Until Pearl Harbor
(1897 - 1941)

She said, "Until it burned, the Gospel Boat was a familiar sight in that day when the Erie Canal was a part of the city of Syracuse. The Gospel Wagon drawn by two horses was equally familiar in various parts of the town and nearby countryside. In it was a small organ, a large black board, and a group of singers. One of his most popular talks was based upon a large colored drawing on this blackboard depicting two ways of life, one leading to death, the other to life. Wherever the wagon stopped and he put up the picture people began to gather and listen attentively to his message.

He pursued drunkards and prostitutes to their secret places, winning them to decency and Christ-likeness. Untiring after a night meeting, he would go visiting the saloons, leaving cards printed with invitations for chance finders.

The Gibbud's literally gave their lives to save others. Mrs. Stevens said, "As one who knew them in their Mission work, I was deeply impressed by their teaching and example. From a recent visit to the present Mission and its leaders, I am also impressed by the living power of Christ resting upon and working within the present workers."

Mr. Gibbud, assisted by his very capable wife, Ellen, guided the early destinies of the Rescue Mission. He organized, among other things, a Worker's Training Class and a weekly Bible class, and administered the first relief work kitchens during the severely economically depressed year of 1893.

The Gibbuds continued their work in Syracuse until 1896, when he was called to the faculty of Bible Normal College in Springfield, Mass. There he continued his Christian endeavors until his death on December 3,1901. It is said that hard work killed him—hard work for God in the saving of men.

Henry B. Gibbud literally worked himself to death. The gospel of "Spare Thyself'' had no place in his theology. For the last two years of his life he suffered from heart disease which resulted from a stroke he suffered while preaching one day at Central Baptist Church in Syracuse.

Less than two hours before his death Mr. Gibbud was perfecting plans for gospel work at the Charleston Inter-State Exposition. The end came peacefully. His career serves as an example—an inspiration to good works—a call to 1,000 percent wholehearted consecration and service.

Henry Gibbud - an influence for Christ

His influence over men had been phenomenal. He said, "We have nothing in view but the glory of Jesus. His will be done." H. B. Andrews, the generous benefactor of the Rescue Mission in its early years, gives interesting insight as to how he became involved in the work through the influence of Mr. Gibbud. He said prior to Mr. Gibbud coming to Syracuse he knew nothing about Mission work.

"I was a member of a staid church, but I had no use for mission work. I took occasion to call at his home. I had never met him closely and I was a little shy of him. He opened the door and, with a wave of the hand, said, 'Come in; I want to have prayer with you,' I didn't know what to make of it. I knelt with him in his home. He prayed for me as a businessman. I went out from there and I thought, 'That man has something I don't know anything about.' He had touched me in a new place. He had given me a longing for something I hadn't known, something I felt every Christian should possess. I went again and finally was lured into the Mission. Then I went a second time and a third. Now, thirteen years have passed and it has found me there the larger part of my time. This is, under God, Henry Gibbud's doing. It will be my rejoicing through the ages that God ever sent him to our city."

Memorial services were held in Syracuse for Mr. Gibbud during which the Rescue Mission Board of Managers eulogized:

" . . But he did more than bring sinners to Christ. Out of their ranks he created workers with himself by careful drilling in the use of the Bible. And as a direct result soul winners went forth from time to time from the Mission here to the ministry of the gospel or to missionary service at the ends of the earth. His presence in the churches when pleading for his work was a benediction to all who heard him."

The Rescue Mission carried on its work in the Gibbud tradition. Harlow B. Andrews left his grocery business to take over the active management. Meetings were held nightly through 1920, except for a brief period when all public gatherings were forbidden because of the 1918 flu epidemic.

Perhaps no early supporter of the Mission had a more meaningful life of Christian service and example than Willard R. Walker who was to become the inventor of the first successful home dishwashing machine. Born to farm life in 1870, he came to Syracuse as a young man to learn a trade. During the winter of 1895-96, Willard decided to go west with a friend. The decision was made, setting the first week in May as their starting date.

He wrote in his notebook, "Now came a test in my life, a choice between my desire and purpose or God's call to something else. I had been going to Mission Sunday School often enough to become acquainted with some of the leaders. A lady there came to me saying the Superintendent was talking about resigning and if he did would I take his place. I wanted to go west as we had planned. After careful thinking about it I prayed and told the Lord if the man resigned, I would take his place, if he did not resign I would know it was all right for me to go west as planned."

The superintendent stayed, and in mid-May Willard was on his way to Ta-coma. It was there that he experienced three events which were to affect the rest of his life.

First, "And the most important," he wrote, "the Lord dealt with me in His providential way to get me where I could hear His voice and understand His will for me. The Lord's purpose for my life became my supreme desire."

The second event was meeting his future wife, Jessie.

