The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-05-22
OF PASTOR R1@G1M
RECALLS lDF e WORK OF TWO
CIRCUIT RIDERS OF MONTANA

ganized in 1880 with Brother Van
as his field assistant, and for sever
fashion.
Mr.. Riggin built the first Pro
~testant church in Butte, organizing
the Mountain View church with three
members, subsequently organizing
other churches in that city and as
sisted in the securing of sites and the
erection of church edifices at Vir-
ginia City, Sheridan, Whitehall
Twin Bridges, Dillon, Salmon City
Idaho, and Meadow Creek in the
Madison valley. With Van Orsdel
he also organized churches in the
Bitter Root valley as far up as Ham
ilton, as well as in Missoula, making
the trip to Missoula 400 miles by
horseback to hold services when the
church had but n member. Dur
ing those days it was nothing un-
usual for either Riggin or Van Ors-
del to travel 200 to 300 miles on
horseback or by buggy to conduct a
funeral. There was scarcely a farm
house in the territory to which they
| WOl6 nOI WSlSOlhC d1u LllS carly Scl-
tiers co-operated with them most
fully in their work.
Rev. Riggin and Brother Van"
went into northern Montana in 1887
and 1888 when they took over the
work at Fort Benton and along the
Great Northern railway to Dakota.
Mr.. Riggin was the first residential
pastor at Great Falls, and raised the
funds for the erection of a building
upon a site donated by the townsite
company. He was again stationed at
Great Falls in 1894-1895 when he
organized the Warren Methodist
church on the west side.
During 1896 and 1897 Mr.. Riggin
was superintendent of the North
Montana mission, at which time he
introduced the d~eaconess work and
built the first Deaconess hospital in
Great Falls with funds borrowed
from L. H. Hamilton, of Great Falls.
The early ministry of these two
preachers has only been equaled in
the early period of Methodism in
other localities. The success of their
early work together was the cause
Of their remaining so long in the
west.
Mr.. Riggin retired in 1912 while
Brother Van" continued his labors
until the illness which preceded his
death at Great Falls, December 10,
1919. Those two preachers had seen
the work in Montana grow from four
or five preachers to 100 or more, and
the small churches grow from few
in number to memberships of 1000
or Ore They had organized the
church in Great Falls with two mem
bers, that in Billings with two mem
bers, while all the other great chur-
ches of the present time were either
school house appointments or little
village congregations.
Their early trips, while fraught
more or less labor and discom-
fort, had their humorous sides.
These trips were usually taken on
along the mountain trails
isolated parts of the state. On
first first trip to Salmon City,
they stopped at the foot of the
continental divide between Idaho
and Montana at a wayside inn main
Did timer. There were three in the
party, the third being Mr.. Lockridge,
layman. Without informing the
.lnnkeeper who they were they OBJ
aimed accommodations and the fol-
morning asked the amount
their bill, whereupon the inn keep
n said:
Gentlemen, I have been wonder
ng who you fellows might be. / am
impressed that you either are gamb-
ers or preachers. Nobody wears a
o'fled shirt in this locality except
hose two classes of men. Now, If
are gamblers I want the full
'rice-I think about Q apiece; but II
are preachers I'll take it out in
'rayin'."
He was told that they were preach
RS and il he would come in and get
Bible they would demonstrate. He
ook down the old family Bible, Mr..
read the Scriptures and
Brother Van" offered prayer. When {
e finished the innkeeper was con- :
inced and gave them a lifelong in !
to make his place their home ,
-henever in that vicinity. |
Rev. Mr.. Riggin was married in
876 to the youngest daughter of !
-arrison Jordan, a member of the
-rst legislature of Montana. She :
ad crossed the plains from Iowa to :
alifornia when but two years old in ]
emigrant wagon, returning on the |
ack train to Montana during the :
Did excitement in this territory. She J
as then but four years of age. She
as Of vast aid to Rev. Mr.. Riggin
his work among the early set l.
ers. She died at Glasgow in June, I