USA > Illinois > Stark County > History of Stark County, Illinois, and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 25
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The Presbyterian Church of Lafayette dates its beginning from 1841. when Rev. S. G. Wright, afterward school commissioner, preached in the village and several persons expressed their desire to organize a church. No house of worship was ever erected and when in 1846 some of the members withdrew to join the Congregational Church at Toulon, the Lafayette Society passed out of existence.
Mrs. Shallenberger, whose book was published in 1876, says of the United Presbyterian Church of Elmira: "This church was orig- inally known as the 'Associate Reformed Congregation of Osceola,' changed in 1852 from Osceola to Elmira to correspond with the name of the nearest postoffice. And the Associate and Associate Reform churches of the United States being formally united in May, 1858, the congregation became known by that union as "The United Presby- terian Church of Elmira,' by which name it is still recognized."
Although the formal organization of the church dates from 1852, Rev. N. C. Weede, a Presbyterian minister of Marshall County, had held meetings and preached in Elmira as early as 1849. Among the early members of this church were the Turnbulls, Olivers and some others who had been identified with the Presbyterian Church at Osce- ola. Then there were the Murchisons, Grieves, Murrays, Jacksons, Scotts, McLennans and other well known families who were affiliated with this congregation at an early day and active in its support. In 1853 an acre of land was bought from Clinton Fuller and a frame church. 30 by 40 feet. was built for $1,275.
To quote again from Mrs. Shallenberger: "In the spring of 1864 a considerable number left this congregation (the United Presbyterian of Elmira) to constitute the 'Knox Church of Elmira,' which is in connection with the Canada Presbyterian Church. Much interest at- taches to this Knox Church, partly because its communicants are mainly Scotch Highlanders, or Gaelic people, and services have usually been performed in the Gaelic tongue."
As early as 1856 some of the Scotch Presbyterians in and about Elmira applied to the Canada Synod of the Presbyterian. Church to send a minister who could preach in either Gaelic or English. Not
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long after that, Rev. Duncan MeDermid came and preached two ser- mons, and in 1862 Rev. Adam MeKay visited them for two successive Sundays. In 1864 Rev. Lochlin Cameron, of Acton, Ontario, came and remained for about six weeks. It was under his ministrations that the church was formally organized. He was succeeded by Rev. Arch- ibald MeDermid, and on September 27, 1864, John MeLennan, Donald MeDonald and James Armstrong were elected elders. Meet- ings were held in the homes of the members or in the Methodist Church until 1866, when a house of worship was erected.
A third Presbyterian Church was organized at Elmira on May 8, 1881, by Revs. T. G. Scott and John Weston. While several mem- bers of this society were Seoteh, a large number were English speak- ing people, who could not understand the Gaelic language. At a meeting held on December 20, 1881, to consider the question of build- ing a church, a majority decided in favor of the proposition and John Roberts, John Fowler, John G. Turnbull, George Armstrong, Joseph Chapman, Daniel Dodd, William Beattie, George E. Holmes, John Hindmarsh, Heury Scott, James Cinnamon, Alexander Buchanan and William Stevenson were appointed a committee to take charge of the movement. About a week later Clinton Fuller donated a lot and in the fall of 1882 the church edifice was completed at a cost of $5,000. The first services were held in the new house on December 15, 1882. A parsonage was erected in 1885 at a cost of $2,500. It is located on the Toulon road, a little southwest of the village.
Leeson's History of Stark County, published in 1887, says: "It is notable that the three Presbyterian churches of Elmira Township pay $3,000 as salaries annually, and about the same amount for other church purposes."
A society of Cumberland Presbyterians, known as the "Mound Church," was organized at Modena some time in the '40s. It was never prosperous and after a few years it went down. The house of worship erected by this church became the property of the Old School Baptists, who in turn disbanded.
THE CONGREGATIONALISTS
A year or two after Stark County was organized, a few persons living in the southern part, near the Peoria County line, held meetings and worshiped according to the Congregational faith. There is a tradition that a church was organized there, but none of its records have been preserved. There was an effort made to organize a Con-
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gregational Church at La Fayette about 1841 or 1842, but nothing definite can be learned of the movement.
