Not only did newspapers document our ancestors – but they also documented the churches that our ancestors attended.
For example, this newspaper article gives a history of the Centennial Methodist Church of Rockford, Illinois – the oldest church in that town. It gives details of the life of that church over the years.
Here is one interesting detail from the church’s history:
So – when the two Methodist churches merged in May of 1876 it was “nine-year-old Sunday school girl, Jessie Seal” who suggested their new name “Centennial Methodist,” commemorating the 100th anniversary of the United States.
The article goes on to add that:
Jessie grew up, married, and became Mrs. William Shimmin. Her daughter, Lois Shimmin, has been a member of the church since 1905.
The Centennial Church also has documents, letters and journals that date from the earliest days of their ministry there. Here is an excerpt of a letter by an original settler who wrote his recollections of the arrival of his family there in 1835.
One of the oldest members of the church, Abraham Isaac Enoch, wrote the history of “his family’s settlement here in September, 1835, in vivid detail.”
Following an Indian trail from Fox River we crossed Kishwaukee where Cherry Valley now stands. I well recollect the cutting or felling of the first large tree.
Father standing near by in his usual easy position, when the rebound of the echo from the forest in the rear had passed away, said, “Now boys you will have the credit of cutting the first tree that was ever cut… in these woods.”
I felt more a man than ever before and bounded upon the trunk of the fallen tree, swung my hat and hurrahed for the new settlement.
Was this great family story passed down in his family?
Does the family still have a copy of Abraham’s handwritten recollections of his youth?
If not, they might not know it even was written if not for GenealogyBank digitizing the pages of the Register Republic (Rockford, Illinois) newspaper and making it available online in its Historical Newspaper Archives.
Find your family’s stories – don’t let them be lost.
Discover them – preserve them – and pass them down to the Rising Generation.