The Carthage Republican
Carthage, Illinois
Wednesday
August 5, 1925
Page 3
Columns 1 - 6THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Of Hancock Township,
Hancock County, Illinois.BY JOHN CAMERON MCCUBBIN.
John and Elizabeth Cameron had been members of The Disciples of Christ several years before moving to Illinois. In fact they had united with that organization during the first decade after it had been founded. After settling in Illinois, they often longed to hear a sermon from a preacher of their own particular belief, and especially one from their old minister, Elder Phillip Mulkey, who had taken their marriage vow in White county, Tennessee, on March 19, 1818.
As the Camerons had been active members in their old congregation in the south, they continued the Christian work in their new home, by giving their own children religious instruction. It took no small amount of patience for them to wait fifteen years, which they did, before they realized their long cherished hope of having one of their own ministers come into the community and preach for them.
Colonel Thomas S. Brockman, who came to Hancock county and commanded the state forces that opposed the Nauvoo Legion, during the Mormon War, which was fought in 1846, was an ordained minister in the Christian church. The year following the war, the Colonel established his home in Carthage, and John Cameron called on him and made arrangements for him to come out and hold a meeting in the Pin Oak Grove school house. This building stood about one and one-half miles west of the Cameron home.
Elder Brockman held his meeting according to arrangement, which was sometime during the summer of 1847, and as far as known, John and Elizabeth Cameron were the only ones in the congregation who were members of the Christian Church at the beginning of the meeting.
Among the converts at the Pin Oak Grove meeting, were Mrs. Eleanor McCubbin, Miss Margaret Cameron and Lewis Duvall. At the close of one of the Sunday services, the congregation went to Crooked Creek and assembled at the water's edge, just below Sam Brown's mill, to attend to the ordinance of baptism. Brown was at the mill at the time and happened to be on one of his periodical drunks. He came staggering down after the singing had begun and cursed and swore at the crowd and among other things said "He'd be d---d if he'd allow people to wash away their sins in his mill pond." As a natural consequence, this tirade of Brown's broke up the meeting. The congregation quietly withdrew and went down the creek and reassembled at a spring that was near the water level, a short distance below the Brown residence. There they continued their service without interruption, as Brown was too drunk to follow them.
Elder Brockman returned occasionally after the close of the meetings mentioned and preached at both the Pin Oak Grove and the Joe Duncan school houses.
In 1849 William Booz was converted at the Mt. Pleasant Christian Church. He was a natural orator and soon began to speak in the meetings. His ability was recognized at once and he was given every encouragement by the officers of the church. His first real sermon, however, was delivered at the Joe Duncan school house, sometime during the summer of 1849. Soon after this he was ordained, though he was only seventeen years of age at the time.
When the construction work on the Berea school house had progressed to a point where the building could accommodate an audience, Elder Booz began to hold regular Sunday church services there. This was before the first school had been opened in it. During the first meeting in the school house, Miss Frances Cameron was converted. At the close of the services, the congregation went to Crooked Creek, where this boy minister officiated at his first ordinance of baptism, and every detail of the service was conducted in a dignified and graceful manner.
Not long after Elder Booz had begun to hold meetings in the Berea school house, Elder Brockman came out and assisted him in a protracted meeting. One of the converts at that meeting was Joseph McCubbin.
Berea Christian Church.
About the month of September, 1849, Elder Brockman with the assistance of Elder Booz, formally organized a church in the Berea school house and it was known as the Berea Christian Church. The charter members of that organization included the following: John Cameron; Mrs. Elizabeth Cameron, wife of John Cameron, Mrs. Susan Dye, wife of Wm. Dye and daughter of John Cameron; Mrs. Sarah Rhea, wife of Stokeley P. Rhea and daughter of John Cameron; Miss Frances Cameron, daughter of John Cameron; Miss Margaret Cameron, daughter of John Cameron; Joseph McCubbin; Mrs. Eleanor McCubbin, wife of Joseph McCubbin; Jesse Riggens; Mrs. Sally Ann Riggens, wife of Jesse Riggens and daughter of Joseph McCubbin; William Booz; Mrs. Elizabeth Booz, wife of Wm. Booz and daughter of Joseph McCubbin, Jonathan Prior; Mrs. Levina Prior, wife of Jonathan Prior; Wm. Parker; Mrs. Rhoda Parker, wife of Wm. Parker.
