Jefferson County, Illinois - Chapter 5 (2 of 2 so headed), 1883

AT the conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church which met in the fall of 1819, David Sharp was sent as Presiding Elder, with five circuits in this State - Illinois, Okaw, Cache River, Wabash and Mount Carmel. On the Wabash was Thomas Davis, and he included the church at Old Union in his work. The next year, fall of 1820, two circuits were added to the Illinois District - Sangamaugh and Shoal Creek. Davis went to Cape Girardeau, and Hachaliah Vreedenburg and Thomas Rice came to Wabash. In the general minutes for 1822, Mount Vernon first appears upon the record: Illinois District, Samuel H. Thompson; "Wabash and Mount Vernon, Josiah Pattison and William Smith." These were followed by Smith and Ruddle in 1823; these by William Moore in 1824:; he by Orceneth Fisher in 1825 for part of the year, Philip Cole a few months and John T. Johnson for the remainder of the year. In 1826, Thomas Files was sent to the Mount Vernon Circuit, Charles Holiday being Presiding Elder of the Wabash District. For several years we were in the Wabash District, then for several in the Kaskaskia District, before a Mouot Vernon District existed.

complete list of the Methodist preachers here from 1825 to the time Mount Vernon Station was formed in 1854; the date given being that in which the conference year began, in autumn: 1826-27, Thomas Files; 1828-29, John Fox; 1830-31, John H. Benson; 1832, Simeon Walker; 1833, James W^alker; 1834,

For many years the Methodists had no house of worship in Mount Vernon. The ministers preached at Old Union, and the people walked out from town. Sometimes services were held in the court house, sometimes in private houses. In 1834, I think my father's and Downing Baugh's were the only Methodist families in town; but very soon re-enforced by James Ross. They determined to build. September 8, 1835, James Gray conveyed what is now Lot No. 1 in Block 19 - the Episcopal Church lot - to John Johnson, Thomas M. Casey, Joel Pace, David

Hobbs, Downing Baugh, Joseph Pace and James Ross, as Trustees, etc. Here they built a small, plain house, with no pretense of a steeple or bell, and with very plain benches to sit on. It had one coat of plaster and a small box of a pulpit. But preaching was had here monthly, the Sunday school and prayer meeting sometimes, and occasionally some other kind of meeting. We had DO Sexton, so the hoTise was not very well kept, and the tirst one to come, on preaching days, generally swept the house and made a fii-e. One very cold winter morning we found the door standing ojien - and it may Have been open a week, for it was out of town and nobody passed that way - and the first act in the drama was to drag a dead calf out. It had taken refuge from the storm within the open door, and died there, perhaps several days before. The roof was of boards, and Boon warped, so as to let in some rain and a good deal of snow. This made it bad on us, especially in winter. John Van Cleve once came to hold quarterly meeting. It had snowed. Judge Baugh had a big dog. McKay was a tall, lank, sickly, weak-minded fellow, di'essed in rags; and Baugh's dog had a mortal hatred for McKay. That morning both were at church. As the room got warm, the snow overheau melted, and chunks of plaster fell. Baugh's dog thought it was McKay, so he bristled up and growled. Other chunks fell, and the dog got up, looked daggers at McKay and growled. At the third lacket, the dog jumped up, barked furiously and made for McKay in a way that made him stretch his long leg's over the benches with a very unusual show of activity. It almost bi'oke up the meeting, as the people all smiled very loud.

Before it was done, Circuit Com-t came on, and as the old court house had fallen down, court was held in the still unfinished church - the only room in town big enough. While the court was in session, Abraham Lincoln and John A. McClernand, Presidential Electors, Whig and Democratic, came to address the people. McOlernand occupied the noon hoiu" or two intermission, but when Lincoln's turn came, politics were summarily put out, and court began. Scates, the Judge, and Bowman", the Sheriff, were Democrats; perhaps this was why. But Mr. Kirby said he was " for fair play, even in a dog fight;" so he invited Lincoln and everybody to the shade in front of his hotel, got a huge goods box, Lincoln mounted it, and the crowd listened and laughetl and swore at him for another horn* or two. Court over, the house was finished, having, besides the improvements named, a much larger pulpit, and here a large variety of meetings were held, besides the regular services.

At length, a desire sprang up for better quarters. The church resolved to build. July IS, 1S53, a deed was obtained from Ambrose C. Hankinson, of Peoria, to the Trustees - Downing Baugh, Darius C. Warren, William J. Stephenson, Lucilius C. Moss, John N. Johnson, Joel F. Watson and Charles T. Pace - conveying Lots No. 05, 66, 71, 72, the present site of the Methodist Episcopal Chui'ch. The church was erected in \SiA, at a cost of over §4,000. So it remained, with minor improvements from time to time, till they put an end to it - in fact, put two ends to it and a new steeple in 1881-82, at a cost of over $4,000 more.

