Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 134

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876

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Salary of Principal of First Ward School, Miss Tillie Rees. 540.00

Salary of Principal of Fourth Ward School or Tanner School, James Tanner 450.00

EDGAR ACADEMY .- The Edgar Academy was established in 1841 by the Rev. Henry I. Venable on a tract of about six acres, where the Catholic church and school are now situated. The buildings were of wood but ample enough for the patronage at that day. Mr. Venable was a typical frontier educator, stalwart in size and disposition and determined to make the school successful. The following sketch of this school and its founder is quoted from "The Student's Offering, an Annual Circular of Edgar Academy," published for 1857:

"This school was opened on the 1st of De- cember, 1841, by Rev. H. I. Venable and Mrs.

at -

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

M. A. Venable, as a private enterprise. An institution mainly for females was at first contemplated. During the first year, upon the earnest application of several boys for a course of instruction in the languages and mathematics, is was decided to change the plan so as to take both males and females. The first year the school was taught by Mr. and Mrs. Venable in the brick portion of the present buildings. Towards the end of 1842 one school room was built and in 1843 two others. The room southeast from the dwelling was built in 1848 by order of the Board of Trustees, after the property had been conveyed to them. The school had its beginning at a time of pecuniary embarrass- ment. The proprietor was assisted in his efforts to meet the wants of the country of educational facilities, by funds furnished to him, to some extent, without the payment of interest. The erection of buildings sufficient for a large school, and the employment of an adequate supply of assistants, involved a heavy expenditure. In the spring of 1848 a subscription was made to make the school a Presbyterian institution; and the property was passed to the control of a Board of Trustees, chosen by the subscribers, and whose successors were to be appointed by the Presbytery of Palestine, in connection with the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church-Old School.

"The first year of the school the teaching was done by Mr. and Mrs. Venable. The third year John C. Means, Esq., was associ- ated with them; and, for the year begin- ning November, 1847, John W. Blackburn, Esq., was a teacher. While the Rev. H. I. Venable was principal, Miss M. J. Baird, Miss Jane R. Warren, Miss Nancy Stout, Miss S. J. Venable and Miss Jane E. Dayton were assistants; also Mr. John Crozier, Mr. James L. Crane, Mr. George Webster, Mr. James Steele and Mr. Simon Andrews.

"The course of study has, from the first, been about what it is now, except that in- struction in instrumental music was not given."

This school was continued until 1868 under D. D. Marquis, Thomas Rogers, William Cro- zier, a Mr. Fisk and William C. Magner, who succeeded each other as Principals. The num- ber of young men and women who received their academic education at this school is

more than one thousand, its patronage extend- ing beyond Edgar County and into Indiana.

METHODIST SEMINARY .- Soon after the Edgar Academy was placed under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church of Paris by Mr. Venable in 1848, the Methodists of Paris instituted the Methodist Seminary in Paris under the aus- pices of the Methodist Church. Colonel Mayo2 gave a block of ground between East Court and East Wood streets for a site-a beautiful tract covered with forest trees. A two-story brick building was erected thereon for the school, and a temperance society placed a third story on the building for a hall. This school flourished for years under the principalship of Rev. Jesse H. Moore and other able men and, to some extent, was a rival of Edgar Academy.

In 1869 the Paris Union School District was organized under a special charter, and this building was used for the public schools. In 1875 the grounds were purchased from the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Paris, and a handsome building erected ihereon for the common school. 2

CHAPTER XV.

CHURCHES AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

PIONEER CITURCH ORGANIZATIONS - METHODIST CHURCH FOUNDED IN 1823-PRESBYTERIAN AND BAPTISTS COME ONE YEAR LATER-LOCATION AND CHANGES CF CHURCHI EDIFICES-HISTORY OF OTHER CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS-PASTORS WHO HAVE OCCUPIED PARIS CHURCHIES-MEM- BERSHIP OF INDIVIDUAL CHURCHES-OTHER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS - NUMBER OF CHURCHES IN EDGAR COUNTY WITH DENOMINA- TIONS REPRESENTED -- EDGAR COUNTY SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

There was a Methodist Episcopal church or- ganized in Paris in 1823 by Rev. H. Vreeden- berg, and a Presbyterian church in 1824. Both denominations worshipped in private resi- dences or in the court house for some time, and until church buildings were constructed. The Methodists generally met at the residence of Smith Shaw, who was one of the original members of the church. In 1837 a brick church

