance; that the debating club of young men was grow- ing rapidly ; that the youths' branch (the beginning of the boys' department) had been organized in November and was wide awake and enterprising, having given a Christmas breakfast to 130 boys besides doing much in the way of help- ing children to secure clothing to attend Sunday-school. Besides these things done in the old rooms, one hundred and ten cottage prayer meetings had been held during the year and services or Sunday schools had been conducted regularly at Calvary chapel in North Dayton, Patterson chapel in Browntown, the asylum, the county infirmary, the county jail, the station house, Mumma's schoolhouse, Crabb's schoolhouse and during the summer in the open air at many places in the city and at the Soldier's Home. During the year 54 delegations had conducted religious services in churches and schoolhouses, in almost every part of Montgomery county. In these directions the association had proven a valuable working force
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in the community though it had enlisted a very limited number of young men in its membership.
As early as November 1874, a building committee was appointed by the directors to consider the possibility of securing a permanent home for the associa- tion, but nothing definite was done until the following spring. On the 27th of February 1875, the pastors of the city were invited by the board to a "tea" at which the needs of the association were presented. The endorsement of the ministers was given heartily. A systematic canvass was begun at once. Largely through the efforts of Messrs. John Dodds and C. V. Osborn, the sum of $24,000 was pledged in a few weeks. The "Dunlevy" property at 32 East Fourth street was bought, the residence remodeled, and on May 3, 1875, it was dedicated.
The announcement of the result of work of one month was characteristically made in the "Press" a small four page monthly publication of the association which had been begun a few months before.
$20,000 Secured ! ! ! "Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow." "Ask, and it Shall be Given Unto You." NO NEED OF FAIRS OR CARNIVALS ! The Christian People of Dayton and Friends of the Y. M. C. A. Equal to Our Call.
"One month since we asked our friends to help us raise twenty thousand dollars, to secure a new home for our association. Although the call was not made without many doubts and misgivings as to the results, yet in the short space of three weeks this entire amount has been contributed. This was a more glorious result than we could possibly have anticipated. All credit is due to our soliciting committee, who so faithfully and untiringly persevered in their labor. We be- lieve their names should be inscribed on the corner stone of our new building.
"The committee report that they were universally well received, and the object and course of our association highly commended. There was but a single objection urged, and that was, if the churches did their duty there would be no need of the association. Of this we shall speak again. Not only did profess- ing Christians aid us, but many whom we hope have the gracious seed in their hearts came forward and aided us liberally. We devoutly pray this investment may be of eternal benefit to themselves, and who can tell how much good to their children after them.
"While twenty thousand was at first thought to be sufficient, yet the trustees having concluded to build a larger hall than at first contemplated, and some of the first subscriptions being in real estate, it is necessary that at least two thousand dollars more be secured, to erect the building, and allow us to dedicate to God free of debt. The committee are sanguine, however, if those who have promised, and some not yet called on, will come up to the mark of the others, that this amount will soon be raised.
"Our lady friends have undertaken to raise five thousand dollars to furnish our house, and we understand they are meeting with fine success. One lady reports: 'I never solicited for anything that was so easy, and to which the people contributed so cheerfully.'
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"If all goes well, by the middle of May we will be occupying one of the most beautiful homes of any Y. M. C. A. in the country-an honor to Dayton, and the pride of all union workers."
The property thus acquired was placed in the hands of five trustees : Messrs. G. W. Hoglen, C. H. Crawford, John Dodds, J. H. Winters and W. K. Eckert. The officers during this year were: President, C. V. Osborn; Vice-Presidents, John Dodds, D. E. McSherry, Josiah Gebhart and E. F. Sample; Recording Secretary, T. D. Davis; Corresponding Secretary, W. H. Sunderland; and Treasurer, D. W. Engle. The Board of Managers were: E. A. Daniels, W. K. Eckert, P. Mitchell, H. E. Parrott, J. C. Reber, W. B. King, J. C. Kiefaber, O. P. Boyer ; General Secretary, D. A. Sinclair.
The property was a lot sixty-six by two hundred feet. On it was a fairly good residence, which was rapidly adapted to its new work. Entrance to this, the first building owned by the association, was by a hallway seven feet wide. On the right were double parlors twenty by thirty feet, and in the rear of these was the lecture room, twenty-four by thirty-six feet. A dining room and kitchen extended back of the lecture room to the rear of the building. The second floor was reached by a three-foot stairway from the front hall, landing at the secretary's office, a room seven by twelve feet. The remaining space of this story in the main part of the building was occupied by the reading room, twenty by thirty feet. To the rear of this and united by an open door was the library, twenty-four by twenty. A room sixteen by twenty-four feet adjoined the library and was used as a home for the junior branch. Association hall was erected in 1877 on the rear of the lot. It was a brick building, fifty-three by seventy-five feet, commodious, and of great service. It was supplied with five hundred chairs, the gift of Mrs. Valentine Winters. A capacious basement afforded space for the boys' reading room, junior gymnasium and boiler room.
