USA > Illinois > McLean County > History of McLean County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 15
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The Baptists are quite strong in McLean County, and are among the earliest organized churches. The first church in Bloomington was formed
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in 1837 with 20 members, including the following heads of families: Da- vid Haggard, Samuel Lander, W. G. Thompson, Catherine Enlow. The first pastor was Rev. Isaac D. Newell. Meetings were held at various houses. In 1843 Rev. Lyman Whitney organized a Sunday school. A church was built in 1848 at 107 South Madison and in '56 the building at Jefferson and Madison was occupied, which was burned down in the fire of 1900. Under Rev. F. M. Ellis in 1865-68, a church in Normal was formed. Under Rev. D. Read, 1880-84, the Prairie Street Baptist church was organized, but later disbanded. The present First church was built under Dr. J. L. Jackson, 1884-90. Rev. W. B. Riley, now a famous minister of Minneapolis, was pastor here at one time. Rev. J. L. Jackson became pastor for the second time in 1912, an occurrence unusual in any church. He served till Dec. 31, 1923, when he handed in his resignation to take effect Feb. 1, 1924. But death claimed him on Jan. 18. The membership of the church is 699. The missionaries who have gone from this church are Rev. Fred P. Haggard, Miss Gertrude Miller, Miss Mildred Jones. Rev. Frank Fagerburg, pastor of the First Baptist church at Springfield, Mass., and Rev. William Steinkraus, who has a charge in Indiana, are members of this church. The Baptist churches in McLean County outside Bloomington are: Chenoa, Rev. H. Westerfield, pastor; Danvers, no pastor; Hudson, Rev. E. D. Bell; Lexington, no pastor; Normal, Rev. George Sneath ; Towanda, Rev. A. W. Fuller; McLean, no pastor. Chenoa church was organized in 1866, Danvers in 1838, Hudson in 1856; Lexington, 1860; Normal, 1866; Towanda, 1856; McLean, 1867.
Congregationalists have maintained churches in McLean County for many years, there being organizations in Bloomington, Chenoa, Gridley, Normal and McLean. The Bloomington organization has a fine modern church at East and Mulberry streets, of which Rev. Frank L. Breen is pastor. It was built about fifteen years ago. The Congregational church in Normal merged with the Presbyterians a few years ago, and the new Presbyterian church erected on the former site of the Congregational. The Congregationalists were an organization here as early as 1842, and have several times been disbanded and reorganized again.
The Disciples of Christ have a strong following in McLean County. The first body of worshipers was formed at Blooming Grove in August, 1828, with five families as members. Rev. Ebenezer Rhodes, who had been a minister of the Baptist faith, united with William Brown to conse-
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crate this organization, and Rev. Rhodes afterward was known as a Chris- tian minister. Grassy Ridge church, south of Bloomington, was formed in 1853 with 13 members. The First Christian church of Bloomington was organized in 1837 at the home of W. T. Major with 13 charter members. In 1840 a small frame church was built on East street between Grove and Front. In 1856 the lot at Jefferson and West (now Roosevelt avenue) was bought as a site for a church. The brick building was first occupied in, 1857. Some of the early pastors were Leroy Skelton, T. V. Berry, D. R. VanBuskirk, Henry S. Earl, J. H. Mccullough, A. I. Hobbs, H. D. Clark and B. J. Radford, and J. W. Lampheer. J. H. Gilliland came to the church in 1888 and served 14 years, the membership increasing in this time from 400 to 1,500. Rev. Gilliland organized the Second church in 1902 and erected the building at Mulberry and Evans street, of which he then be- came pastor. After serving as pastor of Second church until 1910, Rev. Gilliland then organized the Centennial church, at Grove and Willard ave- nue, of which he then became pastor. Mr. Gilliland died in 1912. The Third church is for colored people and has a building on South Morris. Rev. Edgar DeWitt Jones was for many years pastor of the First church, being perhaps the most famous of the pastors in later years. He was noted as a writer, lecturer and platform orator. He arose to the highest honor within the gift of the organization of Disciples of Christ, being made national president. He is now pastor of Central Christian church at Detroit.
