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United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations. Secretaries' files: Chile Mission, 1866-1972 (bulk: 1911-1955) Finding Aid to Record Group 160 10.00 cu.ft. |
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ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
Protestant missionary efforts in Chile originated in 1845 with the arrival in Valparaiso of David Trumbull. Sponsored by the Seamen's Friends Society and the American Foreign Christian Union, he organized the Union Church for English speaking Protestants in 1847. In 1873, the work he commenced was transferred to the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions with the Board assuming responsibility for Trumbull and the other missionaries in the field.
The first station of the Chile Mission was established in Valparaiso in 1868, followed by another at Santiago the same year. Taltal station was organized in Northern Chile in 1888, followed by the opening of Concepcion a decade later. The last station, Curico, was established in 1912. Although missionaries were appointed periodically, the staff of the Chile mission was always small in proportion to the size of the mission field.
The work of the Board in Chile was primarily evangelistic and educational. Ministering to the peoples' spiritual well-being resulted in the establishment of numerous churches. Concern for their educational needs was manifested by the founding of schools such as Ecsuela Popular, the Instituto Ingles, the Union Bible Seminary and the Woman's Union Training School, the latter two being supported by the Presbyterian and Methodist missions. A religious weekly newspaper, El Heraldo Evangelico, later renamed El Heraldo Cristiano, was published in addition to numerous books and tracts. Though no medical work was undertaken as in the other Latin American fields, the needs of children and young mothers were attended to by institutions like the Madre e Hijo hospital and the San Martin baby dispensary.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
This collection documents the history of the Chile Mission from 1866-1972. Although the collection contains materials prior to 1900, its essence dates from 1911-1955. The collection offers insights into the difficulty of mission work in Chile that resulted from either governmental restrictions, local prejudices, which in many cases the Roman Church was responsible for, or differences in philosophy shared by those missionaries serving in the field.
Mission minutes, various reports and correspondence files, Board letters and statistical summaries dominate this collection. Provenance was respected whenever possible, though the original order of this collection was frequently not discernable. It's arrangement has been chronological except for the missionary correspondence, the alphabetical arrangement of which was retained. A separate series was created for the materials regarding the Chile Presbytery. A general correspondence file that documents a variety of mission projects was also created.
It is suspected that this collection reflects not only the Secretaries' files but the mission treasurer's files as well, notably those of S.C. Henderson. Mission property/financial records, much of which were in Spanish, were found, devoid of any distinguishable order. These materials, which constitute approximately 40% of the present collection, were organized into a separate series at the end of this collection. Arrangement is roughly chronological.
The collection is arranged as follows:
Box 1 SERIES 1: MISSION MINUTES
SERIES 2: ANNUAL MISSION/STATION/COMMITTEE REPORTS
Box 2 SERIES 3: ANNUAL MISSIONARY REPORTS
SERIES 4: BOARD LETTERS TO CHILE MISSION
Box 3 SERIES 5: BOARD GENERAL LETTERS
SERIES 6: LATIN AMERICAN FIELD COUNCIL
SERIES 7: CALENDARED CORRESPONDENCE
SERIES 8: EXECUTIVE CORRESPONDENCE
Box 4 SERIES 9: MISSIONARY CORRESPONDENCE
SERIES 10: CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS RE CHILE PRESBYTERY
Box 5 SERIES 11: CORRESPONDENCE RE INSTITUTO INGLES
SERIES 12: GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE/MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Box 6 SERIES 13: MISCELLANEOUS MINUTES
SERIES 14: STATION CORRESPONDENCE
SERIES 15: MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
SERIES 16: CABLES
SERIES 17: STATISTICAL SUMMARIES
SERIES 18: MISSION TREASURER (SECRETARY) CORRESPONDENCE
Box 7 SERIES 19: MISSION TREASURER (SECRETARY) CORRESPONDENCE
Box 7 SERIES 20: ANNUAL/QUARTERLY MISSION TREASURER REPORTS
Box 8 SERIES 21: PROPERTY RECORDS
SERIES 22: MISCELLANEOUS FINANCIAL/PROPERTY RECORDS
Box 9 SERIES 23: LEDGER BOOKS
Box 10 SERIES 24: MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
NOTES TO THE RESEARCHER
The folders in this collection are numbered consecutively within each series rather than within each box. Therefore, the researcher must specify a series number in addition to a box and folder number when requesting materials.
Materials from the 1872-1900 period are available on microfilm, though it should be noted that the quality of this work is poor.
The researcher should be advised that sizeable portions of this collection, especially the Mission Treasurer correspondence (Series 18 and 19) and the property documents (Series 21) are in Spanish. A reading knowledge of Spanish is essential for using these parts of the collection.
