JONESBORO BAPTIST CHURCH
Union County Illinois Genealogy
Trails
BAPTIST RALLY DAY
100TH ANNIVERSARY
OLD TIME PASTORS
Baptist
Rally Day
Ninety-fifth
Anniversary Celebrated Last Sunday
Transcribed and submitted by Darrel
Dexter
The Baptist church of Jonesboro held a rally day
last Sunday and had a program that was of great interest to all who
attended. Incidentally the
ninety-fifth anniversary of the church was celebrated although the
anniversary date is really Dec. 25. There
was a good attendance from the opening to the closing of the program.
The program began at the regular Sunday school hour
with special music and a roll call at 10:30 and an address by Rev. C.
W. Culp of Anna at 10:45. At
11 o’clock there was a sermon by Rev. Meagean
of Alto Pass.
At 2 o’clock p.m. a history of the church
was read by Ed Lee and from it we glean the
following facts.
The church was organized Dec. 25, 1818, at the house
of Joel Bogges, Rev. James P. Edwards
being the moving spirit, and the following names were subscribed to the
covenant: Benjamin Hall,
Joel Bogges, David Sams, Moses Atherton,
John Brown, Rebecca Hall, Fanny
Bogges, Jane Thorpe, Jane Graham,
and Thomas Sams. John
Brown was appointed clerk.
Elizabeth Brown
received into membership and adjournment taken to Saturday before the
fourth Sunday in January, 1819. The
Baptist church of Jonesboro soon made its influence felt and as early
as 1821 it had organized Ridge church, midway between Alto Pass and
Pomona; Cave Creek in October 1826, Union in July 1838, Mississippi,
opposite Cape Girardeau, in September 1830; Frogge Settlement in
October 1841; Big Creek in April, 1852, Pleasant Ridge in July 1856;
Anna in December 1859; Eaves in November 1861, Sublette in December
1861, South Pass in January 1862. Some
of the foregoing are now non existent. John
Kimmel was licensed to preach in November
1819; Jeremiah Brown in February 1820; Aaron McIntosh
in July 1820; W.C. Hempstead in April 15; D. S. Nusbaum
in September 1864; C.G. Flaugh in October 1864; C.
W. Porter in February 1878. James
P. Edwards, the first pastor, served eleven years
and was succeeded in the following order by Aaron McIntosh,
Jeremiah Brown, Simon Dilday,
Martin Atherton, David L. Phillips,
H. H. Richardson, James A. Morton,
H. E. Hempstead, David Butler,
Alonzo Durham, J. A. Dacas, S.
L. Wisner, J. S. Mahan, John D.
Lamer, S. P. Ives, David Culp,
D. R. Sanders, A. N. Whittinghill,
John W. Robinson, G. W. Danbury,
Marshall Culp, Calvin Allen, T.
J. Ratliffe, W. H. Carber, W.
G. Melton, S. L. Carter, H. S. Lindsey,
J. W. Reville, H. H. Wallace,
J. N. Edmondson, and R. E. Carney,
the present pastor, now in his sixth year and ranking second in length
of service. James P. Edwards,
the first pastor, was born in Kentucky in 1782. He
had a fair education and practiced law in his native state.
He moved to Missouri in 1811, and from there to
Jonesboro. His last days were spent
at his old home in Ballard county, where he died and was buried in
1857, being 75 years of age and having spent over 50 of these years in
the ministry. A curious incident of
his pastorate at Jonesboro was baptizing of a black man in the
Mississippi bottoms, by the name of Peter Riddle,
and his action was approved by the church. The
first church house was built where the city cemetery now is and at the
south end of it. The present church
was built in the 50s and remodeled a few years ago.
The clerks in their order have been John Brown,
John McIntosh, Samuel Hunsaker,
Isaac Bizzel, Thomas Sams,
Andrew Corzine, Abel Corzine,
C. G. Flaugh, who served 38 years, Thomas C. Cozby,
John E. Lingle, D. W. Karraker,
and Ed Lee. Mrs.
Rebecca Grear, who was received into the church
June 24, 1848, more than 65 years ago, was present at roll call.
About 100 responded at the church roll call.
The B. Y. P. U. gave a special program and a sermon
by the pastor at 7 p.m. closed a most interesting day by the Baptist
Church of Jonesboro.
(Jonesboro
Gazette, Jonesboro, Illinois, 7 Nov 1913)
The Centennial Anniversary of Jonesboro Church
Baptist Gather in Great Numbers to Celebrate
Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter
On last Friday evening began
the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the organization of the
First Baptist Church of Jonesboro. The program for the old folks
meeting, or an old time meeting, was carried out fully. At “early
candle lighting,” the house was full, the great majority dressed just as
old-fashioned as possible, and the sight was rather a queer one.
Every style of ye olden time was in evidence, in fact it might have been
termed a masquerade party as it was hard to distinguish by the candle light even
those whom you knew best.
The
service began promptly at the lighting of the many candles that were fixed to
the walls with holders and about the pulpit also an old time grease lamp
flickered and blinked as though it had awakened from a real Rip Van Winkle sleep
and was attempting to greet its friends of a century ago. Pastor
Ryan opened the meeting by lining out some of the very old hymns, which
were admirably sung by the great throng that crowded the house, two lines at a
time. Many were present who worshipped here in those days.
Elder Julian Atwood of Marion, a former pastor, preached a great
sermon, dwelling upon and emphasizing the necessity of finding and keeping the
old paths, urging a straight out, open faced, every day religion.
He was at his best, and many thought it was the best effort he ever made
in Jonesboro, which is some compliment. Dr. W. P.
Throgmorton of Marion, editor of the Illinois Baptist, was present
and made a short address on the customs of years ago as he recalled them.
After the service the great crowd lingered and spent a time in social
chat. Never before has the writer seen the people unbend and show
their delight in their faces as on this occasion. Mrs. Mattie
Cutler wore the oldest part of a costume of anyone, being a silk bonnet
more than 100 years old and which came in for close inspection and
admiration.
The next service was on
Saturday evening, when after an old time evening, Elder C. S. Thomas of
East St. Louis preached one of the characteristic sermons, noted for their
warmth and appealing power. Elder Thomas is also a former
pastor of Jonesboro church.
Sunday morning at the Sunday
school hour, Elder B. F. Redman, secretary of the Illinois State Baptist
Association, addressed the assemblage on the old and new in the Sunday school,
which was well received.
A picnic dinner was served in
the church basement, and to use a slang expression, “it was some dinner,” such
as the old mothers could have well been proud of. Another good
feature of this dinner was its quantity and an immense crowd appeased its hunger
and regretted the fact of its limited capacity for such things.
At 2 o’clock, Judge D. W.
Karraker delivered an address of welcome to the visitors, and especially
to the representatives of the churches of which this is the mother church, and
which was replied to by members of the churches present. Elder R.
H. Tharp responded for Anna in a most pleasing talk. W. P.
Green for Cobden, in which he referred to the fact that as a boy he
attended Sunday school in this old church. T. M. McNeely
responded for Lockard Chapel in a feeling way, which touched those
present. For Big Creek Charles O. Otrich made some
appropriate remarks, the pastor of that church not being present.
Pleasant Ridge was not represented. Elder M. E. Ryan responded for
the church in a telling way characteristic of him. A history of
the church was read by Elder Lee which consumed a little more than an
hour.
We failed to note to the proper
place that at 11 a.m. Elder James N. Edmondson, of Atwood, Ill.,
delivered a masterly address which delighted the congregation taking for his
theme “Christ the central figure of the church” as suggested in the first
chapter of Revelation. Elder Edmondson also delivered a
powerful sermon at the evening service which many thought superior to his
morning address. “The spirit of Egypt shall fail,” quoted from the
16th chapter of Isaiah, was the text from which he spoke.
Elder Edmondson has few equals as a pulpit orator and is also a
deep reader and thinker and a student of men.
As has been told in columns
before, this church was organized Dec. 26, 1818, by a band of ten Baptists,
nearly all of them from Kentucky and Tennessee. They were Joel
Boggess, Benjamin Hall, Davis Sams, Thomas Sams,
Moses Atherton, John Brown, Rebecca Hall, Fanny
Boggess, Jane Thorpe, and Jane Graham. The
presbytery consisted of Elders Thomas P. Green and James P.
Edwards and Deacons James Randol and James Williams, from
Old Bethel and Tywapity churches of Missouri. Elder Edwards
was the first pastor and continued as such for the first twelve years, and he
also served one year some 30 years later. He was a man far above
the average for his day in learning and intelligence, and a fine writer as well
as preacher.
In addition to Elder
Edwards, the following served this church as pastor in the order
named: Aaron McIntosh, Jeremiah Brown, Simeon
Dilday, Martin Atherton, David L. Phillips, Henry H.
Richardson, James A. Morton, H. E. Hempstead, David
Butler, Alonzo Durham, Joseph A. Dacus, S. L.
Wisner, I. S. Mahan, John D. Lamer, S. P. Ives,
David Culp, David R. Sanders, A. N. Whittinghill, John W.
Robinson,G. W. Danbury, Marshall Culp, C. Allen, T.
J. Ratcliffe, W. H. Carner, W. O. Melton, S L.
Carter, H. S. Lindsey, J. W. Beville, H. H. Wallace,
J. N. Edmondson, D. E. Carney, Julian Atwood, C. S.
Thomas, and E. M. Ryan, the present pastor.
Abraham Hunsaker, the first man to build a home
in what is now Union County, joined this church the first meeting after its
organization. He was a native of Pennsylvania. He
was the father of Samuel Hunsaker, the first clerk of Clear Creek
Association and the grandfather of the late Elder James W. Hunsaker, of
Anna.
The church has erected two
houses of worship. The first one was a log building about the
center of the old part of the Jonesboro Cemetery. John
McIntosh, one of the early members, donated two acres of land there to
the church. Later additional land was bought adjoining this tract
on the north. In the early days the cemetery was under the
direction and care of the church, and rules were made for conducting it,
requiring all who buried there to put up headstones or some definite mark, and a
man was appointed to point out all unoccupied ground, etc. The
oldest mark in the cemetery is on a little headstone made of native sandstone
and has been there 110 years. The title to this old burying ground
is still vested in the church, but it long since turned the care of it over to
the city.
The second house built is the
one now occupied by the church and it has been remodeled twice.
This was built in 1849-50 and was occupied first in May 1850.
The church was first a member
of Bethel association of Missouri, up to 1824. Only July 12 of that year, this
church together with Shiloh church and six churches in Missouri seceded from the
old Bethel association and organized the Cape Girardeau association.
Hardshellism caused the split. In 1830 this church took a
letter from the latter body and what is now Clear Creek Association was formed,
holding its first meeting with this church and from which the association took
its name. In September 1840, this church withdrew from the Clear
Creek association, the Hardshell element having secured control of its
policy. It remained out of the body until 1847, when a few of the
members met and resolved that they had acted unwisely and asked for membership
again. During this interim the old church was near death’s door,
but upon the Missionary element regaining control of it began to prosper again.
This church has licensed to
preach the following: John Kimmel, Jeremiah Brown,
Aaron McIntosh, W. C. Hempstead, David S. Nusbaum, C. G.
Flaugh, and C. W. Porter, and ordained to the full work of the
ministry John Kimmel, Jeremiah Brown, Simeon Dilday, Joseph
A. Dacus, David S. Nusbaum, and Frank Sisk.
The following have served as
clerks: John Brown, John McIntosh, Samuel
Hunsaker, Samuel Atherton, Isaac Bizzel, Thomas
Sams, Andrew Corzine, Abel Corzine, C. G. Flaugh,
Thomas C. Cozby, Minnie J. Sanders, Ed Lee, D. W.
Karraker, John E. Lingle, E. E. Gore, and W. E.
Lemons, named in order of their service. C. G.
Flaugh was clerk 37 years, Ed Lee 18, the rest for one to nine
years.
There is in the history of this
old church much that is of real interest, but space forbids scarcely a mention
and we will close with the results of its missionary efforts within its own
bounds. The membership at first embraced a territory of something
like 30 miles. Many “arms” of the church afterward became strong
churches, and many more are extinct or merged with other organizations.
Old Ridge Church, midway between Cobden and Alto Pass, was organized in
1821; Cave Creek, 1826; and Mississippi 1830. A church was
established in the Frogge Settlement in 1841, Big Creek in 1852, Pleasant Ridge
in 1856. A church was organized at Eaves school house in 1852,
with 52 letters from this church. In December 1858, 27 letters
were given to form the Anna church. A church of 25 members was
formed at Sublett school house in the bottoms in 1851. In January
1852, the Cobden church was organized with 14 letters from this church, and
Lockard, west of Jonesboro, a few years ago with 36 letters. Many
of these churches have colonized others and thus the work has spread.
The full history of the church
as read Sunday will be published in pamphlet form, and it is hoped to get
pictures of many of the older members for it as well as one of the church, with
brief biographies.
Wonder what the folks at the
next centennial will think of us.
Ed Lee
(Jonesboro Gazette, Jonesboro,
Illinois, Friday, 30 May 1919)
Old Time
Pastors
Also,
Reminiscent of Pillars of the
First Baptist
Church of Jonesboro
Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter
Vancouver, B.C., May 28-Editor Gazette-In writing these recollections I
am reminded of the lines,
"How
dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood,
When
fond recollection presents them to view."
True, there was no "old oaken bucket that hung in the
well," but to supply the lack of that in the poet's happy dream, was there not a
spring of limpid, living water nearby?
There was, and it surely is there yet, as "living water" is spoken of
often in the Bible, in certain typified sense.
This spring is a part of the physical handiwork of the Lord. We are told that in the end all things will
pass away"but, the end is not yet."
In the
following lines I shall attempt to set down some of the scenes and to recall the
names of some of the actors who did their part to make history in the Baptist
Church of Jonesboro. These recollections
are intended to cover a period of about three decades beginning anywhere around
the years 1859 or '60, at which time the political atmosphere disclosed dark and
sometimes lurid backgrounds which threatened to bring on cyclones and storms
that would lead-no one knew where.
The
first pastor of this church that I recall was Rev. Edward Hempstead, who I think came from New
Orleans. This was probably in 1858 or '59 (the church records no doubt would supply this date and others which I
cannot). He was a gentleman then past
the middle age, of a rather distinguished if not pompous bearing. He was of the distinguished cult known then
as a southern gentleman, a crusader for southern rights and southern
institutions. No doubt it was held in
the discipline of the church even at that strenuous time, that "politics was
adjourned" as to pulpit. Even so, the
great Methodist church was rent in twain and a great political party gave out
three tentacles in the violent seismic disturbance. Dr. Hempstead was quite well educated
though as I remember not thought to be brilliant, but conscientious. He had two or three daughters who were quite
popular in church affairs and socially, and as I have heard came to be quite
prominent in affairs in the great struggle of the Lost Cause in their own south
whither they departed.
About
the time Rev. Edward Hempstead
departed came to the pastorate Rev. Frank Hempstead, a younger brother of the
former. He was held in high esteem by
the membership and I think stayed several years.
And
along somewhere in those years which are growing more in the dim past, came one
who was to play a leading part in the military civilian history of the
state. Just now he is merely pastor of
Jonesboro Baptist church-Rev. D. L. Phillips. He was no doubt methodical and logical, but
surely not emotional (if that is a disadvantage)in his sermons. He was no doubt an adroit politician, though
I do not know of his injecting any of that in his discourses. However, when war came and big events were in
the making, he laid aside the clerical robe and was appointed by President Lincoln U. S. marshal, also to other
positions. I have been told often that
Mr. Phillips once went through
Cobden on an I. C. train with an old carpet bag containing one million dollars,
taking it to Grant's army to pay
soldiers. I haven't thought about it
enough to discover whether it was physically possible to carry that much around,
but there is no doubt Dave did carry some money down, and though it was awfully
depreciated then you could get more real stuff to live on for a dollar then than
you can now for two dollars.
I
recall a certain brother who came to the pulpit in the earlier days of the Civil
War. His name was David _________?, but
I don't remember what. The church seemed to like him for the most
part. His sermons were frequently camouflaged to standardize the southern bias,
politically. Such words as "Abolitionist," "Black Republican" etc. were in his repertoire. I don't remember now that there was any
majority protest against the "bias." As
a matter of fact the village (which would include the church), the county, and
many parts of Southern Illinois were not at all wholly loyal to the Union, and
as a result there was trouble. But this
is off the subject. Pastor "Blank" bided
his time and then went back south. But
during his pastorate he lived at a certain little suburban house south of
town. He had many friends. One of them was a certain doctor who liked
the elder. Often the elder would get in
his buggy with a friend or two and go down to the lakes at the weekend to
hunt. So on a certain Saturday night the
doctor with a friend came along with their guns, bedding, etc. This last item included a jug of something
which both cheers and inebriates. When
they neared the parson's house they were firing salutes. When they stopped for a moment the parson
said, "Doc, do you know that you are going straight to hell?" "That's just my damn luck! It thought I was going to the lakes."
And
now comes the evangelist-the pioneer so far as I know in that field. He came from somewhere in Kentucky. He was active, virile, spiritual, and
aggressive. He believed in the literal
brimstone idea. He seemed the friend of
everybody and everything except the devil and his agencies. I said aggressive. He tore around on the rostrum and pulpit, and
the Bible would often jump up two or three inches when his hand came down on
it. Billy Sunday is an evolution. And he "gathered in the sheaves." Scores, perhaps hundreds, were baptized at
the crossing of a little creek west of Jonesboro. Billy Sunday did not have much on Elder Harrington. The latter had graduated from a circus, Sunday from baseball. It was usual for members to entertain
ministers. One night Rev. Harrington came to our house. I thought how tired the poor man must be
after such a strenuous night. After supper he came into the living room, got
father's best hat and proceeded to do some of this circus stunts, handsprings,
standing on his head, and the like.
Rev.
Thomas Morton was one of the brainy
men who was pastor a few years. He was a
Scotchman, intensely spiritual, and left a lasting impression with those who
knew him. He had a large family. It met one of his sons in St. Louis a few
years back. He had charge of a Baptist
church there. The elder Morton went from Jonesboro to a St.
Louis church, dying there some years ago.
Rev.
J. A. Dacus came to Jonesboro in
what might be called the Refugee Era, when so many from the South came north to
flee the ravages of war. He was
professionally a newspaper man, and being also a preacher served the Baptist
church a time. Going to St. Louis he
went on the editorial staff of the Republic. Being rather delicate physically, he passed
away comparatively young in years.
There
were several other pastors I knew. But
are their names not on the church records?
They were merely passing pilgrims with a message. If they left their footprints in the sands of
time, these have been obliterated by the winds and seasons. But what of the message? "A sower went forth to sow." Some seeds fell on good ground, and the
message to some soul will live on till time is no more.
I was
always acquainted with Brother D. S. Husbaum, who was for a long while
either pastor or supply for this church.
But as his connection and work with it is not so far back there no doubt
are many yet remembering his devotion and consecration to a church of which he
was a part.
No
doubt I have taken up already enough space and merely skimmed the surface about
memories of the past. But I desire to
pay an humble tribute in my weak way-and tread softly while I do-to the memory
of the "nobles Roman of them all." This
dear brother has long since gone to his great reward. He was not an ordained minister, merely a
church worker, plain C. G. Flaugh. C stood for Christian in his name, also
Charity. He had a small farm south of
the village. In earlier days he had a
tannery there and shoe shop. He employed
cripples and physical down-and-outs, and it came to be known as a poor
house. For a quarter of a century he was
an active, consecrated worker in the Lord's vineyard and in the church, of which
he was a pillar, sometimes it seemed the only supporting column. Was there sickness or trouble or destitution
anywhere in the zone of his activity? He
was the Good Samaritan who was there or had been. At the funeral or grave side we would find
him consoling the bereaved. The church
was his alma mater, of the Sunday School he was the shepherd of the flock. Of the life work of Brother C. G. Flaugh I think it is well defined in
that verse James 1:27.
(Jonesboro Gazette, Jonesboro, Illinois,
Friday, 6 Jun 1919)
NOTE: David
Butler served as pastor from
1860-1864.
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