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From: "Dwayne Wrightsman" <>
Subject: Re: [BRE] The Dunkards - A Remarkable Gathering
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 23:06:27 -0500
References: <020420070050.12892.45C52DCF0006B0E80000325C2207021633000001080A0B0E@comcast.net><047901c747ff$7b15fe60$0b00a8c0@D1JH4121><004d01c7480d$56db5d20$ec9cf1d8@knarr>


John,

North Manchester, Indiana, in the 1880s, is a far cry from Waynesboro,
Pennsylvania, in 1866, especially for the Brethren of Illinois. I still
contend that it is impossible for 10,000 Illinois Brethren to go to Annual
Meeting in Pennsylvania in 1866, simply because there were not that many
Brethren in Illinois in 1866, and many of those who did live in Illinois
were not particularly enamored of Annual Meeting, being Far Western as they
were at that time. I do not dispute your saying that the gatherings were
very large, which they were of course. I only take exception to the idea of
10,000 Illinois Brethren gathering in Pennsylvania in 1866.

Dwayne


----- Original Message -----
From: "John/Bea Knarr" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 10:34 PM
Subject: Re: [BRE] The Dunkards - A Remarkable Gathering


> The gatherings at these annual meetings in latter half of nineteenth
> century
> were generally very large, much larger than we might expect. It was not
> unusual to have twenty to forty thousand or more in attendance, as was the
> case here in North Manchester in 1880s, when reporters estimated the total
> to be perhaps as many as sixty thousand attendees. The story of how the
> crowds were fed, housed, along with the numerous temporary structures
> erected, the logistics and economics of it all is a most fascinating
> story.
> Trains of course were an important means of transportation, and train cars
> on a siding here in North Manchester were even used for accommodations.
>
> John Knarr
> North Manchester
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dwayne Wrightsman" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 8:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [BRE] The Dunkards - A Remarkable Gathering
>
>
>> I don't know who the Titusville Morning Herald reporter was who reported
>> this gathering, but he/she must have been drinking something stronger
>> than
>> hot coffee: "Ten thousand being expected from Illinois alone" was many
>> multiples more than the entire population of Brethren in Illinois in
>> 1866.
>> I wonder how many from Indiana alone, and Ohio alone, were expected? And
>> how were all these Brethren supposed to get to Franklin County, PA, and
> back
>> in 1866? Hmmmmm......
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: <>
>> To: <>
>> Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 7:50 PM
>> Subject: [BRE] The Dunkards - A Remarkable Gathering
>>
>>
>> > Titusville Morning Herald
>> > Titusville, PA - Thursday, Aprila 26, 1866
>> >
>> > "The annual meeting of that denomination of Christians called German
>> > Baptists, sometimes styled Dunkards, will take place May 19th, at the
>> > residence of Jacob Price, near Waynesboro, Franklin County, PA. The
>> > attendance will be quite large, about ten thousand being expected from
>> > Illinois alone. Provisions are being made to feed three thousand
>> > persons
>> > at one time. A bakery has been erected on the ground, where the bread
> will
>> > be baked as needed. About 65 or 70 barrels of flour will be prepared,
> and
>> > 20 fat oxen slaughtered as needed. The fare usually consists of bread,
>> > butter, applebutter, pickles, ham, beef, and hot coffee. The annual
>> > meeting is the same as synods, etc., of other sects, where difficult
>> > problems are discussed and decided. It is expected that such a
>> > multitude
>> > will be present at the meeting, which will continue 4 or 5 days, as was
>> > never in attendance at any former meeting. Worship will be held
>> > simultaneously in the different churches, houses and barns in the
> vicini!
>> > ty."

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