History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 91

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340

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PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS.

oity of his friends, who were impatient to see him engaged in the active duties of the ministry, he was dissuaded from completing his course of study, which it is said was aft i ward to him a matter of regret. Immediately after leaving college be was licensed to preach, received on trial in the Illinois Annual Conference, and in the fall of 1833 appointed to travel the Canton Circuit. In 1834 he was appointed to the Rushville Circuit, and in 1835 to the Henderson River Missioo. In the fall of 1835 he was appointed to the Quincy missionary station, where he labored for two years with great zeal and success and until near the close of his pastorate enjoyed almost universal popularity. But when he somewhat prominently identi- fied himself with the anti-slavery movement, he alienated many of his friends and rendered himself obnoxious to a considerable portion of the community. The Conference of 1837 appointed Mr. Borein to the Chicago station. Here he commanded great attention as an able and eloquent preacher, and wielded an influence over the religious tbought of the infant city which was not only new, but was deep reach- ing and widespread. The revival which was thus awakened spread throughout all the evangelical denominations of the town continued for many months and gathered many into the Church. About three months after the close of this remarkable revival he was taken sick, and after a seventeen days' illness died August 15, 1838, at his home. liis funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. Isaac T. Hinton, and subsequently a commemorative discourse was delivered by Rev. John Blatchford. Mr. Borein was married in December, 1836, to Miss Lucinda Burns. Mr. and Mrs. Borein had two children. After Mlr. Borein's death Mrs. Borein married Thomas Pope, and is now living in Alton, Ill. The family name is Boring, but the orthography of it was changed by the subject of this sketch. The above facts were obtained from a sketch of the Rev. Mr. Borein in Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit. The following with reference to his physical appearance is from the pen of the Hon. Grant Goodrich: "He was one of the handsomest men f ever saw. Great intellectual power was blended with a singular beauty of feature and expression. His eyes were blue, large and lustrous, ' and, when he was animated, they seemed the medium through which his soul was not only beaming, but actually blazing forth. His voice was like the music of running waters-when he sought to persuade, there was a deep plaintive earnestness in its tone, which was well-nigh resistless; and when he uttered the language of warning or denunciation it seemed by an indescribable power, to pierce to the inmost soul. Meo of more intellectual polish and of profouoder thought I have often heard, but never one so effectively eloquent-one who possessed such perfect control of the will and heart as Mr. Borein."

REV. STEPHEN R. BEGGS was born in Rockingham County, Va., March 30, 1801. His great-great-grandfather, James Beggs, was born in Ireland. Ifis great-grandfather, Thomas Beggs, was born in New Jersey, where he married Sarah Barnes, and whence he emigrated to Virginia. Thomas Beggs had four sons and one daughter. One of these sons, John, had one son, James, and eight daughters. James married Miss Mary Custer and had four sons, one of whom was Stephen R., the subject of this sketch. In the year 1805 his father moved his family to Kentucky, where on ac- count of his opposition to slavery he remained only two years, when he settled in Clark County, Ind., on the Ohio Kiver, about seventeen miles above the falls at Louisville. Stephen's oppor- tunities for obtaining an education were limited to the common schools of his time. Acting upon the advice of Rev. James Arm- strong, he was educated in and graduated from the " Brush Col- lege," as was the case with most of the pioneer Methodist ministers of the West. In 1822 he was appointed to the Mt. Sterling Circuit on the Ohio River. In IS23 he traveled the I.emoin Circuit, in ·what was called the Boone's Lick country; in IS24 the Fishing River; in 1825 the Rushville: in 1826 the Vincennes: in IS28 the Wayne; in 1829 the Crawfordsville, and in IS30 was sent to the Logansport mission, embracing Logansport, Lafayette and Delphin. In 1831 he was appointed to Chicago, a partial account of his labors in which place is inserted in the introduction to the Church history, and an account of Mr. Reggs's troubles in connec- tion with the Black Hawk massacre, which drove him to l'lainfield, is inserted in the early history of the city. At Plainfield he bought a home. In IS32 he was appointed to the Desplaines mission, of which Jesse Walker was superintendent, and to which Mr. Beggs was re-appointed in 1834. In 1835 he was sent to the Bureau mission, and re-appointed to it in 1836. At the Conference held at Rushville in 1537, Mr. Horein delivered an effective speech in favor of the missionary canse. Mr. Beggs was located at Juliet that year, where he preached the first Methodist sermon in the place, and commenced the first church building. In 1837 he traveled the Forked Creek Circuit: In 1838 the Joliet; in 1839 the Peuria; and after traveling various other circuits, he became in ris, on account of his wife's illness, a superannuated, but not in- digent, minister. Since then he has lived a retired life, occupying his time in part in authorship, writing and publishing an interest-