Those elected to serve the church as its officers were the following: John Cameron, Elder; Jonathan Prior, Elder; Joseph McCubbin, Deacon; Wm. Parker, Deacon.
The furniture of the old Berea school house was all home made and very plain and simple. It consisted of a small table for the teacher or minister and a set of benches for the pupils or audience to sit on. These benches were made of slabs just as they had come from the saw at Sam Brown's mill. The legs were fitted into auger holes bored in each corner of the slab and were left just as they were when split out of the log. The benches had no backs to them. The lighting system consisted of four tallow candles. One of these was kept in a candle stick on the table for the speaker and the other three were on the walls. Those on the walls were held upright by means of sockets or auger holes bored in blocks and the blocks nailed to the logs. The interior of the walls was just as the logs had come from the tree, with the exception of about two inches that Jesse Riggens had "scalped" from the side of each log after the building was completed. The walls were naturally dark and dingy, and absorbed a good portion of what little light the candles afforded.
When an evening meeting was to be held, the announcement was always made that it would "begin at early candle lighting," and the singing would invariably begin at that time.
During the first year that church services were held in the school house there were but two song books for the entire congregation. One of these belonged to John Cameron and the other to Elder Booz. Neither book contained any music. Booz was entirely lacking in musical talent, and never struck a tune in his life, but he used the song book to "line out" the words for the congregation.
A singing teacher came over from Pontoosuc about 1850 and organized a class to which he gave instructions in singing. He sold several copies of a song book, called The Christian Psalmist, to his pupils. This book contained both words and music. The teacher used a tuning fork, by means of which he was enable to give the correct pitch for each tune. The fork had two prongs about four inches long, that would be lightly gripped between the teeth, then with a moderately quick jerk, the prongs would be set to vibrating, when the fork would be quickly passed to the ear of the operator and from the known pitch of the fork the scale could be run and any desired pitch obtained.
During the term of music lessons mentioned, Wm. G. McCubbin learned to read music and he was selected to lead the singing at the church services.
I have one of the original song books that was used in the old Berea school house.
From the time the Berea Christian Church was organized until the school house was torn down and moved away, which was during the early fifties, Elder Booz held regular weekly services there. Under his ministry there were several additions to the charter membership. Among them the following: Wm. R. Bloyd, Turner McCubbin, son of Joseph McCubbin, Elisha Cameron, son of John Cameron, Elizabeth Cameron, wife of Elisha Cameron, LaFayette Rhea, Pinkney Simmons, Mrs. Simmons, mother of Pinkney, Guthrie Smith and his wife "Pattie" who was a daughter of Jonathan Prior.
A minister by the name of Hovey preached a few times for the Berea congregation.
I have among my files an old communication, written in 1851 by Elder Brockman, and addressed to my grandfather, John Cameron. It was in reference to church work and reads as follows:
"Mt. Sterling, Brown Co., Ills.
Dear Brother:I received your kind letter and now
hasten to answer it. In the first
place we are all enjoying the best of
health hoping through the blessing of
God you and all yours enjoy the same
great and inestimable blessing.I will inform you that I will be
with you on the Saturday evening be-
fore the first Sunday in June next at
the school house at 4 o'clock. I will
try to get to Brother McCubbin's to
dinner and should be glad to meet you
there at that time. If God permits
the Saturday evening following at
four o'clock I will be at Joe Duncan
and Sunday.I wish you to tell Brother Booz to
have his harp strung and ready to
lay siege to the Devils Kingdom, as I
hear he is working wonders.I wish you would inform all my
brethren that it is my desire and wish
to meet them at the house of the Lord
once more, and sisters too.You may think by my long absence
from you that I have forgotten you
but you would be much mistaken in
this as I have often remembered you
at the throne of grace in my prayers
publicly and privately.Tell the girls that Elizabeth Ann
will pay them a visit when we come
up.I am very sorry that our brethren
are so careless about the things that
pertain to their eternal welfare. If
Christ should make his second appear-
ance what an awful situation they
would be in to meet him. I am yet
trying to preach on Sundays, warning
sinners to repent and obey the gospel.
