In 1834 L.A. Sugg was appointed to the buffalo Grove Mission. He was succeeded by James McKean in 1835, who delivered the first Methodist sermon preached in Stephenson County, IL. In 1836-38, he was appointed by the Illinois Conference as missionary to the territory of Northern Illinois between the Rock River and the Mississippi River. Justa a year previous to this appointment in 1836, the old Indian village of the noted Chief Winnesheik became the town of Freeport. Stephenson County came into being in 1837, with Freeport as its county seat, and the contract for the building of the Court House was let Dec. 6, 1837. This Court House was fitted with rough seats made of split logs supported by legs made of sticks driven into augur holes, yet it became "the best preaching place in northern Illinois." Other early meeting palces were "the home of W.W. Buck, Mr. Guieau's store and the "the little red school house."

There is no written record of the formation of a "class" in these early years. There is, however, in the custody of the Freeport Public Library, a photographic copy of the first known "Class Book" containing the following statement in the hand writing of Rev. F.D. Buckley; "The first class in Freeport was formed Dec. 13, 1840, but the leader delayed making a class book, in order to obtain a blank book from the preacher in charge, until May 11, 1841, when the class contained 25 members. When first formed it contained but nine members - ". The records for 1840 mention the fact that "prayer meetings were held Sunday and Thursday evenings, and $35.75 was the amount of money raised per quarter." The first quarterly con...(text missing)... Montague, F.D. Buckley, Peter Van Sickle, Barton Jones, Levy Robey, Barton Thatcher,, and, at the next quarterly conference J.McCool and Julius Smith were added.

The lot on which the First Methodist Church now stands was purchased Oct. 24, 1842 for $50.00, and a "frail stone foundation for a frame building was laid", but there the building stopped and the foundation lay unused until a revival in 1850 made a permanent meeting house necessary. In 1851, a frame structure, valued at $2000 was built mostly from donated labor and materials.

The Church grew rapidly, and by 1863 another church edifice was needed. The building campaign was prefaced by a series of revival meetings. A new building costing $13,000 was dedicated in 1865, but not without some grave differencs among the membership, for in that year sixty members withdrew from the First Church to form Embury Church. Some of these, it is understood, were devout souls who objected to the presence of an organ in the new First Church.

Two previous parsonages served to house ministers families; the present structure was build in 1903. Also by that time a new church edifice was needed, and, the present (1940) church building, modelled after the Studebaker Memorial Church in South Bend Ind., was erected at a cost of $34,500 and was dedicated May 7, 1905 by Bishop Wm. F. McDowell.

Each of the three church buildings entertained sessions of the Rock River Conference and the church has made a notable contribution both to its community and to the denomination. From its consecrated membership, 8 young men have gone into the Christian ministry, one has gone to the foreigh mission field, one has become a church minister of music, and five of its young women have married ministers, three of whom are serving the Rock River Conference at the present time.

A bronze plaque mounted in the sanctuary entrance, bears the names of all the pastors who have served this church.

The book is titled "The Methodist Movement in Northern Illinois" written in 1940

From Leslie T. Fargher's book written in 1967 -

The first Methodist minister who ever preached in Stephenson County was the Rev. James McKean, who came here as a traveling minister in 1834, when he was riding a circuit of 500 miles. Gathering the representatives of two families residing in the western part of the county, he held services and delivered an address, the only one delivered that year.

In 1836 the Rev. Thomas W. Pope was sent to Stephenson County as a missionary, but held no services. The following year, Mr. McKean returned and remained two years. During his stay classes were organized at Waddams Grove, Lena, Silver Creek, and Freeport. He was a man possessed of much energy and perseverance, and the results of his labors are visible today. He was succeeded by the Rev. Samuel Pillsbury, who came in 1839, and with the assistance of E. P. Wood and Rollin Brown, traveled an extended circuit. During 1841 the interests of the Methodist denomination were cared for by the Revs. Richard A. Blanchard and Alfred M. Early who were sent hither for that purpose. Their work extended from Rockton to Apple River and from Savanna to beyond the Wisconsin line. The next year Mr. McKean returned once more, remaining until 1843, when the Rev. C. G. Worthington, assisted by W. B. Cooley, was assigned to the charge, and remained until the Revs. H. Whipple and Bishop succeeded. These latter continued two years, and from that time until 1850 the Revs. Robert Beatty, John Sharp and C. W. Batchelder presided.

The circuit traveled by these pioneer laborers in the vineyard varied somewhat from year to year, but included the county of Stephenson, with portions of Carroll and Jo Daviess.

The present generation can never realize the privations to which the ministers of those days were subjected, traveling day and night to meet their engagements and enduring hardships no pen can describe. But these trials, with others, rather increased their zeal in the cause wherein they labored. There were no stately edifices with wealthy and fashionable congregations in the days hereof spoken, the worshipers assembled in private homes, or in sparsely furnished school houses, and listened to the Gospel as it was there and the proclaimed. Though they worshipped under unfavorable auspices, their zeal and fervor were such as would put to shame the lethargy among Christians of today.

