A Sketch History of Primitive Baptist Churches in Wisconsin
Early Settlement of Wisconsin
"Wisconsin Territory" was separated from "Michigan Territory," and the first session of the territorial government met at Belmont, in Lafayette County, in 1836. Later sessions of the territorial legislature convened at Burlington, Iowa. Wisconsin, the "Badger State," became the 30th State, in May 1848, and Madison became the permanent Capitol. Most of the early inhabitants of the territory lived in the lead mining region in southwestern Wisconsin.
Primitive Baptist Pioneers in Wisconsin
Most of the first Primitive Baptists in this state came to southwestern Wisconsin to work in the lead mines. As a result, at least five churches were organized in the counties along the southern border of the state, prior to Wisconsin statehood. Several ministers were pioneer settlers in Wisconsin.
Elder Darius Bainbridge was living eight miles from Snake Hollow (a place on the Mississippi River where steamboats landed) and was the pastor of Bethel Church, in Grant County, by July 1841, when the First Northwestern Association was organized. In September 1842, the First Northwestern Association was held at Bethel meeting house near his home. He was ordained prior to coming to Wisconsin.
Elder Joseph Osborne was one of the earliest Baptist ministers to preach in Lafayette County, Wisconsin. He lived at Wiota.
Elder Benjamin Sallee (b. 1815 - d. 1899) came to southern Wisconsin during the 1830's to work in the lead mines, and he states that "about the year 1840, two Primitive Baptists came to where I lived, and held some meetings; and during these meetings, it pleased the good Lord to awaken me to a sense of my duty." He was probably ordained by Bethlehem Church after coming to Wisconsin. He was a member of Mt. Pleasant Church in Lafayette Co., Wisconsin for many years, then joined New Hope Church in Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Elder Thomas Davey (1820-1906) was born in Devonshire, England, and died at Delavan, Wisconsin. He came to Wisconsin in 1844 and settled near Elk Grove. He later lived at Warren, then Lena, Illinois. He first joined Bethlehem Church near Platteville, where he was ordained; at the end of his life his membership was in Providence Church near Lena, Illinois.
Elder James Gholson, of North Fork Church, Hamilton Co., Ill., where he was ordained. In company with Elder William M. Morrow he was one of the first Baptists to explore Iowa. He came to Jo Daviess Co., Ill., in 1844, and united with Little Flock Church near Scales Mound in 1845. He soon moved to Lafayette Co., Wis. He worked in the lead mines at New Diggings, as possibly others places. He died in 1850.
Elder Andrew Gregg was born in 1811, and died in Whitman Co., Washington, in 1895. He joined Bethlehem Church in Grant Co., Wisconsin. He moved to Oregon in 1863.
Elder William Long was born in 1810. He was ordained in about 1836, probably in one of the churches of the Spoon River Association of Illinois. He was a member of Honey Creek Church in Green Co., Wisconsin, and later united with Little Flock Church at Scales Mound, Illinois, before moving to Iowa, where he died in 1889.
Elder Joseph D. Wilcox had moved to Milton, Rock County, Wisconsin, by 1845, as he is shown as an agent of the Signs of the Times, from Wisconsin, in 1845. "The First Old School Baptist Church of Centre" met in his home, in Milton. He was ordained before coming to Wisconsin.
Elder Titus Bishop (1787-1862) moved to Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, in about 1847, where he spent the last fifteen years of his life. He was ordained in the Warwick Association of New York. In 1849 he was living at Alcove, Wis., and was walking 76 miles each month and preaching twice each week. He later lived at Eden in the same county. There may have been Primitive Baptist churches in that area, of which we have found no record.
Elder Robert Jeffers (1786-1861) was born in South Carolina, where his father died when he was small. His mother moved to Kentucky in 1807. He was baptized in Cane Run Church, Henry County, Kentucky, in July 1828, by Elder John W. Thomas; he was ordained and preached there for about ten years before coming to Crawford Co., Ill. He came to Wisconsin in 1846, and helped establish a church at Beloit the same year. In 1852 he moved to Lafayette Co., Wis., where he died in 1861. He was a soldier in the War of 1812.
Elder Andrew J. Norton (1818-1898), united with Little Village Church, Crawford County, Ill., March 21, 1838. He moved to Beloit, Wis., in 1846; from there to Scales Mound, Ill., in 1852; then to Lafayette Co., Wis., in 1853. He moved Hampton, Iowa, 1869, and helped establish West Fork Church in 1871.
Elder John Butler (1817-1886), was born in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, reared in Muskingum Co., and joined Licking Church in about 1838, and was baptized by Elder Thomas Harper. He moved to Green Co., Wis., in the fall of 1845. He was ordained by Honey Creek Church soon after he came to Wisconsin. He was a charter member of Honey Creek Church, and remained a member there until he moved to Iowa. He died May 27, 1886.
Elder William Stillwell came as an infant, with his parents, to Green Co., Wis., in the spring of 1840. In 1876 he joined Honey Creek Church. In the fall of 1880 he moved to Iowa.
Elder Nelson Jeffers wrote an account of his life which was published in the Signs of the Times. He was a charter member of Beloit Church, later called Mt. Pleasant Church in Lafayette Co., Wisconsin, and was ordained there in 1871, by Elders Henry Smith, Walter Baker, and Benjamin Sallee.
Elder Anthony E. McKnight was ordained by Mt. Pleasant Church, in Lafayette Co., Wisconsin, in October 1874.
Lic. Moses Darnall was a member of Bethlehem Church in Grant Co., Wisconsin.
Lic. Francis S. Gholson was a member of Mt. Pleasant Church in Lafayette Co., Wisconsin.
In the Spring of 1869, Elder Lemuel Potter took a trip to Wisconsin for the sake of his wife's health; and during the six to eight weeks of their stay, he held services at Woodstock, in Richland County. There was interest in organizing a church, so he made a trip of three or four days, trying to find a preacher to serve them, but failing to do so, he returned to his home in southern Illinois.
The First Northwestern Association
According to a letter from Mr. John B. Kaufman, published in the Signs of the Times, in early 1842, The First Northwestern Association was organized in the fall of 1841, in Jo Daviess Co., Illinois, with four churches. Mr. Kaufman wrote that the association was favorable to the benevolent institutions of the day, and that some of its members were rank abolitionists; however, it soon became evident that a majority of the churches did not favor the modern mission system. In 1848, the association declared non-fellowship for Elder John P. Parsons, as a gospel minister, and in his acts in the constitution of the association. (John P. Parsons caused trouble by accepting an appointment of the Home Mission Board of the Mission System; we have copies of his appointments in our files.) By 1846 there were five churches in this association; by 1848 there were nine. The churches were located in Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Ogle counties in Illinois; and in Rock, Grant, Green, and Lafayette counties in Wisconsin. The location of one church has not yet been determined, viz., Kentuck's Grove.
According to a letter from Ann Saltzman, published in the Christian Doctrinal Advocate, the First Northwestern Association was organized by four churches, all of which had been constituted within the past two years, one in Grant County, Wisconsin Territory, and the other three in JoDaviess County, Illinois. She says it was organized in July 1841, at Bethel Church in Jo Daviess Co., Illinois.
Copyright c. 2013. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
