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It was in this manner, and with such a field and the material furnished by the rough pioneers, that this pioneer preacher laid the foundations for the Christian civilization we now enjoy.
4
740
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Some of the names of the persons who formed the first class organized in Urbana, as the result of the Heptonstall camp-meeting have been preserved and gathered from the recollection of contemporaries, and are as follows: Jacob W. Slater and Rebecca, his wife; Samuel Motz and Sarah, his wife; Noah Bixler and Matilda, his wife; Mrs. Benedict and Simeon Motz. Others there doubtless were, but the names have not been preserved.
The "parsonage," partly prepared, was fin- ished with a split-board roof, floors of the same kind and a mud and stick chimney, and here the pastor and his family were housed when the first church built within the county, elsewhere referred to, was com- menced and so far completed as to be occu- pied. A short sketch of this enterprise must prove of interest to the reader, as typical of similar enterprises elsewhere.
A lot on the south side of Elm Street, Ur- bana, between Market and Race, where a stable now stands, was obtained, being a gift from the County . Commissioners. So far as known, no subscription paper figured in the transaction, perhaps for the reason that there was little money in those days with which to meet obligations. In Mrs. Nancy Web- ber's timber was plenty of material, and the muscle necessary to transform it into a build- ing was at hand. So pastor and people, alike muscular and zealous, turned out and, with axes, went to the woods, cut, scored and hewed out the timbers, studding and rafters from the standing trees. Logs for lumber for siding were likewise cut and hauled to Colonel Busey's saw-mill-then doing business upon the creek just above Crystal Lake Park, from the water-power there furnished-and the siding produced. The shingles were bought upon a promise to pay from a manu- facturer nearby, and in a few weeks the structure spoken of above was reared and enclosed, but neither floored nor plastered, except that the pulpit space and the "amen corners" were floored.
In this condition, with neither windows nor doors and with no other seats than those af- forded by the uncovered sleepers or joists, hewn upon the upper side, was the structure occupied by a worshipping congregation for the first summer and, perhaps, for a longer period when the weather permitted. It was not until 1843 that the building was finally
completed according to the original plan, be- ing floored, plastered and seated with rude slab benches. This final work had been done by free contributions of labor and materials. It is said that Colonel Busey gave the floor- ing, Archa Campbell the glass, and Matthias Carson, a skilled mechanic, the window sash and door.
In its finished condition it was unpainted, both inside and outside, until two zealous sisters-Harriet Harvey and Susan Cantner- with discriminating zeal for outside appear- ances, unassisted by any one, whitewashed the entire outside of the house as well as the rough plastering on the inside, using a preparation of lime and other ingredients, in- cluding among them salt. The building looked well in its coat of whitewash, but the town cows, then quite numerous, lost to all rever- ence for the sacred character of the structure, were tempted by the salt to lick the clap- boards, which they persisted in doing so long as the saline taste remained. At times, owing to this practice of the cows, a worshipping congregation was disturbed, and, to secure their legal rights, it became necessary to sta- tion a guard of boys upon the outside during service.
This church building, in the condition above described, was alternately used as a place of worship, as a school-house and, in cases of great necessity, it housed homeless and desti- tute families until the stress of circumstances passed and they could be housea elsewhere. (1)
It is said that the first minister who occu- pied this, the first church building erected in the county, after its completion, was Rev. W. D. Gage, who was appointed to the Urbana circuit in 1843. This building continued the one church house of the county for some years, open, as occasion demanded, to the use of such other denominations as desired its use, until the year 1856, when a new building
(1)Mr. James Kerr, of Urbana, relates that when, in the autumn of 1851, he with his father, A. M. Kerr (for a term of years Coroner of Cham- paign County), came with a family of ten per- sons, immigrants from Tennessee, to Urbana, they found no friendly door opened to them, and in their distressed condition-most of them being sick-were very glad to avail themselves of the permission given by those having this building in charge to spread their beds upon its floor and remain until, somewhat recovered from their weariness and chills, they were en- abled to find other accommodations.
GYMNASIUM-UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
-
OF THE PRIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
741
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
was erected, and the old one was converted into a livery barn. (1)
The class, formed in the neighborhood north of Urbana by Rev. James Holmes, sub- sequently built a small church building for their use which was erected near the center of Section 27, in Somer Township, and was the first of the many country churches erect- ed in the rural districts of the county.
