USA > Illinois > Menard County > Past and present of Menard County, Illinois > Part 7
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
in that year he was living in Jacksonville, and went up to Grigg's Chapel, in Case county. He preached morning and evening and then went home with a friend and retired in ap- paremly perfect health. The next morning he was found cold in death. Thus closed the life of this strong, devoted, successful, but eccentric servant of God. The Methodist Episcopal churen has had a great many able, devoted and faithful ministers who have labored in this county and this great church is doing its part of the work here.
CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN.
About the year 1800 the spiritual condition of the church all over the south was very low. For malice was about all there was in the church, especially the Presbyterian church in the south. That church. being Calvinistic to the last degree, awaited the "election of grace" to do the work. instead of urging men to use their free agency in seeking the way of life. A prominent elder of the church in that day said that he sat under the ministry of an able Doctor of Divinity for twenty years, and never in all that time heard him mention the agency of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration. About this time Rev. James McGready, who had been preaching for several years, was acci- dentally aroused to a realization of his condi- tion and was powerfully converted to God. He was a man of finished education and of great natural ability and after his conversion he began to appeal to a dead and lifeless church. The result was wonderful. A great revival swept all over the south and thousands were powerfully converted. The church was di- vided into a revival and anti-revival party. The revival party could not accept the West- minster Confession of Faith, believing that it taught the doctrine of fatality. The Calvin- ists were the anti-revival party and they charged the revivaliste with being Arminian in faith. but this they most vehemently denied. claim- ing to be neither Arminian nor C'alvinist.
Out of this revival the Cumberland Presby- torian church was born. They have always claimed to occupy a clearly defined medium ground between Calvinism and Arminianism. Their first theological publication was called
the "Theological Medium." and it was set for the defense of this position, denying every one of the distinctive doctrines of cach. Whoever charges this church with being Calvinistic or Arminian does it through ignorance or preju- dice. They do not accept a single one of the five points of Calvinism. as they teach them. and they a> strongly repudiate the distinctive doctrines of Arminius. Calvin says. election from eternity : Arminius says. election at death : they say. election at conversion. C'alvin says, salvation possible to a part. and certain to the elect : Arminius says, salvation possible to all. but certain to none; they say, salvation posi- ble to all. and certain to the believer. This church was organized on the Ith day of Feb- ruary. 1810. in Tennessee. Hence it is not to be expected that it had spread very far. as early as the first settling of this county in 1819 and 1820, especially when we remember that it had its origin as far south as the south- cast part of Tennessee. It is true, however, notwithstanding this fact. that ministers of this denomination found their way here before the church was fifteen years old. The first c'um- berland Presbyterian minister to visit this part of this state was the Rev. John Mccutchen Berry. He was born in the Old Dominion March 22. 1288. llis education was limited. When twenty-two years of age he made a pro- fession of religion and joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church. He was a soldier in the war of 1512 and participated in the battle of New Orleans. The Logan Presbytery licensed him to preach in 1819, and in ts2? he was or- dained by the same body. He removed to In- diana in 1820 but returned to Tennessee for ordination. Soon after his ordination he came to Blinoi- and settled in the limits of Menard county, on Rock creek. near where the Cum- berland Presbyterian church there stands. This section of the state was then in the bound- of the Illinois Presbytery and so remained till the spring of 1529. Some years before this Mr. Berry had organized the Sugar Creek church, some ten miles south of Springfield. By order of the Cumberland -good (for the general assembly was not yet formed) the San- gamon presbytery of the Cumberland Presly- terian church was organized at Sugar creek. on
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
the 20th day of April, 1829, at the home of William Drennon. The ministers forming the presbytery were Revs. John M. Berry. Gilbert Bodde. Thomas Campbell, David Foster and John Porter, Mr. Berry being moderator, and Gilbert Dodds, clerk. Mr. Berry preached the opening sermon from Matthew xvi:15. The elders present were Joseph Dodds, from Sugar Creek church ; John Hamilton, from Bethel : and Sammel Berry, from Concord and Lebanon. Ax Mr. Berry was the first Cumberland Pres- byterian preacher in this part of the state, it is due to history and to the cause to say some- thing more of him. A> said before, his edu- cation was limited, owing to the circumstances surrounding him when he was young, but his natural gifts, in every respect, were far above the average. He was independent in his man- ner of thought. gentle and kind. but uncom- promising and unmerciful in his opposition to everything that he thought to be wrong. He was charitable in his feelings to the views of others but unyielding in his convictions un- til he was convinced by the force