USA > Illinois > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, Illinois, 1810-1962 > Part 4
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It is difficult to establish the names of ministers and the time of their service for this earliest period. With the meager infor- mation available, we can surmise that the preaching and guidance of John & MBryan led the little congregation during the very first years. Records show that John N. Mulkie was Leading when the period closed in 1874. Just who those were that ministered during the hand years of the War Between the States is not known.
No attempt of revival was achieved until in February, 1886, when J. W. Robbins of Illiopolis, Illinois, was able to stir the "Christians Only" to a new life through the results of a five-weeks' evangelistic meeting. With the first seven converts and the remaining members of the congregation organized in 1853, a new charter was written on March 14, 1886. At the close of the campaign two weeks later, the membership of the church numbered thirty-seven.
With B. R. Gilbert as the first paston of the newly restored church, the first services were held in the court house, reminiscent of earlier days, meeting regularly each Lord's Day. In November, the
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same year, another evangelistic meeting was held by { J. Lampton of Missouri. During the three weeks of this campaign, the congregation was strengthened and enlarged. A Bible School was organized with thirty children enrolled. With this added constituency, the church moved to Heiserman's Hall, where services were held until February 19, 1888. On the afternoon of that day, a great tornado swept through the city, destroying this building. Prompt action was taken to secure another meeting place.
Under the careful direction of Dr. H. S. Plumer and Mrs. G. F. M. Ward, serving as building committee, a new structure was begun in the summer of 1888 on the southwest corner of South Tenth and Jordan Streets. The building was completed in the following year, and on March 10, 1889, with the notable J. H. Garrison conducting the services, the new structure was dedicated.
The church on South Tenth Street was the scene of a number of fruitful evangelistic campaigns led by some of the most celebrated preachers and singers of their day. Among these were Rufus A. Finnell, Frank C. Huston, John T. Brown, Mr. Daugherty, W. H. Book and J. V. Coombs. The congregation's resident ministers through these years, and until 1975 included: "B. R. Gilbert, S. A. Cook, H. A. McCarty, C. M. Smithson, A. L. West, J. M. Francis, Frank (. Huston, J. H. Stambough, J. & Pritchett, and Carl L. Green. During the ministry of Smithson several additions were made to the building facilities.
With the beginning of the ministry of D. D. Burt in May, 1915, interest was aroused in the direction of a much-needed building program, While the congregation met in the court house and opera house intermittently, after disposing of the house of worship at Tenth and Jordan Streets, an edifice was being erected on the former site of the home of Dr. and Mrs. H. S. Plummer, Tenth and North Streets, Brother Burt died in the midst of the building program, and Benjamin W. Tate came to carry on the work. Heading the general supervision of the construction was the building committee composed of G. F. M. Ward, D. B. Owsley, H. V. Hill, Bert McTaggart and J. Francis Cochran, The contract was awarded for an amount Less than $13,000.
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By the close of B. W. Tate's ministry in January, 1918, the congregation had grown measureably, doing well during those early months of the First World War. Bruce Kershner served a short ad interim ministry before the coming of Onville Hawkins in the spring to lead in a strongly evangelistic program that continued through 1922, E. E. Pedicond came for a short ministry, and In October 1923 he was followed by Meyen A. Madsen. The pulpit ministry was attended in the years following by Adam K. Adcock, M. P. Pierson, Harold O. Lowe, J. W. Kilborn, J. Franklin Baxter. In February, 1933, George P. Rut- ledge arrived to give the declining fourteen years of his life to the Central Church of Christ. After a colorful career as preacher, edu- caton, lecturer, writer and editor of the Christian Standard, Mr. Rutledge gave the treasures of his broad experience to growth and establishment in faith for the local church. At his death in 1947, J. G. Parsons, then associate minister, stood at the helm until the arrival of Edwin V. Hayden in May, 1948. Mr. Hayden Led the congre- gation in a careful teaching ministry. In the four years that followed, a parsonage was purchased:
During the ministry of Lester & Pifer, which began in September, 1952, the beautiful auditorium was built. The congregation purchased the Adah P. Fly home north of the old building for a Bible School Annex. The Peterson property adjacent to it was purchased, the house was razed, and the annex building was moved to provide the present parsonage on the former Peterson Lot. This cleared the ground for the erection of the new auditorium. The ground-breaking ceremony following morning worship on April 24, 1955, heralded the beginning of a $175, 000 building fund campaign. The cornerstone was laid on October 16 of the same year, with Dr. Harry Poll, then minister of the Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, as principal speaker. The building was completed in 1958 and dedication services were con- ducted on the afternoon of March 23, 1958.