The Christian Church at Anchor was organized in 1891 by Dr. A. W. Green. Arrowsmith has had a Christian Church since 1879. The church at Bellflower was formed in 1891, and in 1913 the modern church was built. Buck Creek Church, near Lexington, was formed in 1850 and a house erected in 1869. A church was formed at Carlock in 1836, known as White Oak Grove, but after fifty-three years of existence it passed out and the membership transferred to Carlock. Colfax has had a church since 1867, and in 1907 the present building was erected. John R. Golden formed a congregation at Cooksville in 1902, succeeding the Blue Mound Church. Ellsworth Church succeeded the Old Town Church in 1867, and Heyworth Church was organized in 1872. In 1906 the present modern building was erected in Heyworth. A Christian Church has been at Holder since 1877, and at Hudson since 1877. Leroy Church was formed in 1888 by T. T. Holton, and a fine church erected in 1907. Lexington
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Church has lived since 1860 and occupies a brick building. The church at McLean has existed since 1903. Normal First Church, organized in 1873, occupied a fine new church at Fell Avenue and North Street in 1912. This was the last work of the lamented J. H. Gilliland. There is a colored church at Normal formed in 1884. Saybrook Church dates back to 1868, and Shirley Church to 1869. The congregation at Stanford was formed in 1870 and has a church and parsonage. Twin Grove Church was formed in 1841 and still has a building after two previous ones had been burned down. The list of pastors of the various churches in McLean County at present is as follows :
Arrowsmith, Gary Crone; Bellflower, C. S. Linkletter; Blooming Grove, W. D. Deweese; Bloomington First, E. E. Higdon; Second, D. N. Wetzel; Centennial, E. C. Beach; Third, A. L. Frost; Gregory Church, near Gridley, no pastor; Carlock, R. B. Doan; Colfax, Osceola McNemar ; Cooksville, Neil H. Crawford; Ellsworth, no pastor; Gridley, no pastor; Heyworth, Chester Williamson; Hudson, no pastor; Leroy, B. H. Sealock ; Lexington, William A. Askew; McLean, Thomas G. Bachelor; Normal, First, A. O. Hargis; Second, no pastor; Saybrook, Thomas W. Bass; Shir- ley, Charles Moss; Stanford, O. Ross Keran; Twin Grove, no pastor.
The German Lutherans of Bloomington has for many years main- tained a large church and a parochial school. The church is at Madison and Olive Streets, and the school further south on Olive Street. The serv- ices were conducted in the German language until the time of the World War, when the English was used during that period. The school has a large enrollment. Rev. O. L. Hohenstein was for many years pastor of this church, succeeding Rev. C. F. W. Sapper, and at his death he was suc- ceeded by his son, Rev. Walter E. Hohenstein, the present pastor. The Swedish Lutherans for many years had a church on West Olive Street in Bloomington, but of late this has been changed to the name of the Eng- lish Lutheran Church.
The Evangelical Friends Church at Front and Lee, has been in exist- ence for forty years. Rev. H. H. Bierbaum became pastor in 1919, and since then many improvements have been made. The church has a Sunday School, Young People's League and two Ladies' Aid Societies. The pas- tors of the church, since its organization, include Alexander Arronet, 1884-5; M. Severing, 1885-90; Sam Suter, 1890-98; F. Harder, 1898-1900; Ed Durand, 1900-10; Ed Klimpke, 1910-19; H. H. Bierbaum, 1919-24.
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The Unitarian Church of Bloomington is the only one of that faith in the county. It was organized in 1858 and is housed in a good building at East and Jefferson Streets. Rev. J. H. Mueller and Rev. H. H. Burch are among the more recent pastors who are well known. Rev. Rupert Hol- loway is the present pastor. Under his leadership many public and popu- lar educational features have been introduced
The work in Christian Science began in this community in 1886. Word had reached some of the people of Bloomington that healing through men- tal practice known as Christian Science was taking place elsewhere. Copies of the Christian Science Text-Book, "Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy, were procured. It was read and studied by a small group of interested persons who met at different homes to talk about Christian Science.
The meetings were first held in private homes, then "Bible's Hall," then Washingtonian Hall, in rooms at the corner of Center and Olive Streets, and in Jacoby Hall on North Main Street.
These pioneer Christian Scientists were called to minister to the sick, not only in the immediate locality, but in towns and country for miles around. By day or night, this little band of Truth seekers carried the gospel of healing wherever requested.
In one instance, practitioners were called by the members of the fam- ily to give Christian Science treatment to a young man critically ill. It was reported to the city authorities that these practitioners had thrust themselves upon this family without invitation, and that the family needed the protection of the law. A patrol wagon loaded with officers were dis- patched in haste. When the situation was fully understood, the chief of police gave the word to the officers and they quietly returned to their headquarters.
