The Dortch Organ
by Lucille Dortch and Mary Ann Hadley
What is the Dortch pump organ?
This 125-year old
Kimball reed organ was donated to Southwestern by Claude and Lucille
Dortch in 1987 after many decades of having graced the
Flora Moyers'
home of Hillcrest in Keene. The organ has historical significance for
those who are interested in the blue laws of the 1890's. Here's the
story:
Who was John H. Dortch?
As a young man, John
Henry Dortch turned his eyes westward. The lure of new, uncharted
territory brought him from Tennessee to Texas. In his venture of
exploring, he even attended an evangelistic meeting held by
Elder R. M.
Kilgore, an evangelist sent to Texas in 1876 by the General Conference
of Seventh-day Adventists.
John Henry was impressed with the unshakable
conviction that what he heard in the evangelistic meeting was truth. But
resisting the thought about the Adventist faith was really the
life-style for which he was seeking, his wrestling became so serious
that he decided to run away from it all and return to Tennessee.
When young J. H. opened his trunk after
arriving in Springville, Tennessee, he suddenly realized that although
he had run away from Adventist, he had not escaped the truths he had
learned. His brother in Texas had slipped some tracts into his trunk.
One was entitled, "Which Day Do You Keep, and Why?"
Convicted more strongly than ever, he made
his decision in Tennessee to become a Seventh-day Adventist. Feeling the
need for additional education, he immediately enrolled in Battle Creek
College in Michigan.
Before J. H. escape to Tennessee he had
become more than casually interested in a lovely young lady living in
Egan, Texas--Delia Miller. They had become engaged. Delia was a good
Methodist, as had been her fiancé prior to his Tennessee conversion.
From Battle Creek John wrote Delia about his conversion experiences and
urged her to study his new faith. Delia informed Mr. Dortch (that is
what she always called him) that she would study the faith he
recommended. If it was correct, she would join that church.
Soon afterwards Dortch was in Texas again. For
financial support, Dortch began teaching at the Marystown School, two
miles west of Egan. Their study of the message was favorable, but the
attitude of Delia's parents did not soften.
Finally, the young couple decided to take
things into their own hands. While her folks were at church on Sunday,
Delia hid a few select things beside the road. At an appointed hour,
John came by in his carriage and picked up her belongings. They married
January 31, 1880.
The newlyweds decided it would be best for
them to move to Tennessee. After they arrived, Delia committed herself
to the remnant church and was baptized. Their firmness of conviction in
the opposition of family influences gives us insight into the character
of their lives.
Mr. Dortch Goes to Jail
In 1892, John H. Dortch
was arrested along with three men for picking strawberries on Sunday.
The four men were charged with violation of the Tennessee Statute of
Laws and fined one dollar each. After refusing to pay the fine, which
they felt was unjust, they were sent to jail. This new development
amounted to court costs of $23. Their jailer, Sheriff Bob Blakemore,
who was also a personal friend of the men, was very kind to them,
allowed them visitation privileges and did not confine them to their
prison cells.
One morning several days later, Blakemore came in and
told the men that some of his colleagues wanted the special privileges
revoked. They also wanted to garnishee the savings the men had
accumulated at the bank. If that method didn't raise the necessary
funds, the court would begin auctioning "luxury" items, such as the Dortches' Family organ and the two-seated surrey they used for
transportation.
Blakemore suggested that Dortch remove his
money from the bank. "If you have any money in the bank, go draw it out
and write your wife in Springville telling her that your Kimball organ
will be sold at public auction," He advised.
When Delia Dortch received her husband's letter, she
sold the organ to her brother-in-law,
William Dortch, with the
understanding that she could buy it back for the same price.
Because music was such an important part of
family life, the organ held a special place in the Dortch home. All the
children--Maude, Flora and Claude--took music lessons. In later years,
Claude would lead a small band at Southwestern Junior College.
Since the organ was not available for
auction, the court decided to sell the two-seated surrey. Because of
their sympathy for the family, the crowd of friends and neighbors was
reluctant to bid. In fact, there were no bids until a neighbor boy bid
eight dollars. The boy later went to Delia and told her that she could
have the surrey for the same price.
The eight dollars enabled Dortch to get out of jail
two weeks early. The others--W. S. Lowry (grandfather of
Morris Lowry),
Jerry Moon and James Stem--served their full 58-day sentence.
John and Delia's grandson, Claude Dortch,
Jr., says that despite all the hardship and prejudice, the experience
strengthened the family's faith in God. "It's an inspiration to us that
these early pioneers survived these trials with their faith in God
strengthened," adds Claude's wife, Lucille.
Why is the Dortch organ at the Hopps
Museum?
The Museum is built upon the Seventh-day Adventist
educational philosophy of "service," which includes service to God as
well as service to mankind, and the Judeo-Christian work ethic. More
commonly this is referred to as the education of the heart, the head and
hands.
We are proud to display the Dortch Organ as
a classic sample of service (or worship of) God as a part of the
Christian life-style.