In September, 1854, the Southern Illinois Conference met at Mount Vernon, and at this session the society at Mount Vernon became a station, with eighty- four members and eleven probationers. John H. Hill was Pre- siding Elder of the district, and James Leaton was appointed to the station. This man Leaton was an Englishman; a thorough scholar; had been a hard case in youth; had later been Professor in McKendi-ee College, and was the most lucid speaker and the most perfect pronouncer we ever heard. He still preaches up North. The official members were John Johnson, L. E. ; Zadok Casey, L. D. ; John H. Watson, H.Davisson and Samuel Schanck, Class Leaders; and the Stewards first elected were Zadok Casey, '-Joel F. Watson, John N. Johnson, Charles T. Pace and Downing Baugh. At the first quarterly conference, the Sunday school report showed seventy-five scholars, ten teachers. The allowance for the Presiding Elder was $41.40; for the preacher in charge, as salary, $272; table expenses, $150; traveling' expenses, $50. In August, 1858, the quarterly conference discussed the subject of a return to the circuit, but action was postponed. The question came up again at the fourth quarterly conference, 1861, and the church here again become a part of Mount Vernon Circuit. So it remained till the annual conference of 1865, when it again became a separate station, and continues.

1881-82-83, John W. Locke. The Presiding Elders, most of whom removed to Mount Vernon, have been John H. Hill, George W. Robins, James A. Robinson, J. P. Davis, Z. S. Clifford, B. R. Pierce, L. C. English, J. Leeper, B. R. Pierce again, C. E. Cline, C. Nash. The most prosperous period in the history of this church was when C. E. Oline was pastor. The former parsonage, on Lots No. 24 and 21 - east half of 21 - was transferred to the circuit September 19, 1855, and the site of the present one. Lots No. 64 and 73, Block 11, was bought of Dr. Dixon March 23, 1867. The present parsonage was built in 1877 ; cost, $1, 100. The church now has about foui* hundred members enrolled, two hundred scholars and nineteen teachers in the Sunday scliool ; j)ays its pastor $1,000, and expends about $1,000 on other religious and benevolent objects; pays $100 on the Presiding Elder's salary.

The Presbyterian Church. - The growth of the Presbyterian Church in Illinois has been more gradual - perhaps, also, more solid - than that of some others. Up to 1829, the Presbyterians were included in the Missouri and Wabash Presbyteries, each of which lay mostly beyond the State lines. October 28, 1828, the organization of Central Presbytery was authorized, and it was organized in January, 1829. It was central because it lay between the Missouri and Wabash. In September, 1831, the Synod of Illinois was formed, with Presbyteries of Illinois, Sangamon, Kaskaskia and Missouri, Kaskaskia Presbytery, to which this part of the country belonged, having been formed in 1830. In r-38, the division of the Presbyterian Church into Old and New School took place. Mount Vernon Presbyterians, the few that were here, being of the Old School. B. F. Spillman organized a church here in 1841, with ten members and two Elders. This church was served, more or less regularly, by IVifr. Spillman, Alexander Ewing, Blackbur?! Leffler, and others, Lefflwr residing for several years in Mount Vernon. The Kaskaskia Presbytery held its spring session here in 1846; Judge Scates and Jonas Eddy were the principal members. But the church never became strong; and in April. 1852, upon the I'equest of the members, the Presbytery - of Kaskaskia - dissolved the church, and the members transferred their membership to the Church of Gilead, at Rome, Thus ended the Old School organization at Mount Vernon.

Alton Presbytery, New School, now gave us some attention, and February 21, 1854, Eobert Stewart effected an organization. The first list of members included Warner and Eliza White, John S. and Louisa M. Bogau, George and Hannah Mills. John C. and Juliana Gray, Sarah A. Tanner and William D. Johnston. The Elders were Miles WTiite and Bogan. Other Elders: T. Condit, April 29, 1855, died April, 1861; James F. Fitch; Samuel Gibson and W. B. White, January 2, 1870; S, B. Kelso, December, 1874; James M. Pollock, July 25, 1876. The pastors have been Samuel R. H. Wylie, a native of Logan County, Ky. , who took charge July 13, 1854, and died August 11, 1854, aged forty-three; in 1855, William H. Bird, also a native of Kentucky, and brother-in-law to Wylie, died 1877; 1856, Hillery Patrick, a native of Vii-ginia: 1858, Charles Kenmore, an L-ishman, who went South, and died, in 1871; 1858, after K.'s brief stay, John Gibson, also an L-ishman, who died 1869; 1869-70, R. G. Williams; 1870-73, Gideon C. Clark; 1873-74, Solomon Cook; 1874-76, Adam C. Johnson; 1876, for three months. M. M. Coojjer; 1876 -78, George B, McComb; 1878, J. J. Graham, employed in June, installed August 16, In the interval between 18.58 and 1869, the church was without a settled pastor, but the Presbytery's missionary, Joseph GordoQ, made many visits, and other ministers came occasionally. In the meantime, the members worked, the Sunday school and prayer meeting went on. The church was organized at Dr. Gray's house. The public services were in the basement of the old Odd Fellows Hall, Rev. Eben Muse has been pastor since December, 1882.

The Odd Fellows, with their usual generosity, gave the church the use of their hall gratis; but the members desired to be independent, and at once prepared to build. The first design was a nnestory house; but Judge Scates and Mr. Condit, especially Scates, wanted it two stories, and promised to see the extra |2,000 raised to have it so. The plan was changed, and they saw the money raised - but saw Mills and Bogan and Dr. Gray raise it. The house was finished, almost, at a cost of $4,000, and August 6, 1856, Zadok Casey conveyed Lots No. 7 and 8, in Casey's Addition, to George Mills, John C. Gray and John S. Bogan, Trustees, To finish paying for the house, the Trustees now got a loan of $500 from the Church Erection Fund, which was not finally settled till 1871, The church now numbers 100 members, pays its pastor 1700, and has a Sunday school of 130 members and twelve teachers.

