Biography of Rev. Sidney Henry Babcock, Sr., Craighead County, Aarkansas
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Submitted by: Paul V. Isbell
Date: 12 Aug 2013
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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Sketch of Rev. Sidney Henry and Sarah Margaret Allen Babcock
This is the story of a prominent clergyman’s life in spreading the
message of the Methodist church in Arkansas, with his wife, standing
steadfast by his side. Rev. Sidney Henry Babcock, Sr. was born in
Macon, Georgia, May 23,1849, to Sidney Webster and Sarah Jan Currie
Babcock. So closely were Rev. Sidney H Babcock and his wife, Sarah
Margaret Allen Babcock, associated with their work that it would be
difficult to write a sketch of one without the other. They passed the
greater part of their lives in Arkansas, although they were Georgians
by birth. His father, Sidney Webster Babcock was from Westerly, Rhode
Island, and his mother, Sarah Jan Currie Babcock, was a southern woman,
who were married in Bibb Co., Georgia, June 6,1848.
The Civil war, and his father's early death prevented Rev. Babcock from
obtaining the education he craved in college but he was a diligent
student and mastered Greek and Latin without the aid of a teacher. He
was also a close student of political economy and in many ways lived
ahead of his generation. He felt the call to preach and was sent to
Arkansas from the North Georgia conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South. His first appointment was at Van Buren, Ark., in 1869;
his second at Ft. Smith. While in the latter place he was induced to
teach a high school. The work was so arduous for him, however, so he
sent for Miss Sarah M. Allen to come as his assistant. Her arrival was
the culmination of a romance of several years. Their marriage occurred
at the home of Captain Frank Parke in Fort Smith, on Nov.1,1874. Miss
Sarah Margaret Allen, was daughter of the late Rev. W. S. Allen of the
North Georgia Conference. Note 4.
In 1880, he had moved on to Short Mountain, Logan Co., Arkansas and was
minister of the local church, living with his wife, and three children,
Emily Allen age 4 and died in 1965, who was married by her brother; Dr.
Sidney Henry Babcock, Jr., of Forrest City, Ark. at the time, to James
W. Armstrong in 1906; Sidney Jr. age 2, see obituary later, and George
Allen, age zero, who died in 1912.
They later had four more children, Mary P. born1883 and died 1940,
never married, and was a teacher;Georgia Huldah born1886 and died 1979,
who married Wallace E. Greenhaw in 1907; Mac b.1889 and died as a baby
in 1891; and the youngest son who became a businessman. (Per 1880
Census)
Starting in 1884, he was the President of Quitman College, established
in 1871 by the Arkansas Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
in Quitman, Cleburne Co., Arkansas, and Rev. Babcock remained in that
office until 1887. Before the college was closed and absorbed by
Hendrix and Galloway Colleges in Conway it had graduated some of the
finest doctors, lawyers, preachers, and college presidents in the
United States. When a new structure was built on the old Quitman High
School property in 1892, the structure was so impressive, they earned
Quitman the title of The Athens of Arkansas. Note 1.
Rev. Babcock next appeared as President of Galloway College from it’s
opening on Sep.1,1889, to 1892, in Searcy, White Co., Arkansas. The
first President was Robert W. Irwin, who died several months before it
opened in Sept.1,1889 per Encylopedia of Arkansas-Note 2 , In an
article of Galloway College, per Goodspeed’s Bio of 1890 Robert W.
Erwin was the first President of the college. Note 3 Probably the work
which touched him most closely the lives of others was that which he
performed while president of Galloway college. Mr. Babcock and his wife
were both eminently fitted for this work and they laid the broad
foundations for this successful church college in Arkansas. Galloway
College was also absorbed by Hendrix College, when it was closed in
the depression. He also gave a three years' service as president of
Quitman College and four years to Searcy College, the latter a school
for boys.
