Lake Fork Predestinarian Baptists, Logan County, Illinois

LAKE FORK
PREDESTINARIAN BAPTISTS

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The Lake Fork Church of the Predestinarian Baptists was the first organized religion in south Logan County and perhaps in Logan County itself. Amazingly, two copies of the contemporaneous records of this denomination have survived. They appear to be identical and are in extremely fragile condition. Many years ago Dalen Shellhammer, a genealogist in this area for more than 50 years, read one copy and made some notes. Cheryl Rothwell read pages of the other copy and made additional notes, including some history and genealogy related to the group and its members. Check back as more genealogy is added.

The Lake Fork Church of the Predestinarian Baptists, a strict, fundamentalist group, was organized January 20, 1827, at the house of James Turley by William Kenner, Hiram Bowman and Phillip Stephens. Hiram Bowman was chosen as moderator and James Turley as Clerk. James Turley and his wife were the first white settlers in south Logan County, arriving from Kentucky and locating in section 30 of what is now Mt. Pulaski Township.

The seven original members of the Lake Fork Church of the Predestinarian Baptists were: James L. Turley, Charles Barney¹, James Scot (sic)², Carter Scroggin, Agness Turley, Margaret P. Turley and Phebe Scroggin.

Meanwhile, in Greene County, Ohio, the Regular Baptist Church of Indian Run, for reasons unclear, decided to migrate en masse to Illinois. Most of those who did not migrate in the first wave came within a couple years. The original members of that church were: (men) Abraham Lucas, Michael Mann, Philip Stevens, Solomon Wood, Lewis Chance, John Turner, Ebenezer Perry, James William Wilson, Peter P. Lucas, Joseph Lucas, Thomas Lucas, Samuel Nives, and William Copeland; (women) Sarah Copeland, Elizabeth Chance, Massy/Marcy Kelsey Lucas [wife of Abraham], Sarah Price Lucas [wife of Joseph], Rachel Perry, Mary Lee, Elizabeth Mann, Margaret Smith, Mary Lucas Turner, Sarah Hoblit Lucas [wife of Thomas], Sarah Lucas Copeland, Phebe Lucas Wood, and Elizabeth Stanberry. Most of them ended up in south Logan County and became part of the Lake Fork Predestinarian Baptist Church, soon to become the Regular Baptist Church of Lake Fork (1833).

Religious services were held at the home of James Turley until March 1828 when the home of Boston Finders was purchased. This served as the meeting house until June 1831 when, according to the minutes, Brother Collins and Turner were appointed to choose a spot for a new church building. "Selected a spot on William Copeland's land at or near a spring and Brother Copeland agrees to give one acre of land to bild (sic) said meeting house on and to make a deed to the same." The trustees were authorized to sell the old meeting house and "convert the money toward bilding (sic) a new meeting house" (November 1831) [Several researchers believe this spot was north of the Lake Fork ditch a little over a mile south of Steenbergen Cemetery on the east side of the road. Nothing remains.]

In 1836 William Copeland was made Clerk and Michael Mann, Moderator. The meetings were held on Saturday, before the first Sunday each month. Many families would come great distances, bringing baskets of food and prepared to stay over night. Michael Mann and Stephen Hukill both preached, as a rule.

In April of 1841 John Turner succeeded Robert Burns, who later joined the church at Buffalo Hart, as trustee. John R. Burns, who also transferred to the Buffalo Hart church, served as Clerk of the Lake Fork church, succeeding William Copeland in April 1856.

The discomforts caused by cold weather were apparent in the church minutes when in 1856 and 1857 they voted to hold their meetings in Copeland Schoolhouse. In February of 1857 the minutes show that $618.00 was "in the hands of the building committee" and the church instructed the committee "to go on and enclose the house with windows and doors and the church will be responsible for what is lacking." This apparently solved their problem as the winter of 1857 they used the "old meeting house as usual."

July 12, 1859 - James Cheatham was appointed deacon to replace late Carter Scroggin
August 1860 - A. L. Clayton replaced Stephen Hukill as trustee
April 1862 - James Cheatham replaced J. L. Mann as Clerk
May 31, 1866 - Michael Mann, pastor for 30 years, died

In July 1868 the members voted to move the building from "where it now stands to a place near Brother J. L. Mann's residence." J. L. Mann and G. N. Simpson were to be superintendents of the moving. In Nov 1869 they voted to "fense house known as Lake Fork Baptist meeting house with a good plank fense". The moving committee was discharged and the deed received for the land from J. L. Mann and his wife.