The Baptist Church. - We have already noticed the earlier Baptist Churches. We always had Baptists in Mount Vernon, but no pei-maneut church before the pi-esent. " The First Baptist Church of Mount Vernon" WHS organized August 6, 1868; Rev. J. W. Brooks, Moderator, Daniel Sturgis, Clerk of the meeting. R. A. Grant, D. Sturgis, G. J. Mayhew and G. W. Morgan were chosen to carry letter to Salem Association, asking for recognition as a church. September

21, 1868, J. W. Brooks was elected Pastor, and G. J. Mahew and R. A. Grant, Deacons. After being some time without a pastor, the church called I. S. Mahan, for a quarter of his time; but for some reason he rejected the call, June, 1871. The following July, D. W. Morgan was called, and served as pastor for one year. July 31, 1872, J. F. James was called, and remained till after the first Sabbath in January, 1873. In May, Mr. Wilson, then Principal of our public school, consented to preach for this church while he remained here. W. Sanford Gee was the next regular pastor, from March 4, 1874, to June, 1876. Then Mr. Crawford was employed for three months, and in October Crawford and Calvin Allen were invited to preach on alternate Sabbaths. In April, 1879, Allen resigned, and Charles Davis was elected. W. W. Hay was employed February 1, 1880. and W. B. Vassar in February, 1881. After an interval, the present pastor, Mr. Medkifl", was employed. Februaiy, 1883. From the tu-st, the building of a house of worship was discussed. Various changes were made in the Board of Trustees, and various plans were proposed and rejected. April 17, 1871, a deed was made by Pollock Wilson, conveying Lots No. 9, 10 and 12, in Block 3, to the following Trustees: James M. Pollock, R. P, Rider, Daniel Sturgis and James M. Ferguson. To perfect their title, they afterward obtained a deed from Peter Haydea. of New York, November 28, 1873. The building, begun in 1871, was finished, and dedicated by Rev. Mr. Ford, of St. Louis, the second Sabbath in August, 1872. In 1875, the Southern Methodists were granted the use of the house one Sabbath in each month, paying for lights and fuel; but this did not last long. Perhaps the most mem orable service in this church was tiie ordination of Mr. Vassar, April 5, 1881. There were present Rev. I. N. Hobart, D. D. , Superintendent of Missions for the State of Illinois, as Moderator; Rev. Gilbert Frederick, of Centralia, as Clerk; Rev. D. Sechman, of Ashley; Rev. William Lowry. of Moore's Prairie; Rev. W. H. Carner, of McLeansboro; Rev. W. W. Hay, of Zion's Grove; Rev. John Washburn, of Ewing, and Rev, J. Barry, of North Star Church, Chicago.

It was much embarrassed for several years, the cost of the church building having run up to about §4,000; but it is now in a comparatively easy financial condition. The membership is about sixty; average attendance at Sabbath school, sixty-five, with seven teachers.

The Catholic Church. - For many years there was scarcely a Catholic in Mount Vernon, Then a few came in - Mrs, T, S. Casey, Mr. Maloney and others; and these were visited occasionally by their priests, and the rites of the church performed. Their meetings were held at the private houses of the members, seldom in more public places. The first step toward an organization was taken by Rt. Rev. Peter Joseph Baltes, Bishop of Alton, and Very Rev, John Jansen, Vicar General of the same dioces January 20, 1871, they appointed Rev. John F. Mohr, priest of the church at Alton, and William O'Connell and Lorenz Fahrig, laymen, as Trustees of the diocese. May 20, 1872, Bishop Baltes and Vicar General Jansen, with Rev. John Neuhaus, who had been appointed pastor of "St Philip Neri's Roman Catholic Church and Congregation of Mount Vernon, Illinois," appointed Michael Ward and Phillip Russell to act with themselves as Ti-ustees for the church in Mount Vernon.

For several years' the services were still held in private houses, and at irregular intervals. At length, under the leadership, in this undertaking, of Mrs. T. S. Casey - without whom, it is safe to sa}% it would not have been done for years - means were raised to purchase ground; and May 21, 1880, James Bell, of Cobden, in Union County, for SI, 500, conveyed to the Trustees of this church the block - foui* lots with the vacated alley - north of the Supreme Court House, Lots No. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., Casey's Second Addition. Father Hissen, of Belleville, now took charge of the chiu-ch, and under his supervision the present very neat church edifice was erected in 1881. It cost about $2,000, mostly raised by the untiring efforts of Mrs. Casey. And we are requested by some of their own people to say that without the generous aid of Protestants and "outsiders," the means to secure the completion of the house could not possibly have been secured, as the members were comparatively few in number, and a large proportion of them poor. Father Becker succeeded Father Hissen, and after remaining about a year went to Kaskaskia. Just at present, the church is without a settled pastor, but is under the oversight of Father Spaeth, of Carmi.

