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Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC) collection represents a modest portion of the historical records pertaining to the church’s establishment in 1835 and growth throughout the years. Types of records include church histories, membership and pastor lists, building renovations plans, land purchases, and Big Woods’ withdrawal from the United Church of Christ (UCC) and joining the National Association of Congregational Christ Churches (NACCC) in 1975. There are numerous church histories written by members, newspapers, and historians due to the church being established in the early settler period of Illinois.
Care was taken to maintain the donor’s original order of the collection. The donor’s container lists can be found in the case file.
Collection Historical Note
In August of 1835, fourteen pioneers organized a “Church of Christ,” with the assistance of Presbyterian Rev. R.W. Gridley and Rev. N. C. Clark. The group met in the log cabin of Thompson Paxton; it was named the Church of Big and Little Woods because of the surrounding wooded areas. In 1824, twenty members organized as a Congregational Church, but it was not until 1850 that they were able to build a sanctuary. Members pledged abstinence from hard liquor and later became part of the Underground Railroad.
Mission stipends from the Home Mission Society and the American Missionary Society allowed Big Woods Church to act as a base for establishing Congregational Churches in Aurora and West Chicago, as a regional base for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), and as a training ground for Christian Endeavor. The Church also has an active Women’s Missionary Society that serves in Chicago, Aurora, and abroad. Pastors have included four professors, over a dozen students of Wheaton College, and student interns of North Central College and Seminary in Naperville. Big Woods also participates in local ecumenical missions in and around the surrounding community.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Northern Illinois University
Access Restrictions:
There are no restrictions on access to the collection.
Use Restrictions:
Property rights in the collection are held by the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.
Acquisition Source:
David Nasgowitz
Related Materials:
Big Woods Congregational Church is a branch from the Batavia Congregational Church, reference RC 82 for additional information.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
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Box 1],
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Box 2],
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Box 3],
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Box 4],
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Box 5],
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Box 6],
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Box 7],
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Box 8],
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Oversize Drawer 24],
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- Box 1
- Folder 1: "Spirit of the People", Church History, 2006
- Folder 2: Notes of David Nasgowitz used for "Spirit of the People, ", no date
- Folder 3: History: Church histories by various authors, no date
- Folder 4: Inventory, Records of the Congregational Church of Batavia, 1981
- Folder 5: "A History of the Congregational Church of Batavia", 1985
- Folder 6: "History of the Fox River Baptist Association", Tolman, 1859
- Folder 7: First Congregational Church booklet, Naperville, 1933
- Folder 8: History: "Big Woods Congregational Church Centennial Pageant," HM Triplett, 1935
- Folder 9: History: 115th Anniversary of Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC) and Centennial Dedication of Church Building, 1950
- Folder 10: History: 125th Anniversary of Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC), 1960
- Folder 11: History: 135th Anniversary and Rededication, 1970
- Folder 12: History: 140th Anniversary, 1975
- Folder 13: History: 140th Anniversary and IL Senate Resolution, 1975
- Folder 14: History: 150th Anniversary and Historic Marker, 1985
- Folder 15: History: 143rd Anniversary, 1978
- Folder 16: History: Historical Marker by Daughters of American Colonists, 1975
- Folder 17: History: 160rd Anniversary, 1995
- Folder 18: "A Chronology of God's Care", Pastor List, Nasgowitz, 1982
- Folder 19: Big Woods Annual Pork and Kraut Dinner, no date
- Folder 20: Big Woods Claim Society, 1836
- Folder 21: Apostolic Communion, Lenten, and Easter Articles, no date
- Folder 22: "In Commemoration... " Fiftieth Anniversary of the Organization of the General Congregational Association of Illinois, 1894
- Folder 23: History: "Narrative of Aurora Association," Lewis, 1927
- Folder 24: Aurora Beacon News, "Then and Now,", 1928-1935
- Box 2
- Folder 1: History: Various Articles on Big Woods' Pastors and Members, no date
- Folder 2: Paxton Cabin Research, Schuster, 1985
- Folder 3: Big Woods Withdrawal from United Church of Christ (UCC) and Joining National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC), 1975
- Folder 4: Organ Dedication, 1951
- Folder 5: Hynm Book Subscriptions, 1983
- Folder 6: Survey - Road: Ferry, Sunrise, Meadow, Barclay, Rigi, no date
