The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-11-28
A. ". sweeney DEAD
Pioneer Minister of Wd|Id
Wa||a Passes Away.
WAS AN EARLY VALLEY SETTLER
Located at Waitsburg in the Early
Seventies-Did Much Missionary
Work in This Section.

Rev. A. w. Sweeney, one Of the best
known pioneers of the Walla Walla
valley, died this morning at o'clock,
at the residence of his soon, Samuel
B. Sweeney. For some time the de-
ceased had been afflicted with con-
sumption, which was the ultimate
cause of his death.
Mr.. Sweeney was born January %.
l1S25, at Savannah, Tenn, near where
the famous battle of Shiloh, or Pitts
burg Landing, was fought during the
civil war. While he was yet under
five years of age his parents moved
across the Mississippi and settled
where Fayetteville. Ark, is now sit
uated, within a few miles of Indian
Territory. Here he received his first
lesson at the parental knee, schools
not being convenient. His father de-
signed that he should be educated for
the legal profession. About 1888 mis-
father who had a contract to carry
the United States mail, was stricken
with illness and the boy, then eight
years of age, took his place on route
about 100 miles in length, through a
country infested by wild beasts, with
one of which, a panther, the boy had
an exciting and serious experience. He
in turn was stricken with the fever
The father died but the boy recovered
to face the world as an orphan. In
1889 he came under the influence of
great religious awakening at a
campmeeting held near his home and
was there converted. From that time
his life was marked by earnest and
definite purposes. He worked on the
farm a portion Of the year and avail
ed himself of the opportunities afford
ed by a school of high grade which
had grown up in his locality. Here
he prepared himself for the sophomore
year in college and in 1S4S entered
Cumberland college, at Princeton, KY,
where he remained until 1850. Pre-
viOus to this, when about IS years of
age, he had decided to enter the min
istry in the Cumberland Presbyterian
church and was licensed to preach
on the frontier. After leaving college
in 1850 he was ordained to the whole
work of the ministry and at once
started for the gold camps in Cali
fornia, coming across the plains with
an OK team.
American river August 26, 1850 He
spent year among the miners doing
some labor in the mines and preaching
usually on Sundays. In 1851 he came
| to the Willamette valley in Oregon and
spent about seven years actively en-
gagged in the ministry. July Is, 1852,
he was united in marriage to Miss
Evangeline Allen of Oregon, who, with
| their son, S. B. Sweeney, and their
| daughter, Mrs. John l.. Sharpstein,
both of this city, survives him.
In 1858 he returned to California
hoping the change would benefit his
| health While there he was engaged
! in teaching, first at Sonora, and later
near Stockton. In 1862 he followed
! the "treke' of the miners to Idaho
and spent about three years mining
and preaching and then went again to
! the Willamette valley.
In 1870 he came to the Walla Walla
country and located at Waitsburg. In
this locality he did much pioneer
evangelistic work, preaching often al
Walla Walla, Waitsburg and Dayton
besides al many points in the school
dignified but modest and unassuming
He gave thirty-five years fully to the
ministry on the frontier and received
much less than half support for him
self and family, his faithful wife earn
ing the balance by unremitting tot
at home while he ministered to the
public good.