The Episcopal Church. - For some years Bishop Seymour, Episcopal Bishop of Illinois, now of the diocese of Sj^ringfield, residing at Spriuglield, has been hunting up his scattered sheep in Southern Illinois, and seeking to gather and crystallize whatever strength could be found in this section, by sending out missionaries and organizing churches. Rev. Martin Moody was appointed to labor in this part of the field, giving special attention to Ashley, Mount VernoD, McLeansboro and Carmi. These were, and we believe still are, called mission stations. On the 15th day of March, 1878, a church was organized in Mount Vernon by Mr. Moody, when William Pilcher and H, W. Preston were elected Wardens, and H. H. Simmons, T. T . Wilson and J. J. Beecher, Vestrymen, and the name adopted was " Trinity Episcopal Church." Still under the pastoral charge of Mr. Moody, the church services were held first at a private house; then at a room in the Supreme Court building; then at Strattan's Hall. After the death of Mr. Moody, Rev. I. N. W. Irvine was appointed as his successor. Mr. Irvine was a man of remarkable zeal and energy, and, to the admiration of every one, succeeded in secm-ing handsome church edifices both at McLeansboro and Mount Vernon.

It will be remembered that the Methodists went into their present church in 1854. They had already sold the old church to Harvey T. Pace November 3, 1853, for $345. Pace at once improved it in every part, even supplying cushions for the seats, so that its old acquaintances could hardly recognize it. It was then used as a church by the "Christian order," or Campbellites, all at Pace's expense, until his death, August 13, 1876. As he grew old, however, services were less regular, he being Seston and everything else but preacher. After his death, his heirs divided his estate by deeds, and this lot fell to W. H. Pace, a grandson of H. T., and the only child of George T. Pace. W. H. P. now rented it out to anybody that wanted it, and for almost any "purpose. It was once rumored that a saloou and billiard tables were going into it; but instead of this, Ferguson went in with his carpenter shop, the steeple was cut oflf, and a huge sign put up on top, 80 its old acquaintance could hardly recognize it again. Pace at length sold out to Mrs. Cramer, and after a few turns, " the Trustees and Rector of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the city of Mount Vernon " got a deed to the property from Mrs. Annie Pace, wife of W. H., February 25, 1881, and a deed from Gottsworth and Minnie Eilenstine April 27, 1881. The lot is fortyone feet north and south by sixty- sis feet east and west, at tlie southeast corner of Block 19. This was accomplished chiefly by the efforts of Mr. Irvine, who also had the whole biiilding renovated within and without. After Mr. Irvine's te m expired, the Bishop appointed as pastor the present incumbent, Mr. R. B. Hoyfc. Last April's parochial report shows 27 families, 39 communicants, 7 baptisms, 6 teachers and 85 scholars in Sunday school, and a total of contributions of $167.79, parochial and diocesan.

The Second Baptist Church. - This is a church of colored people. For many years there were very few of these in Mount Vernon. Cesar Hodge and Mai-ia his wife, their daughter Amanda Guyler, and Sam, her husband, Guyler'e two boys, William and another, and Old Nick, were all. But about 1850, others came in, and in three or four years they became quite a colony. They had meetings in the old academy, and Overton and Loggins and others preached for them. Thoy settled in between the creeks east of town, till that section became well known under the name of Africa. They had Sunday school and a church organization, and so moved on for a few years, till about 1857, when some evil-disposed persons played Ku- Klux on them, and they soon scattered; Africa was depopulated, and scarcely a col ored family was left in the county. After the war, their numbers increased very slowly for a time, then more rapidly, until they found themselves in force sufficient to again organize a church. This was done in the spring of ]879, Willis W. and Rosa Wilson, Marshall and Margaret Campbell, Margaret Scott, Henry Bradford and William H. Jones were the members. Wilson was their preacher, and. May 27, Bradford, Campbell and Jones were elected Trustees. They had Sunday school awhile in the house south of Hobbs' mill; then they rented the Pace chiu'ch of Mrs. Cramer, tried to buy it, failed, and at length bought of Mr. Strattan their present house of worship, west of the Episcopal Church, for $300. Wilson was pastor two years; then Henry Jackson, of Richview, two years; the pastor last employed is named Williams, of Carmi. There are seventeen members; all attend Sunday school, in which are two regular teachers.

The Colored Methodist Church. - Perhaps our readers know that, after the war, the Southern Methodist Church encouraged its colored members to form a separate organiza tion; and by easy steps they at length, in 1875, reached the point of absolute independence, under the name of " The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America." A section of this was called the " Missouri and Kansas Conference." A member of this conference, formerly from Kentucky, W. C. Davis, visited the colored people in Mount Vernon in May, L881, and organized a church of ten members - G. W. Persons, S. P. Tandy, Charles Steager, and their wives, D. B. Bell and his two sisters and Thomas Slaughter. G. W. Persons was appointed pastor, and has continued. Their meetings have been held sometimes in private houses; for a time they used the Colored Baptist Church, and now hold meetings up-stairs north of Wlecke's Hotel. They have secured a lot, and are preparing to build a chm'ch.

