The work in western Pennsylvania began in the Venango county oil region. In the year 1867 Mr. H. A. Crouch located at the Storey Farm, near Oil City and engaged in the oil business. He was a man of great simplicity of spirit and of strong faith in God. The writer but a youth when he first knew him, remembers and cherishes him as one of the most lovely and lovable characters he ever met. His wife was one of the excellent of the earth. Marvelously converted in early life in the midst of prevalent spiritual darkness, he was in 1859 under the labors of such men as B. T. Roberts, W. C. Kendall and others, led into the experience of holiness. In 1863 he and his wife united with the Free Methodist church in Rochester, New York. In the oil region he became acquainted with Rev. B. W. Hawkins, an elder in the Erie conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, at that time bookkeeper for the Columbia Farm Oil Company. Through the influence of Mr. Crouch and his wife Mr. Hawkins was led into the experience of holiness and later to unite with the Free Methodist church. Mr. Hawkins was a man of very pleasing manner and address, great personal magnetism and an able minister of the gospel. In the zenith of his power he combined in his pulpit ministrations clear statement of truth, more than ordinary ability as an orator, a vivid imagination and a flow of language and power of expression which enabled him to paint word pictures which at times were overwhelming. A very great measure of the Spirit at times attended his preaching. The writer recalls many marvelous scenes of blessing and victory among the people of God at such times. He united with the Susquehanna conference in September, 1870, and was appointed to Oil Creek Mission. Soon after the conference the first society was organized at Columbia Farm about six miles from Oil City. B. W. Hawkins was the pastor. The following were members, with others whose names cannot be secured: H. A. Crouch, Mrs. H. A. Crouch, Mrs. Wood, Miss Frankie Wood, Mrs. Miller, Miss Minnie White, Mrs. Ferry, Miss Mary Smith, Mr. Shaw, Mrs. Shaw.

In the summer of 1871 a camp meeting was held at Oil City. H. A. Crouch writing of this meeting says: “The sound thereof went abroad. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Dover, New Jersey, and other places felt its influence for it was ‘born of God.’ Heaven and earth felt its power.” Soon after a society was organized in Oil City. The following were among the charter members of this society. Charles Lee, Jennie Davis, Mrs. Reynolds, Mary E. Holtzman, Mary Marshal, James Whitehull and wife, Margaret Lee. From these two nuclei at Columbia Farm and Oil City the fire spread all over the northwestern part of the state.

In July, 1874, a camp meeting was held at Franklin, Pennsylvania, in charge of B. W. Hawkins who was at that time chairman of the Allegany district, Genesee conference. E. P. Hart, then district chairman in the Michigan conference, attended this meeting preaching with great power and effect. In attendance at the meeting was J. B. Corey, a coal dealer from Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. At the close of the meeting he insisted on Mr. Hart’s going with him to Braddock and preaching there before he returned to Michigan. He consented and on Sabbath, July 26, 1874, he preached the first sermon in the United Presbyterian church in the morning, also preaching in a hail at three o’clock in the afternoon and at half past seven in the evening. In September of the same year he and his wife returned to Braddock and held a series of meetings in which over one hundred and fifty people professed conversion and a strong class was organized. The following are some of those who formed this first class: A. Boreland, Elizabeth Boreland, Ella Boreland, Rachel Corey, J. B. Corey, Cyrus Riley, Nancy Riley, Rachel Wallace, I. A. Pierce, Edward Koib, Reese McWilliams, Mary McWilliams, Richard McWilliams, Agnes McWilliams, James McWilliams, Elizabeth McWi1liams Adda McWilliams, Matilda Phillips and others. This society was organized in September, 1874. Rev. E. Leonardson of the Michigan conference was placed in charge of the work for the first year. The General Conference which met in October, 1874, gave the territory in western Pennsylvania to the Genesee conference which had charge of the work there until the formation of the Pittsburg conference in 1883.

On account of its isolated condition and other circumstances the work in the southwestern part of the state for several years made but little progress. The work in the vicinity of Oil City, however, developed steadily. Societies were organized at Franklin, Tionesta, East Hickory, Tidioute, one near Bradford in the McKean county oil regions and at other more remote points. One society at a country point known then as Stewart’s Run, P. 0., in Forest county is worthy of special notice because from that society seven preachers went out into the work, six of whom, John S. McGeary, A. D. Zahniser, J. J. Zahniser, E. S. Zahniser, R. A. Zahniser, and A. H. M. Zahniser, the last five brothers the sons of a godly Presbyterian mother,—are still engaged in active service.

