USA > Illinois > Mercer County > Past and present of Mercer County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 34
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During the pastoral charge of Rev. Stephen Brink, in 1871, a very successful revival was conducted which resulted in the addition of 100 members to the church. In the following year, 1872, steps
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, SEATON
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were taken to replace the old house of worship with a more modern and imposing structure. This was dedicated by Bishop McCabe October 29th of that year, the entire cost of the building being $10,000. It was burned down in 1890 and soon afterward the present structure was erected at a cost of $7,000. The society now has a con- siderable membership, and a prosperous Sunday school with a good attendance.
A society of the United Brethren was established at Keithsburg in the winter of 1849-50, the original members being St. Clair Ross and wife, James Goldsberry and wife, Mr. Mapes and wife and a few others. A church building was commenced in 1857 and completed in 1861. Among the early pastors were Reverends Condon, Smith, Wagner, Knowles, Keller, Weaver, Bear, Toll, Watts, Stanley, Speaks, St. Clair Ross, Bugley, Godfrey, Shesler, Davis, Wolf, Pease, Spurlock, Worman and others. At one time it was a strong organiza- tion with a large membership.
A society of the Christian denomination was organized in Keiths- burg in 1856. Services had been held here for several years earlier by traveling ministers who finally organized the class. Rev. Mr. Davidson of Monmouth supplied the congregation for several years at the start. In 1866 their church was built and at this time the membership was quite large. Among the early pastors were Short- ridge, Wallace, Warren, Fisk, Royal, Walker. Their present church was built in comparatively recent years. Their church was rededi- cated in March, 1909. Levi Ender donated the lot for the church. Services were first held in the courthouse and the schoolhouse.
The Catholics held services in Keithsburg back in the '40s and the families of that faith received occasional visits from priests from Monmouth and elsewhere. Rev. Father Lorimer began to hold reg- ular services here in 1865 and was succeeded by Rev. R. P. O'Neill in 1867. In 1869 the church was built at a cost of about six thousand dollars. Rev. Father Bowles took charge of the parish in 1870. The parsonage was built in 1877-8 at a cost of $2,000. Other priests in charge at an early date were Fathers Halpin, O'Farrell, Weldon (who was the first to settle in the parish), O'Neill, McKenna, and Corley. In recent years the church has been prosperous, has in- creased in membership and has furnished the priests to organize other Catholic congregations in this and neighboring counties.
Occasional services were held in Millersburg by the Methodists, probably as early as 1838-9 by ministers from Camden Mills, now Milan, Rock Island County. This town remained a part of the Camden Mills circuit until 1855 when it was set off as the Millers-
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burg circuit and at first included Aledo which was later set off as an independent circuit. They began to have regular preaching about 1850, but did not have an organization independent of the Camden . Mills Church until 1857, after which date it was a part of the Peoria conference. Elder R. N. Morse officiated at the organization and J. W. Long was secretary. The first pastor was Rev. D. M. Falkin- burg and the first class leaders were John Ashbaugh, Jacob Wharton and James Sheriff. Services were held in the schoolhouse until 1854 when the first church building was commenced, but was blown down before it was half completed. Later, work on it was resumed and the structure was completed in 1856 under the pastorate of Rev. Watson Bell. At this time the following official board was organ- ized: Stewards, J. W. Lane, Ambrose Eddy, Joel Collins, Peter Blue, Joseph Richmond, E. C. Bartlett, W. P. Shafer; trustees, James Gibson, Jacob Wharton, Ambrose Eddy, Joseph Richmond and Philip E. Stevens ; Sunday school superintendent, Samuel Whar- ton ; class leader, J. M. Gilmore. The old church was taken down and a new one was erected and dedicated in February, 1908. The Joy M. E. Church was built in 1876, but was destroyed by fire in December, 1909. It was promptly rebuilt and was dedicated in August, 1910. The Pomeroy M. E. Church was erected in 1877. Both of these churches were built under the pastorate of Rev. J. J. Walter. The new parsonage at Joy was built in 1908. In recent years Joy has been made the head of the circuit. At present the Millersburg Church has a membership of seventy-five; Pomeroy, twenty-five; Joy, 200. The church organizations are stewards, trus- tees, Sunday school superintendent, class leader, Epworth League, Junior League, Ladies' Aid Society, W. F. M. Society and W. H. M. Society. The church has had a Sunday school since 1857.
