USA > Illinois > Pages from the early history of the West and Northwest: embracing reminiscences and incidents of settlement and growth, and sketches of the material and religious progress of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri > Part 8
USA > Indiana > Pages from the early history of the West and Northwest: embracing reminiscences and incidents of settlement and growth, and sketches of the material and religious progress of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri > Part 8
USA > Missouri > Pages from the early history of the West and Northwest: embracing reminiscences and incidents of settlement and growth, and sketches of the material and religious progress of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri > Part 8
USA > Ohio > Pages from the early history of the West and Northwest: embracing reminiscences and incidents of settlement and growth, and sketches of the material and religious progress of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri > Part 8
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be had. Still, up to this time, I had no foundation for my church. In circulating among the people I found one man who would donate brick, and seeing a friend in the street with his horses and wagon, I had but to ask and I received. He hauled in the brick. Then I came across some masons, who kindly offered to lay up the wall, and by twelve o'clock on Saturday afternoon I requested all the workmen to go about and invite every one they should meet to come and help raise the church that afternoon. They came pouring in from all quarters, and just as the sun was setting the frame of the first Methodist church ever built in Peoria was standing.
It was predicted, even after this effort, by all the other denominations, that our church would never be completed. Nothing more would be done, they said, and the timbers would rot down. The next step, and the hardest one, was to raise money. A plan was soon hit upon. I was to take my horse and buggy, and traverse the State. I was to ask each man for a dollar, and as much more as he would give. So off I started. My largest subscription was twenty- five dollars. I took a tour through Alton, St. Louis, and Belleville, and returned with sixty-five dollars. Then my next resort was to go to the saw-mills again. I was successful in begging flooring, siding, and sheeting. One friend gave me a large red oak tree; this was for the shingles. So the brethren went out and felled the tree, sawed it up, hauled it in, and hired some one to turn it into shingles. One
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of the brethren donated poles for rafters, which were carted four miles; another brother hewed, fitted, and put them up. Then I resorted to another " bee," in order to get the siding planed and put on. Into this siding I drove the first nail. I then pressed another brother into the good work, and he laid the floor. We were now ready for plastering, which brother Loomis agreed to do if some one would put on the lath. Another "bee," and another, till we had the building nearly complete. We put in a temporary pulpit and seats, and I held my last quarterly meet- ing in it. We were less than ten dollars in debt, and nearly all the money spent on it was raised on my tour South.
At our last love-feast, which was conducted with closed doors, I felt unusually liberal. I was door- keeper, and I let in several without questions. Brother King, one of the official board, came to me and said, " Brother Beggs, what do you mean by letting in so many to our love-feast ? You have even let in old Heaton." Said I, "I don't know old Heaton; but go back, brother King, take your seat and pray on." He did so, and our meeting grew in interest, till I opened the door to receive members. The first man who presented himself was "old Hea- ton "-as they called him. He, with a number of others, joined our Church; and by this time the moral thermometer in Peoria stood at salvation heat; and the power of the Lord came down in such a won- derful manner that there was one general shout of
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"Glory to God in the highest !". Our shouting wae heard almost over the whole city, the church being nearly central. People had come in from every direction to see our new church, and it was not large enough to hold all that came. One of the local preachers got so filled with holy seal that he ran out of doors and shouted at the top of his voice, " Glory to God in the highest!" They had not even ceased their manifestations of religious fervor and zeal when the hour arrived for preaching. This meeting closed up my Conference year. The Church had been much revived, and many members joined on probation. All seemed thankful to God, and took courage for the future; and from this time on- ward Methodism had a stronghold in that city. It is now the leading denomination. My presiding elder for that year was Newton Benjamin.
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CHAPTER XIV.
SOME years after I had the pleasure of being at the dedication of the new brick church in Peoria, and Bishop Janes preached the dedicatory sermon; after which Dr. M'Neal read the history of the Church. He spoke of Rev. Joseph Arington as hav- ing formed the first class in Peoria. I could not but smile at the misstatement. This was in 1834. Nine years before, in the year 1825, Jesse Walker formed a class of sixteen members. I give their names: Jesse Walker and wife; James Walker and wife; sister Dixon, the wife of the proprietor of Dixon- town, on Rock River; sister Hamlin, and another sister, converts that Winter; Wm. Holland and wife; Wm. Eads and wife; Wm. Blanchard, Rev. Reeves MCormick, and Mary Clark.
