Prepared by the Rev. Dr. William Sasso,

Minister, Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship

July 28, 2005

Introduction

As I write in the summer of 2005, the unfortunate truth is that there are very few active Unitarian Universalist congregations in the southern geographical half of the state of Illinois. At most, one can count five, of which the oldest is the First Unitarian Church of Alton. Initiated in 1836, it was born in the heyday of Alton's importance as a river trading center.

The second oldest is the now-dormant Universalist congregation in the rural town of Waltonville, southwest of Mount Vernon in Jefferson County. The exact date of its founding is uncertain, for the congregation has lost its records twice when church buildings have burned down, but its existence in 1870 can be documented.

About eighty years later, during the dramatic expansion of Southern Illinois University following World War II, a group of faculty families formed the nucleus of the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship, chartered in 1953. In 1965, a similar society was formed in Charleston, the home of Eastern Illinois University.

And earlier this year, a new Unitarian Universalist congregation has begun to form in the Mount Vernon area. So if one draws a line from Quincy east through Jacksonville, Springfield, and Decatur (and then straight east to the Indiana border) to divide the state, there are at most five extant Unitarian Universalist societies south of the line, four congregations on the line itself, and more than thirty in the state’s northern half. The imbalance seems striking, even given the population density of the Chicago area. Was such an imbalance always present? If so, why? This research project has been undertaken to answer these questions. While this overview begins to answer these questions, it reports a work in progress, and the reader is cautioned to remember that any results should be considered preliminary.

Were There Ever More Unitarians and Universalists in Southern Illinois?

Yes, there were! So far this research has identified at least ten Unitarian and twenty-nine Universalist congregations located, at various times, within the region. You can see their locations on the Map, and their names, locations, and approximate dates of existence are listed in the index of Locations and Groups.

What happened to these societies? While a few remain today, the vast majority have vanished. While some of them may have declared themselves to be a “congregation” prematurely, and may have been referenced only once in an annual denominational directory, others were vibrant sites of liberal religion for decades. Where have they gone? What are their stories? What were their particular accomplishments? This research project will search for answers to these questions, as well.

Settlement Patterns and the Formation of Congregations

Once claimed as a county of Virginia [Howard, p. 54], Illinois – and in particular southern Illinois – has had a significant mid-southern cultural influence. This has been reflected in the state's 19^th century patterns of settlement by those of European descent, has been noted throughout the state's history, and is still evident today in the sometimes contrasting cultures of the northern and southern parts of the state.

For instance, cultural geographer D. W. Meinig identifies and contrasts two main “columns” of the Euro-American settlement of the Midwest, which he terms “New England Extended” and “Virginia Extended.” Meinig notes that common stereotypes of the two cultures distinguished them significantly: “. . . the energetic, entrepreneurial, practical, moralistic, duty-bound New Englander and the easy, pleasure-loving hospitable, paternalistic Virginia country gentleman . . .” [Meinig, p. 264].

These two columns or movements brought not only its own culture and  religious traditions, but formed settlements in different manners as well. Meinig describes New England Extended in these terms.

It must not be supposed that this spread of Yankees was essentially a rural colonization accompanied by preachers and teachers; everywhere it “included a proportional number of mechanics, manufacturers, physicians, and lawyers,” said Timothy Dwight, who happily accepted the idea that a New England influence could be spread by canal contractors, road builders, an innkeepers as well as by clergymen. Indeed, the rapid, intensive development of local industries and long-distance commerce was a marked feature of this enterprising people . . . [Meinig, p. 268].

In contrast, he characterizes Virginia Extended as follows.

Virginian expansion was in large part a folk movement, a routine process of families searching out new lands to their liking where they could create local societies of their own kith and kin with the least possible interference or constraint. The result was a system of pioneering and a pattern of landscape and society no less distinct [than that of New England Extended] [Meinig, p. 273].

