At Waupun a class had been formed during the preceding year, as above stated, consisting of my father’s family, six persons in all, as follows:  Rev. Silas Miller, Eunice Miller, Henry L. Hilyar, Malvina F. Hilyar, Ezekiel T. Miller and myself.  This band consisted of three officers and three privates.  My father was the Local Preacher, my brother the Class Leader, and I the Exhorter.  My mother, sister and sister’s husband were the members.

Rev. Samuel Smith, an aged Local Preacher, and father of Rev. Charles Smith, a worthy member of the Wisconsin Conference, had settled, with his family, in Waupun during the preceding year, and had held religious services in private dwellings, whenever convenient.

Soon after the class was formed, Father Smith, as he was called, and his family identified themselves with the infant society and became efficient laborers in the Lord’s vinyard.  At the same time the class was strengthened by the addition of Dr. Brooks Bowman and his good lady.  Others were added during the year, including S.J.  Mattoon, Mr. and Mrs. S.A.L.  Davis, Mr. and Mrs. G.W.  Sexmith and Mrs. F.F.  Davis.  The class now numbered twenty-two members.

A building had been erected by the contributions of the people in the village and country adjacent, for the purpose of a chapel and a school house.  Regular services had been held in the new edifice for several months, both morning and evening.  But during the absence of the Pastor at Conference, two ministers of sister denominations came to the village and established appointments, occupying the house on alternate Sabbaths, thereby displacing the former occupants altogether.

On taking charge of the work, I called on the new comers and expressed a desire to occupy the house for the regular appointment once in two weeks, but found they were not disposed to meet my wishes.  I suggested that such had been the previous custom and that our appointments were so arranged, we could not work to any other than a two weeks’ plan.  But finding them still indisposed to accommodate me, I merely stated to them that the house, having been built mostly by my people, and in part by myself, I could claim as a right what I had begged as a favor, but, since I saw they were indisposed to give me the only hour that would accommodate the balance of my work, I should seek a place elsewhere.  At this juncture Dr. Brooks Bowman, the physician of the village, generously offered his residence as a temporary chapel, and it was gratefully accepted.  The wisdom of the movement was soon shown by the result.  The people came to the private house, and, when they could find no room within, they uncomplainingly stood without.  The Lord poured out his spirit upon the people abundantly.

The eldest daughter of our generous host, as the first trophy of grace, was converted.  Other conversions followed, and in a short time the number increased to twenty.  Among them were William McElroy and wife and several others, who became leading and influential members of the church in Waupun.