USA > Illinois > Ford County > Historical Atlas of Ford County Illinois > Part 18
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The Sabbath school was organized May, 1869, at Clark's Hall. It numbers at present about one hundred attendants, an unusual number of these are adults in the Bible classes. Mr. C. R. Strauss was the first Superintendent, succeeded by W. B. Travis, with C. M. Taylor, Assistant Superintendent.
The Ladies' Aid Society has been a valuable arm of the church. To its energy and pluck it is largely due that the church has been entirely free from debt.
The Young Ladies' Society renders material aid in meet- ing church expenses.
There are three missionary societies-the Ladies', devoted to the work of foreign missions; the Young Ladies', to that of home missions; and the Childrens' Society, sending on their pennies to the cause. The present enterprise of the church is the erection of a parsonage, which they hope to secure.
The present number of members is ninety. The church has been an active and devoted one, but has lost heavily by the de- parture of many families to the West. They have recently re- papered their beautiful church, thoroughly re-organized their financial system upon the weekly plan, and are bearing right on undiscouraged. The same Divine Grace which has sent them more than one refreshing shower is confidently relied on still.
First Baptist Church, Paxton, was organized January 10, 1872, with sixteen members. The officers were : Benjamin Ferris and H. S. Reed, Deacons ; George Stamp, Clerk ; H. S. Reed, B. Ferris and George W. Emory, Trustees. During the summer of 1872, the church purchased and fitted up the old Swedish Lutheran Meeting House, now located on the corner of Pells and Union streets. It cost with the lot upward of $3,000. Rev. I. S. Mahan was pastor a few months in form January, 1873. Sub- sequently, Rev. D. S. French, S. M. Brown and W. H. Roberts acted as pastors.
In 1877 and 1878, the church became much reduced, but in the winter of 1878-79, Rev. W. B. M. Colt held a series of very successful meetings. In March, 1879, Rev. D. F. Carnahan be- came pastor and received quite a large accession, mainly the re- sults of the preceding meetings. Elder Carnahan has continued in the pastoral relation, and now resides in Paxton. There have been received during his pastorate seventy-three members. The church now numbers ninety-six, and is very prosperous.
The church belongs to the main body of Baptists, of whom there are in the United States 2,374,339 members. The only peculiarity of this church is that an unusual number of its mem- bers profess what is known as the "holiness " or higher life ex- perience, but this does not affect their standing in the denomina- tion. The church belongs to the Gilman Baptist Association. Its officers are : Pastor, D. F. Carnahan ; Deacons, Benjamin Ferris and H. B. Ferguson ; Clerk, A. L. Ferris ; Trustees, B. Ferris. H. B. Ferguson, Curtis Steward. Sunday School Superintendent, B. Ferris; Assistant Superintendent, Mrs .. D. F. Carnahan.
A Baptist Church by the name of Grand Prairie was organ- ized here in 1857. Thomas Townley, B. Ferris and O. P. Mc- Cain with their wives, and also Levi Jennings were members. Rev. A. C. Edwards was ordained and resided here. Rev. Mar- tin Blankinship also preached for the church. Meetings were kept up till 1860, but then all the members having moved away except Dencon Ferris and family, the church ceased to exist.
The foregoing history was written about two years ago, but there has been no material change since that time, except the de- parture of their excellent pastor, Mr. Carnahan. At the present time services are held only occasionally, except prayer meetings and Sunday school, which occur as usual.
GIBSON.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Gibson was organized April, 1872.
F. S. Church, Mrs. F. S. Church, Mrs. Mary Cornell, Mrs. Mary E. Davis, James Elliott, Mrs. James Elliott, Joseph H. Elliott, E. Ilans, Mrs. E. Haas, W. T. Kerr, Mrs. W. T. Kerr, Mrs. William Moyer, Mrs. Lucy Robbins, Charles E. Wilson, Mrs. Charles E. Wilson and a few others composed the first membership. W. T. Kerr was the first leader.
