Baker University - Wildcat Yearbook (Baldwin City, KS)

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much trouble he found one young man, the Rev. James S. Griiiing, then at North Street Mission, Indianapolis, Indiana, a graduate of Wesleyan University at Middletown, Con- necticut, who measured up to the doctor's idea of a man for Kansas, and who was willing to come west, and who labored in Kansas until he was called to his reward in 1882. The trip to Kansas by the two itinerants and three families had to be made over- land, stopping at Hannibal, Missouri. where Bishop Ames was holding the Missouri Con- ference, and here the appointments for the Kansas-Nebraska district were read out as follows: Wm. H. Goodde, presiding elder, Thos. J. Ferril, Marais des Cygnesg J. S. Griiiing, Wakar'usa3 John H. Dennis, Delaware and Vifyandotte Mission: W. D. Gage, Old Ft. Kearney. On the fourth of November, 1854, Dr. Goodde and his party crossed the Haw river and obtained permission from the Indian Council to make their h.ome among them. A house was rented, and the doctor was soon busy with his district which nov has Within its bounds nine annual conferences and part of three others, and that keeps very near 2,000 preachers busy looking after about 190,000 members. The next year it was found to be necessary to divide the work into three districts: North Kansas, South Kansas and Nebraska, and L. B. Dennis, Abraham Still and Wm. H. Goodde were the presiding elders. The General Conference of 1856 set off the new work as a separate conference, and its iirst session was held in a tent at Lawrence, October 23rd, with Bishop O. C. Baker presiding, he having been 'iconducted to the seat of the conference with proper escort. In other words it was found necessary for an armed guard to accompany the bishop from Kansas City. Those were troublesome times in Kansas and most of the preachers came to conference armed. There was reported at that time twenty-three preachers, fifteen of whom had been received at that session by transfer, 1,138 white members ,and 144 Indian members. The growth was so rapid that in 1860 Nebraska was formed as a separate conference. and in 1864, what had been the Rocky Mountain district, was formed into the Colorado conference. The next division was in 1873 when all that part of the state south of town- ship sixteen, was set off as the South Kansas Conference. The next division of territory was in 1882, when that pait of the conference lying west of Dickinson, Clay and WVash- ington counties was formed into the Northwestern Kansas Conference. Of the charter members of conference, only Thos. J. Ferril is living, he being a member of the Missouri Conference. Dr. Goodde iinally retuined to Indiana, where he continued to be a man of great usefulness. Another of the original members was Dr. Jos. Denison, who afterwards became president of Baker University, and was very prominent in the affairs of the conference up till his death. John M. Chivington became a colonel in the civil war, and was prominent in the early days of Colorado. They were all heroes for God and humanity, and sowed good seed which has brought forth a thousand fold. The Kansas Conference now reports 184 members and probationers, with a church membership of 25,715, and 2,259 probationers, who worship in 258 churches that are val- ued at S169,850, and who gave last year to the benevolent enterprises of the church over 339,000 27

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ATCHISON DISTRICT Presiding Elder, W. Alderman

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JUNCTION CITY DISTRICT Presiding Elder, S, Alonzo Bright.