USA > Illinois > Brethren in northern Illinois and Wisconsin > Part 4
USA > Wisconsin > Brethren in northern Illinois and Wisconsin > Part 4
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rian, Illinois offered a more congenial atmosphere. His success in organizing a group and bringing them west proves his ability to lead and his standing among his followers. We may consider him a pioneer in colonization as a means of doing mission work. Living within the bounds of the new congregation, Hickory Grove, it was only natural that he became elder in charge when the organization was effected in December, 1858. He stamped his personality on the new organization, which began with sixty charter members. On November 22, 1858, Arnold's Grove voted to organize Hickory Grove and Milledgeville as congregations.
When the church was organized no clerk was needed because no records were kept. Because of this we are in the dark on many matters in these early congregations. Though expenses were light and little money was needed, they did feel the need of a treasurer, and Andrew Baker, whose baptism we have re- corded above, was made treasurer. A treasurer's duties and privileges were not so exacting as now. He was not required to itemize accounts nor to keep records. The church had full con- fidence in his ability and integrity. It was then the custom for the treasurer at council meeting to announce just how much money was required to pay all bills. Thereupon the men came forward and laid their contributions upon the table. With this money the treasurer paid the bills, provided there was sufficient to meet all requirements. If the amount contributed was not sufficient, following a practice so common among colored churches, a second offering was lifted. Occasionally even then the amount received was not sufficient to pay all bills. Just when and how the necessary amount was secured is not record- ed for us. The same process was continued throughout the years. The second treasurer was Joseph Doty, who continued the same process till the close of the first decade of the twen- tieth century. With the free ministry, no Sunday schools, lit- tle mission work and simple services, there was no pressing need for much money.
The new congregation built its first and only meetinghouse in 1859. According to previous arrangements Arnold's Grove assisted in the project. In 1920 the house was modernized to meet present needs. In 1923 the church bought a house and made it the parsonage. This became a district project so the financial burden on the congregation was not heavy. Because
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full-time pastors were in mind a parsonage was considered es- sential. Besides Rittenhouse, George D. Zollers, W. H. Eisenbise, Jesse Y. Heckler and Harrison Crouse, each in his day, were out- standing ministers in this congregation. From this congregation came Alma Crouse, who became a home missionary experienced in aiding the poor, nursing the sick, encouraging the disheart- ened and leading the unsaved to their Savior. In this capacity she labored in the Waterloo, Iowa, congregation during 1900- 1905.
Hickory Grove came prominently before the brotherhood in the summer of 1874 through Christian Hope's search for the Brethren. Hope had become dissatisfied with the established church in Denmark. In his reading he learned something about the Church of the Brethren in America. What he read of them appealed to him and he came to America to learn more about them. While he was located at Clinton, Iowa, he was wont to speak of this denomination. One day a customer told him that such a people could be found near Savanna, Illinois. Thither he made his way and found the home of George D. Zollers at Wacker. Zollers was just the man to listen to the story of such a seeker. The result of it all was the Danish Mission, which is more fully recorded on page 101. The discovery and winning of Christian Hope may well be set down as the outstanding con- tribution of Hickory Grove to the Church of the Brethren as it opened the way for a more active and a wider evangelization of the world than the church had as yet attempted.
Hickory Grove is a strictly rural community. Near by is a Methodist church. For many years these two congregations were rivals rather than co-workers. In recent years, however, they have been learning to co-operate. Each congregation has its own Sunday school. On the other hand, each congregation holds public services every two weeks. Both groups attend the preaching service whether at their own or at the other's house. Thus each pastor preaches every two weeks. Both congrega- tions are weak and in this way are mutually helpful. The ex- periment may well be studied so as to discover its strength and weakness.
After trying a resident pastor for some time the congregation found the burden too heavy and turned to the neighboring churches for its pulpit supply. For two years the Milledgeville
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pastor took on Hickory Grove as an additional charge, after which William Kendall of Milledgeville began serving the con- gregation and is preaching for them every two weeks. We have here a sample of how a farmer preacher still has a place in the Church of the Brethren. We do well to remember that it was under the free ministry, when most of the preachers were farm- ers, that the church spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The women organized the Aid in 1916 with Mrs. G. G. Can- field as president and Elizabeth Crouse as secretary. Their special work has been quilting, knotting comforters, making garments, etc. They are interested in missions, educational pro- grams, community welfare, college, hospital, and individual needs.
