Dates: June 21 – 27, 1882
Location: Pierce’s Grove, Lake Calhoun (Bde Maka Ska),
Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN
Find it today: Map
Historical map: 1892 map of Lake Calhoun area – see upper left section with property marked as “T. W. Pierce” near the number “46” (map courtesy of the University of Minnesota).
The camp: Pierce’s Grove was on the northwest side of Lake Calhoun, just south west of North Beach – about where the Lake Calhoun Center and soccer field are today.
The Depot: Cedar Lake Station. See a photo of the station.
The baptisms: Camp meeting baptisms were conducted in Lake Calhoun.
THE next annual session of the Minnesota Sabbath-school Association will be held in connection with the camp-meeting at Calhoun Lake, Minneapolis, June 21-27. We hope to see the interest in this important part of our work shown by every school being represented. Let all the schools see that delegates are elected and furnished with credentials. J. Fulton, Pres.
THE next annual session of the Minnesota Conference and T. and M. Society will be held in connection with the camp-meeting at Calhoun Lake, near Minneapolis, June 21-27. As the business for the coming year will be transacted at this meeting, we expect to see a delegation from every church and company of Sabbath-keepers in our Conference. The Conference will be organized on Wednesday, so that all the business will be out of the way of the spiritual interests of the meetings. We want every delegate to be on the ground Tuesday night. Let all the churches see that delegates are elected and furnished with credentials. H. GRANT, Pres. Minn. Conf. and T. and M. Society.
Review and Herald, May 30, 1882; June 6, 1882
THE ADVENTIST CAMP MEETING. How the Camp looks and What is Being Done On the Shores of Lake Calhoun.
The camp meeting of the Minnesota Seventh Day Adventists is in full progress at Pierce’s beautiful grove on the west shore of Lake Calhoun, and already a large assemblage of believers have arrived upon the ground. One hundred and twenty tents have been pitched, offering accommodations to nearly 1,000 people. In addition to the family tents, there are two large assembly tents, one seating l,500 people, for services in the English tongue, and a smaller one for the Scandinavian brothers and sisters, where they listen to preaching in their own language. The camp is under military discipline in the matter of the division of time, the following daily programme [sic] being rigidly observed: 5 A. M., rising bell; 5:30, prayers and social meeting; 7, breakfast; 8, family prayers in the tents; 10:30, preaching; 1 P. M., dinner; 2:30, preaching; 5, business meeting; 8, preaching; 9:30, bed time; 10 P. M.,”taps,” and the camp is thence forward, during the night, quiet and peaceful.
All the officers of the state conference are present, as follows: Elder H. Grant, of Medford, president; E. W. Wright, Minneapolis, secretary; Allan Moon, Eagle Lake, treasurer; and John Fulton, Hutchinson, and Lewis Johnson, Golden Gate, executive committee. The officers of the tract and missionary society, of the Health and Temperance Association, and of the Sunday School Association are also all present. Among those from abroad are many who are prominent in Adventist circles, such as Elder G. I. Butler, of Battle Creek, Mich., president of the general conference, Elders C. W. Stone and G. A. King, also of Battle Creek, the latter in charge of the canvassing department, Elder G. C. Tenney and O. A. Olsen, of Wisconsin, and Elder Win. Healy, of Healdsburg, California. The ministers of the conference who are present are Elders Hill, Babcock, Burch, Collins, Curtiss and Ells.
The services are of the regular campmeeting order, and are very interesting, drawing a considerable attendance from Minneapolis. Elder Butler and Mr. Olsen preached yesterday in the American tent, and to-day the latter will address the Scandinavian members of the meeting in their own tongue. The meeting will close on Tuesday next. The grounds are reached by the Motor line and the steamer Hattie, which lands passengers at the outskirts of the grove. A trip to the camp will be of interest to any one, irrespective of religions tenets, for it is beautifully situated and much taste has been displayed by fair hands in the decoration of the various tents with wreaths and other ornaments, making it really a thing of beauty.
