Chapter 21
pages
100 - 119
CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
From Mr. Beggs's Early History of the West and Northwest, page 131, I
learn that "in the year 1825, Jesse Walker formed a class of sixteen members,"
composed of the following persons, to wit, "Jesse Walker and wife; James Walker
and wife; Sister Dixon, the wife of the proprietor of Dixontown, on Rock River;
Sister Hamlin and another sister, converts that winter; William Holland and
wife; William Eads and wife; William Blanchard; Rev. Reeves McCormick, and Mary
Clark." He also speaks of a camp-meeting had about a mile above Peoria, the next
summer; and a year or two afterward of a camp-meeting on Farm Creek, three miles
east of Peoria; and he gives the names of several Methodist preachers who
officiated here, in those days. Be all this as it may, when I came to the
country, in November, 1831, these people were mostly gone, and the whole thing
seemed to have been forgotten. I never heard it mentioned. There was then no
religious society of any kind, nor a preacher of any kind, in the County of
Peoria.
Yet we occasionally had fervent preaching, by those who
felt it their duty to travel to the remotest ends of the earth in search of the
'lost sheep of the House of Israel'; and peradventure, some times, by those who
took that mode of paying their traveling bills. I remember to have heard preach,
before any church was organized here, Rev. Mr. Heath, then of St. Louis; Rev.
John St. Clair, from Ottawa or thereabouts; Rev. Joel Arrington, from I know not
where; Rev. Zadoc Hall, who, I believe, is yet alive and in Woodford county;
Rev. John Brich (an elderly English gentleman, who would have been, like
Goldsmith's country clergyman, "passing rich with forty pound a year"; and with
that would "ne'er have changed, nor wished to change, his place"; but the
trouble was, he did not get the forty pound a year, and, of necessity, had
constantly to change his place. In short, he was a good old man, who had
mistaken his calling; and, though every body else saw it at once, he never
ascertained that fact, and, having no place at which permanently to preach, he
traveled abroad, preaching in the most out-of-the-way places. It was said at the
time, but I know not whether it was true, that a drove of wolves caught him, in
the great prairie extending through Henry and Mercer counties, and eat him up;
Rev. Jonathan G. Porter, who made shoes of week-days, and preached on the
Sabbath (but what became of him I know not. He was a 'Henglishman', who sounded
an h before every vowel where there was none, but omitted every one he met
with); Rev. Flavel Bascom, Rev. Romulus Barnes, and Rev. Ozias Hale. Mr. Hale
did not preach long. It soon became manifest that he had likewise mistaken his
calling, and he withdrew from the ministry. After living a few years in great
retirement near Hale's Mill, he died, a good, but not a useful man. He was
brother to two very clever men, who were long well known here, but who are now
both dead, viz., William and Asahel Hale.
The first Christian church organized in Peoria, of
which I had any knowledge, until I saw Mr. Beggs's book a few days ago, was a
Methodist-Episcopal church. It was organized in 1833, by Rev. Mr. Heath and Rev.
Mr. St. Clair. It was organized with the following members : Jonathan G. Porter,
Samuel B. King and his wife, Mark M. Aiken, Laura Hale, Hannah Harker, and
Abigail Waters. The meetings were held in the 'old court-house', and in private
dwellings, until 1840, when a frame building was erected, on the present
church-lot, corner of Fulton and Madison streets. In 1844 fifteen feet were
added to the rear of this building, making it in all a house 43 feet long by 40
wide. In this house the society worshiped until the spring of 1849, when it was
sold to James McFadden, who removed it to the corner of Water and Harrison
streets, where it still stands, and constitutes a part of the Central Hotel. In
the mean time, the society had been building a large brick edifice, 90 feet long
by 60 feet wide, on the same lot. This they began in the summer of 1847, and got
completed in about two years. It was dedicated on the 9th of September, 1849.
Although other branches of the Methodist Church have
sprung up in the city, this one has continued to increase, and has at present
about 220 members. Rev. J. P. Brooks is the present minister, and Rev. L. B.
Kent is the presiding elder.
There is a very pretty little frame edifice, on
Chestnut street, between Adams and Jefferson streets, of which the members are
mostly, if not all, Germans, and yet are Methodists, in connection and good
standing with the great Methodist-Episcopal Church of America. This society has
only been in existence about two years. Rev. Henry Thomas is their minister.