The Camp Ground, or Pleasant Hill. - The first house erected here was for the Cumberlaud Presbyterians. David Summers moved down from the Samson Allen place, south of Rome, to the place in this township, where he lived so long, in 1888. It was not long before Rev. Mr. Finley, of the Ciimberland Preebyterian Church, found him, and began to preach at his house. There being neither church nor schoolhouse on that side of Seven Mile, the neighbors agreed to build a church. The host included David and Oaltin Summers and their boys, Coleman Smith, Nathaniel Parker and his boys - "only that and nothing more." But they built a small house of logs. It -was used for several years as a place of worship. But Mr. Finley was sent to labor in other fields, and Arthur Bradshaw, preacher on Mount Vernon Circuit, formed a Methodist Society here, 1846-47, A camp ground was prepared, and for five or six years camp meetings were held here every fall. August 8, 1848, George Leonard, son-in-law to Mr. Parker, conveyed a lot beginning at the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 23, Township 2, Range 3, thence running south twelve rods, east twelve rods, north twelve rods to beginning, to Bennett Short, Thomas Short, William Brookman, Benjamin Webber, Nathaniel Parker, Aaron Yearwood and W, H. Lynch, Trustees of Pleasant Hill Mee ing- Hoiise. The description of the lot was imperfect, but every one knew where it was. The camp meetings were now less regular, and finally ceased; but it was a regular preaching place, services being held in the house in cold, and under the " shed " in warm, weather. October 10, 1853, James T. Parker conveyed an additional lot, beginning at the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 23, Township 2, Range 3, south twelve rods, east six and twothirds rods, north twelve rods, antl west to beginning, to the Trustees; the board then being Coleman Smith, R. A. Grant, Aaron Yearwood, George Grant, Thomas Short, Jr., Littleton Daniel, Samuel Musgrove and James Kelly, But deaths and removals made sad inroads on the society; churches sprang up in adjoining neighborhoods; uther denominations came in, and after the war there was little of the old society left. I suppose it would be impossible to tell just at what point the organization went down. The house went into a heap, and was finally hauled away.

As Pleasant Hill began to decline, W. F. Johnson and other born Methodists, some four miles northwest, could not be satisfied without a church. John Thatcher was the circuit preacher. The neighbors agreed to build, and met to select a site, but failed to agree. Some wanted it east of where Mont Morrow lives, some west. They compromised by leaving it to Tommy Casey and Jick Maxey. Mr. Thatcher would not interfere; he sat on the groand, leaning against a tree, and read Peter Parley. At length, the " Commissioners " drove down the stakes just east of where the present handsome church stands, and there the house of logs was built. It was several years before they got a deed of the ground. At length, July 15, 1854, James A. Donoho conveyed the lot, beginning at the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 4, Township 2, Range 3, running south eleven chains, east eighteen rods, south seventeen and three-fourths rods, west eighteen rods, north seventeen and three-fourths rods to beginning, to James J. Slaxey, Mont Morrow, W. H. Chastain, S. D. Misenheimer, W. F. Johnson, John Sproiil, James Dodson, Matthew Humphrey and William H, Maxey, Trustees. This log house stood for aboiTt fifteen years, when it was sold to Dr. Cam Frost, who moved it home and uses it for an ofBce, In 1869, it was determined to build a better house; but they were in danger of being shut out from the public roads, so they got an outlet by two deeds, one from John McLaugblin, for twenty feet off the west side of the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 4, Township 2, Range 3, and one from Ed R. Collins, bea'innino' three rods west of the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of southwest quarter of Section 33, Township 1, Range 3, north eighty rods, west one rod, south eighty rods, east one rod to beginning; the latl er dated November 7, 1870, the former dated August 19, 1807, and made to J. Sproul, M. Morrow, G. A. Collins, F. -M. Bates, W. F. Johnson, Jehu J. Maxey, M. Wilson, A. S. Way and E. R. Collins. The new building is one of our best country churches, and the society there honor themselves and their profession by uprightness of life and zeal in maintaining the institutions of their church. Their Sunday school is of the evergreen variety.

The Methodist society at Liberty was organized by Rev. J. Thatcher or J. A. Robinson, in 1851. It included Anthony and John Waite, James Hails, Ransom Wilkerson and a few others. They built a log church in the usual way, every man working at whatever he could do t.ill it was done; and it was a preaching place as long as it stood, the society experiencing the vicissitudes of decline and revival common to country churches. The house stood on James Hails' land, and he was always willing to make a deed, but never ready. So it went on till 1874, when H. began to talk of selling out, when, February 4, a Board of Trustees was elected to receive the deed. It was composed of George Stitch, James Hails, John Waite, Elijah Thickston, John W. Coates, James D. Askew, Alonzo Paine, Patrick Presslar and Joseph Howard. But even this effort failed. Mr. H. sold his land to the present owner, Daniel Hershey, conveyed to him without re serve, and Mr. Hershey took the house down and moved it away. The meetings are now

The Baptist Church at Salem was organized in 1856, by James A. Keele. Some of the earliest members were Bird Warren, Johnson Motield, Zebulon Sledge, R. Hawkins, R. A. Grant, Robert Harlow, G. W. Luster, William Stroud. Jesse Clark and William Hutchinson and their wives.

Their meetings were held for several years in the Seven Mile Sehoolhouse. They procured a lot from Bluford Harlow, March 13, 1860, beginning at the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 11, Township 2, Range 3, run east twenty- three rods, south eight rods for beginning corner, then south sixteen rods, east twenty-three rods, north sixteen rods and west to beginning. The Trustees were Richard V. Hawkins, William Hutchison, William C. Beal, George W. Lester and Zebulon Sledge. Here was erected a substantial house of hewn logs, and afterward a large shed in front to accommodate the ovei'flow on special occasions. Thus it remained till last year, when a new house was begun on a lot bought from Hiram Duncan, November 1, 1882. It was finished this spring. This lot begins 12.57 chains east of the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 11, Township 1, Range 3, runs north 6.20 chains, west 2.75 chains, south 12|° west 1.85 chains to road, south 57^ west 3.U6 chains, south 2.68 chains, east 5.72 chains to beginning, being just half a mile north of the old one. The pastors of this church, since its organization, have been James A. Keele, George W. Grant, Thomas J. Burton, W. P. Proffitt (for a short time), F. W. Overstreet. J T. Tenison, B. D. Esmon and S.W. Derrickson.

