Our Centennial History"From whence did we come, and what is our destiny? These questions are eternal and none of us know precisely toward what destiny we are moving, however, it is possible to know something about that from which we came. It is history which makes this possible. It is our heritage which helps us understand our present. Our past gives us direction for the future." -Isabel Remy Norton.
Six years after Illinois had been admitteed to the union, the Illinois Conference of the Methodist Church was organized at Belleville, in St.Clair County on October 23, 1824, when there were only 15 government counties platted for the entire state. This organization included all of Illinois as well as charges in Indiana and Missouri. At that time there were 11,773 Methodists served by 55 ministers. The circuit riders organized these folks into the Methodist faith. In the early 1880s when Marissa was still known as Marissa station, a place where the train stopped, several people in the village began talking about starting a Methodist church. They met in various homes and after much conversation, action was soon to follow. For they organized and one June 25, 1882 and from that time on for about two years, semi-monthly meetings were held in the Baptist church, the congregation of whom had graciously opened its doors to the new religious group. Thus, the Marissa Methodist Church was founded, which occured only one month after the village had incorporated on May 26, 1882, with the officical name of Marissa. According to a short anouncement on page 1 of the Marissa Monitor published Saturday July 1, 1882, the following quotation proves the founding date: "Rev. Samuel Walker (Methodist) preached at the Baptist Church last Sabbath. He will make regular semi-monthly appointments hereafter, the next being the ninth inst." Rev. Walker was a pastor of the Freeburg Circuit, Whether he was a true circuit rider by horse back or horse and buggy is not know, perhaps he rode the train. He preached in this position for a few months after which Rev. David Moore of the Freeburg circuit was next assigned to preach. At that time, the village population was about 300 and Marissa contained many large open spaces with a scattering of houses along the laid out streets of the community. There were kerosene lamps for night lighting, one mill, one bank, one large hotel, one newspaper called called the Marissa Monitor, a barber shop, lots of hitching posts and rails, picket fences around houses to keep out the cows, wooden sidewalks here and there, outhouses, dirt streets and roads, and many other things that made up the pioneer life and times of Marissa in 1882. So, one can imagine the surroundings of the vilage, as our church ancestors made their way, in the afternoon, to the Baptist Church to hear the first sermons by Methodist ministers. In 1884, shortly after the Temperance Hall was built, where the residence 218 S.Main is now located, the place of meeting was transferred to that building. In 1886, Rev. George Burlingame, also of the Freeburg Circuit, formally organized the church with 12 members whose names were: Robert Church, Sr. and wife, Mary A. Blackburn Church; John Nixon, Sr. and wife, Martha Ramsy Nixon; Thomas B. Gray and wife, Virginia Walden Gray; J.E Straker and wife, (name unknown) Gray; Edwin D. McLean and wife, Margaret A. Wilson McLean and their daughter Dolly Elizabeth McLean; and America J. Adamson Cooper (Mrs. John M. Cooper). 1886 was, also, the year Marissa's first secondary school, the Marissa Academy, was started in a vacant room in the grade school. Next in line to preach half time was Rev. C. D. Shumard, pastor of the Freeburg circuit from 1888 to 1892. During his stay several things happened: Marissa became a permanent preaching appointment on the Freeburg Circuit; the first trustees elected were Thomas B. Gray, Edwin D. McLean, R. J. Wylie, J. E. Straker, and John N. Hemphill; a building committee was appointed and a plan devised consisting of an auditorium 24X10 feet with a alcove pulpit and classroom 16X24 feet; and on June 1, 1891, the church building was completed at a cost of $2,025.00. On September 1, 1891, Dr. O.H Clark, Presiding Elder of the Lebanon District, dedicated the building free of debt. In addition to a Historical Sketch written and printed by Rev. Theodore Cates in 1902 establishing the 1891 date, another proof corroborating it was uncovered by Mrs. Isabel Remy Norton on Friday, June 25, 1982, at the McKendree College Library were she found a Conference Journal dated September 23-28 1891. On page 36, under the title, Lebanon district, it states about Marissa: "They have recently purchased 2 lots and paid for them, and have nearly $1,000.00 subscribed toward a church". When Rev. Theodore Cates arrived September 23, 1901, the membership had grown to 147. But, the church had a parsonage debt of $700.00. However, a year later, in 1902, there was a membership of 202, a Sabbath school of 190, an Epworth League of 57 and a Junior League of 81. In addition, the parsonage debt was cleared. From this point on, the Methodist Church was well on its way toward even greater growth and change. Hindsight reveals to us in 1982 that changes and growth did occur as the church passed through time and its people and events became history. Clearly shown through the years is the dedicated Christian work of the Church's Pastors and Lay Leaders, for the benefit of others. The altruism is woven throughout its history, a mark of survival and success and a benefit and gift which we enjoy today. The little white frame church with its stained glass windows and fancy bell tower rings forth and summons every Sunday morning; and still stands on Hamilton Ave. ---grown, expanded and changed--- a living survival of a century of service to Christianity. |