Pine Creek (1858)
In 1839 Daniel G. and John W. Price, brothers, came from Berkeley County, W. Va., and settled in Pine Creek Township on the "Lane." Other Brethren families located down Pine Creek near the Quaker mill, and what later became the site of Pine Creek meetinghouse. Among these settlers were the families of John Bovey, Peter Funk, William Funk, David Funk, the miller, Abram Buck, Sarah Adams, and Isaac Hershey. Just when, where and by whom the first Brethren services were con- ducted on lower Pine Creek is not known.
Isaac Hershey came to Ogle County in 1842 or 1843 and settled on a tract of land not far from where the Pine Creek church now stands. In 1846 a love feast was held in the John Price barn at which time Isaac Hershey was called to the minis- try. At this feast four were baptized. From that time on meet- ings were held first in the Center schoolhouse, and later in other schoolhouses, namely, Harmony on the Lane, Union, five miles south of Polo, Buffalo Grove southwest of Polo and in the brick schoolhouse of the new town of Polo. Ministers from Rock River and West Branch were among those conducting services in these schoolhouses. After Isaac Hershey was called to the ministry he became active.
Some time between April 5 and May 25, 1858, Pine Creek church was organized with Joseph Emmert presiding. At the same time Abram Buck, Daniel G. Price and David Funk were
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chosen as deacons. Deacon Benjamin Kessler moved in. Feel- ing the need of a permanent house of worship John Gantz, Dan- iel G. Price and Isaac Hershey were appointed a building com- mittee. On May 25, 1858, William Funk deeded two and one- half acres of land, for and in consideration of fifty dollars, to the deacons, Benjamin Kessler, Daniel G. Price and Abram Buck, as trustees. An old custom made deacons of a church its trustees, and to the present Pine Creek has followed this custom.
A brick house forty by sixty feet was erected, twelve feet at the north end being partitioned for a kitchen. On the inside the furniture and its arrangement were very simple. There were tables to seat all at love feasts. All tables were stacked away at other times but one, which was placed at the west side, behind which the ministers sat in the order of their seniority and the deacons sat opposite in the same order. About half of the seats were without backs and those nearest the minister's table were supplied with backs. This house stood for thirty years when it became unsafe for use because of poor brick, was torn down and the present house erected on the same site, at a cost of $2,800. The building committee at this time was Daniel R. Price, John H. Stuff and Daniel Gilbert. In 1907 it was remodeled, installing pulpit, Sunday-school rooms and furnace heat at a cost of $708.32. The building committee for this work was T. J. Rum- monds, John M. Price and C. M. Barnhizer.
In 1884 the congregation called Daniel L. Forney to the min- istry. After attending college at Mount Morris and Manchester he was sent as a missionary to India, where he served two pe- riods. Pine Creek elected fourteen ministers whose names ap- pear in the ministerial list in the appendix. This is an unusual number and shows that at one time the church was among the most active in the district.
With good roads and the growth of the Polo congregation it has not been easy for Pine Creek to maintain the large member- ship of former years. In 1914 there was sentiment to combine with Polo, but not sufficient to carry. Since that time some of the Pine Creek members have transferred their membership to the Polo congregation so that church lines between the border- ing congregations are not strictly adhered to. In 1920 and again in 1939 a number transferred their membership to Polo or ad- joining congregations.
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In 1883 Sunday school was first held in the meetinghouse, though there may have been Sunday school in schoolhouses be- fore. Henry Buck was an advocate of the Sunday school so was chosen as the first superintendent. At present the school reaches a group of young people who would probably not be in religious services but for the auto fleet of Nelson Rittenhouse that regu- larly gathers and transports them to and from the services.
In December 1920 the women of the Pine Creek church or- ganized their Aid Society, with Mrs. J. W. Fyock president and Bertha Davis secretary. During the twenty-one years they have met regularly twice monthly. They engage mainly in quilting and sewing. Their objectives are world-wide missions, con- tributions to the Hastings Street mission in Chicago, flowers to the sick, Old People's Home and Women's Work projects. The total of their contributions is $2,357.79.
