History Minute: Methodist Family Health
In the wild pioneer days of Arkansas in the late 1800s, tragedy was common and families could easily be torn apart by a sudden twist of fate. The most vulnerable in society, the children, were so often left behind in the wake of personal disasters as very few resources or organizations existed for their benefit. But one group of Arkansans, guided by their faith in God and hearts filled with generosity, became determined to do something to help abandoned children. The result was the Arkansas Methodist Orphanage.
The state did not yet have a foster system in place, or even a child welfare department. In 1897, a group of Arkansas Methodists saw the need and met in Little Rock to devise a plan of action. After finalizing the plan, a board of trustees was established and the church spent two years raising funds for orphaned and abandoned children. By 1899, the home was ready to open. The board of trustees was led by Col. George Thornburgh, a Civil War veteran, newspaper publisher and prominent Mason.
The Arkansas Women’s Industrial Home offered their properties in Little Rock to house children, and the home was soon in operation. Thornburgh succeeded in raising funds for a new home in 1910, and moved the Methodist Orphanage across town.
It became a labor of love for administrators and employees alike as they offered a safe home for the hundreds of orphans that came through. The children attended Little Rock schools. Thornburgh served as administrator of the home – without pay – until his death in 1922. Dr. James Thomas, also one of the original trustees, then took over as supervisor, similarly serving without pay until his death in 1943. A prominent Little Rock physician, Dr. William Snodgrass, provided free medical care to all the children at the home while Judge Thomas Mahaffey provided free legal services for the home and the children.
After World War II, the home was moved to a new location in southwest Little Rock and the official name was changed to Arkansas Methodist Children’s Home. By the 1960s, the Rev. J.E. Keith was named to run the children’s home and established several new homes across the state to spread out the services they offered. New homes appeared in Fort Smith, Magnolia and Searcy. By the 1990s, this spread to include six residential group homes across Arkansas, including Lexa in Phillips County, Magnolia, Searcy, Springdale, Batesville and Fayetteville.
As the 20th century came to a close, the needs of Arkansas children became more complex as the problems of abuse and neglect became increasingly apparent. The children’s home faced problems from across the state with children with mental illnesses and drug problems, and families with nowhere to turn for help. In turn, the children’s home increased its efforts by offering individual and family counseling as well as drug rehabilitation services.
In 2001, the children’s home formed the subsidiary Methodist Behavioral Health. The two merged together in 2003 as Methodist Family Health. Today, Methodist Family Health offers a variety of services across the state, including round-the-clock emergency admissions, therapeutic foster care, in-school counseling services in nine school districts in northern Arkansas, a behavioral hospital in Maumelle, an emergency shelter in Little Rock, eight counseling clinics, two residential treatment centers, and eight group homes in Heber Springs, Helena, Mulberry and elsewhere.
From the work of one group of dedicated men and women came this network of dedicated professionals across the state who have literally saved hundreds of lives and countless families.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: History Minute: Methodist Family Health
