USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 37
USA > Illinois > Moultrie County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 37
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Rocky Branch .- In Rose township, thirty years ago, Elders B. W. Henry, M. R. Chew and Edward . Evey held meetings-some- times in a school-house known as Black Log-sometimes in a grove near by, and frequently in private houses. At one of these meet- ings, held by Father Henry, there were more than fifty additions. Probably no congregation in the county has been subject to so many trials as this one ; and much of the time there has been no organization. The church at present owns a neat little house, built at a probable cost of $900, and seats three hundred. The Sunday- school, last summer, was under the superintendency of W. T. Cozart and six teachers. At the time of the last organization, in 1875, there were nineteen members, since which the enrollment has reached sixty-five, with a present membership of twenty-two. The community at Rocky Branch very much needs the influence of a good Christian congregation. With the large number of well- meaning people there, it is hoped that the future will bring a brighter day. Let the honor of God and the good of men be first sought, and may our good Father grant grace and wisdom for every time of need.
Zion .- In the vicinity of the west side of Todd's Point township there lived a number of disciples, whose church membership was held at Antioch. Meetings, however, were held by Elder Gilbert and others in this community for several years previous to the final organization by Elder Gilbert and the writer in 1878. There were thirty-two charter members. The entire enrollment has been fifty- nine, and the present membership is fifty-one. John Pogue, Charles and C. P. Robertson are the Elders. The regular preachers for the church have been Elders B. R. Gilbert and L. M. Linn, with Elder Clayborn Wright, the present minister. Elders Thomas Edwards, A. W. Avery, J. H. Hite and others have preached occasionally for the church. C. P. Robertson is superintendent of a Sunday- school of forty-five scholars and five regular teachers. The meet- ing-house was completed at a cost of $1,200, and dedicated by the writer, October 6th, 1878. It seats about two hundred and seventy- five persons. Though the church has preaching but once a-month, it meets on the first day of the week, according to primitive custom, to break bread and exhort one another. This, with the social meet-
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
ing every Wednesday evening, greatly conduces to the good of the church. The church is in good condition. A little more zeal, for- bearance and brotherly love would conduce to the happiness and prosperity of the church and add to its usefulness.
Oak Grove .- In Jan. 1880, Elder L. M. Linn held a meeting at Oak Grove, in Shelby township, resulting in bringing together, in- cluding a few additions afterwards, thirty-six members. Of these, some have moved elsewhere, a few have gone back into the world : but twenty-nine remain steadfast in the good work of the Lord. Mr. John Smith was superintendent of the Sunday-school of thirty scholars and three teachers. The church building is a union house, of which the Christians own one-half. It has been built abont twelve years, and at a cost of about $800. It seats about one hnn- dred and fifty. Those who have continned faithful are doing a good work, and, if steadfast to the end, will be a great blessing, and in the world to come receive the crown of life. May the Great Shepherd protect the little flock and keep them to the end.
Mode .- In an early day there was some preaching by the Chris- tian Church, and a number of disciples lived in Holland township, ncar Mode. But many years passed on and the few scattered or died. In the winter of 1880 a good meeting was held by Elder D. M. Linn. This energetic preacher had devoted most of his life to school-teaching, was ordained to the ministry by Elder A. D. Northcutt in 1872 and moved to this county in the fall of '80. The connty co-operation assisted in bearing part of the expenses of the meetings at Oak Grove and at Mode. The church was or- ganized with fifty-one, and now has fifty-three members. Elder Linn has continned to preach one-fourth of the time since the church was organized. Samuel Wallace is superintendent of the Sunday-school, which has six teachers and sixty scholars. The meeting-house was built as a union house for the use of the commu- nity, at a cost of abont $1,800, and seats three hundred and fifty. By stability of purpose, constant study of the Seriptures, and faith- fulness to the work, the church will grow into great usefulness.
It will be seen by examination that there are fifteen churches in the county, with a little more than one thousand four hundred members ; fourteen Sunday-schools, with about one thousand scholars and ninety-four teachers. The church property consists of thirteen meeting-houses, which cost about $31,000, and seats about fonr thousand five hundred and twenty-five persons.
