Reverend Henry Raines was a farmer, carpenter, and Baptist pastor who built a church in Willow River, British Columbia, and was likely the person who persuaded Albert and Effie Henry to relocate there in 1923. The above photo of Raines is from Effie Henry’s photo album. Although he isn’t family, I am giving him his own page since he seems to have been such an influential figure in the Henry family’s story.
I will be creating a separate post about Willow River and its residents, as there’s so much to tell and some really great photos from the Effie’s album.
I’m also categorizing the Raines story as a “mystery” because I’m wondering if there may be clues out there in the form of (Albert Henry’s?) letters and intersecting family lore that can shed light on how the Henry family met and came to follow Rev. Raines more than 2,000 miles to a remote area of a foreign country.
Below is the text from a profile written about Raines in the Prince George Citizen, published 26 January 1953 when Raines was 84 years old. It’s a glowing tribute to the Reverend, who lived the rest of his life in WIllow River. But first, here’s an amusing counterpoint from Hazel’s memories, as recorded by my mother:
In 1922 there was a railroad strike in the United Sates and Albert Henry was out of a job. At the time Albert was communicating with Henry Raines, a minister friend who had moved up to Willow River, British Columbia, which is near Prince George. The minister made the area sound enticing, so much so Albert secured a train pass for his whole family and mother in law to travel there and find work. Once in Willow River he bought a team of horses, which enabled him to carry freshly cut logs of trees from thick forests, hauling them away, and helping to clear the roadway. Hazel loved having horses.
Henry Raines was an interesting fellow. Story has it when he got off the train he told the people waiting to greet them, “ I’ve come here to Christianize the heathen.” That didn’t go down well considering he had left his wife and had traveled up to British Columbia with another woman and her family. Mr. Golder, a resident of the town, told him he would come to church the day the minister preached about adultery! Raines never did. The Henry family’s stay in British Columbia was brief – less than a year. The deciding factor to return home was to secure education for their daughters, Hazel, Mildred and Bertie. In the town of British Columbia there was a one-room schoolhouse and that fall the teacher announced that the children would have to be in school for an extra year. At that Albert decided to return to the United States and to make sure his children had the education he wanted for them.
Hazel Henry Hine’s memories of Henry Raines, written by Miranda Hine
Here is the profile on Raines. I have added pertinent biographical information in brackets:
Pioneer Minister Still Active At Willow River
By Edna Varner
Rev. Henry [Eugene] Raines still conducts regular Sunday services at the First Baptist Church in Willow River in spite of his almost 84 years. Born Feb. 20, 1869, he was the youngest child in a family of eight. His father was William Raines [and Martha Bradey], country storekeeper and truck gardener of Haypress [Bluffdale Township, Greene County], Illinois. As a child Henry Raines attended the school near his home and helped with the gardening. Gardening was his chief interest and he has made it a profitable hobby all his life.
In April 1889, at the age of 20, he was married to Miss Sophia Early. Five children were born to them, and the two surviving ones, Mrs. Bessie Smith [husband: Harry Smith] and Mrs. Mattie [Martha Caroline] Short [husband: Alvin Short], now live at Willow River.
After marriage he moved onto a worn-out Illinois farm of dandy ridges and converted it into a profitable truck farm, with watermelons as a specialty crop. Sugar cane was a crop of the district and for years he ran a sorghum mill on his farm.
STUDIED BIBLE
When he became interested in the the ministry he studied the Bible under the pastor of the Baptist Church of his community, Rev. Thomas Marsh, who was a self-educated man. He had no formal theological training but he became such an authority on the Bible that he was often called upon by theological seminaries to settle points of dispute about the Bible.
To learn the art and practice of public speaking the student minister took an active part in lyceum and literary societies.
He was ordained as a minister at Bluffdale, Ill., on Dec. 6, 1900, and has taken an active part in church work ever since. Soon after he built a church on his own farm to serve his community and this was the first of three churches he was to build with his own hands. He assisted in building others
In his 20 years of church work in the States he serve in various churches in the states of Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.
After the First World War a boyhood friend of Rev. Raines had bought a farm at Willow River. William Farris recommended to the Baptist Missionary Board of Vancouver that they get in touch with Rev. Raines who was at Oakdale, Ill., at the time.
WILLOW RIVER IN 1920
It was not an encouraging sight that greeted him as he stepped off the train at Willow River early in the summer of 1920. The real estate boom had exploded at the start of the war in 1914, and by 1920 only nine families were left in the settlement. There were no streets, no highway, no church, no parsonage and no church funds to proceed with. The only means of transportation was the railway and the trains were still irregular and uncertain.
Mrs. Raines had died previous to this time [1902], and the motherless family was housed at first in a cabin owned by William Farris. A garden was planted, a cow and chickens bought, a job secured for the minister, and the family was self-supporting. With a living assured the church work had to be gotten on with.
The lack of a church and church funds did not daunt the new minister. A vigorous, independent man of 52 he was accustomed to solving his own problems.
Looking about for materials to work with he found that the Norther Lumber Covid. Had moved their mill to Giscome some time before and had left their camp buildings standing. Dipping into his own savings he bought two of the buildings. In what time he could spare from his job he tore down the buildings, moved the lumber and started building the church. There were no shingles so he chopped down trees and split the shingles (shakes) from the trunks. The seating problem was solved in the same way— he built the benches. An organ was later donated by Mrs. M. Coker, one of the congregation. By fall the church was ready for services and it was dedicated the following January.
DISADVANTAGES
There were certain natural disadvantages to living at Willow River that first summer. Pack rats repeatedly dug the chinking out of the log houses and everything small enough for them to carry had to be practically nailed down or it couldn’t be found when wanted. The low ground swarmed with mosquitoes who took full advantage of any holes dug by the rats. Smudges, indoors and out, were the only way to make life bearable. At night nets had to be used over the beds in order to get any sleep.
In [May] 1923 Rev. Raines married Mrs. Mattie [Jane Henson] Blair [To save you the confusion I went through, Henry Raines’ daughter Mattie and wife Mattie are two different individuals], a widow with one child [Naomi], which he adopted as his own. This child is now Mrs. William Brown of Willow River. In addition to his own church services Rev. Raines often walked to Giscome and preached services there. Generay he walked the five miles to and from his home. He also worked for years with Capt. Watson of the Salvation Army, while Capt. Watson was in Prince George.
BOUGHT LOTS
Believing that the town had a future he bought lots and cleared them to encourage new settlers to come to the town. Some of these lots are still in his possession. In 1938 he obtained a cemetery site from the government and he also cleared this and prepared it for use. It is the only registered cemetery in Willow River.
Rev. Raines has maintained his sturdy independence over the years. He has never received any salary for his services as minister. Working shoulder to shoulder with the men of his congregation he has supported his family by his own efforts as a carpenter, logger and gardener. He firmly refused take the old age pension until 1951 when he was 82 years of age.
He is not a large man but he gives the impression of strength of mind and character. There is an engaging simplicity in his strait forward manner, and a convincing sincerity in his conversation. His hair is white but his kindly grey eyes are clear and undimmed. His church and his community are still his chief concerns. His family, all at Willow River, consists of three daughters, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
When asked about the lack of a salary as a minister, he said simply, “I never wanted to pay for the Lord’s work that is my pleasure.”