N. L. Sears. Mrs. N. L. Sears, Austin Crabbs, Mrs. Austin Crabbe, M. T. Burwell. Mrs. M. T. Burwell, soon afterward united. The church edifice, valued at 82.000, was erected in 1873. It was dedicated by Rev. Samuel Fallows, D. D., Sep- tember, 1874.
The first Trustees were James Elliott, F. S. Church, W. T. Kerr, E. Haas, and Charles E. Wilson. The present Trustees (1884) are Austin Crabbs, F. W. Beardsley, William Moyer, Rev. HI. M. Haff, L. M. Crosthwait, I. II. French, Fred Potts, E. S. Ross and M. T. Burwell.
The following in the order given are the ministers who have served the church: Rev. Job Ingram, Rev. A. C. Byerly, Rev. M. Auer, Rev. E. A. Ilamilton, Rev. W. F. Gilmore, Rev. II. M. Haff, Rev. Joseph Long, Rev. T. M. Dillon and Rev. James C. Brainerd.
The church has been blessed with several revivals, and not- withstanding numerous removals by letter, the membership is now 156.
The Trustees purchased a house for a parsonage in 18-2, and made an extensive addition to it in the fall of 1893. Property now worth $1,600.
The Sunday school was organized March, 1873. The Su- perintendents have been W. T. Kerr, Jease Hubbard, Miss Rubic A. Seara, Austin Crabbs, C. C. Oliver and L. M. Cros- thwait. It is now the largest and is considered one of the most flourishing and best conducted schools in Ford County.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, Gibson, was or- ganized in 1877 by Rev. Aaron Ward. The original members were Mark Anthony, Melissa Anthony, Bettie Manson, Ellen Smith, Allen Spickard and wife. The church building was erected in 1879, the estimated value being $600. Rev. Henry Brown is the present pastor.
First Presbyterian Church, Gibson .- The organization of this church took place on Saturday, October 28, 1871, in Union School- house, five miles northwest of Gibson. Rev. R. A. Criswell, of Normal, Elders O. Scott, of Farmer City, and Henry Rayburn, of Saybrook, constituted the committee appointed by the Presbytery of Bloomington to effect the organization of the society. To the Rev. Crisswell belongs the honor of calling the attention of the Presbytery to this field for the establishment of a church, and to his faithful labors in carlier years its existence is due. The original members were Fabius Fleming, Mary B. Fleming, Will- iam S. Graham, Ruth S. Graham, Ruth E. Gilmore, Martha Moyer, J. Wiley Moore, Isabelle H. Moore, Sarah E. McKeener, David Newman, James Parr, Mrs. E. F. Parr, John W. Rodgers, Mary A. Rodgers, James M. Sudduth, Amanda Sudduth, Alice Sudduth, Sarah J. West, William Sudduth. Some time in July, 1874, the foundation for a Gothic frame, designed by G. P. Randall, of Chicago, was laid, but, owing to a threatened failure of the corn crop, work was post- poned till September, when, the prospect looking brighter, work was resumed; but various and vexatious delays prevented the completion till July, 1875. The building is valued at $3,500, and furniture at about 8800. The Rev. R. A. Crisswell acted as pastor from the organization till October, 1875. Thereafter, for three years, the congregation was dependent upon temporary supplies-chiefly students from the Northwestern Theological Seminary. Rev. F. W. Iddings acted as pastor for about six months during this time, and Rev. R. M. Stevenson about one year. In the spring of 1878, Rev. T. F. Boyd was called as pastor, and served nearly a year. In the spring of 1879, Rev. H. Vallette Warren assumed pastoral charge of the church, which relation he still sustains. The original Elders were J. Wiley Moore, Fab- ius Fleming. The former still acts as Ruling Elder in the church. Mr. Fleming served eight years, and until his depart- ure for the West. The Deacons were James Parr and John W. Rodgers, the latter serving three years, until his removal West. Mr. Parr still retains his office.
