Untitled Document

Beulah Presbyterian Church-Rural Township

Beulah Presbyterian Church was organized August 22, 1854 , with 16 charter members. Early meetings were held in the Bailey school house, located on the Francis Bailey farm, later known as the Morgan farm. In 1938 Maurice Martens owned the farm. The first regular pastor was the Rev. Thomas Chestnut, who preached from June 1855 to June 1856. He was followed by the Rev. Chauncey Leavenworth and the Rev Jacob Coon. John Farrar was the first elder. He served for three years and was succeeded by Archibald Scott and Alexander McCandless. Mr. Scott served as clerk of the session for 26 years. At the second meeting of the organization, Oct. 21, 1854 , occurred the first infant baptism, that of John Killing, son of Francis and Jane Killing. Records of these early days are meager, and from the diary of Mr. William Moore, an early settler and a member of the then recently organized Homestead United Presbyterian Church, which also held meetings in the school house, we learn the following: Sunday Oct. 21, 1854. The old School Presbyterians held their communion in the school house today. There were 15 communicants.

From this diary we learn also that the first Sunday School in this vicinity was held in the school house. It was organized by the United Presbyterians, an April 30, 1854. On that date the second and third chapters of Matthew were studied and Mr. Moore was appointed teacher of the first class of boys. The first trustees of Beulah church were John McCandless, Frances C. Killing, and James Donaldson. They were elected in 1859, just prior to the erection of the church. The church building was erected in 1860, and was dedicated on Aug. 17 of that year. The land for the church grounds and also for the cemetery was the gift of Richard Donaldson, of Washington County Pennsylvania. The cost of the building, the contract for which was let to Frederick Weyerhauser, of Coal Valley , was about $1600. Several of the members pledged $100 each toward the building, and paid their pledges by selling corn at 10 cents per bushel.

The first pastor of the new church was Rev. Jacob Coon, who had for two years been preaching in the school house. He served five years in all. Pastors since then include W.W. Moorhead, William McClung, Henry Fisk, Moses Noerr, A. F. Alexander, C. F. Carson, W. B. McKee, T. B. Terhune, J. W. Francis, C. H. Brown, F. M. McCreery, John Laman, Mr. Simpson, Andrew McMakin, C. S. West, W. G. Beaird,
F. F. Ogle, W. F. Berge, C. WE. Hoff, C. A. Litchfield (as of 1938). Pastor Litchfield was also the Pastor of churches in Coal Valley and Sherrard.

In 1908 the church was remodeled. In 1921 an annex was built and stucco work was done. A redecoration of the church interior in 1929 cost $1,000. In 1938, Beulah boasted 125 members with an attendance of 75 at Sunday School. 1938 marked the 21 st anniversary of the Beulah Missionary Society. In 1938 the only charter members descendants were Mrs. Margaret Wilson and Jane and Francis Killing. 1938 also saw Ernest Beck, Zed Wynn, W. M. Wilson, and Clyde Bollman serving as elders. The trustees in that year were Gust Anderson, Albert Simmon, Vernon Wilson, M. O. Wilson, and J. W. Beck. At the time, Hannah Wilson, 85, was the oldest member. W. H. Killing had been a member the longest of all in the congregation at 58 years membership, having joined in 1877.

Sam Lipton(second on the right)and Officers of the church

History of Beulah Prebyterian Church, Rural Township and pictures from Rob McConkey, St. Louis

Illinois Ancestors

110306BMKF