of argument. As a speaker. he was plain. solemn and unas- suming, making no effort at rhetorical display of dramatic effect, but possessing a command- ing presence and a voice Full of force and per- smasive attractiveness it is not surprising that he rested a wonderful power over men. Though usually full of force and logic. yet at times, when warmed and inspired by his theme, he arose almost to sublimity and at such times his appeals were almost irresistible. The method of his argument was of the clear- est and most incisive character, and when fully aroused by the importance of his subject he ser med to carry everything before him. His character and the estimate in which he was hell can be given best by relating an ancedote. or rather an incident, which occurred at an early day here. The reader is doubtless aware that the lamented Abraham Lincoln was at one time engaged in selling groceries in old Salem. A son of Rev. Berry was, for a time, & partner of Mr. Lincoln in this grocery, and it is a fact, coneeded by all, that intoxicants were sold by them, as was the case in all gro- cery stores in those times. Be this as it may. the young Berry in some way formed the habit
of drink, becoming a confirmed drunkard and dying an awful death. This was a blow from which the father never recovered, but a deep, dark shadow seemed ever after to be cast over him. It appears that while his son was in the store at Salem he strove in every way that he could to dissuade his son from a life of in- temperance, but in vain. His labors, however, were not in vain, as it seems, for the council given to the son made a lasting impression on Mr. Lincoln. Years after the close of the little grocery store at Salem, when Mr. Lincoln had reached a place of eminence in the legal profession, a certain grog-shop in a community was having its usual bad influence and a num- ber of married men were neglecting their homes and their wives. These wives, seeing no other way to remedy the evil. on a certain occasion gathered together and made a raid on the vile den. demolishing the barrels, breaking up the dlecanters and demijohns and playing havoe with things generally. For this the ladies were arrested and prosecuted. and Mr. Lincoln volunteered his services for their defense. In the midst of a most powerful argument on the evils of the use of and the traffic in intox- ieating spirits, while all the crowd in the room were intensely interested, and many bathed in tears, the speaker turned, and pointing his long, bony tinger toward where the venerable Berry happened to be standing, said: "There stands the man who, years ago, was instru- mental in convincing me of the evils of traf- ficking in and using ardent spirits. I am glad that I ever saw him. I am glad that I our heard his testimony on this terrible subject." This was a higher honor than to have been made chief magistrate of the nation. Such an encomium from such a man speaks volumes in praise of Mr. Berry's influence for good and unflinching stand for what is right.
Such is a brief sketch of this pioneer ('um- berland Presbyterian preacher in this part of Illinois. Mr. Berry died as he had lived, with his armor on. He died in Clinton, De Witt county, Ilinois, in the winter of 1856 or 185 ;. where he had lived for a mimber of years. His early co-laborers were equally carnest. de- voted and pious in their work for the Master. and Dodds. Campbell and others will ever be
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
remembered with warmest gratitude by the preached in that part of the state and organ- people of this denomination. Some of the old settlers are firm in the conviction that Lebanon congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian church was the first religion- organization in the county. but after the most careful inquiry we are convinced that Clary's Grove Baptist church has a just right to this honor. Lebanon was organized in 1821 or 1825 and Concord a year or two later. There are in the county. at this writing, seven congregations of this de- nomination, four of which have regular pas- tors.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
There is such an abundance of literature. especially in the line of history, of this church. that it is not thought necessary in this place to enter upon an extended account. In 1816. or as some say. in 1811. the Rev. fame, Me- Gready organized the Sharon congregation of that church. in White county. Ilinois. It was under the preaching of this same James Me- Grady in 1800 that the great revival began in the south, that swept all over that part of the United States, and out of which was born the Cumberland Presbyterian church. About the same time the Rev. .. F. Schenerhorn and Sam- uel J. Mills visited Kaskaskia and left a very deep impression by their zeal and fidelity, espo- cially in the family of the Governor. Ninian Edwards. At that time there was not a town of a thousand inhabitants in Indiana. Ilinois or Missouri, unless it was Madison. Vincennes or St. Louis. Sparse settlements were scattered along the east side of Illinois as far north as the Vermillion river, and on the west side as far as Quiney. All north of this was il wilderness, save here and there an Indian trad- ing post. Peoria was Fort Clark and Chicago was Fort Dearborn. In 1821 Rev. Gideon Blackburn was in the zenith of his power as a preacher of the Gospel. He passed through the state and held a camp-meeting at Shoal creek, in Band county, where there was a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and many were converted and a church was organized. Rov. Abraham Williamson. from Princeton. New Jersey, also Bev. Orrin Catlin and Daniel G. Sprague, from Andover. Massachusetts.
