USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Peoria > Peoria city and county, Illinois; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 27
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Rev. George W. Gue was appointed in 1884 and served the church three years, being succeeded in 1887 by Rev. George C. Wilding, who remained one year. By the conference of 1888 Rev. P. A. Cool was appointed to the church, and reappointed for the second year, being followed in 1890 by Rev. H. D. Clark, who served three years.
In the fall of 1893 T. W. McVety was appointed pastor and remained three years ; Rev. Nelson G. Lyons coming in 1897 and serving three years, being fol- lowed in 1900 by R. E. Buckey. Since that time the pastors have been Rev.
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R. Crewes, Rev. O. T. Dwinell, Rev. R. A. Brown and Rev. W. E Shaw, who is now serving his second year.
The church has a very fine parsonage property, located on Hamilton street between Perry and Glendale avenues. The building is a substantial brick, built about two years ago.
The report to the last annual conference gives a total membership in the church of six hundred twenty-four; in the Sunday school of forty-three officers and teachers and five hundred twenty-two scholars, including cradle roll and home department, with seventy-seven members of the Epworth League.
MADISON AVENUE CHURCHI
By the session of the Central Illinois conference which was held in the First Methodist Episcopal church in 1856, Milton L. Haney was appointed to "Peoria Mission." With the Sunday school which had been started in the old Sweden- borgian church on Jefferson street, where the "Annex" to the "Bailie" now stands, as a nucleus, Haney started in to form and organize a church. With such object in view he proceeded to collect funds, and leased a lot from William E. Robin- son, on Monroe street, near what was then called Eaton street, but now Bryan street, and in the summer of 1857 erected thereon a plain frame building. Having secured a building he proceeded to organize the Second Methodist church, with a board of trustees composed of Samuel Tart, William Goldsborough, Hugh B. McFall, William Thompson and Nelson Green. The building was quite primitive, heated by stoves, and lighted at first by lardoil lamps, which were later super- seded by camphene bracket lamps, until one of the members. John Lane, a year or two later, installed lamps in which it was attempted to burn a dark, foul smell- ing fluid, which was the first kerosene oil introduced, and so poor was it, that frequently the lights would go out and leave the place in darkness. Rev. Daniel Brestel and Rev. John Borland occasionally preached in this church.
This church building was removed in 1864 to a triangular lot at the west corner of Perry and Eaton streets which adjoined the Masonic cemetery and again removed to a site on Jefferson street, on the north corner opposite the Greeley school building. From there it was transferred to Madison street, near the present site of the Madison avenue church and is now retained as the annex to the newer building.
Among the well remembered earlier members of this church are Rev. James Hitchcock and wife; Chas. McFall, wife and daughter ; Mrs. William Hughes ; Miss Mary Hughes, her daughter, now Mrs. Dr. L. B. Martin ; Mrs. Dr. J. W. Martin ; George C. Babcock and wife and two daughters, one of whom is now Mrs. Jennie E. Stouffer, the very efficient truant officer of the school board; Mrs. Mary E. Phenix and two daughters; Judge George B. Parker and wife; Mrs. Mary Stewardson ; Father and Mother Borland, the parents of James and Robert Borland and Mrs. Janet Apple: Joseph Giles, wife and two daughters : and a little later Joseph F. Hazzard: John Schleigh and wife; Joshua S. Onstott ; Martha Stewardson; and Stephen Martin. Nelson Green and his wife, Han- nah, and Mother Sturgis, who became a noted army nurse, must not be forgotten. Of the early pastors M. L. Haney, who was appointed to the Peoria mission by the conference of 1856, was appointed to the Second church in the fall of 1857. also serving a church in South Limestone at the same time.
By the conference of 1858, R. N. Morse was appointed to this charge in Peoria and was succeeded by George R. Palmer in the fall of 1859. N. C. Lewis succeeded George R. Palmer and remained one year. By the conference of 1861 a young man named T. W. Stewart was assigned to this church, but remained but part of the year, when he raised a company and enlisted in the army, and Henry Apple was secured to supply the place and reappointed by the conference of 1862. He was succeeded by Benjamin Applebee. It was Rev. Applebee, who, recognizing the folly of continuing to pay rent for the lot on Monroe street
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went energetically to work, raised money and purchased a triangular lot on the west corner of Perry and Eaton streets, had the church building moved onto it and put in repair.