CATHOLIC CHURCH. BY REV. J. STORP.
The Catholics dispersed over Shelby county, though few in num- ber, represent their mother church very creditably. They have well organized congregations with handsome church buildings at Shelbyville, Sigel and Oconee.
The Shelbyville congregation was occasionally visited, and ser- vices held in private houses as late as 1862, at which time, under the direction of Rev. A Vogt, they (about fifteen families in num- ber) built a little frame church on Sonth Fifth St., the grounds having been donated by the late Mr. Daniel Earp. In 1877 the old church was considered too small, and as the people showcd a disposition to have a better and more commodions house of worship, the present rector, Rev. J. Storp, called for contributions for that purpose, which call was most liberally responded to by both non- Catholics and Catholics. On the 27th of August, 1879, the new church, sitnated on North Washington St , was completed and dedi- cated to the worship of God by the Rev. P. J. Baltes, Bishop of Alton, Illinois. In connection with their church, the Catholics of Shelbyville, in 1879, opened a parochial school, which under the
able management of sisters of the order, "Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ," is in a prosperous condition, and well patronized by both Catholic and non-Catholic children, the average attendance being about fifty. The number of Catholic families belonging to this con- gregation at present is thirty-five.
The congregation at Sigel was organized and a church built in the year 1867, under the direction of the Franciscan fathers of Ten- topolis, Effingham county, Illinois, with abont sixty families. They have ever since been under the zealons care of the Sons of St. Francis. In the early part of the year 1879 their clinrch, which was insured for a small amount only, burned to the ground, and scarcely had they recovered from this loss, when their fine school- building, together with the honse of the Sisters who conducted the school, were also destroyed by fire. This, no doubt, was a great misfortune to the congregation, leaving them materially at the very same point whence they started thirteen years ago; but the zeal and liberality of which they have given evidence in the past war- rants the hope that ere long from the ruins of the old buildings a magnificent church and commodious school house will rise, and give testimony of the good spirit of the people of Sigel.
Oconee, in the sonth-west corner of Shelby county, had no Catholic church building until 1872, but the place was visited and service held at private houses by various clergymen. Their present little frame church was erected in the year 1872, under the management of Rev. Father Stremler. The number of families belonging to the church was then and is still about sixteen, nearly all of whom are Germans.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
BY REV. SILAS LIVERMORE.
One of the first church denominations founded in Shelbyville was of the Baptist persuasion. The founder and first pastor was Rev. Bushrod Henry. Before coming to this state he had lived in Virginia and Tennessee. Laboring here with all the zeal of an apostle, and being a person whom the multitude personally liked, he soon had the satisfaction of seeing an earnest congregation of his faith gathered around him. He baptized seventy or eighty, and organized his followers into a church, under the style of the First Baptist Church of Christ of Shelbyville. This was in 1832; lie began preaching here, however, as early as 1830. In due time a house of worship was built, such a one as bespoke the simplicity of the times, and the plain taste and moderate means of the builders. For a time it proved sufficient in all respects, and the people were content. In a short time, however, dissensions arose. The pastor and preacher developed views of faith and practice which were not in accordance with the Baptist standards. Presently he showed himself a stannch advocate of the doctrines which Alexander Camp- bell and his associates had introduced into, and propagated in Vir- ginia, nine or ten years before. In short, he felt bound to give all the influence of his position, talents and labors to the Current Re- formation. At his instanee, and without very grave opposition, the word "Baptist " was stricken from the style of the church, and the body was ever thereafter known as " The Church of Christ, in Shelbyville."
As we have already intimated, almost the entire membership was found ready to follow the pastor in his departure from the Baptist fold. A few, and only a few, regarded the movement with strong displeasure, denounced it with vehemence, and utterly refused to give their adhesion to the new order of things. The few Baptists who remained, however, had no pastor, only occasional preaching, and seenied to have failed to maintain their visibility as a church for a considerable time. Mr. Henry, better known to his late
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
acquaintances as "Squire " Henry, lived in high repute for many years, and died August 27, 1879. Meanwhile, some very reputable Baptists came and settled in the town; but if they found any exist- ing church of their order in the place, they found nothing there sufficiently attractive to induce them to come and cast their lot with its members. Prominent among this class, was Mrs. Ann Thornton, wife of Gen. W. Fitzhugh Thornton, who had some years previously come into the state from Kentucky. She worshiped for some years with an Old School Baptist Church, some three miles from town ; and as she was a Baptist of means, generosity and stability, we may be sure that she helped the cause in other ways than by attendance, in their assemblies. She is still living, and a generous supporter of the sacred cause.
