The year was 1889.  North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington were admitted by President Grover Cleveland.  The first juke box had just gone into operation at the Palais Rolaye Saloon in San Francisco.  Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night was still freshly-painted, and in France the city of Paris was celebrating the inauguration of its new Eiffel Tower.

Since 1889, The Salvation Army has held a strong presence in the Greater Houston region. Today, the nonprofit organization serves Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties through various programs.

Here in Houston, history was also being made.  A single female officer by the name of Captain French had taken on the task of introducing a new form of service in faith to the local region. Through the basic principle of meeting human needs without discrimination The Salvation Army Greater Houston Area Command was born in 1889.

Since then, that basic principle has overseen the introduction and expansion of various Salvation Army programs and services to not only the Houston area, but to all of Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.  Last year, over 5 million southeast Texas residents were served by The Salvation Army Greater Houston Area Command. 

However, were it not for the friendship that had been ignited between native Houstonian and Salvationist, John Ephraim Thomas Milsaps and the city’s first official librarian, Julia Ideson, much of the now 120-year-old organization’s local history might have been lost.  Born in 1852 and a Salvationist since 1883, Milsaps kept a fervently detailed record of The Salvation Army’s work both here in Houston and throughout the United States.

Original pieces such as this historical advertisement are housed within the Julia Ideson Building of the Houston Public Library in downtown Houston. These pieces will also be on display during May 2009 in honor of The Salvation Army's 120th Anniversary.

Before passing away in 1932 he entrusted much of his personal collection to Ideson for preservation.  Ideson in turn used the Houston Public Library’s historical vault to conserve the contents of this impressive collection, which today encompasses row after row of books, posters, scrapbooks, pictures, pamphlets and magazines at the Julia Ideson Building of the Houston Public Library in downtown Houston.

“We are very fortunate to have such an extensive collection of Salvation Army history here in Houston,” says Area Commander Major Marshall Gesner.  “So much time and effort goes into carrying out the mission of The Salvation Army that sometimes we forget the importance of keeping a living history of the work we do.”

This year, however, in honor of The Salvation Army's 120th anniversary in Houston, the nonprofit is planning a major celebration. Plans are underway for a citywide art contest for school-age children grades K-12 in the local region.  The Houston Public Library in partnership with The Salvation Army will be putting together a historical exhibit of Milsaps’ collection at the Ideson Building in downtown Houston.  Many other celebratory events are also in the works.

This has been an especially challenging year for The Salvation Army as it has seen a dramatic decrease in donations since last year.  Overall, monetary contributions to The Salvation Army are down by 17 percent, in comparison to the same timeframe the previous year. At the same time, more people than ever are requesting assistance from The Salvation Army.

Gerald Eckert who oversees The Salvation Army's social services operation says many people that were previously able to support themselves are now requiring assistance.

“Some of these people are the same folks who were making donations to help us fund our programs not too long ago,” he notes. “The hurricane and the economy have really hit a lot of families very hard…and they are struggling.”

It's no longer Self Denial Week, but rather National Salvation Army Week, and this year, here in Houston, it will focus on the local Salvation Army's 120 years of service - Doing The Most Good.

The Salvation Army has a long history of pulling through and helping others even in the most difficult times. During World War I and the Great Depression of the 1930s, for example, Salvationists handed out food and other supplies to communities across the United States and abroad in an effort to alleviate their most basic needs.  In fact the Home Service Fund, which was used to supply tired and hungry soldiers with doughnuts and coffee during the Great War, was one of The Salvation Army’s most memorable programs. Other popular initiatives used by the Army still in existence today

are the red kettle donation program and its ministry services. The Salvation Army is after all a faith-based Christian organization founded on the  teachings of William Booth.  Booth, a one-time Methodist minister, and his wife Catherine founded the international movement of The Salvation Army in London in 1865 on the simple premise that in order to bring people to salvation they first had to meet their most basic needs by providing them food, shelter and rehabilitation. Immediately individuals with drug and alcohol problems and many others who had been shun away from society found a helping hand in the Army.

They regained control of their lives and continued to spread the word of The Salvation Army.  As they traveled and moved from one place to another their faith touched the lives of others and spread from nation to nation. Today, over 115 countries throughout the world enjoy the presence of The Salvation Army.

“Miraculously, every time, God takes our two fish and five loaves and turns them into something amazing,” says Mrs. Major Carolyn Gesner, Coordinator of Women's Ministries for The Salvation Army Houston Area Command. “It is our faith that allows us to continue doing the work of the Lord even in the most difficult of times.”