WILMINGTON COLLEGE

Hi there!

We are getting a little out of order here on the blog because Sister Shirley and I are finding out that we definitely have creative days and non-creative days to write!  As the OLD sister I’ve been a little weary but now feel energized again!

Sooo – here goes!  Wilmington College in Wilmington, Indiana.

Wilmington College began not as a Quaker college but as a project of three brothers.  In 1866 they began construction of founders Hall and offered free tuition to disabled Civil War veterans and ladies of “good moral character without sufficient means.”

The brothers were unable to pay the mason’s bill, the masons took them to court and the college went on the auction block!  Three quarterly meetings of the Religious Society of Friends purchased it at auction and it remains under the care of Wilmington Yearly Meeting – something that is unusual among the Friends-related colleges.

So, why visit Wilmington College?  Well, Shirley and I both went to Friends University in Wichita, KS and Shirley graduated from there as did her husband, Paul, and as did my husband, Dennis, and many other family members.  Shirley is now an Adjunct Professor there in Education.

Dennis had several Quaker ancestors who lived in and around Wilmington – the Wrights, the Dillons, the Haworths, etc.  

The Harvey family who served at the Shawnee Mission in Kansas were from there.  The famous Isaac and Sarah Harvey who called on President Lincoln to talk to him about slavery were from there and there is a wonderful statue of them on the campus.

T. Canby Jones was a professor there and the meetinghouse is named after him.

Cousin Donna was an able tour guide and we walked the town venturing into a quilt shop I had read about – Cotton Junky -  and a great bookstore.  Friday was Larry’s birthday and we had a spectacular dinner at their Friday night date spot – General Denver!

The downtown was preparing for Civil War Battle celebration (which Shirley has written about) there have many improvements including some beautiful murals on buildings.

Also downtown was the very large Wilmington Friends Meeting House.

Hope you now feel like you’ve been to Wilmington!