The present Board of Elders is composed of J. Finley Speers, Matthew Speedie, John B. Foley, Charles Saxton and T. B. Strauss. Trustees, William H. Guthrie, William J. Wilson, George W. Eggleston, T. D. Spaulding and T. B. Strauss ; Pas- tor, Rev. II. P. Fullenweider ; Treasurer, T. B. Strauss.
It may not be out of place to mention here some of the diffi- culties which opposed the church in its early history, taken from a brief sketch written by Dr. J. M. Waters : " The congrega- tion was widely scattered through the country. the roads were new and frequently almost impassable, and there were so few members in town that it seemed impracticable to sustain a prayer- meeting. When there was preaching, it was only on alternate Sabbaths, and the minister was unable to spend much time be- yond the Sabbath with them. The Elders, like everybody else in the new community, were busy with necessary secular work, and for a long time the congregation hardly knew such a thing as pastoral care. The members meeting only on the Sabbath, and often prevented for long periods from this by unfavorable weather and bad roads, remained almost strangers to each other, and were slow to acquire that sympathy and confidence in each other which better acquaintance would have bred. For such causes they sometimes felt even weaker than they really were. The members were poor, almost all in debt, and these early years of
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FORD COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
the church were times of general financial stringency, becoming gradually worse. In the winter of 1876, men of good credit paid 18 per cent in bank for money."
Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Gibson .- The Cumber- land Presbyterian Church of Gibson was formerly organized un- der the name of the Hopewell congregation, at Drummer Grove Schoolhouse, one mile northwest of Gibson. The original organi- zation was effected December 19, 1868, by the Rev. J. R. Low- rance, now of Lincoln, Ill., with the following members, twenty- two in all : James Houston, Matthew Speedie, Isabella Speedie, James M. More, James J. Houston, Jane J. Houston, Catharine Gilchrist, William S. Thompson, Agnes M. Thompson, B. H. McClure, James M. McClure, John T. McClure, Jane A. Mc- Clure, Susan E. McClure, Hattie N. McClure, Finis W. McClure, Francis McClure, Augusta McClure, T. B. Crigler, Sarah Crigler, Martha Morc, Ann Crigler. Under the care of Mackinaw Presby- tery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, yet without & set- tled pastor, the congregation continued to worship at the above- named schoolhouse until the winter of 1872, when the need of a church building more fully asserted itself. Accordingly, at a meeting of the congregation on the 14th of April, 1873, it was determined to enter at once upon the erection of a suitable house for worship, and three trustees were elected, subscriptions taken, and the work started. The names of the Trustees elected at this meeting were : John T. McClure, Winston Meeks and T. D. Spaulding, and to this date the first named has continued to serve the congregation as one of its trustees. Agreeable to the genius of the vote of the meeting of April 14, 1873, the building now oc- cupied by the congregation, situated on North Church street, was erected at a cost of $2,600. The present value of the property is estimated at the same figure, $2,600.
Pastors .- From the date of organization, December 19, 1869, to March, 1873, the congregation was supplied with the preached word and means of grace by several ministers of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, notably among which appears the name of Rev. S. E. Hudson, now of Lincoln, Ill. ; but the first resident pastor in charge was the Rev. R. T. Marlow, who served the con- gregation from March, 1873, to June, 1875. Here we find an interval of two years, during which time the congregation was without a regular pastor. In April, 1877, an engagement was made with Rev. L. P. Deatherage, for six months, at the expira- tion of which time he was again employed for the ensuing year. In September, 1878, from some cause not named in session rec- ords, we find the pulpit again vacant ; and an agreement was made soon thereafter with Rev. J. C. Van Patton to fill it once a month. This arrangement continued in force until the winter of 1879, when a correspondence was opened with the Rev. A. C. Biddle, then a student at Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tenn., resulting in his employment from July 1, 1880.
