Crawford County IL Archives History - Books .....Chapter VIII 1883 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 18, 2006, 12:04 am Book Title: HISTORY OF CRAWFORD AND CLARK COUNTIES, ILLINOIS CHAPTER VIII.* * By W. H. Perrin. THE COUNTY PRESS—ITS INFLUENCE IN THE COMMUNITY—NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISES OF CRAWFORD COUNTY—THE CONSTITUTION AND ARGUS—EDUCATIONAL-PIONEER SCHOOLHOUSES AND TEACHERS—ADVANTAGES OF EDUCATION—SCHOOL STATISTICS—RELIGIOUS HISTORY—EARLY PREACHERS—CHURCHES ORGANIZED, ETC., ETC. "A history which takes no account of what was said by the Press in memorable emergencies befits an earlier age than ours."—Horace Greeley. THE subjoined sketch of the Press was written for this work by George W. Harper, Esq., at our earnest solicitation. The article is an excellent one and we commend it to our readers. It is as follows: A history of a county without a chapter on the newspaper history, would be "like the play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out." There is no more faithful historian of a community than the local press; and be it ever so humble or unpretentious, it can not fail in the course of years to furnish valuable information for future reference. A file of the local paper for a dozen or more years presents a fund of information, the value of which can hardly be estimated. Some people have an idea that newspapers will lie; others are so wise that they will only believe a newspaper report when they think it would be easier for the paper to tell the truth than to tell a lie; others think it the evidence of flashing wit to reject with a derisive laugh any evidence for authority that comes from "the newspapers." To such an extent has this thoughtless judgment of the press been carried, that much of its sphere of usefulness has been circumscribed. It is true there must be some occasion for this widespread impression—"there must be some fire where there is so much smoke." Yet how many men can show a record for correctness, accuracy and truthfulness that will at once compare with the average newspaper? The editor gathers his news from a thousand sources, from acquaintances and strangers, from letters and papers. He sits and culls, hunts and details, and endeavors to get "the straight" of every story he publishes, for it goes to the world over his own name, and he knows that in a great measure he will be held responsible. The private individual hears a piece of gossip, listens carelessly to another with equal carelessness, and if called upon for details, in nine cases out of ten can not give enough of them to make an intelligent item for a newspaper. "Writing makes an exact man," says Lord Bacon. The newspaper verifies the truth of the statement. Let any one who doubts this sit down and put on paper some piece of gossip, with the purpose of having it printed over his own signature, and he will see in a moment how little he knows about a matter he thought himself familiar with. He will then wonder not that the newspaper should contain occasional inaccuracies and misstatements, but that it contains so few. And his wonder will wonderfully increase when he remembers that the editor has to depend for so much of what he publishes on the common run of mankind. An eminent divine has truly said, "the local paper is not only a business guide, but it is a pulpit of morals; it is a kind of public rostrum where the affairs of state are considered; it is a supervisor of streets and roads; it is a rewarder of merit; it is a social friend, a promoter of friendship and good will. Even the so-called small matters of a village or incorporate town are only small to those whose hearts are too full of personal pomposity." It is very important if some school boy or school girl reads a good essay, or speaks well a piece, or sings well a song, or stands high in the class-room, that kind mention should be made publicly of such success, for more young minds are injured for want of cheering words, than are made vain by an excess of such praise. In the local papers, the marriage bell tolls more solemnly than in the great city dailies. The rush and noise of the metropolis take away the joy from items about marriages, and detract from the solemnity of the recorded death; but when the local paper records a marriage between two favorites of society, all the readers see the happiness of the event; and equally when the columns of such a home paper tell us that some great or humble person has gone from the world, we read with tears, for he was our neighbor and friend. The Wabash Sentinel.—The pioneer paper of Crawford County was the Wabash Sentinel. It was established at Hutsonville, in 1852, by George W. Cutler, a printer who came from Evansville, Indiana, bringing his press and material from that place. The paper was independent in politics. Its publication was continued by Mr. Cutler something over a year, when the material and good-will were transferred to Ethelbert Callahan, then a pedagogue of the village, now one of the leading attorneys of Southeastern Illinois, and a prominent Republican politician of the State. Under Mr. Callahan's administration the name of the paper was changed to the Journal, and its publication was continued for something over a year, when the material was sold and removed to Marshall, Clark County. The Ruralist.