Unknown. Objects were received in Archives prior to April 2006.

August 11, 2006: The Indiana Historical Bureau presented a historical marker to the town of North Manchester, Ind., commemorating the social and economic impact of Brethren Annual Meetings that were held in the town in the years 1878, 1888, and 1900. The meetings were hosted by Manchester Church of the Brethren with assistance from other nearby Brethren churches and many community residents. The meetings drew thousands of visitors to each week-long gathering.

It is thought that the 1900 conference attracted  the largest crowds ever assembled at a Brethren conference, with attendance estimated as high as 60,000 on Sunday, June 3. WIlliam Eberly, former Manchester College professor and Church of the Brethren historian, stated, “It might also have been the largest religious assembly ever held in Indiana up to that time,”  “You can imagine the impact of this crowd on this little rural town of barely 4,000 inhabitants. The demands for services (food, lodging, local transportation, etc.) were a tremendous challenge to local residents, both in town and in the surrounding rural area.”

1.  One CD with images from the historical marker presentation ceremony.

2.  News Release.

3.  Article from the Church of the Brethren Newsline.