At this time the male membership of the church was greatly decimated by enlistments in the army and there were but few left; consequently the question of finances for the undertaking was quite problematical; but the pastor was equal to the solving of it. He went out among the business men and solicited funds, even going to saloon keepers, to some of whom he said: "Here, you fellows are the cause of the necessity of churches to a great extent and it is no more than right that you should help pay the expenses; I want some of your money for this work," and he usually got it. Our best information is the cost was about $1,000. Benjamin Applebee died February 22, 1897, aged nearly seventy-seven years. Rev. John Chandler, one of the staunch old time ministers of the Methodist church, whose home was in Peoria, succeeded Applebee, remaining in charge two years.
The conference of 1866 assigned Rev. P. A. Crist to this church and he was succeeded in the fall of 1867 by Rev. H. I. Brown, who is now and has for many years been a resident of this city. By the conference of 1868, no assignment was made to the Perry street church, as it was often called, but Hale Chapel being then in the course of construction, Rev. William A. Spencer was appointed to Ilale Chapel, which was as yet not organized, with instructions to fill the pulpit at the Perry street church until the organization of a church at Hale Chapel. This he did and when later his work was transferred to Hale, a supply for the Second church was found by the presiding elder.
Henry Apple was again appointed to this church by the conference of 1869. Ile was followed by Rev. W. B. Frazelle, for one year; P. A. Crist again, for one year. The latter afterwards removed to Washington City and was con- nected with the agriculture and other departments of the government for a number of years. I. M. Laney followed for one year; then P. A. Cool, who remained two years ; then George F. Merideth, who remained three years. Mere- dith was a young man, very sensational, and drew very large congregations, but lasting results for good, from his pastorate, have not been very apparent.
In 1878 Frank H. Cumming, a son of the venerable and revered Rev. Joseph S. Cumming, was assigned to this church and remained three years. He was succeeded by Rev. J. A. Riason, who remained one year and in the fall of 1882 J. W. Frizelle, the present district superintendent of the Kankakee district, was appointed pastor and remained three years. About the time of the pastorate of W. B. Frazelle, the church building was moved from the corner of Perry and Eaton streets to North Jefferson street and about the time of P. A. Cool's pastorate the building was transferred to the present location of the Madison Avenue church. Captain Wm. A. Hall, became a member of the church, and Dr. J. H. Wilkinson took a great interest in it. They were strong financial backers,
Succeeding Rev. J. W. Frizelle came Alexander Smith in the fall of 1885, remaining three years. It was Alexander Smith who took up the work of build- ing a new church and amid many discouragements and much adverse criticism pushed the project to completion, which resulted in the present building, of which the original, constructed under M. L. Haney in 1857, and known as the "church on wheels," is a part. Alexander Smith is the present district superintendent of Rock Island district.
Following Alexander Smith came C. W. Ayling in the fall of 1888; then Laughlin McLean, one year; then D. S. MeCown, two years; A. M. Lumkin in 1892 for one year. In 1893, C. W. Green supplied the church three months. About January 1, 1894, Rev. E. R. Fulkerson, a missionary, home on furlough from Japan, took charge of the church and remained five months. He was a brother of the wife of Rev. J. R. Wolf, then pastor of Hale Chapel, and it was through this connection that he came to Peoria. He returned to Japan, in the service of the board of foreign missions.
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When E. R. Fulkerson departed, Rev. D. T. Black, a local preacher, a mem- ber of Hale Chapel, and a very successful revivalist, took charge for the remain- ing four months, till the meeting of the conference of 1894. By that conference, Rev. V. Hunter Brink was appointed to Madison avenue, and then reappointed, but deciding to remove from the jurisdiction of Central Illinois conference, he only served one half of the conference year, and was followed by Rev. W. R. Watson, who remained till the conference of 1897, appointed Rev. J. A. Chapman to the charge. Chapman was a fine preacher and very popular and remained pastor of Madison Avenue church five years. After Chapman came Douglas for one year; W. J. Leach, two years; Gilbert, two years; J. B. Rutter, one year ; J. N. Brown, one year, and the present pastor Rev. W. D. Evans, for two years.
In the early days, during the revival meeting it was not considered out of place for the worshippers to shout, if they felt like it, and sometimes quite a good many felt like it, and indicated it pretty loudly, so that the rough element nicknamed them "The Ranters," but some of this same element became convinced of the error of their ways and joined these same "Ranters." So strong were the convictions sometimes that persons now living have seen some fall upon the church floor as in a trance and remain so for a long time.