Southern Methodist Church. - The career of this denomination in Mount Vernon has been rather inglorious. After all its strug gles, the writer remains almost its sole representative, and has to confess that he feels like a tall rag- weed in the middle of a frostbitten turnip patch, " whose lights are fled," etc. Soon after the war closed, and largely through the efforts of Eev. - or Hon. , perhaps both - John "\V. Westcott, the Methodist Episcopal Chm-ch South was planted in Mount Vernon - planted a little too deep, and the ground was heavy, so it didn't come up well. They got the use of the Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Dr. Eeed had services there for some time in 1867-68. A preacher by the name of Frost organized a church at the Summers Schoolhouse; and this church being planted while the Froft was on the ground, the soil was mellow, and under good cultivation the crop turned out well - about sixty bushels; that is, about sixty members. Davis, Halsey, Jones and others preached for us, but we still grew " small by degrees and beautifully less." Then, for a year or two, we had no preacher. Afterward, about 187'2, a little man by the name of Ward - a sickly young man, with a Bible and hymn-book and two shirts in one end of his saddle-bags, and about five bottles and three pill-boxes in the other - came to preach for us. He was irritable, of course. We got the use of the Baptist Church awhile, and he preached and flew around like whiz; but the bottom of his tender fell out, and he blew the crown sheet off his boiler and quit. The writer then switched off, and ran on the Presbyterian track awhile, but his drive- wheel slipped on the rails so badly that he went back to the Southern Methodists. In the meantime, 1877-78, we tried to build a chui-ch in East Mount Vernon, for the joint use of the Presbyterians and Southern Methodists. Vi'e met at Hinman's saloon and elected the writer, John Yearwood and George Haynes, Trustees, and got about $100 subscribed in a week or two. We bovight Lots 8 and 9, Dewy's Addition, and gave notes and trust deed. We took' a deed, and while one thought another had it recorded, it got lost - we have no idea what became of it. Rev. Mr. Prine almost wore all the nap off his plug hat trying to get up a Southern Methodist Church, but failed and abandoned the field. The writer had to pay off the notes and assume the debts; so he v^-as out about 1200, and in for about $100 more. He got a deed fi-om the Trustees and one from Hobbs & Guthrie, and a resolution of a called meeting confirming the action of the Trustees and accepting their resignation. The church was " busted ;" so was the writer. He tried to sell to some church, or somebody for a church, or anybody for anything, at almost any price, but no - not any. Yet the building was a church, or stood for one, about four years. And now, as far as Mount Vernon is concerned, the Southern Methodist Church is no more indeed, not near so much.

Schools - III Town. - The people of Mount Vernon, for several years, patronized schools in Shiloh Township. In 1830-31, a log schoolhouse was erected on the point, now in the northwestern part of city, north of the Tolle property, or nearly south of Gen. Pavey's. But in 1831 it was out of sight of town - purposely so, that the children might study with less distm-bance, and that the neighbors north and west might be accommodated. Scholars came from the west as far as Bullock's Prairie. Here Mr. Tally taught our first schools, in 1831-32. In the winter of 1833-34, John Baugh, Sr., taught here; the next winter, Abner Melcher, and his daughter Priscillathe following summer; and both father and daughter the next win- ter. In 1836-37, John Downer, who is still living among us, taught; after which I think the house fell into disuse. Miss Kancl, one of the teachers sent West by an association in the East, taught in a room over Dr. Parks's dwelling - the south end of the reconsti-ucted dwelling in which Mrs. Thorn lives, west of the square. To all these schools scholai-s came from a circle six or eight miles in diameter. We believe Joshua Grant, brother of A. M. , taught the next school, in the Methodist parsonage, a small frame building on the northeast corner of Block 19, where Varnell's three little brick houses stand, 1838-39. Here :Miss Elizabeth Bullock also had a summer school. It was in the edge of the woods, and we remember seeing the school thrown into excitement by the appearance of snakes in the room.

At length the people of the town became ambitious to do something better; it was determined to have an academy, and the site was chosen. In February, 1839, the Legislatui-e passed the act of incorporation, and the names of the Trustees augured well for the result. They were Zadok Casey, Stinson H. Anderson, Joel Pace, \V. S. Van Cleve, H. B. Newby, E. H. Ridgway, D. Baugh, Thomas Cunningham, J. W. Greetham, Angus M. Grant. On the 5th of July, 1839, they received from S. H. Anderson a deed to a lot 180 feet square. It was in a very pret ty o-rove. just out of town, on the southeast. A Building Committee had been appointed, Tom King, et al., and the building, furnishing materials, etc., was let to John H. Watson for $350. Of course, at this price, the house was not long in being completed; John and Asa Watson and John Leonard doing the work. There were large schoolrooms - one below and one above - a hall and stairway on the north below, and over these a room for apparatus, etc. A fine little apparatus, with chemicals, was furnished, chiefly, we believe, by Gov. Casey's liberality, at a cost of about $100.

