It was in the poverty-stricken area of east London, England where the Salvation Army began and from there it grew.

            Founded by William Booth in 1878, the group had an interest in both evangelism and social relief for the poor.  Over the years, its legacy is often tied to helping those in need.

Clara Price was still a teenager when she volunteered to be one of seven "Hallelujah Lassies" to bring the Salvation Army to America.

            Clara Price was born on the Isle of Wight, an island of the coast of England, in 1859.  In her teens she went to work for a family in London who were members of the Salvation Army.  It wasn't long before she became actively involved with the group. 

            She was working with the Salvation Army for about a year when Booth sent out a notice asking for volunteers to take the good work of the Salvation Army to America.  She wasted little time raising her hand.

            Before she could embark on her journey she underwent extensive training at Whitechapel, England, the birthplace of the Salvation Army.  She then boarded the S.S. Australia for her trip to New York.

            The voyage took one month due to rough weather, engine trouble, and a burst boiler.  When the boiler blew, many of the passengers on the S.S. Australia transferred to a rescue ship, but Price and her Salvation Army friends stayed with the ailing ship to continue the voyage – albeit at a much slower pace.

            Finally she arrived in the Big Apple in 1880 as one of seven "Hallelujah Lassies" under the command of Salvation Army Commissioner George Scott Dalton.  Their goal was to start the humanitarian and ministry work of the Salvation Army in this country.

            The group arrived carrying their bibles, two Salvation Army Flags, and wearing

While working in Philadelphia under the direction of Captain Eliza Shirley (above), Clara experienced anger and disdain from many.  At their first meeting in the city only 12 people showed up.  Ab a month afterward, the lot where they held their meeting was set on fire.

what one New York newspaper described as "peculiar costumes."  Hallelujah lasses were often treated as objects of public ridicule, inundated with abusive language, obscene gestures and mocking. Their processions became targets of garbage and dead rats.

            Heralded as a pioneer by the group, Clara began her work in the Bowery of New York.  The group-of-seven held their first service in Castle Garden, today known as Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. 

            During the late 1800's Captain Clara Price was a leader in opening up Salvation Army locations in Pennsylvania.  She became second-in-command in Philadelphia and later opened and commanded the location in Easton.  She also helped open Salvation Army location in Scranton, Ashland, and Shenandoah.

            While in Philadelphia, under the command of Captain Eliza Shirley, Price withstood many hardships.  The group's early efforts were met with mostly anger and disdain. Crowds often threw mud, stones, vegetables and more. Their first meeting in the City of Brotherly Love saw only 12 people attend.  About a month afterward, the lot where they held their meeting was set on fire. The flames drew a large crowd.

            In a published, 1943 account she recollected a time when her shoes were so worn out that they couldn't be repaired.  A local saloon-keeper noticed the shabby shoes and said, "Here's a quarter for the Army and two-dollars to buy yourself a new pair of shoes."

Cadets of the Salvation Army Officers Training School reenact the 1880 arrival of the first contingent of "Hallelujah Lassies" during 50th anniversary ceremonies at Battery Park, New York. They are wearing uniforms of the type worn by the seven women and one man who arrived

            Clara was in high spirits envisioning a bright, shiny new pair of shoes but she was soon disappointed.  Captain Shirley was a thorough Salvationist and believed in the orders that "all bills to be paid first."  Price's two-dollars went towards the rent.

            Price was never paid for her work saying "We never expected any and so we were not disappointed when we failed to get it."

            She retired from the Salvation Army when she married Christopher Dauman in 1892 and settled in Finland, Milford Township.  After the death of Christopher, Clara and her three daughters moved to Sumneytown in Montgomery County where they settled in a little red brick house, on a hill overlooking Main Street of Sumneytown. 

            A reporter from the War Cry, the official Salvation Army publication, visited Clara in 1940.  He characterized Sumneytown as quiet, peaceful, with the main street bordered by a column of tall trees, and only the automobiles moving swiftly along the road giving it the modern touch.