Arthur Bradshaw was followed at Urbana by others of the pioneer pastors. The theol- ogy and church discipline enforced by these early preachers was of the most stalwart character, and tolerated no failures to attend the "means of grace" or other lapses from Wesley's rules. (2)
(1)"Gone .- The old Methodist Church, which was, for many years, the only sanctuary in this place, and whose walls had for fifteen years echoed the preached gospel and the shouts of the pioneer Methodists, was a few days since sold at auction for $350, and is now going through the necessary alterations preparatory to becoming a livery stable. It was built main- ly through the exertions of a few zealous and devoted persons, among whom was Rev. Arthur Bradshaw, now a superannuated minister of the Illinois Conference, living in our place, who, we are informed, when not on his circuit took his axe, and, with his lay brethren, resorted to the woods, where he assisted
" 'To hew the shaft, and lay the architrave, And spread the roof above them.'
"By means of a few days' work contributed by one, and a stick of timber by another, and a small lot of lumber by a third, this structure was completed and, with hearts swelling with zeal- ous love, they dedicated it to the Living God.
"Since that period Eternity alone can reveal the results of the labors witnessed there. Year after year has rolled away; the servants of God have come, performed their allotted work and gone away. Revival after revival has been wit- nessed; souls have shouted aloud their newly begotten joy and passed away, either to other scenes of labor in the church, or to receive the 'Well done good and faithful' in the church triumphant.
"But during this time how changed are all things around! The little town for whose ac- commodation the old church was built is fast taking on the airs and importance of a city. The beautiful rolling prairie around, upon whose wild turf it was built, which then and for ages past blossomed only for the timid deer and feathered songster, has been invaded by thousands of ambitious and restless souls who have conquered and made it subservient to the base uses of gain.
"Of the pioneers, who each Sabbath morning met here to return thanks, but few remain. Some have gone to people other western wilds while others have emigrated to the silent city. The wants of the society have reared, but a few rods away, a beautiful structure of graceful proportions, which will soon be made to echo the songs of the worshippers. But while this has taken the place and name of the old house, and it is consigned to baser uses, around the old church will linger pleasant memories of by- gone days."-Urbana Union, July 31, 1856.
(2) Elias Kirby, a member of Walter Rhodes" class, relates how he was called to account for . his failure to attend class-meeting, by Rev. Lewis Anderson, one of these preachers, who sharply reprimanded him, although the record convicted him of but two failures.
During the next few years after the com- ing here of these pastors, it is remembered that two other camp-meetings were held in the Big Grove one upon or near the Big Spring, at the Stewart school-house, two miles north of Urbana, and one at John Gilli- land's, in Section 1, Urbana. Few incidents of note are remembered in connection with either of these gatherings, except the com- ing to both of Mrs. Landers, with her two daughters, Mary and Frances, who lived upon the Danville road in the edge of Vermilion County, attended both meetings and delighted the audiences with their fine singing. One of them, Mary, afterwards became the first wife of William H. Webber, of Urbana. It is also related of the former meeting, that its peace was much interfered with by rude fellows of the baser sort, who put green buckeyes un- der the sisters' boiling coffee-pots, and that the explosions which followed made no little disturbance in the culinary department of the encampment. It was . claimed that the preacher in charge of the meeting made un- merited criticisms of the conduct of some of the attendants, and that the buckeye exploits were in the way of retaliation.
Rev. N. S. Bastian, the Presiding Elder, had charge of the latter meeting, and by skillful management avoided offending any one. This gentleman subsequently became a convert from the theories and doctrines of John Wesley to those of Alexander Camp- bell, and so joined the "Disciples of Christ" organization, in which he was for many years very conspicuous in this part of the State.
