About: William Wesley Van Orsdel

Rev. William Wesley Van Orsdel (March 20, 1848 – December 19, 1919), or "Brother Van", was a Methodist circuit rider in Montana who made a significant contribution to the spread of Methodism in Montana and to the early development of the state's public institutions. Throughout his career, Brother Van founded churches, universities, and hospitals; he converted and ministered to homesteaders, miners, and Native Americans; he worked with the elites and the poor, the famous (C.M. Russell counted Brother Van among his friends) and the forgotten in a career that spanned nearly fifty years.