History of San Jose Meeting House and Beantie Influence on Western Quakerism

Mary Klein spoke on the history of the San Jose Meeting House and the impact of Joel and Hannah Bean on the Religious Society of Friends in the West.

Watch that video here.

Here's the announcement for that event (which took place June 22, 2025):

Mary Klein (former editor of Western Friend) will talk about our Western Quaker history on Sunday, June 22, 12:30pm hybrid format. We will bury a time capsule at noon (to be unearthed in 2035, our building's 150th anniversary). 

Our San Jose meeting, with the oldest Quaker meeting house west of Iowa, is considered the "Mother Meeting" of our Quarterly and Yearly Meetings. Joel and Hannah Bean, the founders of SJ Friends Meeting, are also the founders of "the modern liberal Quaker ethos" (according to Chuck Fager). Mary Klein wrote about the Beans and "Beanite" history in the "All Ages" section of the Jan/Feb issue of Western Friend, pages 24-25. Those pages are attached. 

Hear more from Mary about this (for adults) on June 22. Registration for online worship works for the 12:30 talk. Get details at tinyurl.com/QuakerHistorySJ. All are welcome to join our 10am hybrid worship and 11:30 potluck meal. Register for online access to the talk. 

This is one of the monthly events that San Jose Friends are organizing to celebrate the 140th anniversary year of our historic meeting house (built in 1885 by the Beans and their followers). Special activities continue on the 4th Sunday of every month to April. See tinyurl.com/140th for the full year's plans and public events.