Brothers and Sisters from Buffalo Hart Grove who requested letters of dismissal to form their own church (December 1871) were: Robert and Patsy Burns, John and Lucy Burns, Benjamin and Ellen Luckett, W. A. and Emily Burns and James Elder.

The records for the Lake Fork Baptist Church end in August 1894. There was no mention of the church closing but it is believed that the church closed its doors about this time. No one has located any pictures of any of the church buildings.

This listing is drawn from several listings in the record and is known to be incomplete. It does not include some of the earliest members -- example: Abraham Lucas and his wife Massey/Marcy. We also know some of these people left the church and moved further west.

A. J. Tolbert	dismissed	Rec. by experience Apr 1883; letter granted June 1888
A. L. Clayton	Dead	Rec. by letter with wife, Holland July 7, 1857
Agnes Wade	Joined	Mar 1830
Agnes Edwards	Dismist	Dec 1838
Agnes Turley	Dead
Alister Benson	Dismist	Mar 1860
Allen Turner	Dismist	Rec. & baptized Sept 1843
Anas Mileham	dismissed	Rec. May 1840; dis. to join another church Apr 1841
Ann Turner	dismissed(?)	Rec. & baptized Apr 1844
Ann E. Turpin	dismissed	Rec. by experience July 1879; dis. Aug 1893
Ann Turley	Dismist	Presented letter from Spencer Grove Church & rec. June 1837; dis. Mar 1840
Anna Lynn	Rec.	by letter Jan 1854; dis. Apr 1854
Anna Hukill	dismissed	Rec. Mar 1853; dis. May 1859
Benjamin F. Davis	Dismist	dismissed Mar 1853
Benjamin Luckett	Dismissal	Rec. by letter Oct 1870, dis. to form Buffalo Hart Church Dec 1870
C. L. Ashurst	Rec.	by experience Oct 1885
Carter Scroggin	Dead
Catherine Lane	Rec	by letter Apr 1832
Catherine Lane	Joined	by experience Apr 1832
Charles Harper	Dead	Joined by letter Mar 1833
Charles Barney	Dismist (sic)	Letter granted, June 1839
David Peals	Dead	Rec. by letter from New Hope Church Sept 1861
David F. Lee	Dismist	Rec. Nov 1849; letter of dis. May 1851
Deborah Barney	Dismist	Letter granted June 1839
Elijah Friend	Dismist	Letter in Sept 1847? May have been for Nehemiah - rec. says Mr. Friend
Eliza Bowman	dismissal	Rec. by letter from Lebanon Church Oct 1862; Dis. May 1866; Rec. again from Lebanon Church, Logan Co, Ill Nov 1874; Dis. Oct 1875
Eliza Foster	Dismist	Joined by experience Feb 1834; joined another church Mar. 1840
Eliza J. Tolbert	dismissed	Rec. May 1885; Letter granted June 1888
Elizabeth Scroggin	dead	Rec. by experience July 3, 1858; died Nov 1888
Elizabeth Mann	Dead	from Bethel Church July 1837
Elizabeth Terpin	Dismist	Rec. by letter from Danville, Hendricks Co, Ind. Nov 1867; dis. Aug 1893
Elizabeth Clayton	dead	Rec. by letter July 7, 1857
Elizabeth Dotson	Joined	by letter Jan 1832
Elizabeth H. Scroggin	Rec.	from Hopewell Church, Vermillion Co, Ind June 1890
Elizabeth Bowman	dismissed	Rec. by relation Dec 1863; letter of dis Sept 1865
Elizabeth Jane Huston	Rec.	by experience June 1888
Elizabeth Barns (?)	Letter	Aug 1833
Elizabeth P. Landis	dead	Rec. by letter July 1855
Elizabeth Collins	Dead	Rec. by letter Oct. 1827
Elizabeth K. Landis	dismissed	Rec. by letter July 1855; dis. Sept 1861 (letter of dis. to Elizabeth Piper)
Elizabeth Burks	Rec.	by experience Oct 1830
Ellen Luckett	dismissed	Rec. by letter Oct 1870; Dis. to Buffalo Hart Dec 1871
