Primitive Baptist Church and Family History
Research Assistance for Hamilton County, Illinois
CHURCHES:
TEN MILE CREEK (1820)
Ten Mile Creek Church was organized on September 2, 1820, at the home of Bro. Jeremiah Moore, by a presbytery composed of Elders Wilson Henderson, John Wren, and Chester Carpenter. The charter members included Moses Shirley, Nancy Shirley, Samuel Vance, Lucy Vance, Andrew Boyd, Delila Boyd, Susanna Moore, Polly Moore, and Susannah Tarleton. It appears that Jeremiah Moore and Elder Chester Carpenter joined very shortly after the constitution. The early records are incomplete. The Muddy River Association minutes disclose that Ten Mile Church grew from 11 members in 1820, to 46 by 1824, notwithstanding that in 1822, 21 members were dismissed by letter to organize the Elk Prairie Church in Wayne County. Elder Robert Moore had joined this church by letter by 1827, as he and Milton Carpenter were ordained to the ministry here in May 1827.
***In 1841, as disclosed in Elder Coffey's History of the Regular Baptists, this church joined the Franklin Association, having defected to the cause of modern missions. Coffey says that eight or ten of the most permanent members did not go with the church in these departures. The majority, after joining the Franklin Association, adopted a new confession of faith, and adopted the mission system in full.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Allen, Boyd, Carpenter, Daily, Dale, Downen, Edwards, Flint, Green, Hardisty, Hardy, Hill, Huffstatler, Meyers, Moore, Page, Ross, Scrivner, Shirley, Sims, Sturman, Tarleton, Taylor, Townsend, Vance, Wilbanks, Willis (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
NORTH FORK OF SALINE RIVER (BROUGHTON)(1823)
North Fork Church was organized in 1823, by members dismissed from Bankston's Fork Church. Daniel Powell and William Gholson were chosen to bear a request to join the Muddy River Association, in September 1823, at which time they reported 13 members in fellowship.
Early meetings may have been held for a time in the homes of members or in schoolhouses, but the Muddy River Association in 1833 appointed their next meeting to be held at the North Fork meeting house, probably a log structure. We have not determined whether this was the same as the later site, but in July 1869, a warranty deed for two acres of ground was received from James W. Gibson and Daniel Gibson, and their wives Nancy and Malinda, on which a frame structure was erected.
Pastors included Elders John Pearce, Achilles Coffey, S. R. Foster, T. E. Vickers, Walter Vickers, William Hancock, C. F. Stuckey, Daniel Lowry, Simon Reeder, Harrison Knight, Osby L. Weatherford, Jake Barnett, T. J. Johnson, A. D. Hancock, and Oscar C. Smith.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Allen, Barnett, Bhurmester, Boren, Brown, Cox, Crouse, Farris, Franklin, Gholson, Gibson, Gould, Griffith, Hamilton, Hardesty, Hayes, Holland, Huffstuttler, Hughes, Johnson, Lanham, Lewis, Maberry, Morris, Parker, Porter, Powell, Seaton, Spencer, Story, Tucker, Vickers (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
RECTOR'S FORK (1825)
Rector's Fork Church began meeting in about July 1824, as an arm of Lick Creek Church. The arm prospered, and a church was organized in June or July 1825. Rector's Fork Church united with the Muddy River Association in September 1825, at which time her messengers, John Schoolcraft, Jarvis Sweeten, and John Gholson, reported 45 members. The church continued to enjoy some prosperity, and in 1828, dismissed several members by letter to organize Little Spring Church. By 1839, the church had declined to 10 members, and in 1840 the church was reported as being dissolved.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Braden, Conner, Dinsmore, Durham, Franklin, Gent, Gholson, Hatchet, Heard, Head, Henson, Hutson, Johnson, Lasswell, Little, Lockhart, MeGhee, Moore, Odle, Pearce, Perry, Powel, Schoolcraft, Snellen, Steward, Sweeten, Thompson, Veach, Waller (incomplete list due to loss of records).
