Finney Revival Tour

INTRODUCTION

Most of the roads Finney traveled on are in the same location now as they were then, so that I could easily envision a young man travelling by horseback throughout this frontier. The basic geography, the lay-of-the-land, and the remoteness of Northern New York has added much to my appreciation of the Finney story. In many ways, this area is still very much like the frontier it was over 180 years ago. Unfortunately, some of the buildings (in some cases, whole sections of the villages) have burned to the ground. This changes the historical value of these places and also puts a whole new meaning to the expression "Burned Over District". Some of the buildings have not been able to withstand the test of northern New York winters. But I have been able to find several churches that Finney preached in, along with some homes where he stayed and other landmarks that relate to his narrative.

The Northern tour covers parts of Jefferson, St. Lawrence, and Lewis Counties. This tour takes about four hours and is around two hundred miles in length; most of this time is spent driving through remote countryside. The Southern tour, which takes place mostly in Oneida County, is shorter because it is more compact geographically. Some of it involves driving in and near cities. You will also see why Finney thought this was some of the most beautiful country he had ever seen.

Many of the churches and school houses are now private homes. We encourage those who take the tour to respect the privacy of the homeowners by not stopping or taking photographs of these places.

The entire tour can be completed in about seven hours, covering around 300 miles which can be done in a day, including rest stops and a short lunch break. However, we feel that people get the most out of the tour when they do it over two half days. There is plenty to see and absorb.

The tour is circular so you can start at various points and return to the same place where you began. It is, however, best to start in Adams, New York, in order to start the tour where the story begins.

I am preparing a companion book and CD, which will include photos, custom-made maps, and details of what happened to the churches and people mentioned in the memoirs. At some point we would also like to provide audio CD's of the story, which will allow people to take a self-guided tour. This way you can drive and listen to this fascinating story at the same time.

Personally directed tours led by Penn Clark can be arranged by writing penn@penn-clark.com and asking for the costs involved in hosting a tour group.

Before you taking the tour you should read the descriptions explaining what you can see in these places. It would also be advisable to re-read the first fourteen chapters of Finney’s biography to become acquainted with the story or to refresh your memory. His memoirs can be read on-line or downloaded from this site by clicking “Memoirs” on our side menu. You can purchase the full version from most Christian bookstores or find a copy in your local public library.