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The Salvation Army in Ogden, Utah is celebrating its Quasquicentennial

Submitted by Kathy Lovin on October 16, 2012 – No Comment

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What’s a Quasquicentennial, you ask?

That’s the official term for a 125th anniversary, (for those who need a little extra help with their Latin.)

The local newspaper in Ogden, the Standard-Examiner, helped honor the big event with a great story, some photos and even a couple of quotes from The Salvation Army’s regional leader Lt. Col Dan Starrett, the local Salvation Army pastor Lt. Peter Pemberton and Ogden’s Mayor Mike Caldwell.

Please click here for a link to the story on the Standard-Examiner’s web page.

What fascinated me about the story was the bit of history from the Army’s record book at the bottom of the page.

Here’s what it said:

“The Ogden Salvation Army’s official history states that on May 24, 1887, Capt. Maud Sharp and seven others set off for Utah from Oakland, Calif., by way of railroad.”

On June 3rd of that year, this ‘Band of Salvationists’ pulled into Ogden armed with Coronet, Tambourine, Drums, and the Word of God,’ reads the history.

The document describes Sharp as a woman of commanding stature.

Her gaze indicated firm determination to save souls!

And she was determined to lead her followers to save the souls on Ogden’s notorious 25th Street, which at that time was home to prostitution parlors, bars, opium dens and gambling houses.

By 1898, The Salvation Army in Utah had organized corps in Ogden, Salt Lake City, Provo and Park City.”

Thankfully, so little has changed in the intervening 125 years. The Salvation Army still focuses its attention on the mission we carry out throughout the world; “to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet needs in His name without discrimination.”

Thank you to all the donors, officers, volunteers and staff who’ve made that possible in Ogden, Utah and the surrounding area these 125 years. God bless you.

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