There is a Methodist society whose place of worship for
several years was at the intersection of Perry and Eaton streets; but they have
recently removed their meeting-house from that place to the intersection of
Jefferson and Evans streets. They are in fellowship with the great
Methodist-Episcopal Church. Rev. Henry Apple is their pastor.
On the bluff, at the head of Main street, is a fine new
church, built by funds devised by Mr. Ashael Hale, called Hale Chapel. The
worshipers here I understand to be about 150, and to be in connection with the
Methodist-Episcopal Church. Rev. W. A. Spencer is their minister.
In 1852 the Germans organized a Methodist church, in
which the worship is carried on in the German language. Whether they are in
connection with the general Methodists or not I have not learned.
At the corner of Fifth and Monson streets is a small
chapel for the colored people who belong to the African Methodist-Episcopal
Church.
Since the Presbyterians have again united as a band of
brothers, the following anecdote may amuse the present generation without
hurting anyone. In 1834, the strife that ultimately split the church in twain
was brewing; and although the common people did not then, and do not now, know
what they quarreled and divided about, those who made the split did know what
they were after, and, some time before the split actually took place, were
shaping things so as to have the majority in the General Assembly when the
crisis should be upon them. There were hardly then Presbyterians enough in
Peoria for one society, much less to form two; and one society being organized,
it was known that the synod would not recognize a second. Joshua Aiken, Moses
Pettengill and Enoch Cross were Presbyterians of New-School predilections, and
they made arrangements to organize a church with such materials as would cast
their influence in favor of the New-School party, and they appointed the 21st
day of December, 1834, for that purpose; and as Romulus Barnes and Flavel Bascom
were missionary preachers agreeing with them in this matter, and were
officiating as such in Illinois, they were sent for to perform that duty. They
organized a church of eleven members, of which the three above-named gentlemen
were appointed elders. These were all New-England men.
But, while these things were transpiring, there was a
counter-current at work. Samuel Lowry was a zealous Old-School Presbyterian,
from the north of Ireland, and deemed it very important to prevent the other
party from getting the start. He found the old gentleman, Mr. Brich, of whom
notice has been taken, and on the 22d of the same month organized a church of
persons of Old-School proclivities, to wit: Samuel Lowry, Mrs. Gray, Mrs.
Taggart, John Sutherland, Nelson Buck, and perhaps two or three others.
Here was a fine prospect for an interminable
ecclesiastical litigation, between brothers Aiken and Lowry, each one
endeavoring to prevent the other's church from being recognized by the synod;
and those who were acquainted with the persistence of the parties expected
nothing less, for both of them belonged to that class of stern, old-fashioned
Christians,
"Who never knelt, but to their God to pray,
Nor even then, unless in their own way."
But
soon after this the great split in the Presbyterian Church took place, and the
Old-School branch recognized Mr. Lowry's church, and the New-School the other,
which was commonly called Mr. Pettengill's, as Mr. Aiken was much from home and
finally died, and Dr. Cross moved away.
In the summer of 1835, Rev. Isaac Keller, an Old-School
Presbyterian preacher of some ability, removed from Maryland, with his family,
to Peoria; and in the fall of the same year, Mr. Henry Schnebly, with a large
family, came from the same state. In the mean time Mrs. Lindsay, with a large
family, mostly Presbyterians, had come from Pennsylvania, and Clark D. Powell
from Virginia. These additions, being Old-School men, enabled the Old-School
party to present a bold front; and, but for internal divisions, they might have
made a strong party. The world never knew—perhaps I never knew —the real cause
of the schism. I suppose, however, the real cause was a strong disposition in
Mr. Lowry to rule whatever he was concerned with, and an equally strong
disposition on the part of Mr. Keller not to be ruled. The ostensible cause,
however, was a discovery that Lowry, who was insolvent, had taken the deed to
the church-lot in his own name. Be all that as it may, Mr. Keller, who had
preached for the society, withdrew and preached in the court-house until his
party became strong enough to build a church, which they did on Fulton street,
the same now occupied by the Jews as a synagogue. They abandoned the old
organization, and on the 31st of October, 1840, organized themselves as an
Old-School Presbyterian church, and elected as elders Mr. Henry Schnebly, Clark
D. Powell, and Joseph Batchelder. For this organization Rev. Isaac Keller
preached several years; but having settled permanently in the country, and being
somewhat advanced in life, he was succeeded by Rev. Addison Coffey, a lean, tall
man, of feeble health, whose morals and orthodoxy were never questioned. He died
in the ministry at Peoria. During his ministration the church on Fulton street
was sold to the Universalists, who afterward sold it to the Jews, by whom it is
now occupied, and during that time the present church, on the corner of Main and
Madison streets, was built. The bell and steeple have since been added.