- The Baptist society, already spoken of as having been organized at Brumley's in 1838, held its meetings there for ten or twelve. years, when a change took place and it be- came the First Baptist Church of Urbana, and for more than half a century has been a strong social and religious force in that city. In 1855 this society erected the second church building for Urbana upon the site of the present edifice, and, in the same year, before the building was finished, hung in its belfry the first church bell ever heard in the county. (1)
(1)"The Bell .- The bell for the new Baptist church has arrived and will soon send forth its mellow peals to vibrate over the prairies as often reminding us of the persevering and noble- hearted efforts of the ladies of Urbana, through whose efforts alone, the purchase has been made. The bell is one of beautiful tone and will
742
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
The First Presbyterian Church of Cham- paign, now one of the strongest religious or- ganizations of the county, was organized in September, 1850, by Rev. John A. Steele, under the authority of the Presbytery of Palestine, holding territorial jurisdiction over this county. The names of those per- sons who united in the covenant are given as Robert Dean and Martha A., his wife; Sol- omon Campbell and Tamar, his wife; Adam Karr and Rebecca, his wife; John J. Rea and Sarah B. his wife. Among its early minis- ters were Rev. E. K. Lynn, Rev. H. F. Bowen and Rev. R. H. Lilly.
Soon after the building of the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad and the establishment of the new town of West Urbana, to better accom- modate the membership, many of whom lived in the Sangamon timber, the place of hold- ing services was changed to the new town, and worship was held in the new depot build- ing. That was before the running of Sunday trains. A church building was erected for the use of this church in 1855 upon the site now occupied.
The First Congregational Church of Cham- paign was likewise organized in Urbana, and from citizens residing there on November 1, 1853, under the ministrations of Rev. W. W. Blanchard. The names of those embraced in its first membership were John T. Rankin and Mary A., his wife; Moses P. Snelling and Caroline, his wife; Tamar Campbell, Jane Higgins and Alethea Snyder. This church likewise changed its location to West Ur- bana, where in 1855 and 1856 it erected a house for its use at the northwest corner of University Avenue and First Street, but subsequently erected a more commodious structure on West Park Street, which having been destroyed by fire, the present structure was built in 1875. Among its early pastors were Rev. W. W. Blanchard, Rev. W. H. Hal- liwell, Rev. S. A. Vandyke and Rev. W. G. Pierce.
The Methodist Episcopal Church at Cham- paign was first organized at West Urbana in 1857, partly from the Urbana membership residing in that locality. Soon thereafter a church building was completed upon the site
tend much to enliven our place, especially on Sabbath mornings when we shall, henceforth. be greeted by the welcome sounds of the 'church going bell.'"-Urbana Union, September 27, 1855.
now occupied by the congregation. Its first pastor was Rev. P. N. Minnear, and among its early pastors were Rev. A. C. Armentrout, Rev. G. R. McElfresh, Rev. E. D. Wilkin and Rev. W. H. Webster.
From 1843 the Methodists of Middletown belonged to the Monticello circuit, but in 1855 the Middletown circuit was organized, which embraced all of the Sangamon settle- ments within the county. Soon after this the denomination built its first place of worship, completing it in 1856, which was the first church-house erected at Mahomet. Among the earliest members there were James W. Fisher, B. F. Harris, James C. Kilgore, Heze- kiah Phillippe and their families, to which number were added the next year the names of F. B. Sale and family. Mr. Sale subse- quently became a local preacher of his de- nomination, and was influential in the estab- lishment of other circuits and stations higher up the Sangamon, where he resided.
Among the early pastors of this church along the Sangamon timber may be named Rev. A. S. Goddard, Rev. J. A. Brittingham, Rev. L. C. Pitner, Rev. J. C. Rucker, Rev. A. R. Garner, Rev. C. F. Hecox and Rev. A. Bradshaw.
. In 1858 the Presbyterians resident along the Sangamon timber, who were affiliated with the West Urbana Church, were dis- missed therefrom for the purpose of forming an organization at Middletown, which sub- sequently was effected in due form and a church building erected.
The origin at Homer of a society of Metho- dists has already been given in the words of the pioneer preacher, Bradshaw. It will be proper further to say that Homer, from that date, became one of the preaching places upon the Urbana circuit, and so continued until 1853, when it was set off as a station by itself and has so continued. Before this date some years the society had built a suit- able church building, which was the first erected in the place. All this took place at what is elsewhere styled "Old Homer," and when, in 1855, the people concluded to move their town to the line of the railroad, this church went with them there and served its purpose for many years.
The early preachers at Homer, after it set up for itself, were: Rev. William Sim, Rev. J. Cavett, Rev. J. C. Long, Rev. J. Shinn,
T
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743
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Rev. Peter Wallace, Rev. Isaac Groves and Rev. G. W. Fairbank.