In 1850 Freeport was organized into a separate charge, with a total membership of seven, under the pastorate of the Rev. John F. Devore. Nothing had been done up to this time toward building a house of worship. Services were held in the little red school house not far from the court house, at private houses and at rate intervals in the court house. Mr. Devore was an enthusiastic worker, and soon after his settlement in Freeport, inaugurated a series of revival meetings, which were attended with an abundant success, and impressed the necessity of building a church. Accordingly, the lot now occupied by the church was purchased and preparations at once made for the erection of a permanent house of worship. This was built by subscription, the members in Freeport contributing to their utmost, and farmers throughout the county, irrespective of denomination, donating both money and materials. Mr. Devore, so earnest was that gentleman in his desire for the completion of the work, assisted in hauling the materials, borrowing from a farmer an ox team and wagon for the purpose. In the summer of 1851, the church was enclosed and the basement completed, the absence of pews being supplied by the contributions of individuals. The cost of the structure thus far had been about $2,000 -­ all being paid in labor and materials, save $500 in money. The dedication sermon was preached by Presiding Elder Richard Haney it is said, though others maintain that the Rev. D. W. Pinckney officiated.

The labors of Mr. Devore were concluded in 1852 when the Rev. C. C. Best was assigned to succeed him. During his stay worship was had in the basement of the church, the completion of the edifice being postponed until 1853, when the Rev. H. Whipple became the incumbent. In that year labors on the edifice were resumed, and its dedication celebrated in 1855, the Rev. Silas Boales preaching the sermon in place of Dr. Hinman who had accepted an invitation for that purpose, but died before the day appointed for the services to be held. Mr. Whipple was followed by the Revs. C. M. Woodruff in 1855, Miles L. Reed in 1856; Thomas North in 1857; J. C. Stoughton, David Teed, W. F. Stewart and J. L. Olmstead, during whose several administrations the cause flourished and revival meetings and other efforts secured large additions to the congregation.

In 1863 Joseph Wardell was sent to Freeport as a missionary, where his labors were attended with marked success. These labors were suspended during 1864, but in 1865 Robert McCutcheon renewed the missionary work and organized the Embury Church, taking with him a membership of sixty from the First Methodist. A church was subsequently built by the new charge, costing $25,000--of which $13,700 was subscribed on the day of dedication, upon which Rev. R. M. Hatfield preached.

In 1864 the Rev. W.C. Willing began his three years labors in Freport. During the first winter of his pastorate, the congregation was measurably increased through an extended revival, and it became necessary to enlarge the church. This was completed in 1865, at a cost of $13,000 and its re-dedication celebrated during the fall of the same; while these repairs werein progress the congregation worshipped in Plymouth Hall.

In 1867 the Rev. F.P. Cleveland accepted charge, and during his administration the present parsonage was purchased for $3,500. In 1870, $800 was expended in repairing and re-frescoing th church and the Rev. W.A. Smith occupied the pulpit remaining until 1873, when the Rev. Mr. Cleveland returned, who continued in his labors three years, followed by the Revs. S>A. W. Jewett and C.E. Mandeville, the latter being at present in charge. At present the congregation numbers 150 and the property of the church is valued at $15,000.

The First Methodist Church of Freeport occupied a very early niche in my memory, for possibly as much as 86 or 87 years. While our mother joined Embury Methodist Church soon afters its organization, for some unknown reason my two older sisters and I had all first gone to Sunday School at First Church. I have dear recollections of my mother taking me with her occassionally when she attended morning service at Embury. My oldest sister Kate, was more than five years older than me and I have always remembered that she had taken me into her class of girls. I presume that at the time I was considered to be too young to go into what as then called "the infant class" which during the opening exercies, sat in the Amen corner of the church. My sister's class was taught by Miss Jennie heard, a sister of Oscar Heard, who was a lawyer, serving in turn as the State's Attorney, Judge of the Circuit Court and as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of IL. Miss Heard's class sat on the west side of the church, near one of the windows, opening onto Cherry Street. Miss Heard lived to quite an old age, remaining a faithful member of the church. In all of my younger years, as we occassionally met we had friendly greetings for each other. And when her life ended I felt honored at being asked to serve as a pallbearer at ther funeral.

When I did finally go into the infant class it was taught by Miss Zell Mynard who was a dear friend and close companion of miss Heard. When, on each Sabbath noon, for school then followed worship service, the Superintendent would announce "the infant class will now retire," we little ones, shephered by Miss Mynard, went to one of the two smaller basement rooms. Here we sat on hard carpenter-made benches, swinging our feet and spinning pennies on the smooth seat board. I do not know how long I remained in this class, but I have some recollection of a few of us boys being graduated into the main school, upstairs. I ams not sure as to who was our first teacher here, but for some years out teacher was Miss Jessie Mayer, and we then had the other small basement room for our study period. Another teacher of our class was a Miss bamberger, though I am not sure whether she preced or followed Miss Mayer.

There still comes to my mind a recollection of the location in the sanctuary (we didn't know that word then) of some of the other classes. I do not know just how long I went, or at what age I quit going to First M.E. Sunday School. And I am sorry to confess that there were a few years when I did not go to Sunday School at all.