After the death of Mr. Coffey, viz., in October, 1855,
Rev. Robert Johnston was installed as pastor to this congregation. He preached
for it until his death, which happened on the 19th of August, 1864. If I say
this man did not mistake his calling—that he was the right man in the right
place,-—I know no man who I think would be inclined to contradict me.
After Mr. Johnston's deaths Rev. J. H. Morron was
installed as parson of that church, and he occupies that position now.
When this church was organized, it was composed of 24
communicants; in 1851, of 120; but now it has a much larger number.
On the 7th of December, 1853, the Old-School
Presbyterian church was amicably divided and out of a part of its members a
church was organized called the Second Presbyterian Church of Peoria. They built
a church at the corner of Madison and Jackson streets, and obtained for their
preacher Rev. R. P. Farris. The old church, from that time forward, was called
the First Presbyterian Church of Peoria. Rev. Robert P. Farris preached for the
second church, for a time, and was succeeded by Rev. Samuel Hibben. After his
death Rev. William E. McLaren preached for it several years. After he left, Rev.
H. Y. D. Nevius was installed, and preaches for them yet. That church has now
about 185 communicants.
The Presbyterian church organized by Mr. Brich died a
natural death. The most of the members followed Mr. Keller. Messrs. Lowry,
Powell and Sutherland moved away, and all died. The church and church-lot went
to pay Mr. Lowry's debts, or for some other purpose, and were not accounted for.
In facts there had ceased to be any one to account to for them.
I stop the press to say that, since this work was
handed over to the printer, I have just received from Rev. John G. Bergen, who
was once a leader in the Presbyterian Church, a letter dated February 2d, 1870,
from which I copy the following: "There was a commission of the Synod of
Illinois, vested with synodical powers to call before them persons and papers,
of which I was chairman; and we met at Peoria (if I remember correctly) in 1842;
and we investigated and adjudged on the whole matter of the difficulty:
dissolved the church which Mr. S. Lowry claimed to have organized, and for which
he said Rev. Mr. Brich prayed, and proceeded to organize, with the power of
synod committed to us, a Presbyterian church, in due form, over which Mr. Keller
became stated supply."
This proceeding, I suppose, was gotten up by Mr.
Keller's party, to clear the record of the then defunct church which had been
organized by Messrs. Lowry and Brich, so that the organization of a church for
Mr. Keller might not seem unpresbyterial.
On Walnut street, near the corner of Walnut and Water
streets, is a church called Calvary Mission, which was gotten up mostly by the
exertions of Mr. William Reynolds. It was commenced as a Sunday school, but by
degrees was developed into a church. Christianity in general has been taught
there, more than any particular sectarian doctrine; yet the society is
substantially a Presbyterian society. It has been nurtured mostly by
Presbyterians, and William Reynolds, the principal founder, and sole elder at
its organization, is a Presbyterian, and Rev. John Weston, the pastor, is a
Presbyterian. This society was organized into a church on the 28th day of June,
1867, and already contains many members. Since the organization, Dr. J. Carey
has been added to the eldership.
Another Sunday school of this kind, mostly under the
auspices of Mr. George H. Mcllvaine, has lately developed into a church, and
Rev. George Johnson has been employed to officiate as its parson. Their place of
worship is in a small meeting-house at the corner of Green and Clay streets.
Their numbers I have not learned. The society has heretofore been called Grace
Mission but it will now probably take the name of the Fourth Presbyterian
Church. Several of the principal religious societies have established, in the
suburbs, Sunday schools of this kind, which may or may not develop into
churches.