At the General Conference of 1882 a petition having been presented requesting it, the territory in Pennsylvania lying west of the eastern boundary of Potter county and the Allegheny mountains was separated from the Genesee conference and made into a new conference known as the Pittsburg conference. A little later the boundary line on the east was changed to run due south across the state from the northeast corner of Potter county. The first session of this conference was held at Oil City, Pennsylvania, October 18-20, 1883. E. P. Hart presided. The following preachers from the Genesee conference in full connection were received: J. T. Michael, R. W. Hawkins, John S. M’Geary, J. Barnhart. James Spear united from the Wesleyan Methodist connection but on account of his age and poor health never was engaged in active work. J. D. Rhodes who had been one year on trial in the Genesee conference also united. A. D. Gaines, M. L. Sehooley, W. B. Roupe and D. B. Tobey were admitted on trial. J. Baruhart was ordained elder. Five hundred and eighteen members and probationers were reported. Fifteen circuits are noted in the first list of appointments, four of which were left to be supplied.

Very soon after its organization the conference struck stormy sailing and for a time it looked as though the work would be wrecked. But God undertook. The disturbing element withdrew and God set his seal of approval upon the work as never before. A flame of revival broke out all over the conference, societies were organized, churches built and the work enlarged and strengthened in a manner almost unprecedented in the history of Free Methodism. The work was deep and thorough. The fruit remains until this day. Among the effective agencies for the spread of the work were the camp meetings. These were in the beginning of the work usually held in communities where we had no societies and thus new, fields were opened up into which the ministers entered and held revival meetings and societies were organized. As the work spread many young men were converted to whom came the call “Go ye,” and a host of earnest, devoted, self-sacrificing, courageous preachers was raised up to care for and carry on the work. Also of the ”hand maidens” not a few. It required faith and courage to go forward. Frequently a preacher’s appointment as it appeared in the minutes represented only an opportunity to make a circuit—no societies, churches, parsonage or official board—but without a murmur they went forth and God honored their faith and gave them success.

One of the results of the organization of the new conference was that the work in the southwestern portion of the state was given more attention and made rapid progress as well as that in the northwestern part. At the session of the Pittsburg conference held September 27 to October 1, 1898, at New Castle, Pennsylvania, a resolution was adopted asking the General Conference to divide the territory into two conferences. The petition was granted, the division was made and two conferences, the Oil City and the Pittsburg, were created out of the territory, the Oil City conference occupying a little more than one-half of the original territory in the northwestern part of the state, and the Pittsburg the remaining part in the southwestern section of the state, and the state of West Virginia. Some changes in the boundaries of the two conferences have been made since. At the time of this division there were about two thousand nine hundred members and probationers in the conference and about seventy-five preachers regularly employed. At the present writing (1908) there are three thousand and nine hundred members and probationers in the two conferences and about eighty-five preachers actively engaged in the work.

As the writer closes this brief sketch of the work in western Pennsylvania, with which he has been personally associated for a period of about thirty years, many names and faces seem to rise up before him and a host of recollections come trooping up from the past. It would be pleasant to dwell upon these recollections and write of those whose names are thus recalled. Of two names which will always be historic in connection with the origin and growth of our work there he feels that particular mention should be made—Clifford B. Barrett, the “Happy Alleghenian,” and Mrs. Jennie Tobey, familiarly known as “Grandma Tobey.”