The first sessions were taught by Lewis Dwight, "a down-easter." a graduate, perhaps, of Yale College, and a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His assistant, the first term, was a Miss Evans, the next term Joel F. Watson. Dwight began in the fall of 1839, and taught two terms. In the meantime, he married Mahala, oldest daughter of Gov. Casey, who died the following year, leaving an infant son - now Samuel L Dwight, Esq., of Centralia. People were jaretty well pleased with Dwight, as Principal, except Bowman, Sheriff, father of two extra bad boys- -Frank and Jim - one of whom Dwight ventured to correct. Bowman tried to raise an altercation with Dwight on the street, and threw a brick bat at Dwight's head, inflicting a very severe wound. Bowman was fined $1 for this cowardly assault.

The writer feels some pride in having been a pupil in the academy, though he re ceived of Mr. Dwight the only blow he ever received in school. Many of the pupils have since risen to some degree of eminence. Among them may be mentioned Dr. Newton E. Casey, of Mound City, Mayor, and member of the Logislatiire ; Thomas S. Casey, now Judge of this judicial circuit and also of the Appellate Court; Robert F. Wingate, of St. Louis, ex- Attorney General of Missoui'i; Tom B. Lester and Ab F. Haynie, of Salem, both distinguished in medicine, the latter also a poet and scholar, the former Professor in Kansas City Medical College; Isham N. Haynie, Adjutant General of Illinois; James M. Pace, first Mayor of Mount Vernon; G. W. Johnson, Superintendent of Schools; Lewis F. Casey, of Centralia; Charles T. Pace, long a leading man here in business and in his church; Dr. W. C. Pace and E.

C. Pace, bankers, of Ashley; Moses Shepherd, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Chiu-ch; Robert Yost, a lawyer of Thebes; John H. Pace, many years in various offices here; Thomas H. Hobbs, Alderman, and yet more prominent in other positions; Joel F. Watson, for sixteen years County Clerk, and others.

J. F. Watson taught a summer school after Dwight's second term closed; then came Johnson Pierson, who married a Miss Howard, wrote ap epic poem, the " Judaid," and went to Burlington, Iowa. After Pierson, Dr. Beech and lady - the Miss Bullock beforementioned, W. W. Bennett, T. B. Tanner, Mr. Walbridge with his sister, and the notorious Robert G. Ingersoll, were successively Principals of the institution.

But all this while the academy was gradually slipping away from the Trustees. The later teachers taught on their own hook. The financial career of the academy was inglorious. The tangle began early. The first schedule, from some cause, missed fire; and February 24, 1843, an act of the Legislatm-e was passed, authorizing and requiring the School Commissioner to receive the schedule of a school taught in 1S40, and apportion thereon its share of the funds of 1842, provided all other schedules in tie county were paid iu the same manner - rather an odd act. Then there was a balance due Watson and Leonard on the building; John B. Leonard obtained a judgment against the house for $40.53; the claim changed hands a few times, not being considered worth much litigation. Asa Watson found a purchaser in the Ragan family; execution had issued in November, 1852; Watson transferred the claim, and Sheriff Dodds, in 1854, conveyed the property to Richard and Barzilla Ragan. After the death of these old people, on partition of the estate, the lot was sold to C. R. Poole,

After the fall of the old academy, we had schools at various places, as happened to be convenient When Mr. Leffler, Presbyterian ministei", was here, he undertook a private enterprise, and put up a schoolhouse west of Noah Johnston's a short distance. But his school broke down on the start, or soon after, and Judge Grant bought the house, moved it into town, and annexed it to the east end of his hotel. There it stood till the old hotel was torn down several years ago. A more successful effort was made by H. T. Pace in 1851-52. He had bought a lot with a beautiful grove on it, just north of where Dr. Plummer lives, on Union street, and here he erected and furnished a very neat schoolhouse at his own expense, employed a teacher and kept u]i a school. Miss AVillard, afterward man'ied to Rev. John Ingersoll, taught in this house; then Miss Chamberlain, Mrs. Hogue, A. M. Green and others. Some schools were taught in the old Methodist Church - notably those of the Misses Martha and Sarah Green, both now residing at Normal, where the former, now Mrs. Haynie, is a Professor; the latter is the widow of the late Dr. Gray.

When the Methodist Episcojaal Chui-ch was built, it was understood that the three rooms below were for school jjurposes; and here Prof. J. Leaton, the tu-st stationed preacher, opened a school in the fall of 1854. Februarj' 0, 1855, a charter was granted by the Legislature to Zadok Casey, James Leaton, John N. Jo nson, John H. Watson, Joel F. Watson, Charles T. Pace and Walter B. Scates, who, with three others, to be named by the Southern Illinois Conference, were to be Trustees of " The Mount Vernon Acad- emy." Prof. Leaton was chosen Principal, of course, and continued for thi-ee years. He succeeded well, being a finished scholar and thoroughly systematic. After he left, Prof. A. C. Hillman, now of Carbnndale, John H. Pace, Charles E. Robinson and others conducted the school. But there was a steady decline of enthusiasm, till the academy degenerated into a common school - sometimes very common.