The Presbyterian society organized by Messrs. Barnes
and Bascom increased in numbers, and in 1835 built themselves a small frame
meeting-house on Main street, 28 by 50 feet square. When this church was
organized, it consisted of but eleven members. In October, 1847, it had
increased to twenty-two members.
In 1852 this society built themselves a brick church,
on the ground of the frame one, at a cost of $8,000. This entailed upon them a
debt which lay like an incubus upon them for seven years. Finally, "on
Thanksgiving morning, November 25th, 1859, Deacon Pettengill, who held the
obligations, presented the whole amount, $4,074.07, as a freewill offering to
the church." However, before this glorious jubilee had arrived, to wit, in
October, 1855, twenty-two members withdrew from this church, and resolved
themselves into a New-School Presbyterian church, as is seen below. This church
has met many difficulties, but upon the whole its march has been Onward. It now
numbers 172 communicants.
At a time when abolitionism was very unpopular, this
was called an abolition society, and a very decided abolitionist. Rev. William
Allen, preached for them. A publication went abroad that on the 13th of
February, 1843, a meeting would be held in said church to organize an abolition
society. A counter meeting was called at the court-house to counteract that
movement. Strong resolutions were passed against the abolitionists, and a
determination expressed to suppress the meeting peaceably if they could, but
forcibly if they must. A committee of respectable citizens was appointed to
appear in the abolition meeting, and read a parcel of resolutions to them.
Although these were respectable men, they had on their side all the rabble of
the city; and when all these, with their rough looks, made their appearance, the
abolitionists thought it was no place for them, and left. With some difficulty,
the better class prevented the rabble from pulling down the house. They did not
prevent them, however, from running the preacher's buggy into the lake. The Rev.
J. A. Mack is their pastor.
Those who withdrew from Mr. Pettengill's church, and
resolved themselves into a New-School Presbyterian church built a brick house of
worship on the corner on Fulton and Monroe streets, and have kept up their
organization ever since: first as a New-School church since the union of the two
branches as the Fulton-Street Church. Rev. Mr. Hovey is their pastor.
On the third of March, 1855, a Cumberland-Presbyterian
church was organized, and they built themselves a small house of worship, on
Monson street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, and obtained for their preacher
Rev. S. T. Stewart. He has long since left, and I believe they have now no
preacher. Their number is small I believe they have disbanded, and sold their
meetinghouse to the Episcopalians, for whom Rev. John Benson preaches.
Through the zeal of a Mr. S. Glover (whose piety proved
to be not at all equal to his zeal and talents), a very respectable edifice was
built, at the corner of Madison and Liberty streets, and a respectable society
of worshipers collected there, who called themselves United Presbyterians. As I
understand it, they were seceders. They were Presbyterians in every thing,
except that they would not sing Watts's hymns, which the Presbyterians do. They
flourished for some time, but their favorite preacher fell from grace, and quit
his country for his country's good'. They were generally respectable people, and
were not responsible for their preacher's conduct; yet they seemed unable to
survive the blow. They kept up their organization for some time, but finally
sold their place of worship, and I do not know that they have now any preaching.
Their meeting-house has gone into the hands of the 'Turners'.
On the 27th day of October, 1834, a Mr. Palmer Dyer
organized an Episcopal church in Peoria, which he named St. Jude's Church.
Augustus O. Garrett was, at that time, keeping a tavern at the corner of Main
and Washington streets. Mr. Dyer put up there as a traveler or boarder, and, as
there was no house of worship in town, preached in Mr. Garrett's ball-room. He
proposed to organize a society for religious worship. There were few, if any,
Episcopalians present, but no body objected to preaching, and all were more or
less ardently in favor of it. So he organized an Episcopal church, without any
reference to the kind of religious training his audience had had, or the
religious opinions they entertained. I have not a list of the members of his
church, if he made any, but his officers were as follows: Palmer Dyer, Rector;
Edward Dickinson and Samuel C. Baldwin, Wardens; Augustus O. Garrett, Joseph C.