—This was the next newspaper venture, and was established in Palestine, in 1856, by Samuel R. Jones, a native Virginian, who had been brought up by Alexander Campbell, the eminent minister of the gospel and expounder of the doctrine and faith of the religious denomination known as Disciples or Christians. The Muralist, like its predecessors, was independent in politics. Jones was rather an eccentric man, with numerous professions, combining those of a preacher, lawyer and doctor, with that of editor and publisher. He was imbued with the spirit of "Reform" in almost everything, and was disposed to make the paper a special advocate of his own peculiar notions and isms. In December, 1856, George W. Harper, a printer boy of some eighteen years, came from Richmond, Indiana, and was employed by Jones to take mechanical charge of the Muralist, and as he had "so many irons in the fire," he soon virtually surrendered all charge of the paper into Harper's hands, who endeavored to make it more of a literary and local paper than it had been previously. Its publication was continued until October, 1857, when it was suspended, and Dr. Jones removed to Wooster, Ohio, to take pastoral charge of the Christian church there. He remained about a year, and just prior to the breaking out of the late war, he removed to Mississippi. After the close of the war himself and son published for a short time a religious paper at Garner, Hinds County, that State. He is now located at Jackson, Miss., and although over seventy years of age is still actively engaged in the ministry. The Crawford Banner.—This paper was started at Hutsonville in July, 1857, by W. F. Rubottom, who came from Grayville, -this State, and was published by him as an independent paper until October of the following year. Mr. Rubottom commenced the practice of medicine when he retired from the publication of the Banner, and afterwerd [sic] went West. The Robinson Gazette.—The Gazette was the first paper published in Robinson. After the suspension of the Ruralist, the material was leased to G. W. Harper, moved to Robinson, and the first issue of the Gazette made its appearance December 12, 1857. This was the first political paper issued in the county. Mr. Harper, the editor, although not a voter, taking strong ground in favor of the principles of the Douglas wing of the Democratic party. The pulicaticn of the Gazette was continued by Mr. Harper until the expiration of his lease in 1858, when the paper was suspended, and the material passed into the hands of O. H. Bristol & Co., to whom it had been mortgaged by Dr. Jones to secure the payment of a debt. Harper then purchased the Banner at Hutsonville, and removed it to Palestine, where he continued its publication for a year as a Democratic paper. In July, 1859, while publishing the Banner, its editor took the "Wabash shakes," and did not succeed in getting rid of them until the October following. The paper had a somewhat sickly existence also, and suspended publication in November. The Yellow Jacket.—Such was the "blistering" name -given to a paper started at Palestine in December, 1859, by Dr. A. Malone and E. Logan, on the ruins of the defunct Banner. Dr. Malone withdrew from the paper in a few months, and left Logan in sole charge, who continued its publication for about three years. The paper was Republican in politics, and in the campaign of 1860 contained sharp and spicy editorials, which made it quite well known in this part of the State. The Crawford County Bulletin.—As the Yellow Jacket was the only paper in the county, the Democrats were not well pleased with its sharp thrusts and cutting sarcasm; especially so, Hon. J. C. Allen, the Democratic nominee for Governor of the State, then residing in Palestine. He therefore purchased the material at Robinson, and Horace P. Mumford, then connected with a paper at Greenup, but recently from Kenton, Ohio, was placed in charge, and in July, 1860, commenced the publication of the Crawford County Bulletin, at Robinson, as a Democratic paper. The paper was very ably edited, and was during the campaign a fearless and outspoken advocate of its party principles. When the war broke out the editor was one of those patriotic men who wanted "country first and party afterward," and hence took a decided stand in favor of the prosecution of the war for the preservation of the Union. He assisted in recruiting three or four infantry companies in this county, and in September, 1861, he raised a company for the Fifth Illinois Cavalry, of which he was commissioned captain. He was afterward promoted to be major of the same regiment. He made a gallant and dashing cavalry officer, being quite frequently mentioned and commended in reports of his superior officers for his bravery and daring in battle, skirmish and raid. In October, 1864, having been nominated by the Union party of this Senatorial district for State Senator he obtained leave of absence for thirty days from his regiment, then stationed at Vicksburg, and left for home. He was first to report at Springfield. Arriving there he was taken with a severe spell of dysentery, and died in two or three days, aged twenty-three years. The publication of the Bulletin was continued a short time after Mumford went into the army, by his brother, W. D. Mumford, and N. T. Adams, two young printers. Young Mumford withdrew in the summer of 1862, and left Adams in charge. After continuing the publication alone for a few weeks Adams also abandoned the paper, and it was suspended. The Monitor.