This Week in Texas Methodist History June 23

Louise Brandt Describes “Old Fashioned Camp Meeting,” June 24, 1911

We often overlook the fact that although F. A. Mood (whose birthday we celebrated on June 23) relocated and renamed Soule University to create Southwestern University, the Chappell Hill Female Academy continued for another forty years. 

One of the last students was Louise Brandt.  On June 24, 1911 she submitted a class essay, “Old Fashioned Camp Meeting,”  which provides a wonderful insight into the campmeeting experience.  Fortunately for us, the essay is preserved in the Chappell Hill Historical Museum complete with corrections by the instructor. 

Brandt attaches her outline to the essay and then fills in details.  She begins with the physical setting.  The camp grounds were located where the prairie meets the oak-sycamore forest.  The prairie made it possible to catch winds from the south and east while the large trees provided shade.  There was a large tabernacle surrounded by tents which were served by water pumped from a well by a gasoline engine.  The tents were wooded, some of them two story and were comparable to what we would call fishing shacks.  

The next section “At Home” describes housekeeping for the two weeks the camp meeting was in session.   Families often hired cooks for the two weeks and children were assigned housekeeping chores.  Much of the time was spent at a beautiful spring with clear water and moss covered rocks.  The spring was a popular rendezvous spot for young couples. 

Brandt goes on to describe the services.  “Preachers from the surrounding towns help the evangelist.  The day began with prayer services at 6:30 a.m.  Regular services were at 11:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. In between the men would hold services in the woods and women would conduct their services in the tabernacle.  

Brandt also describes melon cutting parties and taking Kodak pictures.  

The essay is part of a collection that includes the account books of the Bellville Chappell Hill Camp Meeting association and a published history of the Association.    

The site occupied land once owned by Robert and Eliza Alexander, who called the springs mentioned in the essay Holly Springs.    The Association lasted from 1886 to 1917.  In addition to the Association’s files and the Brandt essay, the Museum collection also contains pictures of the participants.  The twenty-five acre plot formerly owned by the Association is now in private hands.  The only evidence remaining are the sycamores and the cast iron well casing.  The spring is now more of a seep, but the holly trees are still there.