Clifford B. Barrett was born in New Hampshire. He was left an orphan while a child and was raised without any religious training by an uncle who was a Universalist. He was naturally of a jolly, hilarious, fun-loving disposition. In his early manhood he drifted into the lumber woods of western Pennsylvania. This was in the days when the lumbermen after cutting their lumber “rafted” it down the Allegheny river to market. Among the boisterous, jolly men who frequented the lumber camps and the river in those days “Clifford” found congenial companions. For years in the lumber woods and on the river in “rafting time,” according to his own testimony “with a whisky bottle in one pocket and a deck of cards in the other” he was known as the “Wild Alleghenian.” Brought under conviction by the Spirit of God while preaching a mock sermon for the amusement of some of his wild companions, he was soon marvelously saved and some time afterward sanctified. He became as enthusiastic in the service of God as he had beforetime been in the service of the enemy and, still following the lumber business for some years, he was renamed the “Happy Ahleghenian.” Soon after the organization of the Free Methodist church he united with it. For many years no camp meeting, conference or any general gathering of pilgrims in western Pennsylvania seemed complete without the presence of Brother Barrett. Those who once heard his “Hallelujah” or “Amen” will never forget them. The writer expects to hear and recognize them on the other shore. Devoting his entire time to the work of God without human guarantee of support or appointment by any conference (although he was a licensed evangelist) he traveled, as he often said, through “eighteen different states and more or less in Canada,” and was the means of leading many sinners to Christ and many believers into the experience of holiness. He was somewhat eccentric and this became more marked as he grew older, but he lived and walked in the Spirit and was mighty in prayer, simple, direct and positive in his testimonies, and oftentimes powerful in exhortation. He especially loved the young preachers of the conference, calling them usually in private, and often publicly praying for them, by their first names. His “hobby” was holiness. He insisted everywhere, always, that the pilgrims be “very definite” in the experience of this grace and in their testimony concerning it. His wish had always been to fall in the battle but this was not gratified. He was laid aside for some time before his death and was a great sufferer, but maintained his victorious experience to the last. His last words, addressed to his sister, were, “O, Dillie, help me praise the Lord.” And thus he went to be with Jesus. In the beautiful cemetery at Tionesta, Pennsylvania, by the side of the Allegheny river which he loved so well, in a grave marked by a plain stone on which is engraved as he requested, “C. B. Barrett Gone to Glory,” his ashes await the resurrection morning.

“Grandma” Tobey was brought up a Universalist and was never awakened to the claims of God or the need of experimental religion until her children were grown to manhood and womanhood. In order as she thought to keep her own children and other young people from getting into bad company she used to have dances in her own home and dance with them. Her husband was a lumberman on Tionesta creek. At that time the virgin forest lined this stream on both sides for the most of its length. Here and there were clearings where the lumbermen had been at work. When her children had become young men and women, and two of them had gone away to school the Spirit of God showed her how she had failed to do her duty by them and she was brought under conviction for sin and the need of a personal experience of salvation. She earnestly sought God and was soon marvelously converted in her own home and began to let her light shine in her home and among those employed by her husband in the manufacture of lumber. Soon after her conversion she was led to see her need of a deeper experience but knew no name for it. Speaking to the pastor of the Methodist church, which she had joined, of this he told her she must be patient and grow into the experience she felt she needed. In the summer of 1871 she attended a camp meeting at Oil City in charge of B. T. Roberts, and obtained the experience of a clean heart. Soon after the way was opened for meetings at the point on Tionesta creek where her home was and it was not long until revival fires were kindled and the lumber camps where before, blasphemy, drinking and revelry abounded were resounding with the praises of God. She had remarkable faith in God. Her children, a son and two daughters, had married Catholics. She took their cases to God in prayer and prevailed. They were all saved. Her son has been for years an able minister and successful soul winner. His wife is one of the noblest of God’s saints. Another illustration of her faith: Her husband and son had cut some logs but the streams were low and they could not get them to the mill. “Grandma” went to God about it and got an answer. She told them to get everything ready for it was going to rain and they would get their logs down. They acted on her advice and to the surprise of all but herself, for it had been very dry, it rained, the streams came up and they got the logs all down to the mill. Others who laughed at her faith started to get ready after the rain came but before they could accomplish anything the water fell and their logs remained in the woods all summer. They still tell on Tionesta creek of “Grandma Tobey’s flood.” To the prayers, testimonies and faith of “Grandma” as much as to any one agency is due the work of God in north western Pennsylvania. In a green old age she still lives. Her face still shines as it did the first time the writer saw it in a little school-house over thirty years ago; her testimonies still retain their note of victory; she is still a welcome visitor at quarterly meetings, camp meeting or conference; many regard her as a “mother in Israel”—their mother; in that great day when the jewels are made up in her crown will be many stars and many will rise up and call her blessed.