And the third was his start in inventing and making home dishwashers.

Willard spent several years in Tacoma, serving at one time as Superintendent of the Mission there. By 1902 he had resumed east and in 1907 organized the Walker Bros. Corp. to produce the home dishwasher which was later to be bought out by General Electric.

He did not, however, allow his career as an inventor or engineer to deter him from his dedication to Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour.

Willard, during his earlier years had journeyed with the Mission wagon on its travels to the hop fields and throughout the Syracuse area. He was a pillar of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Syracuse, and for a nine-year period held a lay preacher's license signed by Dr. Albert B. Simpson, founder of the Alliance movement.

And, until his death at the age of 92 in 1962, Willard Walker was active in the Syracuse Rescue Mission as a trustee. For more than a quarter of a century he attended "Yokefellows" meetings at the Mission, teaching men the value of salvation.

All of this occurred while suffering loss of his personal fortune in the Great Depression, which led him to restart a career at the age of 58. His only earthly possession, besides the clothes on his back, was the tool box with which he'd embarked on his path as an inventor.

Clarence Jordan recalls that when the Mission's home was relocated to 811 Washington Street, Willard had a little bronze marker placed on the pulpit with the words, "Sir, we would see Jesus," commemorating a card with those words he'd placed on the pulpit at 511 Washington Street years before. This verse now also graces the stained glass window in the Chapel of the Gifford Street facility.

Thousands annually attended evening evangelistic meetings at the Mission hall, leading to hundreds of conversions. Many of these persons went on to hold positions of trust in the business community in Syracuse and throughout the nation.

Other early superintendents of the Mission were George Frank and William S. Cromwell, both Mission converts. Records show that between January 1,1919 and January 1,1920 there were 365 evening services, 24 afternoon services, 63 open air and 9 "wagon" services. In addition, there were 26 services held at the Onondaga County Home.

That year the Rescue Mission gave away 98 pieces of clothing to the needy. For its efforts in behalf of the community, many persons and groups came forth with material items. . . bags of meat and vegetables from farmers in Oswego County, canned goods and clothing from Jordan and cash donations from local churches and companies. At the traditional New Year's lunch at the Mission on January 1st, 1,920 persons were fed.

The Mission shuts down

Everything seemed to be running smoothly until Mr. Andrews announced to the Board of Managers on February 16,1920 that he was selling the property leased to the Mission. They had until May 1st to vacate the premises. Mr. Andrews said that he felt he had God's approval to sell the property. Because of this, the Mission's future seemed to be in doubt.

At its meeting of April 24,1920 held at the YMCA, the Board of Managers resolved:

"Owing to the sale of the property and being unable to arrange for new quarters, it is resolved that the Mission temporarily close on Thursday evening, April 29. Carried."

A lamp in the window

The closing of the Mission did not go unnoticed. A Post-Standard editorial of Sunday, May 2,1920, urged that the Mission be continued. The writer said, "The closing of the Rescue Mission is a tragic ending of hope fulfilled and a shame upon us for our failure to understand and be interested. For a third of a century the Mission has been a lamp in the window of Christian hospitality and comfort for the discouraged and disconsolate, the homeless and hopeless, the bum and the hobo and down and outer".

"The primary purpose was spiritual and in preserving it there was a religious service every night at the Mission regardless of weather or attendance or any untoward circumstance. In its rescue from degradation to honest religious life its record is a memorial to the devotion of its directors. But its appeal to the wayfarer was simpler than its call for conversion. Here was warmth and kindness and helpfulness, always with outstretched hands for any man or any woman, no matter how near to physical or moral disintegration, here in the midst of his own haunts, where he could always enter without embarrassment."

"That the opportunity for this sort of service has passed because a prohibition law has been written among the statutes is absurd. Drink is not so exclusively the cause of human degradation that its complete elimination, were that possible, will eliminate the dregs from human society. The Rescue Mission still has a place to fill." Accordingly, on May 8,1920 a committee appointed to consider the future of the work recommended the Mission be continued. It would continue to look to the community for financial support. The Board of Managers continued to meet occasionally over the next two years although Mission activities appear to have been discontinued.

Application to the Community Chest

An interesting footnote to the history of the Rescue Mission is that it has been a member of the United Way and its predecessor, the Community Chest, for 65 years. On June 22, 1922 the Mission, through its president, William G. Monk, formally applied for assistance from the Community Chest. At the time, the Mission had established an annual budget of $10,000.

Mr. Monk wrote that when Mr. Andrews sold the State Street property, The Board of Managers decided that it was an opportune time for the development of a larger and more aggressive work to meet the demands of changing conditions. In order to accomplish this most effectively, the Board felt that the Mission work should remain closed until a location could be found suited to the larger plan, and the right man procured for superintendent. To that end the Board of Managers have held frequent meetings to consider various proposals."

