Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1906 — Early Day Church Work. [ARTICLE]

Early Day Church Work.

Under appointment of the annual Conference of the Methodic Episcopal church, Rev. George W. Stafford and his wife took op then abode at what is now Barkley Tp., Jasper Co. Ind, in 1842. The exact spot is just opposite the Granville Moody farm'boose. Leaving the bride’s home and coming by the way of the Missionary’s fathers home at Attica Infi, the route was crossing the Wabash at Williamsport, and along the Indian trail past the place where is now The Soldiers Home, Battle Ground and Prophets town, to the mouth of the Monon River, a place called Bedford, thence to Bradford, and over sand through sloughs to the Culp neighborhood, where they lived while in charge of the Mission. The journey was made with an ox team and wagon, Alcxandei Stafford, a brother of the missionary, driving. From this dwelling place, the missionary went to preach iug at places within a ’territory bounded by the west side of the Tippecanoe River, the Illinois state line, the Kankakee River and anywhere in what is now Jasper, Newton of Benton, counties, Occasionally a deer, startled at their approach, would bound away and dissappear from their sight in the tall grass, and many kinds of water fowls be seen in the water basins along the way. Fish in great abundance were in view, so pure the water. The Bride used to tell her grand children, how she dipped water to drink from the wagon as they forded the Pinkamink, a tribu tary of the Iroquois River. Fish, honey and vension were abundant, the people generous and the mis sionaries wanted nothing. They w p re happy and contented in their labor of love for the Kindom ol Heaven. At the end of 37 years, they were settled in their home near there earthly lives. Mrs. Stafford passed to her reward at the age oi 77 years, her hnsbahd at 86, after seeing the marvelous growth in the territory where they lived and toiled for God, their children, grand and great grand children around them. One of their children Rev. Jotin M. Stafford, another son now pastor at JSJfc Ayr, and John Paul Stafford a grand son, are ix. the active ministery. In all over 106 years of service, underap pointment by the church. Ihis printing office hah prepared a souvenir of the foregoing, compiled by Rev. James T. Stafford of ML Ayr, Ind, with portraits of the characters mentioned, a Chnrch directory, Calendar, and reference commendatory to the Conference preachers Aid Society, which is be ing placed in the homes in his charge and other places. Rev. George W. Stafford will be better remembered as pastor ol Methodist churches at Newtown Richmond, Crawfordsville, Frankfort, Valparaiso, Green castle and other places in Indiana and as a chaplain of the 40th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers.