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WRITTEN FROM MEMORY JULY 1950
ABOUT HARMONY SPRINGS SOCIETY
BY MAY DEWEY PHILLIPS
TRANSCRIBED BY RICHARD HAYES PHILLIPS
HER GREAT-GRANDSON
In 1851 our maternal ancestor, Sarah Ann Dewey Tenney, died when Ann Tenney,
5th child of Dr. A. D. & Sarah Tenney was 3 days old. Dr. Tenney had moved
his family from Hanover, N.H. across N.Y. State into Southern Wisconsin,
ostensibly seeking a salubrious climate for his bronchial ailment.
Not too much later he married Rachel S. Knowles, a schoolteacher of 23, and
here were born Amos and Alice Tenney, not many years younger than Ann.
At this time an epidemic of starting communal societies spread over eastern
U.S. and many such were organized. As Grandfather was still seeking a milder
climate he decided to join the one at Harmony Springs, Ark., and moved his
family there, by covered wagon. This must have been in the middle 1850’s.
The Supt. of this group was Dr. J. S. Spencer, husband of Aunt Martha,
Daddy’s only relative in the U.S. At this time daddy was living in Wheeling,
W. Va,. Ohio, or Ill. and he decided to join them, and it was here that he
and our mother met, fell in love and were married on May 3, 1860. See
“The Theocrat” of that date, with added note: “Wisconsin papers please copy.”
I think I have this copy of the newspaper – among my things still at Helen’s.
Ernest has another copy, of different date, am quite sure. Nell was born at
Harmony Springs in April 24, 1862.
The members of this group were all easterners or northerners, all red-hot
abolitionists, and after the civil war broke out it was too hot for them.
Things were divided up as best could be. As Daddy was the only one who could
run the mill (it was a big flour mill, 3 stories high) it was turned over to
him, and they had living quarters in the same building, so they need not go
outside to get from the home to the mill.
Daddy’s life was in jeopardy every day and night; likely to be shot down at
sight; but a woman was perfectly safe in that benighted country (except for
the Indians. They were savage and dangerous.) so Daddy had to be kept out of
sight. As the war dragged on it was too dangerous to stay there longer, so
at the first opportunity the Deweys packed what little they had and came to
Kansas, escorted to safety by U.S. troops that were coming north.
They settled in Moneka, a newly abandoned town. I think that Joel Moody,
U.S. Senator from that section, helped him get located. Moneka had been a
half-way stopping place for the stage coach that traveled from Ft. Scott
to Ft. Leavenworth, travelers stopping there overnight or just for dinner.
They also changed horses there. When the railroad was built, from K.C.
to someplace south, there was nothing to support a town out on the prairie,
and all business moved to Mound City where there was good waterpower on
Little Sugar Creek, and enterprising easterners built a big flour mill,
etc. The Bacon Tin shop moved to Mound City, as did all other business.
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