There seems to be a diversity of opinion touching the pioneer Church organization in Menard County. The statistics furnished us fix the date of the organization of the Old Clary's Grove Baptist Church, and the Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Indian Point, at nearly identical periods. We incline to the belief, however, from the "preponderance of testimony" in its behalf, that the former is the eldest. Its organization, as will be seen by reference to our sketch of Tallula, dates to the 25th of December (Christmas Day), 1824. The organization of the Lebanon Church was but a few months later, if our statistics are correct. The pioneer preacher of this denomination in Menard was John M. Berry, who subsequently became the great apostle of Cumberland Presbyterianism in Menard. The latter society erected churches at an early day on Rock Creek, seven miles south of Petersburg. Concord Church, in northeastern Menard, was erected in 1830. The denomination has prospered remarkably, and has a large membership throughout the County. Of the early Baptist Churches, that erected one mile northwest of Salem is entitled to the first place in the list of pioneers. The building was constructed of rough logs, and had neither doors nor windows. Referring to this church, our valued friend, Mr. McNamar, says: "When I last saw the church, and heard old Father Plaster laying down the gospel to his hard-shell brethren, he was quite an old man, but, withal, a fluent and forcible speaker." An ex-member of the Baptist Church, in a narrative to the compiler of this sketch, says that "in those early times the brethren somewhat relaxed their strictures, and adopted a means of grace rather incomprehensible to outsiders. It was this: At a protracted meeting held in the forest shade, when preparing to return to their homes at night, the preacher in charge admonished the brethren to bring plenty of straw, as he had no doubt there were scores of souls lost for the want of straw."

The first representative of the Catholic Church in the County was a lady, the accomplished wife of Dr. Nelson, who came to Salem in 1830. She had been educated in the Catholic schools of Cincinnati, and was intellectually a Colossus compared to her husband. A prominent citizen of the County, who knew her well, refers to Mrs. Nelson as a magnificent woman-tall and stately as Juno, fascinating in manners, and in knowledge and argument profound. "There was no question in law or divinity, but that the Gordian knot of it she could untie as familiar as her garter." She would easily have solved the problem of the immaculate conception, or the infallibility of the Pope, had they been submitted to her or agitated at that early day. This gifted lady left Salem, after tarrying a few months-her husband having built a small flat-boat, in which he and his wife embarked for Texas. Abraham Lincoln piloted them out of the Sangamon River.

The first organization of the Methodist Church of which we have any record will be found in our sketch of Petersburg. The Christians (or Campbellites) had an organization early in the history of the County, but of this society there was a dearth of statistics.

In the southeastern part of the County there is a very neat little church, under the pastorship of Rev. Mr. Ayres, of the Dutch Reformed denomination. The members are for the most part from New Jersey, and are the descendants of the old and respected families of Holland. They are a wide-awake and prosperous sect.

The early preachers of the County were Wm. P. Crow, John M. Berry, Peter Cartwright, Thomas Plaster, John Antle, Thomas Campbell, Gilbert Dodds, John Porter, David Foster, Neal Johnson, Rev. Ironton, and John Cameron.