A preaching gig

George Warren Richardson (1824 - 1911), worked for many years as an itinerant Methodist minister in Minnesota, a product of the Second Great Awakening. He kept a handwritten journal that has been passed down through the generations and is the subject of a book authored by my cousin. This small excerpt from his journal is not hugely significant, but provides a glimpse of his life as a freshly married young man with a wife and baby at home that he had to support. Note also that he speaks of wearing a fur glove--he had lost his right hand to a farming accident when he was 21. So when he writes--with his left hand--of harnessing a horse in -40 degree weather, he's doing it one-handed!

Early in Jan. 1852 a leading businessman at Taylors Falls wrote to the Elder to send them a preacher, if he had one that he could spare. The Elder requested me to supply that point if I could possibly work it in with my present work. I took a Sabbath to explore that opening. I got up earlier than usual Saturday morning and fed my horse – ate an early breakfast – dressed myself in fur from head to foot, and harnessed for a start. The ends of my fingers were frozen when I had finished harnessing. I stopped and warmed and put on my fur glove and started on a 40 miles drive up to Saint Croix on the ice. I made this drive without going near a fire tho the thermometer registered 40 degrees below zero. I reached Taylors Falls about 2:00 p.m. badly chilled but not frozen.

I found that the man who had sent for me was interested in building up the town, and evidently supposed a preacher would help to attract people to the place. He was a mechanic and supplied the lumber camps above the falls. One important commodity for the camp was whiskey, which he sold in great abundance. My early education had made me believe that a man that sold whiskey was a reprobate. I concluded it was a money speculation to have a preacher, but I resolved to give him his moneys worth. I believed it was my duty to “warn sinners to flee from the wrath to come” and I did it to the best of my ability. I preached a strong a temperance sermon as I knew how. When I closed the services I had a moment to think of what I had done and I was not as brave as I thought I was.

I was afraid to go to this whiskey merchants to dinner, but he took it all in good part and regarded my temperance sermon as part of my duty. I continued to preach at the schoolhouse at Taylors Falls once a month through the year, and my reprobate friend continued to pay liberally. My plan from that Sabbath was to preach at Taylors Falls in the morning, at Osceola at 2:30 p.m. and at Marine at night.

Rev. George W. Richardson