New England and New York were the home grounds of both American Unitarianism and American Universalism. For instance, Boston was the headquarters of both faith traditions. On the other hand, the preeminent religions in Virginia were Baptist and Presbyterian. Thus, these different origins of the settlers of northern and southern Illinois can help explain the larger historical presence of Unitarians and Universalists – and Unitarian Universalists today – in the northern regions of the state.

In his 1948 study of the extension of Unitarianism into Illinois, Walter Stephens notes that

". . . Unitarianism followed New England settlement. The New England settlement of Illinois was strongest in the northern region, . . . and in the commercial centers along the Mississippi River. . . . The Unitarians concentrated their work in the northern part of the state . . . The records of the travels of Western Conference missionaries recount their preaching throughout the northern region and along the Mississippi River but not to the south" [p. 8].

While the Unitarian congregation in Alton is an example of a society formed in a commercial center along the Mississippi River, the life and work of the Rev. Jasper Douthit represents the most notable exception to this general truth. Douthit, a native of Shelbyville in south central Illinois, encountered the power of the Unitarian message and devoted his life to spreading it throughout his native region. Over a period of years, he labored to build and maintain a circuit of rural Unitarian congregations in Shelbyville, Mattoon, and Pana. While the Western Unitarian Conference supported Douthit’s efforts, there were few (if any) attempts to replicate his efforts elsewhere in the southern half of the state. As a matter of fact, Jenkin Lloyd Jones, Field Secretary of the Western Unitarian Conference, made clear his own doubts about the probability of successful missionary efforts further south in these words:

"About the last place on earth one would expect to find or try to plant a Unitarian church," was the common remark of [his] friends. Unitarianism was never put to a severer test than when Jasper Douthit sought with it to ameliorate the severities and remove the illiteracy and iniquities of southern Illinois . . . [J. L. Jones, quoted in Stephens, p.9]

Following the end of World War II, the American Unitarian Association embraced the Fellowship movement as a strategy for the creation of new, lay-led congregations throughout the nation. At the same time, the postwar boom in higher education enabled a period of dramatic growth for Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. There, in the early 1950s, a group of faculty families began to meet regularly, first in homes, then in public facilities, and then purchasing a building. Recently the congregation has called its first settled minister, and has built and moved into a new facility on the west side of Carbondale.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Eastern Illinois, in Charleston, was formed as a lay-led congregation in 1965. Like the congregation in Carbondale, the Charleston society took root within a community with a large state university, Eastern Illinois University.

In October, 2004, a member of the Carbondale congregation who lives in Mount Vernon purchased a church building there, in the hope that it could become the home of a Unitarian Universalist congregation. A group from Carbondale organized and publicized several informational meetings in March, April, and May, and now a local group has taken the responsibility for leadership. In the summer of 2005, the Mount Vernon group has begun to meet regularly.

While the few Unitarian congregations in the southern half of the state were formed through intentional extension efforts, the more numerous Universalist congregations appear, for the most part, to have been formed through "grassroots" efforts. Universalists came throught southern Indiana, southern Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, moved into the rural areas of southern Illinois, and formed local societies, engaging the services of a preacher when one might be in the vicinity and have some time available. The story of Eli and Susannah Gilbert in Williamsurg (now Waltonville) illustrates this approach. The Gilberts, according to the Prairie Historian [pp. 601-603] were New Englanders who decided to move west, beginning their quest in 1816 and finally arriving at their future home, just north of today's Waltonville, in October, 1839. They brought their Universalist faith west with them, and they are recorded as charter members of the Waltonville Universalist Church [p. 395].

Intentional mission or church growth work by missionary preachers also resulted in the formation of new societies. In the late 1860s, for instance, the active ministry of Robert G. Harris appears to have resulted in the formation of a set of congregations in Chester, Golconda, Harrisburg, and Shiloh Hill. However, these were short-lived congregations, all having died out before 1880.

Jasper Douthit, the Shelbyville Unitarian minister noted above, describes another process by which some of these Universalist congregations came into being.