ized a church at C'arrollton. About 1>25, near the time that the town of Jacksonville was laid out. Rev. John Birch, a Scotchman, came to the state and began his labor- in Jacksonville. Here he organized a church. He was sneered- ed by Rev. Mr. Ellis, who laid the foundation of Illinois College. On the 30th of January. 1828, Mr. Ellis organized a church in Spring- field and named it Sangamon church. after the river and county of that name. There were nineteen went into the organization, only live of whom lived in the village of Springfield. and these five were all women. The membership Was scattered over a region of twenty miles around, several of them ( Messrs. John and John. N. Moore) lived in what is now Menard vomity. It is worthy of mention that this church was organized in the home of Mir -. Elizabeth Smith. widow of Dr. John Blair Smith, a very eminent man and once president of Hampdon and Sidney College, Virginia. The church of Edwardsville was also organized in her house. when she lived in that place in 1819. Rev. John G. Bergen, of New Jersey. was the first regular pastor of the Springfield church. On the 20th of May. 1832. Rev. John Bergen organized the North Sangamon or In- dian Point church, in the Cumberland Pres- byterien "Meeting-House." at Lebanon. with the following as members: Elijah Scott, John Stone. Andrew Moore, Sammel Moore, Aley- ander Barnett. David Walker. Milton Rayburn. Phoebe Moore. Margaret S. Moore. Stephen Stone. Ann Barneit. John N. Moore. Mary Moore, Jane Patterson, Panthy Barnett. Han- nah Baxter. Jane Rayburn. Polly Walker. Ma- tilda Walker. Elizabeth Walker, Jane Walker. Ann Walker, John Moore, Ambers Stone, Jane Scott, Eney Stone, Polly Stotts. Catharine Stone. Jane Casey. Isabella Walker, Mexander Walker and William Stotts. The same day the following were received on experience: John Allen, Henry C. Rogers. Sarah C. Rogers and Elizabeth Patterson. John Moore, JJohn N. Moore and Alexander Walker were chosen rul- ing elders. They used the Cumberland log "Meeting-House" till the Cumberlands decided to build a better house of worship, when the Presbyterians assisted in building it and occu-
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
pied it half the time till I811, when they built a very comfortable frame church, twenty-eight by thirty-six feet in size. This house they or- cupied for seventeen years, or till 1867. when the present brick church was finished and dedi- cated by Rev. John G. Bergen, D. D. Among the honored pastors and supplies who have served this church we may name Rev. Wilham K. Stewart. Rev. Thomas A. Spillman, Rov. George W. MeKinley. Rev. Samuel Foster. Rev. Alexander Ewing, Rov. John W. Little. Rev. Thomas Galt. Rev. William Perkins Rov. R. A. Criswell. Rev. R. A. Van Pelt. Rev. Jir. Reese, Rev. John Crozier, Roy. D. J. Strain. Rev. Barnabas Lyman. Rev. T. W. Loard and the Rev. H. B. Douglas. Mr. Douglas served till 1891. On the 8th of May. 1891. the Ro. D. G. Carson began his ministry here, which still continues. The most important event in the recent history of the North Sangamon church was the erection of a Mission Chapel in the town of Athens. On the 28th of March. 1892. the session of this church took the initial stop in this important work. Going about it with zeal and energy, it was no great task io build a place of worship. Athens had needed a Presbyterian house of worship for a long time. as there were a number of people of that faith who lived in the place. On the loth of July. 1893, they dedicated a very neat and commodious house of worship, costing four thousand dollars. The house was dedicated free of debt. on the date given above, the serv- ices being conducted by the Rev. W. H. Pen- hallogan. D. D., of Decatur. Il. Since the house was built they have kept up regular sery- ices. Rev. Mr. Carson preaching for them, and they have a successful Sabbath-school, with all the other services. The North Sangamon church is in a prosperous condition, the Rev. D. C. Carson, who has served them as pastor for fourteen years, being still their beloved and trusted leader, with the following officers : Robert A. Young. Mckinley Jones, John H. Kinenid. Henry M. Moore and James S. Culver constituting the session : the trustees being R Y. Kincaid. F. Il. Whitney and Lee Kincaid. No church in central Illinois runs smoother and with les- friction. It is located in the very heart of one of the finest agricultural see-
tions in central Illinois, and m a community of enterprising, intelligent and pious people it can not limit be an agency of great good The following persons who were communicants in this church, have entered the gospel minis- try: John H. Moore, D. J. Strain. John W. Little. John J. Graham. W. C. MeDougall and John Howe Moore. The last named, a young man of rare piety and promise, was called to his reward before he had completed his studies preparatory to entering the active min- istry.