It is therefore quite probable that the Congregational Church of Toulon is entitled to recognition as the first society of that denomina- tion in the county. In November, 1846, Rev. S. G. Wright, Rev. L. HI. Parker, Hugh Rhodes and a few others met in the court room at Toulon and took the necessary steps to organize a church by adopting the confession of faith covenant recognized by the Congregational ritual. The charter members were Hugh and Jonathan Rhodes and their wives, Giles C. Dana and wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Rhodes, Frank- lin and Eliza Rhodes. Of the nine original members, seven belonged to the Rhodes family, and the little society became known as the "Rhodes Church."
In March, 1847, at a meeting held at the house of Hugh Rhodes, nine new members were received into the church. They were S. G. Wright, Robert Nicholson and wife, Orrin Rhodes and wife, John Pollock. Jane Bradley, Mrs. Matilda Hall and Miss Eliza Hall. Rev. S. G. Wright was the first pastor. He was identified with the society until December, 1854.
The first movement toward the erection of a house of worship was made on August 24, 1849, when James Flint, Charles F. White and Hugh Rhodes were appointed a committee to confer with the Meth- odist congregation with a view of effecting some arrangement by which the two societies could be united in the erection of a house of worship to be used by both. But the Methodists deelined to co-operate. Mr. Wright then started out with a subscription paper, seeured pledges or subseriptions amounting to a little over one hundred dollars, went to Henry County and made arrangements for lumber, and finally borrowed $700 from a Fulton County man. He also "drafted" men to go to the quarry, and teams to haul stone for the foundation, and on September 21, 1851, the congregation worshiped for the first time in the "new Congregational Church on Henderson Street." though the house was not fully completed until some months later.
In July, 1882, James H. Miller and R. J. Diekinson were ap- pointed a committee to inquire into and report on the cost of repairing the old church or building a new one. Their report, which favored a new building, was adopted by the congregation and on August 8, 1882, a majority of the members voted in favor of erecting the new church upon the site of the old one. The building committee at the same time was instrueted to sell the old church and on October 15, 1882, it was sold to Charles S. Payne, of Wyoming. for $175. A
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little later Mr. Payne purchased the old Methodist Church of Wyo- ming and out of the two he built the Wyoming Opera House. The new Congregational Church was dedicated on January 3, 1884, and was used by the society until 1914, when the present magnificent house of worship was dedicated. It is located at the southeast corner of Thomas and Henderson streets and was erected at a cost of about thirty thousand dollars.
The Congregational Church of Bradford was organized on Novem- ber 28, 1869, by Rev. B. M. Roy, but none of the church records can be found. Meetings were held in a hall or in the Baptist Church until about 1874, when the few members grew discouraged, disbanded their organization and united with churches elsewhere.
On April 3, 1873, fourteen Congregationalists living in Wyoming got together and organized the Wyoming Congregational Church. The next Sunday Rev. A. A. Stevens, of Peoria, preached for the little society and a little later Rev. W. Walters took charge as pastor. Ile remained with the church until 1883, when he was called to the church at Lacon, Ill. The original fourteen members of this church were Dr. John C. and Sarah C. Copestake, John and Prudence Rock- hold, Henry F. and Charlotte Turner, John and Augusta Hawks, James and Susannah Buckley, William and Mary A. Walters, Mary C. Seott and Ann Wrigley.
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On July 15, 1874, the pastor, John Hawks and Henry F. Turner were appointed a building committee. A lot on Main Street was purchased for $100 from W. F. Thomas, who donated the adjoining lot. and the church edifice was built thereon at a cost of $3,585. At the time it was completed and dedicated ( May 4, 1875) , it was cou- sidered the finest church building in Stark County. The society is still an active power for good in Wyoming and in 1915 was under the pastoral charge of Rev. William Moore.
In 1880 a few Congregationalists living in the little Village of Stark and the adjacent country organized a small society and for a time held meetings in Simpson & Smith's warehouse. Later the abandoned cheese factory was obtained as a place of holding services, and here a Sunday school was organized in the spring of 1883. The persons who kept up the Sunday school and the religious meetings did not claim to be a regular church, and it was not until February 19. 1885. that a meeting was called for the purpose of effecting a formal organization. Then the Stark Congregational Church was founded and M. S. Smith, HI. F. Blood, W. F. Speer. L. Dixon and Charles Hampson were appointed a finance committee, to solicit aid for the building of a church.
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The organization of the church was finally completed on April 19, 1885, when eighteen members signed the articles of association. The work of erecting a church was pushed with vigor and on September 20, 1885, the house of worship was dedicated. Its cost was $2,000. Rev. J. K. Tomkins, of Chicago, preached the sermon on that occasion.