Oficers .- At the organization of the congregation in 1869, the Board of Elders was as follows: B. H. Mcclure, Matthew Speedie, T. B. Crigler and James J. Houston; and the name of B. H. MeClure appears as its first representative in the sittings of Mackinaw Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. To this original Board of Elders were added other names, by election and ordination, as follows : John C. Wilson and William Gilchrist, October 4, 1874; James M. McClure, July 18, 1880.
Oficers for 1884-Elders, B. H. McClure, J. C. Wilson, J. J. Houston and J. M. McClure; Deacons, Robert Jardine, Nel- son B. Taylor, John M. Baily and C. H. Buckman ; Trustees, John T. McClure, John H. Collier and Robert Talbot; Treas- urer, J. M. Baily ; Pastor, Rev. Madden, to take the charge July 1, 1884.
United Brethren in Christ of Gibson .- The organization is of recent date. In the year 1875, the quarterly conference of the Elliott charge appointed & Board of Trustees, consisting of C. J. Buckner, J. C. Thornton, Peter Maine, Sr., Rev. L. L. Rine- hart, and John Wagner, Esq., to take under advisement the fcas- ibility of building a church house for the United Brethren in Christ in Gibson. There was at this time no society of said church in Gibson, and only one of the newly appointed trus- tees lived here. In the following August Mr. C. J. Buchmer, seconded by only a few friends, began the erection of what is now known as the " Brethren Church in Gibson," and on the 8th day of January following, 1876, it was finished and dedicated to the service of God. The building is forty-four feet long, thirty feet wide, and eighteen feet ceiling. It has a belfry and a vestibule, and cost $1,850.
This thenceforth became one of the appointments of the El- liott charge, the other three were Elliott, Antioch Schoolhouse and the Wagner appointment. Rev. F. R. Mitchel was the pas- tor, serving his second year on the charge. During the year 1876 he organized a United Brethren society, in Gibson, consist- ing of the following members : C. J. Buchmer and wife, Mrs. Mary Emmons, Peter and Elizabeth Maine, husband and wife, Mr. M. Kerr and wife, Rev. L. L. Rinehart and wife, and two children, Miss Hattie and Samuel, Howard Griffith, Elizabeth Griffith, Laura Griffith, Sidna Griffith and Maria Griffith, Mr. J. E. Sheffer.
Remaining a part of the Elliott charge until last fall, 1883, when it was made a station, it was favored with preaching, on an average, once in two weeks. During this time it had the follow- ing pastors: 1876, Rev. F. R. Mitchel; Rev. A. Wimsett, served part of the year 1877 ; 1878, in succession, Revs. J. Corley, A. Wimsett, and Miss Julia Potter ; 1879, Rev. Z. T. Hatfield; in 1880, Rev. L. L. Rinehart ; in 1881, Rev. J. Corley ; 1882, Rev. J. . W. Moats ; in 1883, Rev. A. C. Scott; 1881, Rev. P. H. Wagner. In the year 1882, Rev. J. Corley served as pastor on the rest of the charge, and Rev. J. W. Moats preached to the Gibson society alone. During 1883, Rev. A. C. Scott served
the entire charge. At the annual conference in the fall of 1883, it was set off as a mission station.
. The officers of the society have been as follows: Leader, C. J. Buckner, has been the Class Leader consecutively since its organization, except one year, John Aaron, Jr., served.
Stewards-Only a partial list is here given in an irregular order ; Peter Maine, Sr., George Hawthorne, W. E. McMullen, O. Bruder, Rev. L. L. Rinehart, William Estice, Howard Grif- feth.
Trustees-First board as given above. In 1880, C. J. Buch- ner, Peter Maine, Sr., O. Bruder ; 1884, W. E. McMullen, O. Bruder and Samuel Emmons. The society at the time of its or- ganization in 1876, consisted of seventeen members. It has been blessed with liberal successive additions since, but these have been in a great measure offset by very numerous deaths and re- movals. It has been favored with some excellent revival seasons, and has maintained a reputation of being a live, spiritual society. Its present membership is seventy-one, of which seventeen were received during the past winter (January, 1884).
