USA > Illinois > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 50
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Some years previous to this, however, there was a class organized about one mile north-west, which met at Bro. Stanley's. In what year the class was organized, and by whom, and how long it con- tinued, I have not been able to ascertain.
The first church building was erected about 1831 or '32. The enterprise received its initial impulse in the following way :
The Quarterly meeting was being held in a hall. A Bro. McAl- ister from Missouri, came over and preached, and the congregation was so large that they adjourned to the woods, and during the services on Sunday a very heavy rain storm came up, and the entire congregation got a thorough wetting. The next day sister Caroline E. Blackwell, (now Mitchell), who came here in 1819, and who has always been very active in church work, wrote to her brother, Daniel Sprigg, in Hagerstown, Md., stating to him the great need of a church building here, and implored him to solicit money from the Methodists there, to help build a church. In response to this, the Hagerstown society sent $10.00, a lady in Baltimore $20.00, a Presbyterian minister in Hagerstown $5.00, and her brother $13.00.
Samuel Wiggins, of the " Wiggins Ferry Company," gave Mrs .
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Blackwell $50.00. The remainder was contributed by the people of the county, among whom were, David Blackwell $40.00, Till- man West $40.00, Edward and Samuel Mitchell $50.00 each, and many others whose names we have not been able to obtain, gave as liberally as their circunstances would allow. About 1826 the little struggling society here enjoyed a very gracious revival under the labors of Wm. Blackwell, a local preacher, and nearly forty joined the church.
The oldest records of the church at Belleville that we have been able to find go back to 1836. And I give the minutes of the First Quarterly Conference, as taken from the old Record book, held that year.
" First Quarterly meeting for the year in the Belleville station, held at the Methodist Church, 31st December, A. D. 1836. JOSEPH EDMUNDSON, S. P., Pres.
Thomas Harrison, L. E., Richard Randle, L. D., Wm. M. Parker, Exr, Wm. Burgess, Exr., Edward Cessell, C. L. T. W. Alexander, C. L.
Ques. 1st- Are there any complaints? Ans. None. " 2d-Are there any appeals ? None.
The President nominated the following persons, who were ap- pointed Stewards, to wit: Richard Randle Recording Steward, James Harrison, John C. Handcock, Edward Cessell, Thomas Har- rison. Conference adjourned.
JOSEPH EDMUNDSON, Pr.
R. RANDLE, Sec. P. T.
The Stewards report fifty-five dollars and sixty cents quarterage, which was paid to Rev. J. Edmundson."
In 1837, at the first Quarterly Conference for the year, we find the names of the following persons present : John Dew, P. E., L. D. Bragg, S. P., Thomas Harrison, L. E. and Steward, J. W. York, Supt. S. S, Alexander Reaney, L. P., W. W. Parker, Exr., C. L, and St., F. W. Alexander, C. L., Joel Buchanan, St., Edward Ces- sell, C. L., and St., R. Randle, L. D., C. L., and Rec. St.
The most of these honored and faithful men of God have passed away to their reward, and others have taken their places, and have gone, and still others have come forward, and the work of the Church has gone steadily on.
In 1849 the building now occupied was erected, at a cost of about $8,000 or $9,000, and in 1875 it was remodelled, and greatly im- proved, at a cost of over $11,000, under the pastoral labors of Rev. G. W. Hughey. It is now one of the best churches in soutli- ern Illinois, and is valued at $17,500, with parsonage property worth $2,500.
The membership is over two hundred. The Sunday-school num- bers from 225 to 275, and is under the superintendency of W. C. Buchanan. The history of the S. School in Belleville goes back a good many years. The first S. School was, it is said, organized in 1832. This was probably a union school. But as early as 1838, and probably some years before this, there was a Methodist Sun- day-school. James Harrison was Superintendent. And from that day to the present the Sunday-school has been kept up, and doubt- less many through its influence have been brought to Christ.
I give a partial list of those who have served the church as Pas- tors and Presiding Elders here. I have not been able to got a full list.
Pastors .- John Dew, S. H. Thompson, John Miller, John Hogan, J. W. York, Joseph Edmundson, L. D. Bragg, W. L. Deneen, N. P. Cunningham C. Hobart, W. W. Mitchell, R. Ridgway, Christopher J. Houts, Samuel Elliott, Win. J. Rutledge, John Borland, John Van Cleve, James Knapp, Isaiah W. Thomas, N. Howley, J. W.