LATTER DAY SAINTS
For some five or six years following the organization of Stark County the Mormons, or Latter Day Saints, were quite active in the Spoon River Valley. Mormon elders and evangelists visited every settlement and wherever given an opportunity expounded the peculiar doctrines of their church. And they made some converts in quarters where such a thing could hardly have been expected, a few of the pioneers selling all they had to follow the fortunes of the "saints." Walnut Creek is referred to in Rev. S. G. Wright's diary as "the heart of the Mormon settlement." though no organized church was ever established in the county. The elders operated about West Jer- sey. in Essex Township and in the vicinity of Lafayette. Among their converts were Adam Perry and some members of the Essex family.
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH
This denomination has never been strong in Stark County. the only church being the one at Wyoming. It dates from the year 1848, when Rev. Richard Radley, of Jubilee. Peoria County, came to Wyo- ming and conducted services at the house of Henry Butler. Mr. Radley made monthly visits until March, 1851, when he left for New York. He was succeeded by Rev. Philander Chase, who formally organized the parish in September. 1851. as "St. Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church." The articles of association were signed by H. A. Holst. Charles S. Payne, Dr. Luther S. Milliken, W. B. McDonald, Thomas B. Whiffen and Henry Butler.
The parish was admitted into union with the diocese on October 18, 1855, and in May, 1857, a movement was inaugurated for the erec- tion of a church building. In July H. A. Holst. A. B. Butler and J. II. Hopkins were appointed a building committee, the building was finished in due time and was dedicated on the last day of February. 1858. The cost of the edifice was $1,020, of which the people of Chicago gave $271 and $172 came from Episcopal churches in the East. In the course of a few years the business district of Wyoming
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spread until the location of the church became undesirable and the congregation accepted the offer of Dr. Alfred Castle to donate a lot on North Galena Avenue, to which the building was removed in the early part of 1874.
In July. 1883, Rev. George Moore, then pastor of the Episcopal Church at Wyoming, conducted serviees in Bradford as a sort of experiment. He had a good audience and twenty-six persons were found in and near the village who expressed a desire to become mem- bers of the Episcopal Church. Accordingly, at a business meeting held on July 25, 1883, the necessary papers were prepared and signed to send to Bishop Burgess at Quiney, requesting his approval of and assistance in organizing a mission at Bradford, to be known as St. James. The bishop gave his approval and in December sent Rev. R. C. Wall, of Tiskilwa, to take charge of the mission, under instructions to hold services on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. A room was rented in which to hold these services and the attendance was fairly good for four or five years. Then it began to fall off and the mission of St. James was soon afterward abandoned.
CHRISTIANS OR DISCIPLES
The first Christian Church to be organized in the county is the one at Toulon, which dates back to July 15, 1849, when a meeting was held in the old courthouse and the following persons signed the mem- bership roll: Elijah and Sarah MeClenahan, Edward and Martha J. Wilson, David and Mary J. MeCance, Henry Sweet and James Bates. Rev. Milton.P. King, who was present at the meeting, was the first pastor of the church. In 1855 a church edifice was erected on the east side of Washington Street, between Main and Vine. The building, a substantial brick structure, is still used by the congrega- tion. though a few years ago it was generally overhauled and re- modeled, the walls covered with cement and "penciled" to resemble stone. The property is valued at $5,000. During an electrical storm in August, 1915, lightning struek the church, tore the top off the chimney and damaged the roof to a small extent.
Prior to the organization of the Toulon church. Rev. Milton P. King had conducted meetings near the south line of the county, in what was then known as the "Pratz Settlement." and several persons united with the church, but no regular church organization was effected. Mr. King also preached at Wyoming and Lafayette and a Christian Church was finally organized at the latter place on August 1, 1873,
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under the name of the "Church of Christ," with John Boyd. James Ingles and J. H. Quinn, trustees. A building was soon afterward erected and services held regularly for several years, when the society went down and its records have been lost.
THE UNIVERSALISTS
Three Universalist congregations have been organized in Stark County, but none was in existenee in 1915. Rev. R. M. Bartlett came to Toulon in the winter of 1860-61 and preached in the Odd Fellows' Hall. though previous to this time sermons had been preached in the town by Universalist ministers, whose names have been lost. A small society was organized in Toulon by Reverend Bartlett, but no house of worship was ever built and about 1873 the Universalists eeased to hold meetings.
