Western North Carolina to 1880
Ora Blackmun

Contributed by Bob Jones

Copyright by Appalachian Consortium, 1977
LC# 76-53030

Pages 183 - 184

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In 1793 after his journey through the counties to the east, Asbury, crossed the Blue Ridge and preached to the settlers living along the Watauga River "a neglected place," he called it. From there he followed the old road into Tennessee. In 1800 the French Broad River valley was added to his journeys, and for fourteen years he made almost yearly trips from Knoxville, Tennessee to Asheville. From there he went to the frontier settlements farther west and through the present Henderson County, passing on into South Carolina.

In 1800 the Bishop was fifty-five years old and was already suffering from the tuberculosis that in 1816 claimed his life. Yet on horseback he came, frequently dismounting to lead his horse over the steep, slippery, rock-strewn hills. He slept wherever night caught him, grateful if it might be a hunter's cabin where lie could stretch out on the hard, dirt floor. Without protection he endured the beating rains of summer and the sleet and snow of winter, for he came in all seasons of the year. The people of Asheville crowded into the court room to hear him preach, and Friends and neighbors filled the David Killian home in the Beaverdam section as well as the Forster house in the present Biltmore whenever word came that there would be a meeting. Jacob Shook, in the fine log house he erected near the Pigeon River made a "preaching" room in the attic so that Bishop Asbury could bring the Gospel message to all who hungered for spiritual food. The home of Samuel Edney in the present Henderson County Was another of the Bishop's stopping places, and on one of his trips Asbury ordained Edney "for preaching". Then during the Bishop's absence front the mountains, Edney carried on the work As congregations were gradually formed, small Methodist churches appeared in various places west of the mountains.

During the years of Asbury's missionary work in the area,the camp meeting movement reached Western North Carolina. This movement was a product of pioneer and frontier life. With their previous religious background, American pioneers were interested in "preachings" and gained front them not only a needed religious inspitation, but also the social satisfaction of mingling with their own neighbors. Regardless of kreedal concepts and convictions, whole families managed by one means or another to attend the services held irregularly by ministers passing from one frontier settlement to another. Eventually no pioneer house could accomodate the crowds (not even Jacob Shook's with its chapel), and overflow crowds filled the yards.

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