Connecticut western news., 1885-08-26
CAMP MEETINGS.


 HilIsdale, Canaan, EenOx, Monte
 rey, Afford, EgremOnt and Grea
 Harrington.
 In the latter part of the year 1799 Joh1 and William Magee, brothers, the first { Methodist local preacher, the second I Presbyterian minister, started from theil home in Tennessee on a preaching tour At their second meeting on Muddy river many families came long distance 1T their wagons and camped in the woods. This meeting, says an old Methodist his. torian, was in fact the beginning of camp meetings in the United States. They soon became general through the West and in few years throughout the na- tion and Canada.
 The first camp meeting in the East was held at Carmel, N. T., in 1894. Peo- pie attended from all the surrounding country. Many lodged in their farm wagons, over which they spread cover ings of cotton cloth or blankets.
 The second meeting in this part of the country was held at Croton, on the New York district, in 1895. The ground was prepared by William Thatcher, presid- ing elder of the district; John B. Mat thias, then local preacher, but after wards in the regular ministry, and Will jam Anderson. When the ground was ready it was dedicated by these good men, who knelt together and offered prayer. Billy Hubbard and John Rob- ertson were then the preachers on Cro- ton circuit.
 In June, 1906, camp meeting was held at Lebanon, N. Y. which was great in power and great as to the number which attended. This was followed the same month by camp meeting at Sharon, Conn. In presenting history of these gatherings Bishop Asbury says: "After visiting the societies in Vermont and New Hampshire, June 26, 1906, we came down the pike road to Housack, Lsnsingburg, Troy and Greenbush; then the next day through Lebanon and Can- aan, N. Y., and Stockbridge, Harrington and Sheffield in Massachusetts. On Sat urday we came into Connecticut, break fasting at Salisbury and taking our din- ner on the Sharon camp ground, where I preached on Sunday"
 The first camp meeting in Berkshire county of which there is record was held at Pittsfeld, commencing June 15, 1907. Pittsfeld circuit, which then en- braced nearly all of Berkshire county, including two or three towns in Colum- bia county, had for preachers Noble W. Thomas and Eben Smith. The circuit was on the old Rhinebeck district, which included in addition Duchess, Lebanon, Granville, Lltchfeld, Whittiugham and Buckland circuits. Peter Moriarty was presiding elder, with Daniel Ostrander, Smith Arnold, Nathan Emory, Aaron Hunt, Andrew McKain, Noble W. Thom- as and Laban Clark, senior preachers.
 And now passing over several years we come to the Holland circuit camp meeting, which commenced at East Hart ford, Ct., August 15, 1921. This gather ing was considered one of the greatest of the kind ever witnessed in that sec tion. There were nearly 1000 church members present and on the Sabbath about 5000 people. It is said the meet ing was conducted with good degree of order and above all was attended with great displays of the awakening, con- verting and sanctifying power of God. On the last day 50 persons professed conversion, while the number of converts during the week was 100. This meeting was followed in the fall and winter by a revival, in which the aged, middle aged, youth and children were engaged in seeking salvation.
 InSeptember, 1923, the Rhinebeck dis trict camp meeting was held at Hillsdale, NY. The district then embraced Rhine beck, Salisbury, Granville, Windsor, Leyden, Petersburg, Pittsfeld, Chat ham, Hudson and Albany circuits in charge of Henry Stead, presiding elder. After this meeting there were revivals at several places on the district, chiefly at Canaan, N. T., Salisbury, Conn, An cram Furnace, N. T., and at North Can- \ aan, Conn.
 In January, 1924, an appointment was made for preaching near the Congrega- tional meeting house in Canaan, Conn. Glass meetings were instituted and nu- merously attended and, though the work met with some opposition, it increased until in March, 40 embraced religion.
 In 1924 Goshen circuit embraced preaching appointments in Goshen, Cornwall, Milton, Litchfeld, Sharon, Canaan, Norfolk, Kent, Warren, New Preston and New Milford. To this cir cult Revs Ebert Osborn and Arnold Scholefeld were appointed. In August, 1924, camp meeting was largely at- tended in North Canaan, Litchfield county, Conn. Nothing is now known regarding the sermons, except that George Coles and Elbert Osborn with others preached. Other preachers pres Lent were Henry Stead, Gershom Pierce John Loveioy. Arnold Scholefeld, Par. mele Chamberlin, Moses Amedon, Cyrus Silliman, Timothy Benedict, Datus En sign, Earl Bancroft, Robert Travis, Ju Illus Field, John Nixon, Coles Carpenter Phineas Cook, Billy Hubbard, Stepher L. Stillman and Samuel B. Ferguson.
 In 1928 or 1929 camp meeting wal held not far from the old Methods church, now owned by Brother Henry