In 1864, a second Baptist Church, claiming no parentage from any previous organization, was formed in the town. Rev. William Stillwell, of Kentucky, appears to have superintended the work of formation. He became the pastor; and the vine grew with con- siderable vigor. Members were added in the modes known to Bap- tist policy ; by baptisin and by letter. The house of worship was a building at the south-east corner of Long and North First Streets, now owned and occupied as a residence by Mrs. Martha W. Bivins. Mr. Benjamin Hall and his wife, were active members of the church. He was the assiduous clerk of the body ; and himself and wife zealously served the church as sextons and general care-takers. In addition to this, they contributed liberally of their worldly means to the support of the church. A history of the church would be in- complete without an appreciative mention of them and their works.
But like the church in the wilderness of which the Scripture gives account, the church in Shelbyville was destined to undergo painful trials. We have already mentioned that in the early settlement of the town and in the formation of the churches, the Southern ele- ment was very observable and was very influential. In the present case, the pastor of the church, as we have seen, was from the South. A pretty large proportion of the members had their nativity south of the Ohio River. The ministry of Mr. Stillwell began in the city, it will be seen, right in the height of the war, and of the consequent civil, ecclesiastical and martial excitement. That a difference of political views should sometimes manifest themselves in the church was natural. Indeed, it was inevitable. At a distance of sixteen years we can well afford to smile at some of the little things which betokened that difference.
The present Shelbyville Baptist Church was organized on the 17th of September, 1868. Rev. W. H. Steadman was called as pastor, April 3, 1869. His ministry continued for a little more than two years, during which time the church appears to have en- joyed a season of reasonable tranquillity. . Mr. Steadman resigned the pastoral care in June, 1871.
Before this time, the church recognized the necessity of providing a more commodious house of worship. The present church edifice was built in the year 1870. The cost amounted to $8,600. The house, a neat edifice of brick, is located at the south-west corner of Wood and North Second Streets. The dedication was celebrated on Christmas day, of the above year.
The church did not remain long without a pastor after the resig- nation and departure of Mr. Steadman. They obtained a new under-shepherd in a singular way. A young lady, Miss Eliza A. Duncan, came from Baltimore on a visit to a relative, Mrs. Dr. A. S Seaman. The Seamans were devoted and prominent Methodists ; but the visitor was an intelligent Baptist, and a teacher by profes- sion. Finding a Baptist church comprising a good proportion of intelligent and progressive members destitute of a pastor, she in- formed the leaders that she had lived for many years in the family
of a good Baptist minister who was at that time without a charge, and who, she thought, would afford them good satisfaction as pastor. Accepting her account as reliable, the church by unanimous vote, elected Rev. J. H. Phillips, of Baltimore, as their minister. Mr. Phillips is a native of Maryland. He had acquired a good educa- tion, had rendered highly acceptable service in the ministry at Edenton, North Carolina, Baltimore City and other places. Mean- while, like many clergymen in the South and in the West, he had felt constrained to join the work of a teacher to that of a minister. He had conducted successively several female seminaries of a high order with great ability and success.
Having arrived in Shelbyville, he entered at once with character- - istic devotion on the duties of the office to which he had been chosen without any seeking on his part. By his work he soon justi- fied the expectations of his friends. At the same time, there occurred a vacancy in the superintendency of the Graded School. Several leading citizens showed great earnestness in their efforts to place Mr. Phillips in the vacant office. After a brief consideration, however, he firmly declined to be a candidate for the position.