F. H. Clayton	Dead	Rec. by letter with wife, Eliz. July 7, 1857
Franky Scott		Letter of dis. Feb 1833
G. N. Simpson	Dismist	Rec. by letter from Horse Prairie Church, Randolph Co, Jan 1867
George Reaves	Dismist	Rec. by letter, July 1851; Letter of dismissal Dec 1851
Hannah Lucas	Dead	Rec. Dec 1828
Hannah Huston	dismissed	Rec. by experience Sept 1865; Dis. Mar 1866
Hannah Friend	Dead	Joined by experience Mar 1834
Hiram Bowman	Dismist	Rec. by relation Dec 1863; letter of dis. Sept 1865 (wife, Eliz.)
Holland Clayton	Rec.	by letter July 7, 1857
Hugh Collins	Dead	Joined by letter May 1833
Isham (sic) Birks	Dead	Rec. by letter from Providence Church, Newton Co, Mo July 1874 (he signed name Birkes)
J. B. Ralston	Dead	Rec. by letter Nov 1870
Jacob L. Mann	Dismist	Rec. by experience July 4, 1858; Letter of dis. Jan. 1878 with wife, Mary Ann, returned by letter Apr
James W. D. Taylor	Joined	by Letter July 1830
James Ashurst		Rec. Oct 1871
James H. Ring	dismissed	Rec. by letter from New Salem church, McLean Co. Apr 1882; dis. May 1889
James L. Turley	Dead
James Elders	Dismist	Rec. by experience July 1869; to Buffalo Hart Dec 1871
James Cheatham	Dismist	Rec. by letter Aug 1856; Dis. Sept 1867
Jane Benson	dismissed	Rec. by experience & baptized June 1856; dis. Sept 1860
Jane Baldwin	Rec.	Nov 1850 by letter; however, must have died before trans. as minutes say "late sister".
Jane Rankins	Rec.	by letter from Lebanon Church, Mar 1862
Jane Rankins	dismissed	Rec. Nov 1850; Letter of dis. May 1851
John More (sic)	Dismist	Rec. by letter, Mar 1853; Dis. July 1853
John Turner	Dismist	Letter for him & wife, Mary Sept 1849; Rec. Nov 1827
John Reed	Dismist	Rec. by relation Dec 1847; letter of dismissal May 1851
John Edwards	Dead	Joined by letter July 1830
John L. Ludwick	dismissed	Rec. by letter June 1879 from Horse Creek Church, Pawnee, Ill; dis. June 1880; Rec. from Bethel Indian Grove, May 1882; Dis. May 1886.
John Robertson	Joined	Mar 1827; dis. Apr 1829
John R. Burns	Dismist	to Buffalo Hart Church Dec 1871
Joseph Richardson	Dismist	Rec. by letter June 1861; Dis. Mar 1862
Joseph Lucas		Letters of dis. Dec 1838 for he and Susannah, his wife
Katharine Cheatham	dismissed	Rec. by letter Aug 1856; Dis. Sept 1868
Katharine Wheeland	dismissed	Rec. by letter Nov 1854; Dis. Sept 1870
Keziah Lykins	Dismist	from church in Shelby Co. July 1837; Letter of dis. Mar 1842
Levi Welch	dead	Rec. by experience Oct 9, 1879 at baptism of Mary Welch
Lucy Scroggin	Dismist	Mar 1880
Lucy Emily Burns	dismissed	Rec. by experience June 1871; Dis. to Buffalo Hart Dec 1871
Lucy Edwards	Dead
Lucy Burns	Dismist	to Buffalo Hart Dec 1871
Lucy Turley	Joined	Jan 1830
Luther Barney
Luther Barney	Dismist	March 1840
Margaret P. Turley	Dismist	July 1843
Martha (Patsy?) Burns	Dismist	Dis. to Buffalo Hart Dec 1871
Mary Girtman	Dead
Mary Bowman	dead	Rec. and baptized Oct 1846
Mary Ashurst	Rec.	by experience Oct 1871
Mary Welch	dead	Rec. by experience Oct 1879
Mary Ann Birks		Rec. by letter from Providence Church, Newton Co, Mo July 1874
Mary Broadaway (sic)	dismissed	Rec. by experience & baptized July 1855
Mary Cast, Jr.	Dead
Mary Burks
Mary Eliz. Ludwick	dismissed	Rec. by letter June 1879 from Horse Creek Church, Pawnee, Ill; dis. June 1880; Rec. from Bethel Indian Grove, May 1882; Dis. May 1886