Until approximately 1940, the Board of Foreign Missions utilized a correspondence classification scheme. Each type of correspondence was numbered in the upper right hand corner. The following is a key to that scheme:
1 Minutes, estimates, appropriations.
2 Station reports, educational reports, narrative reports
3 Correspondence with nations, former missionaries. Those not regular missionaries.
4 Cables.
5 Letters from the Board to the Mission.
6 Mission News Bulletins.
7 Correspondence with Mission secretary.
8 Personal labor reports.
9 Statistical summaries.
10 Property correspondence.
11 Missionary correspondence. Usually each missionary was given a number beginning with 11, 12, 13..
Collection processed and finding aid prepared: August 1982
Frederick J. Heuser, Jr, Archivist
Finding aid revised: July 1992
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist
Box Folder Description | ||
1 1 Finding Aid to Record Group 160
SERIES 1: MISSION MINUTES
1a 1911
2-9 1912-19
10-19 1920-29
20-30 1930-39
31-40 1940-49
41-46 1950-55
47 1962
SERIES 2: ANNUAL MISSION/STATION/COMMITTEE REPORTS
1-9 1910-19
10-20 1920-29
21-30 1930-39
31-40 1940-49
41 1950
42 1951
43 1952
44 1952-1953; 1955; 1959
SERIES 3: ANNUAL MISSIONARY REPORTS
2 1-9 1911-19
10-17 1920-27
18-28 1929-39
29-38 1940-49
39-44 1950-55
46 1962; 1965-1966; 1970
47 1969
SERIES 4: BOARD LETTERS TO CHILE MISSION
1 1912
2-3 1914-15
4-14 1919-29
15-24 1930-39
25-34 1940-49
35-40 1950-55
SERIES 5: BOARD GENERAL LETTERS
3 1 1917
2 1919
3-11 1921-39
12-20 1930-39
21 1940
22 1941; 1943-46
23-26 1946-49
3 27 1950; 1952-55; 1957; 1959
28 1950
29 1951
30 1953
31 1954
32 1960; 1962-65
SERIES 6: LATIN AMERICAN FIELD COUNCIL
1 Minutes, 1946-50
2 Miscellaneous items, 1947-49
3 Annual Reports of the Secretary for Evangelism in Latin America, 1951-53
SERIES 7: CALENDARED CORRESPONDENCE
1-9 1911-19
10-15 1920-25
SERIES 8: EXECUTIVE CORRESPONDENCE
1 1936
2 1939-40
3-11 1941-49
12 Executive Correspondence re Chile Plan, Resource File of 1931-47, 1949
13-19 1950-56
20-26 1959-65
27 1969
SERIES 9: MISSIONARY CORRESPONDENCE
4 1 1911-16
2-6 1926-30
7 Reverend/Mrs. A.M. Alexander, 1933-56
8 Mrs. W.B. Boomer, 1931
9 Dr./Mrs. W.E. Browning, 1933-42
10 Miss H.M. Christensen
12 Reverend/Mrs. George B. Dutton, 1931-48
13 Mr./Mrs. R.B. Elmore, 1932-46
14 Reverend P. Evaul, 1948-52
15 Reverend/Mrs. Paul Fisk, 1945-50
16 Reverend/Mrs. Donald R. Fletcher, 1945-56
17 Mr./Mrs. James F. Garvin, 1932-36
18 Reverend/Mrs. R.M. Gilchrist, 1933-40
19 Mr./Mrs. I. Grimshaw, 1945-47
20 Reverend/Mrs. S.C. Henderson, 1931-54
21 Mrs. A.T. Macnab, 1949-56
22-23 Reverend J.H. McLean, 1931-60
24 Reverend/Mrs. P. Mcmillen, 1944-51
25 Miss Rose I. Paden, 1931-60
26 Reverend/Mrs. I. Paul, 1930-50
27 Reverend H. Peters, 1951
4 28 Miss M. Lawler, 1931
29 Reverend/Mrs. J. Rapp, 1950-56
30 Reverend Humberto Reyes, 1951-54
31 Miss Elenor Rodisch, 1947-50
32 Miss M.A. Schultze, 1931-63
33 Reverend/Mrs. E.G. Seel, 1931-34
34 Miss Cora Smith, 1942-50
35 Miss Florence E. Smith, 1933-35
36 Reverend/Mrs. Jessie Smith, 1931-45
37 Reverend/Mrs. J.P. Van Eaton, 1931-42
38 Reverend/Mrs. F.L. White, 1942-44
39 Miscellaneous, A-Z, 1949-54
SERIES 10: CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS RE CHILE PRESBYTERY
1 Church Reports, 1924
2 Minutes, Chile Presbytery, 1930-38; 1946-47
3 Miscellaneous Reports, 1932-38; 1941; 1944
4 Correspondence, 1932-50
5 re Five Year Plan, 1947-48
6 1948-52
7 re Ten Year Plan, 1950
8-11 1953-59
12 Correspondence/Miscellaneous items re conflict with Chile Presbytery, 1960
13 Correspondence, 1961-64
14 Correspondence/Reports, 1965
15 Correspondence, 1966-72
SERIES 11: CORESPONDENCE RE INSTITUTO INGLES
5 1 Correspondence/Miscellaneous items, 1911; 1915
2 Correspondence, 1922
3 Correspondence/Miscellaneous items, 1922-47
