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"The Oregon Statesman newspaper's December
24, 1886 issue, it was reported that, "The Salvation
Army commenced holding services after the 28th
of December" so it would appear that the work was officially
started before January of 1887. This early presence makes
the Salem Salvation Army Corps one of the earliest chapters
in U.S. history."
The history of The Salvation Army in Salem,
Oregon, began in London’s dark East End when William Booth
hurried home to tell his wife, "Catherine, I have found
my destiny!" Realizing the urgent need to reach many
of the unchurched, heavily-burdened, and poverty-stricken
residents of that area, William and Catherine Booth, first
formed the Christian Mission, which in 1865 became known as
The Salvation Army.
It took just 15 short, but very busy, years
for The Salvation Army to cross the Atlantic and reach New
York when, officially, Commissioner George Railton and
his seven "Hallelujah Lassies" arrived and began
the work in New York City. Six years later, the work taken
up by Captains Henry and Mary Stillwell, began in Portland
and moved southward to Salem.
The Oregon Statesman dated January 7, 1887,
gives a review of the year of 1886 in which it was stated,
"December 20, 1886 Vanguard of the Salvation Army ‘strike
the town.’" On page 8 of the Oregon Statesman newspaper's
De-cember 24, 1886 issue, it was reported that, "The
Salvation Army commenced holding services after the 28th
of December" so it would appear that the work was officially
started before January of 1887. This early presence makes
the Salem Salvation Army Corps one of the earliest chapters
in U.S. history.
A record of the early Salvation Army outdoor
meetings, known as Open-Air meetings, is implanted in the
sidewalk in the northeast corner of Liberty and Ferry Streets.
Since those early days, The Salvation Army in Salem has been
active in trying to develop its ministry of worship and service
throughout Marion Coun-ty.
Over the intervening years--117 of them--The
Salvation Army has been seen in many different forms and in
many places throughout the area.
The Salvation Army Corps has contributed much
to the Salem community in its 117 year history.
Bibliography:
Barnes, Cyril. God’s Army, David C. Cook Publishing
Co., Elgin, IL, 1978. (ISBN 0-89191-156-1)
Bennett, David. William Booth, Bethany
House Publishers (Men of Faith Series), Minn., MN, 1986. Available
in paperback.
Booth, General William. In Darkest England
and the Way Out, The Salvation Army, London, 1890. This
book has become a classic for social service studies.
Chesham, Sallie. Born to Battle: The Salvation
Army in America, The Salva-tion Army, New York, 1976.
Coutts, Frederick. The History of The Salvation
Army, Vol. VI, 1914-1946. Hodder and Stoughton, London,
1973.
Ervine, St. John. God’s Soldier, General
William Booth, Macmillan, New York, 1935.
Green, Roger J. Catherine Booth: A Biography
of the Cofounder of The Salvation Army, Baker Books, Grand
Rapids, MI, 1996. (ISBN 0-8010-5706-X (pbk.)
McKinley, Edward H. Marching to Glory: The
History of The Salvation Army in the United States (1880-1980),
Harper & Row, Publishers, San Francisco, 1980. (ISBN 0-06-65538-0)
Sandall, Robert. The History of The Salvation
Army, Vol. I, 1865-1878, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.,
1947.
Sandall, Robert. The History of The Salvation
Army, Vol. II, 1878-1886, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.,
1950.
The Salvation Army 2004 Year Book, The
Salvation Army International Headquarters, London, England,
2004. Statistics for the year ending December 2002.
Watson, Bernard. Soldier Saint: George Scott
Railton, William Booth’s first lieutenant, Hodder and
Stoughton Limited, London, 1970. (ISBN 0 340 10814 2)
Wiggins, Arch R. The History of The Salvation
Army, Vol. V, 1904-1914. Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.,
London, 1968.
Wilson, P. W. General Evangeline Booth of
The Salvation Army, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York,
1948.
Wisbey, Herbert A. Soldiers Without Swords,
A History of The Salvation Army in the United States,
The Macmillan Company, New York, 1955.
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