Pass it on - reply if you can. ---------- From: "Linda B. Webb" <lwebb9@juno.com> To: cindyldq@midwest.net Subject: Macoupin County/Primitive Baptists Date: Fri, Sep 3, 1999, 3:28 PM Cindy Leonard (named in book on Illinois Museums and Historical Agencies) Dear Cindy, I am trying to write a history of Primitive Baptist churches in Illinois, past and present, county by county. Macoupin county was a stronghold of Baptists in pioneer days. I have some record of between a dozen or 15 churches of the Primitive Baptists which once existed there. I am going to copy (cut and paste) my chapter on Macoupin County thus far, below, in case anyone can assist us in locating more information, or correcting some of this information. I admit I need help! I am also compiling a database of Primitive Baptist members in Illinois, past and present, from the old records we have in our church library here in Carthage. I have entered about 19,000 names so far. Thank you for any help. Sincerely, Robert L. Webb The Primitive Baptist Library 416 Main Street Carthage, IL 62321 M a c o u p i n C o u n t y Macoupin County Organized Dissolved Deed Found? Records? North Fork of Macoupin 1820? No No Concord (Pleasant View), Palmyra 1829 ACTIVE No Yes Long Run 1830 No No Head of Wood River 1830 1848 (Joined Apple Creek Association after it went into modern missions) Pleasant Mount 1830 No No Hopewell, Gillespie 1831 1935 No Yes Mt. Pleasant, Medora 1832 1841 No No Honey Creek 1832 No No Mt. Olive 1833 No No Henry Creek 1835 No No Bethel Shiloh Sugar Creek Rocksprings Little Flock 1843 1851 No No Spring Creek, Hornsby 1852 1942 No No Otter Creek, Girard 1861 1966 No Yes NORTH FORK OF MACOUPIN CREEK A church was constituted "on Macaupin Creek" in 1820 by Elders David Badgley and William Jones (this may have been Providence Church - see Greene County). A Macoupin county history indicates that a church was organized very early at the home of John Powell in what is now Hilyard township, in the southern part of Macoupin County. The records of Union Church in Morgan County make mention of North Fork of Macoupin Creek Church (North Fork sent a request for help to ordain a deacon in October 1829), but records substantiating the exact date of constitution have not been found, and neither the location of the church or names of any of its members are known. CONCORD (PLEASANT VIEW) Pleasant View (formerly Concord) Church was organized June 13, 1829. Eight charter members came together, viz., Braxton Mabry, Christian Mabry, James Mabry, Maximilian Mabry, Nancy Mabry, Sally Mabry, Reuben Claringer, and Sally Claringer. Elders William Rodgers, Aaron Smith, and Thomas Lee formed the presbytery. The church was organized before the present town of Palmyra came into being; the town was surveyed and laid out in 1835 under the name of Newburg; the name was changed to Palmyra in 1855. The first building owned by the church was located about one mile south of town, according to the best information available. It was made of logs, covered with split boards (clapboard) and long poles were fastened across these to keep the wind from blowing them away. At least one other building was erected prior to the meeting house now in use. The present building was constructed between August 1924 and May 1925. It was called "Pleasant View" for several years before the church officially changed its name from Concord to Pleasant View in August 1950. This building is located about three miles southeast of Palmyra on a blacktop road. The Progressive faction still meets in the previous building, about one or two miles northwest of Pleasant View. The church passed through a season of tribulation between 1907 and 1909, when a majority of the members followed the leaders of what became the Progressive movement. Since the majority took charge of the building, those who protested their course were forced to retire to the residence of T. J. Weller. On October 9, 1909, the minority presented a letter of protest against the pastor, W. I. Dobbs, as to his manner of conducting the church. The protest was signed by S. J. Smith, Mary T. Weller, H. H. Holiday, C. A. Walk, Mary J. Conlee, Samantha Weller, and Lillie Walk. The protest was ignored, so