My mother's last pastor and a dozen or more of the churches of that Southern Illinois Baptist Association went over to the Universalists; for their hearts made them feel that, if God had decreed anything at all in that line, he must have decreed that all should be saved. They are in sympathy with the Unitarians to-day, and I have often been asked to meet with them in their associations and preach in their churches. But the Universalists were more active in missionary work, and showed their colours for a positive Christianity, and gathered what remained of a large part of the Hardshell Baptists in the Southern Illinois, or what is now called "The Lower Wabash Universalist Association." [Douthit, 1898, p. 11].

Like those of the Unitarians, the writings of the Universalists occasionally noted the cultural differences between southern Illinois and the other parts of the state. For instance, the Rev. J. K. Dillon, who lived and served in the region for many years, compared the work in southern Illinois and the Universalist movement’s missionary work in Japan, commenting that

"Southern Illinois is the Japan of America. Our language is not quite as difficult to learn as the Japanese. I wish someone would point out the road which leads out of this Egypt into the Promised Land. The work needed to be done in this part of the State is unknown to almost all our people." [The Universalist, November 15, 1890, p. 5].

Thirty-five years later, the Rev. C. A. Polson echoed these sentiments in his statement that the Waltonville area is ". . . is a very promising field for a vigorous Universalist church accepting, of course, the standards of Southern Illinois which are separate and distinct from the rest of the world." [Rev. C. A. Polson, Minister, Hoopeston, IL, to Dr. Tilden, IUC, February 4, 1925]. 

For many years, from roughly 1890 into the 1950s, the Illinois Universalist Convention attempted to maintain at least one clergy person in the southern half of the state, usually serving several congregations on a part-time basis, and attempting to assist and strengthen the others as time, energy, and travel conditions permitted. At times, the Universalist General Convention (later the Universalist Church of America) assisted with the financial support of this "Southern Circuit." The circuit was usually headquartered in Hutsonville, slightly south of Terre Haute, IN, on the Illinois side of the Wabash River, for many years one of the stronger congregations in the region. The circuit’s constituency was far from static: among the congregations which at some time or another participated were Beecher City, Cowden, Greenup, Hutsonville, Litchfield, 'Little Hickory" in Bingham, Mount Vernon, Rose Hill, Sharpsburg, and Waltonville.

Some Interesting Aspects of These Unitarians and Universalists

Even at this early point in the research, several particularly interesting story lines have begun to emerge: (1) the late 19^th century presence of women ministers, both Universalist and Unitarian, in this region, (2) the presence of Unitarian and Universalist cooperation in the Shelbyville/Effingham area, and (3) a tantalizing reference to a 19^th century "Flower Service" in the Shelbyville Unitarian congregations.

19^th Century Women Ministers in Southern Illinois

At both the national and the state levels, the Universalists were leaders in their willingness to ordain women into their ministry, and beginning as early as 1873, women began successful service as Universalist ministers in southern Illinois.

The Rev. Sophie Gibb, first licensed as a preacher in 1874 and then ordained in 1876, served the Girard congregation from 1873 to 1885, and is also documented as serving in Litchfield during part of that time. Later she moved north to serve the Universalist congregation in Decatur.

The Rev. Carrie W. Brainard was ordained in 1881 in LeRoy, Illinois. She was clearly valued for her service to the Windsor and Girard congregations in the 1880s.

The Rev. Martha Jones was ordained in New Salem, Illinois, in November, 1894. Married to another Universalist circuit-riding minister, the Rev. Leon Jones, the couple formed an early co-ministry serving the southern circuit of congregations. In August, 1894, they together led a “grove meeting” at Vancil’s Point, about sixteen miles northwest of Girard, with Leon preaching the morning and evening sermons, and Martha preaching in the afternoon. Martha is also known to have preached in both Girard and Vancil’s Point the following month, and into October. Four years later, she preached in Windsor, although it is uncertain whether this was a one-time visit or an ongoing ministry.

