Category: Freethought Town of Liberal Missouri
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“Two Years Among the Spirits” by Dr. J. B. Bouton, pages 21-25
Freethought Liberal turned to spiritualism, much aided by the ministries of the mediumship of Dr. J. B. Bouton. Then in 1887-88 there was a fire at Bouton’s, a trap door was found, and his chicanery was exposed. Mr. W. S. Van Camp and Mr. J. H. Roberts had aided with acting as spirits. Rather than…
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Old Snag, and a Little History on James Bouton
One of the fake spirits of James Bouton’s seances was presented as “Old Snag”. Bouton made great sport of him, had him always desiring alcohol and tobacco, and in “Two Years Among the Spirits”, wrote, “I knew very well that he was drunk when he was killed, for I stood within twenty feet of him…
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“Two Years Among the Spirits” by Dr. J. B. Bouton, pages 16-20
Freethought Liberal turned to spiritualism, much aided by the ministries of the mediumship of Dr. J. B. Bouton. Then in 1887-88 there was a fire at Bouton’s, a trap door was found, and his chicanery was exposed. Mr. W. S. Van Camp and Mr. J. H. Roberts had aided with acting as spirits. Rather than…
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“Two Years Among the Spirits”, by Dr. J. B. Bouton, pages 11 – 15
Freethought Liberal turned to spiritualism, much aided by the ministries of the mediumship of Dr. J. B. Bouton. Then in 1887-88 there was a fire at Bouton’s, a trap door was found, and his chicanery was exposed. Mr. W. S. Van Camp and Mr. J. H. Roberts had aided with acting as spirits. Rather than…
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“Two Years Among the Spirits” by Dr. J. B. Bouton, pages 6 – 10
Freethought Liberal turned to spiritualism, much aided by the ministries of the mediumship of Dr. J. B. Bouton. Then in 1887-88 there was a fire at Bouton’s, a trap door was found, and his chicanery was exposed. Mr. W. S. Van Camp and Mr. J. H. Roberts had aided with acting as spirits. Rather than…
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“Two Years Among The Spirits” by Dr. J. B. Bouton, pages 1 thru 5
Freethought Liberal turned to spiritualism, much aided by the ministries of the mediumship of Dr. J. B. Bouton. Then in 1887-88 there was a fire at Bouton’s, a trap door was found, and his chicanery was exposed. Mr. W. S. Van Camp and Mr. J. H. Roberts had aided with acting as spirits. Rather than…
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Interest in Spiritualism in Freethought Settlers of Liberal, Missouri Prior the mid 1880s – Letter from N. W. Gilbert to Caroline Atwell Noyes, April 18 1879
The Noyes family of the socialist Alphadelphia Association, and the free thought community of Liberal, preserved many of the family papers and correspondence, but with the McCarthy scare in the 1950s, my Noyes grandmother, with her sister, Pansy, burned almost the entirety of the collection, fearful of exposure and retribution. A very few letters were…
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Spiritualism at Liberal – An Account of the Bouton Manifestations
Liberal turned to spiritualism, which was a surprise for some of the freethoughters, but I imagine a fair number were previously inclined. O. E. Harmon writes of an incident in which a fire in a medium’s house revealed trickery by Dr. J. B. Bouton, a medium and resident of Liberal, who had been aided by…
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George H. Walser, Notary Public
A tidbit below on George H. Walser, founder of Liberal, Missouri, showing him as having been appointed to the office of Notary Public while in Illinois. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Journal of the senate of the General Assembly, Volume 23 Illinois General Assembly, Senate…
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Bio of James K. Belk, Early Resident of Liberal, Missouri
James K. Belk, a retired farmer residing at Liberal, Mo., was born in Russell County, Ky., in 1837, and is a son of John and Nancy (Stanton) Belk, who were born in Virginia and Kentucky in 1811 and 1815, respectively, and were married in the latter State. In 1839 they removed to Buchanan County, Mo.,…