a council was called by the minority to advise them. This council met in November 1909, and consisted of Elders John Willeford and Daniel Masters; and brethren J. R. Spires, George H. Conlee, Nathaniel Morris, L. C. Stone, Henry Sutton, Elmer Sutton, James McPeak, G. M. Rusher, Peter Coyl, and Nancy Smith. The council represented Head of Apple Creek, Otter Creek, Hopewell, Mt. Nebo, and Little Flock Churches. As stated above, the other faction went with the Progressive Primitive Baptists, and is one of only two such churches in Illinois. Concord Church was served by the following pastors in the early years: John Howerton, Isaac Conlee, Allen W. Murray, Ira Turner, John A. Conlee, and W. I. Dobbs. Pastors since 1909 have been D. M. Master, J. A. Modlin, Baxter Hale, Orvel B. Prior, and James R. Harris. Elder Harris was ordained by this church in May 1955. Deacons since 1909 have been Charles Masters (1925); Thomas Weller (1952); and Donald E. Ashby (1964). Clerks have been John Weller (1874); T. W. Conlee (1882); J. W. Weller (1895); T. J. Weller (1896); J. W. Weller (1898); W. R. Conlee (1909); Charles Masters (1913); James R. Harris (1953); Wendell Coffey (1955); and Donald Ashby (1966). LONG RUN Long Run Church HEAD OF WOOD RIVER Head of Wood River Church PLEASANT MOUNT Pleasant Mount Church HOPEWELL Hopewell Church was organized August 6, 1831, at the home of Brother Joseph Hilyard, by the following four members, viz., Elder Pleasant Lemay, Patton Walker, John Allen and Joseph Hilyard. The presbytery consisted of Elders John Morris, Alexander Conlee and William Jones, and Brother David Gimblin. Elder Lemay was chosen pastor in September 1831, and continued in that office until his death in 1845. He was followed by Elders William J. Jerrell, David Gimblin, G. W. Jones, W. I. Dobbs, A. J. Witty, and J. A. Modlin. Hopewell Church was one of the churches which organized the Concord Association in 1838. MT. PLEASANT Mt. Pleasant Church, at Medora, was organized in about 1832, and joined the Apple Creek Association. In November 1838, it was one of the founding churches of the Concord Association, Elder David Gimblin and Charles Hutton being the messengers, who reported 13 members. The church continued to meet until about 1841. HONEY CREEK Honey Creek Church MT. OLIVE Mt. Olive Church was a member of the Kaskaskia Association. HENRY CREEK Henry Creek Church BETHEL Bethel Church was one of the original churches in the Concord Association, in 1838. SHILOAH Shiloah Church was one of the original churches in the Concord Association in 1838. SUGAR CREEK Sugar Creek Church was one of the original churches in the Concord Association in 1838. LITTLE FLOCK Little Flock Church united with the Concord Association in 1843, her messengers being James Mulberry, John Stone, and Elihu Bandy, who reported a total of 8 members. The church represented in the association again in 1844, and 1845, but failed thereafter, and was dropped from the minutes in 1850 or 1851. SPRING CREEK Spring Creek Church, at Hornsby, united with the Concord Association in 1852, and reported 12 members at that time. The church continued to meet until about 1942. OTTER CREEK Otter Creek Church was organized May 18, 1861, in the town of Girard. The following Elders constituted them into a church, viz., Isaac Conlee, Charles Alsbury, and Stephen Coonrod. Names of members constituted were: Stephen Sheppard, Malinda Sheppard, F. T. V. White, Nancy White, William Metcalf, Huldah Metcalf, W. T. W. Howerton, Ali E. Howerton, David Byram, Elysa Byram, Samuel R. Boggess, Mary R. Boggess, and Rachel Sheppard. The following served the church as pastor: Elders B. B. Piper, F. T. V. White, W. Y. Wright, Edmund T. Morris, A. W. Murray, B. F. Querry, Ira Turner, John A. Conlee, Stuart Flanigan, and L. E. Sutton. Until 1883 the church held its monthly meetings in the homes of the brethren, but most of them in the home of Brother S. R. Boggess. In July 1883 the church agreed to build a meeting house, and the first meeting held there was on October 20, 1883. The church continued to meet in Girard until 1966, when it was agreed to dissolve and letter out the remaining members into the Head of Apple Creek Church in Waverly.