The report to the last session of the Central Illinois conference shows this church to have a membership of two hundred fifty, with a Sunday school of twenty-five officers and teachers and two hundred sixty-six scholars, with an Epworth League of sixty members and with church property valued at $8,000.
MIALE CHAPEL
Asahel Hale, the founder of Hale Chapel, was born in Vermont, December 10, 1791. He and his wife, Laura, came to Peoria in 1831, and she being a Meth- odist, became a member of the class formed by Zadoc Hall, or Joel Arrington, in 1832 or 1833, while he joined the Methodist Episcopal church in 1840. He invested in a large body of land lying along the top of the bluff, practically extending from High street to Elizabeth street and from Elizabeth street along High street and North street, as they are now, to Chambers avenue. November 26, 1861, Asahel Ilale made his will, and with a wisdom and foresight quite sur- prising, he provided for the erection of a Methodist Episcopal church, in what was destined in coming years to be one of the best parts of the city of Peoria, and upon one of the most sightly locations. By his will he left one half of his estate for such purposes, and at his death which occurred March 23, 1864, there was turned over to the three trustees he had selected, $11,530.54 to carry out his wishes in this regard. The trustees whom he had selected were William Giles, Ira E. Benton and Columbus Dunham. And here again Mr. Hale displayed his wisdom and sagacity, for three more upright, conscientious and honorable men could not have been chosen. This writer was personally acquainted with all of them. They were all members of the First Methodist Episcopal church, as was also Jesse L. Knowlton, who with Laura Hale, the wife of the testator, were executor and executrix, respectively.
The moneys left for the church were partly loaned, so that not until the winter of 1867-68. did the trustees of the will decide that it was time to proceed with the building. They then consulted with Joseph F. Hazzard, junior member of the building firm of James Hazzard & Son, and he having spent some time in the office of an architect in Brooklyn, New York, as well as being a practical builder, they employed him to make plans and draw up specifications for the proposed building. In doing this he was guided and controlled by the provisions of the will; for Mr. Hale had so thoroughly digested the matter that he had pro- vided that the building should be a plain, substantial brick structure, with a basement, Sunday school and classrooms, and an audience room above, also that the church should be provided with a belfry and bell. All of these direc- tions were explicitly carried out and a very neat, substantial and commodious building, 40 by 70 feet, erected.
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At that time, Henry Grove, a very eccentric and atheistic lawyer, owned a large tract of land directly across Main street and lived there in a one-story frame cottage which remained until a few years ago, when it was removed to make way for the two very neat brick residences now occupying the site. When the drawings for the church were completed it was suggested that, as a matter of courtesy, they be taken and shown to Henry Grove, which was done. Grove looked the floor plans and elevations over, and then said: "Well, boys, I've always been opposed to putting a church on that corner, but I guess it will be a d- siglit better for old Grove's property than a saloon; go ahead."
The contract for the building was let to James Hazzard & Son in May, 1868, for $11,500. The corner stone was laid June 22, 1868, and the building was so far completed that the first service was held in the basement, November ist of that year.
Some two years previous to the organization of Hale Chapel, D. B. Allen had organized a Sunday school in an old shop on Elizabeth street between High and Main street, which had grown to a membership of about one hundred twenty- five, and this school was at once transferred to the new church, D. B. Allen, superintendent.
The building was dedicated January 15, 1869, Rev. R. M. Hatfield, then of Chicago, preaching the dedicatory sermon. The church was organized November 8, 1868. Among the first members were Daniel B. Allen and wife; Isaac Evans and wife; Joseph F. Hazzard and wife; Mrs. Mary E. Phenix and Laura E. Phenix ; Miss Mary Cooper, afterward Mrs. H. N. Frederick, Mrs. Laura Hale, J. G. Sansom and wife: H. M. Behymer and wife, and others, of whom but three, Isaac Evans and J. F. Hazzard and wife now remain.