LITTLE SPRING (DALE)(1828)
Little Spring Church was organized pursuant to a meeting called on Saturday before the fourth Sunday in January, 1828. The charter members, dismissed for that purpose from Rector's Fork Church, were as follows, viz., Jacob Braden, Nancy Braden, John Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Robert Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Samuel Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, William Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Fanny Odle, William Veach, Jenny Veach, Delilah Heard, Enoch Johnson, Mary Johnson, and Elizabeth Waller. Elders Charles Lee, William Gholson, and Robert Moore formed a presbytery which pronounced them a gospel church.
It is thought that two or more buildings were used at the present location before the present comfortable and attractive meeting house was completed in 1909. An 1860 deed shows James W. Flanigan, F. P. Upchurch, and S. R. Foster as the trustees. An 1876 deed for property at the same location shows George W. Johnson, William W. Johnson, and James E. Trout as trustees.
Several ministers have been ordained by this church, to wit, Elders S. R. Foster, B. Ezell, Osby Weatherford, Harrison Knight (May 1922), Oscar C. Smith (April 1950), and Willie Huffine (October 1989). Pastors have included Elders S. R. Foster, H. J. Gwaltney, Parret Hunt, J. E. Mossbarger, Robert Upchurch, Harrison Knight, Oscar C. Smith, and Willie Huffine.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Acord, Adherman, Atteberry, Barker, Barlow, Bealmer, Berry, Blades, Braden, Bridwell, Brown, Broyles, Cantrell, Carroll, Cluck, Coffey, Cook, Cooper, Cox, Crabtree, Craddock, Culpepper, Curtis, Daniel, Darnell, Davis, Deen, Denton, Drake, Dustin, Dye, Easley, Eblin, Essary, Eubanks, Ezell, Flannigan, Flint, Foster, Frank, Friend, Gant, Garvin, Gray, Green, Hall, Hanks, Harrellson, Hart, Hayes, Heard, Henson, Hill, Hinds, Hines, Hose, Huffine, Hungate, Hunt, Irby, Johnson, Jones, Kirkpatrick, Knight, Lane, Laswell, Lee, Lewis, Link, Madox, Massey, McCall, McGhee, McGill, Mezo, Milligan, Mitchell, Moon, Moore, Odle, Oliver, Page, Poyner, Ray, Reeves, Rietts, Ritchason, Russell, Sampley, Shaptean, Shuster, Smith, Sullens, Summers, Suttle, Tampley, Tate, Trout, Upchurch, Veach, Vickers, Waller, Ward, Warren, Weatherford, Wheat, Williams, Younger (incomplete list due to lack of part of the records).
BEAVER CREEK
Beaver Creek Church united with the Little Wabash Association in 1830. It was reported as being dissolved in 1836.
NEW HOPE (SPRINGERTON)(1839)
New Hope Church was organized at the home of William Upton on Saturday, October 12, 1839. The charter members were: John Carter, John Upton, Miles Carter, James Sneed, Samuel Section, William Upton, Annie Carter, Polly Hasten, Nancy Bennett, Elizabeth Bailey, Patsy Thompson, Sarah Sneed, Malinda Chambers, Polly Section, Mary Sneed and Elizabeth Upton. The presbytery was composed of Elders Stephen Williams, William Watkins, and John Hunsinger; and Brethren William Gray, James Taylor, Toliver Simpson, Samuel Roberson, and Acy Artebury.
Early meetings were first held in homes of the members. In 1854 and 1855 they met in a schoolhouse near Matthew Springers; later at Old Gum School near Bungay; and still later, the church built a meeting house in the village of Needmore (now Bungay). In October 1890 the church acquired property adjoining the Springer Cemetery, where the present meeting house was built. In October 1890, the church trustees, George W. White, Adam Thompson, and Elijah Tittle, received a deed for the church property from John Upton. The property is on the section line between Sec. 21 and 22.
In 1926, the church dismissed about thirty members to organize a new church at Rupert, Idaho.
