Wow, Roger. Thank you!! I am descended from Emmerts and Kreps who come from Washington Co MD and who moved to Ogle County IL. Fascinating history. Thank you. Marie Smith Peer -----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] >Sent: Sep 8, 2012 5:06 PM >To: [email protected], [email protected] >Subject: [MDWashin] The Washington Co., MD Brethren Settlement in Ogle Co., IL > >Washington County, Maryland, sent the pioneer Brethren to the "Rock >River," or "Maryland Settlement," as it was called at the first Among the first, >with some others, to come in 1836-38, were Samuel M. Hitt, whose wife >Barbara, was a member of the Brethren church, John Friedly, who purchased the >Governor Ford cabin and claim for one thousand dollars, Daniel Wolf, Solomon >Nalley. Early in the 'forties came Benjamin Swingley, William Young, >Daniel, Samuel, Jacob and John Price, Jacob Buck, Isaac Hershey, Daniel Zellers, >Daniel Moats, Daniel Long, John Stover and Jacob Long. Nearly all of these >were heads of families and brought their children with them. They settled >in the vicinities of Mount Morris, Maryland and what is now known as the Pine > Creek Church. > >In 1845-47 several families of the Brethren located at Franklin Grove, Lee >County, Illinois. Prominent among these were Joseph Emmert, Christian >Lahman, Daniel and Joshua Wingert, Levi Riddlesparger, Levi Trostle, the >Dierdorfs and others. In 1845 they organized the Rock River Church with a >membership of thirteen. >The newly organized church embraced all the territory in Lee and Ogle >Counties. Joseph Emmert was chosen as Bishop and the little band prospered and >grew. The Rock River Church now numbers over 250 and has sent out hundreds >of members to help populate the great West. Bishop Emmert at once started >the pro- ject of building a house of worship. Solicitors were appointed, an >effort to raise the money was made and $140 secured. When the solicitors >reported to the Bishop he said, "Give me the subscription paper." It was >handed to him and putting it into his pocket said, "The house shall be built." >He at once let the contract for the building and when it was completed at a >cost of $700, promptly paid the bill. Much of the labor for the building >was donated. The house has always been known as the "Emmert Meeting House." >It is located four miles west of Franklin Grove. In 1868 the National Annual > Conference of the Brethren church was held at the >"Emmert Meeting House." > >In 1846 the Brethren in Ogle County determined to organize a church and >erect a house of worship. Jacob Long was Bishop in charge and the meeting >house was built near what is now known as Maryland station. Samuel Garber >succeeded Jacob Long in the bishopric. He was accustomed to visit the Brethren >churches >in Tennessee, and on one of these visits spoke in a guarded manner against >human slavery. He was arrested, thrown into prison and heavily fined for >thus attacking what was then held to be a divine institution in the South. >The Brethren of Ogle and Lee helped pay the fine. From their first >organization in America the Brethren opposed every form of slavery and no slave owner >could toe recognized as a member of the de- >nomination without manumitting his slaves. > >In 1857 the Pine Creek Church was organized followed in 1868 by Silver >Creek, Mount Morris, and, in 1905, by the church in Polo. At the present time >the five organizations named have the following membership: Rock River, 260; > West Branch, 100 ; Pine Creek, 125 ; Mount Morris, 350 ; Polo, 70, making >a total of 905. > >Of course these figures do not include all those received into church >fellowship. Several thousand have gone out to swell the number who have taken >an active and prominent part in settling the territory west of the >Mississippi River. If a reunion of all these could be held in Ogle County now, there >would be a great mul- >titude assembled to recount their struggles, temporarily and spiritually, >in building up the Western Empire. > >The Beethben Publishing House. — In 1880 M. M. Eshleman, who had been >publishing "The Brethren at Work," a religions paper of the Dunker denomination >at Lanark, Illinois, moved the plant to Mount Morris. This, in 1884, was >purchased by Elders E. L. Miller and Joseph Amick, of that denomination, who >consolidated it with "The Primitive Christian," of Huntingdon, Pa., and >changed the name to the "Gospel >Messenger." A large and thriving business was established, and a number of >church papers, books and tracts were published. In 1896 the business was >taken over by the Brethren Church and it has since been known as the >Brethren Publishing House. In September, 1899, the plant was moved to Elgin, >Illinois. At that time the circulation of the "Gospel Messenger" was about >twenty thousand, and the sum of the year's busi- >ness approximated $125,000. Among those connected with the success of the >work in Mount Morris were Galen B. Royer, Elder J. H. Moore, Elder D. L. >Miller, Elder Joseph Amick, L. A. Plate, S. M. Eshleman. A prosperous >business has continued to be carried on by the Publishing House in its present >location. > >The Old People's Home. — The Old People's Home of the Brethren Church is >supported by the District of Northern Illinois. Elders Joseph Amick, Edmund >Forney and Melchior Newcomer were appointed by this division of the church, >a committee to incorporate and found a home for aged members of the church >and orphans. Mount Morris was selected for the location of this home, and >a tract of land containing about >thirteen acres, in the southwestern part of the village, was purchased for >this purpose. Upon this ground a brick building was at once erected at a >cost of $10,000, to which an addition has since been built costing $1,500. >The funds for the institution were donated by the different churches in the >district. An endowment fund for its maintenance was created by Jacob >Petrie, of Polo, who bequeathed his estate to the Church >for this purpose. Other bequests and sums have been added to this original >amount of $18,000, till at the present time the endowment fund amounts to >$22,900, and the addition of a valuable farm of 250 acres near Pontiac, >111., recently bequeathed for this purpose. The building is so arranged that >about thirty people can be comfortably taken care of in the home. Ornamental >trees and shrubs have been planted around the >dwelling, flowers are cultivated during the growing time of the year, and >the land has been set out largely with fruit-bearing trees and small >fruits, making a very attractive and restful place in which to spend the >declining years of life. Mr. Levi Kerns first had charge of this institution, and >was succeeded by the present Superin- >tendent, Mr. Lewis Miller. > >Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Ogle Co., IL, Horace G. >and Rebecca H. Kaufman, Munsell Publishing Co., 1909 > > >Roger Cramer >Peoria, Arizona >Roger and Sue Cramer's Genealogy Site >http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cramer/ >Ogle Co., IL Genealogy Site >http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilogle/ > > > > >********* >Visit the threaded archives of this list: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/MDWASHIN >********* > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message