On Aug. 1, 1922, this church was incorporated, as First Church of Christ, Scientist, Bloomington, Ill. Later, the congregation rented the little frame church which stood on the lot now occupied by the present church edifice, corner of Monroe and Prairie Streets. This property was purchased in April, 1897, and within a month $1,300 was paid on the pur- chase price of $3,300. The property was paid for in full on Sept. 7, 1900.
In 1903 this church had accumulated $5,000 toward a new edifice which was needed by the growing congregation. At the annual meeting of the Mother Church in Boston in June of that year, it was voted to build
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an extension to the edifice erected in 1895, at a cost of $2,000,000.00 and the Bloomington Church contributed its entire building fund toward this amount.
As an evidence of the fact that the contributions to the Mother Church Building Fund did not impoverish the branch churches, it should be stated that within three months of the dedication of the Mother Church Exten- sion, this church had made definite plans for the construction of a new building which cost when finished $55,000, though at that time there was less than $5,000 in the treasury. On Easter day, 1908, the last service was held in the old church building. On Easter day, 1909, services were held in this church, and formal opening services, to which the public was invited, occurred May 30 and and 31, 1909.
No Christian Science Church can be dedicated until all obligations are fully paid. This church building was dedicated free from all debt, July 14, 1912.
In the thirty-five years since its organized activity in 1888 this church has paid out $165,000, which includes the purchase price of the lot, church edifice and organ, contributions to the Mother Church activities and War Relief fund.
In the early history of Christian Science Churches, personal preaching was the custom, and Mrs. Della H. Rigby, C. S. B. of Bloomington, Ill., was the pastor until the order of service was changed in 1895, when she be- came the First Reader with Edwin O. Ropp as Second Reader. At this time, Mrs. Eddy ordained the Bible and Science and Health with key to the Scriptures, the text-book of Christian Science, to be the impersonal preachers for all Christian Science Churches. The result has been the development of Bible students among Christian Scientists in most remark- able numbers. Mrs. Rigby and Mr. Ropp as Readers, were succeeded by the following: 1903-1906, Mrs. Barbara Prince, First Reader, and John N. Niehaus, Second Reader; 1906-1909, Adelbert S. Eddy, First Reader, and Mrs. Myrtle Rodenhauser and substitutes, Second Reader; 1909-1912, Douglas C. Ridgley, First Reader, and Miss Flora Schneider, Second Reader; 1912-1915, Charles C. Gilliland, First Reader, and Mrs. Ethel Gooch, Second Reader; 1915-1918, Frank G. Morgan, First Reader, and Mrs. Osyth L. Hawk, Second Reader; 1918-1921, Andrew J. Moore, First Reader, and Mrs. Leota St. Clair, Second Reader; 1921-1924, Hiram J. Rodee, First Reader, and Mrs. Blanche Ott, Second Reader.
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There is only one Episcopalian Church in the county, its building being at Jefferson and Prairie Streets in Bloomington. It has had many well- known pastors since the church was formed in 1876. Rev. William Baker resigned in 1922 to go to Pontiac, and is succeeded by Rev. J. G. Seacord, the present pastor.
There are three Baptist Churches in Bloomington for colored people, they being Macedonia, with B. H. Hunter for pastor; Union, with P. W. Fields as pastor, and Mt. Pisgah with G. W. Hanley as pastor.
Miss Martha Howe is the pastor of the Nazarene Church in Bloom- ington, which has been in existence for the past few years.
William H. Shelper has conducted two evangelical missions in Bloom- ington, one on South Main and the other on West Washington Street. These hold nightly meetings throughout the year.
The Weston Evangelical Church was organized in 1869 by Rev. J. B. Rife and reorganized in 1894 when it became a part of the United Evan- gelical Church. The Evangelical Association and the United Evangelical Church were merged Oct. 4, 1922. The Weston Zion Church is a part of this association.
The Illinois Christian Missionary Society .- The Disciples of Christ have 700 churches and 130,000 members in Illinois. They have in the neighborhood of 600 preachers in the State. The movement, sometimes called the "Restoration Movement," began in Western Pennsylvania, with the preparation of a document by Thomas Campbell, known as the Declara- tion and Address. This was in the year 1809. Alexander Campbell, the son of Thomas Campbell, soon became the recognized leader of the cause. He established a church paper, the Christian Baptist, and after publishing it for seven years, discontinued it to start one with a somewhat different spirit, called the Millennial Harbinger. He founded Bethany College in West Virginia.