Pine Creek was among the conservative congregations. One of the influential men in the church was D. L. Miller, who had a general store in Polo. Because at times he took part in the town churches he was not in favor with some of the members. Once when an election for minister was to be held it was announced that the members were to choose a brother from the country. D. L. Miller being the prominent brother living in town gave that announcement definite meaning. Peter Eisenbise was chosen. In the early seventies William Funk, a minister, advo- cated such extreme views on dress, house furnishings, colors of paint on buildings, pictures, fancy harness and buggies that he was disfellowshiped. His wife and five others followed him.
Edmund Forney in the free ministry and C. C. Price as pastor served many years. At present Nelson Rittenhouse and Wm. Kendall serve the church.
Milledgeville (Dutchtown, 1858 or '59)
Annual Meeting has always been a great place for renew- ing and cementing friendships. Here also new friendships are formed and life plans are made and changed. Christian Long of Arnold's Grove attended the Annual Meeting of 1853 at Beaver Dam, Maryland. His year's residence in Illinois made him enthusiastic for the new country. He met Henry Myers of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and with him discussed the
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possibilities of the West. Even then elders at Annual Meeting discussed business matters and future locations. Long's enthusi- asm gripped Myers and the following year he landed at Mt. Carroll.
Great must have been Myers' faith in Long's judgment, for he came without further investigation and brought with him his five single children and four who were married, with their entire families. Meet this group: Henry and Anna Myers, Solomon (minister) and Mary Myers Lichty, Uriah and Hannah Miller, Levi and Catherine Myers Nedrow, Samuel H. and Elizabeth Myers Herrington, and the five unmarried Myers children- Phillip, Michael, Henry, Joseph and Lydia. All have long since passed away. Joseph, dying in Jerusalem, lies buried just to the north of the Mount of Olives.
Let us trace their route westward. By wagon they go to Johnstown where they have arranged passage by boat-the slow, unaccommodating boat of that day. Besides their own large group they have personal and household effects, one horse and one wagon. Their water route is by these rivers: Conemaugh, Allegheny, Ohio, Mississippi and Rock to Dixon, Illinois. The price of a single ticket in round figures is sixty-five dollars. From Dixon they go north on the newly constructed Illinois Central Railway to Freeport, from which place friends convey them by wagon some thirty miles southwest to the Mt. Carroll settlement. This increases the ministerial force by two. The Myers family rent a house near the Emmert mill where they reside for two years. The rest of the party find temporary homes.
Whatever the hardships of travel may have been they were soon made to suffer a new grief. Shortly after their arrival, a little child of the Herringtons died. Being church people they buried in the Arnold's Grove cemetery. Their minds turned to- wards a permanent location for their group. Neither the sands and sloughs of the Mississippi to the southwest, nor the hills to the north (of which they had had their fill in Pennsylvania) ap- pealed to them. To the southeast they found an ideal location- prairies with gentle slopes, a running stream, a stone quarry, here and there a clump of trees, and a soil that bespoke bounti- ful crops. All was unplowed with not a house in sight. Two miles to the east were a few houses clustered around a gristmill
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on the banks of Elkorn Creek. That place is now called Mill- edgeville.
On June 19, 1854, Henry Myers purchased a tract of land, later known as the Livengood farm, on the east bank of Otter Creek, and on June 9, 1855, a tract on the west side, later known as the Lichty farm. Samuel H. Herrington and Phillip Myers purchased lands adjoining. In the spring of 1856 Abraham Liv- engood, another son-in-law of Myers, arrived with a large fam- ily. That same year he and Lichty purchased from their father- in-law tracts of land which became their family homes and land- marks throughout the years. Myers retained a tract on the west bank of the creek and north of the road, on which he built a house in 1855. Nor did he forget the church as he built. On the first floor he included one large room with doors and windows opening into the porches on two sides. This made it possible for those in the room and those on the porches to join in the worship services, for this home became a meeting place for church serv- ices. The others built their houses and the spring of 1856 found them in their own homes.
