1903 August 2003

1st, 1934 ... The House of David eastern traveling team wins the Denver Post Tournament with Grover Cleveland Alexander as Manager and Satchel Paige pitching the final and championship game for the House of David. This is historically base ball's first integration.

2nd, 1997 ... A large attendance, by invitation, celebrates the pre-opening of Mary's City of David Museum and Tours. A product of a year long working effort to put together a historic display of pictures, artifacts and documents placed within the auditorium building on the colony grounds, was the answer to a suggestion/request by Fort Miami Heritage Society, the Berrien County Historical Association and the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council.

4th, 2002 ... The House of David Echoes host the LaPorte, Door Village Prairie Dogs, in a doubleheader at Eastman Field, Mary's City of David. The LaPorte team wins the opener 10 to 4 and both clubs battle to a draw, going an extra inning, 2 tallies apiece.

5th, 1914 ... In answer to a News Palladium article that was critical of the House of David's presence in Benton Harbor, the colony wrote a lengthy reply stating such facts as the great increase in tourism that had benefited both twin cities communities, the colony had expended over $70,000.00 into area business accounts, the large and increasing Israelite population , nearing 1000 was a law abiding and productive class of people, 85,000 train tickets were sold at Eden Springs Park in the summer of 1913, and the Israelite preachers all over the world were advertising Benton Harbor as the finest of summer vacation spots in America.

15th, 1929 ... Francis Thorpe's "Crown of Thorns, House of David Victory" was published, which gave a brief review of the legal issues throughout the decade of the 1920s that led to a final victory at Lansing, in a Supreme Court appeal. The book is one of the few printed outside the House of David, as Judge Dewhirst refused its printing at the colony and Mary's press was still in the future. Thousands of imprints were distributed widely to celebrate the colony victory and to give the colony views on the whole progress of litigations and a clear case for Benjamin Purnell's innocence.

17th, 1927 ... The most famous Circuit Court trial in Berrien County history ends, House of David VS People of the State of Michigan. Judge Louis Fead will retire to his UP home at Newberry to write his opinion and directives upon his findings as a one-man grand jury appointed by the State's Attorney-general.

17th, 1935 ... Playing at Denver's Central Athletic Field, (Mary's) House of David defeats the White Elephants (a Black team) 4 to 1 in a game to raise money for the Pueblo Recreation Commission.

17th, 1935 ... The Grande Vista Motor Court and Resort Lodge opens. The $150,000.00 elegant and elaborate show piece has a theatre, ball room, restaurant, bar, plush accommodations and gasoline station, being the first of its kind east of the Mississippi.

19th, 1953 ... Sister Mary Purnell dies at her City of David Shiloh at age 91. She has served her brothers and sisters in fellowship as a co-worker and leader for 50 years, coming to Benton Harbor with her husband in 1903.

19th, 1941 ... Before 15,000 fans in Seattle, Washington, Satchel Paige pitched 5 perfect innings, striking out 6. The House of David nine (Mary's) came back to beat the Monarchs 2 to 0.

19th, 1996 ... H. Thomas Dewhirst dies at an area nursing care facility. The second son of Judge H.T. Dewhirst and end of the Dewhirst dynasty at the House of David, Thomas was the leader of the colony for over 30 years. A base ball star in the 1930s, operator of the House of David cold storage plant, President of the Michigan State Board of Agriculture, and a long time figure of importance in Blossom time festivals.

25th, 2002 ... The House of David Echoes hosts the Chicago Salmon at Eastman Field in a single match. It proved to be the most exciting and well played match of the 2002 season, as the Salmon squeezed by the Echoes with an ace in the bottom of the ninth, to win it 7 to 6.

26th, 2001 ... The House of David Echoes travels to Elgin, Illinois to play the Chicago Salmon. In the closest match of the Echoes' first season of "vintage" base ball, the Salmon pull it out in the ninth 11 to 10. The Echoes use a combined team of Cranberry Boggers to fill the roster of nine.

27th, 1948 ... Robert Vieritz wins the blue ribbon at the first Berrien County Youth Fair "Black and White" show. Before Bob's career is ended he will fill a complete room with trophies, plaques, awards and ribbons from his agricultural products as manager of the City of David "Rocky" farm.

30th, 1935 ... Mary's House of David nine win the Eastern Nebraska Baseball Tournament, in their match against the Omaha Fords, 6 to 0 before 2500 fans. It is John Tucker's second year as manager of the Israelite colony's most famous and professionally successful team.

In August of 1908 first appears a notice in the monthly "Shiloh Messenger of Wisdom", not to come to the House of David before making contact and being accepted. There were enough folks arriving unannounced that the colony would post this notice in their paper for 15 years. Preachers were out all across America with 24 horse-drawn wagon caravans and 3 parties traveling by automobiles.