The next Summer he held a camp meeting one mile above Peoria, on the west side of the lake; Wn. Holland moved up an old log-cabin for his tent; and the old hero, Jesse Walker, had with him his son and others; Reeves M'Cormick also assisted.
Wn. Royal was T. Hall's predecessor in 1832. It was then called Fort Clark mission. The boundaries of Hall's mission in 1832 and '33 were as follows : Peoria, Lancaster, now La Salle Prairie; brother Jones's, on Snack River; Princeville, Essex school-
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house; Fraker's Grove, now Lafayette; thence to Princeton, some thirty miles distant; and thence to Troy Grove, twenty-five miles farther; brother Long's, near La Salle; and thence down the river to Miller's school-house, five miles below Peru. Then next to John Hall's, one hundred and fifty miles around. Some time in the Spring he formed a class of six or eight persons. Their names are as follows: Wm. Eads and wife, sister A. Hale, sister Waters, David Spencer, and some others, John Sin- clair, presiding elder; members returned, forty- eight. Wm. See traveled the Peoria circuit in 1827, and Smith L. Robertson in 1828. It was then a large circuit, and he held a camp meeting three miles east of Peoria, on Farm Creek, Sam. H. Thompson presiding elder. Jesse Walker, and, I think, Wm. See, assisted. Gov. Edwards, the first Governor of the State, was then present.
They had a gracious time; yet even in that early day they were not free from disturbance. A certain individual was sent after whisky, and who, in going for it, had to pass the camp-ground. He stopped to hear the presiding elder's sermon. After its close a collection was taken up, and the money designed for whisky (fifty cents) was thrown into the hat. When he returned and was asked where his money was gone to replied, "O I thought the preacher needed it more than you did the whisky."
A. E. Phelps was my predecessor in the station, and sustained himself well. The court-house was
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occupied by a Unitarian preacher as well as him- self. One day the former, in preaching on the Divinity of Christ, ran across the track of A. E. Phelps, and so he pitched into the Unitarian cham- pion rough-shod, and so completely showed the fallacy of his doctrine that he had to leave, and A. E. Phelps had the house to himself. By this he rose fifty per cent. in the estimation of his hearers. Here commenced his brilliant career as a successful cham- pion against Unitarians, Universalism, Deism, and Exclusive Immersionists, as practising the only mode of baptism. I do not think any one of his antagonists ever got the better of him. He excelled as a his- torian, and was truly an able defender of Methodism. He increased in usefulness till he was called from his labors to his long rest. In his footsteps follows a son that bids fair for a useful minister. What greater star could be added to the crown of glory of a departed saint than that his sons were follow- ing in his footsteps?
Jesse Walker was born in Virginia, Buckingham county, near James River, June 9, 1766. He was not blessed with religious parents, yet they were moral, and taught him to pray while yet in early life, and attend Divine worship regularly. Lying and profane language were strictly forbidden. His father was neither rich nor poor, and taught him to work. From his youth his education was very limited, his schooling, all told, consisting of but twenty days.
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When he was nine years old his mother took him to a Baptist meeting; here, under the influence of the sermon, was his first awakening to his individual responsibility to God. After this he often reflected on the judgment-day, and the miseries of an interm- inable hell, till a trembling would seize him, and then would he begin to pray in earnest. Soon after this, he says: "I heard another preacher, who told me how to pray and exercise faith in believing on the Lord Jesus. The next morning, as I was walk- ing along, the Lord gave me such a spirit of wrest- ling that my faith took hold on God; and, in a moment, such a light broke in upon my soul, and such beams of Divine love, that I praised his hal- lowed name for the unspeakable riches he had be- stowed upon my poor soul. I enjoyed his presence for years; but no one having spoken to me about joining the Church, I consequently did not present myself. I soon began to mix with the wicked, and lost my enjoyment, backsliding from one thing to another till I became very wicked, and even doubted my conversion. Then, to quiet my conscience, I tried to believe the doctrines of Calvinism, besides going to every Baptist meeting to confirm myself in the dogma of fate. In my most solemn moments I could not believe these things myself, and yet I often labored hard to make others believe them. My besetting sin was profanity, which was often a great cause of grief to my mother and sister. The strivings of the Holy Spirit had left me and I often
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feared that my damnation was sealed, and that the earth would open and swallow me up. I thought men and devils had combined to take away the last vestige of comfort that was left me. At last I fell on my face, and, with all my guilt and weight of sin, hell seemed to move from beneath to meet me at my coming.