The new pastor found his work, though honorable and pleasant, an arduous one. The obstacles to the progress of the church were of a very grave character. The pastor's salary was not promptly and regularly paid; and this circumstance occasioned great em- barrassment to the worthy minister. In addition to this, the church was afflicted with a serious and exceedingly troublesome debt, on a portion of which they were paying as high as 15 per cent. interest. Another portion of the debt was finally placed in the form of a mortgage, of course bearing a more moderate interest than the float- ing debt to which we have referred. Despite these troubles, the pastor and a part of the members still toiled on, never remitting wholly their zeal, their faith and their efforts, and were rewarded with some tokens of good.
Mr. Phillips continued his pastoral work till the 31st of October, 1874, when he took his departure for Missouri. He soon afterwards established himself at St. Louis as Missionary Secretary of the Mis- souri Baptist Sunday School Convention.
For about nine months after the removal of Mr. Phillips, the church remained destitute of a pastor ? when they obtained one in the person of Rev. A. L. Seward. He began his labors for the church in the month of June, in 1875. No notable event marked the history of the church during the short period of his ministry. The term of that ministry extended only over six months. He resigned his place in the month of December, 1875, and left for another field of labor.
The next year, 1876, the church, wearied with toiling on, desti- tute of a preacher and spiritual guide, recalled Mr. Phillips, who ultimately accepted the call. In common with the better part of the membership, he entertained an earnest desire to see the burden of debt removed from the church. Unable to discover any feasible plan for accomplishing the object, however, he was constrained to content himself with persistently keeping the good object before the eyes of the Church, and in token of his sincerity, proffered to devote a liberal per cent. of his salary as a contribution to the liquidation of the debt, provided the Church and her friends would make up the entire requisite amount. Not a sufficient number were found, however, who had both the ability and the will to accept and ful- fill the proffered condition.
Mr. Phillips submitted his second resignation early in the autumn of 1878. The Church evinced her reluctance to part with the pas- tor, but finally yielded assent. His second resignation was effected on the 24th of September the same year. He still has his residence in Shelbyville, enjoying the respect and csteem of all sects and all partics.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
For nearly two years after the second withdrawal of Mr. Phillips, the church continued with only occasional supplies of the pulpit. After an interval, Rev. H. W. Wilson, who had formerly been em- ployed at Stewardson, came to the city, and commenced a protracted meeting in the church. There was a good attendance; the meet- ings were characterized from the first by a calm seriousness ; some of the members, especially the ladies, showed a fitting zeal in co- operation with the evangelist; Rev. W. C. West, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, came in and performed a part of the exer- cises ; ministers and members of other churches came in and par- ticipated in the services ; and signs of decided and effectual interest were not long wanting. Several Baptists who had worshiped with the congregation for years, but had forborne to ask for member- ship, came forward, presented their letters, and were received into full communion.
The church, however, seemed unprepared to settle a pastor. Mr. Wilson went to Mount Vernon in this state, and engaged for a time in evangelistic labors at that place and in the adjoining region. He has since bestowed his efforts on several other points of more or less interest and importance, and was for a time engaged as an in- structor in the Ancient Languages at Ewing College, in this state.
The year 1879 brought a most valuable benefit to the church. That benefit was the liquidation of the church-debt. I have already noticed this obstacle to the progress of the church-the oppressive incubus on her energies. The burden grew heavier and heavier. Interest, of course, was increasing on the church's obligations ; nothing was doing to cancel these obligations ; while the little sums to meet current expenses even were collected but tardily, and with great difficulty. The church sadly needed a pastor, a really good live, working man; but whenever the business of calling or pro- curing a pastor was mentioned, all aspirations for obtaining the la- bors and care of an under-shepherd were forthwith repressed by the consideration that no pastor could be procured without the means to give him a support ; that is, no efficient, faithful one, such only as would meet the imperative wants of the church. Con- nected with the congregation, too, was a large and flourishing Sunday-school, numbering a hundred and fifty members, but books, papers, and other supplies for the school could not be pro- cured without funds ; and of these the church was destitute. The prayer-meetings commanded but a slim attendance; and only a faithful few appeared to retain their confidence in the great Head of the Church, and their Christian zeal.