Sidney was also named in the extract from Rev. Arthur Bradshaw's narration as one of his appointments where a Methodist class was formed. Not until 1879 did it become a station by itself, although, as early as 1858, it had erected a substantial brick church.
The Universalist Church at Urbana de- serves notice as among the oldest and most influential in the county. For many years prior to 1859, services were held in the court- house in Urbana by ministers of this denomi- nation; but until that year no church organ- ization had been formed. Early in that year a discussion of the essential questions which divide Universalists from the so-called ortho- dox churches, took place in Urbana, Rev. W. W. King, of Chicago, appearing on the part of the Universalists, and Rev. R. N. Davies, a Methodist minister, on the part of those of the orthodox belief. Few matters connected with the ecclesiastical affairs of the county have produced greater excitement among the people than did this controversy. People came from other places and listened to the debate to the end. As usual, both sides were, in their estimation, winners.
Soon after a Universalist Church was or- ganized, embracing over fifty members, and a pastor was called. Services were held in the court-house 'for several years, and until the erection, in 1871, of a very creditable brick church upon Green Street, Urbana. At first this church encountered the usual preju- dice, but its people have so conducted their church affairs asto disarm this, and the church is now regarded by all as a force for the upbuilding of humanity. Amon,: the early pastors of this denomination here may be named Revs. E. Manford, T. C. Eaton, Josiah Davis and D. P. Bunn.
The English Catholic Church of Champaign, known locally as St. Mary's, was the pioneer church of that faith in this county and in all of this part of Illinois. Until the great work of building a railroad over the wide expanse between the southern end of Lake Michigan and the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, had been entered upon in 1852, and the services of himself and his spade began operations, few of Ireland's sons ever trod
our prairie soil; but hard upon the trail made by Colonel Mason's engineers, who ran the levels and stuck the grade stakes for the Illinois Central Railroad, came the Irish la- borers, and closely following them came the priest of his faith to admonish, chide and ad- vise the merry workers. No church building then existed of any kind along hundreds of miles of the line; so resort was of necessity had to the temporary dwellings erected near the works along the line. These houses were often quite extensive and housed large colo- nies of workmen.
Soon after the location of Urbana Station, and as soon as lots were platted, a location- that where St. Mary's Church of Champaign now stands-was secured for future occu- pancy. The subsequent growth around it, and the location within one block of the site of the University of Illinois, shows the selec- tion to have been a wise one. The parish was at first known as "Urbana Mission," and such it remained until in the subsequent change of names it conformed to that chosen for the new town. Those chiefly active in this work were those well-known pioneers, Bernard Kelley, Larry Murphy, Thomas No- lan, Robert and Jacob Blum, John Rising, MI- chael Ivers, Patrick Coffey, Michael Doyle, John Sullivan, Cornelius Sullivan, John Ken- ney, James Cowley, Patrick and Maurice Fitz- gerald, David Conden and Joseph O'Brien.
About 1861 a church was completed, which has since been supplanted by a better one, and the property has been extended to cover an entire block, and, besides the church edi- fice, now includes a rectory, a school and a home for the instruc. ors. . Rev. Ryan, of Paris, Ill., was the first priest to come along the unfinished railroad, being succeeded by Revs. Lambert, Force, Scanlon, Thomas Ryan, Noonen, Pendergast, Toner and Wag- ner-the last of whom is now in charge of the parish.
The facts connected with the individual churches of any civilized country always con- stitute a large and important part of the his- tory of that country, and so it has been here. But it will not be expected that complete his- tories of all of the many churches which, in the natural growth of the country, have come
744
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
up to bless every community in the county, can here be furnished, nor that even brief notices of each can be given. To do either would too greatly encumber these pages. From the many, these few have been selected as typical pioneer organizations, where pio- neer means of growth and pioneer practices have prevailed, leaving to others the work of particularizing and extending local church history. Sufficient has been told to show that our pioneers were in all cases true to the tra- ditions and religious teachings of the race, and that the needs of the community along this line were only made to await the oppor- tunity.
When and where the first Sunday school was held in the county, is a matter of uncer- tainty. One report says that Charles Fielder, son of the first white resident, at one time gathered the young people at the north side of the Big Grove, on Sundays, for religious instruction. To what extent this continued is likewise uncertain. That it was done at all reflects credit upon these humble people.