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

was erected by the Methodists on West Wood Street, which was used as a place of worship until 1855. It is now used as a feed stable. In 1855 a new church was built on North Main Street. This church was the pride of Paris- large, fine and well appointed in every way. This church, and the Presbyterian church di- rectly west of it on Central Avenue, were de- signed and constructed by the same archi- tect and contractor, and were the chief at- tractions of Paris for many years. They fixed the attention of the thoughtful stranger who came to the city, and who often measured the moral and religious tone of the municipality by the superiority of its places of worship. Both of these churches are now changed into business blocks, and the church societies have erected new and elegant buildings on Court Street, which will be noted later.

In 1835 the Presbyterians erected on East Washington Street, on a lot given to them by Samuel Vance in an addition to Paris, which he platted south of the original tract which he gave to the county for a county seat. This was the first church erected in the county. The church society was organized in 1824 by Rev. Isaac Reed, and this building was used until 1855, when it became the first place of wor- ship of the Christian denomination, which had organized a church society in Paris two years before under Rev. A. D. Fillmore. This house was used by them until 1866, when a new church building was erected on the same site, which was used as a place of worship for thirty years and until the erection of the stone church on South Main Street.

The Old School Baptists were early in the field. In 1824 a church society was organized in Paris by Rev. Daniel Parker, and for ten years the meetings were held in the court house. This church never had a meeting house in Paris until 1873, when a building was erected on West Washington Street. Soon after the building was purchased by the United Brethren denomination who have occupied it ever since.

The Missionary Baptists began in Paris in 1852 when, under Rev. G. W. Riley, a church society was organized. The next year a place of worship was erected on North Main Street and used until 1866, when the society occupied a new building on South Central Avenue. which was used until the completion of their present church edifice.

In 1849 a Roman Catholic Church was or- ganized and named St. Mary's. In 1862 a place of worship was erected on Railroad Street, which was used until the present church build- ing of that denomination on North Main Street was completed.

The Episcopalians organized a church so- ciety in . Paris in 1860, and seven years later erected the church building which the society now occupies as a place of worship on West Wood Street.

The Methodist Protestant Church was organ- ized in 1870 and built a church edifice on North Main Street, which it now occupies-a modern structure of the past twenty years.

There are two colored churches in Paris- the Second Missionary Baptist, organized in 1873, and the African Methodist Church. Both . have lately built places of worship, of con- venient size and in pleasant locations; the A. M. E. church is a model in every way.

The Methodist Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church societies were earliest in their organization in Edgar County; and have stood somewhat in the relation of rivals, from the beginning; and, in a general way, the lead- ing families of the county were nearly equally divided between them. The Shaws, the Mayos, Munsells, Sandfords, Lawrences, Elliotts, Dick- insons, Roberts, Metcalfs, Minears, Wilkins, Cranes, Shraders, Fishers, Bowlands, etc., were Methodists. The Means, Alexanders, Black- burns, Vances, Bovells, Stouts, Bairds, Youngs, Austins, Conkeys, Guthries, Baldwins, Mc- Cords, Laughlins, Neelys, Grays, Utters, etc., were Presbyterians. This equality existed throughout the county, but in the country dis- tricts and small towns one or the other was superior-in some localities the Methodists, and in other localities the Presbyterians. For instance, in Elbridge the Ewings, Rays, Cassels and others, who were Presbyterians, organized a church society, built a good house of wor- ship, named the society New Providence, there being no Methodist church in that part of the county. In Vermilion there was a Methodist church and no Presbyterian church. In Grand- view the Presbyterians were in the ascendency. In the North Arm the Methodist prevailed, as they did at Logan and in the north part of the county generally, except that in later years, the Presbyterians have organized a church at Chrisman and have erected a good house of worship there.