In addition to the material accomplishments indicated above, a living-link missionary program was inaugurated, with the church assuming the support of Mrs. R. LaVerne Morse (nee Lois Elliott) who with her husband is a missionary in North Burma. The church also expanded its ministry by the establishing of an associate ministry.
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The following young men have served in this capacity: Richard Williams, Dale Erickson, and Gerald Denny, the present associate minister. Mr. Pifer closed his ministry in the fall of 1959 and in February, 1960 the present minister, Herbert J. Wilson, was called. Under his ministry the church has steadily reduced the new building and the day draws nearer when the final phase of the building program can be carried forward, the remodeling of the old building into a suitable educational plant. The church is increasing its missionary concern and has made significant advances in Christian education and stewardship. A new Library has been inaugurated and specialized training for teachers and new members has been developed,
CHRIST GOSPEL CHAPEL
A group of people who lived in the north end of Mt. Vernon met in different homes each Tuesday night to have prayer meeting. They were known as The North Side Prayer Band, Then a tent was raised on the Lawn of one of the members of the group, Mrs. Lonene (Grandma) Sechrest, In the month of June, 1944, Rev. William Fout of Marion, Ohio, held a revival and much interest was shown. The first baptismal service, in July, 1944, was held at the old pump house following the revival,
On July 2, 1944, the group met to make plans to build a church, Rev. William Fout was elected pastor and served for about six months. Rev. and Mrs. George H. Shelton leased, free of charge, the lot and the material for building the church to the group. The work was done by volunteers in their spare time. The ladies supplied the Lunches. The location was at 1102 Warren Avenue, litt. Vernon, Illinois, and the church became known as "Christ Gospel Chapel."
On November 4, 1945, Thomas Foster passed away and his funeral was the first to be held in the church which was not yet finished. The men hurried to get enough of the work done to make it possible to have the funeral in the building. Mr. Foster had helped with the work on the basement and the foundation of the building. The group had continued to meet each Tuesday night in the homes. Now they held the first Sunday School on the Sunday
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following Mr. Foster's funeral. Rev. Frank Staley was elected Sunday School Superintendent, and livr. Gideon Covalt was elected assistant superintendent,
On October 13, 1946, Rev. George H. Shelton became the paston of the church.
Over three hundred and fifty people have sought spiritual help at the altar of this church, and twenty-five have been licensed to preach the Gospel.
On January 1, 1947, Donald Depoisten was elected Sunday School Superintendent, and the Sunday School grew under his Leadership. He held this office until his death on September 29, 1950. Gideon Covalt continued as assistant superintendent until his death on January 12, 1956.
The first wedding to take place in the church was the wedding of William McGuine and Maxine B. Payne, both of Mt. Vernon. The ceremony was performed by Rev. George H. Shelton on December 25, 1948, at 2:00 p. m.
The North Side Prayer Band Church, which was organized by Rev. George H. Shelton on July 2, 1944, is incorporated under the name "Independent Christ Gospel Chapel." Rev. Shelton has been serving as paston of the church for fifteen years.
-- George H. Shelton
MT. VERNON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
The Mis Vennon Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1920 by a group of local businessmen and incorporated as a non-profit con- ponation in 1921.
Shortly after incorporation the Chamber entered into negoti- ations to bring the lilt. Vernon Stove Company to this city. Negotiations were successfully concluded and this plant, due to astute management, has enjoyed a continual growth, has expanded facilities and has been in employment for many years. When many foundries over the nation were going out of business, the lit. Vernon Furnace and Manufacturing Company, as it is known by today, was making plans for new products and
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new markets. Two of the "Vernois" officials are past presidents of the Chamber of Commerce: Carl Schweinfurth and Dale Carpenter.