The Tribune (Minneapolis), June 23, 1882
THE MINNESOTA CAMP-MEETING. Our people in Minnesota manifest a zeal in attending their camp-meetings which is worthy of imitation elsewhere; and yet no one will say they are beyond that which is right and proper, for quite a number were prevented from coming by temporal considerations. But a single meeting can hardly be placed within reach of all, as their Conference covers not only their own vast state, but also portions of Iowa and Wisconsin. There are about ninety tents and five hundred people located on the grounds, which were the same occupied for four years, on Lake Calhoun, three miles south of Minneapolis. The principal speakers present from abroad were Elds. Butler, Stone, Olsen, and Healey. The meeting opened Wednesday afternoon, June 21, by a meeting of the Conference and a discourse in the evening by Prof. Stone from the words, “What think ye, that he will not come up to the feast?” It was the purpose of the managers to have the business disposed of early; but a zealous regard for parliamentary propriety, of which all cannot partake, hindered progress somewhat.
The preaching was close and searching, well calculated to show us our failures and needs. The meeting was one of heavy labor and care for those carrying the burden of responsibility, with but little intermission till very near the close. Sabbath morning a testimony from Sister White intended for the camp-meetings was read in the hearing of the congregation. It was a vivid representation of our backslidden and worldly condition; and, witnessed by the Spirit of God, it made a deep impression. Eld. Olsen preached from Hos. 10:12, 13, “Sow to yourself in righteousness, reap in peace; break up the fallow ground of your hearts,” etc. The sermon was an earnest appeal to heed the testimony of the Spirit. In the afternoon Eld. Butler preached, and before the meeting closed light broke in, and our hearts were made tender by the spirit of truth, convincing us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Quite a large number of a reliable class of people came forward for prayers. This step was not taken under excitement, but resulted from a deep moving of God’s Spirit. A feeling of humility pervaded the congregation, which found expression in tears and confessions.
On Sunday there was a fair attendance of a respectable class of citizens. On Monday, business and devotional meetings were resumed. Three discourses were preached, one of them, by Eld. Healey of California, on baptism, after which twenty-six were baptized, The services of the day were concluded by a meeting of the Conference, which adjourned at one o’clock A. M.
But few changes were made in the officers of the different societies. Some matters which had perplexed the minds of the brethren were disposed of to the apparent satisfaction of all. The closing meeting was held Tuesday, at 4:30 A. M., and was the most fully attended of any such meeting I have ever seen. Hardly any of the tents had been removed, and but very few had left the ground. This is a good feature. The Saviour says, “He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.” It may not be wrong to apply this statement to camp-meetings also; for it shows a devotion to the cause of God which always secures the best blessings of the meetings, the very blessings we all need. Many left the Wisconsin meeting on Monday morning, and thus deprived themselves of blessings more precious than all others received during the entire meeting.
The Sabbath-school work here, as in Wisconsin, is proving a great success, and their business meeting was the most interesting one of the occasion. The H. and T. pledges for children were received and adopted, and the plan of introducing occasional Sabbath-school temperance lessons was approved.
The H. and T. work received an impetus by the introduction of a new paper, the “Health and Temperance Beacon”. Dr. Kellogg’s new temperance charts were presented in a lecture Sunday afternoon, and received with marked favor.
At the book-stand, sales were quite active, and a large number of subscriptions were received for the periodicals. Bro. King, who was present, instructed quite a large class in the art of canvassing. Dr. Honeywell, of Delaware, was on the ground, and labored for Good Health.
Scandinavians were in attendance to the number of seventy-five, and several daily services were held in their language by Elds. Olsen and Johnson and sister Johnson.
Although the meeting was in some respects a peculiar one, it was not without many manifestations of God’s blessing and Spirit. Very frequently the office of that Spirit is to teach us our mistakes and if all the lessons set before us on that ground are faithfully learned and carried out, the Judgment will show it to have been the most profitable one any one of us have ever attended. The blessing of God also brought wisdom and harmony to our counsels, and united the hearts of the brethren in closer union.
The call for assistance to our institutions was liberally responded to. This is my first visit to Minnesota, and although a short one, it has revealed many noble qualities of heart and opportunities to labor for God and mankind.
G. C. TENNEY – Review and Herald, July 4, 1882