As emigration came westward naturally a large number of the peo- ple, who had accepted the religious views of Mr. Campbell, came into the middle-west states, especially Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. The first two churches in Illinois to take the name of Christian only were in Wabash County, the first one actually being a country church, still alive and active, called Barney's Prairie.
In the early years of the movement the churches were independent of each other except as they met voluntarily for mutual edification and
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inspiration. The Disciples are a very democratic people and have no desire of adopting any form of government that will make them otherwise. But through the years they have found that there is such a thing as Co-opera- tive Democracy. For a long time the tendency has been to form frater- nal organizations and missionary societies through which the churches may express themselves.
The first church was established in this State in 1819, just one year after Illinois became a State. The churches grew rapidly. In 1834, at the close of a protracted meeting in Jacksonville, it was decided to foster co- operation among these churches. Various meetings were held for this purpose but it was not until Sept. 20, 1850, that the present State Society was actually organized.
For 75 years this society has represented the Disciples of Christ in missionary activity and co-operative fellowship in the State. More than 100 of the best churches in Illinois were founded by the society and more than one-half of the 700 churches owe their existence to its interest and fostering care. The headquarters of the society have been for years in Bloomington and at present are located at 504 Peoples Bank Building in that city.
Dr. H. H. Peters accepted the office of State Secretary Sept. 1, 1916. His administration has been marked by evangelistic activity and church building. The membership of the church throughout the State is growing and the spiritual life is deepening. There is a very noticeable advance in the matter of new buildings, or the enlargement of existing plants.
The Illinois Christian Missionary Society has in its employ an office and field force of eight people. The work is supported in three ways: 1. By offerings from the churches ; 2, by interest on a permanent fund of $125,000; 3, money received by the workers for services rendered. While this is a State Missionary Society it co-operates fully with all of the na- tional and international agencies of the Disciples, including educational, benevolent and missionary organizations.
CHAPTER XV.
AGRICULTURE.
A PRE-EMINENTLY AGRICULTURAL COUNTY-PIONEER METHODS-CHEAP LANDS -CORN, A CHIEF PRODUCT-LIVE STOCK-NEW ERA WITH THE COMING OF RAILROADS-GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY-DRAINAGE-IMPROVED IMPLE- MENTS-TRACTORS-LAND VALUES-LIVE STOCK AND GRAIN - OTHER PRODUCTS.
From the very beginnings of its history, McLean County has been a pre-eminently agricultural region. Agriculture is the basis of its wealth, and what progress the county has made in an industrial way is related in no distant manner with the cultivation and improvement of the land. Blessed by nature with a soil which is adapted to the raising of large crops of various kinds of cereals, and making possible the raising of large herds of good stock by scientific methods of feeding the grain, these two sources of income for the farming population form the foundation on which is built the prosperity of the rural community and of the towns and cities to which they contribute.
Of course, the earliest settlers of the county had to live entirely by agriculture, and that of the crudest sort. Having built his log cabin on the edge of a protecting grove, the early settler next began to cultivate the soil around his home in the fashion which the facilities at his com- mand would permit. Usually he had only a wooden plow, and with this it was difficult to break up the prairie sod. In fact, at times the break- ing up of the soil in large patches became impossible, and the settler re- sorted to chopping a hole, dropping a few grains of corn into it, and then covering with his heel. This sort of cultivation resulted the first year in producing some little corn stalks, to be used as fodder for the cattle or
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horses which the farmer possessed; the second year in a limited crop of ear corn, and perhaps after that time the cultivation of the soil had pro- gressed to the point where more considerable results might be realized. The first plows brought to this county were little more than wooden shov- els, and the farmer had to stop his horse every few yards and clean off the earth from the moulding board in order to permit of progress of any kind. This being true, it was easy to see that no farmer could attempt the culti- vation of any great area of land.
But as a compensation for the hard methods of cultivation which hin- dered the earlier form of land tillage, was the great open space of prairie land lying in thousands of acres between the groves and streams and be- yond the small areas of cultivated tracts. Land had little or no value, and every newcomer could take all that he wanted, although quarter sections were most desired, as this was about the maximum acreage that an ordi- nary family could hope to cultivate or use. The open prairies were used as pasture lands for what stock the early settlers brought with them or acquired after they located here. The stock was allowed to roam at large in summer, and in winter it was fed such stuff as the farmer could pro- duce in the form of fodder or ear corn until such time as he could drive his stock to the nearest market, which was in Peoria, or perhaps Galena, for Chicago did not figure as a stock market in the early years. The price per acre paid by the first settlers was $1.25 from the years 1832 until about ten years later. The first entries were in the immediate vicinity of the groves, for no one thought of entering land in the open prairies.
