USA > Washington > Asotin County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 41
USA > Washington > Columbia County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 41
USA > Washington > Garfield County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 41
USA > Washington > Walla Walla County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 41
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
The practical measures for full realization of the Pietrzycki Foundation are as yet largely tentative, but the fund is in process of application, and within a few years Dayton will have, without question, one of the best equipped industrial schools in the country.
CITURCHES OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
The history of the early churches of the Touchet country is similar to that of Walla Walla. The preachers of that early day had to do pretty much every- thing of secular as well as spiritual nature. Like other pioneers, those preachers were wholesouled, hearty, often robustious, and representative of the Church Militant and Triumphant as well as the Church Spiritual. They were usually men of eloquence and power, stronger on revivals and "hell-fire" than most of the pastors of this cooler and more scientific age, but playing a noble part in the foundation building of early days.
The Methodists seem to have been the pioneers on the Touchet, and of them Presiding Elder W. Calloway was the first to hold regular services. That was in 1866, and the meetings were held in the schoolhouse on the Touchet. The first regularly organized church dates its beginning on March 20, 1875. Among the pastors of that early church was Rev. S. G. Havermale, who became one of the early settlers in Spokane, filing a homestead claim on the Island, now in the heart of that city, a claim of enormous value, but the profits of which inured more to others than to the pioneer preacher.
The old camp-meetings at Shiloh, just above Huntsville, witnessed many a scene in those days, religious and otherwise.
There was a famous camp ground also on Mill Creek, about six miles above Walla Walla, in the Dudley grove. One of the preachers and authors of national reputation, L. A. Banks, now of Boston, author of that charming book. "An Oregon Boyhood," and other books of wide celebrity, started his career at those old camp grounds of Shiloh and Walla Walla.
One of the same group, who started as a "boy-preacher" in the early '70s was G. W. Kennedy. In recent years he has written a very interesting book called "The Pioneer Campfire." From it we make these extracts, not all of which belong to the Touchet, but to the wider area :
"The Oregon country had no better people than had settled about Rock Creek and the Molalla. I love to remember the annual meeting with thesc. There were the Boyntons, Morelands, Sanders, Owens, McGowans, Mores, Dim- micks, and others, whose religious zeal was of the pioneer type.
"'Father' Jesse Moreland was a leader, had a deep spiritual life, and often preached an able sermon from the pulpit.
"Those hard-working, intelligent, gospel-inspired, soul-loving preachers and pastors of those early days did a work with which no part of Christian evangelism can show a brighter record, if indeed a parallel. No wonder the people revere those Christian heroes, who laid the foundations in godliness for a stalwart com- monwealth.
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PASTORAL WORK
"I will speak of a characteristic case of pastoral visiting. It was given me by a man, who at one time was a wild cowboy on our borders; afterwards was con- verted, and became an 'evangelist.' This is the way he told it :
"'God in His goodness sent a little preacher down to that country. One day we saw a man come riding across the prairie, singing :
"'Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly.'
"He came to the ranch, got down and said: 'Boys, I want you to put my pony up and feed him. I am a Methodist circuit rider, and have come out here to stay with you.' We had not asked him, and he did not wait for an invitation. I looked at him and loved him, but I was afraid to get close to him. My heart would not beat right. I was afraid to ride his horse to water for fear it would fall down and kill me. Brother, his horse was religious. His saddle bags would put you under conviction. When we sat down to eat and went to help ourselves as usual, he said, 'Wait, men, I am going to ask a blessing.' Everything was as still as death, and he turned loose, and at once my mind went back to my boy- hood, when I had heard the old father ask a blessing in the mountain home. The boys began to eat, and before they were through he said: 'Now, men, don't leave here until we have prayers. After supper we want to have prayers.' I was afraid to go. After supper he took his Bible, and sat down and read a chapter with a good deal of about hell in it. He read as long as he wanted to. He was boss of the devil. He got down on his knees and prayed just as loud as a man could, and just as long as he wanted to pray. He shook us over the very pit. I saw billows of hell. My heart went awful fast, then it would seem to stop dead; it seemed like I was going to die. He told God about everything we had ever done-all the stealing, lying, fighting and cursing. He had the thing in hand. He never consulted us as to how long or how loud he should pray. He did it up exactly right. When prayers were over we were just barely able to walk out, but we got out as quickly as possible. The next morning the preacher asked the blessing again, and said, 'Don't you boys go out until we have had prayers, then I will have to leave you (he talked as though it would nearly break our hearts), but I will be back in about a month.' After breakfast he prayed until it nearly broke our hearts, then he got on his pony and rode away. About a month rolled around, and we got sort of anxious to see the man again. As mean as we were, when we saw a fellow that was straight, we respected him, and we just knew he was. He came again and acted about as he had the other time, but some of us didn't do just as we did before. When he was through the evening prayer, I went out with the boys; told them that prayer had been down on my nerves for a month. I couldn't bear it any longer, that I would quit then and there the blasphemous life I was living. Then went into the bushes and told it all to God. I tell you, before the next day dawned, I was a changed man.' Many a faithful pastor found the stars for his crown, out there among the roughest of men.