The first board of trustees consisted of Daniel B. Allen, J. G. Sansom, R. B. Van l'etten, Joseph F. Hazzard. Isaac Evans, Jonathan Haley, and II. M. Behy- mer, members of the church ; and as the polity of the Methodist Episcopal church allowed the election of a minority of the board from non-members, Henry Grove and Augustine Greenwood were so elected. Greenwood shortly after with his wife, became a member of the church but Grove, while he would attend the official meetings and take part in the business proceedings, would never enter the church to attend a religious service, though his wife became a faithful and useful member. And withall. Grove was a very useful member of the board of trustees, and a liberal contributor to the financial necessities. At the time of the dedication, the cost of furnishings, bell, etc., over and above the building contract. necessitated the raising of some money. Previous to the commence- ment of the services. J. F. Hazzard was on the walk in front of the church, and HIenry Grove coming across the street said: "See here, young fellow, how much money is needed to pay up?" The reply was: "About eighteen hundred dollars." Grove said: "Well, you tell them up there, that old Grove thinks he ought to pay ten per cent of that." So one hundred eighty dollars was subscribed for Grove and he paid it. William Reynolds and wife were also liberal donors.
The Central Illinois conference at its session in 1868 appointed as pastor to Hale Chapel, William A. Spencer, a man who became very prominent in the church, and who would, had he lived, no doubt have been one of the bishops ere this. He was Hale Chapel's first pastor, and Hale Chapel was his first charge, and he remained three years, the full limit of time then permitted by the rules of the church. He became very popular and was greatly in demand for exchanging with other pastors of the city. Henry Grove became fond of him personally, and was a liberal contributor to his support, but not through the church treasury. Rev. Spencer was married just as he came to take charge of the church, and arriving several weeks before the building was far enough along to hold service in, he officiated at the Second Methodist Episcopal church, to which no pastor had been assigned by the conference, until Hale Chapel could be occupied. To Rev. and Mrs. Spencer a daughter was born while they were at the Hale Chapel, and was named Clarissa Hale Spencer. She is now world's general secretary of
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ASAHIEL HALE
Founder of Hale Chapel and donor of first lot for First Methodist Episcopal Church in 1837.
MRS. LAURA HALE
Wife of Asahel llale, and member of the first permanent class of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832.
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the Young Woman's Christian Association, with headquarters in London, Eng- land. She served a number of years as a missionary in Japan.
Rev. William A. Spencer's term of service ended in the fall of 1871. He afterwards transferred to the Rock River conference, served several churches in Chicago and became presiding elder of one of the districts of that conference. He finally removed to Philadelphia and became general secretary of the Church Extension Society, which position he held at the time of his death. He was a fine singer and loved to sing. "The Ninety and Nine" and "Help a Little," playing his own accompaniment. The latter hymn was his own composition.
By the conference of 1871, Rev. W. C. Knapp was appointed to Hale Chapel. which, under the administrations of William A. Spencer, had become accounted as one of the best appointments in the conference.
Quite a large number of people had come into the church, including Patrick Galbraith and family, A. J. White and wife, H. M. Summers, D. C. Holcomb and wife, Mrs. Jane Craig and her daughter, now Mrs. Eliza S. Bennett, and very many more, so that the church was in a prosperous condition. About the time the church was being completed, a bell having been purchased, many people living in that part of the city began to ask for a city clock in the belfry of Hale Chapel, and Daniel B. Allen, Patrick Galbraith and possibly another one or two soon raised the money and purchased and installed a Howard tower clock costing about $600, which was a landmark and convenience as long as the old building remained. It was during Knapp's pastorate that the parsonage was built.
Henry Grove still remained on the board of trustees, and at one of the meetings he said, "Mr. Hale's will, which I drew up, provided that if the church should want the triangular lot on the south side of the church, you should have it for four hundred dollars. Better take it; I will pay one hundred dollars on it." So the lot was purchased, and Rev. Knapp raised the means to build a six room house, which was done while he was pastor. Later another pastor came with more of a family and D. C. Holcomb added another room by raising the south wing. Still later other additions were made until it became a nine room house. Rev. Knapp remained as pastor three years. He is still living and resides at Normal, Illinois.
Rev. C. C. Knowlton was assigned to Hale Chapel in 1874 and served two years. He was followed by C. W. Ayling, two years. R. G. Pearce, one year. His health failing he was compelled to take a superannuate relation, and has been for a number of years custom officer at Rock Island, Illinois. William McPheeters succeeded R. G. Pearce and remained one year.
