Ellen G. White: The Lonely Years: 1876-1891 (vol. 3)

The Milton Camp Meeting in Eastern Oregon

Thursday the camp meeting near Milton opened with tents pitched in “Brother Nichols’” grove. “No pains were spared,” reported Haskell, “to make the grounds pleasant and attractive.”—Ibid., June 17, 1880. There were forty tents besides covered wagons, accommodating in all more than two hundred persons. On the two Sundays of the meeting, between a thousand and fifteen hundred crowded in. Ellen White participated actively in the various features of the program. A decision was reached at this meeting to divide the Oregon Conference, using the Cascade Range as the boundary. G. W. Colcord, sent by the General Conference to assist in the camp meeting, was elected president. Here Ellen White again met both A. T. Jones and W. L. Raymond, young ministers who would feature in later visits. She continued to push ahead with her writing, Mary White assisting her and also assisting in the meetings. Of her, Ellen wrote: 3BIO 140.3

She worked very very hard in many ways at the camp meeting, copying, cooking, playing the organ, acting for Willie in the Sabbath school work.—Letter 32, 1880. 3BIO 140.4

The journey back to Portland was by boat, on the Columbia River. Mrs. White felt honored to be assigned to the captain's table for meals (Ibid.) 3BIO 141.1