The North Mountain Historical Society

Meeting: January 2002

JANUARY 21,2002

The History Buffs met at the Brass Pelican on Monday, January 21, 2002. Jim Vance chaired the meeting. Zane Hartman returned thanks for the people who came and for the food we were about to receive. Jim reminded us that Zane has not been well and that he needs our prayers. Jim asked those present to introduce themselves and tell where they were from. There were 42 present.

Paula Weatherill from Millville was present. She had brought old programs and pictures from the Red Rock Bible Conference that were laid out for anyone to look at. The minutes of the last meeting were read.

Mr. Brewer introduced Mr. John Welsh from Orangeville who spoke to us on the founding and early history of the Red Rock Bible Conference. Robert and Arden Lancaster started the Conference in 1934. It was an interdenominational Christian conference and began as a Sunday gathering with religious speakers. It soon grew into a Camp meeting type Conference with people spending a week or two there and living in tents. Later cabins, dormitories, a kitchen and dining hall were built. Young people were hired at $5.00 a week to work in the dining room and kitchen. Mr. Welsh emphasized that there was never a problem with the behavior of the young people. The Conference ran for 7 weeks each summer beginning in 1941. The program for each day was a meeting in the morning, free time in the afternoon, which people often used to explore Ricketts Glen and view the falls, then a meeting in the evening. The speakers at these meetings were from all over the world and were of the highest quality.

In addition to the Red Rock Conference the Lancaster brothers pastored churches in Berwick and Sunbury and conducted a 15-minute radio program daily over many stations. Following the 1972 Flood they were not able to get food to feed the visitors at the Conference. Their suppliers were flooded out. Also they were getting more involved with their church and radio work, and so the Red Rock Bible Conference was closed. It was estimated that at its height 100 to 125 people stayed in the cabins and dorms and as high as 600 attended Sunday services. Pastor Bob died in 1976 and Mr. Welsh emphasized that many people had been
brought to know the Lord because of his work.

It was an interesting presentation and our thanks to Mr. Welsh for bringing it to us. The next meeting will be Feb. 18 at the Pelican. The speaker will be Mr. Charles Chapman who will speak on the Fishing Creek Water Shed.