Myers began holding meetings in his home, being assisted by Solomon Lichty. In this house they held their first love feast, September 26, 1858. Love feasts were held here during the next two years. They continued to worship in the Myers home until services were transferred to the schoolhouse situated a few rods east of the present meetinghouse. This school- house was later moved west and finally found a location and is known as the Stoner school. A part of the original room is re- tained in the present schoolhouse. In more recent years the Myers house was remodeled, the original part raised and a story built beneath. This schoolhouse and the Myers home are the two places in which Dutchtown worshiped until the new church was occupied in 1866.
This congregation was familiarly called Dutchtown, but is properly known as Milledgeville. Coming from Somerset Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, the early settlers spoke Pennsylvania Dutch among themselves. A little to the east of this settlement was a Yankee who understood not a word of this Dutch. He called the settlement Dutchtown though it never had a store or black- smith shop.
You will recall that at Arnold's Grove the council meeting
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on November 22, 1858, voted to divide the membership in Carroll County into three congregations by forming two new ones. We do not have the stated day on which the Milledgeville church was organized but they certainly did not wait long. Either the close of 1858 or the beginning of 1859 is a safe guess. Henry Myers was chosen as elder, and possibly Abraham Livengood and Samuel H. Herrington were elected deacons at the same time. In a few months William Provant, who lived near Mal- vern from 1854 to 1859, settled west of Dutchtown and was called to the ministry.
Others from Somerset County settled in this locality, among whom were three ministers and their families: Martin Myers (1863), brother of Henry Myers; Michael Kimmel and Daniel M. Miller, his brother-in-law (1864); also the families of Daniel Fike (1869) and of Samuel and Joseph Fike (1870), the wives of Joseph and Samuel being sisters of Daniel Miller, whose wife was a sister of Solomon Lichty. Verily this was a family church.
The growing congregation needed a larger house for wor- ship. Several years were spent in gathering the material. Samuel Herrington quarried the stone in the quarry near by. Michael Myers was chief contractor. Volunteers did much of the work. The house was the usual Brethren type, with full base- ment, separate entrances for men and women, and no paint on the inside, paint then being considered a sign of pride. At a total cost of $2,200 the house was completed and ready for oc- cupancy in the fall of 1866. For a number of years services were held in a schoolhouse in Rock Creek Township and also in Fair Haven Township.
In the summer of 1865 Solomon Lichty built a bank barn in which on May 5 and 6, 1866, a large love feast was held, fol- lowed on May 7 by the district meeting. Lichty, however, was not privileged to be present on this occasion as he had passed away because of typhoid fever in February of that year. This proved a great loss to the church and community. Not only was he one of the active ministers, but it was also his lot to cut the wood and build the fire at the schoolhouse for the Sunday serv- ices. He was buried on a bitter cold day, so cold that only the few who were required to serve followed the remains to the bur- ial lot on the grounds where that summer the church was built.
The Sunday school dates from 1878, the first superintendent
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being Z. T. Livengood. Preaching was held every two weeks. When there was no preaching the school met at ten o'clock; at other times at nine. In those days nothing was allowed to inter- fere with the preaching services. Later the school began at ten and preaching followed every Sunday at eleven. At first some of the older men did not attend class but sat under the shadow of the trees on a bench by the church until Sunday school was over. That Sunday school was a Bible school. There were no lesson helps and no uniform assignments. The school started with Matthew's gospel and each class covered as much ground as seemed good each Sunday. Next Sunday this process was con- tinued, the textbook being the New Testament. The success of the class was determined largely by the skill of the teacher.
This church experienced some great revivals. Jacob Trostle from Maryland held a meeting in the winter of 1875, preaching morning and evening. Some twenty were baptized, mostly married people. J. T. Myers from Pennsylvania held a meeting that drew large crowds, even from Milledgeville. A number were won for the church. In 1877 S. H. Bashor, then the out- standing evangelist of our denomination, held a meeting which resulted in forty-three additions by baptism. Two years later he returned and won others.
