This appears to be a more detailed version of Charles N. Averill's 1919 version of the church history. Although it is not the complete article, it provided me with some insights that I would not have otherwise had. -Nathan James

OLD QUAKER CHURCH, NEAR LANE, WAS AMONG
     FIRST RELIGIOUS HOUSES IN STATE--CONTINUES
          PROSPEROUS--A MEETING PLACE OF PIONEERS

In the spring of 1855, some Friends who had settled in the southwest part of Lykens, now Miami county, Kansas, began holding meetings for worship.

These meetings were first held in a small log house on the farm of R. Mendenhall about three and a half miles southwest of Osawatomie. But within the next two years the place of meeting was changed to David Mendenhall, seven miles southwest of Osawatomie and four miles east of Lane where they were held until the meeting house was built on its present site in the spring of 1860.

In the winter of 1856-7, Richard Mendenhall Cut logs and took to the sawmill, owned by William Hurst, Sr., located at or near Indianapolis and had them cut into lumber to build a house which was built in the spring of 1857. The building was constructed entirely of native lumber.

In the fall of 1857, a school was opened and many students came Monday morning, bringing a week's provision with them, and remaining all week, rooming in the upper rooms of the Mendenhall home. It was to this home that many fled for refuge at the burning of Osawatomie in 1856 and found shelter with the Quakers. This house that has been a place of worship, a school room and an asylum for the homeless was burned down a few years ago while occupied as a home by John Lessenden and family. Having finished his work, Richard Mendenhall passed to his reward in the winter of 1863-4.

We can give but a few incidents of these early times, no records having been kept, until October 1859 when the meetings for business were established. Friends, during the Kansas trouble, were taken from their homes for military duty, leaving the women and children at home to get along as best they could, with but one man, Lewis Jones, left behind. On account of their opposition to the military service, all were allowed to return home except Calvin Barnard who was retained as company cook.

Another time they appealed to Col. G. H. Humes, of Paola, stating their objections to military service and they were sent to work with pick and shovel to build a barrack to protect the women and children, while Col. Humes and his men were fighting Price. They worked faithfully thus showing their devotion to duty and their love for human life.

Among those who were here and active during those early days, we find the names of Calvin Barnard and family, both of whom lie in the old churchyard where they attended the meetings so long and all are gone except one son, Horace G. Barnard, living near Osawatomie. Simon Jones and family, who have since moved away and Abraham Holaday, whose