Rev. Arthur Bradshaw, the pioneer preach- er, at an Old Settlers' meeting held in Ur- bana in 1886, said that in the spring of 1840, the next year after his coming to Urbana, he organized a Sunday school there, in which people of other denominations than his (the Methodist Episcopal) took part, and especial- ly named one -Milton Vance, a dry-goods mer- chant of Urbana.
A church record kept as the history of the official transactions of the Urbana Methodist Mission and Circuit, beginning with June 30, 1840, and continuing up to 1853 and later, now before the writer, shows that in Urbana and at other points upon the circuit, these schools were kept up in some manner, feeble at times, but that the purpose of instruction of children in religious matters was always kept in sight. The disciplinary question, "Have the rules respecting the religious in- struction of children during the last quarter been observed?"-uniformly asked at each quarterly conference-always met with an- swers which prove the existence of such schools in some condition-generally weakly and with winter intermissions-but in no case do they show a failure of some effort.
CHATER XXI.
A FIRST VIEW OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
CHAMPAIGN AS FIRST
SEEN BY
THE WRITER -ARRIVAL AT URBANA-FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF A PRAIRIE COUNTRY - A FRONTIER COUNTY TWENTY YEARS OLD - URBANA AS
IT THEN APPEARED - STOCK AND POULTRY RAN AT
LARGE - NO SIDEWALKS BUT WOOD-PILES - ONLY TWO BRIDGES IN THE COUNTY - TWO LAWYERS-SOMERS AND COLER-WEBBER CLERK OF THE COURTS-BUSINESS MEN-ONE NEWSPAPER- MAIL FACILITIES-HOMER AND MIDDLETOWN- COUNTRY WHOLLY OPEN-BIG GROVE-PEOPLE LIV- ING HERE-MANNER OF LIFE-HOMESPUN CLOTH- ING-STAPLE PRODUCTS-MANNER OF CULTIVAT- ING AND HARVESTING.
It was near the close of a very sultry day in June, 1853, after a two days' tiresome journey in a loaded lumber wagon from one of the Wabash towns, that the writer first saw Urbana and became a guest at the "Ur- bana House," then kept by C. M. Vandever- one of two hotels of the place, the other be- ing known as the "Champaign House," kept by Asa Gere. The hostelry was the metamor- phosed and added-to first court-house of the county, made up largely of back and front porch, standing at the corner of Main and Walnut Streets, upon the new jail lot.
The day-his first upon the great western prairies, about which so much had been told him by school-books and in Western tales- had been one of surprises to the writer. Along the road from Danville, as then trav- eled through the then Homer village to the eastern line of this county, were well culti- vated farms and fair farm buildings; but be- yond this belt of improvements bordering the Salt Fork Timber-and all the time within the observation of the traveler-was the boundless, unbroken, flower-decked, prairie, rolling away in the distance and shimmering under the summer sun.
After crossing the Salt Fork at Kelley's Tavern, eight miles east of Urbana, the open prairie-the real thing of wonder and admira- tion-was entered upon. Now, for the first time, immediate contact was had with the prairie of song and story. Looking in any direction except to the rear was a boundless view of space, made up of a soil black as night, covered with unknown plants and
745
!HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
grasses, and seemingly inviting the husband- man to sudden and certain wealth. A single, unfenced trail led from the ford of the Salt Fork to the westward, pointing to a low tim- ber line miles to the northwest, which he was informed was the "Big Grove," and that far along in its southern skirts was situated Urbana, the place of his destination and pos- sible future home.
Far off to the south, sitting like a feudal castle upon an elevated peak, was Linn Grove glistening in the June sun; while far- ther to the west, but nearer by, was the little tuft of timber, then known as "The Tow- head," but long since destroyed and forgotten by most, which, like a verdant plume, also re- flected the sunshine-both being early land- marks for the traveler over the trackless ex- panse of prairie. To the north, two miles away, was also seen the scant fringe of tim- ber which, with Corray's Grove, borders the eastward trend of the Salt Fork, and which connected the Big Grove with the main body of timber along that stream. Beyond and still to the northward could be seen the ele- vated prairie in Stanton Township, whose solitude was unbroken for a hundred miles in that direction, as was the view to the south- ward. Over these prairies then, and for some . years thereafter, roamed herds of deer and wolves, while the tall shelter of the prairie grass afforded protection and breeding places for thousands of prairie chickens and others of the grouse families.
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