On November 16, 1867, a society of Universalists was organized at Bradford and took the name of the First Universalist Church. Among the members were Bradford S. Foster, William M. and Mary E. Pilgrim. Alonzo Abbott. Lydia K. Abbott. B. F. Thompson. W. B. Foster, Franeis and Nancy Davis, the Curtisses, the Spinneys and several others who were members of the leading families in that part of the county. Soon after the organization of the church the old schoolhouse was purchased and remodeled for a house of worship. and B. F. Thompson, Willard B. Foster and J. O. H. Spinney were elected trustees. The last board of trustees of which any reeord can be found was composed of Silas Moody, Melvin Gage and Mordeeai Bevier.
The Universalist Church of Lafayette was organized on Novem- ber 29. 1873, by Rev. John Hughes. Among the members of this society were: G. II. Redfield and wife, Charles B. and P. H. Smith, A. M. Snyder and wife, Sanmel White and wife, Mrs. T. D. Church, Mrs. Sarah Church, Mrs. A. E. Parker, Mrs. Ann Dunbar and Julia Lake. In 1875 a neat frame church was ereeted at the northeast cor- ner of Lafayette and Hodgson streets, at a cost of $3,300, and meetings were held regularly for several years, when reverses eame and the society went down.
UNITED BRETHREN
Like the Protestant Episcopal Church, this denomination has never been very strong in the county. In 1867 the "Pleasant Valley
finn
ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, BRADFORD
LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA
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Church" was organized in the southeastern part of Essex Township and numbered among its members the Fautzes, Springers, Joneses, Colwells, Eekleys, Andrew, Peter and George Sheets and a few others. The church lot and cemetery were platted in August, 1873, in the - northeast quarter of section 32, by Edwin Butler, then county sur- veyor. Although this church has fallen off in numbers in recent years, meetings are still held occasionally.
Another United Brethren Church was established at Wyoming in 1872 and continued in existence for about ten years. Samuel and Lorina Farden, Jesse and Cynthia Redding, the Bogards. Baldwins, Beavers, Samuel Bishop, Sammel and Lucretia Redding, Henry Curf- man and wife and Malinda O'Vanda were the first members. The last services here were conducted by Rev. J. S. Smith on October 28, 1882. The church building was sold to Thomas Dugdale, who con- verted it into a residence.
THE CATHOLICS
Among the first settlers around Bradford were a few Catholie families and some years after the town was laid out others were added to the population. Priests came there at intervals and said mass in the homes of some of the believers, and early in the '70s steps were taken to organize a parish. Among the leaders in the movement may be mentioned Owen Sharkey. Michael Real, John IFiekey, Thomas Powers. Edward Harty and Walter Hennebury, who were appointed as a building committee in 1875. Then there were the Codes. Gor- mans, O'Briens, Mahaneys. Walshes, Cooneys. Caseys, MeSherrys and some others who had been brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, and who were aetive supporters of the new church, which was given the name of St. John's Parish.
The first church edifice was dedieated on January 8, 1876, the priest at that time being Father O'Gara. The present pastor, Rev. P. H. MeCarron, eame to the parish in 1893. Under his ministrations a magnificent new church has been erected at a cost of $50,000 and the old frame building has been converted into a publie hall, sometimes called the "Bradford Opera House." In October. 1915. the parish numbered 115 families.
St. Dominie's Catholic Church, at Wyoming, was organized in 1880 and the church building was dedieated on July 27. 1881. Bishop Spalding officiating. It is located in the northeastern part of the eity, on a lot that was donated by Dr. Alfred Castle. John Colgan, John Seibold and Michael Colgan were the building committee and the
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edifice cost about thirty-five hundred dollars. For some time before the parish was established the Catholic families were visited by priests from Peoria, Lacon and other convenient points. Father Moynihan was the first resident priest. In 1915 the parish was under the charge of Father M. A. Humphreys.
As early as 1840 the Nowlans, Drinnins and a few other Catholic families settled in the neighborhood of the present City of Toulon and priests came here at times and said mass in the homes. About 1867 a mission was established at Toulon and was attended by priests from Bradford. Kewanee and other places for several years. Rev. John Moore said mass in the Second Baptist Church on December 30, 1877, shortly after the two Baptist congregations had agreed to eon- solidate, and the following March the building formerly occupied by the Second Baptist Church was sold to the Catholies. This is still a mission and in 1915 was attended by Father Richard D. O'Loughlin, of Galva.