After the war, however, interest revived, and the Board of Trustees was re-organized. It then, 1865, consisted of S. T. Strattan, Joel F. Watson, C. T. Pace, J. S. Bogan, W. H. Herdman, Dr. W. D. Green, D. C. Warren, James Lyon, C. D. Morrison and Thomas H. Hobbs. The services of Rev. Thomas H. Herdman, of Greenfield, Ohio, were secm'ed as Principal, with Mrs. Carrie Smith, of Mattoon, as assistant. The school numbered sixty to seventy-five pupils. At the end of the first year, Mrs. Smith returned to Mattoon, and Miss Sadie K. Sellars, who had formerly taught with Prof. Herdman, in Ohio, was chosen to take her place. Miss S. remained two years, and was succeeded by Miss Anna Waggoner, now Mrs. A.'M. Strattan. Thus Prof. Herdman remained four years, giving entire satisfaction to his patrons, and winning, in an unusual degree, the love and respect of his pupils.

In 1866, the subject of building a schoolhouse was warmly discussed - indeed, it was hot. Several sites were proposed, but it required an efibrt of the board to get the people to say they wanted any. The effort cost Bogan, Sattertield and others their positions. But a site was chosen - Lots No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Block 4, Green's Addition, and a deed was obtained of Vi\ H. Herdman November 6, 1866. After so long a time, a large, twostory brick building was erected, costing about $12,000, and having two large rooms above and two below. A Mr. Barbour was employed to teach, but got cut by Duff Green, one of his pupils, and quit before his time was out. E. V. Satterfield finished his term. Then followed G. W. Johnson in 1869, then Ryder, Forbes, Wilson, Woodward, Courtney, Frohock and Barnhart, the present Principal. It was made a gi-aded school under Mj. Ryder.

When the schoolhouse was finished, the classes that had been in the Methodist Episcopal Church went into it. Those in the Presbyterian Chm-ch remained till 1878. The contract made with the Presbyterian Church August 3, 1859, by N. Johnston, C. T. Pace and I. G. Carpenter, Directors, was for the use of the room ninety-nine years, for females only; the Directors were to finish the house and keep it continually in good repair, and to keep account of all expenses, and the church could annul the contract by refunding the sum expended. In 1878, the church asked for a settlement. The Directors presented a bill of about 1555. The Trustees of the church thought this too much, as nothing had been done but lathing and plastering the room, running a partition and putting up two cheap privies and fencing the lots. They specially kicked at $50 or $60 for the privies. They also claimed to have kept up the repairs. They also wanted something for the seats that were in the room at first, but now gone. A hot war was brewing, but was finally compromised by the Trustees allowing the Directors to use the rooms for one more term and paying $50. Thenceforward, the school was consolidated. In 1881, an addition eighty feet long was erected, and now oiir six or seven hundred pupils are pretty well accommodated.

came in ] 338, and located near the spring, near where Johnson Hutchison lives, about three miles northeast of town. Finding out that he was a teacher, the neighbors combined and put up a log house on the rise - now the eastern part of Joseph Dawson's farm. Here Ghastain, Holt, Leech, Stockton and others taught for a number of years. The pati'ons of these schools were O. Harlow, Mr. Lisenby (Chastaiu's father-in-law), Burrell "Warren, James Carroll (who lived near where George Stitch lives), A. D. Estes (near the mouth of Two Mile), Freeman Bm-nett, Mr. Marlow, the Summerses, the Yearwoods, etc.

As the country liecame more populous, a division became necessary, and a school was taught in the Cumberland Church at the Camp Ground, by a Mr. Wineburger. I think the next school there was taught by Miss Hamline, now Mrs. William B. Casey, Miss Tempe Short following in the summer, and William H. Summers the next winter. These schools were about 1848 to 1851. The writer taught tlu-ee schools there in 1853, 1854, 1855. July 12, 1856, John Wright conveyed to J. R. Satterfield, W. M. A. Maxey and R. A. Grant, Township Trustees, a lot beerinninn: at the southeast corner of Pleasant Hill Church lot, running north 208 feet, east 208 feet, south 208 feet and west to beginning.

About the time the Chastain or hickory log house fell into disuse,- and the division above spoken of ensued, the northern neighborhood erected a house of split logs near Hiram Duncan's. This was known as the Split Log, the Seven Mile, or the Duncan Schoolhouse. After doing service for live or six years, this house was bm-nt down, and in 1853 the

After the Hutchisons and some others came into the border neighborhood, between Mount Vernon and the Camp Ground, still another schoolhouse was demanded, and a site was secured from John W. Summers April 7, 1856. It is described as beginning at the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 22, Township 2, Range 3, running south ten rods, east eight rods, north ten rods, and west to beginning. A house was built here, and so continues, except the addition of ten or twelve feet to the north end.

Later school buildings are of such recent date as to require but brief notice. The Collins Schoolhouse was built on a lot bought from Joshua C. Maxey Maj 3, 1863. It is in the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of Section 4, and is eight rods wide firom north to south, and twenty from east to west. The Block Schoolhouse was built in a district organized chiefly by the efforts of C. G. Vaughn, and is built on a square half-acre bought of Garner Mc Walker October 9, 1876.

It is in the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 16. The Waite Schoolhouse was built on a lot bought of Mrs. Jane C. Webber December 6, 1880. The boundary of the lot begins 24.89 chains west of quarter-section corner on the east side of Section 35, Township 2, Range 3, runs east 4.47 chains, south 2.23 chains, we.st 4.47 chains, north 2.23 chains to beginning. The schools in these houses are well sustained, and the people aim to employ better teachers and have better schools with each succeeding year.