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Portrait
and Biographical Record of Effingham, Jasper and Richland Counties Illinois,Containing Biographical Sketches of
Prominent and Representative Citizens, Governors of the State, and the Presidents of the United States.
(Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887), p. 195.
Transcribed by Judy Rosella Edwards.
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THE BAPTIST
CHURCH of Effingham was organized in 1861 by Elder Uriah McKay and an ecclesiastical council composed of Rev. Mr.
McKay , W. C. Mitchell, John W. Cleveland, J. W. Billingsley and John Verplank. The original members were L. R.
McMurray, Elizabeth McMurray, D. W. Bouland, Catherine Bouland, W. P. Surrells, S. V. Surrells, P. P. McCain, Grace
McCain, Giles Baldwin, Sarah Baldwin, Mrs. D. D. Bouland and H. N. Leland, together with Elder McKay. The pastors
have been Elder Uriah McKay, E. S. Graham, I. S. McHan, A. Rhodes, Stephen Wilson, W. H. Wilson and I. H. Elkin.
The society
was originally organized at the residence of W. P. Surrells, where services were held for one month. Later a house
on the west side of the Illinois Railroad was used; then the court house was occupied until 1866, when a church
edifice was erected. This was built of brick at a cost of $6,000, and stands on a lot donated for the purpose by
Alexander Little. The first officers were: Rev. Mr. McKay, moderator; W. P. Surrells, clerk; Giles Baldwin, H.
B. Wagner and Jesse Said, deacons; A. Wilson, L. R. McMurray and Joshua Bradley, trustees. The church has a membership
of ninety, and an average attendance at Sunday-school of seventy-five.
Portrait and Biographical Record of Effingham, Jasper and
Richland Counties Illinois, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Governors
of the State, and the Presidents of the United States. (Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887), p. 588. Transcribed by
Judy Rosella Edwards.
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