Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls facts for kids
_Dedication_Service_(cropped).jpg)
The Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls was a special place in Arlington, Texas. It helped young mothers who weren't married. Reverend James T. and Maggie May Upchurch opened the home on May 14, 1903. It welcomed young women, often pregnant, who didn't have a home. They came from Texas and nearby states.
What made Berachah Home different was that women had to keep their babies. No children were given up for adoption. The home closed in 1935. But it reopened as an orphanage called the Berachah Child Institute from 1936 to 1942. Later, in 1963, the University of Texas at Arlington bought the property. A special marker was placed at the home's graveyard on March 7, 1981. This marker remembers the history of the Berachah Home.
History
James T. Upchurch was born in Bosqueville, Texas, on October 29, 1870. While living in Waco, he joined the Methodist Church. He started doing mission work by holding religious services. He visited jails and spoke on the streets. In 1892, he married Maggie May Adams. She was born in Jackson, Tennessee, on December 5, 1873. Together, they continued their religious work.
In 1894, the Upchurches started the Berachah Rescue Society. The name Berachah comes from the Bible. It is found in 2 Chronicles 20:26. This verse talks about a "valley of Berachah" where people blessed the Lord.
Moving to Dallas
In 1899, the Upchurches moved to the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. There, they started a small mission. This mission moved to 169 Main Street on October 31, 1899. James T. Upchurch asked Christians in Dallas to help spread the gospel. He wanted them to reach out to women and street children who needed help. At this time, he also began to publish the Purity Journal. Upchurch wrote most of the journal himself. It described the work of the Berachah Rescue Society.
Opening the Home
On September 25, 1901, James T. Upchurch met with Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Cooper of Arlington, Texas. They helped him get seven acres of land. The Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls opened on this land on May 14, 1903. The home's official purpose was to offer a safe place for "redemption and support." It also aimed to educate and train young women who needed guidance.
Besides the main home, other buildings were put up on the property. These included a chapel, a handkerchief factory, a clinic, a print shop, and a school. A cemetery was also created. This cemetery holds the remains of young mothers and babies who passed away while at the home. Eunice Williams was the first girl from the home buried there in 1904.
Life at Berachah
The Berachah Home was just outside the city limits. It gave young women a chance to learn parenting and job skills. This helped them return to normal life in society. Local business people in the Dallas–Fort Worth area helped fund the home. By 1924, 129 women and girls lived at the Berachah Home. Their average age was 17. The home eventually closed in 1935 because it didn't have enough money. The women and girls living there moved to other places.
The Berachah Child Institute
The Berachah Child Institute opened on the Berachah Home grounds on Easter Sunday, 1936. This new institute was an orphanage. It cared for children from families facing challenges. Frank Wiese ran the orphanage until it closed in 1942. Reverend J. T. Upchurch passed away at his home in Dallas on September 12, 1950.