The first president of the Chamber in 1921 was Vol & Richard- son, who is still an active businessman in this city. He was succeeded by C. L. Stratton, H. B. Ward, Carl Steinhauser, then Carl Schwein- furth for two terms. In 1927, Lester Starn was elected president. He was followed by George N. Webb, William H. Gott, W. B. Myers (two terms), J. Earl Davidson, Guy A. Wood (two terms), Harold Howard (two terms), R. O. Kaufman, Ray Bundy (two terms), David C. Arthurs (two terms), l'avion Heifner, Paul Fitch, George Ward (two terms), Harry Fond, Lawrence Collins, J. Lester Buford, Charles C. Croup, Basil Moss, Charles J. Covington, Charles S. Ward, C. Dale Carpenter, R. LeBen Garrison, D. A. Laind, Stan Koziara, C. & Brehm, Ray Tibbs, Boyce Huson, Edward E. Curtis, J. Marvin Powers, and the present chief officer, James & Carter.
Ten executive secretaries on managers have served the Chamber for the forty-one year period. Morris Emmerson served the first seven years, followed by George Reeder for six years. George is manager at libline, Illinois, at present. T. N. Jordan followed Reeder, serving eleven years. Then followed John E. Miller, Ed Dirks, Walton P. Gil- Lespie, Hudson Bieny, William Green, James Cannon and Joe Winfrey.
Every majon commercial on industrial development in the community has either been fostered through the Chamber of Commerce on been aided along the line in many ways. Established businesses and businessmen have been provided with "Leaders Workshops", promo- tional ideas and materials, economic discussion courses, political action courses, product shows at fairs and on television.
Fire prevention has, each year, been a worthwhile project in cooperation with local fine departments. The local Chamber was awarded a special citation by the U. S. Chamber in 1958 for the local Fine-Safety Program,
In 1957 the Highway Committee of the Chamber started planning and working to get U. S. Highway #64 relocated on a route through litt. Vernon, and this committee has continued to compile statistics for presentation to the Highway Department and Bureau of Public Roads, which will aid them in making a decision.
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The Chamber has been called upon several times to make sur- veys of available labor in the area.
Hundreds of small projects, that ordinarily go unnoticed by the general public, have been sponsored and many times financed by the Chamber. Prospective businesses have requested information that required time and effort by members and the staff. Conventions, 4-H programs and projects, and many of the civic projects have been spon- soned on aided to a successful conclusion. Member-businessmen have made hundreds of trips at their own expense to interview prospects for new industry. Others have attended water conferences, health confer- ences, and street and road meetings in Springfield and Chicago, lilany others have gone to Washington on matters of legislation which would directly affect the community.
(ity management government, good zoning, city beautification, and many other projects that affect the economy and attractiveness of the community, originated in the Mt. Vernon Chamber.
HISTORIC SITES AND ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST
(from a paper by Donis and Margaret Ann Cummings delivered before the Jefferson County Historical Society held in litt. Vernon, Illinois, July 8, 1947.)
Perhaps the first recorded white man to traverse our county was George Rogers Clark, who with his soldiers in 1777 blazed his way towards Vincennes.
The Indians noamed Jefferson County for hunting and trading. They carried their pelts to Shawneetoun, Kaskaskia and St. Louis; and on their return they bartered a variety of articles among the white settlers here,
In 1819-20 the Delawares came through the county on their way to the western reservation. For some reason they remained here for a considerable length of time. A large number were encamped on a creek where John Pearcy Lived. About six hundred were encamped for a time on Horse Creek about eight on ten miles from lit. Vernon.
Isaac Casey's daughters paid one group of Indians a visit. The old chief, who had several lovely Indian daughters, treated the
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white girls royally. Many of the whites visited the Indians who always treated them well. If the settlers refused to cat with the Indians, their hosts would feel offended; however, when the settlers accepted the Indians' invitations, the ned men were highly pleased and declined to eat until their paleface guests had been served and had finished their meal.
The only probable early murder thought to have been done by the Indians was that of Andrew limone, the first white settler, who settled in what is now Moores Prairie. Legend tells the story that one day Andnew and some friends from the Saline settlement were out in the woods splitting some board timber. when two redskins joined them. In order to get them to Leave, libone by signs finally persuaded the Indians to help him hold the log open. They put their fingers into the wedge. libore struck the wooden wedge causing it to fly out, and the log shut on the Indians' fingers. loone and his friends finally released the Indians who stalked away in their hurt dignity. Revenge, according to the story, was the reason for the death of hoone, who was among supposedly friendly Indians. A few years later the skull of libone was found and eventually was buried in what is now a pasture not far from Bell's Point School.
