Carmi Times from Carmi, Illinois • Page 102

Page Sht Ashland Christian Church History CARMI TIMES, CARMI, WHITE COUNTY, ILLINOIS mm just few have mi (ho first Sunday I churcli rinses its ft Tin I i-'i I Willi lis homecoming. I'Vimi records and the memory of i lie- okicr members we f'md Ihi'il this lias been true since the early years following I lie n( the buildinj; used in worship here. At tliis time we fmm those of our rnmmii- nily who jrono out inlo all walks life and return for just few davs to visit and reminisce of Uie days of their youth. We are i 'llwavs to hear from them and welcome them hack. We are happy and plad to he able to continue in the work taken tin in this community by those before lis.

Our sincere desire is that en of us mav always be a "workman that needelh not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" and that our is never "hid under a bushel." Thursday, December 9, 1965 SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS of Mrs. L. W. (Alice) Hen- rlershott Missionary Baptist Church, Mill Shoals. Mill Shoals Township ce Only Timberland FORMER SHERIFF Noel McCullouyli was a veteran of World War I antl he is pictured above in uniform.

A Republican, Mr. McCullouffh served White County as sheriff from 19-12 through 19-lfi. The prominent Mill Shoals resident died June 7, 1961. (History of Mill Shoals Township taken from White County History 1883.) The most northwestern town- shin in White County consisting acres, and organized in 1S72. Originally it was all in limber, now cleared in a large pait, and has fertile soil for Skillet Fork, a large i tvk i through The i-v wore I'loci, Kiekard Upton.

in. Win. tinklers, and Fowler. James H. Fraser, a native ef Phillips Township, moved to Mill Shoals in 1856.

Bears, wolves, wild turkey, and deer, were abundant in these earlv days. Mill Shoals village was laid out in 1869 by Judge Boggs, of Wayne Co. In 1883 there was a flouring mill, run by Sam Burrell, a saw mill, Behymer Co. a lumber manufacturer, two general stores, run by Behymer, Up- Sl'NDAY SCHOOL GROIT of Mrs. L.

W. Hendershott at Mill Shoals M'ssionary Baptist Church. STILL STANDING PROUDLY in the heart of Mill Shoals and do 'nji business us usual is Funkhouser Store, now owned and opeiatcd by Olin Funkhouser. who assumed the obligation upon the retirement of his father, Charles S. Funkhouser.

Morrison Hrothers first had the store, at least 75 years old, then Will'e Merrill was the operator for several years. The elder Funkhouser owned the business for almost 10 years. The interior til! contains many antiques, such as old lamps and other furni VV flit WE HOPE WE'VE HELPED MAKE WORK EASIER IN WHITE COUNTY Mill Shoals Implement Co. Mill Shoals, Illinois ton, and Lasater. Two groceries, one hotel, two doctors and a school taught by B.

F. Files. Soringerville was laid out in 1S57 for Wm. Upton. Situated on high land on the O.

and M.R.R. southeast branch. The name was changed to Springerton when the railroad was built. This town boasted a steam sawmill and gristmill, owned and operated by Mr. Upton and Co.

Two general stores owned by Springer and J. N. Mou- I ray, the other run by John W. Springer. A blacksmith shop, one family grocery, a hotel and wagon shop.

One school and two churches. In 1881 the Christian Church, Dist. 5, was organized, and the following were the first members. John Foster, Jeffry Mcintosh, Daniel Cain, Whaley Newby, Thomas Mcintosh, Lecter Ann Mcintosh, Joseph Hamon, Chas. Moore, Sarah Jane Cain, Jane Foster, and J.

W. Stone, first pastor. In 1868, a Christian Church called No. 4 was organized on the south side, which was disorganized some years later. The original members were Silas Johnson, John Fulford, Tilford Taylor, and Wm.

Richards, Pastor. Antioch General Baptist Church, organized in 1868. James Tate and Dudley Smith were the first Deacons. J. C.

Pilcher, Presley Newby, Sarah Ann Headley, John Headley, Henry Maricle, Mary Ann Maricle, Thomas and Huey Dunn, Lewis Waters and wife. Rev. Wm. Clark, H. H.

Brown, Elder Tubbs, C. Sherwood. Elder Woods, Ashby, Gillian Turner, and Wendell served as pastors. Springerton Church of Christ, organized in 1855, James Springer, S. S.

Venable, and B. F. McGehee, first Elders. Other members were J. H.