Caldwell, J. A. Scarritt, J. P. Davis, A. B. Nesbit, J. A. Robinson, W. H. Corrington, J. B. Corrington, G. W. Hughey, F. W. Van Treeve, J. D. Gillham.
Presiding Elders .- John Dew, Charles Holliday, G. W. Robbins, C. D. James, J. B. Currington, John Van Cleve, W. W. Mitchell, J. Earp, T. A. Eaton, W. H. Corrington, G. W. Hughey, A. B. Mor- rison, John W. Locke.
I give below a list of the official members at the present time J. D. Gillham, Pastor, B. J. West, W. C. Buchanan, B. H. West, Theoph. Harrison, James F. Krofft. Louis P. Krofft, Wm. Heingle- man, John Heingleman, Hugh Harrison, T. J. Ward, Richard Stanley.
SUMMERFIELD M. E. CHURCH.
Summerfield M. E. Church is a continuation of the old " Union Grove Church." The Union Grove Church stood a short distance, perhaps one or two miles, south of Summerfield. Here was the old " Union Grove Camp Ground." This society was at an early date called " Padfield." In this settlement the family of Rev. Samuel H. Thompson lived on his farm ; also Rev. John Dew, Rev. Thornton Peeples, and Dr. Cosad. Revs. James and Thomas John- son, now members of the Southern Illinois Conference, were, I think, born and raised in this vicinity, and both licensed to preach here. The society at Padfield was probably organized as early as 1810 or '11. Peter Cartwright, in his Autobiography, says: " Although the Illinois Conference at the General Conference had been stricken off from Missouri Conference, yet the annual meeting this fall of both of these conferences was to be held at Padfield, Looking- glass Prairie, Oct. 23, 1824."
Rev. Peter Akens, D. D., preached at the funeral of the widow of Rev. Samuel H. Thompson at Union Grove, in 1855. His text was, "I am a pilgrim and sojourner as all my fathers were."
The first church was built in Summerfield somewhere from 1855 to '60. The lots were donated by Bishop Cavenaugh and his bro- ther. Rev. T. B., of the M. E. Church South, who were the proprie- tors of the town of Summerfield.
The present church is a comfortable brick, and was erected some six or eight years ago. They have a membership of 42. It is now in Trenton circuit, and Rev. Thomas A. Eaton is pastor.
EAST ST. LOUIS CHURCH.
We have an organization here, but I have not been able to get any facts as to the time when, or by whom organized." Owing to the peculiar surroundings of the church in this place, it has always been a struggle for it to live. I find by reference to the minutes of the Southern Illinois Conference of 1855, that the Illinoistown Mis- sion is mentioned, which I presume was what is now called East St. Louis, and A. F. Rogers was pastor. Whether this was the first year of the existence of the society or not, I am not able to say. In 1856 it is returned in the minutes to be supplied, and reports a membership of eight, with one church, valued at $800.
The next mention is made in the minutes of the Conference of 1866, J. T. Hough, pastor, and a membership of 44.
Every year since, they have had a regularly appointed pastor, and report a membership of about 80. The present pastor is T. J. Davis. Some years ago they built a new brick church, which is valued at $9,000, and a parsonage, at $2,000. There is an indebtedness on the church of several thousand dollars, with but little prospect that it will be liquidated in the near future.
FREEBURG AND NEW ATHENS M. E. CHURCH.
These towns are located on the Cairo Short Line R. R., in the south-east part of the county. The work is called Freeburg cir-
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
cuit. Rev. J. H. McGriff is the present pastor. In each place there is a comfortable church.
When these societies were organized, I have not been able to as- certain.
The church at Freeburg was built in 1867. That at New Athens in 1869. The two have a membership of 78.
There are some other small societies in the county of which I can give no facts. One at Mascoutah, one at Dutch Hollow, &c.
We have a total membership in the county of about 850. There are seven pastors, with an average salary of $734. This is exclusive of the German M. E. Church.
GERMAN M. E. CHURCH.
Of the history of this branch of the Church in the county I can give but few facts, There are five churches in the county, one at Belleville, one at Lebanon, one at Summerfield, one at Mascoutah, and one at Dutch Hill.
The one at Belleville was organized in 1850, in an old school-house, with a membership of 25. Their first church was' bought of the (American) M. E. Church, in the same year of their organization. They organized at the same time a Sunday-school.
Their second house, the one they occupy at present, was pur- chased of the Lutherans in 1864 for $8,000, including a parsonage and school-house. They have improved the property very much since, and its present value is about $12,000, free from debt. Their present membership is about 173. They have a good Sunday-school, which numbers about 200. They raise for preacher's salary, and benevolences annually $1,300.
