John Edminster letter, July 19, 1850

John Edminster was a Baptist missionary born in Cato, New York, in 1820. He was ordained a Pastor in Birmingham, PA, in 1842. He served as Pastor in White Deer, Clinton, Muncy, Derry, Moreland, and Madison, PA. In 1850, he moved to Oregon, Illinois, and established two churches there. He later served at several churches in Iowa, eventually becoming Pastor at Stillman Valley Church and residing at Hale, Ogle Co., Illinois.

A letter by John Edminster, dated at Oregon City, July 19, 1850. It is addressed to Mr. Parsons P. Meacham (Edminster’s Baptist Fellow), Cato Corners, Cayuga Co, N.Y., and describes his first impressions of his missionary work in Oregon City, Illinois, as well as a description of his visit to Niagara Falls. He writes “…I took the Steamer Emerald for Niagara Falls. We passed Black Rock, Fort Erie, & landed at Chippewa two miles above the falls, in sight of the battleground. Here we took the cars, in her Majesties Dominions…we arrived at this stupendous work of nature; where the great God Gethers a Contenant of water in his fist & dashes it down till the earth trembles…Goat Island contains 73 acres of beautiful woodland that runs down to the bluff that makes the falls causing a break in the falls making the Canada, & American falls…the wire Bridge is 2 miles below. No great thing, after it is done…”