Mackinaw, Illinois

The early history of the villags of Mackinaw is very fully detailed in the second chapter of this History, we therefore deem it unnecessary to record it here. The present population of the town is about 800. It is on the line of the I., B. & W., and I. M. Railroads. The first post-office was established in 1827. Mordecai Mobley was the first postmaster ; the present postmaster is James E. Hill. There is one drug store, three grocery stores, one furniture store, one hardAvare store, and two of general merchandise, one hotel, one large agricultural implement house, three wagon shops, and a grist-mill. There is a Masonic lodge, which was organized over a half century ago, and is now in a flourishing condition. The Trustees of the town are as follows : Daniel Beckly, James H. Porter, J. L. Davis, Thomas Higgins, and J. H. Wilson.

Passage source: History of Tazewell County, Illinois ; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws, published 1879.

Christian Church. - From the earliest settlement of Mackinaw township, dating as for back as 1826, there were occasional religious meetings held at private houses and subsequently school-houses. Methodist, Cumberland Presbyterian, United Brethren, occasionally a Baptist, a New Light, or Old Christian preacher, living in other settlements, or traveling through, would stop with the friendly pioneers and preach to those who would gather in. These meetings were not without some good effect. In 183-t, Elder James A. Lindsey came from Kentucky and settled in the east part of the township. He was a minister of the Disciples or Christian Church, and was, perhaps, the first resident preacher of the township ; was a man of sterling worth and integrity, kind and genial in disposition, and ardently devotional. He began at once the proclamation of the Gospel as taught by this people. Having a large family, and realizing the importance of regular church influence, he soon made it a special feature of his work to establish the cause in his own neighborhood. He was successful in harmonizing some of other religious views, and baptizing others who had made no profession. These efforts resulted in a meeting for consolidation, which was held at his house in Sept., 1837, and on the 5th day of October, at what was known as Mt. Pleasant school-house, the first Christian Church of the township, and perhaps the first, that was strictly on that basis, in the county. The Methodist Conference had established a station at

Passage source: History of Tazewell County, Illinois ; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws, published 1879.

Mackinaw town, and had monthly preaching, and this has always been a point in their Conference. The Christian Church organized with 23 members and chose as Elders, George Hittle and Samuel Fleshen; Deacons, Michael Hittle and Nehemiah Hill; James E. Lindsey, Evangelist, and R. F. Houston, Clerk. From the first the congregation prospered and increased steadily, seldom failing to meet on the first day of every week. Her circle of influence and boundaries enlarged. The school-house and the private homes were soon too small to contain the anxious congregations. The groves, God's first temples, were the frequent resorts of the early worshippers. This book will foil into the hands of those who will remember with emotions of supreme delight many of those grove meetings, where was heard the clarion voices of a Davenport, a Palmer, or a Bowles, or the milder teaching of a Young, a Major, or a Lindsey, all of whom have gone to their rewards. They brought scores to the Cross and delighted the souls of 'the devoted throngs. When, in the year 1849, the congregation conceived the necessity of a house of worship, a majority of the members favored building in Mackinaw town. Accordingly, in that and the following years, they erected a large and comfortable house. For a period of over a quarter century they occupied it, and seldom failed on the first day of the week to hold their meeting in accordance with their faith. During these years they have enjoyed the pastoral and evangelizing services of many of the finest speakers of Central Illinois. In addition to those already named there were AVm. Ryan, James Robinson, the Johnsons, the Aliens, S. T. Jones, Howe, Mitchel, R. Williams, Chaplin, Poynter, Shick, Samuel Lowe, John Lindsey, ^\. Houston, and a host of others.

Passage source: History of Tazewell County, Illinois ; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws, published 1879.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Mackinaw Township - it names this place 18 more 18 times.