THE DISCIPLES.
This body of people, known as Disciples. Christians, or Church of Christ, had its origin in western Pennsylvania. It originated thus : In the year 1809 Thomas Campbell and his son. Alexander Campbell. having become deep- ly impressed with what they regarded as the unfortunate division among professed Chris- tian people, began an effort to bring about a union of all, not intending to start a new "svet" or party. These men were natives of Scotland and having emigrated to America they settled in Virginia. They were both regularly or- dained ministers in the Presbyterian church, but after coming to America they became dis- satisfied in regard to baptism and some other subjects of Christian doctrine and after a time they united with the Baptist church. It was not long till they were regarded as unsound on the doctrine of the operation of the Holy Spirit and the work of regeneration, by the Baptists, and a great deal of disputation and controversy followed. They had arrived at the conclusion that taking the Bible alone. with- out any standard of interpretation, would unite all the churches. Quite a number of people. mostly Presbyterians, went into the enterprise with the Campbells, but soon the question of the mode and subject of baptism was monted and many forsook the new party but the ma- jority rejected infant baptism and affusion and the body became one of "immersed be- lievers," and were soon mited with the Red- stone Baptist Association. Soon after this the troubles, spoken of above, developed, and the " Disciples" became a distinct seet. Thus what was intended to unite the sects resulted in adding another to the long list of seets. About
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
three years before the beginning of the move by the Campbells in Pennsylvania, a Presby- terian minister in Kentucky had tried to bring about a union of all churches on the basis of the Bible alone. This movement was brought about and led by one Barton W. Stone, who had been a Presbyterian minister for years. Stone had collected quite a little band together and he and the Campbells met and after quite a time spent in controverting various points. they united their forces, the two forming a very considerable body of people. The follow- "'s of Stone were called "New Lights" and those of Campbell "Disciples," but for the sake of distinction many people called the one party "Stonites" and the other "Campbell- it's" but neither of these names was given in reproach, but merely to distinguish them. H is certain that the "New Lights." as they were called here, sent preachers into this part of Illinois almost as early as other denominations. As said before. Rov. House, of the Methodist Episcopal church, was the first preacher in this county and old Mr. Crow. the Regular or "Hard Shell" Baptist, was the next. As early as 1820 or 1821 a New Light preacher by the name of Henderson came to Sugar Grove, and preached in the cabin of Roland Grant but there is no evidence that he ever attempted to form a society. Not long after this Barton W. Stone himself came and preached a number of times in Clary's Grove. Stone was fol- lowed by Sidney Rigdon, who was then a New Might preacher but he afterward became a Mormon and later one of the Twelve Apostles. anl traveled all over Europe as a missionary of that church, In the year 1821 a Disciple congregation was formed in Clary's Grove and a few years later they built a log meeting- house. Some years later they built a good fame church in the Grove which served them till the village of Tallula was laid out. Ser- ing that this was to be the center of the com- munity, they sold the frame church in the Grove and about the close of the Civil war they erected the large and commodious church in the village, which they still occupy. The date of the organization in the Sugar Grove is not definitely known, but it is admitted by all that it was at a very early period. This
soon became a very strong and prosperous body and it was for many years the largest and most wealthy congregation in the county. It continued to hold this enviable position till IST when misfortune seemed to overtake it, ind in a short time it was almost annihilated. But as this story is toll in another place, we omit it here. This is a strong and active body of people, earnestly pushing their work in every direction. They have live strong churches in Menard county. each active and aggressive. keeping up all the departments of their work, and the general enterprises of the cause. They have an able and intelligent ministry, and as a denomination are very active in the work of education.
