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Are there still Quakers around here?

To the editor:

“Many people remember mention of Quakers in American history in school. Quakers settled Pennsylvania. Quakers worked for public education and prison reform. Quakers were part of the Underground Railroad. Then somehow Quakers disappear from the history books and people think we must have disappeared altogether,” said Nelda Hawkins, a local Quaker historian.

“There are still Quakers around here,” she said. “Salem’s first Monthly Meeting records are dated September 1805 and we have been meeting in the current meeting house on Sixth Street since it was built in 1872. In 1975 Salem merged with Upper Springfield Monthly Meeting, which was located in Damascus, Ohio, and 2016 merged with Winona Meeting. Quakers have been here in Salem for more than 200 years, and we’re still here.”

Middleton began meeting in Columbiana in 1802, and became Middleton Monthly Meeting of Friends in 1803. Quakers have been in the Columbiana area for more than 200 years.

“Salem and Middleton Friends Meetings will each hold a special public meeting and open house Oct. 13 and 14. A member will give a short explanation of our practice and then a chance to experience a traditional meeting for worship.

“Middleton Friends (Quaker) Meeting will host their open house at 7 p.m. Oct. 13. The building is located at 44866 Crestview Road, Columbiana (actually 4.5 miles east of Columbiana). Salem Friends (Quaker) Meeting will hold a meeting at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at the close of the Quaker Fest. The meeting house is located at 338 Sixth St., Salem. We welcome visitors. This is an opportunity to learn about and experience authentic Quaker Christianity, in person, in real time, not in a history book,” she said.

“Our meetings are affiliated with Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative).”

NANCY HAWKINS,

Columbiana

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