Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
I just returned from southern Illinois and met some kind Atherton relatives and attended Sunday services at the Shiloh Baptist Church, Villa Ridge, Pulaski County, Illinois.
The settlement around the Church is unbelievable but time has certainly paid a toll on much of Pulaski and Alexander Counties. The Atherton and Biggerstaff families are still there. There is an Atherton relative still living on the farm that once belonged to Aaron and Christina Atherton.
I will try to include some of the information that I gleened from the Public Library in Cairo, IL. Much of the information was contributed by relatives in the mid 1900s and I think some of the information about the Biggerstaff family is confused. I tend to relie on the Atherton Information as being more accurate.
I do want to add that the folks at Shiloh Baptist Church were gracious and warm and it was a treat to meet these wonderful people and get a glimpse of the faith, hard work and dicipline that the original Athertons made in the early part of the 19th Century.
VILLA RIDGE PRECINCT:
This is one of the most thickly settled, as well as productive portions of the county. It is a fine fruit-growing section; in fact, fruit and vegetables are it chief products. There are few points on the Central Railroad from which are shipped more fruit and vegetables than from Villa Ridge. The land of the precinct is high and rolling verging into hills on both sides of the railroad, and is well adapted to fruit culture. The timber is principally oak, walnut, hickory, maple, gum, ash, etc. The land is drained by a number of small streams which flow into Cache River. Villa Ridge is bounded on the North by Pulaski Precinct, on the East by Ohio and Mound City Precincts, on the south by Burkville Precinct, and on the west by Chache River. The Illinois Central Railroad passes nearly through the center with a station at the town of Villa Ridge. Taken altogether, it is a fine neighborhood; the people are thrifty, energetic and intelligent, and are rapidly growing welthy. The ATHERTON SETTLEMENT was one of the first made, not only in this precinct, but in the present limits of the county. Aaron Atherton was the pioneer, and came from Kentucky, probably as early as 1816, and settled West of Villa Ridge Station, a community that is still known as the Stherton Settlement. There were nine families of the Athertons and their relatives that came here together, about the same time. The first church in the county was organized here and probably the first burying ground was laid out in this settlement. The church was known as the Shiloh Baptist Church, and was organized in 1817, and is said to have been the second church established in the State of Illinois. James Edwards and THOMAS HOWARD were instrumental in it formation, and it still exists as a monument to their Christian faith.
I copied the above from a book on the History of Pulaski County and forgot to copy the cover page---therefore no book title. (likely written in late 1800s or early 1900s)
NOTES FROM THE "HISTORY OF SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH, VILLA RIDGE, ILLINOIS, assembled and compiled by Virginia Hagler Plummer 1st edition, October 1987:
Rich in Illinois history, and located nearly 2 miles west of Villa Ridge, Illinois the Shiloh Baptist Church stands as a memorial to the many pioneers of the past wh helped with its organization and to the many people throughout the years who have helped to preserve it ideals.
Shiloh Church was organized October 17, 1817 before Illinois became a state. The first Church was a log structure which was used both as a school and as a Church. The present church stands on a knoll, strong and proud, nestled in a grove of stately trees, overlooking a beautiful valley and miles of surrounding territory. For one hundred and 18 years the present building has braved the winter's storm and summer's hot sun. The Church was an infant during the Black Hawk War and during the panic in Van Buren's Administration, a fledgling during the War with Mexico and the days of the '49 Gold Ruch, and was a flourishing religious establishment during the hectic days of the Civil War. page 8
John Conyers, was born in Tennessee in 1792 and married in Alexander County to Catherine Atherton. She was born near Green River, Kentucky and with her parents came to this territory in 1816, settling in the Atherton Settlement. Mr. Conyers died in 1844 in Missouri. She had died about 2 years previously. Their son, J.P. Conyers, born in Alexander County, Illinois on October 10, 1827, married Diana L. Atherton, September 12, 1850. She was born in the same county, 1825, the daughter of John and Eunice Atherton. Mr. Diana L. Conyers' tomstone still stands in the Old Shiloh Cemeter. She left her entire estate for missionary work to the Clear Creek Baptist Association. Page 10
The real permanent history of what was then Illinois Territory appears to have begun with the coming of the ATHERTON COLONY 1816 from Kentucky to the rolling hill country 12 miles North of the conjunction of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. They established a settlement on the East side of Cache River, between there and the Ohio River on the East. At the time they came here there had been a few straggling settlements on both river but they had long disappeared. page 12
As soon as they came here, both by flat boat and horseback, they started clearing the land for farming. Although they were skilled with the rifle and the axe, they were primarily farmers. They met in the larger log house of Aaron Atherton for church services until the first log church was built in 1820 on this site.
The author was told by her grandmother, Mrs. Elice Biggerstaff, how the men had to ride horseback to Kaskaskia from here, and it would take them at least 2 weeks in order to enter land from the Government. At that time, the government gave each child 40 acres of land, if it was entered by the head of the family. It was a very hard trip, but considered well worth the trip for the land. Page 13
There is much more but this should give you a flavor to the area and the brave people who settled there. Villa Ridge is a small forgotten town but those who live nearby have turned the railroad station into a community park. There is still pride and a sense of community in Villa Ridge.
Will write more later on some of the Atherton and Biggerstaff family history that I got at the Cairo, IL public library.
Lucy Howard Strait
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:No followups yet |
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/atherton/messages/1451.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|