The Summerfield Church was first organized in 1859, with 65 members. The church building was erected in 1864. They orga- nized the first Sunday-school in 1864. This church has always been self-sustaining, never having received one cent of missionary money, and has paid from $500 to $700 a year salary. A parsonage was bought in 1859, which is still occupied by the preacher as a plea- sant home.
Lebanon is connected with the Summerfield circuit. The church here is weak. They purchased a house of worship in 1867. The membership at these two points numbers about 100. They have a good Sunday school at each place. The value of their church pro- perty is $3,000. Parsonage, $1 000. H. F. Koeneke is the present pastor.
I have not been able to get any facts about the churches at Mas- coutah and Dutch Hill. I think organization and progress is about the same as those already mentioned.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
BY REV. O. S. THOMPSON, A. M.
A HISTORY of Presbyterianism in St. Clair county, if extended to the early limits of the county, would be the history of Presbyterian- ism in the early settlement of the entire state, as the early settle- ments of the state were within what was then called St. Clair county. When the county was organized by Governor St. Clair, in 1790, it included almost the whole southern part of the state, ex- tending nearly as far north as Peoria, including, at that time, all the settled portions of the state.
The earliest settlers under the French occupation of Illinois, were Roman Catholics. The earliest historical mention of a Protestant professor of religion in the territory of Illinois, was a member of the Presbyterian church. Dr. J. M. Peck (Baptist) on page 706 of Western Annals says, speaking of events that occurred about the time of the Revolutionary War, or previously ; " For the first eight or ten years of the period I have glanced over, the only professor of
religion in the colony was a female, who had been a member of the Presbyterian church." When Samuel J. Mills and his comis- sionaries visited the Illinois country, on their south-western mis- sionary tour in 1812, and again in 1814, they did not find a single Presbyterian or Congregational minister in a population of 12,000 or 15,000 people then living in the territory. " There are a number of good people," they say, "in the territory who are anxious to have such ministers among them." Again, in 1814, they say : " There is no Presbyterian minister in the territory. Numbers who have heretofore belonged to other Presbyterian churches are anxious to have, at least, occasional supplies.' Six miles south of Kaskaskia there was an Associate Reformed Presbyterian church Besides this they did not hear of a "single organized society of any denomina- tion in the county, (Randolph) nor of an individual Baptist or Methodist preacher. The situation of the two counties above this (which would be St. Clair and Madison) is somewhat different. Baptist and Methodist preachers are numerous, and, we were informed, a majority of the heads of families are profes- sors of religion." 'A Methodist preacher told us that these pro- fessors were almost all of them Presbyterians. And they would have been so still,' he said, ' had they not been neglected by their eastern brethren. Now they are Methodists and Baptists.' It seems from these extracts, therefore, that there were a number of persons of Presbyterian connection, who came with the early settlers of St. Clair county, both under its wider territorial limits and after other counties had been set off from it, their preferences being still for the Presbyterian church, but being without ministers or church or- ganizations, they identified themselves with other bodies of Chris- tians.
EARLY PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS IN THE COUNTY.
The first Presbyterian minister to visit the Illinois country was Rev. John Evans Finley, of Chester county, Pennsylvania, who landed at Kaskaskia 1797. His purpose was to labor in the Spanish colonies, mainly, perhaps, with a view to the Indians. " He preached and catechised, also baptized several Indians." He seems, how- ever, to have remained but a short time, when he removed to Mason county, Kentucky.
The next Presbyterian ministers to visit Illinois were the young licentiates, John F. Schimerhorn of New York, and Samuel J. Mills of Connecticut, in 1812, who visited the county on a mission- ary exploring expedition. They returned after visiting various places in the south-west, going as far as New Orleans, in 1813. The following year, 1814, Mr. Mills, accompanied by Rev. Daniel Smith, of Vermont, revisited the country of the south-west, and returned the summer of 1815. Up to this time there was no organized Presby- terian church in the territory of Illinois, and no Presbyterian preacher. Mills and his companions, on their return, published in eastern papers an account of the spiritual destitution of the country they had visited, which at once aroused a deep interest among Christian people in the East, in the evangelization of the West.