While the church was in this depressed condition, Rev. I. N. Hobart, D. D., General Superintendent of the State Board of Mis- sions, appeared in their midst. He came to ask for a subscription for the State Missions, when he was promptly informed that the church was not only unable to give him a collection, as herctofore, but was in most pressing need of means to carry forward her own work. Moved by sympathetic zeal, after consultation with the church, individually and collectively, the good doctor determined to make a strenuous effort to free his brethren from the burden of debt. Part of the members, he found ready and willing help- crs; and this class not only made liberal subscriptions themselves, but aided in bringing others to give assistance in the good cause. Some engaged to pay on account of the debt double the amount which they had annually given for the support of the ministry. The benefactions of others were on a still more liberal scale. Dr. Hobart canvassed the members with a subscription paper, in which it was proposed that every signer should give the amount opposite to his name, only on the contingency that the whole amount re- quired should be secured by the signatures of responsible parties. After a short time it became evident that " the people had a niind to work ;" and the friends of the cause werc filled with joy.
Here, it would be unjust to omnit the statement, that some of the friends of the church who were not within the pale of membership were found among its most zealous and liberal benefactors. First, among these should be mentioned Thomas M. Thornton, Esq. He was and is, we believe, a worshiper with the Episcopalians; but the fact that his venerated mother was a staunch and devoted Bap- tist, in conjunction with other causes, naturally drew him into rela- tions and sympathy with that people. From the stand-point of a business man, he depicted to the church in striking colors, the vast cvil of an incorporated religious body sinking into bankruptcy, and averred that there was no need of suffering such a catastrophe.
He declared himself not only willing to aid in freeing the Church from debt, but also in the support of a pastor when she should obtain one. He hoped then, to see her doors opened to be closed no more forever. Other parties outside the Church, he knew, viewed the matter in the same light with himself. They would help the Church members only when the members would take hold of the work with due zeal and energy to help themselves. He knew the men of Shelbyville ; and he knew that they were ready to lend a helping hand wherever they would witness the Church making proper ef- fort to relieve herself from embarrassment. . As the matter stood, the Church was liable to suffer a foreclosure of the mortgage which rested upon the Church property, and ere long to lose possession.
He enjoined the Church, however, in making the effort which he hoped they would promptly make, to include all their debts in the estimate of their wants, mortgage, interest, floating debt, arrearages due their late pastor, Rev. Mr. Phillips, and all. This last item amounted to $300 or $400. The whole amount which it was deemed necessary to raise was stated to be about $3,000. Mr. Thornton had proved his friendship to the Church in too many and too grave in- stances, to leave any ground for doubting his sincerity or his perfect reliability.
It was not long after this that the visit of Dr. Hobart occurred, and that a subscription was commenced with a view to liquidate the Church's debts. The work went bravely on. Mr. Thornton headed the list with the pledge of $200; others, endowed with humble means, made offerings that were truly noble if considered in view of their ability. The first solicitations were made to members, as was fitting ; so when Dr. Hobart, having effected the canvass of the Church, extended his efforts among the citizens at large, and the latter ascertained how much the Church had done, there appeared a marked illustration of the old adage, God helps those who help themselves. The work was prosecuted with sustained vigor; and after a moderate interval a report that the Church had reached the goal of their hopes with regard to liberating themselves from debt was in general circulation.
A special meeting was called to hear the report of the executive committee, and of Dr. Hobart, the Superintendent of State Missions, who had the strongest title to their gratitude for his kind and ef- fcctual services in the matter. Dr. Hobart himself presided. The meeting was one of profound interest. After a good time spent in devotional exercises, a report of the collections was made. It ap- peared from this document that there was wanting only about $223 of the entire amount proposed in the subscription. As nearly every one of the subscribers had made pledges to the extent of his ability and duty, as he viewed the matter, the situation became a trying one. All the subscriptions had been made on the condition that they should be binding and payable only in the contingency that the whole amount should be raised and paid. Unless the small ba- lance required should be subscribed and collected the cherished enterprize of paying the debt, even after so much toil and sacrifice, would prove a total failure. This would be like a rich ship filling
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