4 Report, 1924
5-10 Correspondence, 1925-29
11-21 1930-39
22 1941
23 1942
24 1945
25 1946
26 Correspondence/Reports re investigation of Instituto Ingles, 1946 -47
27 Correspondence, 1947
28 Confidential Report of Commission to investigate Instituto Ingles, 1947
29-31 Correspondence, 1948-50
32 Photographs
SERIES 12: GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE/MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
1 Miscellaneous property records, 1898-1921
5 2 Correspondence re Normal School, 1899; 1916-23
3 Charter/By-Laws of Union Enangelica, 1905; 1930; 1957
4 Correspondence--removal of W.E. Browning, 1916-17
5 El Sembrador Bookstore, 1917-57
6 Miscellaneous, 1917-65
7 Annual Reports of Madre E Hijo Hospital (incomplete), 1924-46
8 Historical Resource File, 1924-62
9 Correspondence--New Plan for Cooperation, 1925-32
10 Non-Missionaries, 1926-39
11 Property, 1927; 1929-32; 1936-42
12 Bibliography on Latin America, 1926
13 Correspondence--Progress in Chile, 1927
14 Foyer De Estudiantes, 1927-32
15 El Verjel, 1930-44
16 Annual Reports of El Sembrador Bookstore, 1932-46
17 Correspondence--Madre y Hijo Hospital, 1932-55
18 Evangelical Union Hospital, 1944-45
19 New Life Movement, 1948
20 Property correspondence, 1948-56; 1961-62; 1972
21 Miscellaneous items, 1948-69
22 Correspondence--Audio Visual Education/Evangelism, 1949-53
23 Con Con Rest Home, 1950-52
24 Chilean Institutions, 1951-71
25 H. Peters, Field Administrator for
Fellowship of Presbyterian Missionaries, 1952-53
26 General Reports, 1957-62
27 Miscellaneous items re Presbyterian Church, 1958
28 Correspondence--Interchurch Services, 1958
29 Calama Project, 1964-65
30 General, 1964-67
31 J.H. Sinclair, Latin American Office, 1965
32 Correspondence/Annual Report of Comunidad Teologica
Evangelica de Chile, 1966-67; 1969
33 Correspondence re Student Christian Movement, 1970
34 New Releases re Chilean Politics, 1970; 1972
35 Article, "The Agrarian Problem in Chile"
36 Floor Plans for proposed Evangelical Hospital and School of Nursing
37 Miscellaneous news clippings
SERIES 13: MISCELLANEOUS MINUTES
6 1 Joint Comity Committee, Presbyterian/Methodist-Episcopal Mission, 1914-21
2 Joint Building Committee, Presbyterian/Methodist-Episcopal Mission, 1919
3 Santiago Station, July 1932-July 1949
SERIES 14: STATION CORRESPONDENCE
6 4 Station Letters/Bulletins--Santiago/Valparaiso, 1929-37
5 Correspondence--Santiago/Valparaiso, 1931
6 Santiago, 1943-45
6 7 Valparaiso, 1943-44; 1946-47
8 Santiago/Valparaiso, 1926-27
9 Valparaiso, 1929-30
10 Santiago/Valparaiso, 1928-29
11 Photographs of Foyer De Estudiantes (Santiago Hostel), ca. 1930
SERIES 15: MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
12 Historical Resource File; Constitution/By-Laws/ Charter
of Union Evangelica, 1888-1967
13 Deputation Reports, 1939; 1950
SERIES 16: CABLES
1 1926; 1928-31
2 1932-34
3 1935-40
4 1946-50
5 1951-54
6 1964-65
7 1971
8 1972
SERIES 17: STATISTICAL SUMMARIES
1 1911; 1913-1917
2 1912
3 1917
4 1918-21
5-11 1922-29
12-17 1930-34
18-21 1942-46
SERIES 18: MISSION TREASURER (SECRETARY) CORRESPONDENCE
1-4 1926-29
5-14 1930-39
15 1940
16 1946-66
17-20 1952-55
21-25 1957-66
26 1968
SERIES 19: MISSION TREASURER (SECRETARY) CORRESPONDENCE
7 1-3 Miscellaneous items, 1946-49
4 Correspondence: J.B. Thompson, 1949
5 A-E, 1949
6 F-P, 1949
7 R-Z, 1949
8 A-Z, 1949
7 9 A-E, 1950
10 F-P, 1950
11 R-Z, 1950
12-17 S.C. Henderson, 1950
18 M. De Leyton, 1950
19 F.T. Herrera, 1950
20 H. Gonzalez, 1950
21 H. Reyes, 1950
22-24 Miscellaneous items, 1950
SERIES 20: ANNUAL/QUARTERLY MISSION TREASURER REPORTS
1-5 1945-49
6-13 1950-57
SERIES 21: PROPERTY RECORDS
8 1 Property documents, 1866-1911
2 1886-1920
3 1889-1905
4 1899-1915
5 1889-1930
6 1890-1949
7 1906-50
8 1908-38
9 1910-34
10 1918; 1945-46
11 1920?