The members who first came to Milledgeville from Somerset County, Pennsylvania, brought with them some liberal ideas on the "order" of the church. When the rupture came in 1882, that resulted in the organization of the Brethren (Progressive) Church. Milledgeville was the hot spot in the district. On June 20, 1884, elders from the district met the church in a coun- cil meeting at which conforming to the order of the church in dress was a chief issue. This issue came to the front because of the expulsion of Henry R. Holsinger at the Conference of 1882 when the report of the Berlin committee was accepted. The ad- joining elders present at this council were: S. Z. Sharp, Daniel Dierdorff, J. J. Emmert, Enoch Eby, David E. Price, George D. Zollers, Edmund Forney and David Eby. When the elders dis- covered that a number of those with liberal views had come from Somerset County, Daniel Dierdorff, who moderated the session, exclaimed: "Can any good thing come out of Somerset County?"
The liberal element would not yield to the demands of the
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elders. Heated discussion was engaged in. As a result about fifty left the house. Tense days followed. Families were di- vided. On July 13, 1884, under the leadership of the youngest minister, Z. T. Livengood, a new organization was formed with thirty charter members. For a while both congregations wor- shiped in the same house, the Progressives meeting in the after- noon, claiming an interest in the house. Instead of going to law it was arranged that the Conservatives pay the Progressives $600, which sum became a part of the building fund for a new house for the Progressives one and one-fourth mile from the old church. Later the Progressives centered their efforts in Mil- ledgeville and their country house was sold for $300. Settling thus was far better than resorting to law, which was the method used in some places. Each congregation has carried on inde- pendent of the other with friendly co-operation for many years. From 1934 to 1939 both were served by Dr. W. S. Bell of the Brethren Church as pastor of both congregations. Since that time each congregation again supports its own pastor, mutual co-operation continuing. Paul E. Miller is the present pastor.
A parsonage was erected in Milledgeville in 1916, in which year Olin F. Shaw began his seven-year pastorate and was the first one to occupy the parsonage. The Aid was organized in 1919 and has proved a great help to the congregation. Their money is secured through quilting, tying comforters, sale lunches and sell- ing useful kitchen articles. Since their organization they have handled nearly four thousand dollars. Mission study and church projects receive due attention.
Milledgeville was always considered liberal in its policy. From this congregation came the query on the dress problem in 1897 which was referred to a committee that brought its an- swer to the Conference of 1898. This query was one of the steps leading to a more liberal practice in wearing apparel. Martin Myers and D. M. Miller did much preaching in Wisconsin. This was the home church of T. T. Myers and J. E. Miller.
Bethel (Naperville, 1858-1860?)
For Brethren beginnings in Du Page County we turn to Jacob Netzley (layman) and family, who settled near Warrenville in 1850. Two years later they learned that Brethren families were
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living in Ogle, Lee, Carroll and Stephenson counties. Daniel Fry, Samuel Garber and Joseph Emmert responded to the call to come and preach for them. From this first meeting grew the plan that meetings should be held every eight weeks in this new settlement. Because Lee County was nearest, the Rock River congregation was to provide most of the preaching. In 1859 Christian Martin and family came west from New York and pur- chased a tract of land within the present limits of the city of Geneva in Kane County, paying the regular government price of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. From this family came the very first members by baptism. Fifteen years later the Martins moved to West Chicago. As early as 1846 Joshua Erb had located two miles north of Naperville. Erb was one of the early members received into the church by baptism. His wife also united with the church, but of their large family only John cast his lot with the Brethren. Several other persons either moved in as members or were received by baptism.
There is some uncertainty as to the exact date when the church was organized, but there is good reason to believe that it was sometime between April of 1858 and 1860. At any rate 1860 was an important year for this group of members. One of the ministers who frequently visited and preached for these members was Samuel Lehman, Sr., of Lee County. In the spring of 1860 he settled in the vicinity of Naperville, where his services as minister were needed. The group was ready to or- ganize. Daniel Fry and Joseph Emmert were present when the congregation was organized. Lehman was put in charge of the church. Quite likely at that time, certainly not much later, Christian Martin was called to the ministry and Jacob Netzley to the deaconship. Martin did some preaching in the German language. In 1878 the official body was: Martin, elder; Jacob Sollenberger, John Hollinger and George Murrey, ministers; Henry Martin, V. C. Vroman, Simon Yundt and Aaron Julius, deacons.
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