During the Spanish American war Mr. Babcock, with his two oldest sons,
gave service in the army. At the session of the General Conference in
Baltimore, Maryland, he was given his appointment to be chaplain of the
Second Arkansas Volunteer Infantry. Colonel Y. Y. Cook of this regiment
wired the bishop that he would "go through the war without a chaplain
if he could not have Babcock.” After the termination of the war Mr.
Babcock was sent to the Jonesboro District. This proved to be his last
work as he fell victim to pernicious malaria. He died Oct.5,1903, at
Crawfordsville, Ark., where he had gone to hold his quarterly
conference. His wife was a true helpmate, a brilliant woman, and as
devoted to his calling as he was. She was a teacher in the best sense
of the word and could have succeeded in more remunerative fields had
she not felt her first obligation to be to the church she so loyally
served. In addition to her work as a teacher, Mrs. Babcock was one of
the pioneer workers in missions. She held the office of President of
the White River Foreign Missionary Society and was corresponding
secretary of the White River Home Mission Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South. She was preeminently an organizer and had
great administrative ability. Seven children were born to Rev. and Mrs.
Babcock. The youngest died at the age of two, but the others lived to
manhood and womanhood and rise up to call their parents blessed. The
oldest son, Rev. Sidney Henry Babcock, Jr., is a minister in the East
Oklahoma conference; the second son, Allen, has passed to his reward;
the youngest son is a businessman; two daughters are married and have
families; the other follows in her mother’s footsteps and is a teacher.
Note 4:
In Memoriam of Rev. Sidney Henry Babcock:
Brother Babcock was born in the city of Macon, Ga., May.23,1849. Converted and
joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, when thirteen years of age. Was
licensed to preach when 18 years old, and joined the North Georgia Conference in
the year 1868. His first work was Hancock circuit, which had within its bounds
the quiet home of Bishop Pierce. The wise counsel, gentle life and above all the
consecrated purpose of this man of God was to Bro. Babcock like a light set upon
a hill close by the eternal throne. In 1869 Bro. Babcock ws transferred from the
North Georgia to the Arkansas Conference. His first work in that conference was
Van Buren. This charge he served for three years, after which he received and
did efficient work on the following charges; First Church, Ft. Smith District,
three years; Greenwood circuit, one year; Ft.Smith circuit, four years;
Clarksville station, two years; Fayetteville District, two years; President of
Quitman College, three years, at the same time serving Morrilton District two
years, and Quitman station one year; Ft. Smith District, two years; Elected
President of Galloway College in Sept. of the second year, three years and then
of Searcy College for four years. After coming to Searcy he transferred to White
River Conference. He was pastor of Augusta station for a few months; of
Batesville for one and a half years. Bro. Babcock was chaplain of the Second
Ark. Regiment in the Spanish American war from Jun ’98 to Mar ’99. The rest of
the year was spent working for the Anti-Saloon League. The last four years of
Bro. Babcock’s life were spent in serving Jonesboro District, falling at his
post of duty at Crawfordsville, where he had gone to hold a Quarterly
Conference. On Oct.5,1893, he was ordained Deacon by Bishop Dogget, Elder by
Bishop McTyeire in1871, and was selected by this conference to represent it in
the General Conference which met in Baltimore in May, 1898.
When Mrs. Sarah Margaret Allen Babcock passed away, the obituary from
Ancestry.Com, Atlanta Constitution Newspaper, Atlanta, Georgia,
Jan.3,1909, read as follows:
Mrs. Sidney Babcock Dead Jonesboro, Ark.: Mrs. Sarah Margaret Allen Babcock,
formerly of Forsyth. The daughter of the late Rev. W. S. Allen of the North
Georgia Conference, and the widow of the late Sidney H. Babcock, of the White
River Conference of Arkansas. She is survived by her six children. Among her
relatives in Georgia are Mrs. Frank Siler of Atlanta, Mrs. Laura Wilder of
Forsyth, Mrs. P. A. Redding of Douglasville, all sisters; and Rev. B. P. Allen
of Cedartown, Professor M. C. Allen of Blakely, and George P. Allen of Elberton,
brothers. She was widely known as an educator, having been prominently
identified with her husband in building up Galloway College at Searcy, Ark.