—The publication of the Yellow Jacket, at Palestine, having been suspended, Mr. Logan now got hold of the Bulletin material and started the Monitor, at Robinson, which had a rather lively six months' existence, when it "joined the grand army gone before." The Bulletin was again resurrected by Charles Whaley, a printer from Terre Haute, and had a very sickly existence of "half sheets" and "doubled ads" for some six months, when it too "turned its toes to the daisies." The Constitution.—This paper was established in October, 1863, by John Talbot, who purchased the Bulletin material. He continued as editor and publisher of the paper for some three years, during which time the Constitution was conceded to be the ablest edited, most fearless and outspoken Democratic paper in this section of the State. While the course of Mr. Talbot was severely criticised by the opposition press and party, he was conceded to be honest and conscientious in his views, and was a perfect gentleman in his intercourse with all. Mr. Talbot was born in Tipperary, Ireland, September 21, 1797, and died in Robinson September 22, 1874. When quite young he removed to Canada, and after remaining in that province several years he emigrated to the United States, settling in Perry County, Ohio, where he engaged in the hardware trade at Somerset. While in business there he came across Phil Sheridan, then a poor Irish boy, and took him into the store. Through Mr. Talbot's influence Sheridan obtained his appointment to West Point, and undoubtedly owes his present position to the kind offices of Mr. Talbot. Having indorsed rather heavily for friends who failed to meet their own obligations, the property of Mr. Talbot, accumulated by several years of industry and toil, was swallowed up to meet these demands, and he came to Illinois with a bare pittance. In 1867, owing to failing health, he relinquished control of the paper to his son Henry Grattan Talbot. That dread but sure disease, consumption, had already marked Henry for its victim, and he was able to give to the office and paper but little personal attention, being soon confined to his room. On the 2d day of January, 1868, he died, aged twenty-four years. The senior Talbot again assumed charge of the paper, and continued as its editor and publisher until some two years prior to his death, when he relinquished its control to his son Richard, the present senior editor and publisher. At his death the office was left by devise to his widow. Richard Talbot continued as editor and publisher until the death of his mother, when the office was purchased by himself and brother, Percy J. Talbot. The two brothers continued as joint publishers until March, 1879, when Richard sold his half interest to Thomas S. Price, present county clerk. After his election as clerk Mr. Price desired to retire from the printing business, and in March, 1880, Richard Talbot again became the senior editor and publisher of the paper. It is a good live newspaper, and the Democratic organ for this county. The Robinson Argus.—The first number of the Argus was issued December 10, 1863, by George W. Harper, the present editor and proprietor, under whose control it has been ever since, excepting a few months in 1866-67. The office was leased to Wm. Benson, a printer from Sullivan, Ind., in October, 1866, under whose management the paper suspended in about three months. On account of a severe affliction of rheumatism, from which Mr. Harper has been troubled more or less from boyhood, he sold the office after its suspension, but no satisfactory arrangements being made for resuming publication of the paper, he repurchased it in some two or three months, and its publication was resumed by W. E. Carothers, under Mr. Harper's management. This arrangement not proving satisfactory, Mr. Harper in a few months again assumed full charge of the paper as editor, publisher and proprietor, and by strict attention to business and good management, has made it rank with the best country papers of the State. The office is equipped with a fine cylinder press, and material for doing fine printing of all kinds, presenting quite a contrast to the outfit with which the paper was started, occupying then a small room with only one 10xl2-light window. The paper being of the minority party, published in a town which had less than 800 inhabitants until within the last six or seven years, enjoying none of the " official" patronage of county officers, has proved a miracle of success, and is a worthy tribute to the business enterprise and management of its proprietor. The Real Estate Advertiser.