The Presbyterians of Millersburg at first attended the meetings of that faith in the church on Pope's Creek, which had been founded and established in 1837 by Rev. John Montgomery. In fact a num- ber of them became members of that society, but withdrew as soon as a society of that denomination was established in Millersburg in 1839. Regular services were held after this date in the courthouse, but there was no class formed here until about 1843-4. Rev. John Montgomery held the services in the courthouse. In 1844, when the new and commodious schoolhouse was erected, regular services began to be held therein by the Presbyterians, and at this date the following persons were dismissed from the Pope Creek Church in order to organize a class at Millersburg : E. Gilmore, J. M. Gilmore, Henry Lee, Edward Brody, John Brody, J. T. McGinnis, J. G.
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Gilmore, A. A. Sherer, Samuel Guffy, John Kiddoo, Graham Lee, David Morrow, H. W. Thornton, Betsey King, Margaret S. Gil- more, Ann J. Taylor, Martha Lee, Mary Marsh, Mary E. Murphy, Sarah E. Lloyd, Sarah Clark, Elizabeth A. Edgar, Elizabeth Davis, Mary M. Steele, Mary Sherer, Eliza Brody, Catherine Gilmore, Tabitha W. Bay, Mary A. McGinnis, Mary Guffy, Eliza Kiddoo, Elizabeth Morrow, E. F. Thornton, Rachel T. Willits and Hannah Reed. and enough more to form a class of forty-four members. Serv- ices were held in the schoolhouse until 1854, when a building was erected at a cost of $1,600. It had a seating capacity of 300 and remained in use for many years. Among the early ministers were Revs. John Montgomery, Thomas Vail, L. V. Crittenden, A. Loomis, J. N. Jamison, William Dool, J. McBride, Joel Kennedy and W. B. Phelps. The first elders were Ephraim Gilmore, J. W. Nevius, J. T. McGinnis, J. M. Gilmore and Henry Lee. At one time the society had a membership of 140, but dismissals to other congrega- tions greatly reduced it as time passed. Forty-five members were dismissed to Peniel Church; eighteen to the Hamlet Church, and small bodies to others. A Sunday school was connected with this church as early as 1842, its organization taking place in the court- house under the auspices of the American Sunday School Union.
The Methodist Episcopal Church at Joy was organized in 1874 by Reverend Head. Irregular services were held before that date in the schoolhouse and in the brick church two miles south of the town. The first members in 1874 were J. W. Wood and wife, W. P. Zentmire and wife, Richard Edgar and wife, William Kiddoo and wife, Frank More and wife, K. H. Day and wife, Eliza Kiddoo and Augusta Mays. The first church was built in 1877 at a cost of $1,800. Among the early pastors were Reverends Head, Walters, Morey, Frizall. The new church was dedicated in 1899; it cost $10,877.71 and is one of the best in the county.
The Free Presbyterians had an early organization in the southern part of Millersburg Township, among the leading members being James, Richard, William and John Kiddoo. Rev. James S. Poage was the second pastor. Their first church, a brick structure, was erected in 1847 from brick burned by Richard Kiddoo. The first elder was James Kiddoo. The war having ended the object of their existence, the members finally united with the Methodist Church at Joy. The old church had a cemetery and a Sunday school. This old congregation under Reverend Poage was a power for great good in this community.
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The first Seventh Day Adventist Church had its origin in the Marsh Schoolhouse a few miles southwest of Aledo and was organized May 14, 1871, under the leadership of Elder R. F. Andrews, who conducted the organization services. The charter members were W. O. Dugan, A. J. Douglas, M. J. Douglas, Joseph Hughs, Eliza- beth Hughs, J. C. Middaugh, Nancy Middaugh, Kinsey Cecil, Isaiah Halsted, Reuben Greer, Thomas Greer, Minerva Greer, Jane Rupert, Mary Stiles, Henrietta Mason, Fred Mason, Samuel Mason and J. W. Ditto. The elder was Rev. J. R. Whitham; deacon, Cary Dryden; clerk and treasurer, Mary Miller. The organization of the society was not perfected until 1875. At the first organization W. O. Dugan acted as leader and J. C. Middaugh as clerk. The church building was erected in 1884. The present ( 1914) member- ship is sixty-three. The society has no regular minister. The present elders are S. I. Greer and W. A. Marsh; deacon, Howard Hoxie; treasurer, Nelson V. Marsh; clerk, Ella G. Douglas; librarian, Ella F. Marsh.
