▁Gro ve ▁on ▁Mar tha ' s ▁V ine yard ) ▁it ▁was ▁created ▁specifically ▁so ▁that ▁two ▁dozen ▁Method ist ▁churches ▁of ▁the ▁Lyn n ▁and ▁Boston ▁districts ▁could ▁have ▁easier ▁access ▁to ▁rev ival ▁meet ings . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁meeting ▁at ▁As bury ▁Gro ve ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁week ▁of ▁August , ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁and ▁attract ed ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁at ▁its ▁in ception . ▁Some ▁reports ▁state ▁that ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁that ▁first ▁week , ▁the ▁attend ance ▁had ▁grown ▁to ▁nearly ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 . ▁As ▁with ▁other ▁camp ▁meet ings ▁in ▁other ▁towns , ▁these ▁were ▁major ▁events , ▁often ▁dou bling ▁or ▁tri pling ▁( or , ▁multip lying ▁even ▁further ) ▁a ▁town ' s ▁population ▁during ▁the ▁gather ing . ▁ ▁Re ver end ▁Gor ham ▁proposed ▁that ▁camp ▁life ▁should ▁be ▁mod est , ▁and ▁most ▁early ▁camp ▁meet ings ▁reflected ▁this ▁ide ology ▁by ▁construct ing ▁only ▁cloth ▁t ents ▁( part icip ants ▁paid ▁a ▁small ▁fee ▁to ▁rent ▁a ▁tent ▁site ) ▁and ▁wooden ▁pre aching ▁stands . ▁Gor ham ▁also ▁encourag ed ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁“ soci ety ▁t ents ” ▁where ▁smaller ▁groups ▁could ▁meet ▁to ▁hold ▁b ible ▁study ▁and ▁prayer ▁meet ings . ▁▁ ▁As bury ▁Gro ve ' s ▁main ▁pre aching ▁ven ue ▁became ▁The ▁Circle , ▁which ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁ 3 6 ▁large ▁t