Mary Turner	Dismist	Rec. Nov 1827; letter Sept 1849
Mary G. McLean	dismissed	Dis. Nov 1866
Mary (Polly) Cast, Sen	Dead	Rec. by letter Jan 20, 1827
Mary Burks	Joined	Oct 1827
Mary Metcalf	Rec.	by experience Oct 1879
Mary Harper	Dismist	Joined by letter Mar 1833
Mary Lee	Dismist	Aug 1893
Mary Cast	Rec.	by experience July 1830
Mary A. Ring	dismissed	Rec. by letter from New Salem church, McLean Co, Apr 1882; dis. May 1889
Mary Ann Mann	dismissed	Rec. by experience July 3, 1858; Letter of dis. Jan 1878; ret. by letter Apr 1879
Mary Peale	Rec.	by experience Sept 1861
Michael Mann	Dead	Rec. with wife, Eliz. from Bethel Church, July 1837; died May 31, 1866
Milton L. Billings	dismissed	Rec. by experience Oct 3, 1886; Letter granted Feb 1888
Nancy Taylor	Joined	Oct 1827
Nancy Wheeland	dismissed	Rec. July 7, 1857 (Wheeling)
Nancy Cutright	Dismist	Letter from North Fork Church Jul. 1837; Dis. Mar 1838
Nehemiah Friend	Joined	by experience Feb 1834
Norman Roberts	Rec.	by letter from Walnut Grove Church, Warrick Co, Ind May 1870
Peter Wheeland	Dismist	Rec. by letter Nov 1854; Dis. Sept 1870
Peter Cutright	Dismist	He & wife, Nancy came from North Fork Church. July 1837; Letters of dis. Mar 1838
Phebe Scroggin	Dead
Polly Cast	Rec.	by letter Jan 20, 1827
Polly Curtis	Rec.	by experience Aug 1877
Polly Girtman	Rec.	by experience Aug 1830
Polly Skiner	Rec.	by experience with Rhoda Copeland
Polly Harper
Polly Mills	dismissed	Dis. Nov 1861
Rebecca Landis
Rhoda Copeland	dead	Rec. & baptized July 1856
Rhoda Mann	dead	Rec. by experience June 4, 1859
Robert Cast (Cass)	Dead	Rec. by letter Jan. 20, 1827
Robert E. Burns	Dismist	to form Buffalo Hart Church Dec 1871
Rowland Lane	Rec.	by letter Apr 1832
Russell S. Scroggin	Rec.	by experience June 1883
Salina Tipton	dismissed	Rec. Apr 1854
Sally Martin		Letter Oct 1830; excluded July 1831; Rec. back in church Feb 1833
Samuel B. Campbell	Dismist	Oct 1876
Sarah Lucas	Dead	Rec. by letter De. 1829 with Thomas
Sarah Finders	Dismist	Joined Mar 1830; dis. Mar 1840
Sarah Lee	dismissed	Rec. Nov 1849; Letter of dis. May 1851
Sarah M. Ring	Rec.	Aug 1884
Sarah Turley	Dismist	Jan 1841
Sarah Copeland	Dead	Joined by letter June 1830
Stephen Hukill	Dismist	Rec. by letter Mar 1853
Susan Ring	Rec.	by letter from Lancaster, Oh church July 1872
Thomas Lucas	Joined	Dec 7, 1829
Virginia Gibson	Dismissed	Rec. By Experience Jan 1887; Dis. May 1889
William A. Burns	Dismissal	Rec. by experience Dec 1870; dis to form Buffalo Hart Church Dec 1871
William Copeland	Dead	Joined by letter June 1830
William Lynn	Rec.	by letter Jan 1854; dis. Apr 1854
William Rankin	Dismist	Rec. Nov 1850; Letter of dis. May 1851
William Deatheridge	Dismist	Rec. by "relation" May 1841; Dismissed Sept 1844

¹ Charles Barney and his wife Deborah, dismissed from the church in 1839, went to Nauvoo and then to Utah among the pioneer Mormons. Going to Utah from the church a few years later was the widowed Marcy Lucas Williams, a granddaughter of Abraham Lucas. In 1865 in Utah Marcy married Henry Charles Barney, son of Charles Barney.

² This may be Captain James Scott, Eighth Company, Third Battalion, Washington County Militia, who came to Logan County with other members of that company including John Downing. He originally settled on Salt Creek.

Background graphic provided by Rhio's Sampler.