From the collection: a letter of recommendation from the Church of Christ at Lone Oak, Texas, 1892

Here is a letter of dismissal from the Church of Christ at Lone Oak, Texas, to Eunice Wells, dated “1st Lord’s day January, 1892.” The letter commends Eunice to a congregation of “Disciples of Christ wherever [it] may be presented.” This was a common practice until well into the 20th century. The occasion prompting the letter was a move from Lone Oak that would eventually take her to far West Texas.

A letter of dismissal from the Church of Christ at Lone Oak, Texas, to Eunice Wells, dated “1st Lord’s day January, 1892,” Texas–Lone Oak, Congregational Vertical File. Center for Restoration Studies. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Eunice Emily Davis Wells Thompson is the great-grandmother of Dr. Kenneth Pybus, ACU Associate Professor and Chair of Journalism and Mass Communication, who supplies this information: “My great-great-grandmother, Eunice Emily Davis Wells Thompson, was born in 1839 in Tennessee. She moved to East Texas as a child and married Ed Wells. They lived in Lone Oak and had four sons. After she was widowed, she married James R. Thompson and had another son. She and several sons left Lone Oak in 1892, moving for a time to Archer City and ultimately to Quanah, Texas, where she died at age 79. Several of her Wells and Thompson descendants attended ACU, including my grandfather, Sanford Rodgers Thompson, my sister, and several of my cousins. In fact, I know of one third cousin who went to ACU who’s a descendant, Gaylynn Wells Neas. (’92).”

Photograph of Eunice Wells, ca. 1892, Texas–Lone Oak, Congregational Vertical File. Center for Restoration Studies. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Kenneth’s grandfather donated the letter several years ago. He says, “Sanford Rodgers Thompson (‘41). He was a resident of Lake Jackson, Texas, and was employed as a chemist by Dow Chemical. He served as an elder at Lake Jackson Church of Christ for 40 years and died Feb. 18, 2010.”

Correspondence accompanying a letter of dismissal from the Church of Christ at Lone Oak, Texas, to Eunice Wells, dated “1st Lord’s day January, 1892,” Texas–Lone Oak, Congregational Vertical File. Center for Restoration Studies. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Envelope accompanying letter of dismissal from the Church of Christ at Lone Oak, Texas, to Eunice Wells, dated “1st Lord’s day January, 1892,” Texas–Lone Oak, Congregational Vertical File. Center for Restoration Studies. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Kenneth sent us this photograph of Eunice, taken about the time she moved from Lone Oak. This is a very nice example of a church dismissal letter, and one of the few in our collection. It is also especially nice to have a photograph to accompany the letter.

What Does Special Collections Collect?: A Brief Guide for Donors and Patrons

ACU Special Collections and Archives actively seeks materials from, by and about the Restoration Movement from its earliest days to the present.  We hold books, periodicals, ephemera, photographs, audio and video recordings, archival materials and artifacts.

Books and periodicals:  Ideally we will preserve one copy in as pristine a condition as we can locate.  Where we have two copies, one will be available to researchers as a ‘use copy’ while the other is kept as a ‘preservation copy.’  We are always looking to 1) fill in gaps in our collection; 2) to acquire better-condition copies; and 3) acquire signed or inscribed copies.  In outstanding cases we will retain additional signed or association copies.

Several first editions of the works of Alexander Campbell. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Masthead, Gospel Advance, September 1919, vol. 1 no. 1. Edited and published by Price Billingsley. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Ephemera and photographs:  Printed for the moment then cast aside, ephemeral items open a window into our history that is, regrettably, seldom preserved.  Broadsides, leaflets, posters, advertising cards, clippings and the like can help us understand moments that comprise our history.  Photographs, portraits, snapshots, and slides document the moment without using words.

Campbell Street Church of Christ, Louisville, KY. 3 June 1923. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Scrapbook, Box 1, Folder 1, Mable Fuchs Papers, 1920-1921. Center for Restoration Studies MS #445. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Audio and Video Recordings:  We estimate that we hold over 15,000 recordings in a variety of formats (from magnetic tape reels to phonograph records to cassettes to VCR tapes and DVDs).  Listen below to Lynn Anderson’s sermon Ride the Wild Horses:

Listen below to Zelma Stroop remember David and Margaret Lipscomb:

Archival material: We currently house just under 490 collections of personal papers of ministers, evangelists, professors, editors and missionaries.  Each set is as different as its creator.  Some are rich in sermons or correspondence, others in manuscript materials and some contain records from congregations or organizations.  Many have a little of everything. Congregational records include minutes books, selected bulletins, membership rosters, and directories.

Letter from Carl Ketcherside to Stanley Paregien, 11 February 1970. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Letter of Recommendation for both G.W. Varner and A.V. Varner signed by the entire congregation. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Artifacts: The iconic pulpit used by Thomas Campbell at Ahorey (Ireland) Presbyterian Church may be our most recognizable artifact.  But we have communion ware from the 19th and early 20th centuries, a pew from the Madison, TN Church of Christ and artifacts from across the world from several missionaries.  These items tell yet another side to the story.

Bed-sheet sized sermon chart on Heaven, ca. 1940s-1950s. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Brass printing plates used in the production of Great Songs of the Church. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

If you have materials like these you would like to donate, please contact Mac Ice, Director of Special Collections and Archives at mac.ice@acu.edu or (325) 674-2144.  Mac will be pleased to discuss any aspect of the holdings and work of ACU Special Collections and Archives.

Preservation Week 2019

We will participate in Preservation Week 2019 by hosting three preservation-themed webinars in the Special Collections and Archives reading room on the lower level of the ACU Brown Library from 1-2 pm on April 23, 25, and 26.

The one-hour webinars will focus on very practical strategies anyone can employ to preserve their family history.  At each webinar we will feature three different recipes from the archives, primarily drawing on the 1974 Women of ACC Cookbook. If you’re in Abilene please come join us, and if you can’t make it in person we’ll share links so you can watch the webinars online.  We will also share the recipes and some additional historical context about their authors.

For more information about Preservation Week webinars please check out the following blog posts to learn about the women who preserved the recipes we’ll be testing out:

  • Tuesday, April 23: Preserving your Family History
  • Thursday, April 25: Caring for Family keepsakes
  • Friday, April 26: Preserving Family Recipes

Keep an eye out on our Facebook and Twitter for preservation tips and more!