MISCELLANEOUS
About the elose of the war some of the citizens of Goshen Town- ship united with some of the people living in Henry County in building a Union Church at Saxon. Here ministers of various de- nominations have held serviees. The Union Church was dedicated on August 31, 1865.
St. Timothy's German Evangelieal Lutheran Church at Castleton was organized in 1878, by Rev. F. R. Bess, of Peoria. Here the Con- rads. Dunkelmanns, Brinkmanns, Wagners, Burmeisters, Schwartzes, Zimmermans and other German families of Penn Township have sinee worshiped according to the tenets of the faith in which they were brought up. Rev. Carl Proehl was the first pastor and the house of worship, a modest frame, was dedieated on December 8, 1878.
A Young Men's Christian Association was organized at Toulon in March, 1885, with nineteen members. Charles H. Christy was the first president and W. F. Nicholson the first seeretary. The associa- tion continued for some time, but for want of a suitable home was finally disbanded.
The Wyoming Camp Meeting Association was formed in 1883. although camp meetings had been held there nearly every year since 1840. The second camp meeting in the county was held at Lafayette in 1842, as previously stated. In 1883 James M. Rogers, B. G. Hall and E. J. Edwards were appointed an executive committee for the Wyoming Camp Meeting Association and made several needed im-
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provements upon the camp ground, so that the meetings since that time have been better accommodated.
The Stark County Bible Society was organized in 1856 with Nor- man Butler. president; C. M. Johnson, vice president; T. B. Starrett, secretary; Davis Lowman, treasurer: Rev. R. C. Dunn, chairman of the executive committee: Sammel Halsted, Benjamin Packer and Hopkins Shivvers, local agents: Mrs. Norman Butler and Miss Sarah Armstrong, colleetors. It continued in existenee for several years and was influential in plaeing copies of the Bible in the homes of several families throughout the county.
The Elmira Bible Society was organized on June 24, 1857, with John Turnbull, president: W. M. Fuller and Joseph Blanchard, vice presidents: M. G. Brace, secretary; Dr. E. M. Boardman, treasurer. Liberal contributions were made by this society to the American Bible Society for several years, in faet for some time after regular meetings eeased.
The Stark County Sunday School Union was formed in 1866 and held its first meeting in James Holgate's grove that year. Davis Lowman was the first president and W. W. Wright the first secre- tary. Meetings or conventions have been held annually since that time. The fiftieth annual convention was held in the Methodist Church at Bradford on October 28-29, 1915. At that time the officers of the union were: H. D. D. Martin, president : George C. Strattan, viee president: Mrs. M. L. Earhart, secretary and treasurer.
In connection with several of the Stark County churches are ladies' aid societies, auxiliary missionary circles, etc., so that the church work is carried on systematically and without frietion.
Vol. 1-17
CHAPTER XVI SOCIETIES AND FRATERNITIES
MUTUAL PROTECTION SOCIETY-ITS AIMS AND OBJECTS-AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND FAIR ASSOCIATIONS-OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION -- THE LOG CABIN - OLD SETTLERS' MONUMENT - LETTERS FROM PIONEERS-MASONIC FRATERNITY-ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR- INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS-DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH- GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC-TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES-MISCEL- LANEOUS SOCIETIES.
One of the earliest Stark County societies of which there is any record was the Stark County Mutual Protection Society. In early days the Illinois Valley was infested by gangs of horse thieves and other outlaws, who were constantly committing depredations upon the property of the frontier settlers. The legal machinery of civil gov- ernment was in its infaney and it was not an easy matter to secure the arrest and conviction of the offenders through regular channels, henee in a few cases lyneh law was resorted to by the pioneers to break up the gangs of thieves and bring law and order to the community. There is no record of a lynching ever having oceurred within the limits of Stark County, but the settlers suffered losses through the opera- tions of the Driseoll, Brodie and Aikens gangs, the leaders of which lived in the northern part of the state and could always be relied upon to furnish an alibi when one of the gang might be arrested.
In the summer of 1848, after the county had been organized for more than nine years and the gangs of outlaws were still operating through this part of the state, some of the citizens of Stark County began to discuss the advisability of organizing for the purpose of aiding the legal authorities in putting a stop to the depredations. The result of the agitation was that a meeting was called at the courthouse in Toulon for August 12, 1848, at which the Stark County Mutual Protection Society was organized. Myrtle G. Brace was elected president ; Hugh Rhodes, secretary ; and Wheeler B. Sweet, organizer. Committees were appointed for the five precincts of the county as
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