The North Mountain Historical Society

Meeting: March 2001

Monday, March 19, 2001

The History Buffs met at the Brass Pelican on Monday, March 19 with 51 people present. Zane Hartman returned thanks before breakfast was served.
Following breakfast, Jim introduced the Rev. Daniel Dennis, who spoke on "The Beginning Years of Patterson Grove Campground",
In 1867 the Quarterly Conference of the Bloomingdale Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church expressed the wish to obtain for Camp Meeting purposes the use of the grove and grounds known as Headley's Sugar Maple Camp, then owned by Samuel Headley and his wife. Headley was a prominent lawyer, landowner and businessman. And an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. There was some question as to the actual ownership of the property, which Headley had bought at Sheriff sale in 1859. This was the basis for a court trial later.

In 1868 the Board of Trustees and Headley laid out the grounds- an auditorium with audience grounds around it known as the "circle", avenues and lots for tents or cottages. The Grove consisted of a hundred or more magnificent sugar maples standing far enough apart so that there was room for tents and cottages and the laying out of avenues. The auditorium was built in 1868. This was a roofed structure, smaller but similar to the present one and occupying the central portion of the circle. It had a platform at one end with benches for visiting preachers and the choir. The seats in the auditorium were crude benches with no backs. Going to camp Meeting in 1868 was a major undertaking. People came in horse drawn farm wagons loaded with camping equipment and provisions. There were even some wagons drawn by oxen. The few cottages that were available were the most primitive type. They were extremely small with no doors- only sheets used as curtains. Cooking was done over open fires.

There was no well on the grounds- insufficient water was supplied by a small spring on the grounds and water was carried from a nearby farm home. In spite of the difficulties, the first camp meeting was declared successful with 4000 people attending on Saturday, August 29, 1868. Camp meetings were held the following years. More cottages were built to replace tents, attendance increased with 5000 estimated as attending the seventh camp meeting. There was no Camp Meeting held in Headley's Grove in 1875 or 1876 because of the unfavorable court decision regarding ownership of the Grove. The Board of Trustees had been evicted from the land. During those years a "Bush Meeting" was held in the glen in the woods of the Patterson Farm about a mile and a quarter from the Headily Grove. In 1877 litigation permitted the use of Headley Grove again for Camp Meeting purposes. This was brief session lasting only four days. In 1878 the Camp Meeting was again in session. The attendance was light the first few days but by Sunday the crowd was reported to be very large with all roads leading to the Grove lined with vehicles. This was the last year the meeting was held under the name Headley Grove. On Monday, August 26, 1878 by resolution of the Board of Trustees, the name was changed from Headley Grove to Patterson Grove.

Our thanks to Pastor Dennis for a most interesting presentation.

The next meeting will be the Third Monday, April 16 when Mr. Wilson Ferguson will speak on early Eaglesmere before the advent of the large hotels.