THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
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In December of 1902, a chartered train began it's long trip from Bellville, Kansas to Laton, California. Aboard this train were twelve families from the local Mennonite Brethren Church who had a mission. Also, on board where teams of horses, building implements, farming tools, and probably a few cows. They also brought some of their household goods for their new start in Laton. The older boys on the train stayed with the animals in the box cars for the three or four day trip. Their job was to feed and water the animals and also 'muck out' the cars.
The mission of the Colonists was to build a much needed church about two miles to the west of the town of Laton. At this time, the Brethren who were already in the Laton area, were holding church services at the nearby Grant Grammar School. At that time there were land developers who traveled around the United States looking for groups of people who would be willing to leave their lives behind and start a new life in the Laton area. Hardly anyone in Bellville, Kansas had ever heard of Laton, California. It was a 'sight unseen' situation. The developers had set land aside in order for these colonist to build homes for themselves. It's been said that one-half of them ended up with land that had beautiful river loam and the other half ended up with alkali land. Over a period of time, most of them eventually sold their alkali land and purchased property that would become very productive farm land.
Belleville, Kansas was located in the north central part of the state and was within a few miles of Nebraska. One family, the Vaughns, had moved north to Nebraska but after hearing that their fellow parishioners from Bellville were leaving the area to build a new church in Laton, California they quickly sold all their belongings and headed back to Bellville to be part of the migration to California. The train left Bellville, Kansas and traveled west through the states of Kansas, Colorado and eventually Salt Lake City. The train then continued through Nevada and the Donor pass. It was in December so the area was smothered in snow and the train traveled through many snow tunnels and sheds during that part of the trip. (This was the same area where in 1846 the Donner Party had become victims of poor planning, treacherous weather and became trapped in the deadly snow. A few of the men forged ahead with a mission to find their way through the deep snow to safety. Many of the travelers died before the men could return.)
The train making the trip from Bellville, had the arduous trip up and over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. One of the Vaughn children, Lester, who was only 4 1/2 years old at the time, remembered that the conductor told the travelers to keep the window shut tight because of the danger of cinders flying in the windows and starting a fire. He remembered that the smoke from the stoked fire was still able to get inside the train and the travelers had problems trying to breathe. They followed pretty much the same route that the Donner Party had traveled but now they had the safety of traveling by train. The railroad had built 'snow sheds' along the tracks that the train traveled under. The tracks could now be kept free of snow because it would slide off the sheds and into the canyons rather than block the tracks. Once the Bellville train was through the snow of Nevada and safely down into the San Joaquin Valley, the train turned south toward Fresno. When they neared Laton, the chartered train was switched over to a Sante Fee spur that took them a few miles to the west of Laton to an area called Lillis. A small station had been constructed there and when the train stopped the people must have been excited and anxious to see their new home. There were already Brethren families living in the area who met the train and each took a family home with them. The Vaughns ended up with one of the Fike families living in the area. There had also been a Fike family on the train who was taken in by another Fike family. On this train there was 4 1/2-year old Lester Vaughn and a little 3-year old girl named Rena Fike. These two children ended up in the graduating classes of Laton High School; Lester in the Class of 1917 and Rena in the Class of 1918. They eventually married and over time became an very important part of the Laton History.
The colonists first job was to start building the new church and by early Spring of 1903, they had finished the construction of the sanctuary. It was built solely by the work of the Brethren with no paid help from outside the church. (The story to be continued as I learn more. Linda)
The mission of the Colonists was to build a much needed church about two miles to the west of the town of Laton. At this time, the Brethren who were already in the Laton area, were holding church services at the nearby Grant Grammar School. At that time there were land developers who traveled around the United States looking for groups of people who would be willing to leave their lives behind and start a new life in the Laton area. Hardly anyone in Bellville, Kansas had ever heard of Laton, California. It was a 'sight unseen' situation. The developers had set land aside in order for these colonist to build homes for themselves. It's been said that one-half of them ended up with land that had beautiful river loam and the other half ended up with alkali land. Over a period of time, most of them eventually sold their alkali land and purchased property that would become very productive farm land.
Belleville, Kansas was located in the north central part of the state and was within a few miles of Nebraska. One family, the Vaughns, had moved north to Nebraska but after hearing that their fellow parishioners from Bellville were leaving the area to build a new church in Laton, California they quickly sold all their belongings and headed back to Bellville to be part of the migration to California. The train left Bellville, Kansas and traveled west through the states of Kansas, Colorado and eventually Salt Lake City. The train then continued through Nevada and the Donor pass. It was in December so the area was smothered in snow and the train traveled through many snow tunnels and sheds during that part of the trip. (This was the same area where in 1846 the Donner Party had become victims of poor planning, treacherous weather and became trapped in the deadly snow. A few of the men forged ahead with a mission to find their way through the deep snow to safety. Many of the travelers died before the men could return.)
The train making the trip from Bellville, had the arduous trip up and over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. One of the Vaughn children, Lester, who was only 4 1/2 years old at the time, remembered that the conductor told the travelers to keep the window shut tight because of the danger of cinders flying in the windows and starting a fire. He remembered that the smoke from the stoked fire was still able to get inside the train and the travelers had problems trying to breathe. They followed pretty much the same route that the Donner Party had traveled but now they had the safety of traveling by train. The railroad had built 'snow sheds' along the tracks that the train traveled under. The tracks could now be kept free of snow because it would slide off the sheds and into the canyons rather than block the tracks. Once the Bellville train was through the snow of Nevada and safely down into the San Joaquin Valley, the train turned south toward Fresno. When they neared Laton, the chartered train was switched over to a Sante Fee spur that took them a few miles to the west of Laton to an area called Lillis. A small station had been constructed there and when the train stopped the people must have been excited and anxious to see their new home. There were already Brethren families living in the area who met the train and each took a family home with them. The Vaughns ended up with one of the Fike families living in the area. There had also been a Fike family on the train who was taken in by another Fike family. On this train there was 4 1/2-year old Lester Vaughn and a little 3-year old girl named Rena Fike. These two children ended up in the graduating classes of Laton High School; Lester in the Class of 1917 and Rena in the Class of 1918. They eventually married and over time became an very important part of the Laton History.
The colonists first job was to start building the new church and by early Spring of 1903, they had finished the construction of the sanctuary. It was built solely by the work of the Brethren with no paid help from outside the church. (The story to be continued as I learn more. Linda)