ing volume, entitled " Pages from the Early History of the West and Northwest." Mr. Beggs was married September I. ISSI, to Miss Elizabeth Heath, who was born in Muskingum County, Ohio. December 27, 1813, and died at l'lainfield, Ill., August 7, 1866, He was married the second time to Mrs. Sarah Rheuhama Frost, who still lives. Mr. Beggs's first child was born in Fort Dearborn. and died when but thirteen months old. Three sons, James, George and Charles, are still living.

REV. HENRY WHITEHEAD was born june 17, ISIo, in Chat- ham, England. Both his parents were members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and by them young Henry was instructed in the truths of the Bible. On the 3d of April, 1823, to use his own language, he "obtained a conscious sense of the pardoning favor of God." It then became his strongest desire "to win souls to Christ." When twenty-one years of age he began as a local preacher. He sailed from London for the United States April 24, 1832, reaching New York City June 5, in which city and in Troy he lived until June, IS33, when he left the latter place for the Sault Ste. Marie mission. From the Sault he came to Chicago, reaching here September 17, IS33. On the first Sunday after his arrival he preached in the log school-house, and received his license to preach at the first quarterly meeting of that conference year. In IS34, in partnership with a Mr. Stewart, he built the First Methodist church on the North Side. In the fall of 1835 he removed to Joliet, thence, in 1837, to Little Fort, now Waukegan, and thence. in I$39. to Racine. In 1840 he joined the Rock River Conference ; in 1842 was ordained deacon, and appointed to the Troy circuit in Wisconsin. In 1844 he was ordained elder and appointed to the Sylvania circuit, and in 1845 to that of Buffalo Grove. In July. 1846, he removed to Chicago, and at the next annual conference was superannuated on account of ill health. In IS51 he com- menced keeping, in his store at the corner of State and Madison streets, religious books, which upon the opening of the Methodist Book Concern, in 1852, he turned over to that concern, becoming connected with it, where he remained until the fire of 1871. After the fire he became manager in Chicago for Bigelow & Main, pub- lishers of Sunday-school and church-music books, a position which he still holds. Mr. Whitehead was married, in Chicago, to Miss Elizabeth Jenkins, July 11, 1834, by Rev. Allen B. Freeman. Mrs. Whitehead is still living. They have had five children, one of whom, Sarah Ann, the eldest, is dead. The four living are: William H., Edward J., Eliza Jane, and Caroline N., all of whom are married except the latter.

