USA > Illinois > Brethren in northern Illinois and Wisconsin > Part 2
USA > Wisconsin > Brethren in northern Illinois and Wisconsin > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20
16
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
now the Mt. Carroll cemetery. Thus began this new burial ground which was the gift of David Emmert, and Stranger Smith was the first to find a resting place in it. Here David Emmert was laid to rest later.
In another emergency Emmert came to the front. After serving one year the first county judge resigned. Who became his successor? None other than this same David Emmert filled the office for the remaining three years, closing his term in 1853. The very next year the Arnold's Grove congregation called him to the ministry when he was forty-nine years of age. In those days the church called to the ministry men who had demon- strated their business ability and their leadership and who had proved the stability of their character. For three years Emmert served in the ministry. He closed his earthly labors on Septem- ber 30, 1857, remembered as an able business man, a community builder and a faithful Christian.
Now we turn to the second of the Price sisters. Daniel and Elizabeth Price Arnold left their home in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, in May of 1840, bound for Illinois. Their route was by boat down the Ohio, up the Mississippi to Savanna, then twenty miles overland to Cherry Grove, where the broth- er-in-law, David Emmert, was living. Looking for a location, they purchased 260 acres of land four miles northeast of Mt. Carroll, at what was then known as Swaggert's Grove, but ever after was known as Arnold's Grove, which also became the name of the church that was later organized. Thus did Daniel Arnold begin to stamp his name and character on the community. For the time being the family moved into the log house, 14 feet by 18 feet, in which Swaggert had lived. Having so recently en- dured the hardships of their long and tedious journey westward, a new sorrow awaited the Arnolds. On July 1, only a few weeks after they had taken up their abode in the log cabin, their ten-year-old son, Daniel, Jr., sickened and died. On a hill about eighty rods north of the cabin a new wound was made in Mother Earth, a sacred spot, where later Father and Mother Arnold found their last resting place.
Because they had enjoyed a stately residence of Pennsyl- vania Dutch type the log cabin could not long satisfy the Ar- nolds, who planned a more imposing residence. Soon the woods resounded with the repeated blows of the ax as Arnold felled
17
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
trees for the lumber. He also dug the clay and burned the red brick for the house which was to become a landmark in the community. The building material was assembled close by a fine spring. Three things these early settlers sought: productive soil, good water and an abundance of wood-these were essen- tials for those who would succeed. That Arnold built well is shown by the fact that the house is still in excellent state of pres- ervation. It is now occupied by Mrs. Carrie Eisenbise Bissicum- mer, the daughter of William Eisenbise, who was for a long time elder and minister of the Arnold's Grove congregation. When the Arnolds moved into their new home the log cabin became the community schoolhouse, and in it church services were con- ducted. In fact, the cabin became an all-purpose building, often housing temporarily new arrivals while they were building a house for themselves.
The last of these three families to come west was the Henry and Mary Price Strickler family, who arrived in Carroll County in 1841. Of course Mary would want to live near her sisters so the Stricklers bought a farm adjoining the Arnold farm, the res- idences being not far apart. With the Emmerts living in Mt. Carroll, only four miles distant, these three families closely knit by blood and spiritual ties became the nucleus for the first Church of the Brethren in the northern part of Illinois. We may consider Daniel Arnold a lay leader of deep-seated religious character. In his home and in the schoolhouse he was the church leader before there was a minister among them. Henry Strickler was a minister when he came to Illinois, the first Brethren minister for our present state district. His arrival begat new life and injected a more active church atmosphere throughout the settlement.
Henry Strickler had been called to the ministry in the his- toric Price meetinghouse near Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, on October 23, 1825. His sixteen years of active service in the min- istry had prepared him for effective leadership in his new en- vironment. Thus it came to pass that in the summer of 1842 when Joseph Emmert and his son-in-law, Christian Lahman, rode their horses all the way from Pennsylvania to Illinois they found about thirty members living in Carroll and Ogle counties. This Joseph Emmert was uncle to our energetic David Emmert, whose work we have just seen. Joseph was not idle while
18
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
among these Brethren. During his visit he preached for them, conducted a love feast in the woods, God's first temples, and in Arnold's yard helped to organize the Arnold's Grove congrega- tion, the parent congregation of our territory. From that time on services were held fairly regularly in the log schoolhouse. Four years passed without Brethren additions by immigration from the East. Then, however, new faces began to appear.
