Enterprise, Kansas

Enterprise
City in the United States
Location of Enterprise
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Enterprise, Kansas was the first site in Kansas where Baha'i classes were given. These were held in the parlor of the home of Barbara Ehrsam in the summer of 1897. The teacher was Ibrahim Kheiralla who had started the classes a few years earlier in Chicago. News about his classes was spread by newspapers all across Kansas. This may have been the first publicity of American Baha'i activities. Over two hundred news articles and other references have been found. Half of these were a quip that cryptically stated: "Abilene runs to basebell, Enterprise runs to religion." Enterprise was the second place in North America and the Western hemisphere with believers. In the 21st century this became a standard piece of information promoting the town.

After Kheiralla defected in 1900 there was little contact between Enterprise and Chicago, but a few individuals remained firm until their deaths. One moved to Topeka in 1906, and the Topeka Baha'i community dates from that time.

As the first third of the 20th century passed, so did the remaining believers. In the summer of 1997 a celebration was held in Enterprise to celebrate the first century of the Baha'i Faith in Kansas. This event drew press publicity all across the state of Kansas. This event created a friendship with the President of the local bank who was a member of the family involved in that first Baha'i communtiy. He wrote a weekly column for a local newspaper. From the time of the centennial to his death, in 2020, he would include mention of the Faith.

The fact of this first Baha'i community in Kansas became a standard piece of information in promoting the town.