PERSONAL CONTACT
"In 1870-71 I was teaching school in Walla Walla. The Methodist Church held its quarterly conference. Rev. H. K. Hines was presiding elder, and Rev.
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PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING, HUNTSVILLE
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H. C. Jenkins, preacher in charge. They called me into the council and said : 'Brother Kennedy, we think you ought to preach the gospel. Will you accept license and go to work?' Of course I had done the thinking about it before. I replied immediately: 'Yes, if you will bear the responsibility, and stand for the damages that may follow.'
"Soon after that a protracted meeting began in the old mission church at that place. The pastor told me, one evening, at the close of the meeting, that I must preach the next night. 'No, you must excuse me, Brother Jenkins, I have never preached a sermon in my life, your meeting is growing, and now needs the best preaching.' 'I am older in the work than you are,' he replied, 'and know the meeting better, and I know the expectations of the church in you; you must preach.' That settled the matter. I went home to think and pray and study.
FIRST SERMON
"Before breakfast next morning, the Lord had given the text, Rom. 1-16. 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God, unto salvation, to every one that believeth.' Into the grove I went, with my Bible, formed my outlines, and went at the preparation in dead earnest. On my knees with the Bible, before God, I had the struggle of my life. Every temptation came before me. 'What if this was not God's plan?' 'What if I should miserably fail?' 'What if the meeting should fail on my hands?' No one but the young preacher approaching the pulpit for the first time can feel such a burden.
"Father and mother were with me, and we had to walk a mile to church that night. I had told them what was on my mind. We got in late. The church was crowded. Scarce standing room in the aisles. I'crowded through, walked onto the platform and went down on my knees behind the pulpit. I had promised the Lord all day that if he would give me liberty and help me to preach that sermon, I would always after preach his word. In a moment, kneeling there, that cloud of burden was lifted, and I had the victory. O, how the Holy Spirit did take that poor sermon of mine, and put His inspiration into it, and His power under it, and make it a power of God, to souls that night! The little that I had put into it was so augmented by the divine. I seemed like a Gideon, shorn of his army, yet working out a great victory. There was victory in my soul and my purpose, and victory in all that meeting that night.
CAMP MEETING
"Our camp meeting that summer (1871) came in June, and was held at the old grounds on Mill Creek, five miles above Walla Walla. There was a very large attendance of people. The old veterans of the pulpit were there, and we 'raw recruits' joined them, making the pulpit force very large. Quite a number of the young men had been put into the work that year. There I heard Dr. L. A. Banks preach his first sermon. There wasn't in him then the prophecy of his remarkable career.
"That meeting was a triumph. Commensurate with the beginning of the meet- ing was the awakening of souls; and that awakening grew to the most intense inquiry. The altar was filled with 'seekers' night after night. All plan for
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regular hours for closing was given up, under the press of 'inquiring souls.' On Sunday night quite a number were forward for prayer. There was a tardiness about getting into the life giving liglit. Late, the benediction was pronounced, and most of the people retired. Most of those seeking souls remained in prayer, determined to get the victory. Some of us remained to pray and exhort and sign. And the meeting went on. One after another 'came through.' Shouts were heard, and the songs went on, and the meeting continued until every one of those struggling ones was brought out into the 'light and liberty of the children of God.' Such shouting of triumph I had never before seen the equal. The sun rose over a new day, and still that meeting didn't close, for we went on singing the triumph of new born souls among the camps of the people.