In 1846 Joseph D. Emmert, brother to David, and David Stitzel, whose wife was sister to Henry Strickler, moved in. In the years immediately following others came, among whom were the Rowlands, Puterbaughs and Swords. Thus the number of Brethren grew and the territory they covered increased, making possible the expansion that soon followed.
In 1852 Eld. Christian [Christly] Long came and remained eighteen years. He was a strong preacher. In the pulpit he was active, emotional, sympathetic. His coming brought new life and a broader outlook. When he arrived he found about twenty members in Carroll County. Writing from Dallas County, Iowa, for the Brethren at Work of July 16, 1877, he says:
Had a school-house 14 by 18 to hold meetings in; we could all get in nicely. In the summer of '52 we added about forty by baptism, besides a number who moved among us. In '54 we built a meeting house at Arnold's Grove; had choice for minister and the lot fell on brother David Emmert, we soon had another choice the lot falling on brother Michael Sisler. The church increased moderately till the winter of 1857, I think it was, when we baptized about 96 inside of two months. Soon after that Henry Myers, with a good many others, settled in what is called Dutch Town, brother David Rittenhouse at Hickory Grove and brother John Sprogle at Cherry Grove. The church now numbering over 400 we thought it well to divide; so, I think it was in 1861 [November, 1858] we divided into four congregations, Cherry Grove in charge of J. Sprogle and M. Bol- linger, Hickory Grove in charge of David Rittenhouse, Dutch Town in charge of Henry Myers and Arnold's Grove was left to the rest of us. In the divide we agreed mutually to assist in building meeting-houses, which was soon done in each district. Each district then chose its own officers. The churches in Carroll County have been increasing in number, notwithstanding the number that have moved away to other places. We remember of giving 56 certificates of membership at Arnold's Grove alone in one year. Would still number about 600 in the county. The start of the Brethren in Grundy and Dallas counties, Iowa, Falls City, Nebr., and Bourbon county, Kan., was from Carroll county, Ill. The different or- ganizations stand blessed at present with ministers as follows: Hickory Grove, D. Rittenhouse, George Zollers and Jesse Heckler. Dutch Town, J. S. Hauger, Martin Meyer, D. Miller, Michael Kimmel, Tobias Myers and Wm. Provont. Arnold's Grove, J. J. Emmert, Joseph Stitzel and Jacob
19
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
Shirk. Cherry Grove, Michael Bolinger, Henry Martin, J. H. Moore, David Puterbaugh and S. J. Peck. Shannon, Lemuel Hillery, Solomon Mattes and F. McCune .*
At that time there was a general spiritual awakening. In January of 1858 James Quinter held a series of meetings both in the Arnold's Grove meetinghouse and in the courthouse in Mt. Carroll. During these meetings large numbers were baptized. It is said that at that time every farm residence from Arnold's Grove to Cherry Grove on the main highway housed members of the Church of the Brethren. It was during this period that the Methodists held meetings running into many weeks, with many converts. Among them was George Grove, son-in-law of Christian Long. Grove, however, united with the Brethren, who soon called him to the ministry. After a short stay with the Brethren he became dissatisfied and severed his church relation. Following the Quinter meeting, Enoch Eby held successful re- vivals at Arnold's Grove and in the courthouse.
In 1879 the Lutheran meetinghouse in Mt. Carroll was pur- chased and in it a Sunday school was organized. With two houses of worship, a town and a rural group developed. The dress problem became rather serious and as a result a number were disfellowshiped. But a deep fellowship prevailed as was shown when one of the members fell into the clutches of the law because of financial transactions. The congregation took it upon itself to raise over $700 in making adjustments to help the mem- ber involved.
The last love feast in historic Arnold's Grove was held on May 28, 1902. In 1908 it was voted to make two organizations, and on January 13, 1909, the town group was organized as the Mt. Carroll congregation with J. G. Royer as elder. Alice Gar- ber became mission worker, the district mission board gave financial aid, pastors served for several years, but the work did not prosper. Arnold's Grove transferred its property to the dis- trict mission board. Later the house was sold for four hundred fifty dollars. The Mt. Carroll property was likewise deeded to the district board and later sold for eighteen hundred dollars. On January 14, 1932, at the last business meeting, directed by O. D. Buck and J. H. Mathis, the congregation was disorganized and letters were issued to the nineteen remaining members.