It was more than twenty years after the county was first settled be- fore the railroads were built through this section. The early settlers therefore had no market for their produce and were forced to dispose of it at home, either by grinding their grain for family use or feeding to stock.
From the very first, corn became the chief product of McLean County farms. First, because it was the easiest grain crop for which to obtain seed; then, its cultivation was a simpler process than that of oats or wheat. True, some of the early settlers had little patches of wheat which they harvested by crude methods and hauled to market to have it ground for family use. The nearest mills were located along some stream, either Kickapoo creek or the Mackinaw river, while some farmers went as far as Peoria, or Wabash, Ind., to have their milling done.
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The coming of the railroads, in the years 1850 to '60, opened up a new era for the agriculture of McLean County, for the railroads provided what had up to that time been missing, a way to get to market. When the roads were built, farmers could aspire to greater production of grains or cattle, for they could see a way to get their surplus to market and thus realize a cash income from their farms. The whole thought in those days was to get the most from the land, and it was not until 50 years later that the idea of paying back to the land some of the elements of its fertility which the crops had extracted from it began to be taught to the farmers. The importance of this compensation process is now universally known and acknowledged by the farmers of McLean County and of central Illinois.
As the population of the county increased, as the extent of cultivated lands grew apace, and when the railroads had come to furnish a highway to market, the values of farm lands began to increase more rapidly than had been thought possible prior to the introduction of these factors.
Before we go farther, it may be well to briefly mention the character of the soil of McLean County, which explains its agricultural production and the methods of its farmers. The government geological survey shows that what is called Marshall silt loam composes 574,000 acres of the Mc- Lean County area, or 77.5 per cent of the total area. Miami black clay loam composes 70,000 acres, or nearly 10 per cent; Miami silt loam is found on 58,300 acres, or 7.9 per cent; Kakaskia loam on 20,000 acres, or 2.7 per cent, and McLean silt loam on 17,984 acres, or 2.4 per cent.
Corn, oats and hay are the only crops grown upon the Marshall silt loam, which comprises so large a proportion of the surface of McLean County. Of these corn is the most important, and this fact gives rise to the saying so widely known that McLean County is the hub of the corn belt of the United States. There is no need to attempt a scientific essay on the composition of these varying types of soil. Sufficient to say that the Marshall silt loam is a remarkably uniform soil, considering its large area. The surface ranges from gently rolling to rolling, the crests of the most pronounced undulations being not over 20 feet above the intervening depressions. The main body of the soil of the county is well known as the "black soil," a term which formerly was supposed to mean inexhausti- ble fertility. But it has been proved by a half century of actual farming that the black soil cannot survive forever unless the elements of which it is robbed by cultivation shall at intervals be replaced.
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With the many streams of varying size which flow through McLean County, the surface in general is adapted for natural drainage. But in spite of this fact it is true that in the early days large areas of undrained lands, known as swamp lands, existed. For the quarter of a century, from about 1880, the chief concern of the farmers of the county was to get their lands drained, and tiling grew to be a big business in those days. The large proportion of McLean County farm lands are now artificially drained by under-surface tiling. The drainage question is now a closed issue except in some remoter sections of the county which have been back- ward in agricultural development.
We have spoken of the crude implements with which the early farmer pursued his tasks. In the era succeeding the civil war, there was a won- derful development along these lines. Wooden plows went out of use, and improved makes of steel plows became common. Gang plows, or those with several blades instead of one, came into fashion. Then the riding plow, on which the farmer could sit and drive his team as they went across the field. Corn planters of a mechanical kind succeeded the old hand planters. Reaping machines came into use, and the old methods of thresh- ing grain gave way to steam engines and immense "separators" which could take the grain from the straw at the rate of thousands of bushels per day. Wagons, too, were improved in size and make and capacity for hauling. With all these changes and betterments of implements, the size of the farms which one man could manage and cultivate constantly grew. And it also gave rise to the custom of tenant farming, where the owner of the land could live in a near-by village or distant city, while the actual farming was done by a man and his family who lived in a tenant house and performed the work for a stipulated proportion of the crops, or paid the owner a certain rate per acre in cash.
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