Pastors have been Elders William Watkins, Israel Dewey, William Thomas, John Hunsinger, Isaiah Walker, Jerry Wooten, Lewis Hunsinger, Lee West, A. J. Coale, Stephen Williams, Elijah Tittle, Simon Reeder, Stephen Williams, Jeremiah Hunsinger, J. A. Ross, S. D. Williams, J. M. Hunsinger, P. H. Williams, T. E. Hopper, C. E. Jones, D. H. Knight, Oscar Smith, and John O'Dell. Elder John O'Dell was ordained in this church in October 1980.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Allen, Anderson, Bailey, Beardley, Bennett, Benschoster, Bond, Bowers, Brooks, Browning, Bruce, Calkins, Cannon, Carter, Chambers, Creek, Culley, Davis, Dewey, Driscoll, Duckworth, Ellis, Erwin, Essary, Farmer, Farthing, Ferrell, Goodwin, Gree, Groves, Gwaltney, Hall, Hammond, Hardy, Harguth, Harrell, Harris, Hasten, Hays, Henderson, Hollow, Holmes, Hopper, James, Johnson, Jones, Kennett, Kytom, Lasater, Little, Logan, Loving, Lowery, Loyd, Maricle, Martin, Mayes, Merrill, Miller, Moore, Munsell, Musgraves, Nations, Neal, O'Dell, Oldham, Plumley, Reed, Robinson, Ross, Salsman, Schuster, Seals, Section, Sloan, Smith, Sneed, Stallings, Stewart, Stone, Stuart, Taylor, Thompson, Tittle, Tyhurst, Upchurch, Upton, Vickers, Weatherford, West, White, Wiggins, Williams, Wood, Writter, York (incomplete).
HOGG PRAIRIE
Hogg Prairie Church united with the Muddy River Association in 1841. No other information has been obtained.
HAW CREEK
Haw Creek Church was organized by members dismissed for that purpose from New Hope Church. The minutes of New Hope Church, for June 1844, show that a request was received from the following members, for letters of dismission to organize a new church, at the home of Brother James H. Sexton, viz., J. H. Sexton, Samuel Sexton, Patsy Thompson, Malinda Creek, and Adam Creek. The organization of the new church was appointed to take place on Saturday before the third Sunday in July 1844. In November 1846 the minutes of Hopewell Church of Wayne County show that Haw Creek Church requested helps to dissolve them.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Cockrell, Creek, Sexton, Thompson (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
RECTOR'S FORK (WALPOLE)(1872)
Rector's Fork Church, near Walpole, was organized in 1872, and united with the Muddy River Association the same year.
Pastors after about 1900 included Elders Thomas E. Hopper, Robert F. Upchurch, J. E. Mossbarger, D. H. Knight, Osby Weatherford, Ralph Williams, and Oscar Smith. Elder Ralph Williams was a member of this church, and was ordained here in July 1929. Other earlier ministers who held membership in this church included Elders James Tate, Parriet Hunt, William F. Bourland.
Two acres of land in Section 12 of Flannigan township was deeded to the trustees of Rector Church, in 1872, by Eli Coffey; and a frame meeting house was erected on it. It stood at the site of the present building. The church divided over the doctrine of absolute predestination in about 1900. The absoluter party retained possession of the original house; the party recognized by the Muddy River Association met part of the time in a school. In 1910 an acre of land in Section 2 of Flannigan township was given to the Church by F. O. Williams and his wife Margret, and a new meeting house was erected there, about a mile west of the original site. After the old original building was torn down, and the party favoring absolute predestination had ceased to exist, the recognized part of the church moved their building back to the site, on the north side of the cemetery. There they continued to meet for many years, but the church finally dissolved in 1976. Some meetings were held in 1984-1986 by the remaining members and friends. The last building was torn down in 2009.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Atteberry, Bourland, Braden, Brown, Cantrell, Chocteau, Coffey, Cooper, Dean, Deen, Douglas, Ellis, Endicott, Gray, Hargraves, Hines, Holland, Hopper, Hunt, Irby, Lewis, McKey, Mezo, Russell, Shoptaw, Shasto, Smith, Tate, Vantrease, Williams (incomplete list due to not having access to part of the records).
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE SOURCES AVAILABLE FROM THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST LIBRARY:
Minutes of the Muddy River and Skillet Fork Associations; records of some of the individual churches; writings and obituaries by members in church periodicals.
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