History of Women in GreenDid you know that the early settlers of Green Township were very progressive in their ideas about the education and occupations of women in the 1800's?
Although many of our early settlers were by today's standards socially conservative and devote, fundamentalists in their faith and interpretation of the Bible, the Evangelical Association members welcomed women into their College, the Greensburg Seminary, beginning with their first class of students in 1855. The Emanuel Evangelical Church in Greensburg also saw the rise of the first licensed female Evangelist, Savilla Kring Poling, who was raised in Greensburg in the 1870's. |
Greensburg Seminary Dormitory - Still Standing Today
Abe Loehner, a resident of Greensburg and a trustee for the Greensburg Seminary, built a dormitory to house 125 students just south of the Seminary in 1856. This building still stands today at the corner of Greensburg and Massillon Roads. Can you image 125 students living in this building?
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Savilla Kring Poling - the First Licensed Evangelist for the Evangelical ChurchSavilla Kring, daughter of Rev. Samuel B. Kring, began her evangelical work in 1879 or earlier. The Rev. S.B. Kring served the Greensburg Emanuel Evangelical Church and raised his family, including Savilla, in Greensburg. Rev. S. B. Kring was the son of Conrad Kring (1800-1887) of the Ohio Conference. Samuel’s grandfather (Conrad’s father) George Kring lived in Morrison’s Cove and was converted under Jacob Albright (founder of the Evangelical Church).
Savilla Kring became the first licensed female Evangelist of the Evangelical Church. See Stapleton’s Flashlights on Evangelical History, page 189. In the Oregon State Parks Summer 2010 Issue of the Cultural Heritage Courier, Savilla Kring was described as "a powerful singer who, according to family tradition, sang the hymn, "I’m a Child of the King," to President James A. Garfield while he lay dying from an assassin‘s bullet." Savilla Kring married Charles Culp Poling, a famous early missionary in Oregon (Oregon-Washington EUB Conference) and president of Western Union College. She was the mother of Daniel Poling, the 'Gentle Fundamentalist", who was the first clergy member to receive a "The Medal of Merit." She was also the grandmother of Clark Vandersall Poling who was one of the 'four chaplains' that died in the sinking of the Dorchester during World War II. To learn more about the Kring and Poling families, see the Summer Issue 2010 Issue of the Oregan State Park's Cultural Heritage Courier. Mrs. J. M. Prickett (Member of the Greensburg Emanuel Evangelical Church) wrote her in an article in that appeared in the December 7, 1929 Evangelical Messenger: "So Father Kring impartially ministered to the needy sick. I was converted under his ministry forty-five years ago in my early teens. His May Etta, led me to the altar Savilla, an older daughter, is the wife of Rev. C. C. Poling of Oregon and mother of Dr. Dan Poling. Savilla was a very good preacher and often preached for her father when home from evangelistic work. The last night she preached at Greensburg for her father, May Etta and I sat together as usual when in came a tall man wearing a long coat, carrying a tall silk plug hat, a stranger. I turned to May Etta (now Mrs. Nelson, of Hicksville, 0.) and asked, who can that be with your father? Well, I am not to tell, but as we are such friends, I'll tell you. That is Rev. Charley Poling from Pennsylvania and tomorrow morning he will marry Savilla and they are going out West to live." According to Mrs. Gertrude Garmon (Member of the Greensburg Emanuel Evangelical Church) as transcribed by Mrs. Wilma Blankenship (date unknown) , "Rev. Kring's daughter married C. C. Poling over in the parsonage." The Emanuel Parsonage where Savilla Kring married Rev. C. C. Poling still stands today across the street from the Old Emanuel Church in Greensburg. |
Greensburg Residence with Unidentified Pastor and Family
Greensburg Parsonage Today (Private Residence)
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