A few years later, two sisters, Frances and Almira Cheney, were ordained as Universalist. Frances served congregations in Casey, Greenup, and Hutsonville (c. 1900), while her younger sister Almira is listed as pastor in Greenup in 1908 and in Windsor in 1910. [1]

The Unitarians – at least in the Midwest – were not far behind the Universalists in their willingness to have women ordained into the ministry. In southern Illinois, Mrs. Ada Kepley was a temperance worker and an attorney before she was ordained as a Unitarian minister by the Shelbyville church in 1892. While an Effingham congregation was never formally recognized by American Unitarian Association, the Rev. Kepley preached regularly at “The Temple” in Effingham (headquarters of the local temperance movement) during the 1890s. [2]

19^th Century Unitarian-Universalist Interaction in Southern Illinois

In terms of collaboration between the two faith movements, Jasper Douthit's Shelbyville Unitarian circuit and the cluster of Universalist congregations surrounding Effingham overlapped each other geographically, and (as noted above), Jasper Douthit was often invited to speak at Universalist congregations and meetings [Douthit, 1898, p. 11]. There are references to interactions between the Rev. Douthit’s newsletter Our Best Words and The Universalist; see, for instance, a short review entitled "Mr. Douthit's Position" published in The Universalist [June 14, 1884].

In its July 24, 1897 issue, The Universalist reports at least one joint Unitarian-Universalist meeting, noting that the Windsor parish . . .

And the congregations under charge of Rev. J. L. Douthit (Unitarian) held a union meeting at Lithia Springs, near Shelbyville, July 11^th. It is also proposed to hold a joint conference of Universalists and Unitarians at the close of the Chautauqua assembly which meets at the Springs yearly in August. A number of ministers of both churches have partially promised to attend. Such a gathering should be the means of reaching very many who know but little of our interpretations of Christianity, and I trust it will be largely attended by our friends [p. 5].

The Rev. Douthit later reports himself on this meeting, suggesting that the ministers – or at least many of them – did follow through on their "partial promises." Describing a summer meeting at Lithia Springs, he claims that

They came from all the surrounding States on railroads; and they came in wagons, some from fifty and a hundred miles. Unitarians and Universalists heeded the Macedonian – or rather Egyptian – call this time. Mrs. Sunderland of Ann Arbor, and the pastor of this Church of the Messiah, and Dr. Nash of Lombard University, and Dr. Cook, State agent of the Universalists, with leaders in other denominations, were heard gladly by many people . . . [3] [Douthit, 1898, p. 22].

The Unitarian Flower Service in 19^th Century Southern Illinois

The Rev. Jasper Douthit offers an intriguing hint when he notes that that ". . . flowers provoke sweet thoughts in all the churches, and most of them have a special "Flower Service" . . . "[Douthit, 1898, p. 18]. Today, many Unitarian Universalist congregations celebrate a version of the Flower Communion ceremony developed by Dr. Norbert Capek in Prague, then the capital of Czechoslovakia. The investigation of the specific nature of the flower services conducted here in Illinois by the congregations of the Shelbyville Unitarian circuit in the late 19^th century is another worthy research question.

Preliminary Conclusions

While only five societies remain in existence today, there have been a surprising number of Universalist congregations in the region of this study, as well as a noteworthy group of Unitarian congregations based in Shelby County. What happened to them?

Considering the Unitarians first, we note that the very existence of the Shelby Count Circuit of Unitarian congregations was largely the result of the lifelong dedication and efforts of the Rev. Jasper Douthit. Upon his death in 1927, this circuit began to decline, and its "home church" in Shelbyville, which outlasted the others, closed its doors in about 1950.

The Universalist congregations in southern Illinois tended, on the other hand, to have formed in small, rural communities. Some of the factors leading to the decline and eventual disappearance of the many southern Illinois rural Universalist congregations can be gleaned from the following description of Universalism’s decline in the state of New York, which is critical of Universalism's . . . 