Frye, William Mitchell, Rudolphus Rouse, George Kellogg, P. A. Westervelt,
William Frisby, and Andrew M. Hunt, Vestrymen; William Frisby, Clerk. By those
who knew the above gentlemen this would not be considered a very 'high church';
yet it is said that Bishop Chase owed his elevation to the position of Bishop of
Illinois to this same Rev. Mr. Dyer and his St. Jude's Church, and that he
recognized it for several years as a very proper Episcopal organization; yet at
a subsequent time he ignored it, and treated it as never having existed, and
organized in its stead another, which he called St. Paul's Church. This is the
society that built the large church at the corner of Monroe and Main streets, to
which Mr. Cracraft long preached, and which now has for its rector Rev. James W.
Coe. The cornerstone was laid, with considerable ceremony, by Bishop Chase, in
1849, and the church was finished and dedicated on the 15th of September, 1850.
This society is composed of about 63 persons.
There is a house of worship on Monson street, between
Fourth and Fifth streets, called St. Paul's chapel, under the ministration of
Mr. John Benson, who is understood to be a 'high-church' Episcopalian.
The first Baptist society was organized in Peoria on
the 14th of August, 1836. Rev. Henry Headley preached for them in the
Court-House for some time. Rev. Isaac D. Newell took charge of this congregation
on the 22d of October, 1843. Several others have ministered to them since, and
some times they have been without a parson. No one, however, whom they have had
left a fairer record than Rev. H. G. Weston, who, when I last saw him, was
preaching to a large congregation in the City of New York. They built a church
while Mr. Newell was then pastor, on Hamilton street, fronting on the public
square, which they occupied for many years. Finally they sold it to one who
turned it into a billiard saloon, and in lieu thereof, for the sum of $10,000,
they bought a church, in July, 1864, which the Unitarians had built, at the
corner of Madison and Fayette streets. Then membership is between 200 and 300,
and Mr. S. A. Kingsbury, D. D., is their preacher.
Another Baptist church was organized on the 24th of
January, 1855, and for several years Rev. John Edminster was their pastor. They
built a meeting-house on Adams street, between Locust and Persimmon streets.
Rev. W. T. Green is their present pastor. To Rev. Messrs. Edminster and Weston
is mainly due the honor of establishing this church.
On the 24th of August, 1852, the 'First German Baptist
Church' was organized. They first held worship in the basement of the First
Baptist Church. They now worship in a meeting-house on the corner of Jefferson
and Elm streets, and Rev. J. Merz is their pastor.
There is a small society who glory in the name of
Christians, and are not pleased with having any other name applied to them, but
people generally call them Campbellites. As I understand it, they are Baptists,
simple and pure, but they are not held in fellowship by the others—not because
they are not as much in favor of baptism as they, but because they denounce all
creeds and confessions of faith. This society was organized on the 1st of
November, 1845; but it has not prospered, and I do not know whether they
continue their meetings. They built a house of worship on Seventh street,
between Franklin and Monson streets.
In 1847 the Roman Catholics organized a church which
they called St. Mary's Church, and they built a large house of worship at the
corner of Jefferson and Eaton streets; They have had various priests, but the
one who officiates now is Rev. John Mackin. They report about 2,000 members. In
connection with this church is a large school-house, nearly ready for the
reception of pupils, which will cost about $12,000, and be sufficient to
accommodate 500 scholars.
On the 10th of September, 1861, the Rev. Henry Doyle,
then in charge of St. Mary's Church, established an appendage to it, which he
called St. Patrick's Church. This church continued as an appendage to St. Mary's
Church until March 1st, 1868, when it became an independent church, with Rev.
Michael Hurley as priest, who continues to officiate in that capacity. He claims
fifteen hundred members. Their place of worship is in the small frame church at
the corner of High and Cedar streets.
Attached to this church, and subject to the supervision
of Father Hurley, is a common school of about two hundred pupils.
At the corner of Spencer and First streets is a
tolerably large Catholic church, in which the Rev. William Deiters is priest.
They claim 2,000 members. They are Germans, and the sermon is preached in the
German language. Attached to this church is a school kept by Sisters of Notre
Dame, who teach about 300 scholars in the German and English languages.
There is a select Catholic school, kept by the Sisters
of St. Joseph, near the intersection of Madison and Hamilton streets. They have
about 160 scholars. Although this is a sectarian school, I have been informed by
a Catholic priest that it is more patronized by Protestants than by Catholics.
