Primitive Baptist Church and Family History
Research Assistance for Madison County, Illinois
CHURCHES:
WOOD RIVER (WOOD RIVER)(1807)
Wood River Church was constituted on May 31, 1807, by Elders William Jones and David Badgley, with thirteen charter members, viz., Elder William Jones, Elizabeth Jones, Susan Brown, Isaac Hill, Lucy Hill, John Finley, Mary Finley, Joseph Cook, Sarah Cook, John Rattan, Mary Rattan, Anne Rose, and William Stubblefield. This was the sixth Baptist Church organized in Illinois territory.
In June 1809 Abel Moore, Mary Moore, James Beeman, and Nancy Beeman were received by letter. In September 1809 George Moore and Nancy Moore joined by letter. On July 10, 1814, seven people, viz., William and Joel Moore (sons of Abel and Mary Moore), John and George Moore (sons of William Moore), and Rachel Reagan and her children Elizabeth and Timotny, were killed in the "Wood River Massacre." A memorial
The Wood River Church was one of the original churches which formed the Illinois Association, and hosted the meeting for the first time in 1808. When the mission controversy arose, this church was strongly opposed to the new measures being introduced.
In June 1815, James Beeman was appointed to secure lumber to floor the meetinghouse and purchase two acres of land from Joseph Vaughn for the building and cemetery.
Elder William Jones moved from Tennessee to Illinois, first settling on a farm west of Lusk Creek, now Golconda, in 1804. About two years later, he moved and settled on a farm near Rattan's Prairie in Madison County, east of Alton. Elder Jones was influential in standing against the innovations of the modern mission system.
It appears that Elder Jones served the church as pastor throughout almost its entire existence. Part of the records of the church, from July 1812 through September 1820, are still in existence. At one time, the church had over 40 members.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Askes, Bates, Beck, Bedin, Beeman, Brown, Conner, Cook, Finley, Gillham, Herriford, Hill, Inghram, Jones, Kitchens, McIntosh, Moore, Ogle, Rattan, Reavis, Rentfro, Rose, Russell, Stubblefield, Tunnell, Vickary, White, Williams, Young (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
CANTEEN CREEK (TROY)(1817)
Canteen Creek Church was constituted on the third Saturday in June 1817, by Elders William Jones, David Badgley, Robert Brazil, and William Brazil. There were 34 charter members, viz., David Sample, Alexander Conlee, Robert Armstrong, Solomon Keltner, Isam Vinson, Jacob Gunterman, Samuel Wood, Edward Taylor, Andrew Stice, Andrew Turner, Bailey Greenwood, Hannah Moore, Marguerite Rentfro, Mary Sample, Nancy Bridges, Sarah Armstrong, Nancy Whiteside, Peggy Tolley, Patsy Howard, Mary Reece, Susannah Armstrong, Susannah Smart, Elizabeth Armstrong, Hannah Gunterman, Mary Seybold, Sarah Van Hooser, Nancy Tolley, Elizabeth Higgins, Patsy Vinson, Naomi Wood, Nancy Stice, Comfort Turner, Margaret Armstrong, and Patsy Howard. Many of these members came from Mt. Tabor Church, in Barren County, Kentucky. The church experienced great growth for seven or eight years, and lettered out members who helped organize several other churches.
Ministers who held membership in this church included Elders Thomas Ray, Alexander Conlee, W. W. Polk, Thomas Smith, Jordan L. Tilley, James Rush, and Andrew Wood. Brethren who were members of this church, but who were ordained to the ministry after moving away from this church included William Crow, John Ray, and David Gimblin. The names of all the pastors have not been determined. The church was a member of the Illinois Association (organized in 1807).
In July 1817, the church chose a committee to inspect ground for building a log meeting house; it was the southeast quarter of Section 1 of Collinsville township. In April 1818, the church agreed that the logs were to be provided at the site where the meeting house is to be built by the 10th day of June.
According to a deed dated June 21, 1870, Andrew Wood gave land for a burial ground in Jarvis township, in Sec. 16, which was adjacent to burial ground which had been given to the trustees of the Canteen Creek meeting house, in 1844. There is still a cemetery at this site, south of Troy, and west of the Troy-O'Fallon Road, which is presumed to be the second and last location of the church, which dissolved in about 1901.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Armstrong, Ashlock, Bass, Billinger, Boles, Botkin, Bridges, Brinnan, Carson, Casebier, Chow, Collier, Commons, Conlee, Cooper, Cormack, Cowell, Crow, Denton, Deremiah, Dickens, Enyart, Fanning, Fowler, Garrott, Gimblin, Gragy, Greenwood, Gunterman, Harlen, Harmon, Harris, Hawks, Higgans, Holeman, Howard, Johnson, Keltner, Keown, Kersey, Kingston, Logston, Long, Luttrell, Main, Marsh, Mathis, McAlilly, McKee, Mills, Minch, Moore, Morgan, Nesbitt, Padan, Palmer, Parker, Parkison, Patterson, Patton, Pearsy, Polk, Ray, Reddin, Reece, Rentfro, Riggin, Roundtree, Row, Rush, Sample, Seybold, Shadrick, Simmons, Simpson, Sims, Slawson, Smart, Smith, Stewart, Stice, Strait, Taylor, Thompson, Tilley, Tolley, Turner, Useville, VanHooser, Vincent, West, Whiteside, Williamson, Wood, Wright, Wyatt, Yates.
SILVER CREEK
Silver Creek Church was organized the third Saturday in October, 1829, by Elders William Jones, Thomas Ray, John Jordan, James Street, and Larkin Craig. The charter members included Thomas Kell, William Kell, Nancy Kell, John Vincent, Patsy Vincent, Abraham Wyatt, Francis Keown, Peter Long, and Elizabeth Long. In May and June 1833 several members were dismissed to organize Mt. Nebo Church in Bond County, and Mount Olive Church in Macoupin County.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Allison, Austin, Boyd, Camp, Cason, Cochran, Cormack, Cornelison, Council, Cowell, Coyle, Crowder, Flinch, Funderbunk, Gaer, Greening, Hignight, Hill, Kell, Keown, Lester, Long, McManus, Nance, Paine, Patton, Pearce, Pulliam, Rathburn, Ricks, Self, Sexton, Sinclair, Smith, Spence, Steel, Toler, Vincent, Voyles, Wait, Warren, Wiggans, Wyatt.
NEW HOPE
New Hope Church was organized by several members of the Head of Wood River Church, after a disturbance had occurred in that church, in about the year 1837. Among the first members were Elder Alexander Conlee, and William Ogle. New Hope Church joined the Apple Creek Association, and went into the modern mission system in the early 1840's.
LITTLE FLOCK
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