—This was a monthly publication started at Palestine in October, 1871, by Andrew E. Bristol, a real estate agent at that place. The paper was printed at the Argus office in Robinson. It was very ably edited, containing historical articles, and others calculated to advertise the fertility of the soil and business resources of the county. Mr. B. was competent to his task, and would no doubt have made a success of his undertaking. After issuing the second number of the paper, and while preparing copy for the third in his room one night, he was suddenly stricken with paralysis, and lay upon the floor helpless through the night and a greater portion of the succeeding day, before being discovered. He had suffered intensely during this time, and died in a few days afterward. The Palestine News.—The News was a little paper started at Palestine in 1874 by N. M. P. Spurgeon, a semi-mute printer, who, after publishing it some six months, removed to Hutsonville, where the publication was continued as the Hutsonville News some six months longer, when it went, too, to its last rest. The Crawford Democrat.—This was the next paper started "to fill a long-felt want," and made its appearance in Robinson in May, 1879, with Ira Lutes as editor and proprietor. Mr. Lutes had previously been engaged in mercantile business in Robinson, became dissatisfied, and thought the newspaper business his special forte. After the lapse of some five or six months he conceived the idea that this was not a proper location, and packed his material and removed to Lincoln, Kansas, where he started up again, but soon afterward sold out and went into other business. The Palestine Saturday Call.—This paper was started in July, 1880, by W. E. Carothers, a printer who had at different times been employed on the Argus. The paper was printed at the Argus office. An edition for Hutsonville, under the name of the Herald, was also issued; The Call was a spicy little local paper, started on the "three months plan." Although it had proved a financial success, its publisher chose to abandon it at the end of the first quarter, to prevent its becoming stranded on financial breakers. The Anti-Monopolist was started by "The Anti-Monopolist Publishing Co.," at Robinson, just prior to the election last fall, printed from the old material of the Hutsonville News, on the Argus press. After issuing some three or four numbers, the paper was suspended for a few weeks, when the company purchased a small establishment and resumed publication. Educational.—In the early settlement of this part of the State, there were a great many influences that worked against general education. Neighborhoods were thinly settled, money was scarce, and the people were generally poor. There were no schoolhouses, nor was there any public school fund to build schoolhouses, or even to pay teachers. Added to this was the fact that many of the early settlers were from the Southern States—a section that did not manifest as great an interest in educational matters as New England. And still another drawback was the lack of books and of teachers; besides, all persons of either sex, who had physical strength enough to labor, were compelled to take their part in the work, that of the women being as heavy and important as that of the men; and this strain upon their industry continued for years. When we consider all these facts together, we are led to wonder that the pioneers had any schools at all. As soon, however, as the settlements would at all justify such a spirit of development, schools were established in the different neighborhoods, and any vacant cabin, or stable, or other outhouse was brought into service, and made to do duty as a temple of learning. The schools were paid for by individual subscription, at the rate of about 50 or 75 cents a month per scholar. Although the people of Illinois and of Crawford County displayed such early interest in educational matters, the cause met with many difficulties, and its progress was slow in the extreme. The pioneer schoolhouses, as a general thing, were of a poor quality. In towns they were dilapidated buildings, either frame or log, and in the country they were invariably of logs. As a general thing but one style of architecture was used in building them. They were erected, not from a regular fund or subscription, but by labor given. The neighbors would gather together at some place previously agreed upon, and with ax in hand, the logs were cut, and the cabin soon erected. The roof was of broad boards, and a rude fireplace and clapboard door, a puncheon floor, and the cracks filled with "chinks," and these daubed over with mud, completed the building. The furniture was as rude and primitive as the house itself, and the books were limited in quantity and quality, and were in keeping with the house and its furnishings. But it is unnecessary to follow the description further. Those who have known only the perfect system of schools of the present can form no idea of the limited capacity of educational facilities here