Henry Robert Broadhurst

Henry Robert Broadhurst

Henry Robert Broadhurst (March 24, 1889 - February 16, 1972) was an early Bahá'í of North Carolina, at first visible in the greater Milwaukee area of Wisconsin giving talks on the religion from 1933 for more than a decade off and on while making a living through real estate transactions and ownership back in High Point with his wife. Broadhurst had been a surviving veteran of World War I out of a family raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, of a British mother and unknown naturalized father who had died before 1900. Kin had moved to Rochester, New York, and other places.

After the formation of the first spiritual assembly of Greensboro thanks to the work of Ruth Moffett, local converts like Louise Sawyer and pioneers like African Americans Adrienne Ellis and Eva Lee Flack, Broadhurst was visible in the region from Charlotte to Greensboro giving talks and was elected chair of the Assembly in 1954. His last public appearances were in the later 1950s and very occasionally in some business and charity work in High Point. After a couple of decades of relative silence he died in 1972.

Biography

Born and raised

Henry Robert Broadhurst had been born March 24, 1889, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His mother was Mary 'Brodherst' as far as the reading of the 1900 Census goes. By then she was a widow, had been born in England in 1852 and immigrated to the States in 1882. Henry was the second eldest brother of the four children then listed. No record of the Broadhurst's father has yet been found, save that he too was naturalized.

In June 1900 the Broadhurst family including 11 year old Henry were living on Drinker St. in nearby Dunmore, Pennsylvania, as it was over a century ago. By April 1910 Broadhurst, a young man now, was a boarder with the Sorenson family, who had themselves immigrated from Denmark in 1885, on Jefferson Ave. in Dunmore working as an apprentice in a machine shop. Sister Ada had moved to Rochester by 1912, where she later wed.

War years of service

Broadhurst registered for the WWI draft in June 1917 while living in Rochester, New York, living on Parkway Ave. working as a machinist. His older brother Albert also registered later in September 1918 while employed in a mining operation in Scranton. After being drafted Henry served as a Sergeant First Class since 1917 in the 314th Infantry. They had been organized as part American Expeditionary Force and were trained at Camp Meade (later renamed Fort George G. Meade in 1929), Maryland. Arriving at the camp in September, the unit was included in the 157th Infantry Brigade of Brigadier General William Jones Nicholson. The regiment completed training and sailed to France aboard the USS Leviathan in July, 1918. Upon arrival they continued training until September, then took part in the Meuse Argonne Offensive. It took several days to account for all the missing personnel and bring the regiment up 50 percent of what it started with. They were relieved, assumed a variety of duties, shared the trenches with other Infantry Regiments that were harassed with mustard gas, shelling, and enemy trench and air raids but held the line. On 1 November 1918, the 314th advanced and captured several towns, and various battles until they stopped firing at 11 a.m., November 11th, at the time of the Armistice with Germany. The 314th had made the greatest advance into German lines east of the Meuse River of all units. The regiment passed a review by General Pershing, and shipped home on 15 May 1919, aboard the USS Princess Matoika. Arriving at Hoboken, New Jersey on 26 May 1919, they were discharged from service at Camp Dix, New Jersey.

By June 1920 Broadhurst was living with his mother, renting a home in Monroe, New York, with a brother who had been born in England.

Married and the Triad

Broadburst then married widow Minne Andrews Kinley 27 December 1921 in Manhattan. His mother was now named Mary Blanchaw with her new husband Daniel, though it was not to last - Mary died in 1924 still named Broadhurst. Minnie had been born 1886 and raised in Tabernacle, North Carolina, of North Carolina born parents. Both Broadhursts were then visible in High Point, North Carolina of the Piedmont Triad, amidst real estate deals. Broadhurst and his wife were managing property in High Point from 1922. Broadhurst sold some lots of land in downtown High Point on N. Main St. to his wife in July 1924, Though Henry was mentioned in California, they continued in other land and developments and court cases about business relationships from 1926 into 1931 in High Point.

From the Triad to Chicagoland and the Bahá'í Faith

In the 1930 Census the couple was living on N. Maria St. in High Point. Broadhurst was listed as a public lecturer giving talks though they have not been identified.