* Allowance must be made for dates which were given from memory.
20
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
Thus ended the organized work of the first congregation of our district.
This congregation began with strong leadership, and strong leaders served from time to time, but usually it was of the rather conservative type, which may in part account for the sad ending. This, however, should not lead us to forget our debt to Arnold's Grove. Nor should we fail to credit her with furnish- ing one of our pioneer foreign missionaries, Mary Emmert Sto- ver, whose excellent work in India will ever be an inspiration to all.
The charter members so far as known were:
In Carroll County: Eld. Henry Strickler and wife, David Em- mert and wife, Daniel Arnold and wife, and Catherine Strickler.
In Ogle County: John Price, Sr., and wife, Daniel G. Price and wife, Isaac Hershey and wife, Barbara Hitt, Mrs. Adam Shaw, John Fridley and wife, Susan Price Miller, and Mrs. Da- vid F. Miller.
Franklin Grove (Rock River, 1845)
We are indebted to Clarence W. Lahman, who prepared a paper recounting the story of Franklin Grove, for the facts pre- sented in this narrative. If each congregation would have had men like Cyrus M. Suter and Lahman much of our denomina- tional history in the district might have been recovered. It is now too late to lament what was not done in the past but not too early for each congregation now to arrange that someone make it his business to keep accurate records from year to year so that future generations need not be in the dark as to their past church history.
Franklin Grove congregation, formerly known as Rock River, was organized in 1845 with thirteen charter members. That un- lucky thirteen did not hinder it from growing into a strong church. This was the second church organized. For the leaders of this group we go back to 1842 when Joseph Emmert (elder), and his son-in-law, Christian Lahman, rode their steeds from Washington County, Maryland, to Franklin Grove, Illinois, to spy out the land. They returned to Maryland so pleased with the West that the following year they led a group of covered wagons slowly across the country to their future homes in the
21
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
West. Theirs was a family group of no small size. There were Joseph Emmert and wife, Mary Avey; their sons, Jacob and John, with their wives; their daughter, Elizabeth, and her hus- band, Christian Lahman; all of these were members of the church. Besides these there were in the company the three younger Emmert children, Henry, Catherine and Ezra; also the six sons of Christian Lahman, Joseph C., John D., David F., Joshua E., Ephraim P., and William H. They settled on land west of Franklin Grove where the Emmert meetinghouse was later erected. Being Brethren they met in the home of Joseph Emmert for public worship. During 1844 and 1845 several oth- er members settled in their midst. By 1845 their original mem- bership of eight had increased to thirteen so they organized a church. The following year they received their first new mem- ber by baptism, Sarah Gantz. That same year three other mem- bers moved in, Nancy Wingert, Henry Buck and wife, Mary.
The increase of their own membership and the attendance of others at their worship services called for a more commodious meeting place than the Emmert home afforded. Though the times were hard they circulated a subscription paper to secure funds for a meetinghouse. The liberal and sacrificial spirit of their minister, Joseph Emmert, helped them to face the scarcity of funds and enabled them to meet building bills as they came due. They erected the first Brethren meetinghouse in northern Illinois. The little group rejoiced greatly when they met within the walls of this small grout building, only twenty by thirty feet, plain and poorly furnished, but sufficient in every way for devoted Christians eager for worship. The total cost of the building was $700, and was well worth it for these sturdy pio- neers.
This central place for worship, the Sunday services and the upright lives of the members helped to increase the membership to a total of forty-two in 1851. These conditions and the regular attendance of many not members again called for a larger meet- inghouse. That very year a frame addition was added to the grout house. The church, sensing the need of more workers that same year, called Levi Raffensberger to the ministry and Benjamin Kessler to the deaconship. Because Emmert reached his seventy-first year in 1854 he asked the church to relieve him of the oversight of the church. Shortly before, his son-in-law,
22
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
Samuel Lehman, had come among them from the East. Be- cause he was already an elder the congregation chose him as their overseer. The church had been growing and was awake. The membership totaled eighty, of which number thirty had been received by baptism. Council meetings and love feasts were held regularly, prayer meetings were conducted in the pri- vate homes and occasionally a short series of meetings was held.
