The History of the Salvation Army Red Kettle
If there is single image that most powerfully symbolizes The Salvation Army, it is the red kettle. In metro Detroit and around the world its appearance during the Christmas season inspires passersby to think of those in need as they prep for the holiday. However, the origin of this tradition is unknown to most people. So, in the spirt of the coming festivities, here is its story.
In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught seeing so many going hungry in San Francisco. So, during the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute. However, funding the project would not be easy.
He laid awake at night, worrying, thinking and praying to find a way of fulfilling his commitment to feed 1,000 of the city's poorest individuals on Christmas Day. Suddenly his thoughts drifted back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered how near the docks there was a large, iron kettle called "Simpson's Pot" into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor.
*Early 1900s Red Kettle
The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing, and beside it a sign that read, "Keep the Pot Boiling." He soon had the money to feed the needy at Christmas.
Six years later, the kettle idea spread to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy. In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years.
In Detroit, there was resistance to the bell ringing appeals to passersby that accompanied the kettles. Soon after the first Salvationists assembled in the city, the local government passed an ordinance proclaiming, "No man may make a speech or blow a horn or beat a drum within one half-mile of city hall."
Since much of the Army's early work depended on street meetings designed to attract people in need of aid, the ruling was a major setback. Colonel Blanche Cox, commander of The Salvation Army in Detroit, was determined to challenge it.
Over a period of months, she was arrested and brought before the court 12 times. She spent months in jail for disturbing the peace, but even as she did, a public outcry grew in her defense.
Soon, The Detroit News, led by its founder, James E. Scripps, made The Salvation Army a front-page issue. With support from community leaders, the law was repealed, and The Salvation Army earned its right to serve those in need.
*Left: Detroit News founder, James E. Scripps. Right: The first Salvation Army Headquarters in Detroit
Today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists more than four-and-a-half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.
Captain McFee's kettle idea launched a tradition that has spread across the world, despite initial challenges locally. Kettles are now used as far as Korea, Japan, Chile and many European countries. Everywhere, kettle contributions enable The Salvation Army to continue its year-round efforts at helping those who would otherwise be forgotten.
If you would like to help continue this wonderful tradition, sign up to ring at registertoring.com. Or donate at a physical red kettle or Metro Detroit’s virtual red kettle.