Just when the first services of the Baptist Church were held in Schuyler County is not a matter of record, but the ministers of that faith were early in the field and had reached Rushville in the latter 'twenties. A division of the church at this early day tended to disorganize the evangelistic work and the effects of it were felt in this county.

On October 20, 1832, a Baptist Church of Christ called Concord, was organized, and there were twenty-three persons in Schuyler who signed the constitution and articles of faith. Elder John Logan was called as pastor and he served until 1836 when he was succeeded by Elder Newell.  Services had been held principally in the country up to this time, but in 1837 a building was erected in Rushville.  After a short time this building was sold and a new church was built on the Macomb road, four and a half miles north of Rushville.  Elder Davis was pastor of the church from 1840 to 1847, and during these years there was a great revival of interest. This culminated in the building of a new church in Rushville in 1551, but for some reason the church never thrived in this city, and finally the congregation was unable to keep up their organization, and the building was sold to the Rushville Union School district and is now used for the primary grades.
 

Excerpted from Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Schuyler County, 1908, edited by Howard F. Dyson.
Transcribed by Karl A. Petersen for Schuyler County ILGenWeb

Copyright 1999 Robin L. W. Petersen; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information.

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