The evening wore on, and along in the night she heard the approach of wagon wheels, and to her intense relief Air. Scamahorn drove up to the tent. He said that he just felt impelled to get home that night, and everything had worked out right for it. He found wood at the first ridge, quite easy to load, and the oxen had walked exceedingly well. In the morning the strangers were gone. Like Arabs, they had silently folded their tents, and glided away.

First Church and First Services

On the second Sunday in May, 1884, about seventy-five people gathered in front of the Scamahorn tent, and Rev. John A. Scamahorn organized the first Methodist church west of Valentine. The service was opened with "Guide Me Oh, Thou Great Jehovah," then a prayer was offered, and the 23rd Psalm was read, and then the latter part of the fourth chapter of Saint John. The next hymn was "Rock of Ages," after which Reverend Scamahorn preached to his audience, which sat about upon the ground, the woodpile and on wagon tongues. The text chosen was, "Then Simon Peter answered and said, To whom shall we go. Thou hast the words of eternal life." Great earnestness and zeal marked the words of Reverend Scamahorn, and they made their impress upon the lives of pioneers of thirtyseven years ago, in that vicinity. Following the service the class was organized ; there were thirteen members.

Just thirty years thereafter, the tine new church edifice of Gordon was built at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars.