History of Madison County, Illinois, Illustrated, With Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent Men and Pioneers; Published By W. R. Brink & Co., Edwardsville, IL; 1882: Page 91-92: CHARACTER OF THE EARLY SETTLERS "In territorial days the inhabitants of the county, almost without exception, were of Southern origin. Strong sectional prejudices existed, especialy toward the "Yankee," which appellation was given to every man who hailed from the Northern section of the country east of the Allegheny mountains. Before the year 1817 the only representatives of the New England states, who had visited the county were the vendors of wooden clocks and tin ware, and under these circumstances the pioneers could not, perhaps, well be blamed for their first impressions of the Yankee character. An early resident of this county states that there were three classes of society known in the territory of Illinois: First, the white man, born in a slave state, who arrogated to himself the title of the real Westerner; second, the negro, generally a slave; and third the yankee, from over the Mountains. Traces of this prejudice could be discerned for many years, but among intellingent classes the emigrant from the East soon came to be appreciated for his real worth, and recognized as among the most valuable of citizens of the county. Subsequent to 1817 the county received a large Eastern immigration, in which came individuals whose merits raised them to positions of influence, and who contributed greatly to the prosperity of the county. Especially was this the case of the Marine settlement, at Edwardsville, and later at Alton, whose rapid growth and business prosperity were almost entirely due to Eastern men. The early settlers had great respect for the religious views of others. Although their opinions on theological subjects were very decided and very dissimilar, yet a quarrel on these matters was of rare occurence. The Methodists and the Baptists were the leading denominations. The Methodists camp meetings were numerously attended, and proved influential means of increasing membership of the churches. Although most of the people drank occasionally there were fewer drunkards than might have been expected. The people of those days had a great reverence for the law. The worst characters professed to be law-abiding citizens. No man claimed, that, if he did not like the law, he had the right to set it a defiance. It is claimed that the early pioneers were more moral and free from crime than people of a later day. Thefts were of rare occurrence, and forgery, perjury, and similar crimes were seldom perpetrated. But while the higher cromes were rarely committed the lesser violations of the law were not infrequent. Assault and battery was the most common breach of the statutes. there was much sensitiveness as to personal and moral standing, and any one who considered his honor or respectability impugned would fight in a moment his assailant. On holidays and at elections and musters, boisterous and quarrelsome conduct, induced by the use of intoxicating liquors, was often witnessed. Fort Russell was a place of frequent rendezvous in early times, and riotous scenes often occurred there. It was stated by one of the earliest residents of the county (Mr. S. P. Gilham) that for some years after the first settlement of the county he seldom hear of any greater crime than getting drunk, or fighting. The first punishment of crime he recollected took place in 1819, when a negro was found guilty of stealing some coffee from a boat on the Mississippi rive, and whipped. When the population began to multifly and courts were established, men began to break the law, and were often punished by whipping at the post and confinement in the stocks. The Sabbath was often employed in hunting, fishing, getting up stock, hunting bees, shooting at marks, and horse and foot-racing. It was however, a custom to cease from ordinary labor, except from necessity, on that day, and when a farmer cut his harvest on Sunday public opinin condemned it more severely than present. There was no dancing and but little drinking on the Sabbath. In many localities there were no religious meetings. The aged people generally remained at home, and read the Bible and other books. All kinds of gaming were common. Card-playing was sustained by the best classes. At the sessions of the courts judge and lawyer would frequently spend the night together playing cards for money, though the statutes rigidly forbade such a practice. Horse-racing was one of the most popular amusements. The quarter races were the most common, and at these the most chicanery and juggling were practiced. Gov. John Reynolds speaks of having attended a horse-race, which drew crowds of people, on the 4th of July, 1087, in the American Bottom near the residence of Samuel Judy. The most celebrated and famous horse race in Illinois, in early times, was run in the upper end of the Horse-prairie, in Randolph county, in the spring of the year 1803. The two horses which ran the race were of the same size. The race was three miles and repeat, for a wager of five hundred dollars. The bye-bets and all must have amounted to a thousand dollars and more, in those days considered a very large sum. In 1806 Robert Pulliam, if Illinois, and a Mr. Musick of Missouri, made a bet of two hundred dollars on a race between two quarter horses, of a quarter of a mile, to be run on the ice in the Mississippi river, a short distance above St. Louis. The race came off, and was run without injury to either the horses or riders. Foot-racing, jumping, or wrestling were much practiced. Bets of some magnitude were made on foot-races as well as horse-races. Gov. Reynolds, in his youth, was one of the best in a foot-race, and won many wagers in Randolph county, previous to the removal of the family to Madison. He ran his last race while absent from this county attending school in Tennessee. Shooting-matches occurred frequently. these were generally held on Saturdays, and during the summer, as often as once a week. A beef was usually the prize. A keg of whiskey was usually carried to these shooting-matches, on horseback, and sometimes a violin made its appearance, and the crowd danced for hours. The early pioneers were exceedingly friendly and sociable. A new-comer was given a hearty welcome. The houses were in general small and poor, but the hospitality of the occupants knew no bounds. A visitor at a house toward evening could scarcely get away so much was he importuned to stay over night, which, if he did, he was always treated to the best the house afforded, and never allowed to pay for his entertainment. Orchards and melon patches were looked on as common property, and the man who would charge for apples, or melons, would be denounced for his meanness the whole county over. No charge was ever made for assisting a neighbor at house-raisings, log-rollings, or harvesting. The women were brave and self-reliant, and it was no unusual thing for them to practice with the rifle. They were often left alone, and it was well that they should know the best means of defiance. One of the pioneers of the county (John L. Ferguson) was accustomed to say that his mother could shoot a deer, or an Indian just as well as his father could, and thought no more of it. the widow Carlock, in the Marine settlement, was also one who had the reputation of being able to use her rifle, with equal skill to any man, in shooting game, or despatching an Indian, as the case required." Jersey County, Illinois History, Sesquecentennial Edition [Note: No further documantation on the above book. Copies of these pages were received from Audie Canida, 4400 E. 205th Street, Belton, MO 64012-9231.] Pages 276-277: BATES, WILLIAM "William Bates is believed to be the first settler in Elsah Township. Born in Pennsylvania in 1757, Bates served the Colonies during the Revolutionary War. he married Elizabeth Moore in December, 1784, in North Carolina. Elizabeth died in the 1790's, the exact date of her birth and death are not known. Bates and his second wife, Elizabeth Collins Bates, whom he married c1798, left North Carolina around 1806, making their way down the Ohio River to Mississippi, and up the river to join his daughter, Mary Bates Moore, and her husband Abel Moore. They met at the forks of Wood River, in Madison County, and there Bates, several members of the Moore family, and others began the "Moore Settlement," in 1808. The Bates name figured in the Wood River Massacre of July 10, 1814. Two grandsons (William and Joel Moore) were among the seven victims, and his daughter, Hannah, narrowly escaped, having parted from the group not more than two or three hundred yards from where they met their deaths. Some time after that, Bates and his family left the Moore Settlement, moving to Hunter's Town, where a few log cabins were the beginning of what became the city of Alton. During 1816 or 1817, Bates built a log cabin at the mouth of the Piasa Creek and the Mississippi River, but he did not stay long because the illness of his wife caused him to return to Hunter's Town, where she died on January 31, 1822. Bates married Levisa Mitchell (birth place and date unknown) on March 27, 1823, and returned to the Piasa location. On October 6, 1823, he recorded the purchase of that land. "NE fractional of section #26, Township 6, Range 11." Levisa Mitchell Bates died, probably around 1827, and Bates again married. His fourth wife was Bitha (Bithy?), birth date and place are unknown. Bitha died, probably around 1835, and Bates sold the remainder of his Piasa Creek property and moved back with his daughter and son-in-law. On April 10, 1836, Bates married Chloe Varnum, and was with her until his death on December 27, 1843. Bates was buried on the Piasa Creek property, along side of three of his five wives. The site was bulldozed to prepare the Lock Haven Golf Course, and the graves have been lost to posterity. On April 5, 1832, Bates applied for a Revolutionary pension. He was, at that time 75 years old, and trying to remember the dates of his service. he stated he had been a spy for Colonel Shepherd in the militia service for two years, and while guarding some British prisoners at Salisbury, some Tories determined to assassinate him. He therefore enlisted in the regular service for eighteen months rather than try to return home. He remembered regular service ----e time of the Battle of Cowpens, the ----- Eutaw Springs, and being marched to ---- ----m at or after the close of the war and being discharged." By Betty M. Cresswell. F63. History of Madison County, Illinois, Illustrated, With Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent Men and Pioneers; Published By W. R. Brink & Co., Edwardsville, IL; 1882: Page 89: "The following are the marriage licenses issued from June 1814, to June 1819, No. 15 to No. 150. The name of the parties are spelled as they appear in the records: -- 1816 -- ..... Nov 13, David H. Kennedy to Mary Coots. 1817 -- ..... May 26, Jacob Deck to Sally Bates. July 23, John Bates to Nancy Crosby. Page 90-91: "Below are the marriage certificates on record from January 1813, to May 1819. Much diversity appears between the list of licenses and certificates. Where the authority by which the parties were married was a license, "L" is affixed, and "Ad." where it was by advertisement...... 1817 -- ..... Feb 11, David Cannady to Mary Cyles. L. May 30, Jacob Deck to Sally Bates, by Rev. William Jones. L. Aug 13, John Bates to Nancy Crosby, by Rev. William Jones. L." Page 276: A photograph is given of the monument with the following information and inscription: William Bates: The first monument erected as a memorial to the victims of the Wood River Massacre was dedicated Sept. 11, 1910. It was placed near the actual location of the massacre, in the ravine just beyond the Hill-Top sales barn and about the spot where Hannah Bates left the group to return to the Abel Moore house. Photo submitted by Gene Prosser. "TO THE MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF THE WOODRIVER MASS- ACRE JULY 10, 1814 WILLIAM & JOEL AGED 10 & 8 YRS. SONS OF CAPT ABEL & MARY MOORE. JOHN & GEO MOORE AGED 10 & 3 YRS SONS OF WILLIAM MOORE. RACHEL REAGAM & HER CHILDREN ELIZ- ABETH & TIMOTHY AGED 7 & 3 YRS THIS OCCURRED ABOUT 300 YDS IN THE REAR OF THIS MONUMENT DEDICATED SEPT. 11 1910 BY THE DESCEND- ENTS OF CAPT. ABEL MOORE." "The new monument was dedicated Sept. 24, 1980 in a more visible spot for public viewing. It is almost directly across the Highway 140 entrance to the Gordon Moore Alton Community Park. Gordon Moore was no relation to the other Moores, however the park was built on the farm of the pioneer Abel and Mary Bates Moore. Abel Moore and Mary Bates Moore are buried where their house formerly stood, just a short distance from the new monument. Photo submitted by Betty Cresswell. [Note: The writing on the new monument is not legible on this xeroxed copy.] 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 81-82: WOOD RIVER MASSACRE "The most startling and cruel atrocity ever committed by the Indians within the limits of Madison county was the Wood River massacre, on the tenth of July, 1814, by which seven persons, one woman and six children, lost their lives. This tragedy took place in the forks of Wood river, between two and three miles east of the present Upper Alton. The victims were the wife and two children of Reason Reagan, two children of Abel Moore, and two children of William Moore. At the beginning of the War of 1812-14, the citizens of the county, who lived at the exposed locations on the frontier, sought refuge in the forts and block-houses; but, as no Indians made their appearance and the Rangers were constantly on the alert, scouring the country to the north and east, the most began to feel so secure that in the summer of 1814 they returned to their farms and dwellings. There were six, or eight families residing at that time in the forks of Wood river. The men were mostly absent from home in ranging service. At the residence of George Moore on the east branch of Wood river, a block-house had been built to which the women and children could flee should danger be apprehended. The massacre occured on a Sabbath afternoon. Reagan had gone two, or three miles from home to attend church, leaving his wife and two children at the house of Abel Moore, which was about a mile distant from where he lived, and half-way between his house and the block-house. About four o'clock in the afternoon Mrs. Reagan started back to her own dwelling, intending to return to Abel Moore's in a short time. She was accompanied by her own two children, and the four children of Abel and William Moore. A little afterward two men of the neighborhood passed along the road in an opposite direction to that taken by Mrs. Reagan. One of them heard at a certain place, a low call, as of a boy, which he did not answer, and for a repitition of which he did not delay. When it began to grow dark uneasiness was felt at the absence of the Moore children, and William Moore came to Abel Moore's, and not finding them there passed on toward Reagan's, while his wife started in a direct line, not following the road, for the same place. William Moore now came back with the startling that some one had been killed by the Indians. He had discovered a human body lying on the ground which by reason of the darkness and his haste, he was unable to identify. The first thought was to find a refuge in the block-house! Mr. Moore desired his brother's family to go by the road directly to the fort, while he would pass by his own house and take his own family with him, but the night was dark, the road passed through a heavy forest, and the women and children chose to accompany William Moore though the distance to the fort, by the road only one mile, was thereby nearly doubled. The feeling of the party, as they groped their way through the dark woods, may be more easily imagined than described. Sorrow for the supposed loss of relatives and children, was mingled with the horror at the manner of their death, and fear for their own safety. Silently they passed on till they came to the dwelling of William Moore, when he exclaimed, as if relieved from some dreadful apprehension, "Thank God, Polly is not killed!" The horse which his wife had ridden was standing near the house. As they let down the bars and gained admission to th yard, his wife came running out , exclaiming, "They are killed by the Indians, I expect." The whole party then departed hastily for the block-house, to which place, all the neighbors, to whom warning had been communicated by signals, gathered by daybreak. It has been mentioned that Mrs. William Moore, as well as her husband, had gone in search of the children. Passing by different routes, they did not meet on the way, nor at the place of slaughter. Mrs. Moore who was on horseback, carefully noted, as she went, every discernable object till at length she saw a human figure, lying near a log. There was not sufficient light to tell the size, or sex, of the person, and she called over again and again the name of one and another of her children, supposing one of them to be asleep. At length, she alighted, and examined to object more closely. What must have been her sensations as she placed her hand upon the back of a naked corpse, and felt, on further examination, the quivering flesh from which the scalp had recently been torn? In the gloom of the night she could indistinctly see the figure, of the little child of Mrs. Regan's sitting so near the body of its mother as to lean its head, first one side, then the other, on the insensible and mangled body, as as she leaned over the little one said --- "The black man raised his axe and cutted them again." She saw no further, but thrilled with horror and alarm, hastily remounted her frightened horse, and quickly hurried home where she heated water, intending by that means, to defend herself from the savage foe. There was little rest that night at the fort. The women and children of the neighborhood, with the few men who were not absent with the Rangers, crowded together, not knowing but that at any minute the Indians might begin their attack. Seven were missing, and the bodies of these lay within a mile, or two, mangled and bleeding in the forest. At three o'clock in the morning a messenger was dispatched with the tidings to Fort Russell. At dawn of day the scene of tragedy was sought, and the bodies gathered from burial. They were buried the same day, in three graves, carefully dug, with boards laid beneath, beside, and above the bodies. There were no men to make coffins. "The Indians had built a large fire, and also blazed the way to make the whites think that there was a large party. The news soon spread, and it was not long before Gen. Whiteside, with nine others, gave pursuit. Among the number were James Preuitt, Abraham Preuitt, Jame Stockden, Wm. Montgomery, Peter Wagoner and others, whose descendants now live in Moro and Wood River. The weather was extremely hot, and some of their horses gave out and fell beneath their riders. Gen. Whiteside gave out entirely. His orders was to keep up the pursuit. It was on the second day in the evening, that they came in sight of the Indians, on the dividing ridge of the Sangamon river. There stood at that time a lone cottonwood tree on the ridge, and this several Indians had climbed to look back. They saw their pursuers, and from that tree they separated and went in different directions, all making for the timber. When the whites came to the spot where the Indians had divided, they concluded to divide and pursue the Indians separately. James Preuitt and Abraham took the trail of one of the Indians. James Preuitt having the fastest and best horse, soon came within sight of his Indian. He rode up to within thirty yards of him and shot him in the thigh. The Indian fell, but managed to get to a tree top that was blown down. Abraham Preuitt soon came up, and they concluded to ride in on the Indian and finish him, which they did by Abraham shooting and killing him where he lay. In his shot-pouch was found the scalp of Mrs. Regan. The Indian raised his gun, but was too weak to fire, and had also lost his flint, or perhaps he might have killed one of the pursuers. The rifle is supposed to be in the hands of the Preuitt family yet. It was somewhere near where Virden now stands that the party came upon them. The Indians hid in the timber and in a drift in the creek. Night coming on is all that saved them. It was ascertained at the treaty afterwards at Galena that only Indians escaped, and that was the chief. The Indians bled themselves on accout of the heat to prevent them from fainting. Solomon Preuitt, who was not in pursuit, assisted in the burial of Mrs. Reagan and the children. He hauled them in a little one-horse sled to the old burial ground south of Bethalto, where a simple stone marks their last resting place. There is also buried in the same burying ground an Indian girl who was captured by Abraham Preuitt during one of the campaigns in the War of 1812. The Indians had been pursued into the Winnebago Swamps, and Abraham Preuitt hearing firing in a distant part ofthe swamp concluded to go and see what was the matter. On nearing the spot he found David Carter and one other firing at the little Indian child who was mired and could not get out. He called them cowards and ordered them to cease firing on the little Indian child and brought it home with him. She lived to the age of fifteen, being about six years old at the time of capture. She was always of a wild nature."* [*From an article furnished by E. K. Preuitt.] History of Madison County, Illinois, Illustrated, With Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent Men and Pioneers; Published By W. R. Brink & Co., Edwardsville, IL; 1882: Page 416: "Abel Moore, one of the pioneers, was a native of North Carolina, and migrated to Kentucky in 1804, and thence to Illinois in 1808. He located in section 4, now Wood River township. His family then consisted of his wife, Mary, nee Bates, and two children, William and Joel, then respectively ten and eight years of age, both of whom were among the victims of the Wood River massacre. Eight other children were born at the old homestead in section 4, as follows: John, Nancy, Sarah, Joshua, Rachel, Lydia, Anna, and Franklin. Only three of this large family are now living; Nancy, who resides in California; Lydia, widow of Madison Williams, who lives near Bethalto, in section 2; and Major Franklin Moore, of Upper Alton. The latter has a history as eventful as his father before him, having served with distinction through the entire late war. Indeed, he has the honor of holding the first commission in the state under the "Three-hundred-thousand call." Such were the services he rendered his country on the battle-field, that he received the soubriquet of "Fighting Frank." Able Moore died in 1846, at the age of 63. Mrs Moore died the day before her husband, aged 61. They lie side by side on the very spot of ground where their pioneer cabin was constructed. In the sale of the old homestead the children reserved this sacred spot as a lasting tribute to their departed parents. The old farm is now owned by George Cartwright. George and William Moore, brothers of Able, came with the latter and their father as far as Ford's Ferry, on the Ohio river, where they separated from Abel, and went to Boon's Lick, Missouri, where their father died. The following year the brothers and their families came to Illinois, and settled, near their brother Abel in section 10. William's family consisted of his wife and two sons, John and George, both of whom were also victims at the Wood River massacre. Two children were afterward born to the family. They all moved to Pike county, Illinois, in 1830. George had no children when he came, but two were born while residing her, Margaret and Walter. The family migrated to Independence, Mo., in 1837. Mr. William Gill now occupies and owns his farm. Both William and George were gun-makers, and followed thier trade in the township. The latter also manufactured powder. Rason Reagan and family came about the same time as the Moores, but we have been uanble to glean any satisfactory history of their nativity, etc. A lone apple tree now stands near where their cabin was located, at the time of the death of Mrs. Reagan and her children at the hands of the Indians." Jersey County, Illinois History, Sesquecentennial Edition [Note: No further documentation on the above book. Copies of these pages were received from Audie Canida, 4400 E. 205th Street, Belton, MO 64012-9231.] Page 271: ASKEW, JOSIAH T. AND HANNAH BATES "Josiah T. Askew, newly discharged from the army in 1819, came up the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri, and settled in what became Elsah Township. His land ran from what is now Route 3 (formerly Route 100) and the Elsah Road, to the center of Elsah, some 600 acres. Here he established a sugar mill, tapping trees at "Askew Hollow." Askew married Hannah Bates on March 22, 1821, the first marriage celebrated in Jersey County. Their daughter, Elizabeth Askew, born in 1823, was the first white child whose birth was recorded in Jersey Landing Precinct. Hannah's father, Revolutionary War veteran, William Bates, had not approved of the marriage, and upon hearing of the impending ceremony, was said to have torn off his money belt and offered it to his daughter to decline to marry Askew. Hannah's intentions were strong, and she did not accept her father's offer, saying, "I will have more than that if I marry him." And that came to be true. The Askews lived well for the times and Hannah had her own surry and stable boy, making frequent trips about the area, especially into M--'s Grocery Store in Elsah. Askew had considerable learning for those ----- served as a clerk with early Baptist ---e He left behind a diary he had kept, depicting interesting facts of the early settlement of Jersey County, but it is presumed to have been lost in a fire. Having served for five years in the regular army, and as a Colonel in the Militia, Askew had a spare and erect stature. Sitting astride his favorite horse at the annual musters, he made a most favorable impression on the bystanders. His death, in 1845, reportedly came from over exertion in fighting fire on his property. Hannah and Josiah had eight daughters, no sons. The first born, Elizabeth, and Mary Ann, died as young children. Three daughters, Matilda, Emily, and Eliza T. died in childbirth. Lucinda married Henry Cannady and moved away from the area. Maria married Benjamin Slaten and remained in the area and Martha Jane married William Allen and remained on Askew property. Hannah Bates Askew was a survivor of the Wood River Massacre of July 10, 1814. She was visiting her sister, Mary Bates Moore, at the "Moore Settlement," (farms scattered near the fors of the Wood River in Madison County). On the fateful day, Mrs. Rachel Reagan and her daughter Elizabeth (or Betsy) aged seven, and son, Timothy, aged three, visited the farm of William Moore for the day. Mrs. Reagan and her children, with the two sons of William Moore, John aged ten, and George, aged three, started back home, stopping at the home of Capt. Moore, where Hannah was visiting. Abel's two children William, age ten, and Joel, age eight and Hannah, age fifteen, joined the group, intending to get green beans at the Reagan farm. Soon Hannah turned back. Though many have speculated that Hannah had a premonition of danger, the real reason was that she had a blister on her heel, and felt she could not walk farther. She turned back not more than two or three hundred yards from where the others were murdered. Hannah Bates Aslew died in 1863. by Betty M. Cresswell [F49] 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 Vaugh nonated a half acre and twenty rods. These pioneers were a hearty, thrify, 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 defence. 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 horatatory 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 ofthis 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." Judith Weeks Ancell jancell@micron.net 1810 Edgecliff Terrace Boise, ID 83702-2911 ------------------------------------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Judith Weeks Ancell (© 1997 Judith Weeks Ancell)