The Presbyterian congregation, known as Peniel, consisted first of forty-five members who were dismissed from the Millersburg Church in 1871. Many of them lived about four miles south of Millersburg, but had continued to attend for many years the church at that town. Previous to 1871 they had preaching for several years in Pleasant Hill Schoolhouse two miles east of Joy and sometimes attended services in the brick church a mile south of Joy. In 1871 they organized at this brick church and at the start began to raise funds with which to build a church which they completed in 1872 at a cost of $4,500. It was a frame structure and had a seating capacity of about three hundred. J. Downing donated the ground for the church and cemetery and Edwin Gilmore donated the ground for the parsonage, which was erected at a cost of $1,600. The first elders were William Miller, J. T. McGinnis, John Love and J. Downing. At one time the society had 125 members. This church is served by the Millersburg pastors. The new church building was dedicated in November, 1901. Rev. R. E. Fleming of Chicago preached the dedication sermon.
The new Presbyterian Church at Joy was dedicated in December, 1906. Present were Revs. W. G. Craig of McCormick Seminary, Chicago; Howard, Fulton, Crofts and Thornton. The cost was about seven thousand seven hundred dollars. The society was in a very prosperous condition.
The Latter Day Saints formed an organization at Millersburg in 1872. At first the class met in private residences until 1876, at which
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time they built a small house at a cost of about six hundred dollars. Among the first members were the following : W. S. Morrison, James Vernon, Eliza Vernon, Viola Vernon, Joseph Harris, J. M. Terry, Mary Terry, Hannah Terry, Margaret Brown, William Cardman, Sarah Cardman, Elizabeth Webb; Jasper, Mary, Mary E., Clara, Juliet, Adelaide and Edward Duncan; Elizabeth, Emma, Stephen, Theresa, James and Nancy Miller. Among the early ministers were Revs. J. M. Terry, J. W. Terry, E. Bryant, J. B. Harris, J. L. Terry.
Services by other faiths have been held from time to time in Millersburg, among which were the Predestinarian Baptists, Mis- sionary Baptists, etc.
Palestine Church of the United Brethren denomination was built in 1866 at a cost of $2,000 and was dedicated on August 12th of that year by the Rev. L. S. Chittenden. The membership was small at the start, but established a Sunday school and maintained preaching every alternate Sabbath. Among the pastors were Elisha Godfrey, Benjamin Wagoner, O. F. Smith, John Wagoner, A. G. Smith, O. O. Smith, A. Norman, Adam Wolff and others.
Religious services were held in the cabin of George McPherren in Ohio Grove in the '30s and were conducted by Rev. John Wallace, an Associate Reformed Presbyterian, although the McPherrens were Methodists. In 1837 Rev. John Montgomery, a missionary of the Old School Presbyterian Church, also held services in McPherren's residence : also later in the homes of William I. Nevius and Thomas Candor. The congregation in 1837 numbered about twenty persons, among whom were the McPherrens, Ashford Hardy and family, George Smith and family, Richard Rice and family, William Moore and family, and the Cabeens, Candors, Neviuses and McBrides.
An Associate Reformed Presbyterian Society was organized in Ohio Grove Township in 1842 with the following members : Eleanor Moorhead, Phebe Smith, Jane Rice, Sophia Hardy, William Moore, William McMichael, Ella McMichael, Josiah Moor, Samuel Moor, George Jay, Agnes Jay and others. Services were held in barns, houses, groves and schoolhouses at first. Rev. J. C. Porter was an early pastor; others were Reverends Cochran, Fulton, Morrow and Finley. The congregation was reorganized in 1852, at which time the membership was forty-five. This has been one of the strong and permanent churches of the county ever since. In 1853-5 a church 40 by 60 feet was erected at Sunbeam largely through the exertions of William M. Hays. During the '6os the membership at one time was 163.
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Services by the Methodists were held at the house of James McBride by Reverend Burr in the '3os in Ohio Grove. The first schoolhouse was used later. A great revival was held in McPher- ren's barn in 1844, people coming from a distance of thirty miles and camping out. The McPherrens, McBrides, Browns, Moorheads, Williames and others were members at this time. Horace Williams was class leader. George McPherren advanced the money to build the church, which was put up about 1860; it cost $1,400. It was dedicated by Elder Frank Smith. William Hanly and Elder Culles were early preachers. Soon after the dedication sixty members were secured at a great revival.
In 1848 there was a union of the Associate Reformed and Seceders churches, which afterward took the name of the United Presbyterian Church. The charter members were: George Jay, Agnes Jay, Jane Rice, Eleanor Moorhead, Phebe Smith, Sophia Hardy, William Moore, John Collins, Eleanor Collins, Ann Collins. Of this number John Collins and William Moore were elected elders. For several years the congregation held only an occasional service.