12 1920-38
13 1926-49
14 1926-49
15 1929-30
16 1939-40
17 Property documents, 1946-48
18 Undated
19 Notebook/miscellaneous items of Florence E. Smith, 1914-18
20 Miscellaneous property documents/correspondence, 1919-22
21 Mission policy documents re preparation and use of property lists, 1921-26
22 Mission Property reports (revised), 1925
23 Property roll/lists, 1929-32; 1936-37
SERIES 22: MISCELLANEOUS FINANCIAL/PROPERTY RECORDS
1 Photos (3)/blueprint of Vallinar Church, 1930?
2 Summaries of Chile properties and their value, 1939
3 Correspondence/estimates/reports: Concepcion -Casa Y Tempo Y Sala, 1945-51
4 Estimates of M. Schindler (architect) for Union Evangelica, 1946-48; 1952-53
5 Estimates of J. Schalchis (architect) for Union Evangelica, 1946-48
6-10 Bills of Exchange books, 1944-57
11 Blueprint of Iglesia Evangelica
12 Floor plans of Instituto Ingles
8 13 Blueprints of Concepcion construction project
14 Index of mission properties with historical notes
15 Register of Chilean missionaries
16 Index of properties (by town) of Chile mission
SERIES 23: LEDGER BOOKS
9 1 Seminario Biblica, 1932-38
2 Biblioteca Circulante, 1933-36
3 Libro De Caja/Seminario Biblica, July 1936-December 1952
4 Libro De Caja/Heraldo Evangelico, 1937-40
5 La Granja - De F. Ramos, 1938-45
6 La Granja/Caja, 1938-44
7 Escuela Mesilla, Valparaiso, 1939-48
8 Project Quilpue, 1942-49
9 El Heraldo Evangelico, 1944-45
10 Cuentas Del Mayor, general ledger book (?), 1949-56
11 Northfield District Mission Accounts #1, March 1950-December 1953
12 Escuela Biblica Presbiteriana, Valparaiso, 1950-53
13 Escuela Biblica Presbiteriana, Valparaiso, September 1950-March 1953
14 Escuela Biblica Presbiteriana, Valparaiso, September 1950-March 1953
15 Northfield District Mission Accounts, 20 March 1950- 6 February 1956
16 Northfield District Mission Accounts #2, January 1954- January 1956
SERIES 24: MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
10 1 Hogar Estudiantil Presbiteriana, 1955-1958
2 Project Quilpue, 1946-1951
3 Escuela Biblica Presbiteriana/Caja, September 1950-March 1953
4 Upper Sini Mission Residence Accounts, 1940s?
5 Minutes, Joint Bible Seminary Committee, 1914-37
6 Account book of El Salvador Church, 1917-18
7 Patient register (?), Colombo-American Clinic, (n.d.)
8 Notes on Escuela Popular, 1926; receipt book of El Salvador Church, 1918
9 Northfield property register, 1940-41; unidentified receipt book, 1937 (?)-38 (?)
10 Mission bank draft notices, 1953-54
11 Mission bank draft notices, 1942-53
12 Certificate of credit books, 1946-48
13 Certificate of credit books, 1948-52
14 Miscellaneous items, 1948-49
15 Bank statements, 1955-56
16-17 Miscellaneous notebooks | ||