CANAL-STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organized in 1843 by a colony from the Clark-street Church, during the pastorate of Rev. Luke Hitchcock. The original members were nineteen, as follows : Mr. and Mrs. William Wisencraft, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kittiestring, Mr. and Mrs. James Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Webber, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas George, Samuel Small, Mr. and Mrs. John Tressy, Mr. and Mrs. John Roe, Mr. and Mrs. Elisha B. Lane, and Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Sherman. The first church building erected by this society was situated on a lot on the west side of Canal Street, south of Randolph, purchased by A. S. Sherman for the purpose. This was the first lot pur- chased for a church on the West Side. The building was a low frame structure, thirty by sixty feet in size, capable of accommodating about three hundred people. The original cost was $1,400. It was afterward moved back on the alley, and turned round so as to front north instead of east. The First Congregational Church was organized in this building. In 1852 the member- ship had increased to such an extent that it was neces- sary to have greater facilities, and business had so en- croached upon the location that it was necessary to re- move ; hence a new and much larger edifice was erected in 1852 on Jefferson Street, between Washington and Madison, on a lot which had been purchased in 1851, preparatory to the removal. The Canal-street church was sold, and converted by the purchaser into a furni- ture factory. The change was made February 11, 1853, from which time until the removal to West Monroe Street the Church was known as the Jefferson-street Meth- odist Episcopal Church. The first pastor of the Canal- street Church was Rev. Warren Oliver, appointed in 1843, who in 1844 alternated with Rev. William M. D.

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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

Ryan, then pastor of the Clark-street Methodist Epis- copal Church. In 1845 Rev. Sins Bolles was appointed pastor, and was succeeded in 1847 by Rev. Harvey S. Bronson, who was succeeded in 1848 by Rev. Richard A. Blanchard, who remained two years and was suc- ceeded in 1850 by Rev. William Palmer, whose pastor- ate was terminated by death from small-pox in Decem- ber, 1851. In 1852 Rev. James E. Wilson became pastor, being assisted by Rev. William Keegan. Dur- ing Mr. Wilson's pastorate the Church removed to Jef- ferson Street. While it remained in this location the pastors were : Rev. E. H. Gamnon, appointed in 1853 ; Rev. Sins Bolles, in 1854; Rev. J. F. Chaffee, 1855 ; Rev. S. P. Keyes, 1857 ; Rev. R. J. White, 1858 ; Rev. W. W. McKaig, 1859; Rev. T. M. Eddy, D. D., and Rev. F. D. Hemenway, 1860 ; Rev. C. H. Fowler, 1861 ; Rev. Robert Bentley, 1863; Rev. Charles Shell- ing, 1864. During the year 1865 the pulpit was un- supplied, and on September 6, 1865, the property on Jefferson Street was sold for $16,000. On the 21st of November, 1865, subscription was started for the build- ing of the Monroe-street church, and at the same time a resolution was adopted by the members present that the name of the Jefferson-street Methodist Episcopal Church be changed to that of the Second Methodist Episcopal Church. This resolution, although carried un- animously, was never consummated. On March 10, 1866, the plans of W. W. Boyington, architect, for the new West Monroe-street church, were accepted, and E. H. Gammon and G. F. Foster appointed the building com- mittee. Toward the erection of this church building the First Methodist Episcopal Church appropriated $8,000. During the year 1866 the new building was completed and dedicated, and the name of the church changed to the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, that title being chosen from the fact that that year was the centenary of American Methodism. A description of this edifice and a history of the Centenary Church will be inserted in the third volume of this History.

INDIANA-STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. -At the time this Church was organized, there were but two Methodist churches in the city, the Clark-street and the Canal-street churches. This was in 1847. A number of members of the Clark-street Church, living on the north side of the river, became desirous of or- ganizing a Methodist Church in the North Division, and cletermined so to do. With the view of carrying out this design, a meeting was held at the residence of Hon. George F. Foster, which then stood at the corner of Clark and Kinzie streets. At this meeting an organiza- tion was effected by the election of the following trustees: Hon. George F. Foster, A. J. Brown, Jeremy Hixon, John W. Senser, Charles Sweet and C. H. P. Lyman. The original members of this Church were in part the following: George F. Foster, Mary S. Fos- ter, Jeremy Hixon, Mrs. Hixon, Andrew J. Brown, Charles H. P. Lyman, Mrs. Lyman, John W. Senser, Charles Sweet. Susan Sweet, Abner R. Scranton, M. F. Ellinwood, Miss Diana Morse. F. C. Jordan, Anna Jor- dan, William Gamble, Mrs. Gamble. The name adopted by this society was the Methodist Episcopal Society of Indiana-street Chapel, and immediately two lots were leased on the south side of Indiana Street, between Clark and Dearborn, upon which to erect a church. This building was completed in November, 1847, and was a small, neat frame structure, about thirty-five hy forty-five feet in size, which cost $1.300. At the dedication of this house of worship, which oc- curred November 14, - 1847, Rev. James Mitchell preached the dedicatory sermon. At the Conference