Carter, Samuel Little, M. A. Taylor, Judith Woodrow, Polly McGehee, Magdalene Springer, Mary Little, Elizabeth Carter, Lucinda Wright, Jonathan Moutray, Susan Moutray, Sally Ann Harmon, George and John Harmon, Joseph Nelson. First pastors were Moses Goodwin, Anderson Walker, Jonathan Moutray, Fenton Lumm, John A. Williams, James Springer and S.

S. Venable. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints was organized in 1874 by Elder George Hilliard. The first members of this church were J. V.

L. Sherwood, Joseph Upton, B. F. Taylor, D. A.

Huffhines, George Taylor. In 1860 there were 7 schools in Mills Shoals Township, 335 pupils in all enrolled. In 1882 ihe enrollment had increased to 1,024 pupils. The first officers in the township were James H. Fraser, Marquis Steel, Wm.

Robinson, Isaac E. Brown, George Hicks, A. M. Hunter, B. F.

Files, R. S. Renfroe, J. H. Upton, Geo.

B. Carter, Frank J. Funkhouser, W. F. Gibson, Fenton L.

Venable and W. M. Ellis. C. Moore, Sam Majors, L.

W. Stallings, J. N. WELCOME Come In And Say Hello! ENJOY A MEAL OUT DURING SESQUICENTENNIAL! Foddle House Mill Shoals Illinois Moutray, Preston J. Funkhouser, James H.

Moutray and R. Pickett, George Balsover, Wm. H- Rose, Matthew A. Wilson, Wmi 'ft. Upton, Wm.

Smith, Wm. Merrltt, Alpheus Quindry, Frank Mcintosh, John Hunter, Wm. G. Jameson, Samuel Garrison, Wm. G.

Foley, Alt A. Nelson, Hodge, James Mauck, Jeffry Mcintosh, J. F. Marton, A. C.

Duckworth, J. P. and M. Wallace. O.

P. Scudder, Aaron Hunter, Ramsey C. Cleaveland, E. Rose, Wm. F.

White, and Edward Eaton. Mt. Pleasant Church Formed In July, 1960 By Dr. A. .1.

Coale The Mt. Pleasant Regular Baptist Church was organized in Burnt Prairie White County, Illinois in July 1830 with thirty constituent members whb were William Morgan, Fulkard Fulkorson, Daniel Hunsinger, Samuel Robertson, John Hunsinger, Jacob Matthues, Adam Hunsinger, George Pope, Adam C. Hunsinger, Isaac Williams, Joel S. Calkins, Elias Roberts, Josiah Daniel, George Hunsingei 1 Jane Robertson, Polly Fulkerson, Elizabeth Hunsinger, Polly Bailey; Elmyra Crovvder, Sally Williams, Margaret Vaught, Eliza Charlotte Crowder, Margaret Ralls, Anna Roberts, Permelia Coleman, Nancy Calkins and Margaret Hunsinger, Margaret Puntney, Polly Hunsinger. The Presbytery that officiated in the organization of the Church was composed of Elder Stephen Williams of the Burnt Prairie Regular Baptist Church of Wayne County, Illinois, Elder Elias Roberts of the Bonpas Regular Baptist Church of Edwards County, Illinois and Deacons Tolliver Simpson, William Simpson and James Taylor from the Burnt Prairie Baptist Church of Wayne County, Illinois.

Elder Stephen Williams was moderator and Elder Elias Roberts was clerk. The Articles of Faith, Rules of Decorum and Church Covenant were taken from the Little Wabash Association of Regular Baptists. The first building was twenty- six by thirty feet, built with hewn Burnt Prairie Township Settlement In About 1806 A settlement was formed in Burnt Prairie Township before Carmi was laid out in town lots and the father of George Bain, one of the early pioneers, was probably the first settler in White County, having come in 1806. The Wilmans, Weeds, Funk- housers, Vaughns, Hunsingers, Files, Vaughts, Stewarts, Frederick Williams, James M. Porno- roy, Joseph Patton, Benjamin Reeves, Jehiel H.

Reeves and Captain E. Merritt were the early settlers. Jacob Hunsinger came in 1818 and Adam Hunsinger in 1819. Abraham Vaught arrived the same year and Alexander Hamilton settled here about 1816. The Rev.

Harris preached the first sermon in the township at the house of Mr. Hamilton. An Englishman named John Hcfford is said to have taught the first school in the township, which got its name because prairie land in the center and northern part had been thoroughly burned over. The first election in Burnt Prai- logs covered with three-foot boards riven from timber on the church ground. The floor was puncheon (logs hewn on one side).

