On Monday, July 20th, Brother King accompanied the parson on his way, by Butler's Mills and Harrison City on the Boyer river, eleven miles from Magnolia, thence to Olmsted, five miles, where they found Mr. Henry Olmsted, recently from Connecticut, busily engaged with numerous hands in the work of building a residence - Mrs. Olmsted not yet having arrived. Several Congregationalists were found here from Connecticut, who afterward became the nucleus of the Congregational church at Dunlap. On the next day, Tuesday, July 21st, they went to Denison, twent-three miles, and lodged with a Mr. Goodrich, one mile beyond the village. The day following they went by Wellington to Judge Morehead's at Ida county, covering about a quarter section. There were then but twenty-five persons in the county, all told. At Morehead's, an old stage station, they met a Mr. Hubbard, of Cherokee, a Yankee settlement, twenty-five miles north of this place, from whom they learned that Cherokee was the only settlement in the county, and consisted of four families, including twelve men.

Thursday, July 23d, they rode together down the Maple river, as far as Mapleton, where they parted; Brother King returning to Magnolia and the parson proceeding to Smithland, a village on the Little Sioux River, where he preached in the evening. Here were found families of liberal education and fine culture from the vicinity of Boston, who had brought their pianos with them, and who informed him that in the previous winter of 1856-7 they had been so blocked by snow drifted by driving winds that they drew flour from a point forty miles east of there on a hand sled, and to avoid strving some had to subsist on bread made of bran. While they were ready to perish, the people in Fremont were having plenty, and receiving high prices at Council Bluffs for every kind of farm produce taken to that market.

From Smithland to Sargent's Bluff is about thirty miles, and for the last twenty of that thirty miles the road was on the Missouri bottom, which in this vicinity is about twenty miles wide. This portion of the road was, at this season of the year, impassable in day time by horses, unless well covered, on account of the prevalence of a species of green-headed flies, from which, if unprotected, the horse would be killed. The parson, therefore, waited on Friday, July 24th, at Smithland, until 7 o'clock p.m., when he set out for a thirty mile ride, twenty miles of which must be passed in the night - the road a single track, through tall grass, with a few branch roads to lead astray, and no person of whom to inquire the way, nor dwelling house in twenty miles. Silently plodding the lonely way, the parson proceeded, surrounded by a chorus of frogs, too modest to sing in the immediate presence of a nocturnal traveler, but ready to resume as soon as he had passed along - interluded by the incessant humming of myriads of mosquitoes, that never dreamed of modesty - eager to sing in the face of a king, nor were ever known even to blush in the presence of royalty. So the parson passed on hour after hour in sombre suspense, uncertain whether the outcome would be Sargent's Bluff or some other destination, until the barking of some faithful watch dog, or the distant glimmer of some friendly lamp occasioned a sigh of relief, and assured him that he had not missed his way. Between hope and fear the gauntlet has been successfully run, and he has safely reached again an inhabited land. As "necessity knows no law," orderly habits are forgotten and the rider retires to his couch at one o'clock a. m. of the 25th. After rest and refreshment, the itinerant is again in the saddle and completes the journey to Sioux City - eight miles - by 11 a.m., takes quarters at the Pacific House, and improves the remainder of the day in hunting up the wandering sheep.

On Monday, July 27th, search was continued for the flock in city and suburbs, and a number of Congregationalists, as was supposed, were found, some of whom proved to be of other denominations. But having found some, and having arranged to organize two weeks hence, the parson crossed the river and turned south, through the settlements in Nebraska, - Dakota City, Omadi, Omaha Reservation, Decatur, Tekama, Cumming City, De Soto, Calhoun, etc., finding some professing Christians in every flourishing settlement, but nowhere a sufficient number of Congregationalists to warrant an organization.

After a week or more at home, the parson set out on a second tour to Sioux City on the 4th of August, 1857, passing up through Glenwood, Council Bluffs, Crescent City, Magnolia, Preparation, Belvidere, Smithland, and Sargent's Bluff to Sioux City. Desirous to get through with an unpleasant task, he left Smithland earlier in the afternoon than he had done on the first trip, so that he reached the Missouri bottoms before the sun was entirely gone, when, as he ventured forward, the flies so covered and crazed the horse that after fighting them for a time it seemed to give up in despair, and so set forward on a keen run, until the shadows of night came to its relief. Sargent's Bluff was reached at 10 p.m. on Friday, and Sioux City at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 8, 1857, and lodgings taken at the Pacific House. On Sunday attended Methodist meeting at 11 a.m., and announced a meeting and organization of a Congregational church at 7:30 p.m., but at that hour a violent thunder storm and sweeping rain took the precedence, and no meeting was had. On Monday morning the parties interested were convened, Articles of Faith and Covenant were agreed upon, adopted and formally assented to, and the church duly formed. Crossed the Missouri river at Sioux City as on the previous trip, and returned home as before through Nebraska.

Still there remained that portion of Nebraska south of the Platte river to be visited. Accordingly the pastor set forth again on the 20th of August, 1857, crossed the river at Kenosha, where were found Bela White and wife, Festus Reed and wife, Congregationalists. Next day he proceeded by Eight Mile Grove on Bachelor Creek, crossing from there to Cedar Creek, abut seven miles without any road or trail, where he found Mr. Tozier and wife, who had been years before members of the Congregationalist church at California City or Florence. In the afternoon he returned toward Plattsmouth, lodged with Mr. Maxwell, a Presbyterian, and next day passed on to Rock Bluff, crossed the river and returned home, not having found any material to justify the organization of a church. thus ended that special effort to hold our own as Congregationalists in the Missouri valley. Nebraska City was occupied before this time by a Presbyterian organization. The parson preached for some time at Sidney, but as Presbyterians predominated there, when Father Bell came from eastern Iowa and started a ladies' seminary there, he yielded the ground to him.

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