It is carrying on a good live Sabbath school, which has had a consecutive existence since 1876. Its first Superintendent was Rev. J. H. Mulholland, and its present one is Mr. C. J. Buchner. In addition to its Sabbath services, the Sabbath school has a weekly Friday night teachers' meeting. The school is amply supplied with literature, manned with a competent corps of officers and teachers.
The society stands identified, more or less intimately, with all reformative movements of the day, believing the Gospel to be the great corrector of all the wrongs and irregularities of human so- ciety.
Its meetings of various kinds are as follows: Preachings, Sabbath 11 o'clock A. M., 8 P. M. Prayer meetings, Wednesday night. Young people's Bible reading, Thursday night. Official meeting, monthly, second Tuesday in each month. Quarterly meeting every three months. Sabbath school 10 A. M. In its government, strictly republican. All its officers elected by & majority vote of society.
PIPER CITY.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, Piper City," was organ- ized by Rev. J. B. Dille while he was pastor of the Chatsworth charge about the year 1866, and was connected with that charge until the fall of 1870. Until then the Piper City class was served successively by Revs. Dille, - Spangler, William Cumming, Samuel Havermale.
Piper City charge was formed in 1870 by Rev. G. R. Palmer, then Presiding Elder of Onarga district, and embraced Piper City, a schoolhouse known as Mount Zion, about seven miles southwest of Piper, and Mount Thunder Schoolhouse, seven miles northeast.
In 1872, the Mount Zion appointment was removed to Fair View or Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse.
Rev. J. P. Coffman was sent to Piper City charge in the fall of 1870, and served two years. As a result of meetings held by him at a schoolhouse one mile north of La Hogue, a class of thirty members was formed, which became a part of the circuit, with T. J. Lannry as Leader.
The class at Mount Thunder or Sand Ridge was organized about 1869 by a located preacher known as Father Lewis, and contained at first twelve members. It increased to a membership of thirty-two in 1871, and in 1872 to forty-two, with John Winn as Leader.
During Rev. Coffman's ministry, a large school building in Piper City was purchased and refitted for use by the Methodists, who now numbered about forty in Piper City. Until this was done, the society had rented a room over Mr. John Clark's store, known as Clark's Hall, for $50 per annum. It was also occu- pied by the Presbyterians.
Rev. C. O. McCulloch succeeded Rev. Coffman in 1872 and remained three years. He received thirty on probation and some by letter, and the class in Piper City reached a member- ship of about seventy, with Edward Montelius as Leader.
A class of twenty-six members which met at Fair View was transferred in 1873 to the Roberts Circuit, and subsequently dis- banded.
About the same time the La Hogne appointment was changed to what is called the Black Schoolhouse, two miles southwest of La Hogue, and in 1877 numbered twenty-five, with Samuel Knowlton, Leader
Rev. W. H. Flint came to the circuit in 1875, and remained three years, during which time he received into the church on probation ninety-three persons.
About 1876 or 1877, the Sand Ridge class changed its regular meetings to the MeTier Schoolhouse, one mile east and two south of the first place of meeting, and in 1877 numbered forty-eight. In 1878, Rev. R. Crews was sent to the charge and continued one year. Rev. E. B. Boggess followed in 1879, remaining two ycars.
In the second year, the building occupied for church services in Piper City, since 1872, was sold, and a new church erected at a cost of 83,011, which was dedicated November 6, 1881, by Rev. Dr. W. H. H. Adams, of the Illinois Wesleyan University, of Bloomington.
Rev. Lewis Springer received his appointment to Piper City in the fall of 1881, and remained two years. Under his super- vision the Sunday school in Piper made marked progress.
