As William Waddams and his two sons were the first permanent settlers of Stephenson County and therefore of West Point Township as well, the large tract of timber around his settlement, on the north side of the hill, had early inherited his name, and was always referred to as Waddams Grove. The new organization appropriated this name as the name by which it was to be known. Thus the Waddams Grove Church took its name from the large grove which had inherited the name of the pioneer settler of the township of West Point as well as the county of Stephenson.

By the division of the district, the Waddams Grove Church comprised about seventy-five brethren and sister. An exact record of these members is lacking. The following were among the number:

The list may contain a few errors. These members were here, if not at this time precisely, they were all here very soon after, with others.

The following were here before this time but had either died or moved away: John Lauver, Jacob Eby, Sr., Isaac Beazor and wife, Henry Hader, Sarah Royer, wife of John Royer, and possibly others had lived here and died before this time. Henry Wicks and his wife had gone back to Pennsylvania to reside; others at this time cannot be located.

By the division of the district the ministers at Waddams Grove were Enoch Eby and Benjamin H. Kepner; the deacons were Allen Boyer and John Wales. Daniel Fry was retained as elder of both churches, Yellow Creek and Waddams Grove. Enoch Eby was chosen temporary overseer of Waddams Grove Church.

In the summer of 1860 the Waddams Grove meetinghouse (or as it is often called, the Louisa meetinghouse) was built. Its dimensions are the same as the Yellow Creek house, 40 by 60, and cost, besides the donated labor, and so forth, about $2,200. The lot on which to build was donated by Brother Michael Reber and afterwards deeded to the church. The Yellow Creek Church assisted in the building of the house in compliance with the conditions decided upon at the time of the building of the Yellow Creek house of worship.

The first election in the church for a minister and deacons was held April 7, 1860, in the old stone schoolhouse at Chelsea. William J. H. Bauman was elected to the ministry, and Michael Reber and Isaac Myers were elected to the office of deacon.

On October 25 and 26, 1860, the first love feast was held in the Waddams Grove meetinghouse.

There were two love feasts held by the Waddams Grove Church at Waddams Grove, or Louisa, in 1861; on May 25 and 26, and on October 17 and 18.

In the year 1862 there was a love feast held on May 10 and 11. This is as far as the dates of holding the love feasts have been traced in an unbroken chain. Since this the church has held from one to two love feasts each year to the present time. At the love feast held on May 10 and 11, 1861, Allen Boyer was elected to the ministry.

As far as is known, the first District Meeting of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin was held in the Waddams Grove Church on May 12, 1862. By this is meant, not the first District Meeting, but the first one to be held at Waddams Grove. A short report of this District Meeting is given in chapter 7 of this book.

On June 23 and 24, 1866, there was a love feast held at Rock Grove, Illinois. This indicates that at this time the field at Rock Grove was being invaded by the church here.

On June 8, 1868, a second love feast was held at Rock Grove, Ill. About the time these two love feasts were held at Rock Grove, Ill., a number were received into the church in that vicinity. As far as known, these were the only love feasts ever held at Rock Grove, Ill. Both were held in Brother Joseph Guyer’s barn.

The first Sunday school organized in the Waddams Grove Church was in 1866. Brother Milton Phillips was chosen as superintendent. Just how long this school continued is not definitely known, but it was discontinued at some time or other.

On June 2, 1867, by request of many, a Sunday school was organized at the Albee schoolhouse, which continued through the summer of the same year. Brother Allen Boyer was superintendent and Brother Robert Badger assistant.

We have now noticed a little of the work of the church since the time of its organization in 1859, and the next date of record is 1869. The church now numbered 210 members. During these ten years the church was being enlarged, both by brethren and sisters emigrating here and also by many who were being enlisted through the holy rite of baptism. Meetings were being held in many schoolhouses over the country, and many were the miles that were traveled by those who were interested in building up the cause they loved. Just all that was accomplished the record on High will show exactly.

On April 10, 1871, the District Meeting of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin was held at Waddams Grove for the second time. There is a brief report of this meeting given in chapter 7 of this book.