Oh would to God that our brethren
would attend to their duty. We have
the truth brother and if each of us
would perform our duty it would pre-
vail.When I promised to be with you
before I was sick, very sick for two
or three days, so it was out of my
power to come, and ever since until
about a month ago. I have been down
with sick headache every three or
four days though at this tune I am in
better health than common.I must bring my letter to a close.
Give our best respects to all friends.
We remain yours in Christ in hope of
a better world.
May 12th, 1851.
(Signed) Thomas S. Brockman."Brockman's letter was written before the days of either envelopes or postage stamps. It was folded and sealed with red wax, and the address was written on the outside portion that had been left blank for that purpose. It was addressed to "John Cameron, Carthage, Hancock Co., Ill."
I will also copy from a rough outline sketched by Elder Wm. Booz in 1852. This outline was from a sermon that he was to deliver at the Old Berea school house, and reads as follows:
"Col. 3rd Chapt.
1st, If ye then be risen, etc. Seek
those things which are above.
Ref.
2nd, Set your affections, etc.
Ref.
3rd, For we are dead, ect. Rom.
6, 7, For he that is dead is freed from
sin.
Ref.
Rom. 6, 22. But now being made
free from sin and become servants to
God.
Oration, Description.
1, Exordium (Demonstration)
2, Narration, (Graces)
3, Proof, (Smoothness)
4, Persuasion--Eloquence--Ordinary.
5, Recapitulation--Elegance.
6, Exhortation--Sublimity.
Parts of Exhortation.
1, The object.
2, The Importance.
3, The Reward.
Feb. 1852 (Signed) W. Booz."After the old Berea school house was moved away, (which was during the early fifties, as mentioned above,) nearly all the members of the church affiliated with the Mt. Pleasant Christian Church.
Oak Grove Christian Church.
As soon as the brick building in the newly organized Liberty School District was completed, which was during the year 1857, Elder Brockman held a meeting there. Emanual Jones and his wife were converted at these meetings. Not long after this, the school house in the Oak Grove district was ready for occupancy, and Brockman preached a Sunday or two there. At one of the Oak Grove meetings, Geo. W. Jones, son of Emanual Jones, was converted.
Now that there were suitable buildings in the community where an audience could be accommodated, it was considered an opportune time to organize a church. Accordingly it was announced at one of the Oak Grove Sunday services, that the following Sunday a meeting would be held at that place for such a purpose. Pursuant to announcement, the meeting was held and a good representation was present. As in the case eight years before when the Berea Christian Church was organized, Thomas S. Brockman was in the chair and was assisted by Elder Wm. Booz. The names of the following parties were enrolled as charter members, and they proceeded to organize the Oak Grove Christian Church:
John Cameron, Elizabeth Cameron, Mrs. Susan Dye, Miss Frances Cameron, Miss Margaret Cameron, Joseph McCubbin, Mrs. Eleanor McCubbin, Wm. G. McCubbin, Jesse Riggens, Mrs. Sally Ann Riggins, William Booz, Mrs. Elizabeth Booz, Jonathan Prior, Mrs. Levina Prior, Wm. Parker, Mrs. Rhoda Parker, Wm. R. Bloyd, Lafayette Rhea, Pinkney Simmons, Mrs. Simmons, (Pinkney's mother), Elisha Cameron, son of John Cameron, Elizabeth Cameron, wife of Elisha Cameron, Guthrie Smith, Mrs. "Pattie" Smith, wife of Guthrie Smith, T. B. McCubbin, Miss Martha Cameron, daughter of John Cameron, Emanuel Jones, Mrs. E. Jones, Geo. W. Jones, son of Emanuel Jones.