In 1852 the congregation was reorganized and two additional elders, R. M. Miller and William Hays, were elected. Rev. J. C. Porter, pastor at Cedar Creek, gave a portion of his time to this congregation. In 1853 Rev. Matthew Bigger came as supply and in April, 1854, he was installed as the first regular pastor. Other churches included in the charge were Pope Creek, Twin Grove and Millersburg.
On April 30, 1854, a meeting was held and steps were taken to erect a house of worship, ground for the same having been donated by Mr. and Mrs. William I. Nevius. The church was not com- pleted, however, until the fall of 1855. During the course of its construction the congregation worshipped in the Presbyterian Church located at Candor Cemetery, which is still standing. During the spring and summer of 1855 services were held in the uncompleted building. The pews had not yet been installed and temporary seats were made of cast off slabs, secured from a sawmill run by John H. McBride's father, the mill being located on Pope Creek.
In the year 1904 a new and commodious church building replaced the old structure, and was dedicated on the 6th of November of that year. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Dr. Thomas H. McMichael, president of Monmouth College. The church is a frame structure, built in attractive style of architecture, heated with hot air furnace and lighted by acetylene gas.
SUNBEAM METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
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The pastors who have served this congregation are: Revs. Mat- thew Bigger, 1854-60; J. H. Nash, 1861-76; D. F. Mustard, 1877-84; H. P. Ferguson, 1890-94. In the latter year he met death by being struck by lightning. The church was afterward supplied for two and a half years by J. W. Johnson. In 1898 H. B. Tyler came and remained with the congregation until 1900, his successor being H. B. Speer, who was installed as pastor in 1901.
The Methodist Church at Eliza and the Epworth Chapel at Mannon have a combined membership of 170 at the present time- 1914. The old Methodist Church near Johnson Noble's residence was vacated many years ago and the house was sold and the members joined Epworth Chapel. It was called Noble Chapel and was used part of the time by the Methodists before the church at Eliza was erected, but not afterward. At the present time the church at Man- non has by far the larger membership. Noble Chapel stands just across the road opposite Eliza Creek Cemetery and was built to accommodate people at funerals.
Religious meetings were held in Eliza Township as early as 1836 in the house of D. F. Noble and later in the residence of David Shaunce and elsewhere. In the '4os a log cabin church was built on the bluff and there the various early religious bodies met- Methodists, Baptists and Christians. Asa McMurtry and Samuel Pinkley were two ministers who visited this township early. An early camp meeting ground was soon established near the Bluff Log Church and here the whole neighborhood early assembled to worship regardless, quite often, of creeds or denominations. A Baptist class was organized here in the spring of 1866 and at first had sixty-three members.
The Antioch Baptist Church began as an organization, May 22, 1866, with sixty-three members in Duncan. Its first pastor was Rev. J. P. R. Young. The church prospered and continued to render a splendid service in this community. This church is located four miles north of Millersburg and is at the present time an active, help- ful organization with ninety-five members. It owes its existence to George Miller who lived at Sugar Grove. At first meetings were held at his house and later at Lunn's schoolhouse. It was called the Sugar Grove Church. Among the first members were John Young, James Young, L. H. Castor, B. F. Miller and Frederick Voekel. Preaching continued at the schoolhouse until 1870 when the church structure was erected at a cost of $2,300. Early ministers were H. D. Kline, John Young and Alexander Sutton. Fifty-three new mem- bers were secured by a revival conducted by J. P. R. Young near the
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close of the Civil war. Among the early members were Lewis Lan- dreth and wife, John Downing and wife, Milton Elliott and wife, James Elliott and wife, E. W. Miller and wife, B. F. Miller and wife, John Mclaughlin and wife and T. C. Lewis and wife.
A small band of Methodists living east of Hamlet held meet- ings in private houses and later schoolhouses until 1869 when they built a church house two miles east of Hamlet at a cost of $2,100. At first the society had thirty-six members. The organization of the Methodist Society at Reynolds took many members away and the society ran down greatly in membership. Among its members have been Thomas Vannatta, George Hauck, H. Ketzel, Albion Nichols, S. Honeycut and Mr. Holiday. One of the early pastors was Rev. J. Small.
The Enon Baptist Church is located in Perryton Township and was organized in 1869 with a constituent membership of thirty-four, who were dismissed from the Aledo Church for this purpose, the Aledo Church concurring heartily. Rev. William Whitehead was first pastor, with A. Patterson and M. Debordas, deacons and Wil- liam R. Burroughs, church clerk. There is now a new life rising in the community which in the future will make a strong church. They maintain a Bible school and have preaching every Sabbath afternoon by Rev. J. M. Jones, missionary pastor of the Illinois Baptist State Convention. Their church was built in 1869; Rev. John Titterington was first pastor. The building stood two and a half ยท miles east of Hamlet and in 1879 was moved to Reynolds.