The reading of these reports of Mills and his companions led Sal- mon Giddings, born in Hartford county, Connecticut, to devote himself to missionary labor in the South West, with headquarters in St. Louis. He was commissioned by the Connecticut Missionary Society, December, 1815, and the same winter rode through to St. Louis on horseback, arriving April 6th, where he continued to live until his death, February, 1828. Although Mr. Giddings lived in St. Louis, where he organized the first Protestant church, and was the first Protestant pastor, he frequently made evangelistic tours through the adjacent country, east as well as west of the Mississippi river. The first summer after coming to St. Louis he visited a number of points in Illinois, among them Kaskaskia, where he bap-
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
tized, in August, 1816, Col. James L. D. Morrison, long known as a citizen of this county. Of the fifteen churches organized by Mr. Gid- dings in ten years, ten of them, or two-thirds, were in Illinois, among which were Collinsville church, in the edge of Madison county, and the
TURKEY HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
of St. Clair county, four miles south-east of Belleville, organized by Mr. Giddings in April, 1820, the first Presbyterian church within the present limits of the county. The church originally had eight members, but their names are unknown to the writer, except that Nathan Jones was one of the elders, and Deacon Josiah Crocker was, perhaps, another. The church increased for a few years until in 1824, it had fourteen members, but the next year it was reduced, by removals and otherwise, to seven. Nathan Jones removed to Fulton county, the church became discouraged with its losses, a part of the remaining members joined the Methodists and the church became extinct. It never had the ministrations of a settled minister, but was dependent upon occasional supplies by traveling missionaries, which, as Governor Reynolds declared of ministers of that day, " were like angel's visits ; few and far between."
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS OF BELLEVILLE.
Of these there have been three.
First Organization-1833 .- From the time of the disband- ing of the Turkey Hill church, about the close of 1825, un- til Jannary 6th, 1833, a period of almost seven years, St. Clair county was left without a Presbyterian church. Whether it was visited by Presbyterian ministers in that time is now unknown. The town of Belleville had been laid out in 1814, the same year that Mills made his last tour of exploration through the South-west. It is possible that during this time, Dr. Black- burn or Mr. Giddings might have visited Belleville, before the organization of the church.
The first church of Belleville was organized Jan. 6, 1833, by Rev. Jolin F. Brooks. It numbered six members, viz. : Alfred Cow- les, Charlotte Cowles, Thomas Scott, Jane S. Brooks, Simon Van Ars- dale, and Harriett C. Alexander. Alfred Cowles and Thomas Scott were made elders. There were afterwards added : Andrew Spillard, Benjamin Van Arsdale, Joseph Green, Thomas H. Kim- ber, David Swyer, Louisa Swyer, and Samuel Patterson, making, with the six original members, thirteen in all. Of all these, only David and Louisa Swyer remain, after near fifty years, in connection with the church to-day. In 1837, by deaths and removals only ten members were left upon the church roll. One half of these lived elsewhere than in Belleville, and the others were about to move away. Letters of dismission were granted therefore to both absent and present members, and the first church organization of the Pres- byterian name in Belleville, became extinct, after an existence of something over four years. This organization occupied, as its place of worship, 1, a one story brick building, 24x30, on the S. E corner of 2nd, South and High streets, one square from the present Presbyterian church, where the church worshiped for one year. 2. After this its meetings were held in a small room, used by Mr. Brooks as a school-room, on the east side of High street, between Man and 1st South. 3. Occasionally the court-house and Metho- dist church, also, were used. Mr. Brook was the only pastor this church had. He preached once in two weeks at his regular appoint- ment, and taught school three years of the time of his pastorate. Both as teacher and pastor he rendered very acceptable service. He was a native of the state of New York, a graduate of Hamilton College, and of New Haven Seminary. In his senior year, lie,
with six other theological students, drew up and subscribed their names to a solemn pledge to engage in mission work in the state of Illinois. After his ordination, in 1831, when thirty years of age, he came immediately to Illinois, and in a little more than one year thereafter, he organized the church at Belleville. Mr. Brooks now lives at Springfield, Ills., and is eighty years of age.
Second Organization .- A second organization of a Presbyterian Church in Belleville was effected two years from the dissolu- tion of the first. It was organized by Revs. Thomas Lippincott and A. T. Norton. There were nine members, three more than constituted the first church. These were William E. Chittenden, Thomas H. Kimber, Alonzo Dewey, Miss Sarepta Elder, and Miss Esther C. Dewey, all coming by letter. Three others were received on examination-David Miley, Phebe Miley, and Charles T. Elles. William E. Chittenden and Thomas H. Kimber were elected elders. The organization of the church the second time took place in a small brick house, owned by Elder Kimber, on the corner of Jack- son and Second North streets, on the lot on which the new Baptist church now stands. The house is still standing, the first door south of the Baptist church. It was for a while used as the regular place of worship, with the occasional use of the court-house, as previously.
