Thirty Years in the ItinerancyMiller, W. G. (Wesson Gage)
Philosophy
Thirty Years in the Itinerancy
Miller, W. G. (Wesson Gage)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Wisconsin; Methodist Episcopal Church. Wisconsin Conference
Green Lake Mission, somewhat undefined in its geographical boundaries,
was intended to include the large tract of beautiful prairie and opening
country lying west and southwest of Fond du Lac. It took its name from a
lake on what was believed to be its northern boundary, five miles west
of Ripon. As I did not attend the Conference, I awaited the return of
the Presiding Elder at Waupun. Being informed of my appointment, I
enquired after its boundaries. The Elder facetiously replied, "Fix a
point in the centre of Winnebago Marsh," since called Lake Horicon, "and
draw a line to the north pole, and another due west to the Rocky
Mountains, and you will have your eastern and southern boundaries. As to
the other lines you need not be particular, as you will find no Dr.
Marsh in your way to circumscribe your ambition." At the date of which
we write, a few small settlements only had been formed within the
limits of the Mission, but emigration was moving rapidly in that
direction, and it was believed that an ample field would soon be found.
At Waupun a class had been formed during the preceding year, as above
stated, consisting of my father's family, six persons in all, as
follows: Rev. Silas Miller, Eunice Miller, Henry L. Hilyar, Malvina F.
Hilyar, Ezekiel T. Miller and myself. This band consisted of three
officers and three privates. My father was the Local Preacher, my
brother the Class Leader, and I the Exhorter. My mother, sister and
sister's husband were the members.
Rev. Samuel Smith, an aged Local Preacher, and father of Rev. Charles
Smith, a worthy member of the Wisconsin Conference, had settled, with
his family, in Waupun during the preceding year, and had held religious
services in private dwellings, whenever convenient.
Soon after the class was formed, Father Smith, as he was called, and his
family identified themselves with the infant society and became
efficient laborers in the Lord's vinyard. At the same time the class was
strengthened by the addition of Dr. Brooks Bowman and his good lady.
Others were added during the year, including S.J. Mattoon, Mr. and Mrs.
S.A.L. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Sexmith and Mrs. F.F. Davis. The class
now numbered twenty-two members.
A building had been erected by the contributions of the people in the
village and country adjacent, for the purpose of a chapel and a school
house. Regular services had been held in the new edifice for several
months, both morning and evening. But during the absence of the Pastor
at Conference, two ministers of sister denominations came to the village
and established appointments, occupying the house on alternate
Sabbaths, thereby displacing the former occupants altogether.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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