Looking for further info on N.S. BASTION/BASTIAN, who came to Lebanon, St. Clair Co. twice during the 1830s. I don't know when he arrived, from IN, but by 1830 he was a teacher there in the common schools. That year he was converted to Methodism at a camp meeting. Would be interested in knowing more about that camp meeting (typically there would only be one a year in any given area, lasting days; it would probably be at the end of the harvest so farmers could come). In 1832 he was admitted on trial to the Methodist ministry. I am assuming that this was part time, as he was an "exhorter," the one who whipped up the crowds before the regular preacher came on. This would mean he would need to keep his teaching job. So he stayed in Lebanon. Is it possible there might be newspaper records of this camp meeting? Or any records of the schools that might remain, either in newspapers or elsewhere? If anybody can do any checking, I would greatly appreciate any information. I know there are online newspaper services, but my eyes are too bad to use microfilm, there is only one microfilm reader in the county, it is forty miles away, and I don't drive. I don't know what the libraries here expect genealogists to do! It takes good souls to do favors, knowing that even if I can't do one for you personally, I can do one for somebody else. Here's one I might be able to do. If you have an ancestor who was a Christian (Disciples of Christ) minister or early member of one of their churches in IL, I have a book out on ILL and will for another couple of weeks until I record all the info relevant to me, and will gladly look something up if you know the relevant county. It's 667 pages without an index, organized by counties. Thanks, Doris Waggoner Seattle