"But in my extreme anguish of spirit God showed himself unto me; and by faith I realized such a full- ness in Jesus that I once more ventured out on his precious promises; and I found, of a truth, that the virtue of his blood shed for me had healed every wound that sin had made. Then I felt to exclaim, O loving Savior ! blessed Jesus! I now consecrate my all to thee, for time and for eternity; thou art the one altogether lovely, and I will praise thee with all my powers. Then I went out to find a fel- low Christian, that I might talk with him of my newly found happiness. It was on the Sabbath day; and I had barely commenced telling him, when he proposed to me to swap horses. I regret to say that this man was a member of the Baptist Church; but so it was, and it had the influence to turn me to seek some other denomination than that toward whose members I had always felt such a brotherly love. I remembered that there was a Methodist class meeting about twelve miles distant; and I turned my horse, in hopes of getting there before the meeting closed. I was too late; and I dis- mounted and knelt down and prayed for direction.
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Then I remembered that the members were to re- turn by a certain house, and I staid there and awaited their arrival. Their songs seemed so heav- enly that they exceeded any thing that I had yet heard. When they began to talk on the subject of religion, I found that their experience was like my own, and that it was no more nor less than the love of God shed abroad in the heart. Then, when I be- gan to tell them what God had done for me, the power of the Lord came down. While some prayed, others were praising and singing; and sinners began to cry for mercy. The meeting continued all night. In the morning I returned home, rejoicing on my way, and blessing God for what I had seen, and for what my poor soul had enjoyed. When I got home, and told them of God's goodness, they thought I was crazy; and my exhortations to them to seek the Lord were so strange to them that I feared that my message was as seed sown by the wayside.
"It was not long before I visited again my brethren in class, and I was called upon to lead the class. It was a great trial to me, and yet I bore the cross. During our exercises the Lord poured out his Spirit again. Some shouted aloud, and others cried for mercy, and such a time of power was it that it lasted till dawn of day. Such a meeting I had never wit- nessed before. Soon after this our new preacher came on from Conference. He preached with great power, and invited such as wished to join on trial to remain in class. I embraced this, my first opportunity,
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and joined the Church in July, 1786. I was ap- pointed class-leader; and the burden of lost souls was so rolled upon me that I gave myself up wholly to the work. Seeing me such a laborer in the vine- yard, the preachers soon wished me to accompany them on the circuit. My inability kept me back for some time; but at last I felt the command-' Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel'-in such an imperious manner that I gave myself up to the great work. I offered myself, and was received on probation in 1804, and appointed, as the Minutes show, to the Red River circuit; in 1805 to Living- ston; in 1806 to Hartford circuit, William M'Ken- dree presiding elder."
. Thus far I have given the narrative as I found it in manuscript. I shall now complete it as I heard it from the lips of a third person. In the Spring of 1806 brother Walker accompanied William M'- Kendree to Illinois to spy out the promised land. He found it so beautiful that he determined at once to come over and possess it, believing that here was to be a great moral conflict, and that he was to be the Joshua to lead on his spiritual Israel to possess it. On his return he continued to preach on his circuit till Conference, and then he was sent to Illi- nois. He hastened home to his family, and arrived there about twelve o'clock. He told them of his new field of labor, and, after some refreshment, com- menced packing up for a removal. By ten o'clock the next morning he and his family were on their
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way to Illinois. Horses were their only means of conveyance-four in all-one for himself, and one for his wife and youngest daughter, who rode be- hind her; one for his eldest daughter, about eighteen years of age-now sister Everett, who gives me this interesting account of the early settling in the West-and a fourth for his library, or books which he had for sale.
It was one of the duties of preachers in those days to sell books to those among whom they labored, and it was one of the great means in dis- tributing the truth and helping to build up the cause of Christ. The family had each but one change of apparel, and that they had spun and woven before they left home. They brought no fur- niture, not even a bed, but started for the wilder- ness with as few worldly goods as possible.
Soon after crossing the Ohio River he found him- self and family fully entered into the Indian Terri- tory. At this time a fearful rain-storm met them, and they were rejoiced at being able to take shelter in a deserted wigwam, even drenched with water, besides the discomforts of cold and hunger. They remained here three days, till the storm had sub- sided, and the streams had fallen a little. They then packed up and plunged again into the wilder- ness, to encounter much water and much hard labor, to endure hunger and long, wearisome rides, till they reached Turkey Hill, a settlement in Illinois, and their home in the West. Here they staid with
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brother William Scott and family, a whole-souled Methodist, and a fast friend ever after; yet here, with all their plainness of apparel, brother Walker and his daughter had to take a severe lecture from sister Scott, because the daughter had worn a dress with short sleeves, or those which came only to the elbows, as was the fashion in those days. They looked so unmethodistic to sister Scott that she could not forbear speaking to them of the sinfulness of such things.