The MoTier appointment was changed to the Sand Ridge or Reed Schoolhouse, two miles north (the old Sand Ridge School-
*Rev. James Irvin was sent to the Brat pestor to Piper City Circuit, in the fall of 1889, Lad served six months. The last half of the year was filled by Rev. J. O. Blair.
house having been moved from its site one mile west to the Reed corner one mile east), and the La Hogue, appointment was changed from the Black to the Willow Twig Schoolhouse, two miles northwest of La Ilogue, and finally to La Hogue, where a new schoolhouse had been built. During 1883, services were held there by Rev. W. R. Baldridge, of the United Presbyterian Church in Piper City, and Rev. Springer, alternately and occt- sionally by Rev. W. C. Neely, Presbyterian of Piper City. In March, 1883, as a result of revival meetings in Piper City Meth- odist Episcopal Church, conducted by Rev. Springer and Rev. McLain, an Evangelist, there were sixty-six accessions to the Methodist Episcopal Church on probation, and some to other churches. In October, 1883, Rev. W. R. Warner came to the charge, and on November + organized a class at La Hogue of seventeen members with Charles Dixon, Leader, it having become disorganized by changes in place of meeting. January 6, 1884, there were fourteen more accessions to the La Ilogue society, as a result of special meetings. The class in Piper City now numbers about eighty-five full members and thirty probationers. The charge has 118 full members and 45 probationers. There is no parsonage.
Presbyterian Church, Piper City *.- The Presbyterian Church of Brenton, the name being afterward changed to Piper City, was organized by the Bloomington Old School Presbytery, September 19, 1862, by a committee consisting of Rev. George Mckinley, John Thomas and Elder William P. Pierson. The meeting was held in a schoolhouse about two and a half miles south of what is now Piper City. The following persons became members : Archi- bald Mckinney, Elizabeth Mckinney, Robert Hall, Eliza Hall, Mathew H. Hall, Mrs. M. C. Hall, John Marr, Elizabeth Marr, Henry Atwood, Mary E. Atwood, John Mckinney, Mrs. Rachel Perry and Mrs. Caroline Barns. The session of the church was organized by the election of Archibald Mckinney, Robert Hall and Mathew H. Hall as Ruling Elders. Rev. John Thomas acted as stated supply of the church for two years after it was organized in connection with the Presbyterian Church of Onarga, and Rev. W. B. Marsh supplied the church during the years 1866-67. The Rev. William C. Neely commenced his la- bors on May 1, 1868, and was installed pastor in June, 1869, and is the present incumbent.
The church erected a parsonage, which was the first house built in what is now Piper City. For several years the congre- gation worshiped in a hall over a store owned by J. A. Monte- lius & Co. During the fall of 1878, the congregation built a house of worship, 56x32, at a cost of $3,600, which was dedicated free of debt November 16 of that year. At the present time the church is in a united and prosperous condition, with an active membership of over 100 persons, siz of whom were among the organizing members.
United Presbyterian Congregation, Piper City. t-The pio- neer of the United Presbyterian Church was William Thompson, who came here in August, 1863, and settled within two milos of the present town of Piper City. He came from Monmouth, Ill., and brought with him his family consisting of wife and nine chil- dren. He was soon followed by several other families. The first sermon preached to these people was by Rev. Robert Mc- Cracken, of Paxton, Ill., in the year 1864, in a schoolhouse sev- eral miles south of the city.
The congregation was organized the 14th of May, 1867, by Rev. I. C. Mcknight and Elders McCoy and Thompson, with a membership of thirty two. R. N. Thompson and James W. Holmes were the first Elders. On the first Sabbath of January, 1868, Rev. J. C. Bigham began his labors in the congregation, having previously received a call to become their pastor. Dur- ing the summer of 1869, they built their present house of wor- ship. The dedicatory sermon was preached the first Sabbath of August, 1869, by Rev. David Wallace, President of Monmouth College. Rev. Bigham resigned in October, 1873. The con- gregation was again supplied until 1876, when Rev. William Morrow became stated supply. Ilis labors extended over & period of six years. During that time the congregation enjoyed the utmost peace and prosperity. His labors ended February, 1832. Rev. W. R. Baldridge became their pastor July 1, 1882, and was released September 12, 1883. At present the congre- gation is supplied. The membership is ninety, in a good condi- tion financially, not being burdened with any debt.
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