Few traces of the early Indians now remain in this county. A few stone hatchets, arrowheads, etc., have been found in the vicinity of the old camps. Nothing like the ruins of an Indian village on a burying ground is known to exist; however, near the old fairgrounds there are a few mounds on hillocks which are thought to be probable remains of an Indian cemetery.
In 1816 Canter Wilkey made the first permanent settlement in Jefferson County. Also, about this time Daniel Crenshaw and Robert Cook came to the county. All these settled in Moones Prainic. Crenshaw moved into livone's deserted cabin. Then, too, came Maxey Wilkey, who had sixteen children. He was also one of the party that opened the old Goshen trail into a wagon road.
Daniel Crenshaw's home was a stopping place for those pioneers who were pushing northward from Kentucky and Tennessee to the "Sangamo country, " as middle and northern Illinois were called. It was no un- common sight to see a hundred wagons in a single company headed north.
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Mr. Carter Wilkey long practiced the business of going to Canmi with three pack horses to bring back meal to sell to these movers at two dollars a bushel. It was a good business for that day, even if he could bring back only two or three sacks of grain.
How thinly settled was this section can be seen in the report made by Robert Breeze after he came to our county chout 1826. Some time before he came from Orange County, Indiana, to Grand Prairie Township, Robert made a trip from Kaskaskia to Vincennes over the old Vincennes- Kaskaskia Trace, which went through the northern part of Grand Prairie. He stated that there was not a house non a cabin along the trace; thus he had to sleep out in the open.
The early pioneer home was quite a different architectural and interior decorating problem to that of the modern home of today. The farms, as in most frontier countries, were mere patches enclosed with nails on brush. The houses were round-pole cabins, sometimes in rare cases made of small logs, "skelped down" on very slightly hewn, sometimes of split logs smoothed a little on the face. Some of the cracks were chinked and daubed, while some were left open to admit light and serve as windows. Some of the cabins had cracks so large a dog could jump through. If the floor was anything else but bare ground, it was made of puncheons on slabs, fastened down with wooden pins on not fastened at all.
Shelves resting on long pins in the walls served for cup- board, pantry, bureau and wardrobe. Since there were few bedsteads, bed scaffolds were made on two nails on pieces driven into the walls, one for the side and one for the end. The corner of the cabin formed the other two sides. On these, boards were placed and on the boards the bed was laid.
The following story indicates the architectural unsoundness of these early cabins. Barton Atchison, one of the early pioneer Jeffersonites, told this story of an experience of his during the War of 1812. While hunting, Barton and his soldier friends were forced to seek shelter from the snow and cold in a small cabin. They started to roll up in their blankets for the night, then decided that others might also come for shelter; so, putting boards on poles in the loft, they finally rolled up to sleep. A band of Indians came in, kindled a
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fine, wasted a little meat, and began a night carousal. Atchison, shifting himself on the boards in order to see better, lost his balance and tumbled out of the loft onto the heads of the Indians. Needless to say, the Indians fled in ternon and confusion.
In those early days cooking utensils were few in number. The well-to-do had a pot and a skillet; not a few settlers broiled their meat on the coals and cooked their "johnny cake" on a board. Many of the first settlers had to beat their meal in a montar which was generally a stump with a basin burned out in the top of the stump. Meal thus ground was sifted through a sieve which was made by punching holes in a piece of deerskin with a hot wheel-spindle and by stretching the deerskin over a hoop. The coanser conn was used for hominy, the finer for meal.
Isaac and William Casey constructed a little hand mill ( the first in the township) that would grind a bushel on two a day.
One of the first mills known in Jefferson County was that of old Billy Goins (1817); however, since he kept a tavern, a grocery (Now it would be called a saloon), and many other things including bad com- pany, his mill was patronized by the "better settler" only in dire emergencies. In 1818 Dempsey Hood built his mill and used buhrs from Goins'. This mill was operated by horse power.