from fifty to seventy-five years ago. But there are, no doubt, many still living in Crawford County who can recall their experience in the pioneer schools and schoolhouses. Nothing for which the State pays money yields so large a dividend upon the cost as the revenue expended upon education. The influence of the school-room is silent, like all the great forces of the universe. The sun shines without shouting, "Behold the l'ght!" Gravitation spins the planets in their paths, and we hear the cracking of no heavy timbers and the grinding of no great iron axles. So, from the humble scene of the teacher's labors, there are shot into the heart of society the great influences that kindle its ardors for activity, which light civilization on its widening way, and which hold the dearest of humanity in its hand. The statistics are the smallest exponents of the worth of our schools. There are values that can not be expressed in dollars and cents, nor be quoted in price-currents. The governing power in every country upon the face of the globe is an educated power. The Czar of the Russias, ignorant of international law, of domestic relations, of finance, commerce and the organization of armies and navies, could never hold under the sway of his scepter, 70,000,000 of subjects. An autocrat must be intelligent and virtuous, or only waste and wretchedness and wreck can wait upon his reign. England with scrupulous care, fosters her great universities for the training of the sons of the nobility for their places in the House of Lords, in the army, navy and church. What, then, ought to be the character of citizenship in a country where every man is born a king, and sovereign heir to all the franchises and trusts of the State and Republic? An ignorant people can be governed, but only an intelligent people can govern themselves; and that is the experiment we are trying to solve in these United States. Every observing student of the biography of our representative men, has been struck with the preponderance of those who received their education in the old log school-house. They are designated "self-made men"; but the aspirations that have enabled them to mount to prominence and distinction are oftenest the product of inspirations awakened by the studies that put the key in their hands that unlocks the storehouses of knowledge. It has been quoted until it has become stale, that "a little learning is a dangerous thing"; but there has been a period in the history of every scholarly mind when its attainments were small. The superiority of communities in which learning is fostered, over those in which ignorance reigns, has been the subject of pleasing reflection to every man who appreciates the advantages of intelligence. The transforming power of a good school upon any neighborhood hitherto without one, or possessed of an indifferent one, has shown, in every case where the experiment has been tried, the happy effects ensuing, which mark the transition and the consequences that wait upon the flight of a single decade of years. In such, the children of the poor, competing with the scions of wealthy families for the rank and prizes accorded intellect, have been able to surmount the privations incident to poverty, and to find their way into a society and pursuits otherwise impossible. Thus, the rich, who would have borne themselves with a haughty disdain toward the sons and daughters of their less fortunate neighbors, have been compelled to accredit an aristocracy of intellect, and to honor with social respect those who, but for common schools, would have ever remained the subjects of a purse-proud neglect. The first school in Crawford County was taught in Palestine, as for many years that town was the Athens, not only of the county, but of this part of the State. It was of the regular pioneer type, and will be more fully described in the chapters devoted to Palestine. We find the following among the county records of the school at that place: "Know all men by these presents, that we, Joseph Kitchell, Hervey Kitchell, Asa Kitchell and Wm. Wilson, are held and firmly bound to Smith Shaw, John Cowan and Benj. Eaton, as trustees of the school at Palestine, Crawford County, Illinois Territory, and to their successors in office, in the penal sum of five hundred dollars, for which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors, etc. The condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bounden Joseph Kitchell shall make or cause to be made a good and sufficient deed for lot one, in the town of Palestine, to the trustees for the school of Palestine, for the use and benefit of a school in said town, within three years from date, then the above obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force. Witness our hands and seals, this 7th day of May, 1818;" and signed by the parties mentioned above. From this it will be seen that steps were taken very early for a school in the county's capital. As Palestine increased in wealth and in—children,—a second school-house was built, in connection with the Masonic fraternity, the upper story being used as a lodge-room, and the lower