At present we do not have a source describing his encounter and identification with the Bahá'í Faith or what it was that attracted him. Nevertheless, Broadhurst had spoken as early as March 1933 in the Milwaukee area in Wisconsin, at first specifically Kenosha, for the Faith with several articles mentioning he was living in Chicago. Broadhurst gave a presentation at the Bahá'í Center entitled "Knowing God" summarized as "The vitalizing effect that the religious teachings of Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God, is having on people of all races, nations and religious faiths, by uniting them all into one universal brotherhood who serve each other and have prejudice toward none." In April he gave a talk in Milwaukee at the Center again on "Knowing God", and tried some version of a presentation on the Faith back home in High Point in June before returning north to give a talk at the Bahá'í House of Worship in October, and returned in October to Racine. In March 1934 Broadhurst at the Milwaukee Bahá'í Center for the Milwaukee Race Relations Council who were touring local minority religions of the city, and in May he was in the company of speakers like Ali Kuli Khan, Zia Bagdadi, Mary Hanford Ford, Ruth Moffett and others. Specifically he was o ady familiar enough with the Seven Valleys in May to give a talk in Racine, and the next day giving a talk at the Wilmette House of Worship.

July 1935 the Broadhursts were selling a business building in High Point on N. Main Street.

Broadhurst returned to Racine January 1937 to give a talk on Bahá’u’lláh. Broadhurst returned to the subject of the Seven Valleys in April, and returned to Racine in June in another talk this time with pictures thanks to his camera work. Broadhurst returned to using the pictures talk in March 1938. Meanwhile his wife continued making business plans in High Point with her land purchases and an inheritance.

Broadhurst next appeared in January 1940 in Kenosha. February Broadhurst gave a talk at the Temple. In April he was back speaking on Abdu’l-Baha’s book “Mysterious Forces of Civilization” or as it is called now “Secret of Divine Civilization". His wife continued property sales in High Point in 1940. Next, in April Broadhurst filled out the US Census was renting a home on Kenmore Ave alone in Chicago, where he had lived in 1935 and was making a living with owning real estate. Broadhurst returned in May to present in Racine at the Center on the Advent of Divine Justice, a text by Shoghi Effendi, and on themes of it. In later November he was part of the community observance of the Day of the Covenant, and the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He came back in February 1941 at the Temple in May came back to give a talk in Racine, and again in November for the community observance of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh. He then came back as part of a January 1942 set of presentations in Racine.

World War II period

In early February 1943 Broadhurst spoke at the Temple in Wilmette, and then in couple weeks he talked about the work of pioneering for the religion. Indeed with Louise Sawyer pioneer African Americans Adrienne Ellis and Eva Lee Flack, the first spiritual assembly of North Carolina had been founded in Greensboro.

Post War activity

1948-1951 Broadhurst was in Greensboro scheduled to speak at the Bahá'í Center. It begins in October, and in the following February he returned for a talk at the Center. Almost a year later in January 1950, African American Roy Williams of South Carolina and Broadhurst talked at Center for World Religion Day. That April several Bahá'ís went to the national convention - Arthur and Mrs. Crane, and including Broadhurst. On July 9 there was a notice of the Bahá'ís observing the Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb at the Center with a talk by Broadhurst. As a whole it was a series of meetings was then held at various venues with speakers Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ford, Broadhurst, Roy Williams along with Rev. Charles Jones with firesides followed and newspaper and radio coverage. A year later in July Broadhurst was back in the Kenosha area in Wisconsin at their Center, noted as living in High Point, gave a talk. In September came mention in Charlotte of the public presentation by Broadhurst held at the Hotel Charlotte.

Towards retirement of business and faith

In April Broadhurst became an investor in a site for a new Sears store in High Point. In mid-June Edgar Olson came for a talk after a regional Bahá'í conference being held including a report on the national convention by Broadhurst - the whole thing being chaired by Bill Tucker.

Final years

In the Fall of 1954 Broadhurst served in a jury pool in High Point. From late 1955 on for some months weekly activities carried into January 1956 with a talk by Broadhurst again, and named as chair of the Greensboro Local Spiritual Assembly.

A year later, in January 1957, Broadhurst was pictured donating to the March of Dimes living back in High Point.

Almost no sources after 1957 are found for public activities of Broadhurst. He was named part of a development committee reviewing High Point city planning in 1962. His wife inherited some land in 1967.

No children are recorded for the couple.

Died

Henry Robert Broadhurst died in High Point on February 16, 1972. Wife Minnie died in September known as a Methodist.