The Catholics are opposed to our public schools,
because the Protestant Bibles are read in them and Protestant prayers and hymns
are used in them, and have taken the most of their children from them, and
intend to withdraw the rest as soon as they have provided sufficient
accommodations.
In 1847 there was a society of German Protestants
organized into a church, who called themselves the Evangelical Association. They
have a small church at the corner of First and State streets. Rev. F. W. Walker
is their pastor.
The German Protestants have a society called the '
Evangelical Lutheran Church', organized December 1st, 1853. Their house of
worship is on First street, between Fisher and Goodwin streets. Rev. M. J.
Tjaden is their pastor.
A place of worship called the 'German Evangelical
Lutheran Trinity Church' is located on the corner of Jefferson and Maple
streets. It was organized June 28th, 1853, by Rev. F. Boeling. The number of
communicants is 350. The present minister, who has charge of the congregation,
and who has had charge of it for nine years, is Rev. Paulus Heid. With that
church three parochial schools are connected: one located on North Madison
street; another on South Adams street; and the third near the church, on
Jefferson street.
On the 3d day of January, 1847, was organized a New
Jerusalem or Swedenborgian church. They first built a temple on Jefferson
street, immediately to the northeast of Mr. Lightner's residence, and this they
occupied for a good many years; but now they have erected a very good, though
not a large, house of worship on Hamilton, street, between Jefferson and Madison
streets. Rev. G. F. Stearns is their pastor.
A Universalist society was organised here on the 6th of
May, 1843. At first they had no house of worship but in process of time they
bought the meeting-house built by the Presbyterians, on Fulton street, but which
is now owned by the Jews. After using that for several years, they sold it, and
were for a while without a place of worship; but they have recently built upon
Main street, between Perry and Hale streets, a very fine house of worship—the
most expensive one in the city; Rev. R. H. Pullman is then pastor.
The Unitarians have not flourished in Peoria; In June,
1840, Rev. Benjamin Huntoon organized a Unitarian society here, and from his
zeal considerable results were anticipated; but he returned to New England, and
his church went down.
In January, 1855, a Unitarian church was organized
under the auspices of Rev. James R. McFarland. They had their meetings, for some
time, over Mr. Joseph Clegg's clothing-store, at No. 47 Main street; but they
soon afterward built a very comfortable house of worship at the corner of
Madison and Fayette streets, and held their meetings there for some time; but,
for some cause I can not explain, the church went down, and their house of
worship passed into the hands of the Baptists.
In 1846, Michael Ruppelius, a very good sort of a
German, organized a religious society of forty members, which he called simply
the 'Protestant Church'. This society was composed mostly, perhaps altogether,
of Germans. In 1851, Mr. Drown's Directory says he had 150 members. He preached
to them several years, in the Court-House. Finally he quit that business, and
betook himself to the business of a conveyancer, and followed that for some time
before his death. What went with his little society I never knew.
In early times there were no Jews here, or, if there
were, they were not known as such. But in process of time, as foreigners came
coming into the country, it was found that many of them were Israelites, and
they occasionally had worship to themselves on Saturday: Sunday being no holy
day with them. On the 2d of May, 1863, they were organized into a regular
religious congregation, since which time their services have been as regular as
others. The Rev. Marx Moses is the officiating pastor or priest.
Besides the above religious societies, that may be
called churches, we have a number of religious organizations that would hardly
bear that name: for instance—1st, the various mission Sunday schools above
referred to, which have not been developed into churches; 2d, the 'Peoria Bible
Society'; 3d, the 'Young Men's Christian Association'; 4th, the 'Peoria Branch
of U. S. Christian Association'; 5th, the 'German, Roman Catholic, St. Joseph's
Benevolent Association'; 6th, the 'Hibernian Benevolent Society'; 7th, the '
Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society'; 8th, the 'Peoria Ladies' Soldiers' Aid
Society'; 9th, the 'Union Relief Society'.
Besides these, we have a number of secret societies,
said to be benevolent institutions, such as the different orders and grades of
Free-Masons, Odd-Fellows, Sons of Malta, Druids, Sons of Temperance, Oriental
Order of Humility, etc., about all of which I am most profoundly ignorant. From
their exhibitions, however, on gala-days, and at funerals, some of them are
manifestly very numerous.
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Copyright © Janine Crandell
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Updated March 23, 2005