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THE groves were God's first
temples," The words of the poet were true in Macon county.
Many of the first religious services were held in groves, with
nothing but grass for carpet and only the broad canopy of heaven for
a roof. It was the camp meeting of the early days which served
not only the religious need of the people but the social need as
well. The camp meetings held in the summer time were the big
events of the year in the lives of the pioneer residents. To a
large extent the camp meeting grounds were the sites of future
churches. There are in the country near Decatur today a number
of churches at points where camp meetings were held in early times.
Among them are Boiling Springs, northwest of town, and North Fork,
six miles east. Mt. Gilead, south of the city, later was moved
to Elwin. One of the earliest camp meetings was held on Stevens
creek, and afterward developed into the first church organization,
though it was moved to Decatur and became the First Methodist
church. The Sharon church, northwest of Decatur might also be
called an outgrowth of this camp meeting. Settlers in the
neighborhood continued to worship in the Bagdad school house, after
the church organization moved its services to Decatur. The
school was later moved to Sunnyside, and the present Sharon church
building was erected in 1872. The Cumberland Presbyterians
established several permanent camp grounds in the county. They
were at Mt. Zion, Bethlehem, North Fork and Friend's Creek.
A camp ground was established by the Methodists at Mt. Gilead. To
these permanent camp grounds people came from miles around year
after year. They were fed and lodged, and their horses were
provided with grain and pasturage. Hospitality was not imposed
on in those days. There were no "Weary Willies." The camp
meeting often was the only occasion which gave friends opportunity
to meet in the course of a year. Old acquaintances were
renewed, and new friendships were formed. Men talked about
their crops, the chances for development of the country, political
news, if they had any. Women brought their fancy work, taught
each other new stitches, new designs, made up quilt patches,
exchanged flower and garden seeds. One must hear all about
John and Mary and Will and Nancy. It was the place to hear the
news, often news that had been accumulating for a year. So
everybody came. If they did not come to worship they came
anyhow, for every one else was there. Some, of course, came
from mere curiosity. But they came. The North Fork camp
ground was one of the favorites. A more permanent shelter was
provided there then was found at some of the other grounds. Sites
for camp grounds were chosen which were easy to access, and where
there was plenty of shade, ample water supply, and good drainage.
After a site had been chosen, the ground was cleared of brush.
Then a speaker's stand was erected, seats were made, shacks and
tents put up, and lights provided. When everything was in
readiness the camp was dedicated. Usually services were held
before breakfast, again from 10 to 12, also in the afternoon and at
night. The night meeting was the big gathering. Those
who could not possibly be there for the day services were sure to
come for the night meetings. For fifty years camp meetings were
entirely of a religious nature. In the early days particularly
the services were extremely emotional. Worshippers experienced
their periods of repentance, of sorrow and of joy, and they
expressed their feelings with prayers and tears and shouts and
songs. Preachers denounced wickedness in no uncertain terms
and listeners were swayed by the vivid pictures of eternal damnation
and everlasting happiness. With the years, the attendance
increased, and the time came when auditoriums seating thousands of
people were erected. Around such auditoriums stood streets of
tents for lodging the campers. OAKLAND PARK CAMP The last big camp in Macon county was the
Oakland park camp, on the present site of the James Millikin
university. However, this was more on the order of a
chautauqua than a camp meeting of religious nature. The camp ground
was used for years for big gatherings of various kinds. For some
time this land was rented out as a hog pasture. Finally in
1884 the Citizens Railway company leased the land for a term of
years, and gave it the name of Oakland park. That name in the
next few years became famous as the site of the first chautauqua
ever held in this part of the country, and as the place for holding
the largest camp meetings ever know here. A pavilion was erected
with seats for 8,000 or more people. It was made of canvas.
A huge dining hall, in which 500 person could be accommodated at one
time, was built. People came for miles and miles to attend
camp there. Decatur people could reach the park via the horse
car line which was extended to the Wabash tracks, and for hours at a
time would be overloaded with passengers. Sundays always were the
biggest days. It was estimated that 30,000 people were present
on the day the camp had its largest attendance. Camp meetings
usually lasted for ten days at this camp, and music, addresses and
other features of entertainment made up the programs. Albert F.
Smith, manager of the Oakland park camp, was the leading
Prohibitionist of the day in this section, and for ten years he
conducted the national prohibition encampments at Oakland park.
Such widely known temperance speakers as John B. Finch of
Nebraska, George W. Bain of Kentucky, John B. Gough of Maine,
John P. St. John of Kansas, Mrs. Helen Gaugher, and
John Sobieski, the Polish patriot, thrilled the thousands of
visitors who gathered to hear them. Mr. Smith was a
remarkable man in many ways, yet withal so quiet and unobtrusive
that the people of this generation did not realize his great
influence. He was an indefatigable worker, a lawyer of
ability, a successful newspaper editor, resourceful in a business
way. The latter is indicated by his successful management of
the encampment year after year without any financial backing but
what his own efforts brought. For a number of years he
published a temperance newspaper, called the Illinois State
Sentinel. Belittling of his work by anti-prohibitionists
failed to daunt him. Besides the camp meetings, other big
gatherings were held at the camp occasionally. Once, in 1894,
the annual national meeting of the Dunkard church was held at
Oakland park. It brought thousands to the park.
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