of 1847 Rev. Freeborn Haney was appointed pastor. Soon after the dedication, the Church, having been assisted by friends to meet the financial obligations incurred in the enterprise, and being therefore full of zeal and faith, commenced a series of revival meetings, which resulted in the accession to their membership of considerable numbers. The following extract from a historical sketch of this Church written by Abner B. Scranton for John G. Collins's " Annual Compendium of Methodism," is concise and yet sufficiently full, and is therefore introduced in this place:

"In IS4S Rev. John F. Devore was appointed pastor, and in 1849 the Rev. Zadoc Hall followed him. During Rev. Mr. Hall's pastorate, payments were made upon the lots which had been bought, and a small brick parsonage was built. In 1850 the Rev. Boyd 1.owe was sent to succeed Mr. Ifall, and at a meeting held in the church our brother Dunham was converted, and has since remained continuously a member. The Rev. John W. Argard was appointed pastor in 1851, and remained one year. Each of the preachers, it will be observed, down to this date, served the Cburch but one year. At the annual conference of 1852, the Rev. Sius Bolles was appointed pastor, and served faithfully for two full years. During this pastorate the capacity of the church building was nearly doubled by an addition to the rear, extending back to the alley, making the building about thirty-six by eighty feet; this added nothing to its beauty or symmetry. In the year 1854 the Rev. Thomas Williams followed Brother Bolles and remained three years, the presiding bishop suspending or ignoring the two- years rule then limiting the pastorate term, for the reason that some of the members had informed him that the society was about to erect a new church, and that the return of Mr. Williams was nec- essary for the accomplishment of that purpose. A vague hope had been entertained by the more ambitious members that a new and imposing church building would be erected; that, in fact, such a building was essential. The old building, cheaply built of wood, was exceedingly uncomfortable, it being impossible to heat it prop- erly in winter, and the sun lying on the low roof made it intolerably hot in summer. The society, however, had no resources adequate to the realization of their ideal, and ought not to have moved in the matter of enlargement until their means had been greatly in- creased. The agitation for new accommodations increasing, inten- sified greatly by the allegation that the preacher had been sent for this specific work, the trustees, fully realizing that the site on Indi- ana Street was unsuitable for a permanent church honie, contracted for the purchase, in the spring of 1857, of a lot on the southeast corner of Erie and Wolcott (now State) streets. This movement was disastrous to the society, but it undoubtedly prevented what would have been a great deal worse, oamely, the premature com- mencement of a new building on the old Int, plans and specifica- tions for which had been prepared, and a pressure put upon the trustees by a number of class leaders, stewards and others, tempo- rarily resident, to begin a work which they had not ability to accomplish, and in a manifestly improper place. In the summer of 1857 Rev. S. G. Lathrop was appointed pastor, and entered upon his work with great energy. Scarcely had he begun, however. when the great financial panic seized the people. Nearly all the mem- bers of the Church were prostrated financially. Quite a number of the members, prior to this time, had moved to Evanston, arranging, however, to pay their portion of the cost of the new lot. These all went down in the storm, and the ability of the society to pay, largely decreased. The trustees snon began to fear that they would not be able to meet the engagements they had entered into-and this apprehension was by no means groundless ; for when, upon the maturity of an installment due on the lot recently contracted for, payment was demanded, there were no funds, current expenses, though reduced by the strictest, absorbing all resources. The trustees were now obliged to mortgage the Indiana-street lot, as an additional security for the sums due upon the new one, and as was clearly foreseen, the result of this was that both lots were sacrificed to satisfy these claims, leaving nothing but the equity of redemption, should there be any. The society determined to pay their debts, as long as they had anything to pay with, and pledged their whole property for this purpose. The final outcome was, that the lots were sold by the mortgagees, the full claims against the society were met, with interest and costs, and St,os7,85 was paid into the Church treasury. Brother Lathrop served the Church faithfully for two years, and several who joined it under his ministry remain as active members to the present time (1878). A change in the pastorate again occurred in 1859, the end of Brother Lathrop's time having been reached, and in the year 1861 the Church re- ceived thankfully the appointment of Rev. Dr. 1 .. ! I. Bugbce, as pas- tor. The society having been a tenant at the will of the mortgagee for a long time, realized the necessity of making provision for the