In 1872, there being about seventy members residing on the east side of the Pecatonica River, there were some steps taken towards making a division of the district comprised by Waddams Grove Church, making the Pecatonica River the dividing line, and organizing the members who were on the east side of the river into a new organization. On June 29, 1872, Brethren William Gift and John G. Eby were elected deacons; the members east of the river did the voting, for the most part. Brother Enoch Eby, who was now elder of the Waddams Grove Church, lived east of the river from about 1865 to 1875. For some cause or other, unknown by most of the present generation, the then contemplated new organization never came about. It seems today, although the true conditions of the time may not be known by any, that it would have been just the thing to do at that time, and if the move had been fully carried out, there might today be a strong working church on the east side of the Pecatonica River. The work from that seemed to go down, until at the present time there is scarcely a handful of members on that side of the river. But then we do not know what might have been.

Many of the members of the Waddams Grove Church having located themselves on the fertile prairie farms around Chelsea, and desiring better church accommodations, the church decided to build a new house of worship and fixed the location of the same on the southwest corner of the Benjamin H. Kepner’s farm. This was along in the early seventies. It was thought that since the Chelsea brethren called for the privilege of having a house of worship erected in their locality, they would at once push the work of the same. This they did not do, as the site for the building as decided by the church did not meet with approval by the majority of the Chelsea Brethren. The church seeing this, turned the locating of the house over to the Chelsea brethren, who at once went to work. The brethren most influential in the work were William K. Moore, George Eby, Isaac Rhodes, Martin Sheaffer, Sr., Peter Bowman, Enoch Myers, Enoch X. Myers, and Rudolph Myers. Brother Rudolph Myers donated the lot, consisting of one acre of land (measuring to the center of the road), as a building site. This piece of ground was deeded to the church. The contract for the building of the house was given to Brethren Enoch Myers and George Eby. During the summer of 1874 the Chelsea meeting house was built where it stands at the present time. The cost of the building was about $1,600. Thus the Chelsea meetinghouse was built where the Chelsea brethren for the most part desired it to be. Since that time these brethren have moved away or died, with the exception of Brother William K. Moore, who still resides there. German settlers have largely settled on the farms once owned by the Chelsea brethren. There are about twenty members in the vicinity of the Chelsea house at the present time.

There was a Sunday school organized at Chelsea soon after the meetinghouse was built, possibly about 1876. Among those who might be named, as putting their efforts into the building up of the same, were Brethren John Gesner and William K. Moore.

The religious impulse of the Brethren had increased until their inspiration had led them to feel that they were ready now, about the year 1877, for better accommodations by way of a place of worship in the vicinity of the Excelsior and Cedar Grove schoolhouses. These schoolhouses being used as places of worship at this time. Their membership here had increased to the extent that the Brethren in that locality started a movement toward the building of a new churchhouse, and locating it midway between the two schoolhouses, but after a more deep and fuller consideration the project was entirely abandoned.

August 13, 1877, a special District Meeting of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin was held here. The object of the meeting was to make more perfect arrangements for Brethren Daniel Fry’s and Enoch Eby’s voyage to Denmark. The account of this meeting appears again in chapter 6 of this book.

Right here mention might be made of the fact that there had been from the organization of the church all the way down those who used the German language and those who used the English language. The Germans wanted the services held in their language, and of course the English-speaking members desired the services to be held in their language. It was at times a question of what to do in regard to this situation. Sometimes both languages were used at the same service; while sometimes German, and sometimes English, was used exclusively. It was difficult to always satisfy all in this respect. Today this condition does not exist here. The English language is used entirely.

In 1880 the church grounds at Waddams Grove were enlarged by purchasing from Brother Joseph A. Kreps a strip of land about four rods in width at the rate of $63 per acre.

In the year 1881 the membership had decreased from 210 members, in 1869, to the number 169. At this time not so many members were moving into the district as there were previously, and besides many were moving further west who were here. [For more information on western movement to California read Settlement of the Brethren on the Pacific Slope by Gladdys Esther Muir, Brethren Publishing House, Elgin, IL, 1939]. Brother Boyer had taken a census of the church this year for some purpose or other. The head of the family and the number of members of his or her family who were members of the church are given. It is given here as Brother Boyer left it.