In August 1911, three Israelite preachers completed an amazing journey of 6000 miles in a 26 ft. launch, "The Preacher", built at the House of David. They traveled From Benton Harbor down the Mississippi, around the Gulf, up the eastern Atlantic seaboard to NY, up the Hudson to the Erie Canal, across to Lake Erie and the Detroit River, Lake St. Claire, Lake Huron to Lake Michigan and home. All ports of call were opportunities for the preachers to hold public meetings and distribute literature in advertising the Benton Harbor colony. It was also a collaboration with the Waterman Marine Motor Company of Detroit, that provided the 4 HP Waterman Marine Engine for the launch to use the voyage as a performance testing for its latest product on the market.

In August 1936, Benjamin Purnell's "Last Writing" (1927) was printed into a small booklet at Mary's City of David, giving a brief overview of his life work and then current legal troubles.

1903 September 2003

5th, 1929 ... The State Supreme Court strikes down the Judge Dewhirst Motion for a complete re-hearing of the 1927 trial-court opinion. It is another victory for Mary Purnell, whose legal council sided with the State to quash the motion. One of Judge Dewhirst's underlying agendas was to seek an injunction to stay the "exile" or removal from colony authority for Mary Purnell.

8th, 2001 ... The House of David Echoes travel to the Baroda Village Summer Fest, and play a single match against the Cranberry Boggers of Berrien County's Historical Association. The Boggers win the contest 6 to 0.

12th, 1933 ... Mary's House of David team beats the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 at Sportsmans Park in St. Louis. The starting pitcher for the colony nine is female phenomenon, Jackie Mitchell, professional baseball's first female athlete in contract. George Anderson gets 2 for 4 in the highlight of his lengthy career, against the Cardinal regulars that won the National league pennant.

15th, 1936 ... Judge H.T. Dewhirst has thrown in his hat as a candidate in the Republican primary for the Fourth District Congressional seat. Mr. Dewhirst has garnered a strong support base in Berrien County through his business success in expanding the House of David economic presence in SW Michigan and his civic leadership merits that are widely recognized.

15th, 2002 ... The House of David Echoes hosting the Rochester Grangers, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, are handed a rounding defeat, 24 to 6.

17th, 1931 ... Grover Cleveland Alexander pitches in the first night base ball game at the House of David park. 1500 fans come out to witness the debut of night base ball in SW Michigan as Joe Green's Chicago Giants beat the colony nine, 7-6.

21st, 1957 ... Francis Marion Thorpe dies at the City of David at age 81. The original base ball manager for the House of David, one of the earliest Secretaries for the colony, aide to legal council through the 1920s, author/scribe, and Mary's right arm in her successful reorganization of the Israelite House of David in 1930.

22nd, 1931 ... Judge Dewhirst's House of David traveling team bring their lighting system to St. Louis and Sportsman's Park to play the first ever night game in St. Louis. The Cardinals swamp the Davids 17 to 6. The afternoon regular major league game between St. Louis and the Cincinnati Reds drew 450; the night exhibition of Cards VS House of David brought over 9000.

24th, 1936 ... The House of David has put into operation its new power plant, housing Fairbanks Morris electrical generating equipment, amongst which is a 46 kilowatt, 150 HP twin cylinder (horizontal) generator for lighting and shops at the colony.

26th, 1998 ... The Museum at Mary's City of David hosts a very successful "George Anderson Day", that was broadcast on National Public Radio's, "All Things Considered". Anderson at 88, was featured for his famous and lengthy career as an Israelite athletic star and manager from 1927 through 1956.

27th, 1929 ... In the darkest hour of the bitter inner family squabble at the House of David, the bakery department that has sided with H.T. Dewhirst, has refused to supply bread and baked goods to Mary's faction, including lunch breads for the children.

29th, 1948 ... Mary Purnell leads a party of 65 members of her colony to the Armory building in downtown Benton Harbor. The assembly is seated and remains silent for 4 hours, as Sister Mary was directed by angels to pray for world peace.

30th, 1923 ... A raid upon the House of David led by the Bamford sisters and a detachment of 50 State police officers from the Paw Paw post, did not yield the person of Benjamin Purnell, wanted in the serving of warrants for his arrest, for statutory rape. This is the second such raid upon the House of David colony that has not produced Benjamin.

In September of 1909 the House of David men's band travel to the Will County Fair grounds in Illinois to perform. They are accompanied by a group of Israelite preachers that deliver sermons at the fair. This was a typical program for the early House of David musicians that would tour the country with preachers in a Salvation Army style of out door meetings.

