LETTER FROM MICHAEL SHELLEY
(GRANDFATHER OF JENNY SITTON)
TO HIS CHILDREN
DESCRIBING THE SCENE OF A CAMP MEETING,
REUNION WITH OREGON TRAIL PIONEERS,
AND A PLEA FOR HIS CHILDREN'S SALVATION
Harrisburg, Oregon
July the 20, 1892
Dear children,
I will try & write you a few lines to let you know how I am getting (along). I found the folks at Independence all well & ready to start to meeting next morning. Stayed one week. I think there was the largest gathering I ever saw at a religious gathering. There were over thirty preachers at the meeting. R.(Robert) Callison & Polly (Bristow Callison) were down. There wasn't anybody else from the hill. I didn't see any of (Evangelist Aaron) Payne's folks. I heard of them from a man that lives in Salem. Saw a good many that I have been acquainted with, some that I crossed the plains with. It was a grand sight. There was acres of people. Father & Mother Turner gave (the) church a magnificent gift. It is the largest chapel I ever saw. It was built and furnished ready to occupy costing ten thousand dollars. I found them here all well except Walter. He was very poorly & on some days, but all is as well as normal. Walter has most of his grain cut. Crops here are not very good. I am very well indeed. I should love to hear from you all, but above all things I do greatly long to hear of you all turning to the Lord as that is the only safe course to pursue & can't I pursuade you all to become Christians? I hope that God will let me live until you all become obedient to the faith. If I could live to see that day I would be satisfied, but I can only wait & pray. I don't know what else I can do but wait. I would be willing to do anything in my power if I could cause you all to turn from all sin. I never in my life more ardently longed for the salvation of you all, but I wll have to close and leave you in the hands of the good (Lord). Ma will do right. I can't tell you, (you) know I love you all. Well, I think you deserve loving or the Lord would not have died for us. It may be I have written more than you would like here, but I can't help it now, but I am glad I can pray for you all & that (I) will. I know my business is saving splitting wood. I don't feel like I could quit writing at all, but I must.
Write soon, love to all, as ever your affectionate & faithful father
M. Shelley
The following is taken from the excellent book: Christians On The Oregon Trail, by Jerry Rushford, College Press Publishing, Joplin, Missouri, 1997:
Michael and Sena Shelley traveled over the Oregon Trail from Illinois in 1848, as part of the Bristow caravan.
In 1837, Elijah Bristow, 49 years of age, was baptized (in a hole cut in the two foot thick ice of a stream near his home in McDonough County, Illinois) and became a faithful proponent of the Restoration Movement (the modern day Church of Christ or Christian Church). At the age of 57, he migrated to California and spent the winter of 1845-46 at Sutter's Fort, where he sustained a broken arm when he was thrown from a horse. He moved north to Oregon Territory the next spring, and became the first settler to stake a claim in what would become Lane County. He called his claim Pleasant Hill, and built the first permanent dwelling in Lane County. Once his family arrived safely from Illinois in the fall of 1848, Bristow set aside five acres for a church, school and cemetery. In 1850, assisted by his son-in-law James Hendricks, he built a log cabin to serve the needs of the church and school (the first established in Lane County). Following is a list of the charter members of the Pleasant Hill Church, organized on Sunday, August 4, 1850: Elijah and Susannah Bristow, James and Elizabeth Bristow Hendricks, Abel K. and Almira Bristow, Robert and Polly Bristow Callison, William Wilshire and Elizabeth Bristow, Sarah Bristow, Katie Bristow, Zilphia Bristow, Isaac Briggs, Elias and Mary Briggs, William and Polly Bowman, Michael and Sena Shelley, Abel and Elizabeth Russell, John Russell, and Harrison and Jane Shelley.
Owen P. and Melissa Toney Turner were among the new Christian families who settled in Yamhill County in the fall of 1847, having crossed the Oregon trail.
Caleb Payne, a 24-year-old bachelor, migrated to Oregon in 1845. He settled in Yamhill County on a donation land claim three and a half miles east of Sheridan, and in 1850 he married Malinda Toney. Her parents, James and Betsy Toney, were members of the McMinnville Church. Caleb's father, 58-year-old Aaron Payne, arrived in the fall of 1847 and decided to settle near the James McBrides on Panther Creek. In the fall of that year he was the catalyst in organizing a congregation of 15 members at Blackhawk Schoolhouse, six miles northwest of McMinnville. Later he represented Yamhill County in the legislature. Like Elijah Bristow, Aaron Payne had fought with General Andrew Jackson at New Orleans in the War of 1812. He also fought in the Blackhawk War of 1832 and was a member of the Light Horse Dragoons. He was wounded at the battle of Bad Axe, near the place where Blackhawk was taken prisoner. Aaron Payne married May Murphy in 1815 and they raised a family of 11 children. His wife's death in 1846 prompted him to follow many of his friends and family who had moved on to Oregon. Aaron Payne served the church in Oregon for 36 years until his death in 1883, at Maple Crest Farm, the home of Charles V. Kuykendall near Yamhill, Oregon.
literal transcription of the letter:
Harris Burge
July the 20 1892
Dear children I will try & write you afew lines to let you know how I am geting I found the folks at Independence all well & ready to Starte to Meeting nexte morning. Stayed one week I think thare was the largeste gathering I ever Saw at a religious gethering there were over thirt preachers at the meeting. R Callis & polly were down thare wasant any Body else from the hill I dident See any of Panes folks I heard of theme from a man that livs in Salem Saw a good many that manny that I have bin aquanites with Some that I crosted the planes with it was a grand Sight thare was Acres of people Father & Mother Turner gave church a magnificient gift it is the larges chaple I ever Saw it was Bilt & firneshed ready to occupy costing ten tousand dollars I found the here All well excepte walter he was verry poorly & on some days but all is as well as normal walter has moste of his grain cut crop here are not verry good. I am verry well in deed I should love to heare from you all, but above all things I do greatly long to heare of you all turning to the Lord as that is the only Safe corse to puresue & cante I pursuade you all to become Ceristions I hope that the God will let me live until youll become obedient to the faith if I could live to See that day I would be Satisfied but I can only waite & pray I donte know what else I can do but waite I would be wiling to do annything in my power if I could cause you all to turn from all Sin I never in my life more ardently longed for the Salvation of you all but I will have to close and leave you in the the handes of the good ma will dwo right I cant tell you know I love you all well I think you deserve loving or the Lord would not have Died us it may bee I have riten more than you would like here but I cant help it now but I am glad I can pray for you all & that will. I know my buisness is saving Splitting wood I donte feel likike I could quite writing attaall but I must waite Soone love to all as ever your affectionate & faithfull father
M Sheley