Mr. Lippincott had supplied the church the summer previous to the organization, and continued to act in that capacity for more than a year afterwards. He was a man of wide influence, of literary tastes and reputation, and lived to about eighty years of age. The church under him made no additions to its number of members. It seems, however, to have zealously pushed forward its work, as it determined at its organization that the "regular worship of God should be kept up in their house every Sabbath, whether their min- ister was present or not." These meetings, in the absence of the pastor, were conducted by Elder Chittenden, who was afterward ordained as a minister, and served the church two and a-half years as pastor.
Mr. Lippincott was succeeded by Rev. William Chamberlain, after the former had served the church one and a-half years. Mr. Chamberlain gave the church one-half his time at first, then one- fourth of the time. He had been a missionary to the Cherokee Indians in Georgia. With their removal west of the Mississippi, he settled in Illinois.
A protracted meeting held by Mr. Chamberlain, in which he was assisted by Rev. James Gallaher, in 1841, resulted in greatly strengthening the church, and in the addition of twenty-four niem- bers to its number. He was followed, in 1842, by Henry B. Whit- taker, who was a licentiate of Lexington presbytery. He re- mained with the church eight months, during which time a series of meetings were held, resulting in ten accessions to the church.
Rev. William E. Chittenden succeeded Mr. Whittaker, and served the church for two and a-half years, with very great accept- ance. It was mainly through his efforts that the second house of worship was built. About the time he began his pastorate, April, 1844, the church first became a corporate hody, electing E. B. Lock, wood, C. T. Elles and Samuel Hinckley trustees. Their first work was to take steps towards the erection of a house of worship. Hith- erto the church had worshiped in the Kimber building on Jack- son street, then in a school-room, and finally in a rented room on High street, where the tailoring establishment of Rheiu Brothers now stands.
James Mitchell donated the larger part of the ground for the erection of a new building on the north-east corner of Illinois and First North streets, near the market-house, where a brick building, with basement, the present city hall, was erected at a cost of about
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
$2500. The church building was dedicated Nov. 9th, 1844, and continued to be the place of worship for twenty-nine years, up to April, 1873.
Following Mr. Chittenden, Rev. James R. Dunn supplied the pulpit six months, in 1845; B. Y. Messenger six months, in 1846- 47. Joseph A. Ranney then began, Nov. 1847, a pastorate of seven years, the longest pastorate the church has ever had.
During Mr. Ranney's ministry the church had a prosperous and steady growth, having received, in that time, sixty-nine members. In a series of meetings in February, 1849, when the pastor was assisted by Rev. George Clark, twenty persons were added to the church at one time. During the year 1849, when the cholera raged with such violence in St. Louis, Belleville also suffered severely. Out of a population of three thousand, two hundred and fifty died in sixty days, including ten members of the Presbyterian church, among whom was Elder Henry Batz.
Rev. John Gibson supplied the church six months in 1855; W. W. Warner a year in 1855-56. B. F. Cole, E. Barber, W. F. P. Noble each supplied the church a short time. Andrew Luce was paster of the church from November, 1857.
In 1860 the church caught fire while the basement was used as a school-room, but was not greatly damaged.
In 1863 Mr. Luce entered the United States service as chaplain of the twenty-fourth regiment Missouri volunteers. His pastoral relation to the church was not dissolved until October, 1865.
Rev. Ovid Minor preached to the church in 1814, during Mr. Luce's absence.
Rev. John Dillingham was pastor of the church three years, from May, 1866-a prosperous pastorate. Rev. James Brownlee was then with the church one year. Gerrit Huyser one year. Henry W. Woods one year three months from October, 1871.
In February, 1872, a lot was purchased by the church on High street and Third South for $2800, with a view to erecting a new building. The old building was sold for $4500 to the city, April 19th, 1873. Work was begun on the new building May 1st, 1874. The building was erected and the basement completed and ready for use on May 2d, 1875, when the present pastor, O. S. Thompson, began his labors with the church, six years ago. The audience room was finished and the church furnished over a year later. The church was dedicated July 16th, 1876, Dr. J. H. Brookes of St. Louis preaching the dedicatory sermon. The new building is gothic, brick, about 45x80 feet, measuring from outside walls, with seating capacity for four hundred, with lecture room, astudy and infant class-room in basement. Cost $21,472. Cost of pipe-organ $1800.
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