The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-03-07
For the Free Tsader.
History of the Bib,e Cause in Illinois


. Organized efforts for the promotion Of the
circulation of the scriptures in this State,
u GATE back to 1924, eight years after the for.
: nation OF the American Bible Society, and
l SIX years after the State was admitted into
the mon. The history Of the Bible cause,
as indeed, the history Of the State, for scv.
= eral years afterwards, is confined a!rno { cx
ciuSvely to the southern counties, nearly
all of Northern Illinois being yet the homo
Of the Indian.
Rev. John NJ. Peck, of Rock Spring, ST..
Clair Co, Baptist Clergyman, wen known
in this State, was the first agent Of the
American Bible Society here.
Through his instrumentality the Madison
Co. Il. D. was formed in the beginning Of
S24, and recognised soon after by the A. D..
) as its first auxiliary in the State. Mr..
Peck continued his labors in Illinois and
Missouri during 1924, and m the report Of
the 4. B. s. for that year, we find nine new
societies recognised viz: Bond CO., Edwards
Co, Green Co., Monroe Co., Sangamon Co.,
Morgan Co, st. Clair Co., Union Co and
White Co. The secretary Of the Morgan
Co. B. 5. resided a; Quincy, from which il
would seem that the county then extended
to the Mississippi river.
All these new societies except those OF
Madison and Monroe counties, received soon
alter their organizations, about 500 worth
OF books each, on an average, as gratuity
from the \. IL. ;. 10 commence with, a fact
that should not be forgotten now that we
are able to make donations in return.
In the report of the y. i. 5, for 1926,
VIC find the following:
"Rcv. John VI. Peck has continued his
faithful and successful agency during the
period for which he was appointed The
Board have reason to believe that the two
agencies Of this gentleman which have eX-
tended over portions Of the last and Of the
two proceeding years have had an important
influence upon the religious interest Of the
western country. Twenty societies formed
by him have been recognised as auxiliary
during the last year, and the result Of his
whole agency has been the establishment Of
twelve societies in Missouri, twenty in lli-
nos, and six in indiana, auxiliary to the A.
Il. :, besides some branches connected with
auxiliary institutions
The societies organized in Illinois during
this year were the Counties Of Crawford,
Edgar, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Johu-
son, Montgomery, Pope and Wabash, all OF
course, in the southern part OF the State.
All of these societies, as well as those Of
Union, -. Clair, Monroe and White conn
tics. received donations Of books from the
Parent Society during the year.
During the 1926. the 4. Il. ;. was without
an agent in the state, and but one auxiliary
was organized, viz: that OF Fulton county,
which received a present Of books to com.
mence with, amounting in value to 500 30
In 1927 the society was also without an
agent here, and but very little interest Or
activity was manifested by the auxiliaries.
One new one, however, was formed in tho
Ia <.Ft ha Stota ti.,l
the Fever River Lead Mine Ii. s., to
which 80 Bibles and 100 Testamenta were
granted. The Lead Mines around Galena
had attracted thither population, and this
society was formed to supply them with
the Scriptures Almost all of the other
parts of Northern Illinois, were still and for
years afterwards, destitute Of material for
Bible organizations. The number of books
sent by the \. b. s, 10 the State, during
the year, was ] lG1 for which $45l 50 was
received in return, and Sil as donations.
In 1923, or carly in 1929, the Illinois BIZ
bic Society was formed, and received a grant
Of 200 Bibles and POO Testamcnts, valued
at Sl94 80. Its secretary, Rev. 5. Hardy,
then of Greenviic, Bond Co., and since an
agent Of the Parent Society, wrote soon az
ter its organization 20 the parent society as
follows:
There is no way Of obtaining Bibles in
this western country but through your So
ciety, for merchants do not bring them and
there is but one book store to the west of
Cincinnati on the north side OF the river.
The Standing Committee have ordered me
to write for 500 worth of books to be paid
for down; for 5000 worth on credit, and as
large a donation as you can bestow"
The State Bible Society existed for several
years, until the establishment Of county So
ceties in almost every county rendered il
unnecessary, when it was suffered to be-
come extinct.-Nearly co-eval with the for
nation OF the Illinois B. $, was that OF
Union Grove, then in Peoria County, but
now in Putnom. 1t has since changed its
name, and become the Putnam Co. Il. s.,
being the eldest Bible Society in Northern
Illinois with the exception OF that Of "Fe-
yer River Lead Nine, which is now defunt.
During the year ending April 30th, 1929,
Bibles aud TcstamentS were sent by A. Is.
$, to the State to the number Of 1856,
more than twice the number sent out tho
year before.
During the next year 10 hew auXiliarics
were organized in the State, although books
were sent out to those previously organized
to the number Of 1850. Many of these
were grants from the Parent Society. In
TACT, scarcely year elapscu between 1874
and 1850, in which Illinois was not the re-
cipient Of the bounty Of the American Bible
Society. Rev. John NJ Peck, spent part Of
this year in reviving societies which were
formed during the period Of his former
agency.
In the year ending April 80, 1881, the A.
B. s. had three agents-Messrs. Hardy, Stu
art and johnson for short time, each in
service in the State, and the following new
societies were organized, viz: Adams Co.,
Galatin Co., Schuyler Co.. Galcna Alexan-
der Co., jackson Co., Kaskaskia and Taze-
well Co. The Kaskaskia B. ). has been for
several years past sleeping the sleep that
knows no waking" Although once the
capital of Illinois, there is not now sufficient
material for the formation Of even branch
society there. All of the other societies
organized during this year are still in exist
cncc, and have accomplished much good.
1t is interesting to look over the names Of
the officers of these early societies, and to
find that while most Of them have gone to
their reward on high, some Of them are still
cooperating in the work in which they have
been so long engaged. 1t is also interesting
to find that several who were formerly OIL
GERS in the southern part Of the State, are
now active friends In the cause in the north
ern part, to which they have removed.
(To be c0ntinved)