Take Me Down to The Hurricane Camp Meeting

Take Me Down to The Hurricane Camp Meeting

Written by Austin Valentine Jr.

It was a hot and humid August day in 1988, as an ailing old man named James William Croft – J. W. for short – and his 13-year-old grandson began an eight-mile journey, walking to an area camp revival. The event was hosted by the Hurricane Methodist Church near the small town of Tolu, Kentucky. The grandfather, whom the boy called “Buddy,” wanted to walk to the camp revival, as he did in his younger years. Moreover, he wanted his grandson to experience the rather lengthy religious excursion for himself.

However, Buddy’s own son was concerned for his father’s health, passing the pair about every ten minutes, asking them to get in his air-conditioned car to ride the remaining distance to the camp meeting together. This opportunity sounded like a great idea to the grandson. However, his grandfather shook his head no and continued walking up the shoulder of the rural Crittenden County, Kentucky roadway.

As the pair meandered their way closer and closer to their destination, Buddy talked about his childhood, describing when he, his sister, and parents used to go to the camp meeting every year. Fascinated, the young boy continued walking and listening, ignoring the hot sunlight beating down on the back of his neck or his sore feet. When the duo was roughly three miles away, Buddy had to stop and rest; it was obvious – even to his grandson – that Buddy’s health was declining, which made finishing this trip all the more important. However, Buddy could not continue any further, so he and his grandson got into his son’s air-conditioned car and proceeded together to the revival.

What made this night, so special to Buddy was that it was the 100th-anniversary celebration of the Hurricane Camp Meeting. The Hurricane Camp Meeting site and the Hurricane Methodist Church both have a rich Western Kentucky history that dates back to 1843. That was the year when local resident Richard Minner donated the ground where the church stands today.

As the local community expanded, a need for a community cemetery began to arise. This need was satisfied by Crittenden County resident Robert H. Haynes when he donated four acres to the Methodist church for a burial ground in 1875. Mr. Haynes had been saving this particular plat of ground since 1850, when he sold the land surrounding those four acres to President Andrew Jackson’s son Andrew Jackson, Jr.[1] President Jackson’s son utilized the surrounding land to construct the Hurricane Iron Furnace, also known as the Jackson Furnace. However, the 34-foot furnace, which stood near the church property, only operated for a short period of time.[2]

Nevertheless, the church elders S. K. Breeding, Richard S. Clark, Samuel F. Crider, Newton Franks, Joel W. Guess, John B. Perry, and James F. Terry saw no need for such a large cemetery, so they took part of the donated ground and turned it into a camp meeting site sometime prior to the first revival in the fall of 1888.[3] Ever since the first Hurricane Camp Meeting, the revival has drawn crowds from multiple states – often running out of room for those who came and established a campsite during the religious event. Moreover, the Hurricane Camp Meeting also has ties to most families that settled in or around Crittenden County – including Buddy’s own relatives.

Oral history claims how Buddy’s relatives often provided livery services and lodging for those who rode in from out of town. However, a more recent and well-documented account describes how one of Buddy’s distant cousins, James Buckner Croft (1870-1953), who owned one of the first automobiles in the area, provided transportation from the nearby river-town of Tolu, Kentucky. James would pick up individuals who used the Ohio River ferry to cross over from Illinois to attend the community revival.[4] Therefore, a trip to the Hurricane Camp Meeting was not just a religious pilgrimage for Buddy and his family; it was part of his family’s heritage.

Over the years, the Hurricane Camp meeting has continued to flourish. The revival draws crowds from across the Midwest, who come to hear the ringing of the opening bell, listen to the spiritually uplifting sermons, and enjoy the food served after the services. However, for James William Croft – Buddy – his trips to the historic camp meeting ended after October 14, 1993, the same year his grandson graduated from Crittenden County High School. For J. W. Croft (1920-1993), these trips like the one on the camp’s 100th anniversary served a dual purpose, a chance to exhibit his Christian faith and an opportunity to bond with his family. As for his grandson, it is one of the fondest memories I have of my Grandfather Croft – “Buddy.”

(James William Croft "Buddy" and his wife Rosa Lee (Lemon) Croft)

[1] Brenda Joyce Jerome, “Hurricane Church and Camp Meeting,” Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, February 19, 2015, accessed May 5, 2021, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/hurricane-church-and-camp-meeting.html. [2] Kentucky Historical Society, “Hurricane Furnace,” Historical Marker Database Search, last modified 2021, accessed May 9, 2021, https://secure.kentucky.gov/kyhs/hmdb/MarkerSearch.aspx?mode=All. [3] Brenda Travis Underdown, “June 10, 2013, the 125th Hurricane Camp Meeting,” Forgotten Passages, June 6, 2013, accessed May 6, 2021, http://ourforgottenpassages.blogspot.com/2013/06/june-10-2013-125th-hurricane-camp.html. [4] Austin Valentine, Jr., The Westward Migration - The History of the John Frederick Croft Family (Marion, KY: Austin Valentine Jr., 2015), 289.