The first religious services held at Sugar Grove were conducted by the Old School or Hard Shell Baptists and soon afterward the Edwards River Church was constituted in that neighborhood as a member of Spoon River Association. Joseph Jones was pastor and Abraham Miller, Jr., deacon. They had no building and therefore held services in the residences of the members and later in school- houses.
At a later date the Methodists formed a class at the house of John Miller in Sugar Grove and finally established a campground which became famous for miles around and for many years. At times all the famous Methodist ministers of the West were heard at this camp meeting ground.
The Presbyterian Church at Hamlet was organized in 1870 with a membership of thirty-two. The organizers were W. S. Dool, Thomas M. Wilson and T. R. Johnson. Services had previously been held in the schoolhouse one mile to the westward. Thirteen of the original members were dismissed from the class at Millersburg. Present at
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the organization were F. A. Sherer, moderator; William S. Dool, Daniel Kelly, W. W. Morehead, C. B. Bristol and T. R. Johnson. Later in the 'zos a frame church was built and was used many years. This society is one of the prosperous ones of the present day.
In 1871 the Perryton Presbyterian Church Society was organized in the township south of Camp Creek. It was an offshoot of the society at Hamlet. At the first meeting William Doak, Cruser Gray and J. Harris were appointed a committee to take steps to build a church. The building was located at Gingles' Corners, was a frame structure, cost about two thousand one hundred dollars and was dedicated in 1872. There were thirty members at the start. Among the first members were Frank McHard, Mrs. Jane M. McHard, Martha Blue, Sarah Doak, Mary Guffy, J. Harris, Mary J. Harris, William McHard, Sr., Mary A. Bristow.
The first Methodist Episcopal Society at Preemption was formed in the log cabin of Benjamin Clarke in 1841. Mr. Clarke was class leader. Other members were his wife, David Little and wife and Andrew and Margaret Gilmore. They were first served by the itinerant preachers of that early period. Preaching was held in this log cabin until 1846 when the services were transferred to a school- house. Here services were held until 1867 when a church build- ing was erected and Rev. Amos Morey became stated pastor. At this time David Little, John Clarke, G. T. Morey. A. N. Hickok and D. A. Clarke were trustees. The parsonage was built in 1901 in Preemption and cost $2,500. The new church was erected in 1906 at a cost of $11,000. Later heating and lighting plants have been added at a cost of about fifteen hundred dollars. The present mem- bership is 120. The Sunday school has an organization of 125; Epworth League, 51 ; Ladies' Aid Society; Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary Society, and a Junior League of thirty members.
A Protestant Episcopal Church was organized in Preemption Township in 1868-9 by Rev. J. S. Chamberlain. The church build- ing was erected on ground donated by Robert Foster on section 4. The first trustees were James Johnston, William Johnston, Thomas Armstrong and Thomas Doonan. Rev. W. T. Currie became pastor in 1872. A parish was organized in October, 1874, and was called St. John's Parish. Rev. T. M. Thorp succeeded Reverend Currie.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Matherville was organized in the fall of 1911 with an enrollment of ten members. A Sunday school and a preaching service were maintained in the public school building and a shanty until July 28, 1912, when a good substantial church building was completed at a cost of $4,500 and dedicated
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under the pastorate of Rev. F. J. Giddings. The trustees were Thomas Jackson, Henry Barr, Herman Zude, Charles Turner and Mrs. Henry Barr. The society membership is now fifty, and the Sunday school membership, 150. There is an aid society. A par- sonage has not yet been built.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church of Preemption Township came into existence gradually. The Conways, O'Days, Bremens, and others of that faith in the southern part were visited for many years by priests from Rock Island, Keithsburg and elsewhere and services were held in the cabins of the settlers. In 1875 a subscription for a church building was circulated and signed liberally by the Macks, Conways, Dooleys, Lucuses, McMannies, and others. The church was erected that year and was dedicated in September by Rev. J. P. Rowles. The church has steadily grown and now has a large mem- bership.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, Viola, was organized about the year 1855. For several years services were held in the school- house. In 1869 steps were taken toward the erection of a house of worship, during the pastoral charge of Rev. P. S. Garretson, but the church was not completed and dedicated until May 12, 1872, by Rev. M. Spurlock.
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