. . . failure to enlarge functions and to expand into areas of growth; shortage of clergy, especially in rural parishes (in which the greatest number of churches in the state had historically been located); inconsistent as well as inadequate aid to churches unable to be self-supporting (although money alone did not necessarily solve the problem); and the general failure of the church circuit system. [Miller, vol. 2, p. 27]

Within Illinois in general, and in southern Illinois in particular, each of these causes is clearly present. The failure to form new congregations, either Unitarian or Universalist, in the Metro-east suburbs of St. Louis is perhaps the most obvious example of the failure "to expand into areas of growth." The shortage of clergy serving the region is evident as one looks at the index of Religious Leaders, and sees how frequently preachers were serving multiple congregations at the same time. The only congregation in southern Illinois that appears to have been served by a full-time minister for most of its existence is the Unitarian congregation in Alton. With the exception of the lay-led societies in Carbondale and Charleston, the others competed for the shared time and attention of a preacher, whose energy was often further taxed by the obligations and vicissitudes of travel and the difficulties of transportation. For instance, even into the 1930s, it was not unusual to read that a planned visit to a remote congregation had been cancelled because "the roads were judged impassible." At least one letter from Waltonville apologizes for the cancellation of preaching appointment, noting that the only way that the residents can travel any distance is by walking along the railroad tracks [Mrs. Cora Hartley, Waltonville, to Bro. DeWitt, IUC, March 11, 1928].

These factors, in turn, were strong disincentives to clergy who might wish to serve in the area, perhaps causing some of the stronger ministerial candidates to take positions elsewhere. Those decisions, in their turn, likely contributed to the weakness of the church circuit system within the context of congregational polity. Thus Universalist ministers serving circuits in southern Illinois often found themselves cultivating relationships with additional congregations, in case one of the congregations currently supporting them should decide to withdraw from the circuit.

Beyond these reasons, the general migration of population, especially younger generations, from rural areas to urban ones played a major role in weakening many of these congregations. Another general factor was the region's weak economy, especially during the Depression, which restricted members' contributions and congregational budgets. And Universalism nationwide experienced a malaise and contraction between the World Wars. Universalist Historian Russell Miller has described a “mounting feeling that the Universalist Church was "going out of business" [Miller, vol. 2, p. 25]. On top of all these concerns, one can further consider factors specific to a particular congregation or locale, such as the community's loss of a major employer or conflict within a congregation. These will be discussed within the descriptions of individual congregations.

Thus local factors and national trends combined within southern Illinois, where only few Unitarian and Universalist congregations had established deep roots, resulting in the demise of almost every Unitarian and Universalist community established prior to 1950. Today, only one of them, the First Unitarian Church of Alton, remains active, while the Universalist Church of Waltonville still exists as a social community, but no longer holds regular religious services. 

Can You Help With This Project?

            If you have information that relates to Unitarians, Universalists, or Unitarian Universalists in the southern half of the state of Illinois, please contact the Rev. Bill Sasso by email at bsasso@juno.com or at the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship (618-529-2439). Thank you!

References

Davis, James E. Frontier Illinois. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN: 1998.

Douthit, Jasper L. The Story of a Unitarian Missionary in Southern Illinois. (Address delivered before the Women’s Alliances of Chicago. Published by the Chicago Associate Alliance, Chicago, IL: 1898.

Douthit, Jasper. Jasper Douthit's Story: the Autobiography of a Pioneer. American Unitarian Association, Boston: 1909.

Hitchings, Catherine F. Universalist and Unitarian Women Ministers.The Journal of the Universalist Historical Society. Vol. X, 1975.

Howard, Robert P. Illinois: a History of the Prairie State. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI: 1972.

Meinig, D. W. The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on 500 Years of History. Vol. 2, Continental America,1800-1867. Yale University Press, New Haven: 1986.

Miller, Russell E. The Larger Hope: the Second Century of the Universalist Church in America 1870-1970. Unitarian Universalist Association, Boston:

Prairie Historian: A Folk History of Southwest Jefferson County, Illinois, and Surrounding Areas. Prairie Historians, Waltonville, IL: 1993.

Stephens, Walter E. A Sociological Study of Unitarianism in Illinois. B.Div. Dissertation, Meadville Theological School, Chicago: 1948.