Horatio Spafford, well-off lawyer and friend of D.L. Moody lived here on the north side of Chicago. During the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, he lost much of his real estate holdings. A couple years later he sent his family ahead to Europe where D.L. Moody would be preaching. The Ville du Havre sank, and all four of his daughters Read more...
From Daytonian in Manhattan: Three blocks to the north, on Ninth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Street, the New York Asylum for the Blind had stood since 1831. In 1839 it had taken in a 19-year old student, Franny J. Crosby, who quickly was recognized for her talent in writing poetry and hymns. Fanny had been blinded by an incompetent physician at Read more...
Hello… My name is Fanny Crosby. I entered the New York Institution for the Blind as a student in 1835 at the age of 15. I later taught grammar, rhetoric, and history as a faculty member of the school. I published two autobiographies, four books of poetry, and over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, some of which are still sung today. Read more...
At 26, Herbert G. Tovey wrote the song “Give Me a Passion for Souls” – out of 1,500 songs published under his Sacred Music Foundation, this was the most popular. 1 Give me a passion for souls, dear Lord, A passion to save the lost; O that Thy love were by all adored, And welcomed at any cost. Refrain: Read more...
Inscription: Famous singing evangelist, fellow-worker with Dwight L. Moody in Europe and in America, was born August 28, 1840, at Edinburg, in a house since removed. He died in Brooklyn, New York, on August 13, 1908. Photo by Mike Wintermantel, HMDB.org Read more...
Actual grave location unknown – check findagrave and cemetery map Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master, Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves; When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves, Read more...
Ballard Baptist Church, Seattle, WA We’re here in Seattle at Ballard Baptist Church, built in 1919, where Helen Lemmel was a member while she wrote Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus. She was born Mary Helen Howarth in the Manchester area of England, November 14, 1863, to a Methodist Minister. Her father took the family from England to Whitewater, Wisconsin Read more...
Listen to a 10-15 minute audio narrative of the Ashtabula Train Disaster and learn more about Phillip Bliss in front of the hospital that was built as a result of the horrific disaster. Read more...
Phillip Bliss and his wife were headed from their home in Rome, Pennsylvania, to Chicago to reunite with the evangelist D. L. Moody. On December 29th, 1876, their train, the Pacific Express was crossing a trestle bridge near Ashtabula, Ohio. The bridge collapsed, and the train cars fell into the ravine. In that day, each train car had a stove Read more...
On the east side of the river is a path to the bridge with additional information on the train wreck. Ashtabula Park, Marker on the Railroad Disaster. Photo by Randy Melchert Ashtabula Railroad Bridge, photo by Randy Melchert Read more...
Referred to in the Moody Bible Institute archives. The story of the Ninety and Nine, one of Ira Sankey’s most beloved hymns is recorded in this beautiful stained glass window. Ira Sankey Stained Glass Window This was a gift of Frances Victoria Edwards, Sankey’s wife, and was manufactured by Tiffany and Company of New York; Also in the church is Read more...
Kings Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church To promote the divine teachings a society here was organized in 1804 and the first building shortly thereafter erected. Successive houses of worship to serve the growing congregation were erected in 1835, 1856, and 1898. Ira D. Sankey Noted evangelist, singer and hymnologist was converted here to God’s Service and accepted into this fellowship in Read more...
Watch a short video about Phillip Bliss filmed on location From the Marker: “Near this site, an iron truss bridge collapsed into the Ashtabula River during a blizzard, plunging a passenger train with 160 on board into the gulf below. Nearly 100 people were killed in this, one of the worst train disasters in American history. The most well known Read more...
On our road trip filming the first season of Our Christian Heritage TV, we had just interviewed a Philip Bliss impersonator, who shared the life and songs of the second most famous Christian hymnwriter. Philip Bliss (1838-1876), wrote many songs in our hymnals, including “Almost Persuaded,” “Wonderful Words of Life,” “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning,” “I am so glad Read more...
The marker reads: The great singing evangelist and gospel song writer was born July 9, 1838, in a log house which stood a little distance from here. He lived and worked on the farm and in nearby lumber camps until the age of 16. Phillip Bliss was the author and composer of such hymns as: Almost Persuaded Dare to Be Read more...
Although it is in a cemetery, this is not the grave of Phillip P. Bliss, rather his earthly remains are in the mass grave in Ashtabula, OH. However, because his home was in Rome, Pennsylvania, the cemetery features a cenotaph (a monument built to honor someone whose remains are elsewhere) to P. P. Bliss. Read more...
James Milton Black (1856-1938) is widely known as the author of the words and music to the popular gospel song When the Roll is Called Up Yonder. He was, however, a very private person whose failure to leave much documentation about his work has frustrated musicologists for decades. No photograph of him suitable for large-size reproduction in gospel song histories, Read more...
Section S, Division 1, Lot 54 – 7 1/2 N 4 1/2 W From FindaGrave: Hymn Composer. The author of over 2,000 hymns which are still available in print, he is remembered his widely popular songs “What a Wonderful Savior!,” “Enough for Me,” “Is Thy Heart Right With God?,” “Are You Washed in the Blood?,” “No Other Friend Like Jesus,” Read more...
Rev. Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 12, 1826 and at age 22 entered the University of Lewisburg (now Bucknell University). After graduating at age 28 he served as pastor in West Chester, PA; New York City; Brooklyn; and then returned to Lewisburg, where he was a professor and received an honorary doctorate. Monument Text: The Read more...
It was a five mile walk along the CB&Q railroad track, but the teenager, who also worked long hours at a coal mine, had heard about the Salvation Army meetings in Canton and decided he wanted to see what it was all about. Meetings at that time often lasted until 11 p.m., but after walking the five miles home after Read more...