Two important events should be noted for 1862. That year their pioneer preacher and leader, Joseph Emmert, passed to his reward in his seventy-ninth year, and a new meetinghouse was erected, made necessary because of the growing congregation. The old house was wrecked and the Emmert house was erected, size thirty-five by sixty feet. This house was a landmark and stood until 1926 when it was razed and much of the material was used in the new building erected in Franklin Grove at a cost of $30,000. The women of the congregation were co-work- ers in preparing the old lumber for the new meetinghouse. Their part was drawing the nails and such other labor as women could do.
The early center of church activity was in the Emmert set- tlement west of Franklin Grove, but a new center developed east of the town. In 1854 an eloquent German minister, Paul Wetzel, settled in the congregation. His preaching won a number of con- verts, chiefly from the Ashton community. He continued in this congregation until 1865. In 1864 William and Lemuel Hillery, both laymen, organized and conducted a Sunday school two miles south of Ashton. Of this school Lemuel Hillery himself wrote to J. H. Moore:
Daniel Dierdorff made an appointment for me to deliver a lecture on Sunday schools at what was called the Kreitzer schoolhouse. At the close of our talk-boy as I was-they agreed to have a Sunday school. We took up a collection for the work, and about $30 was raised. Paul Wetzel, who at the time lived in the neighborhood, headed the list with five dol- lars, and Bro. Wagner gave a penny. He said, "It would not do to dis- courage the boy, but I've been afraid of it." That was the first Sun- day school held by our people in the state. When Bro. Wetzel moved to Waddams Grove he organized one there.
The year following, Lemuel Hillery united with the Church of the Brethren in Iowa in the month of April and in September was called to the ministry. We do not know how long this school continued. You will note that Lemuel Hillery was not
23
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
a member of the church at that time and yet he considers it a Brethren Sunday school because of the support rendered by the Brethren. Not until 1877, when it organized a Sunday school in the Buck schoolhouse one mile north of Franklin Grove, did the church proper enter the Sunday-school field. The officers of this school were: superintendent, J. C. Lahman; assistant, Samuel Riddlesbarger; chorister, Solomon Dierdorff. Two years later this school was moved to the new meetinghouse on the edge of Franklin Grove. In 1877 a second school was organized in the Ashton meetinghouse with Jacob Blocher and Cyrus M. Suter in charge.
The shifting population called for a readjusting of the places of worship. Gradually there was a tendency toward building meetinghouses nearer town, or on the edge of town. This was the case with this congregation. When that part of the congre- gation centering around Ashton called for a house of worship it was located on the edge of the village. In 1879 a new and com- modious meetinghouse was built in a grove just outside of Franklin Grove. This house was forty by seventy feet, with basement and raised floor. The centering of the services at this house led to the abandonment of the Emmert and Ashton houses. The automobile and better roads aided this movement. The in- creased attendance and the growth of the Sunday school led to changes in the meetinghouse. By 1913 the church was ready for more extended improvements. A new addition was added, more Sunday-school rooms were provided, the Aid was not over- looked, and in every way a very serviceable house was provided.
For a number of years the services rotated between the three places of worship, while all the evening services were held at Franklin Grove. In the early history of this congregation the ministers extended their labors into outlying sections, holding meetings in schoolhouses and other places where opportunity was offered. They were active in the early preaching at Naper- ville. At first the territory of the congregation was unlimited, but as early as 1846 a line was established between Rock River and West Branch. At that time it was decided that the territory east of Rock River should belong to the Rock River congrega- tion and the territory west of Rock River should belong to West Branch.
Because of the research of Cyrus M. Suter and Clarence W.