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future, at the same time realizing their inability to accomplish so great a work as the providing a church and lot. Having lost all

but honor, they were determined to retain that. Recovery from the effects of the panic was slow, and the wrecks were numerous that had strewn its course. All these considerations combined to make men cautious. After much deliberation, a plan, and the only one that seemed feasible, was suggested by the pastor, fot raising money to purchase a lot, and was heartily adopted. It was, in brief, for the members of the congregation to subscribe as much as they would, payable monthly to such ladies of the Church as would engage in the work, and in addition, solicit from friends and the public donations and subscriptions. In furtherance of this object, a society was organized under the name of the 'Ladies' Church Aid Society.' About twenty ladies accepted subscription-books, and engaged in the work with great assiduity, many of them for three or four years. Funds immediately began to accumulate, and soon, at the request of the society, the lots on the northwestern corner of Chicago Avenue and LaSalle Street were purchased. The total cost of these lots was $9,339.39. Of this amount the sum saved from the equity in the Indiana-street lot, SI, o87.8;, was paid by the Church, and the entire balance, SS, 251.54, was collected by the ladies of this society, so regularly and promptly, that the payments due upon the purchase money were made at maturity. It is not too much to say, that these ladies by their unswerving de- votion to Christ's cause, laid the foundation for whatever of suc- cess our Church has since achieved."

To this excellent sketch by Mr. Scranton, but little need be added in this volume. Having secured these new lots, the Church was re-organized on the 8th of June, 1863, and adopted the name of the " Grace Meth- odist Episcopal Church," and soon afterward erected a chapel, and still later a larger church edifice. A des- cription of both, and a history of Grace Church as the successor of the Indiana-street Church will be included in the succeeding volume of this History.

THE STATE - STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH Originated with Orrington Lunt. In 1848 Mr. Lunt bought the lot upon which its first house of wor- ship was located, immediately reporting its purchase to the official board of the Clark-street Methodist Episcopal Church, and offering it to them for what he paid for it, $1,600 ; and also proposing to pay Sroo toward the purchase. In the spring of 1851 the Society took pos- session of the lot. About the same time the Clark- street Church instructed a few of its members to furnish a place for preaching and Sunday school. As a result of these instructions a portion of the frame building of the Second Presbyterian Church was purchased and moved to the lot, which was at the northwest corner of State and Harrison streets. The building when moved and ready for occupancy cost $1,6oc, and was paid for at its dedication. During the summer of this year reg- ular religious services and Sunday school were contin- ued in this building, and on Sunday, August 24, 1851, the Church was organized by Rev. N. P. Heath, its first pastor. All the constituent members, twenty-eight in number, were from the Clark-street Church. Fol- lowing are their names : George C. Cook, Mrs. George C. Cook, S. W. Grannis, Aurisson Grannis, George W. Reynolds, E. G. Reynolds, Christopher O'Neil, Sarah Milner, Daniel Goss, Cynthia Goss, Mary Pennington, Charles Brink, James M. Merryfield, William and Mar- garet Gibson, Stephen and Maria Cherry, Albert Cabery, Ruth Cabery, Levi Chipman, Mary Chipman, Sarah Chip- man, K. Kegan, Margaret Kegan, Francis Kegan, Edward Kegan, Charles Busby and Arthur Hitchcock. I le first trustees were Daniel Goss, C. H. Abbott, Sam- ucl W. Grannis, George C. Cook and Elihu G. Rey- nolds The first pastor was Rev. N. P. Heath, who was appointed in 185t, and remained two years, when he was succeeded by Rev. F. A. Read. Rev. Mr. Read remained two years, and was succeeded in 1855 by Rev. W.B Slaughter. Rev. Mr. Slaughter remained until the spring of 1857. when he was succeeded by Rev. William