ANOTIIER
"Another camp meeting was held the same year, on the Touchet River, four miles beyond Waitsburg. An equally large attendance there. Rev. A. J. Joslyn and myself went up to help Brother J. H. Adams, preacher in charge. That meet- ing ran over two Sundays, and when finally it closed, there was not left a single person on the ground that had not become a Christian.
"That year, 1871, in August, our conference was held in Portland, Bishop James presided. I attended, and was admitted as a 'licentiate.' In my class there were John N. Denison, W. T. Chapman, A. J. Joslyn, Ira Ward, J. M. Luark and F. D. Winton. Some of these made noble records in after years.
"I continued teaching in Walla Walla until the next conference. Summer of 1872 I taught the school called the 'Old Mission District'-Whitman Mission -called then Waiilatpu. As a missionary to the Cayuse Indians, Doctor Whit- man settled there, in 1836, and continued until the awful massacre of November 29, 1847. That awful afternoon the doctor, his wife and eleven others fell under the murderous tomahawk, thus baptizing the soil of Oregon with their blood, to the cause of Gospel truth. When I stood first on that sacred spot, where yet is the coal and ashes of their burnt mission, and looked just beyond the road, the mound heaped over the thirteen fallen heroes, what memories-what reflections- what communion of soul, bore me away to those scenes of missionary devotion to save a heathen race, and to sacred fellowship with that martyr company! I seemed still treading in the footsteps of the noble Whitman, and to hear still his voice, 'turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, O, wandering people.' If it is ever your privilege, go and stand by that monument, now marking the spot. There is something about a monument peculiar to itself. It sanctifies the place. With Moses at the 'Burning Bush' you feel the impulse to remove your sandals, 'for the place whereon you tread is holy ground.' Monumental inscriptions are his- tory in epitome. Here are recorded the deeds of the heroic; great men, great places, and times.
"Our conference was held in Salem that year, where Bishop Foster appointed me to the Yakima circuit, in Washington.
INDIAN POPULATION
"Of course, the whole country there originally helonged to the Indians, and they were always a menace to settlement. On the Simcoe Reservation there were
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about 3,000 Indians. Then came the Yakima Valley proper; then across on the Columbia at Priest Rapids, there was the Smoholla band of about five hundred. Then Chief Moses and his band were just a little beyond, on the Wenatchee.
"During all the early settlement, there was constant alarm. The spring of '73 the Modoc war came on. The Indians all over the interior were uneasy and many of them took the 'warpath.'
"At the culmination of the battle at the lava beds those treacherous Modocs proposed a treaty, and General Canby, Doctor Thomas, Agent Dyer, and Super- intendent Meacham went out to treat with the Indians. But Captain Jack and those four others came with concealed weapons, and at a signal struck down and murdered the peace commission. This inflamed the whole Indian population of the Northwest. At this time I must go to the upper valley and meet my appoint- ments, forty miles away, and through the Indian range, without a single settler. Dodging through as best I could, I found the people badly scared and ready to fort up. Old Chief Smoholla and his band of 200 had come over from Priest Rapids and were camped within the valley.
INTO THE HOSTILE CAMP
"All the people came out on Sunday. Monday came; something must be done to relieve the terrible strain. Accordingly, four of us saddled our horses and started for Smoholla's camp. We went unarmed, thinking it safer to meet them on square footing of friendship. We took them completely by surprise. We asked to see the chief. The Indians spoke in the jargon tongue, and told us to tie our horses and wait the appointment of Chief Smoholla. We took a position on a hill in the middle of their camp, and had a full view. Not long after we saw all the Indian men going down to the council tent. Then they sent out an escort for us.
"As we entered the door of that long wigwam, nearly every warrior was present, ranged on both sides, the chief at the rear end. He looked like a king. Stolid as a statute. He was the war leader of the Columbias. We thought of the treachery of the Modocs, but we could not back out now. On we went until just before the chief. He motioned us to stand there; then asked the reason for our coming. I spoke to him in jargon and explained the purpose of our meeting. Then said we wanted first to preach a sermon to him and his people from the 'white man's book of heaven.'
"That seemed to relieve all apprehension on his part and such a stillness I never saw in any audience before. For the space of half an hour not a muscle moved; not an eyelid quivered. Rigid attention.
