The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-05-23
PASSING OF PASTOR RlGGlM
RECALLS LIFE WORK OF TWO
CIRCUIT RIDERS OF MONTANA

ganized in 1880 with Brother Van
as his field assistant, and for sevel
years they labored together in thi
fashion.
Mr.. Riggin built the first Pro
testant church in Butte, organizing
the Mountain View church with thre,
members, subsequently organizin,
other churches in that city and as
sisted in the securing of sites and thu
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 Orsde
he also organized churches in the
Bitter Root valley as far up as Ham
ilton, as we'll as in Missoula, making
the trip to Missoula 400 miles by
horseback to hold services when the
church had but one member. Dur
ing those days it was nothing I'M
usual for either Riggin or Van Ors-
del to travel 200 to 800 miles on
horseback or by buggy to conduct a
funeral. There was scarcely farm
house in the territory to which they
were not welcome and the early set
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 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
Montana mission, at which time he
introduced the deaconess 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
1eath at Great Falls, December 10,
1919. Those two preachers had seen
he work in Montana grow from four
,r five preachers to 100 or more, and
he small churches grow from few
n number to memberships of 1000 |
,r more. They had organized the |
hurch in Great Falls with two mem
,ers, that in Billings with two mem
,ers, while all the other great chur-
he's of the present time were either
chool house appointments or little
Tillage congregations.
Their early trips, while fraught
With more or less labor and discom-
ort, had their humorous sides.
'hese trips were usually taken on
orseback along the mountain trails
n isolated parts of the state. On
heir first first trip to Salmon City,
daho, they stopped at the foot of the
ontinentaI divide between Idaho
nd Montana at a wayside inn main
aimed by a Mr.. Hamilton, typical
Id timer. There were three in the
arty, the third being Mr.. Lockridge,
layman. Without informing the
lnkeeper who they were they OBJ
lined accommodations and the fol-
wing morning asked the amount
their bill, whereupon the inn keep
: said:
Gentlemen, I have been wonder {
g who you fellows might be. l am
oppressed that you either are gamb- ,
rs or preachers. Nobody wears a
lied shirt in this locality except
ose two classes of men. Now, if
)u are gamblers I want the full {
'1ce-I think about 2 apiece; but If {
III are preachers I'll take it out in I,
ayin'"
He was told that they were preach t
s and If he would come in and get V
Bible they would demonstrate. He :
ok down the old family Bible, Mr..
ggin read the Scriptures and I
Brother Van" offered prayer. When d
finished the innkeeper was con- c
need and gave them lifelong in I,
,ation to make his place their home i
leneVer in that vicinity. {
Rev. Mr.. Riggin was married in v
rs to the youngest daughter of "
lrrison Jordan, a member of thel
st legislature of Montana. She :
d crossed the plains from Iowa to
when but two years old in
emigrant wagon, returning on the
ok train to Montana during the
Id excitement in this territory. She
s then but four years of age. She
s of vast aid to Rev. Mr.. Riggin
his work among the early set
rs. She died at Glasgow in June,
10.