The first ground deeded to the church was two acres, the cost being ten dollars. Later eight more acres were acquired. A frame building was erected in the year 1867 and was replaced with a glazed tile structure in 1949. All the records are in the original writing, well preserved, having been rebound. Elder Elias Roberts was the first pastor.

In 1833 his body was the first to be buried in the cemetery nearby. Since that time the church has had twelve others to serve as pastor who were Charles Whiting, William Watkins, John Hunsinger, Lewis Hunsinger, William DeFur, Lewis Hon, A. J. (Jack) Coale who served forty- two years, Martin Gwaltney, Osby Weatherford, William Wright, Joy D. Vandeveer, and Leslie Brinson.

the present pastor has served seven years. ric Precinct was in 1818 in the house of Jacob Hunsinger, one mile south of Liberty. Named By Reeves The little village of Liberty was started as early as 1818, and named by Jehiel H. Reeves. Frederick Williams opened the first farm at this point, built the first house and opened the first store.

He and his brother, Jeremiah, were natives of Scotland, were carpenters and millwrights, and built the first mill at Liberty, the first in the township. Jack Russell started the first wagon shop and the first blacksmith shop was by Andrew Smith, who also built the first horse- mill in the township. The first shoemaker was William Allison; the first physician, Dr. Alex Stewart, and the first school teacher, Philena Cook. Dr, Culler was another early physician.

James, son of Dr. Stewart, was the first white child born in Liberty. Present day residents of the community, changed officially from Liberty to Burnt Prairie during the past spring, claim the two rooms still standing between Bill Musgrave's home and Coale's DX service station on the main street: are I lie remains of the first building erected there. They also believe the second house built there is the one across from the old school, now a community center. It is occupied by John Rockett.

The first: lots in Burnt Prairie were laid out by Jehiel Reeves. Business District The village business district today consists of the II. G. Calkin and James Clark stores, Opal Campbell's Cafe, service stations operated by Bob Musgrave and Bill Coals, Bill Musgrave's City Motor Company, Allen Carter's feed and hardware store, Verlis Englebright's blacksmith shop, Colleen Walker's beauty shop and Chelsea Staley's fertilizer bulk station. The post: office, of which Mrs.

Allen (Morcio) Juenger is posl- mislress, is in the central part of town. There are two churches, the Cumberland Presbyterian and Missionary Baptist, and a Masonic Hall. Liberty Mills, the first steam mill, was three stories high and had a basement. The proprietors were Holmes Young, who moved the mill to Liberty from Enfield in 1S89. It eventually was purchased by Cal and Sherman Morrison and it grew into a sizable industry for the community.

The popular Just Right brand of flour and corn meal were produced until 1960, when only meal was made. The last meal was manufactured in August, 1964, by Ray and Martin Morrison, sons of Sherman Morrison, and the old mill is now idle. Leading merchants of early years were B. F. Davis, who started his store in 1858; James Morrison, who came from Scotland, taught school a number of years and formed a partnership in 1857 with a Mr.

Campbell, who died in 1864, and John Haefele, who came from Wurlemburg, Germany, in 1852 and was the first cigar manufacturer in town. Furniture Factory Paul R. Boyce had the only exclusive grocery store in Liberty and R. IT. Pitekott kept a furniture manufactory and store.

Mis. Mary P. Vaught bought the only hotel in 180(5. Two early physicians were Dr. Wesley Phillips, from Ohio County, Kentucky, and Dr.

Pleasant Puckctt, who came from Tennessee in 186(5. Old timers state there were merchants in Liberty long before the above named store keepers, but accurate records have not been Bill Musgrave, the city clerk, took a census in mid-November and found that 121 people live in (Continued on Page 7) 4 NEW MT. PLEASANT CHURCH, ERECTED 1919. CHRISTMAS MEETING IN 1828 held at Mt. Pleasant Church (built in 1867).

MT. PLEASANT CHl'RCH and school in 1920. NOW AND THEN in telephone service was demonstrated by Hob Musgrave at his Texaco service station in Rurnt Prairie just before the General Telephone Company switched the area over to dial September 21. The old crank-type phone was removed from the wull immediately after the new instrument on the counter became the official means of communication. CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF CONTINUED PROGRESS FOR WHITE COUNTY PROGRESS MEANS PROSPERITY TO WHITE COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE MAY CONTINUED GROWTH SHOW NEW ADVANCES FOR EACH OF US AND ALONG WITH IT A Growing Wealth Throughout The County! C.A.FRENCH and SON GRAIN ELEVATORS At Enfield, Mill Shoals, Springerton And Golden Gate, Illinois.