WADDAMS GROVE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP BY FAMILIES IN 1881
(LISTS AS NUMBER OF MALES AND FEMALES/HOUSEHOLD)

NAME			NAME
J. Johnson	1M	1F	T. Wales	1M
E.Ullom	1M	1F	D. Myers	1M	1F
J. Bradley	1M	1F	G. Liephart	1M	1F
I. Williams	1M	1F	J. Kreitzer	2M	2F
H. Shank	1M		J. Shellhase	1M
A. Wilt	1M		W. Shellhase	1M
J. Robb		1F	Chas. Guinther	1M	2F
W.Gift	1M	2F	G. Breswitz	1M	3F
N. Smith	2M	1F	G. Shirk	1M	1F
J. Miller	1M	1F	J. Albert	1M	1F
C. Wells	1M	1F	C. Masters	1M
F. Wells		1F	J. Masters		1F
D. Rockey		1F	P.R. Keltner	1M	1F
T. Cochron		1F	P. Bowman	1M	1F
S. Bitterly		1F	J. Eby	1M
Bechtold		1F	I. Rhodes	2M	1F
G. Master	1M	1F	W>K. Moore	1M	2F
W. Starr	1M	1F	B.H. Kepner	1M	1F
A.H. Lutz	3M	1F	E.X. Myers	1M	1F
S. Shively		1F	Geo. Eby	1M	1F
E. Sandrock	1M	2F	John Harmon	1M	1F
J. Wales	2M	3F	R. Derr	1M	1F
H. Baysinger	1M		A. Bennett	1M
F. Truman			Aug. Royer	1M	2F
C. McNutt	1M	1F	J.A. Kreps	1M	3F
T. Boganrief	2M	1F	J. Dilcher	1M	1F
J.G. Schudt	1M		A. Boyer	1M	3F
J. Glock	1M	3F	I. Kemper	1M	1F
J. Gesner	1M	1F	W. Shick	1M	1F
G.S. Myers	1M	1F	J. Helser	1M	1F
W. McNutt	1M	1F	C. Royer	1M	1F
N. Weber	1M	1F	T. Shultz	1M
M. Sheaffer	2M	3F	A. Myers		1F
J. Weber	1M	1F	S. Penticoff	1M	1F
T. Weber	1M	1F	J. Acker	1M	1F
D. Bower	2M	1F	R. Faringer	1M	1F
J. Bower	1M	1F	M. Eby	1M	1F
J. Gishwiller	1M		J. McCauley		1F
J. Mew	1M	1F	Rinkerd		1F
W. Myers		2F	J.T. Myers		1F
E. Myers	1M	1F	Johnson		1F
W. Beshoar	1M	1F	Thos. McCauley	1M	1F

Total Men……..74 Total Women ………….95 Total……….169

On May 9, 1882, the District Meeting of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin was held here for the third time (not taking into consideration the special District Meeting of August 13, 1877). See account in chapter 7.

In the year 1883 there were some steps taken towards purchasing the Baptist churchhouse in Lena, Ill. Also since that time and possibly before there have been movements started towards having a churchhouse in Lena, but as yet there is no house of worship for our people in Lena.

Some no doubt remember the time when the change in the mode of feet-washing as practiced by us was much discussed. The Waddams Grove Church decided on May 16, 1875, to use the single mode of feet-washing and it was so practiced for the first time on the same evening at the love feast.

In the spring of 1896 the District Meeting of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin was again held here.

__________________________________________________

Chelsea Meetinghouse – 1910

When the first Sunday schools were organized, has already been noticed. From that time for years there was Sunday school sometimes and sometimes not. Some of the older Brethren opposed Sunday schools, and conscientiously, too, and owing to the fact that a record of the Sunday school work is not to be had, we cannot say just when, and when not, there were Sunday schools. On May 3, 1884, the privilege was given by the church to have Sunday schools in both the Waddams Grove and Chelsea houses. Sunday school was sometimes held at other points in the afternoon. The Brethren here maintained a Sunday school at the Methodist house at Waddams for a while. We remember when the Sunday schools at Waddams Grove and Chelsea would close for the winter months. Since 1896 the Sunday school at these places has been evergreen.