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

The Methodist preachers, who have filled the pulpit in Paris under the rules of that Church, have been too numerous to be all mentioned here. Some of the more prominent ones were: Rev. James L. Crane, who was a personal friend of General Grant, and the first Chaplain of the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois Infan- try Volunteers-the regiment which Grant commanded as Colonel in the early days of the Civil War; Rev. E. D. Wilkin, who succeeded Mr. Crane as such Chaplain-both of these gentlemen having married daughters of Col. Jonathan Mayo; Rev. Mr. Kimber, who was sta- tioned in Paris during the Civil War, and went from here to Danville, Ill., where a church edifice was named in his honor; Rev. E. B. Randle, now Presiding Elder of the Blooming- ton District; Rev. J. F. Van Cleve, now at De- catur, and Rev. M. G. Coleman, the present officiating minister. In 1900 the Methodist Church began the erection of a new house of worship on the corner of Alexander and Court Streets, which was finished and dedicated in 1903. The building is of stone with handsome fronts, on each of those streets, and fine in- terior appointments, with a seating capacity of a thousand or more. This church building cost $45,000 and is the largest in Paris. The membership of the church is 720. The church has a nice residence property on West Madi- son Street used as a parsonage.

The ministers who preached to the Presby- terians in Paris from the beginning were: The Rev. Isaac Reed, who acted as Moderator when the church was organized Nov. 6, 1824; Rev. Messrs. John Young, E. G. Howe, A. B. Cary, Clarence Young, John Bovell, Edward Bouton, John Montgomery, R. Rutherford, J. C. Camp- bell, H. I. Venable, J. A. Steel, Joseph Platt, Erastus Thayer and R. M. Overstreet. In 1853 Rev. Samuel Newell arrived and the next year became the first pastor of the church, which re- lation he held until 1871, when he resigned the pastorate. Mr. Newell was a man of extraor- dinary ability, a big heart and brain to match. He was succeeded by Rev. R. D. Vandeursen, who was pastor of the church until his health failed. His successor as preacher was Rev. A. T. Wolfe. Then Rev. W. N. Sloan, who came next, was followed by Rev. W. J. Frazer, a man of great brightness and excellent speech, and he by Rev. George Harkness. The present pas- tor is Rev. John Allan Blair, a young man of great promise as a preacher and pastor. Since

Mr. Blair came the church has disposed of the building on North Central Avenue, and erected a stone church on West Court Street, with an agreeable exterior and beautiful and apt in- terior appointments. This church was built and paid for within two years, the cost includ- ing the site being almost $38,000. The choir in this church is a model, and the very next best to congregational singing, which, religious- ly considered, is the best possible church music. This church has, at this time, a membership of 588.

The Christian Church of Paris has enjoyed a good line of preachers since the erection of their brick church on the site of the first build- ing erected by the Presbyterians on Washing- ton Street. Among the ministers in charge of the Christian Church have been the Rev. Zach- ary T. Sweeny, later Consul-General at Con- stantinople, appointed by President Harrison; the Rev. A. E. Dubber, Rev. J. E. Davis, Rev. C. M. Oliphant and the present pastor, Rev. Finis Idleman. During the ministration of Mr. Dubber, in 1895, the society erected a fine stone church on the corner of Main and Washing- ton Streets, with a beautiful frontage on each street and a well appointed interior. Througlı the munificence of L. A. Augustus, a member of the church, a handsome park has been laid out adjacent to the building and fronting on Main Street, which adds much to the beauty of this place of worship.

The Missionary Baptist Church, from the time Rev. G. W. Riley became its pastor in 1866, has had a worthy career. In 1895, a handsome building of. brick with stone trim- mings was erected on the corner of Central Avenue and Washington Street by this church, which is really the most graceful house of wor- ship in Paris, both inside and outside. Through the efforts of the congregation, incited by the Rev. J. W. Roberts and greatly aided by Mr. Joshua Davis, this church building was re- lieved from debt in the month of April, 1903. The membership of the church is 600.

The St. Mary's Catholic Church of Paris is closely related to St. Aloysius Catholic Church in the "North Arm," and the two churches have been somewhat under one priestly mall- agement; the same priest ministering to both, or, if there were two priests, one acting as chief and the other as assistant. This de- nomination has, within the past few years, erected fine churches at Paris and North Arm,

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

at large expense; and also built a parochial school building and priest's residence at Paris, investing altogether $75,000 in the erection and completion of these structures. At this time a hospital is being established in connection with the Catholic church at Paris, a building having been purchased which is being trans- formed and improved for that purpose. The. membership of these churches, respectively, is at Paris 750, and at North Arm 250.

