Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-09-07
OLD TIME CAMP MEETING
limo. Honored Religious Revels Grow
Scarcer Each Year.

Along with so many historic institu'
tons, and especially those tinged witt
romance and picturesque atmosphere
the old time camp meeting Is rapidly
passing into the realm Of things which
used to be. The steady march Of pro
gress, bringing a constantly multiply.
ing list Of pleasures, the great growth
in the number of churches in the Unit
ed States, and the growing popularity
Of the present day evangelistic services
have caused the camp meeting gradual.
ly to lose it's force and a~ttractiveness
just as the ox-cart, the stage coacf
and the spinning wheel have given way
to something more modern.
Yet no form Of worship has played 6
more important part in the religion!
history of this country than these ole
camp meetings. Beginning about thu
first Of the nineteenth century, thi:
form Of worship increased in %populari'
ty and expanded in its scope for over 81
years. About a generation after TIT
| civil wal the decline began, and 81
rapid has been this decline that nov
there are comparatively few Of these
services held in the United States.
The camp meeting idea, according
to the best data available on h sub
ject, sprang from the example OF ont
man along about the year 1900. THAI
year was notable as the beginning Of
big religious revival in Ohio, Illinois
Kentucky and Tennessee. And this ont
man, whose name Is unknown, has beer
given credit by many for having SCI
this spiritual wave in motion.
This itinerant preacher had his CAM
meeting ground somewhere along the
Red river, probably near what Is nov
the border line Of Kentucky and Ten
nessee, and from all ACCOUNTS, the
people attending these services return
ed to their homes each night after the
meeting was over.
But the preacher lacked enougf
horses to carry his entire family tc
the services, so he fitted up his wagon
as a sleeping place, took along a sup
ply of provisions and remained on the
camp ground as long as the meeting
continued.
The plan immc7iatel. appealed to
the people, so the very next meeting
was a real camp meeting. That II
was successful is shown by the fact
that 40 people were converted. 1t firm
ly established this form Of religious
worship, and the idea spread rapidly,
extending west and northwest at first,
then moved eastward. In less than
five years, camp meetings were an es-
;ablished institution from the Apala-
chan mountains eastward to the At
lantic ocean, and from Maine to Mis-
sissippi.
With the development Of the camp
meeting idea in the next few years
came more permanent and substantial
accommodations. Favored spots for
camp meetings began to be dotted with
numerous cabins, built Of logs or heavy
pltIllhS, III WlllCl Willie VIII IN
lived while the meeting was in pro-
gress. A few years after the Civil war,
there were thousands Of these camp
meeting sites with their numerous
cabins and cottages in the United
States. in fact, scores Of these places
still stand in a good state Of preser-
walton, although they have been de-
serted for years.
When the camp meeting idea was
at its height, hundreds Of these meet
ings would be held in the summer
months, and to them would journey
tens Of thousands Of people. In wagons
carts, coaches and on horseback and
afoot, people would travel to these
meeting grounds from a radius Of SO
even a month in a spiritual review
with a smack of present day vacation
camp life added to it.
These people would bring their bed
ding, tableware and provisions; also
servants to wait upon them and care
for the horses. The almost limitless
forests Of those days abounded with
deer, bear, turkey and all wild game
while the rivers and lakes teemed with
fish and ducks and geese; therefore
the meat question was inconsequenta
and tables fairly groaned under the
tempting viands.
Hospitality Of the most oDen-heartet
sort prevailed. No matter how many
people came unprovisioned with foC
or n place to sleep, there was Away:
a welcome awaiting, food in plenty ant
a place to sleep-all without price. Ir
fact, the camp meeting idea was ont
purely Of worship and the sordid com
mercial spirit vas not allowed to in
trude. The people gave their time ant
substance freely, and the preacher!
worked absolutely free Of charge, al
having the one common aim Of ad'
vancing the cause Of religion.
Yet they met with difficulties. Chic
Of these was the open antagonism o.
the unreligious which not infrequentl!
developed into fights. In those earl!
days there was a large percentage O
adventures, men who feared nothing
and who openly scoffed at religion ant
took delight in interfering in ever!
way possible. 1t was nothing unusua
for a band Of this sort to announc,
in advance that they intended to breal
it up. The Christians were no les:
hardy and stout hearted and they new
err were backward in defending them
selves. The result was some. first
class fights, many broken heads ant
not a few casualties.
These camp meetings might be cred
tied also as the first union efforts O
different denominations. Preachers O
all churches were scarce and they
would come and work together in the
camp meetings. Chief in the worl
were the Methodists and Presbyterians
but Baptists, Christians and ever
EpiscOpalians co-operated. They were
all Of the intense. unwearying sort
who preached hell fire and birthstone
as the certain punishment Of the sinner