Interment in Jonesboro. Born1848-Burial: City Cemetery, Jonesboro, Ark. Mrs.
Babcock was the first woman to address the Arkansas Annual Conference, in 1896,
per note on picture of the couple from the Methodist Museum, in Hendrix College,
Conway, Ark.
Rev. Babcock’s son, Sidney Henry, Jr., distinguished himself as a
minister and educator in the Methodist religious circles. See his
obituary from The Oklahoman, Oct 25, 1957, p4:, and posted on Find A
Grave site:
Dr. S. H. Babcock is Dead—Father:
Dr. Sidney Babcock, a prominent Methodist clergyman for many years, died in St.
Anthony Hospital Thursday, following a 2 1/2 year illness. He was 80. The former
Vice President of Oklahoma City University and one of the original trustees who
founded Southern Methodist University had lived in Oklahoma City since 1946.
Services are pending at Guardian Funeral Home. The son of a prominent Arkansas
minister, Dr. Babcock was a native of Greenwood, Ark. He received his BA degree
from Arkansas College at Batesville and did graduate work at Vanderbilt
University and the University of Chicago. He began his ministry in Arkansas,
where he was minister at Forrest City from 1903 to 1906 part of this time, at
the First Methodist Church, and for three years held a pastorate in St. Joseph,
Mo. Dr. Babcock came to Oklahoma in 1908 to take over the Methodist pulpit at
Atoka. After a year at Atoka, he moved to Muskogee. He has held other pastorates
at St. Paul’s Methodist Church at Shawnee, the Bernard Memorial Church at
Holdenville, Lawton, Altus, Elk City and Woodward. In the late 30s, Dr. Babcock
lived here while serving as executive secretary of the board of education of the
Methodist church and earlier as presiding elder of the former southern church's
Oklahoma City district. He was also president of the board of trustees of OCU
and in 1946 and 1947 served as the university's vice president. He had continued
to serve on the OCU board of trustees. Dr. Babcock had represented Oklahoma
Methodists at the church's general conference seven times. He was considered one
of the country's foremost authorities on church law and was also an author,
having written "The History of Oklahoma Methodism." Dr Babcock was a veteran of
both the Spanish-American War and World War I. In France during the First World
War, he served as a chaplain with the First Expeditionary Force at General
Pershing's headquarters. The long time minister retired in 1947 after serving 48
years in the Methodist church. He had made his home at 2833 Croydon Court since
his retirement. In addition to his wife, Ida Mae, he is survived by a son,
Sidney H. Babcock Jr., living in New York and two daughters, Mrs. Don G. Vieaux
of Corpus Christi, Tex. and Mrs. Farrar Jeanne m. Babcock, Mrs. (William Thomas
Cottingham (b.1916 d.2012) of Douglas, Ga.
Note 1: Book: Cleburne County and Its People-Vol.1 by Carl J. Barger-Page 237-
Published 2008
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZK427CzFTKgC&pg=PA691&dq=sidney+babcock&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Mj7tUcjfN6T-
4AP3x4HIBg&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAjgU#v=onepage&q=sidney%20babcock&f=false
Note 2: Arkansas History Commission-Encyclopedia of Arkansas
http://documenting.arkansas.com/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/docarkansas&CISOPTR=1677&CISOSHOW=1565&REC=2
Note 3: Arkansas History Commission-Encyclopedia of Arkansas by Katherine
Stanick http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=4593
Note 4: Centennial History of Arkansas by Dallas T. Herndon, 1922, Vol.2
Thanks to the following for their assistance in gathering the different photos
and documents used to prepare this sketch:
Ms. Carole Teague and Ms. Marcia Crossman-Hendrix College, Bailey Library,
Arkansas Methodist Archives (Photos, Memorial for Rev. Babcock, and a copy of
Dallas T. Herndon’s Centennial History of Arkansas on Rev. Babcock)
http://www.hendrix.edu/baileylibrary/baileylibrary.aspx?id=1671