On July 4, 1901, the Waddams Grove and Yellow Creek Churches held a joint Sunday-school meeting at the Waddams Grove house. It was liked so well that it has been held every year since on the same date. It has been held alternately at Yellow Creek and Waddams Grove meetinghouses, since the first one was held at Waddams Grove in 1901.

On May 6, 1908, the District Meeting was again held at Waddams Grove. At this meeting the time of holding the District Meeting was changed from spring to fall. Because of this change there were two District Meetings in this year. The one in the fall of this year was held at Elgin, Ill.

The Brethren at Waddams Grove have, through the years that are past, held services at the following points. Possibly they are not all given then. Reader, will you at this time think of the labors of our forefathers in spreading the “Joyful News to Sinners”?

Brush Creek	schoolhouse	Wisc.	Central	schoolhouse	Ill
Cadiz	"	"	Tiger Whip	"	"
Skinner	"	"	Green Bush	"	"
Robbs	"	"	Cross Roads	"	"
Shueville	"	"	Excelsior	"	"
Spofford	"	"	Cedar Grove	"	"
Wyota	"	"	(Wales)	"	"
South Wayne	"	"	Kerlin	"	"
Bethel	"	"	Chelsea	"	"
Basswood	"	"	Simmons	"	"
Rock Grove	"	"	Albee	"	"
Pleasant Hill	"	"	Louisa	"	"
Mt. Pleasant	"	"	Damascus	"	"
Buena Vista	"	"	McConnell	"	"
Benighoff's	"	"	Oneco	"	"
Epleyanna	"	"	Waddams	"	"
Fairview	"	"	Nora	"	"
Pucketts	"	"	Winslow	"	"
			Lena	"	"

Some of those who assisted in evangelistic work in series of meetings were:

James Quinter, at Waddams Grove house, about 1872.
S. H. Bashor, at Waddams Grove house, June, 1877.
J. M. Mohler, at Waddams Grove house.
J. W. Stine, at Cedar Grove schoolhouse.
Frank Myers, at Excelsior schoolhouse, fall of 1891.
Simon Yundt, at Waddams Grove house.
Jacob Witmore, at Waddams Grove house, June, 1895.
J. G. Royer, at Chelsea house, June, 1896.
John Heckman, at Waddams Grove house, December, 1896.
Simon Yundt, at Waddams M. E. house, February, 1895.
Daniel Snell, at Waddams Grove house, June and July, 1897.
W. R. Miller, at Chelsea house, October, 1897.
Andrew Hutchison, at Waddams Grove house, June, 1898.
I.J. Rosenberger, at Waddams Grove house, June, 1899.
Jesse Rolston, at Chelsea house, June, 1900.
Tobias S. Fife, at Waddams M. E. house, June, 1901.
William Trostle, at Waddams M. E. house, January, 1902.
William Lampin, at Waddams Grove house, June, 1903.
S. Studebaker, at Chelsea house, winter, 1903-4.
Dorsey Hodgden, at Chelsea house, December, 1904.
W. H. Eisenbise, at Waddams Grove house, October, 1905.
P. R. Keltner, at Waddams M. E. house, January, 1906.
Levi H. Eby, at Waddams Grove house, June, 1906.
J. E. Miller (Bible Normal), at Waddams Grove house, December, 1906.
Moses Deardorff, at Chelsea house, June, 1907.
H. C. Crumpacker, at Waddams Grove house, October, 1908.
Isaac Frantz, at Chelsea house, June, 1909.
I.B. Trout, at Waddams M. E. house (On Secrecy).

March 1, 1910
The present membership of the Waddams Grove Church is 115, as follows:

Albright, Maggie.	Jacoby, John.		Myers, Clark
Boyer, Leah.		Jacoby, Cora.		Myers, Elden
Boyer, Levi.		Kepner, Charles.	Myers, Jane.
Boyer, Sarah.		Kurth, Bessie.		Myers, Elsie.
Beshoar, Emma.		Leiphart, George.	Myers, Cora.
Boganrief, Hannah.	Leckington, Mary.	Myers, David.
Boganrief, Harry U.	Leckington, Wilmot.	Myers, Lydia.
Boganrief, Ida.		Leckington, Melissa	Myers, Jennie.
Boganrief, Mary.	Lutz, Ezra.		Myers, George S.
Boganrief, William.	Lutz, Katie.		Myers, Mrs. Elsie.
Brose, Frederick.	Lutz, Frank.		Myers, Susan.
Brose, Fannie.		Lutz, Pearl.		Myers, Walter.
Bratley, James.		Lutz, Lulu.		Myers, Effa.
Derr, Hannah.		Lutz, Sadie.		Myers, Raymond.
Eisenbise, Samuel.	Lutz, Jacob.		Price, Maria.
Eisenbise, Mary A.	Lutz, Emma.		Richard, Rudy.
Eisenbise, William 	Lutz, Benjamin		Richard, Pora.
G.			Lutz, 	Elta		Richard, Blanche.
Eisenbise, Clara E.	McCauley, Thomas	Sandrock, Mary.
Eby, Enoch.		Moore, William K.	Sandrock, Ewald.
Eby, Joseph.		Moore, Elizabeth.	Sandrock, Anna.
Eby, Emma.		Moore, Kelly M.		Sandrock, Oscar.
Faringer, Henry.	Moore, Anna.		Sandrock, Arthur.
Faringer, Lydia.	Moore, Harry.		Sandrock, Clara.
Fackler, Orville A.	Moore, Carrie.		Shick, George.
Fackler, Cora.		Masters, George.	Shick, Rosa.
Fackler, Ruth.		Masters, Amanda.	Shick, William.
Fackler, Miriam.	Master, Garver.		Shick, Emma.
Hunsicker, Mattie.	Masters, Alma.		Shank, Henry.
Hoppe, Alida.		Myers, Albert P.	Shank, Elmira.
Johnson, Anna.		Myers, Clara.		Stees, Mary.
Stees, Hervey.		Smith, George C.	Stouffer, Earl.
Stees, Jennie.		Smith, Maggie.		Tuell, Ross.
Stees, Corlyn.		Starr, J. Wesley.	Tuell, Catherine.
Stees, William.		Starr, Anna.		Wells, Rachel.
Stees, Stella.		Starr, Frank.		Weber, John.
Smith, Mollie.		Starr, Laura.		Weber, Susan.
Smith, George A.	Stouffer, Lena.		Yarger, Anetta.
Smith, Minnie.		Stouffer, Avery.		

It is regretted that a complete list of those received into the Church here through the ordinance of Christian baptism, and also of those who became members by presenting certificates of membership, as well as of those who were granted certificates, cannot be given in this history. The entire membership of the Waddams Grove Church, as far as we were able to gather the names, is given in chapter four of this book.

The names of 620 members have been gathered, who have at some time or other held their membership here. Of the number 300 are known to have been baptized here; 125 came from other places and presented certificates of membership; 175 were granted letters of membership, and of 125 the facts are unknown. A few of those who were granted certificates of membership in the years that have passed, returned to Waddams Grove in after years, as Brother Enoch Eby, and wife, Thomas McCauley and wife, Noah Smith and wife, and Henry Shank and wife, with possibly some others. One discouraging feature in gathering these names was the fact that after we had run down every possible clue as to those who might have been identified with the church here, there would yet be other names that should appear, but unknown to us.

Dear reader, as you look at these facts, think of the congregations at the Waddams Grove Church that have come and gone, and still we have a church here at the present time of 115 members.

______________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter One
Its Beginning

Chapter Two
Waddams Grove Church

Chapter Three
Ministers and Deacons

Chapter Four
A List of the Members of the Church

Chapter Five
The Annual Meeting of 1856

Chapter Six
Enoch Eby and Daniel Fry’s Mission to Denmark in 1877

Chapter Seven
District Meeting Preceedings for 1862, 1871 and 1882

Chapter Eight
Every Name List

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Chapter One
The Yellow Creek Meeting house in 1910

Chapter Two
Waddams Grove Meeting house in 1910
Chelsea Meeting house in 1910

Chapter Five
Where the Annual Meeting of 1856 Was Held

Chapter Six
Brother Enoch Eby’s Photograph

Copyright © Carrol Parrish, Church of the Brethren, Christine Walters & Genealogy Trails