The Labor Day weekend of 1974 was the last full season at the House of David park. Going the way of the famous Paw Paw Lakes' Crystal Palace and Saint Joseph's, Silver Beach Amusement Park, the colony park had already closed down many of its earlier successful attractions due to not enough members to operate the facilities. The park had given area tourism its "golden age", spanning 66 years, from its 1908 opening.

1903 October 2003

1st, 1927 ... Mary Purnell publishes "Echo of My Mother's Voice" in the News Palladium. A lengthy article at the close of the infamous Circuit Court trial, Mary gives the spiritual inner workings that brought about the trials and persecutions, and sited prophecies fulfilled.

5th, 1919 ... Paul Mooney, the most famous of the early House of David hurlers, pitched a no-hitter against the Kalamazoo ball club, winning 1 to 0. The notoriety of the game went national and the Chicago Cubs made Mooney an offer of, reportedly $20,00.00 to cut his hair and beard and come to Chicago to play major league ball. Mooney opted to stay with the House of David club.

5th, 2002 ... The House of David Echoes travels to Rochester Hills to play a doubleheader in closing their 2002 season. The first match goes into extra innings as the Grangers nip the Echoes 2 to 1. In the second match the Sterling Uptons (Sterling Heights, Michigan) beat the Echoes handily 7 to 2. The Echoes have played 25 games in their second season of 'vintage" base ball, with a final record of 7 wins, 2 ties and 16 losses.

5th, 1936 ... the visiting Calamba Sugar Estate team bows to the visiting (Mary's) House of David nine, 8 to 3, at the Hawaiian tournament in Honolulu. Before 9000, the biggest attendance since the tourney began 4 years ago, the "snappy" Calamba team from the Philippines could not out play the Israelite club.

5th, 1947 ... Judge H.T. Dewhirst dies at his home in south Saint Joseph. In the period of 17 years from his securing the House of David administration away from Mary Purnell, Mr. Dewhirst tirelessly brought changes and economic progress to the House of David and governed the colony to its zenith in becoming the twin cities leading agricultural industry and tourist attraction, all of which heavily benefited the depressed economy of the region throughout the 1930s, Great Depression.

6th, 1935 ... Mary's House of David club finishes their season at Paris, Texas with a 6-1 victory over the local ball club. The Israelite team traveled between 25-30,000 miles, through 20 states and Mexico, winning 146, whiles bowing 50 times.

6th, 1936 ... Judge H.T. Dewhirst unveiled plans to build a "state of the art" $150,000.00 cold storage facility on the west end of the open-air fruit market in Benton Harbor. The facility, designed by colony architect, William Wright, will hold a 80-100,000 bushel capacity. Using the latest in modern refrigeration and freezing technologies, the colony hopes to cut deeply into the market of fruit storage that goes primarily to Chicago in the thousands of dollars annually. In conjunction with this facility is being built a refrigerated dairy barn on the House of David dairy on Territorial Road, using structural components from Sears Roebuck Company catalog.

10th, 1921 ... The House of David has completed the purchase of properties in downtown Benton Harbor to build a large hotel structure that will face the open-air fruit market and provide lodging for the vegetable and fruit buyers industries in the twin cities.

14th, 1904 ... A letter received from Joseph Hannaford at Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, details his acceptance of Mary and Benjamin as the Seventh Messenger. Hannaford is a Trustee of the Christian Israelite Church (5th Church of John Wroe, 1822), and at that, the third generation in the organization to have held that office. He has a wife, as daughter and 4 sons that also accept. Joseph had received a copy of the "Star of Bethlehem" in early 1903, which he based his acceptance upon and shared it with other prominent members of his church in the Melbourne area.

27th, 1924 ... The Federal Appeals Court in Cincinnati has upheld the lower court decision in which the John Hansel family was awarded $24,000.00 in damages from the House of David. It is a serious blow to the House of David, as the Appellate Court reaffirmed the Grand Rapids decision and added that future litigants could also file for damages based on like grievances. This action opened the way for the flood gates later in 1927 at Saint Joseph, with the Hansel family still at the seat of litigations to dissolve the House of David.

By October of 1933, all 4 "Comforters" (three of which were a second edition), Volume #1 of "Shiloh's Wisdom", Song Book, "Washington's Vision", "The Next War", and "Ascent to the Mount of Vision" had been printed along with Mary Purnell's monthly, "New Shiloh Messenger" paper.

In October 1995, the print shop closed at Mary's City of David upon the retirement of "little" Mary Kolesar, whose printing career spanned 55 years. Mary's Press was non-commercial. The House of David's press, from 1903 is still in operation, prints a monthly "Shiloh's Messenger", and has been a commercial enterprise since the 1930s.

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