Thus we have given a brief outline of the work of the various bodies of Christian people in the county, from the beginning of the settle- ment here, and we think that in the main it is correct. Under the head of the various set- tlements will be found more of the detail of the work of particular congregations. We would have been glad to have given more of the particulars of the trials and hardships en- dured by the carly preachers. as we believe that this would have been of great value to the people of today. When our modern kid- gloved and classically educated young preachers of the present time go into a congregation. strong and rich, and receive a good salary and a pleasant home, they should know and realize the work that was done by those hardy pio- neers, in preparing this "well-feathered nost" for them. They should know that, while many of those early preachers had only the rudiments of an education and had scarcely ever heard of a theological seminary, they were better versed in the doctrines of the Bible and could preach the gospel with tenfold the power and effect that is realized at the present time. Those men received no salary; they endured hard- -hips and privations almost beyond description : they suffered and toiled without pay, because they had the matter at heart, and the gospel was like fire shut up in their bones: and like trik "Sons of Thunder" they went forth and laid this broad and deep foundation, on which we, of the present. are called to build.
PAST AND PRESENT OF MENARD COUNTY
CLARY'S GROVE.
This settlement of course includes Tallula and all that section of Menard county north of Rock creek and to the Cass county line, and on north to the Sangamon river. It includes some of the finest lands, both timber and prairie, that there is in the entire county. Every one is aware of the fact that the carly settlements were invariably made in the tim- ber. If one wished to know where the finest and largest bodies of timber were when the white man first came, all he would be required to do would be to ascertain where the first settlements were made and his question would be answered. Tallula is the only town or vil- lage in this territory and the only postoffice at the present tinw. The Jacksonville divi- sion of the Chicago & Alton railroad runs through this section from northeast to south- West and passes almost immediately over the spot where Clary built three-faced camp when he first settled there. Not withstanding Tallula community is now the very perfection of re- finement and wealth, the time was when it could justly have laid claim to the other ex- freme. Seventy-five years ago Clary's Grove was synonymous with all the mischief and der- iltry that occurred within a radius of fifty miles, and the few civilized men who had the misfortune to live there among those "border ruffians" of that remote date say they were ashamed to tell where they were from when they went to Springfield. The settlement was made up largely of the "rag tag and bob-tail" who leave the more civilized sections for their own and their country's good and seek the frontier, where they are unrestrained by law and order. and again take up their line of march as the star of empire wends its way toward the glowing west. So it was here. As civilization advanced this rough element pulled up stakes and moved to other frontier local- ities, leaving the substantial element in full possession. and thus Clary's Grove developed into one of the most quiet and respectable neighborhoods in the entire country, and to- day it is looked upon as the very paradise of Menard county. The ill name given it by the lawless deeds of the "Clary's Grove boys" is
now forgotten, or is remembered only as the last lingering memories of a hideous nightmare. But we would not have the reader suppose that we include the Clarys or other of the substantial citizens who had located there. . I- before stated. it was the rough element always found in a new country and long ago left there l'or greener fields and more congenial cline -.
The first settlement in Clary's Grove has been told so often that it seems unnecessary to repeat it here. John Clary was doubtless the first settler in the territory of what is now Menard county, but it is also beyond dispute that almost at the very time that he was locat- ing in the Grove other parties came to Sugar Grove and Indian Point timber. Clary came from Tennessee and located in the grove ever since called by his name in the year 1819. He built a three-faced camp, leaving one en- tire side open, in which he lived with his tam- ily for three years. The open side of the camp served as door, window and fireplace, as. in cold weather, they kept a huge log heap burning in front of it, which served to koop them warm, and on this fire they did their cooking. After three years Clary sold hi- claim to a Mr. Watkins and a little later Wat- kins sold out to George Spears, who improved the farm, bought other lands and lived there till the time of his death, which occurred some fifteen or twenty years back. Clary. after soll- ing his claim, removed to Arkansas but several of his children remained in Illinois and many of h's descendants are still living in this coun- ty. He was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and took part in many of the fierce battles with the "red coats" of King George. By nature a pioneer. he sought the wilds of Illi- nois and as people crowded him too close he removed to the fresher scenes of Arkansas. Thomas Watkins was from Kentucky and bought Clary out and settled there in 1820 or 1821. When he sold his claim in the grove he removed to the timber near where the city of Petersburg now stands. He reared a large family and many of his descendants are resi- dents of the county at the present time. When George Spears came to this state from Kon- tucky in 1821. he bought Watkin- out as stated above. Spears reared a large family, some of
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