Our History
Wabash Presbyterian Church
The first Presbyterian family to settle in this region was Thomas Gould of Cincinnati, Ohio in 1816. In the summer of 1818 from New York came Cyrus Danforth. In October of that year Stephen Bliss and George May, both teachers and New Englanders, settled at Decker's Prairie (Linn), buying some land with a cabin. On April 11, 1819 twenty pioneers met at the log cabin of Stephen Bliss to begin the first Sabbath School in the state of Illinois. In a few weeks the cabin was overflowing and classes were held on the lawn under the sheltering oaks. They also started prayer meetings, reading sermons and other religious articles.
The original building is no longer standing but a young family representing the sixth and seventh generation of descendants of Rev. Stephen Bliss have built a new home on the same grounds and are active members and participants of our Church.
Rev. David Choate Procter, an ordained home missionary of 1821, stopped at Mt. Carmel (then known as Palmyra) enroute from New Hampshire to Missouri. He learned of the two Presbyterian families on the Prairie and visited them on a Friday. On the following sabbath, March 3, 1882, a large congregation convened at the school house to hear Rev. Procter preach. The next Tuesday, March 5, 1822 he preached again and helped organize a church with five members (Stephen and Betsy Bliss, George May, Cyrus and Polly Danforth) called First Presbyterian Church of Edwards County, which later became Wabash County. Bliss and May were elders. Bliss preached his first sermon August 3, 1823 uniting Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gould with the church.
Writing east for a minister, the Wabash congregation was informed that the ideal man to be their pastor was one of their own members, Mr. Bliss, who had been trained for the ministry in his native New England. Bliss was subsequently ordained by Salem Presbytery and had a vigorous and fruitful ministry of twenty-five years duration.
One indication of his strong will and hardiness was Mr. Bliss' 1200 mile walk made in fifty days from his Illinois cabin to his former home in New Hampshire in 1820. There the next spring he married the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Noah Worcester. In a two-horse wagon the couple made the trip back to Orio in eight weeks.
In 1829 there were 29 members.
July 6, 1833 Adam Shepard of New Hampshire settled on land joining the Bliss farm. A few years later Shepard and his wife gave two acres, 1 road, 39 rods and three yards of land to be used as a building site and cemetery. Still there was difficulty in deciding the right spot for a church building. In May, 1837, Mr. Bliss died and was buried on the land Shepard had donated. This determined the church site.
Adam Corrie from Scotland offered $125.00 toward the building and so a neat plain building was constructed among the trees in the fall of 1838 using native sandstones for door steps. Rev. Isaac Bennet, of the Pisgah Church, a famous builder, helped plan and build the church. He constructed the pulpit after his own idea. The rostrum let the preacher stand higher than the heads of the congregation. This church building was used until 1884 when a brick building was erected using native made bricks.
The original building is no longer standing but a young family representing the sixth and seventh generation of descendants of Rev. Stephen Bliss have built a new home on the same grounds and are active members and participants of our Church.
Rev. David Choate Procter, an ordained home missionary of 1821, stopped at Mt. Carmel (then known as Palmyra) enroute from New Hampshire to Missouri. He learned of the two Presbyterian families on the Prairie and visited them on a Friday. On the following sabbath, March 3, 1882, a large congregation convened at the school house to hear Rev. Procter preach. The next Tuesday, March 5, 1822 he preached again and helped organize a church with five members (Stephen and Betsy Bliss, George May, Cyrus and Polly Danforth) called First Presbyterian Church of Edwards County, which later became Wabash County. Bliss and May were elders. Bliss preached his first sermon August 3, 1823 uniting Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gould with the church.
Writing east for a minister, the Wabash congregation was informed that the ideal man to be their pastor was one of their own members, Mr. Bliss, who had been trained for the ministry in his native New England. Bliss was subsequently ordained by Salem Presbytery and had a vigorous and fruitful ministry of twenty-five years duration.
One indication of his strong will and hardiness was Mr. Bliss' 1200 mile walk made in fifty days from his Illinois cabin to his former home in New Hampshire in 1820. There the next spring he married the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Noah Worcester. In a two-horse wagon the couple made the trip back to Orio in eight weeks.
In 1829 there were 29 members.
July 6, 1833 Adam Shepard of New Hampshire settled on land joining the Bliss farm. A few years later Shepard and his wife gave two acres, 1 road, 39 rods and three yards of land to be used as a building site and cemetery. Still there was difficulty in deciding the right spot for a church building. In May, 1837, Mr. Bliss died and was buried on the land Shepard had donated. This determined the church site.
Adam Corrie from Scotland offered $125.00 toward the building and so a neat plain building was constructed among the trees in the fall of 1838 using native sandstones for door steps. Rev. Isaac Bennet, of the Pisgah Church, a famous builder, helped plan and build the church. He constructed the pulpit after his own idea. The rostrum let the preacher stand higher than the heads of the congregation. This church building was used until 1884 when a brick building was erected using native made bricks.
In 1979 a new manse was built on the same site as the original manse was built. It had three bedrooms, one and half baths, utility room, kitchen and living room with an attached garage. In 1992 an addition was made to extend the dining area, add a bath and one bedroom.
In 1982 a new sanctuary, vestibule, two classrooms and two bathrooms were constructed on the east side of the old sanctuary and the entire outside covered with Bedford stone. The old sanctuary was completely remodeled into a fellowship hail.
SANCTUARY CROSS
The beautiful solid oak cross which hangs on the wall directly behind the pulpit was installed as part of the plans made to celebrate the 150 year founding of the Wabash Presbyterian Church. A beam was taken from the Stephen Bliss house (the original site of the first Presbyterian Sunday School) and refinished for the cross. It was the hope this would preserve a part of the past for future generations.
In 1982 a new sanctuary, vestibule, two classrooms and two bathrooms were constructed on the east side of the old sanctuary and the entire outside covered with Bedford stone. The old sanctuary was completely remodeled into a fellowship hail.
SANCTUARY CROSS
The beautiful solid oak cross which hangs on the wall directly behind the pulpit was installed as part of the plans made to celebrate the 150 year founding of the Wabash Presbyterian Church. A beam was taken from the Stephen Bliss house (the original site of the first Presbyterian Sunday School) and refinished for the cross. It was the hope this would preserve a part of the past for future generations.
