"Where preservation of the past is building for the future"

"Emmanuel" Chapel Car

Jacquie wrote a book about the story of the American Baptist Chapel Cars from being inspired by a close friend who was devoted to preserving the history of the Baptist Chapel Cars that served the small towns on the rails.  Jacquie McKeon passed away on 2 November 2000 at the age of 74 but her work will live on with the preservation of the 1893 "Emmanuel" Chapel Car at Prairie Village and the sales of her book "IF THAT DON'T BEAT THE DEVIL" (available for $5.25 by contacting Prairie Village).  All proceeds go into the restoration fund of the "Emmanuel".  This 46 page book tells how it all began, story of all the cars and railroad, the role of the Colporter, the mission of the chapel cars, the end of the era and the resurrection of a relic.  As Jacquie wrote in a May 14, 1976 Teen Power publication, they were the most unique railroad cars ever designed.  The chapel car was Uncle Boston's dream and how it all got started was written by Jacquie.

The young man had a shocked look on his face as he gazed through the railroad car's windows.  "Now what kind of a car do you reckon that is?" he said, scratching his head.  After being told that it was a "chapel car," and that a minister and his wife lived in it, he shouted, "Well, I've seen a cattle car, a hog car, a smoking car, a baggage car, a passenger car, and a sleeping car, but I'll be blessed if I ever saw a car like that-if that don't beat the devil!"

Just then, a young minister appeared at one of the car windows and said, "Yes, brother, that's just exactly what the car was built for-to beat the devil."

From "Uncle" Boston Smith, the first chapel car missionary, to Mr. and Mrs. Howard Parry, who were among the last, their purpose remained the same: to preach and teach the Gospel.  Their major targets were the thousands of settlers who had scrambled from the East in the 1880's to claim their special spots in the Wild West as homesteaders.  Many of those first settlers were devout Christians, but they had left their churches behind them.

Today, hundreds of churches throughout the West are the direct results of railroad chapel cars, which were specially designed for their unique purpose.

The chapel car began as Boston Smith's dream during the late 1800's.  He felt that if people didn't have a church to go to, then surely there must be a way to take a church to them.  Boston Smith was almost obsessed by the desire to provide Sunday Schools for children.   He once said, "Where will the church be tomorrow if there are no Sunday Schools today?"  The children to whom he devoted his life returned that affection.  Early in his ministry in Minnesota, they dubbed him "Uncle" Boston.

The Emmanuel Chapel Car is one of 7 Chapel Cars that were built by the Barney Smith Car Company and dedicated at the annual Baptist Convention in Denver, Colo. on May 26, 1893.  The Emmanuel served the western states of the U.S. until the 1940's when permanent churches were being established in communities.  Emmanuel  is the only wooden body chapel car left in existence today and with the vision of the late Jacquie McKeon to restore this piece of history we all now get to enjoy this beautiful chapel car and it's history.

The chapel car is equipped with an upper and lower berth sleeping quarters, kitchen with a copper lined sink connected to a tank over-head, an Adams Westlake improved stove, sideboard, china closet, linen press and lavatory.  Living quarters contained a study, dining room, writing desk, book shelves to the top of the car and a large wardrobe and locker.  The living area was 160 sq feet, 10'X16'.  

The chapel car is 60' long, built of wood on a metal chassis and had trucks assembled from wood and metal which are in need of restoration.  The Emmanuel Chapel Car was dedicated in Denver, Colo. in May of 1893 and served the west and northwest of the United States.

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