Richard Murphy becomes superintendent

On September 12,1922 Richard D. Murphy was appointed superintendent at an annual salary of $3,500. He came to Syracuse after serving as of the 14th Division, New York State Sunday School Association. He was also formerly associated with Bethel Mission at Worcester, Mass.

New Location

A new location for the Mission was finally located at 511 and 515 East Washington Street by the finance committee. It was purchased for $25,000 from the estate of Ada M. Moore. Subsequently, $35,000 in first mortgage bonds were issued, at 6 percent interest, to cover the purchase. Costs of repairs and remodeling totaled $5,000, even though many items were donated. Another $4,000 was spent on equipment.

In due time Mr. Murphy reorganized the Rescue Mission to become one of the most respected religious organizations in the city. The Washington Street facility, with an adjacent rooming house, was formally dedicated on October 18,1923 and special services were held throughout that weekend.

For many years anniversary services were held while the Mission grew and prospered, its "Salvage Corps" bringing men to Christ, forsaking evil ways and alcohol. Hundreds of men knelt at the chapel altar and many others, living in the Lodging House, by God's help, promised to lead a new life.

An old anniversary program urged friends of the Rescue Mission to, "Come to our meeting any night and you can look into their bright faces and hear their glad testimonies." Into the 1920's Syracuse continued to have, "a great deal of wreckage on its social sea. Any day one may see battered human wrecks drifting by."

Amos Phipps

One of the most noted area evangelists - Amos Phipps, became assistant superintendent on October 1,1928.

Some nights the Lodging House was full and during the winter between 50 and 75 men had to be turned away. Lodgers consisted of transients and residents. Some of the residents accepted Christ and stayed on at the Mission, working until they were able to go out on their own.

During the Depression, men were lodged at the Mission by the Welfare Department for 25 cents a day until Jackson Lodge opened. The men were transferred there when this became a recognized social agency. It was sup-ported by state and federal funds.

Yoke fellows

There were many adult and children's groups in the late '20s and early '30s fostered by the Mission. Of these, the most prominent was the "Yokefellows." It was composed of converts and church members from all faiths in the city. It conducted Bible study and recreational activities and raised funds for the Mission's religious activities.

One of the foremost women's clubs was the Fellowship Council, composed of women church members from throughout the city who raised funds and looked after Mission needs. For the children the most popular group was the annual Summer Bible School attended by nearly 200 youngsters for 15 days.

The performance of the Mission and its staff on this unique socio-religious level without extensive professional training in either field was one of the marvels of that institution.

When Mr. Murphy became superintendent, Edgar Jones served as his assistant. Murphy was responsible for most of the modern trends which later became characteristic of the Mission. He introduced children's work into Mission activities which, up to that point, consisted only of evangelistic meetings and a dedicated, albeit untrained, method of working with lodgers. Regardless, this was the beginning of the Mission's social work program. It was in sharp contrast to the work of the first 30 years.

Gretchen Ramsdell

To institute children's activities, Mr. Murphy brought in Gretchen Ramsdell who had been a teacher at Potsdam Normal School. Her first job, a formidable one to be sure, was to canvass each of the 1,187 homes in the Mission neighborhood for children with no church affiliation who could attend the Mission Sunday School. Miss Ramsdell and her good friend, Mildred Lindsay, who was an elementary school teacher in the Syracuse school district, visited each home on foot and recruited what would become the foundation of their new family services ministry. As the years unfolded, her children's programs had few rivals.

The functions of the Mission began to take form. Mr. Murphy, Mr. Phipps, and Miss Ramsdell conducted evangelical services, Bible classes, saw that men were lodged and fed, and the children taught.

From 1926 on, the Mission had several well-defined goals which included:

· To bring men, women, and children to Christ.

· To offer spiritual and physical rehabilitation.

· To bring women and children into the club and Sunday School activities where they might learn to be useful citizens and good mothers.

· To bring children into contact with biblical teaching and prepare them for good citizenship—principles that perhaps had been neglected by parents.

Mr. Murphy ended his association with the Mission in 1937 and his assistant, Amos Phipps, took over as Superintendent.

Extending its socio-religious program, the Mission purchased property for its South Side branch at 815 Montgomery Street in 1929. This branch had an annual attendance of nearly 4,000 children. The West Side branch opened on Tully Street in 1938 and had a yearly attendance of nearly 6,000. Sunday School was held in the Mission chapel on East Washington Street and saw more than 6,000 children attend annually.

The three-story lodging house could sleep 79 men nightly, although many more at different times were forced to sleep on floors and benches. Nearly a million meals were served between 1923 and 1937. An average of 23,734 men per year spent at least one night there. Those able were asked to pay 35 cents a night. More than 13,000 stayed for free. Thanksgiving and Christmas meals were always open to anyone.