24
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
Lahman and the accurate records kept through the years we have a more nearly complete history of this congregation than of some others. The following figures of the membership are sig- nificant: 1845, 13; 1851, 42; 1854, 80; 1881, 158; 1917, 230. The present membership is 195. The number of baptisms up to the end of 1926 was 646; the number received by letter, 509, making a total of 1,155 for the period. This is a fine showing and dem- onstrates how the church in its community serves its constitu- ency through the passing years. This congregation has been a very liberal supporter of missions, education and other worthy philanthropies. Bertha Lehman Butterbaugh and Mae Wolf Miller served on the India mission field. Going back to the meetinghouse in the woods at Franklin Grove we have a fine illustration of the change in custom and conduct even in matters religious. The two-day love feast used to draw large crowds of both members and others. Sometimes those of the rougher class came to these meetings and their conduct outside the house was not always the best in the evening. When the land for this meetinghouse was secured the deed included a provision that no love feasts could be held in the house. The reason for this was that the former owner had a pasture field adjoining the church lot and he feared that the boys might leave a gate open or might break down the fence, and his cattle would get out of the pasture. But long before the house was destroyed by fire love feasts were regularly held in it without the least objection, because the crowds and the conduct of "boys" had changed ma- terially for the better.
When fire destroyed the meetinghouse at Franklin Grove in 1926 the congregation built a new house in town. This house with its large columns and high daylight basement and class- rooms serves the church well. The building committee was I. J. Trostle, O. Miller, John Baker, Elmer Kline and George Blocher. As the fifth meetinghouse it is a fitting climax to its predeces- sors.
The women have been active and organized their Aid in 1900 with Martha Senger as president and Mattie Lahman as secre- tary. Their first work was quilting and general sewing. Dur- ing the World War they made supplies for the Red Cross. Their meetings also include worship and helpful reading material. The church fire of May 17, 1926, destroyed their records to that
25
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
date. Since that time they have contributed in money and goods more than $4,600.
In 1890 the Christian Workers' Society was organized. That it was largely for the older people may be seen in the committee which was placed in charge: J. C. Lahman, Samuel Riddles- barger and Solomon Dierdorff. This society became most active in conducting its meetings and long after other congregations had dropped the C. W., Franklin Grove found help in continuing its weekly Sunday evening services.
Long served by the free ministry, as was the rule with the Brethren, the church made it easy for the members to change to the supported ministry by giving partial support to two of the home ministers for some years. This gradual transition gave proper recognition to the service Oliver D. Buck and Frank E. Wingert had rendered and were still able to render, and made it easier for the pastor who first came as the sole preacher. It also helped the congregation to become accustomed to the one min- ister idea. The first pastor was Paul B. Studebaker. The pres- ent pastor is S. L. Cover.
West Branch (1846)
The first congregation organized in Ogle County was West Branch. John Fridley was the first member of whom we have any record to come into the county. In 1836 he left Washing- ton County, Maryland, came west and bought the Judge Ford claim and cabin between Mount Morris and Oregon. Then he returned to Maryland and two years later came back, settled on his new claim and built a log house which still stands and is the home of Leslie Lingle.
In 1836 Samuel M. Hitt and wife, Barbara Hershey Hitt (Samuel was not a member), came to Ogle County and built a log house three miles west of Mount Morris. They kept indentured slaves, a thing not common in this section. In 1837 Daniel Stover and wife and John Stover came, John returning to Mary- land, but in 1840 was again in Ogle County. Adam Shaw and Lucinda Putman (member) were married in 1839 and settled east of the Salem meetinghouse. The same year Daniel G. Price, wife and brother, Samuel C. Price, from Virginia settled in Ogle
26
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
County. A year later they were followed by their father, John, who was a brother to the three Price women of Carroll County. Mrs. David F. Miller also joined their number that year. In 1844 the Daniel Zellers and Isaac Hershey families arrived. Thus their numbers increased.
When in 1843 Isaac Long spied out the land in Ogle County he started something destined to have much to do with the future of our church in this section. He liked the prairies but he loved a maiden in Maryland so he went back home and married Catherine Highbarger. His report of the West was so glowing that in the summer of 1845 his father, Jacob Long, and nine or ten children, along with three or four other families, one of which was the Isaac Rowland family, decided to come west too. They loaded into heavy wagons that were drawn by four or six horses such of their possessions as they could bring with them. They drove their cattle through. On June 19 they bade farewell to their Hagerstown friends and began their tedious trek towards the setting sun, arriving at the cabin of John Fridley, Long's brother-in-law, on July 31.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.