story for the school. The little school taught in Palestine more than sixty years ago, has expanded into the liberal educational facilities of the present day, and nearly a hundred schools, with thousands of children, are found within the limits of the county. In illustration of the rapid strides made by education, we give some statistics, furnished us by Mr. Moore, late assistant county commissioner of schools, as follows: Number of children under 21 years of age 8,189 " between 6 and 21 years 5,550 of graded schools in the county 1 of school-houses Brick 4 Frame 83 Log 9 Total 96 Number of males attending school 2,866 " females " " 2,709 male teachers employed 106 female " " 58 FINANCIAL. Balance on hand June 30,1881 ~ $ 7,215 27 Amount of State fund received $ 5,948 90 Special tax for school purposes. 22,015 35 Interest on township fund 1,412 47 Received from other sources 217 12 Total amount received. 29,593 84 Grand total $36,809_11 Amount paid teachers $20,741 91 For building school-houses 6,500 32 School sites and buildings 136 85 Repairs and improvements- 1,376 80 Incidental expenses 2,183 95 Total expenditures 30,939 83 Balance on hand, June 30,1882. ,869 28 Principal of township fund $22,146 48 There is one well-grounded criticism upon the schools, not only of Crawford County, but most of the counties in Southern Illinois, viz.: the small salary paid the county commissioner of schools, which is far below that in the central and northern part of the State. The small compensation allowed the commissioner, is no object to a man qualified for the position, or when held in connection with some other business, of sufficient inducement to command much of his attention. The commissioner should be paid a salary large enough to enable him to devote his entire time and attention to the schools, without being compelled to add some other calling in order to eke out a living. Better compensation would also be the means of securing a man—or a woman,—better qualified for the position, and the schools be thereby greatly benefited. Religious.—Eighteen hundred years ago the Son of Man gave the command, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." It was not intended alone for the salvation of those nations which brought tribute to Caesar, but with prophetic vision the world's great Redeemer gazed on nations then unborn, and heard the cry of those who groaned beneath the yoke of sin. Then for the redemption, He gave to his disciples the commands which, in later years, have caused His people to widely spread God's glorious truth. The solitary settlers of the western frontier rejoiced to hear the early messengers of God proclaim the "glad tidings of great joy," or wept at the story of Pilate, his pitiless crown of thorns, and the agonies of Golgotha and Calvary. The dark and gloomy forests were pierced by the light that shone from the Star of Bethlehem, and the hymns of praise to God were mingled with the sound of the pioneer's ax, as he reared his lone cabin for the shelter of his loved ones. These early ministers exposed themselves to all the dangers of the wilderness, that they might do their Master's will, and up yonder they should receive crowns bright with many jewels. They traveled on foot or on horseback, among the early settlers of Crawford County, stopping where night overtook them, and receiving the hospitalities of the cabin "without money and without price." Reverently asking the blessing of God upon all they did, their lives were simple and unostentatious, their wants few and easily satisfied; their teachings were plain and unvarnished, touched with no eloquence save that of their daily living, which was seen and known of all men. They were of different religious sects, yet no discord was ever manifested between them, but a united effort was made by them to show men the way to better things by better living, and thus, finally, to reach that best of all—a home in Heaven, that "The good old paths are good enough, The fathers walked to Heaven in them, and By following meekly where they trod, all reach The home they found." They were not only physicians for the soul's cure, but they sometimes administered to the body's ailments. They married the living and buried the dead; they christened the babe, admonished the young and warned the old; they cheered the despondent, rebuked the willful and hurled the vengeance of eternal burnings at the desperately wicked. Wherever they went they were welcome, and notice was sent around to the neighbors and a meeting was held, and all listened with rapt attention to the promises of the gospel. For years these pioneer preachers could say literally, as did the Master before them, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but they (the sons of men) had not where to lay their heads." An old minister, speaking of the establishing of churches in the frontier settlements, said: "It used to make my heart sick in the early days of my ministry to dismiss members of my charge to churches in distant regions, and have brothers, and sisters and neighbors leave us for the new settlement in the opening territories. But