The only house that could be obtained for the preacher and family was an old log-cabin belonging to brother Scott. It had a plank floor, and a stick chimney with a hole burned out in the back so large that a modern cooking-stove could be thrown through it, as sister Everett expressed it, and the hearth so low down that the edge of the floor made seats for the whole family around the fire; and this was the parsonage and Winter quarters of the old hero of Methodism in Illinois. Having got into his smoky house, he made some few repairs, and arranged them- selves as well as their circumstances would permit; he entered upon his labors with Methodistic zeal, and soon the good work began, and souls were con- verted. As the New-Year drew nigh he gave out that he would hold a watch-night. It was a great question among them all, "What could he mean by watch-night?" And he replied that he was going to watch for the devil, and urged them all to come out. The result was a crowded house. At this
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meeting was held, also, the first love-feast. It was a successful one, and the beginning of better things. The next Spring following this watch-night, April, 1807, was held the first camp meeting in the State of Illinois.
To show to what rude means one had to resort at that time, we can relate an incident. One evening there were no lights to be had on the camp-ground, and it was also very windy. An old lady vol- untered to meet the difficulty. Accordingly she stepped aside and doffed a white cotton skirt, which she had suspended as a lamp-shade. Then she caused it to be expanded by means of a twig bent in a circular form-a suggestion of hoops, which had not been thought of in that early day. Then, for the light, she scooped out a large turnip, which she filled with lard. She then twisted a wick of cotton, and rubbing it in the lard set fire to it after it had been suspended inside of the first hooped-skirt and lamp-shade ever used in Illinois. By this light Jesse Walker was able to preach that evening. The preachers present were Walker, Biggs, and Charles Mathew, exhorting and preaching alternately.
The following Spring another was held by brother Walker. The ground was selected in the following manner: One day while brother Walker was looking for a suitable place for holding the meeting, he came to where a tree had been torn down by lightning. Here, thought he, is a visible display of God's power; and why not select this, as we may have &
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display of his mighty power for the salvation of souls ? and, as if inspiration rested on him for a moment, said, in a very impressive manner, "Here it shall be."
The usual preparations were soon made, log-pens thrown up and covered with clap-boards, conven- iencies for fifty families. These tents or pens encir- cled a large space of ground, leaving only passage- ways out into the open forest. On Friday morning the meeting commenced, by the sounding of a horn as a signal to rise; then, at the second sounding, they were to assemble at the altar for prayer before breakfast. Having assembled, a hymn was first lined and then sung. Those assembled on this morn- ing were very despondent, as the presiding elder, William M'Kendree, had not yet arrived. While they were yet singing, all of a sudden they heard at a distance the sound of voices as if joining in singing one of the sweet songs of Zion. They were wel- come sounds as they came rolling on through the forest, and attracted the attention of all at the altar. And as they drew nearer, we caught the inspiration of the song, in which they were pouring out their voices, and joined in the melody. It was our elder, in company with a number of preachers; and the song or hymn was continued amidst hearty hand- shakings, tears and smiles, and shouting of hosannas, which continued fifteen or twenty minutes before the preachers could get off their horses. Soon breakfast was served up, and all thereafter were at the stand ready for worship.
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William M'Kendree preached, and the work of the Lord commenced with great earnestness and zeal. Those who accompanied the presiding elder were Abbot Goddard, James Quinn, Rev. Killybrew, Thomas Lathley, and Charles Matheny. The meet- ing continued till Monday ; great power was manifest, and many were brought into the kingdom, by the blood of sprinkling. One week after, another was held a few miles south of the present Edwardsville. The first camp-ground was called Shiloh; the second, Bethel, and the third, Eunice. Col. Shelby, of Ken- tucky, who was a warm personal friend of brother Walker, attended some of these meetings in com- pany with the elder.
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CHAPTER XV.
I SHALL devote the present chapter to statistics and reminiscences of the progress of Methodism in the Fox River locality.
