The history of the Union Church would not be complete without some reference to the Camp Grounds and Camp Meetings held there. The first camp meeting held at this place began on Friday night before the 1st Sunday in September 1874, and was held annually on this date until 1895. Services for the first camp meeting in the year 1874 was held under a bush arbor, and for the camp meeting of 1875 a tabernacle was built and services were held there as long as the camp meeting was in progress. This tabernacle was a structure of about 100 feet by 120 feet, very substantially built. The seats were substantial benches, the floor was of dirt and covered with wheat straw during the time services were held there. The structure was built of large, heavy substantial timbers, morticed and pinned together, all heart timbers. (When the frame structure was torn down it was very difficult to tear it down.) There were 14 or 15 structures or tents used by the people who tented there during the camp meeting. The average tent was a building of about 30 feet wide to about 50-60 ft long, weather boarded up with substantial lumber, covered with boards. The front of the tent had a shed of some 10-12 ft wide over the front, a hall ran down through the center of the tent some ten feed wide. Beginning at the front of the tent, there was a room on each side of the hall some 20 ft long in which there was a bed where the men and boys slept, and on the other side of the hall a similar room where the women and girls slept. At the end of these rooms there were smaller rooms, where the husband and wife and smaller children of the tent holders used. Farther on there were pantries where the provisions were stored. Then there was a table that sat across the tent beyond theses rooms of some 20-30 more ft long. Beyond that table was the room for the cook stove and cooking department. These tents had dirt floors, that were covered with wheat straw when in use. >From each tent a walk was cleared away leading from the tent to the tabernacle, and this walk was covered with wheat straw. A few days before the meeting would begin, the people of the community gathered and cleaned off the grounds between the tents and teh tabernalce as well as around each side of the tabernacle out some distance. The grounds were lighted with lightwood fires on a stand some 3-4 ft high, that was planked over and dirt piled on those planks sufficient ot prevent the fire from burning the planks. Thees stands were located around the tabernacle and between the tents and the tabernacles so the grounds were well lighted. Old Uncle Prince Harris, a negro, prepared these stands, hauled in the lightwood, and attended to the lighting of the grounds from the beginning of the camp meetings in 1874 until the close in 1896. Uncle Prince Harris was faithful to his duties and received a lot of joy in giving his time and service at Camp Meetings. The Old Church building was furnished with bedding and used by the preachers as their tent, and known as the preachers' tent. The tent holders moved into their tents on Friday before the 1st Sunday in September, and teh first preaching service was held on Friday night, and then on Saturday morning at an agreed hour a horn was blown giving the people notice that it was time to prepare breakfast. At this time some member from each tent went to the preachers' tent and invited one or more preachers to breakfast. Prayer service was held in front of each tent. This was done each morning. There was a preaching service held at 9 o'clock and 11 o'clock and 3 o'clock pm and a night service each day. The last service was held on Tuesday night, and the tenters moved away on Wednesday morning following. Out east of the tabernacle about 200 more yards was a lot that some of the men would look after during the camp meeting, and would take the horses and mules of the visitors who came in, feed and water them, and take care of them for which the stock owners paid a small fee. This was the only thing that a visitor attending the camp meeting paid for. There were no lunch stands, no cigar and cigarette stands on the grounds. All the visitors were welcome to any tent that he or they might select where he or they could eat or sleep without costs. Although the floors of the tents, the Tabernacle and the walks from the tents to the Tabernacle were covered with wheat straw, there was never a fire during the life of the Camp Meeting. These camp meetings were a great blessing, and the power of the Holy Ghost came upon those who attended. Virginia Crilley 4500 Kenny Lane Waco TX 76710 (254)772-5390 Subscribe to RUFFIN mailing list: Ruffin-L-Request@Rootsweb.com Subscribe to CRILLEY mailing list: Crilley-L-Request@Rootsweb.com Homepages: http://www.eramp.net/~crilley Ruffin homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/6276 Taylor Co USGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~gataylor/gataylor.htm