Until 1886, the residence and the hall were used for the work, the hall being transformed into a gymnasium in 1885.
When it is remembered that Dayton at the time this property was bought had a population of less than thirty-five thousand, only a few prominent factories and they small as compared with their size now, it may be realized how large an en- terprise this was.
The new building, however, brought its difficulties and did not make the work all easy. The records show that in 1876 only nine hundred eighty-one dollars and sixty-six cents was received in subscriptions, while about two thousand four hundred dollars was raised by loans and excursions to Philadelphia and Chicago. The secretary, in after years, would often tell of his own difficulties for there were numerous times when he did not know in the morning where he was to secure the daily bread for himself and family. It was his unswerving faith that had much to do with the continuance of the work. Indeed, it was when at last, in 1878, he offered to release the board from its obligation to him and to leave the work, that the city was aroused and new plans were undertaken which proved in the end successful.
The history of the succeeding ten or twelve years was one of steady develop- ment of the work, particularly in the beginning of special departments. At this time a few strong and determined men on the board advocated a new movement
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to supply good high-class entertainment for the city. Through the efforts of J. C. Kiefaber, W. H. Sunderland, C. N. Mitchell and Secretary Sinclair, the Star course was begun. The first course was to cost one thousand two hundred dollars and the board declined to approve the recommendation. The committee guaranteed one hundred dollars profit and assumed the personal responsibility. A month later they offered three hundred dollars and another month four hun- dred dollars and still later five hundred dollars. Nothing probably ever surprised Dayton more than the enthusiasm with which the committee and citizens entered into the plans to give Dayton an admirable series of entertainments.
This success meant that again these Christian men in the association had seen a need in Dayton and supplied it. For a generation these gentlemen and their successors offered to Dayton the best that could be obtained, until the populariza- tion of many forms of entertainment made the course unnecessary and impracti- cable to continue.
In October, 1878, fourteen boys were formally received into membership and the boys' or junior department was organized bringing to pass the plan of the secretary recommended over three years before. A few months later, a room was set apart for the boys and the work placed under a special committee.
It was in 1879, that there came a request from a group of young men for a class in drawing which seems to have been deferred for a lack of room. In the fall of this year a crude gymnasium was opened in the basement of association hall and with all of its drawbacks was soon flourishing. It was these few privil- eges that comprehended practically all that was done for young men. When Secretary Sinclair in 1874 proposed numerous special privileges for young men, they were almost all rejected. This drove him to a more careful study of the work and in spite of this decision, the departments as indicated above were formed.
In December, 1880, the Young Men's Bible Class was organized with Mr. Sinclair as leader. His remarkable talent in Bible study soon made this a popu- lar class and from it came some of Dayton's prominent business men and workers who have frequently referred to its influence in their lives. Strange as it may seem, this class was opposed at the beginning because it was thought by some not to be the work of the Young Men's Christian Association to teach Bible classes for young men. It is a matter of record that the first Bible classes in the country established to train Christian workers in the use of the Bible, were in the Young Men's Christian Association and that this class of Mr. Sinclair was one of the earliest and one of the most successful.
The first record of specific religious work for men alone was the invitation extended in December, 1881, to Mr. H. T. Williams, then State Secretary of Ohio, to hold a series of special religious services for men only, in Association hall.
With the now steadily growing association, the need of incorporation was felt and in October. 1882, steps were taken to incorporate the Young Men's Christian Association of Dayton Ohio. When this was accomplished, a new constitution was adopted and on March 13, 1883, the new board was chosen, consisting of : C. V. Osborn, G. N. Bierce, E. A. Daniels, D. E. McSherry, John Dodds, Charles A. Kimmel, J. C. Reber, A. S. Weusthoff, Dr. E. T. Allen, G. Y. Jones, P. Mitchell, T. Mulford and Fred Reibold.
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Until 1885, with all the work it was doing, the association led a somewhat uncertain existence. Its friends were in earnest, but young men were not largely represented and it had not gripped the needs of the larger numbers in the city. Two important incidents in the spring of that year marked the turning point of the association history ; first, three hundred young men united to pledge them- selves to pay ten dollars a year as membership fees, provided the association "in- troduce and maintain appliances and agencies to meet the physical, social and in- tellectual needs of the subscribers." Second, Secretary Sinclair presented to the directors and pastors of the city a paper setting forth what he conceived to be the work of the association in Dayton, "an organization of young men for young men" "not a church nor a substitute for the church, but a social religious agency, a home for young men."