By comparing the list of charter members of the Oak Grove Christian Church with the members of the Old Berea church, it will be seen that the new organization was, in reality, the Berea Christian Church reorganized, under a new name. The new church contained all the names that had been on the old church roll with the exception of those of Mrs. Sarah Rhea and Turner McCubbin, those two members having been lost by death.
There are five names on the new church roll that were not on the old one. They are: T. B. McCubbin and Miss Martha Cameron, who had united with the Mt. Pleasant church after the Old Berea church had lapsed, and the three Jones names, who were recent converts as mentioned above.
The members elected to serve the church as its first officers were the following:
Emanuel Jones, Elder; Jonathan Prior, Elder; Geo. W. Jones, Deacon; T. B. McCubbin, Deacon.
Elder Wm. Booz who had served the Berea Christian church with satisfaction, was unanimously chosen to take charge of the newly organized Oak Grove Church as its regular pastor.
There were other ministers who came occasionally and assisted the local pastor with the work. Among them were the following:
Elder --------- Brethren held a protracted meeting about 1861 or '62. This resulted in several additions to the church.
About the year 1867, Elder James Ross preached once a month for several months.
Robert Foster, M.D., preached occasionally about 1868.
An old minister by the name of Vance, would drop in occasionally, about the year 1869, and address the congregation.
Prof. Griffin, of Carthage, who was County Superintendent of Schools, preached a few times about the year 1870.
About the year 1872, Elder M. K. Kirk held a protracted meeting which lasted several weeks. The result of that meeting was over thirty converts.
After the close of the meetings all the converts were baptized at one service. The place selected for the observance of that ordinance, was on the east side of Middle Creek, at a point about due north of the John Porter residence.
Elder Yates preached a few sermons about the year 1874.
I remember one particular Sunday morning service at the Oak Grove school house, during the summer of 1872. Elder (who was also Dr.) Wm. Booz preached the sermon. My grandmother Cameron, who was then nearly 73 years of age, had come from her old home north of Crooked Creek, and rode on Biddy, her old dapple gray mare. She had come all the way around by Brown's Ford, unattended, and on her arrival she dismounted without assistance. She entered the school house on time, looking as neat and tidy as any lady in the congregation. She was attired in black silk: Dress, lace cap and gloves. Entering heartily into the service she took part in all the singing. I sat near her and remember two of the songs that she sang. One was:
"Blow ye the trumpet blow,
The gladly solemn sound."
and the other one was:
"Come thou font of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace."It is easy to imagine that while on her way to church that morning in meditation, she looked back over the forty years that had elapsed since she came with her family and helped to establish a home in the wilderness where no church privilege of any kind was available. It must have been a satisfaction for her to know that by their joint efforts, she and her late husband had been the means of laying the foundation of a church home for the community, and the congregation which she was then on her way to worship with.
Though assisted by other ministers at times, as stated above, Elder William Booz was really in charge of the two churches from the time the old Berea Christian church was organized in 1849, until 1876, or about one year after the Oak Grove church edifice was completed. At that time he voluntarily resigned, but was always willing and ready to assist any of the ministers who succeeded him.
In the capacity of preacher, school teacher and physician, William Booz rendered a very valuable service to the residence of a large community. This service began before he was ordained to the ministry and ended only at his death, which occurred in 1901. It covered a period of over fifty years. In the case of many different individuals, he attended at their birth, took them into the church, performed their marriage ceremony, ministered to their last earthly requirements, preached their funeral and wrote their obituary for publication.
A record of some of the early activities of the original members of the local Christian Church, and the diversity of service rendered by their minister, certainly deserve a place in the history of Hancock township.
Fresno, Calif., June 12, 1925.
John Cameron McCubbin.