The Episcopal Church in Paris is not large, and the church edifice is a very modest one. The membership is excellent and represents a distinctively good element of citizenship. The church has an elegant rectory on West Madison Street. The present Rector, Rev. W. A. Atmore, is visiting his kinsmen in England at this time, and the formal service is omitted, but a sermon is read by a vestryman and the choir sing at the usual hour each Sabbath.

The Methodist Protestant Church is more democratic in its form of government than the Methodist Episcopal, and the membership is composed of those Methodists who are averse to the rule of one man-a Bishop. A greater in- dividual freedom is claimed by this church, and that the ruling is by a majority of the rank and file of the church. This church has flourished in Paris, and has a growing mem- bership and a place of worship with excellent interior appointments.

The United Brethren Church in Paris was organized in 1870 and soon after purchased the church on West Washington Street built by the Old Side Baptists. This building the society has remodeled and improved with a tower and bell, making it a very comfortable and comely place of worship. The church is now under the ministry of the Rev. T. D. Spyker, a de- voted and talented man.

The Second Baptist Church is prosperous and has a membership far ahead of such churches generally, with an educated minister and an ex- cellent choir. The church edifice is on the corner of Washington Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church in Paris is a live, energetic organization with a modern place of worship on Sheriff Street with a neat parsonage on the same lot.

Missionary Societies are organized in the dif- ferent churches and there are now seven such societies, all of which are connected with the

churches in the city of Paris, liberal con- tributors to Home and Foreign Missions.

There is a Christian Endeavor Society, which includes the Presbyterian, Christian and Meth- odist Protestant churches and which is well organized and efficient. This Society supports four native teachers in the missions in Korea. The home work of the Society is much greater. Eighteen thousand magazines were distributed the last year. The membership numbers about one hundred.

The Epworth League is a kindred society: limited to the Methodist Episcopal Church, but zealous and active in its good work.

Identified with the Baptist Church is a Young People's Union, which acts on the lines of the Christian Endeavor and Epworth League Societies.

The Women's Christian Temperance Union is well organized and active as a temperance organization in Paris and throughout the county.

There are seventy churches with regular places of worship distributed among the sev- eral denominations in Edgar County as fol- lows: Twenty-three Methodist Episcopal, five Protestant Methodist, one Free Methodist, seventeen Christian, six United Brethren, four Baptist, four Roman Catholic, one Episcopalian, five Presbyterian, one Quaker, and three Free to All.

The Catholic priest in charge of St. Mary's and St. Aloysius churches is Father O'Fallon, and the priest in charge at Hume and Broc- ton is Father Moore. There are the follow- ing societies in St. Mary's and St. Aloysius Catholic Churches: Knights of Columbus and Catholic Knights of America, both zealous and active benevolent orders. Also in those churches are the Sodality and Altar Societies.

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

The Sunday Schools of Edgar County were begun at an early date. In 1832 Adriel Stout organized a Sunday School in the court house in Paris. Mr. Stout was a Presbyterian, but he invited all who would, to come and attend his Sunday School. About the same time a Sunday School was organized at the New Providence church in Elbridge. This was also under the auspices of the Presbyterians. From that time, as . the county was settled and churches were organized, Sunday Schools were instituted. . In the country they were general-

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

ly opened in April or May and closed in Octo- ber, bad weather and bad roads hindering at- tendance during the winter months.

The Edgar County Sunday School Association was organized in 1874. William Blackburn and John C. Means were the first county officers. Each township holds an annual convention in which each school is represented, and a rous- ing county convention is held each year. These conventions encourage and inspire the workers throughout the county to do their best. Be- sides this, every school in the county is visited annually by some representative of the Asso- ciation, and an annual statistical report ïs se- cured from each school. These statistics re- veal exact conditions and form the basis for future effort.

Edgar County Sunday School Association is a part of the Illinois Sunday School Associa- tion, which, in turn, is a vital part of the In- ternational Association by which the Uniform Lesson System is perpetuated, and which is the source of Sunday School improvement.

