To document the presence
and tell the stories of Unitarians, Universalists, and Unitarian Universalists
in Southern Illinois.
In particular, the project hopes to answer questions like these:
When and where have Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist groups existed within this area?
What were the stories of these groups?
How did they come together, and what happened to them?
What kinds of impact did they have on the lives of their participants, and on their communities and the region?
Who were they?
Who were the clergy, the lay leaders, and the general participants in these groups?
Were there early interactions between Unitarians and Universalists within the region?
This project is a work-in-process,
and all who are interested in assisting are welcome to do so. The project was
begun in June, 2005, and is projected to occur over a period of at least four
phases, with the first to be completed by September, 2005. A list of historical
sources that have been consulted to date is available in the index of Historical
Sources. In general, phase 1 will develop historical descriptions of the currently
active Unitarian Universalist congregations in Alton, Carbondale, and Mount
Vernon, and the currently dormant congregation in Waltonville, as well as the
southernmost former congregations. Later stages will develop historical descriptions
of congregations further to the north and biographies of religious leaders who
have served in the area. Please note that the plan is flexible, and may be re-organized
to take advantage of specific opportunities for access to information.
Contact Information: For more information about the project, or to assist by
sharing information or in another manner, please contact the Rev. Bill Sasso
by email at or at the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship (618-529-2439).
This page last updated: August 2005
A line running east-west
through Springfield, Illinois, roughly divides the state in half, establishing
the largest possible definition of “Southern Illinois.” However, many
would take issue with considering that large an area, arguing that such a large
region includes different local cultures, economies, value systems, and points
of focus. Current common use would imply a more restrictive definition such
as “that part of Illinois south of today’s Interstate Highway 64”
or “the southernmost sixteen counties of the state.” The use of one
of these more limited definitions would be advantageous in limiting the scope
of the research.
However, there are several good arguments for the use of a generous definition.
First, some the congregations quite clearly of interest – such as Waltonville
and Mount Vernon in Jefferson County and Mount Pleasant in Union County –
are known to have had cooperative efforts with congregations further north,
through their participation in the Universalist “Southern Circuit”
which at times included the “Little Hickory” church in Fayette County,
the Litchfield church in Montgomery County, the Sharpsburg Church in Christian
County, and the Hutsonville church in Crawford County. Further, the area where
possible 19th century interaction between Unitarians and Universalists appears
most likely to have occurred, the triangle bounded by Mattoon, Effingham, and
Shelbyville, is also further north. Finally, there do not appear to be any active
efforts to document the stories of these congregations in “south central”
and “eastern” Illinois.
Therefore, this project will use the very broad definition of Southern Illinois
as “anything south of Springfield,” operationalized as “any congregation
south of the line extending from Quincy eastward, through Jacksonville and Springfield,
to Decatur, and then straight east to the Indiana border.