"I then told them that our people had become alarmed, for they thought so large a bond of Indians meant hostility. And that God had made us all brothers and not enemies. So the Great Father wanted us all to live together in peace on earth. Then the old chief spoke: 'If we are all brothers, why has the white man taken our lands from us? Has the white man any rights here in Kittitas that the Indian has any right to respect? The Indian came first.'
"Well, that was an unanswerable speech. But I excused the white man all possible. 'That we could plow and plant where they could not and still let them
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hunt and fish.' And I promised utmost friendship on the part of the white brothers.
"We gave them our handshake and pronounced benediction of God on them, and Chief Smoholla agreed to accept that as the 'pipe of peace.' We finally got a change of countenance in that stern face; his hearty farewell-'Klose tillacum mika,' and then under those balin and fir trees we most devoutly thanked God for saving us from savage treachery and rode away.
"It was the influence of Father Wilbur's agency over those Yakimas that kept them quiet-for he certainly was a major general in the management of Indians.
FATHER WILBUR ON THE INDIAN AGENCY
"The Indians at once feared and loved him. While at the agency one time he told us the following story: A German brought a wagon load of liquor on to the reservation and began selling to the Indians. Down near the Satas River, twelve miles away from Fort Simcoe, he built his booth-set a tent-fixed a counter and shelves-put his stock in and was dealing out the 'fire water' as in- dependently as if wholly protected by law. Some of the Indians were getting drunk when Father Wilbur discovered it. He sent word to the sheriff of Yakima County to go down there and arrest the intruder. The sheriff (I well knew him) sent word back that he knew that young German too well. That, having a large family on his hands to support he must let out that job to someone else ; that he could have it if he desired. Next morning Father Wilbur saddled his riding mule, took a good riding horse with saddle and some ropes tied on behind. Then he called to his aid an Indian with saddle horse. Together they rode in sight of the booth; they dismounted and tied the three horses to trees. Father Wilbur then gave instruction to the Indian to stay by the horses, ropes in hand, and come to his help when called. With no kind of weapon, he approached the place. The proprietor was ready for him-recognizing the agent-and had a double-barrel shotgun loaded and lying across his counter. When Wilbur got within forty feet the German took up the shotgun, saying, 'if you come any farther I will kill you.' Wilbur stopped; stood with a steady eye upon him, spoke not a word. The German began to pour out a volley of oaths, and after he was ex- hausted with cursing he took up a whiskey bottle, poured some out into a glass and drank it. While engaged in that act, Wilbur moved up several steps. Then the man took up the shotgun again and swore he'd shoot if he came another step. After another rage of oaths, he took up the bottle and was pouring some more liquor. Seeing now his chance Wilbur sprang, like a cat upon a mouse, right upon that demon-threw him backward on the ground, and was over him. But the German was a young and very stout man-he threw his hand back to his belt, grabbed his sheath knife, and made his aim at Wilbur's side. Seeing the move, he brought his foot with such force against the man's arm that the knife flew clear across the booth. Now, the Indian was on hand, and with the ropes they securely tied the man. Brought the horse-lifted him into the saddle, and soon were out on the road; and within two hours they had that 'demon' locked safely in the 'guard house.' Once a day Father Wilbur would go to his cell and take in bread and water. The man would curse. On going in on the third day he
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called to Wilbur: 'I have acted the fool, Mr. Wilbur, now if you will release me I will go down to my store of 'fire water'-pour out the last drop of it, go home, and live like a man the balance of my life.' 'I'll take you at your word, said Wilbur. He saddled the horses and the two rode down to the twelve-mile place. True to his word that German poured out all his whiskey, then telling Father Wilbur 'good-bye' turned away to go home to the Spokane country. 'Hold,' said Wilbur, 'you will need money on your journey, here is twenty dollars -go now, and God bless you.'
"About ten years after Father Wilbur was over in the Palouse country on a preaching tour. Held night meeting at a certain place. At the close of the meet- ing a good looking, strong young man came forward to shake his hand. 'Father Wilbur, I suppose you will not recognize me. I am far from the place where you last saw me, and a very different man; thanks to God and to yourself. I am the man that tried to ruin your Indians with liquor, and you kept me on bread and water for three days. That little experience made me the man I now am. Come back here, I want to introduce you to my wife and children.' He had kept his word, and was now the strongest man in that church.