Edgar County Sunday School Association is probably the best organized in Illinois. Many other counties look to Edgar for inspiration. George W. Miller has been President for four- teen years, during which time the Sunday Schools have made rapid advancement. Un- doubtedly the Sunday Schools of the county are doing a high grade of work. The county has furnished two Field Workers to the State -George W. Miller and Charles E. Schenck- both of whom have served a number of years. The following statistics of Edgar County Sun- day Schools are furnished by the report of August, 1904:

Number of Sunday Schools. 64

Open all the year. 60

Total Officers and Teachers. 821

Total Scholars 5,182

Total Membership 6,003

Average Attendance 3,516

Received into Church from Sunday

Schools 213

Number of Teachers' Meetings 16

Number of Home Departments 20

Number of Members of Home Depart-

ments 491

Total Amount of Missionary Offerings. . $896.77

Much is due to Mr. C. E. Schenck from the people of Edgar County for the efficiency of its Sunday Schools.

CHAPTER XVI.

JOURNALISM.

LITERARY MEN OF EDGAR COUNTY-EARLY NEWS- PAPERS AND THEIR FOUNDERS-FIRST PAPER ESTABLISHED IN 1836-LATER NEWSPAPER EN- TERPRISES AND DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT-MEN WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH EDGAR COUNTY JOURNALISM. .

In Jacob Harding and his son, George C. Harding, Edgar County had two very capable journalists. The senior Harding was a strong writer of political editorials during the years before the war, when the people were getting the very best newspaper education in things political and the past and present state of the country. His diagnosis was wise and well considered, and his deductions and his expec- tations of the future were reasonable and well presented.

.The junior Harding was a general newspaper man of the literary sort. He wrote anything desired in a good newspaper, performed his part and so well that he was soon taken from Paris to a wider field at Indianapolis, Ind. His pen was fluent with bright thoughts clothed in elegant language. He edited a Saturday Even- ing paper in Indianapolis for years before his untimely death.

Dr. Henry W. Davis performed the editorial work on the "Prairie Beacon and Valley Blade" for Mr. Moore, during one campaign after he came home from the war, and made that paper so much better that, when one recalls that period, he naturally thinks of an oasis and its environment. Dr. Davis could write anything, from a song or a sonnet to a sermon, and all with the ease and grace of a facile pen. With his jack-knife and a block of wood he wrought the means of copiously illustrating such ar- ticles as he deemed worthy of illustration. He was a genius, and "we ne'er shall see his like again."

Dr. E. O. Laughlin has literary ability of a high order, and has written stories and poems which appeared in the "Indianapolis Journal," a paper in which nothing not good seldom if ever appeared. He has also written a story

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

published in book form ("Johnnie"), which is very popular and much read. The doctor is a young man with his career nearly all ahead of him.

Rev. James L. Crane was the author of a book of his experiences as a "Circuit Rider," which is widely circulated and is read with much interest by many people.

Edgar County had a newspaper as early as 1836. Messrs. Lovelace and Delay established the "Illinois Statesman," which was Democratic in politics. It was a small folio of twenty columns which, at the present day, would scarcely be called a newspaper, but then it was read with avidity. The "Illinois Statesman" soon afterwards fell into the hands of. Messrs. Brown and Abbott, who published it for a time, and until it "languished and languishing died."

Jacob Harding, already mentioned as one of Edgar County's most noted writers, was a Ten- nesseean of good ability, who began the publi- cation of a newspaper in Paris in 1848, which he named "The Prairie Beacon." Mr. Harding was a Whig, and his paper was the same in politics. It was a better paper than the "Statesman," and more ably edited than any paper since published in the county. Mr. Hard- ing had literary ability of no mean order and his paper was quite abreast of the times as a newspaper and, as a party organ, the best the county has ever enjoyed.

William D. Latshaw in 1852 started a Demo- cratic paper in Paris, called the "Wabash Val- ley Republican," which soon passed into the hands of M. M. Dill et al .. and then St. Clair Sutherland took control of it and changed the name to the "Valley Blade." William Moore purchased the paper and issued it as a Demo- cratic paper until the Civil War began, when it became a War Democratic organ, until 1865, when he purchased the "Prairie Beacon" from S. L. Spink, who had bought out Mr. Harding in 1862. Mr. Moore united the two papers and continued the publication under the name of the "Prairie Beacon and Valley Blade," until .

he retired from the editorial field here and re- moved to Kansas.

In 1861 Mehaffy and Odell began the issue of a paper called the "Democratic Standard," which was afterwards published by J. F. Snow & Brother. In 1865 it fell into the hands of William D. Latshaw and John G. Provine, who changed the name to the "Wabash Valley Times." H. B. Bishop purchased the paper in

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 134

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Number of Pages: 876

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876