as I have grown older, and followed these emigrants to their new homes and have found them far more useful in church and State than they ever could have been in the regions they left behind, where others held the places of influence; as I have seen them giving a healthy and vigorous tone to society, while the separation causes a pang of sorrow, the good accomplished more than compensates for the pleasure lost." The good seed thus carried by emigrants is usually sufficient to begin the work of raising society to a higher level of civilization, and their transforming power counteracts those demoralizing influences which tend to social degeneration and disruption. These Christian influences are active in their conflicts with evil and attractive in social power; and they generally act as a nucleus around which gather the refining influences necessary to carry society onward to a state of comparative perfection. We may see by comparing the past and present, how much has been done in this respect. The progress and triumph of Christian truth, the superstructure on which society must rest, if it ever approximates perfection, is made apparent. It is thus easily to be seen that no other power than Christian truth can vitalize, expand, harmonize, direct and control the forces which underlie and build up the great fabric of society. The Baptists were the pioneers of religion in Crawford County. They were of what is denominated the "Hardshell" Baptists, and had ministers here among the first settlers. They were followed soon after by the Methodists, who built the first house of worship in the county. The first Baptist preachers were Thomas Kennedy and Daniel Parker, botb early residents of this portion of the country. Elder Newport was also an early Baptist preacher, but lived in what is now Clark County. His ministrations, however, were not confined to any particular section, but devoted to the needy in every community. Elder Daniel Parker was a zealous minister and preached almost everywhere and to everybody. He preached from Illinois to Texas and back to Illinois, and then made up a colony which he led to Texas. They made the trip by land, and every night during the journey they assembled around the camp-fire, held religious services, passing the evening in prayer and praise to the Giver of all good. Arriving in Texas the colony continued an organized society under the name of "Pilgrim Church," which name they had borne during their "sojourn in the wilderness." The Lamotte Church was organized by these plain and simple old ministers, the first church organization, perhaps, in the county. Elder Parker was a prominent man in the early history of this section of the country, and has been termed one of the ablest men ever in Crawford County. Aside from his ecclesiastical duties, he found time to mingle in temporal matters. He served as State Senator in the Third and Fourth General Assemblies, and was an active and able legislator. He was plain and unpolished—the diamond in its rough state—honest to a fault, kindly, and of the justest impulses, a noble type of a race fast passing away. Elder Thomas Kennedy was also prominent in the business affairs of the county. He was its first treasurer; was county commissioner of schools, probate judge, etc., and was thus enabled to deal out justice to either religious or profane delinquents. He was not the equal of Parker in intellect, but, nevertheless, was no ordinary man. Of Newport more will be said in the second part of this volume. The first Methodist preacher was Rev. John Dollish an. He lived in that portion of the county afterward stricken off in Lawrence, and settled there prior to 1820. Rev. Mr. Fox was the first Methodist preacher in the Palestine settlement. These were not what the world would call gifted preachers, but they were earnest and instructive, and faithful to the religion they taught. As emigrants came in and the people increased in worldly wealth, steps were taken to provide for their spiritual welfare. At first religious meetings were held in any vacant cabin, or in people's houses, but with the growth of the country religious societies were organized, and churches were built, until the silence of the landscape was broken by "-the sweet and solemn hymn Of Sabbath worshippers." The first church in the county was built at Palestine by the Methodists. A few years later the Presbyterians also erected a church there. Hebron church was built very early, and was perhaps the next in the county. Temples of worship may now be seen in every village, hamlet and neighborhood. But the churches and church organizations will receive a more extended notice in the chapters devoted to the several townships and villages. Additional Comments: Extracted From: HISTORY OF CRAWFORD AND CLARK COUNTIES, ILLINOIS. EDITED BY WILLIAM HENRY PERRIN. ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO: O. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS, LAKESIDE BUILDING. 1883. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/crawford/history/1883/historyo/chapterv5nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 36.7 Kb