The Peru Gazette

On May 5, 2018 two significant roadside historical markers will be unveiled – one in Harkness and one in Keeseville. A third marker will be unveiled on May 19th in Keeseville. The public is warmly invited to attend. The Anderson Falls Heritage Society in Keeseville was granted permission to erect the markers. The markers were funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation Historic Roadside Marker Program.

The marker that will be unveiled in Harkness will commemorate the life of Dr. Georgia E. Harkness, a renowned Methodist theologian who was born in Harkness and was a member of the Harkness Methodist Church; the life of Thomas F. Conway, New York State Lt. Governor; and the depot for the Keeseville, Ausable Chasm, and Lake Champlain Railroad (nicknamed “Peanut Railroad”).

The ceremony honoring Dr. Georgia Harkness will take place on May 5th at 12:30 PM on the grounds of the Harkness Methodist Church. Beginning at noon, photos and historical items relating to Dr. Harkness will be displayed in the church. Dr. Harkness’ great nephew, Ralph Harkness of Peru, plans to attend and other descendants may attend.

The second marker honors the Honorable Thomas F. Conway (1859-1945). He served as New York State Lt. Governor, was an esteemed statesman and an independent thinker. His selfless work was visionary, benefiting farmers, local students and charities. In 1938 the Pope awarded him a singular honor by appointing him a knight commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. The unveiling will be at 1:30 PM at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery behind the Church of The Immaculate Conception, 7 Spring Street, Keeseville. A reception will follow at the Anderson Falls Heritage Museum, 96 Clinton Street, Keeseville at 2 PM.

On May 19, 2018 a third historic marker will be unveiled honoring the Keeseville, Ausable Chasm and Lake Champlain Rail Depot. The ceremony will take place at 2 PM at the North Country Club Restaurant.

Dt. Georgia Harkness has a special place in the hearts of the Harkness Methodist Church members. The following information appeared in one of the church’s Sunday bulletins:

Dr. Georgia Harkness (1891–1974) was born in Harkness NY, the youngest of four children of Joseph Warren Harkness and Lillie (Merrill) Harkness. She was a member of this church for nearly seventy years and never changed her membership, even when her calling made her a global citizen. Her birth place and burial site are located within a mile of here. She attended high school in Keeseville, and although she went on to continue her education at Cornell University, Boston University, Union Theological Seminary, and Harvard and Yale Divinity Schools, both her family and theological origins are firmly rooted in her beloved home town.

Dr. Harkness was a prolific author of dozens of books, as well as many inspirational poems, prayers, magazine articles, and hymns. Her writings addressed various topics including Theology, the Ministry of the Laity, spiritual life, and the responsibility of the church to combat war and discrimination against women and ethnic persons. She broke new ground for women in the Methodist church at a time when the pulpits and seminaries were closed to females, and her efforts to attain full clergy rights for women in the Methodist Church came to fruition at the 1956 General Conference. The first woman to teach in a seminary in the United States, Dr. Harkness served on the faculties of Garrett Biblical Institute and the Pacific School of Religion. She was a social pioneer who took radical positions for societal justice that were bold, prophetic, and drawn directly from Biblical truth. Her books, hymns and prayers are still widely known and are just as relevant to our day as they were in her own.

As a theologian Dr. Harkness was able to translate the most profound truths into plain, clear and direct language without diluting them. She was among the first theologians to interpret ministry as the calling of all God’s people; not just of the ordained. Georgia Harkness lived and articulated a vision that can continue to challenge church and society as we navigate the 21st century, and we hope she would be proud of this little church that strives to spread the message of Jesus’ love and care to our nearby neighbors as well as the larger global community. We are profoundly grateful for her extraordinary life and example, and for the opportunity to honor and continue her trailblazing legacy.