5/28/2014

May 1847 ...

May 28 to June 8, 1847 - Betsy Runyon visited South Union community with others.

Betsy was one of two of the daughters of Martin and Patience Runyon who stayed with the Shakers throughout their lives.


One of the first buildings constructed (1810) at the Shaker community at South Union, Kentucky. Although it served a number of purposes throughout the years, it was best known as the Shaker school house. [Photo from WKU]

5/25/2014

On This Date in 1845 ...


Amy Runyon served as a teacher, nurse and children's caretaker at Pleasant Hill. Like William and Vincent Runyon, she was musically inclined. We have one example of a completed composition by Amy Runyon, dated May 25, 1845. It appears in Benjamin Dunlavy's song book....

Page from Benjamin Dunlavy's song book with music composed by Amy Runyon May 25, 1845 (Clark, p.57)

5/24/2014

On This Date in 1884 ...

Demise, Elder George Runyon [age 88] at 8:40 p.m...united in this Society in spring 1810 at age of 14 & continued steadfast & unwavering to the end...an able minister.

5/16/2014

Exposing Stratigraphic Profiles

Kim McBride has spent decades studying the Shaker buildings of Pleasant Hill. Learn more about her work in this article published in American Archaeology in 2012.

Students work to uncover the location of the 1810
meeting house (American Archaeology - not credited)
A glass bead, clay marble, and animal bone button were among some of the artifacts discovered during  the excavation of the 1810 meeting house. Is it possible the Runyon children played with these toys? 




5/13/2014

This Month 127 Years Ago ...



May 1887 picnic
Pleasant Hill, KY
A large group of Shakers in a grove


James and Jane Sutton would have been the last surviving Runyon Shakers at Pleasant Hill when this picnic was held. This and other fascinating photos can be found in the Winterthur Shaker Photographs & Postcards collection





5/12/2014

On This Date in 1818 ...

from the Shaker journals:

"William Badgett was appointed farm Deacon in place of Philip Lineback who mov'd to the West Family and the insuing winter William Badgett was releas'd and all the farms belonging to the Church was given into the hands of the public Deacons."




5/10/2014

What is a Family?


Confused about the terminology used by the Shakers?

Family: The largest Shaker social, economic, and administrative unit that described all the individuals living in the same dwelling. Two Elders and two Eldresses were in charge of the Family, which could be thirty individuals to one hundred individuals. 

Other common terms you should know ...

Believers: Used commonly instead of “Shakers” by members of the community to refer to each other. 

Brother/Sister: The terms used to address members. 

Covenant: When a new member joined, to prove his or her commitment to the community, the covenant was a legal document handing over all of that individual’s worldly belongs to the Shaker community. 

Communal: Exemplifies the lifestyle of the Shakers. There was no individual ownership within the Shaker Village, but rather all belongings were shared among the community, and all monetary profits were used to benefit the entire community, rather than a few people. 

Deacon/Deaconess: Appointed to supervise the jobs at the family level. Each Family would have had a Farm Deacon, and Kitchen Deaconess, etc. 

Dwelling: The name for the dormitory-like building that housed a communal Shaker Family. 

Elder/Eldress: Appointed to supervise spiritual affairs or, in a more general sense, to denote a leader. 

Eder Brother/Elder Sister: Specific term used to describe leaders at the Family level. 

Gathering: Used to describe a group of new converts to Shakerism. 

Gift: A “gift” was given from God to an individual that benefit God’s kingdom on earth, and could be anything from prophecy to music. For example, a “whirling gift” would describe a Shaker’s  circular movement during a service, when the Shaker was moved by God. 

Heavenly Father: The Shakers felt that, since man and woman were created in the image of God, God had a male and a female side. “Heavenly Father” was used to refer to the masculine side of God. 

Holy Mother Wisdom: The term used to refer to the feminine side of God. 

Meeting: Usually applied to the Shaker worship service, which included hearing words from Brothers or Sisters led by the spirit to speak, singing, dancing, clapping, and sometimes “shaking”, from which the Shakers got their name. 

Lead Ministry: Two Elders and two Eldresses, who resided in the Shaker community in Lebanon, New York, and were the spiritual leaders of all of the Shakers. 

Ministry: Two Elders and two Eldresses in charge of a Shaker community. Order: 1) together with “union”, an important part of the Shaker life. Believers who kept their order followed by the rules of the Society and placed the community’s needs above their own. 2) Another word for “rule” or “law,” as in: “The Gospel orders” 3) with a capital “O”, used to refer officially to a group of members. For example, a “Gathering Order” was a group of new converts, and a “Senior Order” was a group of committed, covenanted members. 

Retiring Time: A time after supper, usually about a half an hour, in which Shakers went to their bedroom to think quietly and to prepare themselves for the evening meeting. 

Testimony: Written account of a member’s faith and experience, often solicited by Elders or Eldresses

Trustee: A Shaker Trustee is someone who has the responsibility for the financial well-being of the community. He not only keeps financial records but is also in charge of marketing products sold by the community. Office deacons and deaconesses assist the Trustee and usually live in the Trustee’s Office. 

Union: Together with “order,” an important goal of Shaker life. It describes the spiritual bond between all members of the Shaker society, and reflects the goal of spiritual and material union within the society. 

United Society: Short for the formal title of the Shakers, which is The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing World/World’s People: Those who did not belong to the Shaker society lived in the World and were referred to as World’s People. 

Young Believer: A new Shaker convert. “Young” refers to the fact that new converts were uneducated in the Shaker lifestyle, not necessarily that they were young in age. 

Zion: God’s Kingdom on earth, the home of the Believers in this life. 

* borrowed from an educational handout developed at the South Union village and adapted from Shaker Communities, Shaker Lives, by Priscilla J. Brewer, © 1986 



5/06/2014

On This Date in 1828 ...

Benjamin Runyon [age 18] departed Pleasant Hill.

Benjamin was the youngest son of Joseph and Jane Runyon. He was less than a year old when the family arrived at Pleasant Hill in March 1810.


Looking up the Kentucky River from High Bridge


5/05/2014

On This Date in 1878 ...

Charlotte [Runyon] crazy all day long; 1st Last night before 11 oc Sister Charlotte took uncommonly bad.

5/04/2014

On This Date in 1867 ...

Matilda Runyon [Joseph's daughter] mov'd to East Family appointed Family Deaconess in place of Betsy Spaulding.
 

Each organized family group had a set of leaders known as deacons and deaconesses. These men and women took charge of the daily activities of their family members. As deaconess of the East Family, Matilda would have managed the housekeeping, cooking, preserving, gardening, weaving, laundry, and tailoring tasks necessary to keep the family unit functioning.