So complete was Mr. Sinclair's statement, that it aroused interest and en- thusiasm and may be said to mark an epoch in the social and religious life in Dayton for its influence was felt in every part of the city.
The first evidence of new life was the transformation of Association hall into a gymnasium with bath rooms and lockers complete which was at that time one of the best in the west. The next problem was the building and the question at issue was the remodeling of the old or the building of a new one. A little investi- gation made it evident that it would be easier to raise the fifty or sixty thous- and dollars needed to erect a new building than it would be to secure the eight or ten thousand dollars required for remodeling. The board determined to push its canvass for a new building and on February 2, 1886, the president announced that the required amount was pledged and the work was undertaken. On February 14, 1886, a farewell meeting was held in the old building and the next morning the work of demolition was begun. The construction was pushed rapidly and on July 7, the corner stone was laid by Governor J. B. Foraker, before a large audience filling almost the entire square.
The building was completed and dedicated on February 6, 1887. When finished it was recognized as one of the best buildings in the country at that time. Its cost including the lot was eighty-two thousand dollars. The building committee consisted of Messrs. E. J. Barney, G. N. Bierce, John Dodds, E. A. Daniels, George P. Huffman, J. K. McIntire, C. V. Osborn and J. C. Reber.
This building covered the entire lot which had been bought a number of years before. It was four stories in height and gave what seemed to be abundant room not only for the religious work and the physical work which had been carried on before, but also for the educational department and the social work which were then being organized. It contained also rooms for boys' work and for the first few years, the rooms of the Women's Christian Association. It seemed so large that some of its friends thought it necessary to explain that it was built to last fifty years, though the history has proved that in five years it was too small for the work to be done.
About this time the association received two large gifts as endowment, among the first of gifts of this kind to benevolent projects in Dayton. In 1883, Mrs. Letitia Eaker gave ten thousand dollars as a foundation for the endowment fund, the interest to be used for the general work. In 1888, Mr. Valentine Winters added five thousand dollars to this amount. In the years succeeding other friends
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have added to these amounts until they aggregate in 1909 (including the gift of ninety-six thousand dollars from Miss Mary Belle Eaker), about one hundred and twenty-eight thousand dollars all invested in such manner that the income only may be used for the work of the association.
The years following the completion of this third home of the association were full of activity. The city was growing fast and many young men were coming into it. The association offered a rallying point for all enterprises- religious, social, educational and physical. Secretary Sinclair, by his wise methods and his strong personality, won for the organization the friendship of young men and the cooperation of the older and trusted business men of the city. The directors gave largely of their time and effort to build up a permanent work.
The twelve years following-1887 to 1899-were particularly years of develop- ment of departments, while the years succeeding them were no less strong in the work of the departments but were largely filled with preparation for the fourth home of the association which it was seen would soon be necessary. This development of departments naturally strengthened the influence of the associa- tion in the community.
Immediately after the completion of the building it was decided to organize evening classes for young men. So little was known or thought of this work when the building was planned that only one room was provided and the com- mittee outlining the work to be undertaken in the new building suggested but one class-vocal music. A committee consisting of E. L. Shuey, F. W. Gebhart, W. S. Calhoon, J. A. Wortman, J. S. McIntire, John Gebhart, Harry A. Stout, and H. D. Wood was appointed and at once began to prepare for the work by offering classes in orchestral music, mechanical drawing and penmanship. The first year was largely experimental. At the end of the year Mr. Fred W. Geb- hart became chairman of the committee and associated with him during the next two years were H. H. Prugh, H. D. Wood, J. A. Wortman, Frank James, W. J. Baltzell, F. H. Rike and Ira Crawford, Jr. Mr. Gebhart, well known as one of the ablest young attorneys of the city-a man of the highest character with a broad education and a thorough love of men-devoted a large part of his time first in visiting factories of the city with the president and secretary, to ascertain the needs of Dayton industries and then in organizing classes to meet them. This idea of practical adaptation to local needs has marked the history of this department from the beginning, having been continued to the present time under the chairmanship of E. L. Shuey and R. C. Kumler, heartily seconded by their associates. So successfully has this department met the requirements of young men of Dayton and so thoroughly was it organized that it became the model for similar work in all parts of the United States, not only in the Young Men's Christian Associations but in public and private schools. Dayton's reputation has been largely increased by the admirable results of this work.
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