OUR CONFERENCE
"Convened in July that summer in the City of Walla Walla-first session of Columbia River Conference. Bishop Merrill presided. There were twelve preachers present, and that made the entire membership of the conference. Those twelve men covered the entire field embraced in the great district, called the Inland Empire. The towns were, The Dalles, Walla Walla, La Grande, Baker City, Boise City and the Village of Pendleton. Indeed all of these were but vil- lages. Not one of them was approached by railroad, excepting The Dalles, not one by any other than stage coach or your own conveyance. Laborious travel was unavoidable. My first year in this territory I reached all the settled portions of two counties and rode 3,000 miles on horseback.
DAYTON CIRCUIT
"When I reached Dayton, my appointment, I found the situation about as frontier, in all respects, as the settlements of the Yakima. Dayton was a town of one hundred people. No church within the entire County of Garfield. The homes of the people were cabins and shanties. There I had the most wonderful revival in all my ministry. Brother Koontz helped me. The people came from the whole country 'round. We begun about the Ist of February with a deep snow and cold weather. Religious conditions seemed as cold as the weather. But soon the spiritual stream broke loose, and what a glorious tide of revival- a veritable stream of salvation. Well nigh one hundred were converted, and the whole country was turned from the service of Satan unto God. Dancing ceased. and it was many years before it could again be revived.
"We were able to build a good church in the town that year. This was the coldest winter that I have ever experienced upon this coast. Thermometer went down to 35 degrees below zero, and was near that for a while. I traveled all the time horseback and certainly had good chance to test the cold. One of my
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appointments was at a schoolhouse called the 'Turkey Pen,' eight miles out from Dayton. I rode out to the neighborhood on Saturday and to Brother Nealy's home. Next morning was bitter cold. We saddled our horses and started to the schoolhouse, which was about two miles away. We were well wrapped, but about half-way over I became unbearably cold. I tried walking a short way, but on arriving and getting into the house, found that both my ears had been frozen stiff. While Brother Nealy built a fire, finding some coal oil, I proceeded to apply it and thaw out. By the time about a dozen people had come in, 1 could feel the warm blood coursing all through again, and we went on with the meet- ing. People said I had preached the 'smartest' sermon that day that they had heard. 'Yes, no doubt, I am the smartest preacher you have listened to lately, physically-give the cold weather the credit.' We all consented.
"After dinner I got into the saddle again, and rode five miles right up that mountain, in face of the storm, to meet another appointment on head of the Patit. No one came out, and after various efforts to build a fire, being too cold to ac- complish it-I got on my horse and rode him a mile away to the nearest house. When I dismounted I had to be helped into the house.
"I remained with that kind family until the weather moderated. My presiding elder. Rev. S. G. Havermale, traveled a distance reaching from Pendleton to the Colville, encircling the Spokane and the Clearwater country." This much from Brother Kennedy.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Dayton was organized on Septem- ber 6. 1874, by Rev. A. W. Sweeney, whose home had been at Walla Walla and then at Waitsburg. He was also a man of much power and connected with all the leading features of church life during that period.
He was succeeded by Revs. R. H. Wills, H. W. Eagan ("Father Eagan," who afterwards lived at Walla Walla and was said to have performed more wed- ding ceremonies than any preacher in the Inland Empire), and J. C. Van Patten, two of whose sons are noted physicians, one at Dayton and one at Walla Walla, while another son is one of the leading farmers of Columbia County.
The Baptist Church was dedicated on September 22, 1878, Rev. J. B. Bristow being the first pastor. One of the strongest of the early churches of Dayton was the Universalist, organized in 1876 by Rev. A. Morrison. Rev. E. A. McAllister became the pastor the next year and had so strong and enthusiastic a following that his people were able to erect the largest church in town. They could not. however, maintain their lead, and their church, sad to relate, was sold for debt and the congregation disbanded. A Congregational Church was organized and ministered to at intervals by Father Eclls, by Rev. E. W. Allen and others, but there was no pastorate of much length till 1890. In that year a notable step oc- curred in the church life and intellectual life of Dayton, by the coming of Rev. S. B. L. Penrose, one of the "Yale Band," later president of Whitman College at Walla Walla, and one of the leading educators and public speakers of the Northwest. He took up his first pastorate in the Congregational Church at Day- ton and remained there from 1890 to 1895, then becoming, after an interval at Honolulu, the president of Whitman College.
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