Of the many stories told about these early mills a few might be recorded. One man said he always took the corn to the mill on the ean, for he could shell the corn faster than the mill could grind it. Then, too, he had the cobs to throw at the nats to keep them from eating the corn as it came down the hoppen. Another story about Hood's mill is that if the grain of conn got in "crossways" the mill had to be stopped until the obstacle was removed.
Still another story of the first water mill erected is told. The miller put the grist in the hoppen and turned on the water. As the mill got under way, the miller heard the gobble of a turkey in the nearby woods and started out to hunt it. A bluejay lighted on the hoop around the buhrs and ate every grain of corn as it came down the hopper. When the miller returned, the jay had eaten all the corn and the millstones were worn out.
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William Maxey's mill built in the fall of 1820 contributed largely to the supply of bread for the settlen. Carter Wilkey put up a stump mill. In the fall of 1823 Thomas Tunstall put up a tread mill, the first of the kind in the county. All these early mills - whether hand, stump, wind, tread, on honse -- had one feature in common - slow speed,
According to the early history of the county, snakes were as plentiful here as in Ireland prion to St. Patrick's era. liv. Johnson tells this story:
"It was in 1820 that the first little old log schoolhouse was built at Old Shiloh, Soon after the man, James Douglas, appeared in the neighborhood and got up a school. A few weeks later so many snakes had appeared that all concluded that there must be a den in the vicinity. All the settlers assembled armed with hoes, axes, spades, clubs and guns, and still not prepared for that task confronting them. Every tuft of grass concealed a snake; every rock covered one; every hole and crevice contained one; every nook was full of them. Frequently, on turning a rock, eight to ten snakes would be found coiled together under it. Rattlesnakes, copperheads, vipers, adders, mocassins, all seemed to have made peace and taken up abode together. Nearly three hundred rattlers were killed and five hundred snakes all together. "
Shiloh wasn't the only snake infested place:
"Henry Tyler settled at what is now known as the Brown place in lilanch, 1823, some seven miles north of town. Aunt Katy found a rattlesnake one morning coiled on one of the bans when she went to milk the cow. One day as Elihu lilaxey was visiting the Tylers, the snakes began to spread themselves. One crawled out of the jam, another out of a crack in the hearth, another on the doorstep. Seven snakes were killed that day in the house. Tylen and Tom Casey began to investi- gate and soon had killed and laid out one hundred and seventy. Next day with help they killed 217 more. Tyler decided that the entire hill had 'snakes in it's boots' so he moved away.
Some two or three hundred snakes were killed at Joliff's sugar camp branch, Northeast of Rome (Dix) there was a stream named Snake Den Branch in memory of the venomous reptiles.
The first birth, marriage and death are always matters of considerable interest in a new country and are usually recorded. The first birth(in 1817) in Jefferson County is believed to have been the son of Isaac Hicks, son-in-law of Isaac Casey. The first death (1818) was that of Perigan Maxey, the one-year old child of Burchette and Margaret laxey. According to the history of the lilaxey Family written in 1925 by Walter S. Maxey, the following is recorded:
"They buried the little fellow (William Perigan) on a hill some fifty yards west of the rock branch, and this is the first white person buried in Jefferson County.
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"Some months Later Hostillina, the little sister of Burchett Maxey died and was buried by the side of Perigan (she was five on six years old) ... Loving hands carried many nocks from the branch nearby and made a border around these graves that is well marked and distinct to this day (1925) .... while the timber has been cleared away, they (the owners of the land) have left three good sized young trees near the graves and have never cultivated the land close to the graves ....
"Near these two little graves is a square outline of rocks about three feet square that an old settler told me was, according to tradition, where they buried the skull found and supposed to be that of Andrew lione. I think this highly probable, and why the flaxeys selected this spot for their children's graves. In August, 1916, my brothers and I 'erected a substantial manken to these graves."
In 1820, the first adult's death was that of Rhoda Allen (August 24), who was the first person buried at Old Union, Aunt Milly Tylen was the first woman buried at Old Union. Her grave is close to that of "Roaring Billy" Woods, and was covered with a brick arch of pretty neat workmanship. Susan Avant Moss, the first wife of Ransom loss, was the first woman to be buried at Shiloh Cemetery.
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