James Haney, son of the veteran Richard Haney was appointed in 1880 and he was succeeded in the fall of ISS1 by Rev. C. O. McCulloch, who was pastor two years. Rev. W. F. Wilson came next and was well liked by the church people. Rev. M. A. Head was appointed in 1885 and served two years.
For several years, a quartette, consisting of Walter L. Cleveland, Mary, Cleveland, his sister, William J. Steube and Emma Steube, his sister, had charge of the singing. About three years later, Walter Cleveland and W. J. Steube and wife, who had been Mary Cleveland, removed to Los Angeles, California. Mrs. Stenbe died there, and Walter L. Cleveland is a very prominent and influential member of Boyle Heights Methodist Episcopal church, Los Angeles.
Rev. Tullis succeeded Rev. Head and he and his wife were very popular, especially with the young people, a great many of the latter becoming members of the church during his pastorate, which lasted four years.
John R. Wolf succeeded A. K. Tullis, and served four years and was followed by Rev. D. N. Stafford. About a year and a half later, Stafford went to New Jersey and Rev. J. H. Batten from that conference took his place. He remained until the fall of 1899. He has since gained quite a reputation in the northwest on the lecture platform. His home now is in Grand Forks, North Dakota. His successor was Rev. A. Wirt Lowther, who at once took steps toward the pro- curement of a new church building. It was found that the lot to the south of
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the church, which had been purchased and used for parsonage purposes, could be sold and that sufficient room for the residence building could be found on the church lot, west of the church building. Consequently, the old parsonage was moved, and entirely remodelled and the lot disposed of to Dr. J. C. Roberts. The remodeling of the house cost about $1,900. In the meantime a building committee was selected which proceeded to secure plans for a new church build- ing. The contract for the erection of the same was let to Harrison Johns, of Ohio, in the spring of 1900, and gave satisfaction to all. The farewell service in the old chapel was held April 1, 1900, attended by several former pastors and many former members of the church.
HALE MEMORIAL METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The contractor for the erection of the new building purchased the old one, and at once commenced to wreck it. This accomplished, he immediately pro- ceeded with the erection of the new church building. The corner stone was laid September 20, 1900, by Bishop Ninde, assisted by Bishop Hartzell and Rev. WV. A. Spencer. Mr. Johns had the building ready for the decorative work early in the spring of 1901. The decorating (art glass work, painting and fres- coing) was done by U. C. Grooms, then a member of the church. The building was completed and dedicated June 13, 1901, Bishop Charles H. Fowler preach- ing the dedicatory sermon, J. W. Powell, of Buffalo, New York, had charge of the finances. The amount subscribed at that time was something over $11,000. The total cost of church and furnishings was about $43,000.
The pastors who have served Hale Memorial church are: A. Wirt Lowther, till the fall of 1903; Rev. A. M. Stocking, fall of 1903 to the fall of 1906; then Rev. W. B. Shoop for three years. Up until the time of Rev. Shoop's pastorate the only organ in the church was a reed organ, and in the Sunday school a piano, the gift of Mark D. Bachelder, was in use. In the second year of Rev. Shoop's pastorate he got into correspondence with the secretary of Andrew Carnegie, which resulted in the placing in the church of the very sweet-toned organ now in use, Mr. Carnegie paying one-half the net cost of the instrument, while the church membership paid the other half and also for the necessary changes in the organ loft and rostrum. The cost of the instrument was about $1,875 and the total cost about $2,200.
The present pastor, Rev. Sanford P. Archer was assigned to the church by the conference of 1909.
It was the privilege of Hale Memorial church to entertain the fifty-sixth session of the Central Illinois conference held September 6 to 11, 1911. The program and entertainment were pronounced as never excelled in the history of the conference.
The body of Asahel Hale, the founder of Hale chapel and for whom Hale church is a memorial, lies buried in a little cemetery in Kickapoo township, just above Pottstown, where he and his brother had donated land and built a little church, when they, with George G. Greenwood, operated a mill there, which is still remembered as Hale's Mill.
WESLEY CHURCH
In the summer of 1870 Jesse L. Knowlton, a merchant, whose place of busi- ness was near the corner of Water and Liberty streets, opposite where the Chicago, Rock Island and Peoria station now stands, a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church, recognizing the need for a Protestant Sunday school in the then extreme lower end of the city, purchased two lots, numbers II and 12, in block 18 of Curtenius & Griswold's subdivision, and at once erected thereon a small building.
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