OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - About Circuit Riders
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October 6, 1998
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    From "Ohio Yesterday and Today" by Robert T. Howe, published 1888, pg 164-165:

Circuit Riders

Do you know what a circuit is?  This word is closely related to circle,
because a circuit forms a closed loop.   When new parts of Ohio were opened
to settlement, there were very few doctors, lawyers, teachers, or religious
leaders to serve the settlers.  The judges of a county had to ride circuit,
that is, go from place to place to settle conflicts.  Lawyers rode circuit
with the judges to help people solve legal problems.

Education was a problem for people in rural areas.  In some cases, teachers
created boarding schools in towns.  Children lived near the school for four
or five days a week and spent weekends at their homes.  Later, when there
were enough people in an area, they worked together to build a school and
to hire a teacher for their children.  But many children had to walk long
distances.

Many people in rural areas wanted religious leaders to help them worship
God, to marry them, and to pray at time of death.  Since few rural areas
could afford full-time religious leaders, these men also rode circuit.

                                                                           
    Extracted From "Let's Discover Ohio" by Kathy Akers and Janine Montgomery, pg 119:

                                CHURCH

    The Ohio pioneers had many hardships.  They had to rely upon nature to
survive.  They depended on their own skills and strength.  They also
depended upon God to help them.  At first the settlers held church services
in their homes.  Their neighbors came for the day.  They had prayer
meetings and then ate a big meal.  Most pioneers enjoyed going to church
services.  It gave them a chance to talk to their friends.
    Later, the pioneers built a log cabin church.  In some places they held
church in the schoolhouse.  Sometimes the preacher was also the
schoolteacher.
    Just as there were circuit judges, there were also traveling preachers.
 They were called circuit riders.  A circuit rider had 15 or 20 meeting
places to visit on his circuit.  he rode on horseback.  He performed
weddings and funerals.  He also baptized babies.  He was paid with some
clothing and food.
    Sometimes there were camp meetings in the woods.  The camp meeting
lasted a few days.  The pioneers brought food.  They sang songs and read
the Bible.  They listened to the preacher and prayed.
    The Ohio settlers' faith in God helped them through the many hard years
on the frontier.  Many Ohio colleges began as church schools.

               A circuit rider rode to several churches each week.