M. D. Ryan, a very able and popular clergyman, who was appointed to the State-street Church for the special purpose of procuring the erection of a new building on Wabash Avenue. The first subscription for the build- ing of the Wabash-avenue Church was dated March 26, 1857, and amounted to $32.555. The names of sixty- nine persons were appended to the subscription list. The transfer and change of name from "State-street Methodist Episcopal Church" to "Wabash-avenue Methodist Episcopal Church " was made April 1, 1857, and on that day new trustees were elected as follows : Daniel Goss, C. B. Hearth, C. H. Abbott, Lott Frost, George C. Cook, H.W. Clark, William M. Doughty, E. G. Reynoldsand W. B. Phillips. On the 20th of April the trustees were organized by the election of the following officers: President, E. G. Reynolds; secretary, Lott Frost; treasurer, George C. Cook. On the 11th of May the salary of the pastor, Rev. W. M. D. Ryan, who had been sent to fill out the unexpired term of Rev. W. B. Slaughter, was fixed at $600 and use of parsonage.from March 4, 1857, to the meeting of the conference in the fall. The corner-stone of the new building, which stood on the northwest corner of Wabash Avenue and Harri- son Street, was laid July 13, 1857, and the edifice was completed and dedicated July 15, 1858, the dedicatory sermon being delivered by Rev. R. S. Foster, president of the Northwestern University in Evanston. At the close of the discourse a collection was taken up and subscriptions to the amount of $5,000 received toward the cost of the pews, the galleries being made free. A description of this building, as properly belonging with the history of the Wabash-avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, will be inserted in the succeeding volume of this History, where will also be found a biographical sketch of Rev. William M. D. Ryan.

THE DESPLAINES-STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. - In the year 1850 a Sunday school was started in a cooper-shop at the corner of Harrison and Clinton streets, the leaders in the movement being Henry Willard, James Robinson, and Mrs. Huntoon. The Sunday school was continued here until the spring of 1851, when it was removed to a school-house built for its special use at the corner of Polk and Clinton streets. Rev. William Palmer, at the time pastor of the Canal- street Church, assisting to build the school-house. James Robinson was superintendent of the Sunday school. In 1854 the Sunday school and mission, as it now became, were removed to the southeast corner of Harrison and Foster streets, and here, in 1855, Rev. Sins Bolles commenced his labors as missionary. contin- uing until October, 1856, when Rev. William Tasker was . appointed for the purpose of organizing a Church. Mr. T'asker remained until September, 1857, and succeeded in organizing a Church, and erecting a church building. This being effected, the two lots and building owned by the primitive organization, or mission, at the corner of Harrison and Foster streets, were sold to Thomas Thomp- son for $3,500, who sold the building to Josiah Green- wood for $150. The original members of the Des- plaines-street Church were as follows : Richard Man- ley, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Manley, Mr. and Mrs. John Hustivit, Henry Robinson, Joseph Ellsworth, Mrs. Mary Ellsworth, Henry Willard, Mr. and Mrs. George Somers, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pithey, Mr. and Mrs. Liversidge, Mr. and Mrs. Hogan, Mr. and Mrs. Need- ham, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Drake and Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Shepherd and some others. The building was located at Nns. 241 and 243 South Desplaines Street, between Van Buren and Harrison. and was dede- cated July 26, 1857, the morning sermon being delivered

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History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 91

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340