Supplina Hamilton: Disciples of Christ Annual Meeting - Waitsburg, W.T. - June 1875

November 11, 2005

Charles Dailey sent this very interesting document to us Today (11/10/2005). Mr. Dailey is the lead researcher at www.NWHistory.cc , which chronicles the history of the Disciples of Christ movement in the Northwest. Charles recently returned from the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville, TN. <br><br> In the archives of the historical society Charles found the notes of a meeting Supplina Hamilton ('Bro Hamelton') was in near Waitsburg, Washington Territory in the third week of July 1875. Supplina was 42 years old at the time. <br><br> This was the first annual meeting of the 'Disciples' in this area and it gathered churches from Eastern Oregon and Washington Territory. The Church of Christ ministers gathered to decide on their approach to evangelizing the area. They took formal minutes of their meetings and sent them to the 'Christian Record' and the 'American Christian Review' to be published. It is the record of their minutes that we have in the attached PDF document. <br><br> At this meeting Supplina made the motion to set the next Annual Meeting on the 1st week of July 1875 in a grove on the W.P. Bruce place near Waitsburg, WA. This dovetails well with Aunt Effie's letter where she writes, "I was born in Waitsburg Wash. June 15, 1875 the eighth child of Supplina and Jane Hamilton during the first Christian camp meeting held in a cottonwood grove on the coppia [Coppei] Creek, it was an annual event for many, many years; my father was a minister of that faith, a pioneer, a black smith of no small repute in the early days in Washington where he lived for many years." <br><br> According to the meeting minutes it was decided that Brother Hamilton's 'field of labor' for the coming year would be the country lying between Weston, Umatilla Co., Oregon, and Pataha Prarie, Walla Walla County, W. T. <br><br> In the 1880 Census, Supplina and Jane are living near Waitsburg, W.T. Supplina lists his occupation as, 'preacher.' Supplina is the head of the household containing their nine children including their oldest son, Duron's wife and two children.

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