History of Madison County, Illinois, Illustrated, With Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent Men and Pioneers

Published By W. R. Brink & Co., Edwardsville, IL; 1882: Pages 301-302

THE BAPTIST CHURCH By Justus Bulkley, D. D.

 

 

"At the close of the Revolutionary war the entire number of Baptists in America did not exceed fifty thousand, and in all the valley of the Mississippi, there were but two small churches. The first ministers of the gospel who visited the region of Kentucky were Lewis Lunford (called in Virginia "the Wonderful Boy") and John Taylor, who made excursions to that region in 1779. The Presbyterians were the second denomination to enter the valley. Their pioneer was Rev. David Rice, who in October 1783, with his family, settled near Harrod's Station, Kentucky. In 1786 two itinerant Methodist ministers arrived in Kentucky, and laid the foundation for their numerous people. So far as I can learn, the first evangelical or Protestant minister that preached the gospel in the Illinois country, was Rev. James Smith, a Separate Baptist minister, who in the summer of 1787 visited and preached to the scattered inhabitants of what is now Monroe county. In 1790 he made a second visit to the same territory, preached, was taken prisoner by the Indians near Waterloo, carried to the Kickapoo town on the Wabash, ransomed and returned to Kentucky. In 1796 Rev. Josiah Dodge, a native of Connecticut, but a pioneer from Kentucky, visited Illinois, and baptized fours persons, who had professed conversion under Smith's preaching. One of these was James Lemen, Sr., who, with his four sons, became subsequently Baptist ministers. Rev. David Badgley in the spring of 1796 came to Illinois from Hardin county, Virginia. He baptized fifteen persons, and, aided by Joseph Chance, who was not then an ordained minister, constituted the New Design Baptist church, Monroe county, with twenty-eight members, -- the first Baptist church in Illinois. It was constituted May 28, 1796. In the spring of 1796 Badgley moved his family to Illinois, preached, enjoyed revival season, and in 1798 constituted another church in the American Bottom, with fifteen members.

 

FIRST CHURCH. --- The first Baptist church organized within the present limits of Madison county was at Wood River. It was constituted May 3, 1807, by David Badgley and William Jones. Among the constituent members were: William Jones, by letter; Elizabeth Jones, Susan Brown, William Stubblefield, Isaac Hill, Lucy Hill, Joseph Cook, Sarah Cook, John Rattan, Mary Rattan, Anne Rose, John Finley, and possibly others. July following Joseph White, James Gillham and Anne Gillham joined, by letter. In June 1809, Abel Moore, Mary Moore, James Beeman and Nancy Beeman were received by letter. In September, 1809, George Moore and Nancy Moore joined by letter. In 1808 the first Baptist Association was formed, called the "Illinois Union." It consisted of five churches, Wood River, New Design, Mississippi Bottom, Silver Creek and Richland. It had four ministers, David Badgley, William Jones, Robert Brazil and Joseph Chance, with sixty-two members. Hence Wood River church, with its pastor, was one of five churches to constitute the first Baptist Association in Illinois. In 1809 the Association held its annual meeting with this church. The first Saturday in April, 1811, letters of dismission were granted to William and Elizabeth Jones; but the first Saturday in October, 1814, they were again received by letter. The first Saturday in June, 1815, James Beeman was appointed to get plank to floor the meeting-house, and get two acres of land from Joseph Vaughn, for meeting-house, and graveyard. The first Saturday in June, 1816, Joseph Vaughn offered to sell to the church two acres of land where the meeting-house and grave yard were situated, for five dollars per acre. After consultation, the church purchased one and a half acres, and Vaughn donated a half acre and twenty rods. These pioneers were a hearty, thrifty, social generous people; their hospitality was unbounded. A common foe in the Indians by whom they were surrounded connected them very closely in their friendship, as well as united them for common defense. Their settlements were sparse. Their custom was to hold monthly meetings, beginning on Saturday and holding over the following Sabbath. Their faith was simple and their piety sincere; their preaching was largely oratory and their worship primitive and unostentatious; members were often widely scattered; their mode of travel was on horseback, and attended great danger from a prowling foe; and yet they exhibited great earnestness and punctuality in their attendance upon the stated appointments of the church. One of the members of this church, Mrs. Bates, the mother of the wife of Abel Moore, lived near Jersey Landing; another, Mrs. Askew, sister of Mr. Abel Moore, also lived near Jersey Landing, and yet both came monthly, on horseback, exposed to imminent danger, and yet with great regularity and delight, to attend the stated appointments of the church. During the war of 1812 Elder William Jones became a soldier, and was elected captain of his company. During this period he often preached in the Block House, which stood near the premises of William Gill. This church enjoyed a good degree of prosperity until about 1849, about which time its membership declined, and it was then merged into Bethlehem United Baptist Church."

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