In 1835 .William Royal was appointed to Fox River mission, his associate being Samuel Pillsbury ; Wilder B. Mack was presiding elder. Brother Royal formed, as well as traveled, this extensive and most laborious circuit. I give the preaching-places and the classes and class-leaders, so far as I have in- formation :
1. Commencing at Millbrook, on the Fox River; a small class.
2. At brother Wells's, six miles south of Yorkville.
3. Daniel Pearce's, near Oswego; a small class.
4. Samuel M'Carty's, near Aurora; established in 1835.
5. Brother Hammer's, north-east of St. Charles; a small class.
6. Rev. Charles Geary's, six miles north of Na- perville.
7. At Salt Creek; no class.
. 8. At Elk Grove, class formed in 1836; members' names: Rev. Caleph Lamb and wife, Seth Peck and wife, S. Wheeler (leader) and wife.
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9. Wheeling-class-leader, brother Wissencroff; members, his wife, sister Filkins, and a few others.
10. Plum Grove; no class.
11. Alexander's; no class.
12. Father Noble's, on north branch of Chicago River; a small class.
13. Libertyville; a small class under brother Brooks.
14. Ladd's, near the State line, north.
15. Marsh's Grove; brother Russell's.
16. M'Lain's, at Deer Grove.
17. Dundee; a small class.
18. Crystal Lake.
19. Virginia.
20. Pleasant Grove; a class.
21. Marengo.
22. At Mason's, two miles below Belvidere.
23. Brother Enoch's, two miles north-east of Rockford.
24. At the mouth of the Kishwalky.
25. At brother Lee's; a class of six.
26. At Judge Daniel's; a small class under brother White.
At the request of the presiding elder I assisted brother Royal in holding his fourth quarterly meet- ing at the last-named place; the first ever held near Sycamore, or that far north. This was in 1836. About one hundred were present on the Sabbath. The meeting was very successful, and from that time the work has gone steadily on. Each success-
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ive minister has had new zeal and new success, 80 that Methodism is now the leading denomination in that section. Monday morning, on our return to Millcreek, brother Royal had two appointments- one at Squaw Grove, the 27th, on his round. From here we went on immediately to Samanauk, the 28th preaching-place on the four weeks' circuit, re- quiring preaching every day. I preached here after having ridden thirty miles on Monday, at brother Hough's, the class-leader's, and after preaching four times at the quarterly meeting.
In 1837 W. Clark was appointed to Du Page cir- cuit, which was a part of Fox River mission. That Fall, brother Wilcox formed the first class in Au- rora. He preached at first in Samuel M'Carty's house; afterward in a small school-house. The first class consisted of brother M'Carty and his sister, now sister Hill, and a few others. The first church edifice in Aurora was built in 1843, the member- ship numbering from thirty to forty. The Board of Trustees consisted of brother M'Carty, C. H. Goodwin, P. Brown, C. E. Goodwin, and John Gib- son. The building was enlarged by the addition of twenty feet in 1852. Brother Wilcox was a fine preacher, an excellent pastor, very punctual in all his duties. In 1838 he was returned, William Gaddis being his assistant. He formed the first class in Plum Grove, consisting of brother Smith and wife, Joseph Smith and wife, and Seth Peck and wife.
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In 1839 William Kimball and William Gaddis were the preachers, John Clark presiding elder. In 1840 William Kimball returned to Du Page cir- cuit, John T. Mitchell presiding elder. In 1841 John Nason and Seymour Stover were the preachers, John Sinclair presiding elder. They were returned in 1842, Levi Jenks assistant preacher. In 1843 E. Springer and M. L. Noble were the preachers, S. H. Stocking presiding elder. In 1844 the name was changed to St. Charles circuit, E. Springer and Wil- liam Gaddis preachers, J. R. Goodrich presiding elder. In 1845 Solomon Stebbins and L. A. Chapin, James Mitchell presiding elder. In 1846 S. Steb- bins returned. In 1847 S. Bolles and C. Lazenby, John Chandler presiding elder. In 1848 B. Lowe and W. J. Smith, M. Bourne presiding elder. In 1849 F. Harvey, H. Minard, A. L. Risley presiding elder. In 1850 T. Hall, S. Guyer, J. Baume, L. Hitchcock presiding elder. In 1851 R. A. Blanch- ard, L. Hitchcock presiding elder. In 1852 E. H. Gammon, L. Hitchcock presiding elder. In 1853 S. Serl, S. P. Keyes presiding elder. In 1854 E. Brown, S. P. Keyes presiding elder. In 1856 Au- rora was made a station under charge of J. C. Sanford, E. H. Gammon presiding elder. This year Aurora enjoyed a gracious revival, the fruit, under God, of one of brother Sanford's most earn- est and faithful efforts.
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