Part 14: 1900: Turmoil at the Turn of the Century

The 1890’s were a period of turmoil in both the domestic growth of the country as well as through expanded relations and responsibilities beyond our own borders. A devastating economic downturn effected business growth most seriously in 1893 after a period of unprecedented growth and monopolization. Business fields such as steel, oil, coal, meat packing, banking and communication were in jeopardy of losing millions of dollars. The year, 1890, saw Congress pass the Sherman Anti-trust Act that in essence attempted to limit and in some cases prohibit the practices of monopolies. While not as strong as its original advocates would have hoped for the Act, it still may have been in part responsible for the economic panic of 1893.

At the same time that the economy was in domestic turmoil, business was not the only entity in America that also grew in size and responsibility. The United States saw Spanish influence in the Caribbean and in their Far-Eastern holdings, the Philippine Islands, as a threat to America’s interests globally. Whether it was a Spanish caused incident or not, the “Sinking of the Maine” in Havana harbor in February 1898 and the ensuing news stories that followed that led the United States to engage in an,” Independence for Cuba” campaign. American troops fought an under prepared Spanish army and navy over the next few months ending in Spanish surrender. Diplomatically the United States as a result of the treaty acquired land and responsibilities that many labeled as imperialistic. Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam and Wake Islands, and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba became for all intents and purposes in many foreign and domestic eyes an American Empire, not terribly dissimilar to the Empires of Britain, France, Germany and Russia to name just a few.

These large events of national and international proportions as a whole also had local impact. At Peoples Methodist Episcopal Church in Ferry Village a young peoples society was organized in the 1880’s and was called the Christian Endeavor Society. This organization was interdenominational in structure. The original Christian Endeavor Society had been organized at Portland’s Williston Congregational Church just a few years before. In September, 1890, however, this organization was supplanted by Epworth League Chapter 2356. The reason for change as reported in the 75th anniversary booklet is that we needed to “fall in line” with our sister Methodist churches. John E. Fisher who would also serve as the Superintendent of the Sunday School served as the first president of Chapter 2356. One of the expectations for the Epworth League was that membership would be engaged in mission work. Two members of this early organization at Peoples actually entered the mission field. Miss. Edith Rankin served some years in mission work within the United States. Miss. Bessie Crowell went to Cawnpore, India. She actually followed by a few years Mr. A. K. Gurney who had previously gone to Assam, India where he was credited with translating the Bible into the Assamese language. Ms. Crowell kept in contact with the Sunday School while she was on her mission trip. In the brief history of the Sunday School that was published in 1980, a letter was printed that she had written before she left New York. It reads as follows:

New York, November 1, 1905
Dear Friends at home:
Remembering this is the first Sunday in the month and that it is Missionary Sunday in the Sunday School, I feel like sending you a word of greeting. As the Sundays have gone by I have thought of you as gathered together in the church at home and I must confess I have had a bit of a homesick feeling to be with you, but while you are listening to this short note written in the midst of noise and confusion at General Executive, I shall be on the ocean steaming towards England en route to India. There are eight of us who sail on the “Lucania” on Saturday for Liverpool. I shall think of you and pray for you, and as I go farther from the homeland and approach nearer to the needy land and the great work to which the Master has called me, I realize more than ever that I need your prayers. I already have had a taste of missionary life, and it has drawn me very near Jesus. I’ll be so glad when I get settled in the work.
Love to all my Friends,
Your own missionary,
Bessie F. Crowell
While away Ms. Crowell kept in touch with the Sunday School. On a regular basis teaching the members of that body back home about life in India. Later upon her return home to Maine, Ms. Crowell dedicated her life to serving the state and young ladies who got in trouble with the law, becoming in time the Director of the Women’s Correctional Institution in Hallowell.

For each of the major celebration years someone who was a member was asked to add to that celebration by creating a dedicatory poem. In 1903 Miss Bessie Crowell was the one asked to fulfill that need. That poem will appear elsewhere in this history.

“Bigness” may have had some influence on these local issues. The Epworth League helped the Methodist youth program to grow even if it was at the expense of Christian Endeavor. Not only was there an Epworth League for young adults, but there was a “feeder program” that included Intermediate and Junior Levels of the Epworth League.
Projects that the young adults and youth groups engaged in with overseas locations were made possible by the expanded interests and needs of the United States as well as the desires of good Christian young men and women to help those in need wherever they may be. We would believe that it was God’s calling to help those less fortunate, but one might say that philosophy, to some degree, has been one of the governing forces of American Foreign Policy as well.