CHURCHES

The Methodist society began with an organized society in 1858, although for ten years before that, the people held house-to house meetings. A small church building was erected in 1866, and for thirty years regular service was held in it. Never numbering over twenty, the class is now so diminished, that at present the church building is indefinitely closed.

With four original members, H. G. Thompson and wife, Cynthia Smith and M. M. Thompson, the United Brethren congregation was organized in 1864. The congregation increased to sixty members, then decreased until those remaining could not support a pastor, and the church building was sold and removed.

The Baptist congregation was organized with a class of twenty-five in 1807, and when the first public schoolhouse was erected in the village was bought and removed to a church lot, enlarging it to a moderate sized structure. Though not large, the congregation maintains regular services on Sunday. The Ladies' Aid Society connected with the church, is a valued auxiliary. They have stated meetings, socials, maintain a bank account, and help in the church work.

The Methodist and United Brethren congregations had maintained Sunday school classes. The one existing Sunday school is the Baptist. At the County Sunday School convention at Rock Island in 1908. this school was awarded a banner, the prize for the largest membership in proportion to population. The pioneers held Bible classes at their homes. In 1859, a Sunday school was organized at Andalusia by members of various denominations, and the name "Union Sunday School' adopted after a warning given by an earnest, Christian lady, Elizabeth, fondly called "Mother" Eby: "My friends," she said, "it will make no difference what name you give our Sunday school, but, my friends, you must sing from the Methodist hymn book."

 

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois

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Illinois Ancestors

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