Church and Family History Research Assistance
for Primitive Baptist Churches in Cumberland County, Illinois
CHURCHES:
OLD CONCORD (NEOGA)
Old Concord Church was organized in 1830 or earlier, as it petitioned for membership in the Wabash District Association on October 2, 1830. The church was listed as having 16 members, and David Moore was her messenger to the association that year. In May 1831, Concord Church went into the constitution of a new Association, called the Okaw Association, at which time the church messengers were Daniel Drake and Daniel Moore, who reported 15 members. Later in the year 1831, G. Gillstrap and George Cross were also messengers to another session. In 1843, Old Concord Church meeting house was located at the east edge of Shelby county, near the "great thoroughfare leading from Terre Haute to Springfield, St. Louis, etc." (The church apparently divided about this time, and the place of meeting of the other faction has not yet been determined.) In 1851 Elder William Crow filled an appointment at Concord Church (Elder Threlkeld's meeting house) in the morning, and at 3:30 that afternoon "at the meeting house of the opposite party." Old Concord Church became a member of the Wabash District Association once again in 1880, and hosted the annual sessions several times, first in 1890, and as late as 1916.
Pastors after 1900 included Elders John Shields, Jesse Shields, M. B. Moffitt, F. M. Pope, Stuart Flanagan, Z. S. Price, George W. Inyart, and Oscar Campbell.
A building had been built, in 1884, at the site of the Concord Cemetery, four and one-half or five miles northwest of Neoga, south of the pavilion on Lake Mattoon, in Neoga Township, Cumberland County. A monument marks the spot where the church stood.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Balch, Blystone, Champion, Cross, Curry, Drake, Duvall, Ellis, Garret, Gilbert, Gillstrap, Goode, Higgins, Janes, Kinkade, Moore, Pullen, Renshaw, Roy, Shields, Waggoner (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
BIG SPRING (JANESVILLE)
Big Spring Church was organized by 1840, or earlier, but the date is uncertain, as the records have not been located. This church was originally a member of the Okaw Association, and when that body divided, this church stood with the Threlkeld faction. In 1877 Big Spring Church was the host church for the constitution of the Big Spring Association. It appears that a faction of the church was identified with the New Hope Association about the same time. The church was described as being located near Campbell, on the St. Louis branch of the Peoria, Decatur and Evansville Railroad. Later, the location was given as being in Janesville. The town of Janesville may have grown up around the church, as the town was laid out in about 1879, whereas a sign on the front of the church gave a date of 1869. A picture of the meeting house in Janesville has been obtained, from a postcard. Elder Thomas Thelkeld was an early pastor. Elder Isaac Taylor, whose name appears in several county histories, was ordained here on Saturday, October 16, 1875, and served as pastor until his death in 1911. His home was a community land-mark, and its hospitality was enjoyed by hundreds of people. Elders John G. Sawin and B. L. Nay later served the church as pastor, but the dates of their tenure are not known. Funerals were held at the church as late as 1937 and 1941.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Campbell, Chowning, Douden, Dunn, Furry, Greer, Hanley, Jones, Mason, Moore, Owings, Parr, Peters, Phipps, Portlock, Richardson, Ryan, Sexson, Simms, Stanberry, Taylor (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
SALEM
A church called Salem united with the Okaw Association in 1845. The location was not stated, but the names of members included David Cross, George Cross, Roger Cross, William H. Pullen, and Thomas Robison.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE SOURCES IN THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST LIBRARY:
Minutes of the Wabash District and Big Spring Associations; obituaries of members in church papers.
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