Randolph  County,  Indiana  Family  History
Greenfork  Township
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Arba  Friends




Arba Friends Meeting 2004
Contributed By: Gina Richardson

Tucker's History Page 147.
Arba was formed about 1815. They built, during the fall of that year a pole cabin meeting-house of the most primitive kind, with neither fireplace nor chimney, which served both as school-house and church for some years. After a considerable time a new, hewed-log church was built, which was occupied for worship for some thirty years, which, nevertheless, gave place in turn to a neat and plain brick structure, which now opens its welcome doors on First and Fifth Days, as well as at other times for the gentle, quiet, loving Friends to assemble "in the spirit" to wait on the Lord according to His appointment for the sweet and refreshing tokens of His gracious presence, and for the power of the life-giving Spirit to work in their souls that which is well pleasing in His sight. The members at times have been Thomas Parker, Jesse Overman, Ephraim Overman, Eli Overman, Jacob Horn, Thomas Cadwallader, Micajah Morgan, John Thomas, Clarkson Willcutts, Aaron Mills, William Hill, John Cammack, Frederic Fulghum, Francis W. Thomas, and many others.

Preachers--Francis W. Thomas, Adaliza Parker, Milly Hunt, and perhaps others. There now about two hundred members, or thirty families or parts of families. The present members, some of them, are Aaron Hill, Jacob Hill, William Hunt, Henry W. Horn, Henry Horn, Nathan Overman, Jordan Fulghum, Clarkson Fulghum, William Fulghum, Jonathan Rogers, Joshua Thomas, Manlove Thomas, Silas Horn, Calvin Pucket with their wives and families, and others besides them.

A new meeting was formed within their bounds a few years ago, by the name of Beech Grove (in Wayne County).

The Friends at Arba are an active people, engaging largely in mission work, holding religious meetings, establishing First Day schools, having temperance meetings, etc. Some five years ago an enthusiastic temperance gathering was held in the grove near the north toll gate, being addressed by Hon. T. M. Browne, Rev. Marine, then of Richmond, and others. The assembly was large, and great interest was taken, and much good was done.

The Society of Friends at Arba, established about sixty-six years ago, has maintained a solid existence, and enjoyed a steady, substantial growth, quiet, peaceful, united, they have pursued the "even tenor of their way," manifesting a constant and unwavering abiding in the things that make for peace and truth and mercy and righteousness and Christian love. Though making but slight apparent noise and stir in the great world, yet their quiet and gentle power has been like the words of the sacred writer: "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass."

Besides the Friends, preaching has been had at the place more or less from time to time; but no permanent lodgment was ever made by any society but the Friends, so far as known. The Episcopal Methodists have made it a preaching point to some extent, and the Wesleyan Methodists once had regular meetings for a considerable time, but they were discontinued.

Our Special Heritage
Sesquicentennial History of Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends. (Quakers) Page 95.
Arba Friends Meeting
Location: In the village of Arba, on the Arba Pike, Greensfork Twp, Randolph County IN. Address RR1, Lynn, IN.
Date organized as a meeting: 1815. Organized by Authority of: New Garden Monthly Meeting.
Origin of Name: Named after the village of Arba.
Family Names of Charter or Early Members: PARKER, OVERMAN, HORN, MORGAN, CADWALLENDER, THOMAS, WILCUTTS, HILL, CARMACK, FULGHUM, HUNT, ROGERS and PUCKETT.
First Paid Minister: Francis M. Thomas. Date: 1904.
Present Membership : 61.
History of the Physical Facilities: A pole meetinghouse was built in 1815 and was replaced in 1824 with a log building. The present brick meetinghouse was constructed in 1854. A vestibule and belfry were added in 1912.

Past & Present of Randolph County, Indiana 1914. Page 672.
Friends,
Arba, the oldest of these meetings was formed about 1815, in the community of what is known as Arba. This church early established a "First Day School" (Sabbath School) and its members have been earnest workers in the cause of temperance and all other religious and moral movements.




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