- Folder 7: History: Abolition documents, Batavia, circa 1843
- Folder 8: Free Church Polity Report to Congregational Christ Churches of the US, 1954
- Folder 9: Congregational and Christian Conference of Illinois, 1957
- Folder 10: Historical Booklet Commemorating the Centennial of the Batavia Congregational Church, 1935
- Folder 11: "A History of Central Church"; and "100th Birthday of Yorkville Church Today,", no date, 1934
- Folder 12: "First Congregational Church of Aurora"; and "Oldest Church Closes Sunday,", no date, 1968
- Folder 13: History: Underground Railroad, no date
- Folder 14: Our Little Farm Rhymes, Bartholomew, 1883-1933
- Folder 15: National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) Annual Meeting, 1975
- Folder 16: National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) Yearbook, 1975
- Folder 17: List of Church Members, 1835-1841
- Folder 18: Membership Lists, 1902-1940
- Folder 19: Church Membership by County and Denomination, 1980
- Folder 20: "Local Church Report", 1922-1966
- Folder 21: History: "Organization of the Church...", no date
- Folder 22: Letters of Transfer, 1834-1852
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC) Ledger, 1899-1904
- Folder 2: Ledger - Records of Big Woods Church, 1842-1890
- Folder 3: History of Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC), Letters and Correspondence, 1851
- Folder 4: Biographies: Ferry, Wayne, Marquart, McKee, Paxton, Town, Gregg, no date
- Folder 5: Correspondence to Reverend L. Foote, 1842
- Folder 6: Church Minutes, 1887-1905
- Folder 7: Missionary Society Secretary's Reports, 1907-1930)
- Folder 8: Big Woods Temperance Union (Women's Christian Temperance Union - WCTU), Secretary's Report, 1904-1909
- Folder 9: Big Woods WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union) Organization and Records, 1893-1904
- Folder 10: Big Woods WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union) Secretary's Report, 1910-1927
- Folder 11: Letter from Ronald Reagan, 1981
- Folder 12: History: "The Ideals from our Church School,", no date
- Folder 13: Maps and Pictures, no date
- Folder 14: History: Ordination of David Nasgowitz; and service of Recognition, 1984, no date
- Folder 15: Constitutions of the Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC), no date
- Folder 16: Bulletins, Various Pastors, 1984-1996
- Box 4
- Folder 1-16: Annual Report, 1957-2011
- Folder 17: Directory, notes and calling tree, no date
- Folder 18: Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC) in National Register of Historic Places, 1962
- Folder 19-21: Sunday School Attendance Records, 1878-1901
- Box 5
- Folder 1-3: Sunday School Attendance Records, 1905-1926
- Folder 4: Minutes of Winfield Township Sunday School Association, 1906-1910
- Folder 5: Minutes: Winfield-Wayne Township Sunday School Convention, 1920-1936
- Folder 6: Christian Education Newsletter, 1993-1996
- Folder 7: Sunday School Friendship Class Treasurer's Report, 1935
- Folder 8-9: Sunday School Treasurer's Report, 1890-1922
- Folder 10: Women's Missionary Society, Treasurer's Accounts, 1895
- Box 6
- Folder 1: Sunday School Treasurer's Report, 1945-1978
- Folder 2: Big Woods Missionary Society Treasurer's Books, 1928-1946
- Folder 3: Memorial Fund and Building Fund Information, no date
- Folder 4: Minutes, Board of Trustees, 1979-1980
- Folder 5: Record of Subscription Payments, 1899-1900
- Folder 6: Record of Contributions, 1906
- Folder 7-9: Treasurer's Reports, 1946-1963
- Folder 10: Book of Accounts, 1911-1918
- Folder 11: Tidings Newsletter, 1982-2006
- Folder 12: Marriage Records, 1979-1981
- Folder 13: Women's Missionary Society, Secretary's Reports, 1961-1970
- Folder 14: Yearbook, National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC), 1982-1983
- Box 7
- Folder 1: Articles and Clippings on Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC), no date
- Folder 2: Journal Entry, Unknown Author, no date
- Folder 3: Sesquicentennial and Materials of M. Mann, no date
- Folder 4: History: "Out of the Wilderness," Mann, no date
- Folder 5: Olympia Brown, Speeches and Writing, 1983
- Folder 6: Luvisa Steck, Early Poetic Writings, no date
- Folder 7: Genealogy and Local Histories, no date
- Folder 8: National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) Yearbook, 1980-1981
- Folder 9: Church Activities, Membership Transfers, Conway Living Trust, 1948, 1992
- Folder 10: Meeting Minutes, 1973-1979, 2001
- Folder 11: Treasurers Reports: Net Worth, 2000-2002
- Folder 12: Monthly Meeting Agenda and Pastors, 2000-2001
- Folder 13: Notebook, no date
- Folder 14: Edwin More: Genealogy and Family History, 1997
- Folder 15: Eulogy and Card for Passing of Elmer Ferry, 1998
- Folder 16: Tax Exemption Records, 1997
- Folder 17: Directory, Address and Phone, 1986-1998
- Folder 18: Early Records: Deeds, Constitution, Missionary's Journal Separation from Cemetery, 1850
- Folder 19: Petition to Warrenville for Rezoning, 1990
- Folder 20: Container List Inventory, 1993
- Folder 21: Newspaper Articles and Clippings, no date
- Folder 22: Appraisal Report, 1987
- Folder 23: List of Former Ministers of Bigwoods, 1842-1926
- Folder 24: African American Heritage, no date
- Folder 25: Newsletter Copies, Children's Ministry, 1995
- Folder 26: Newspaper Articles Concerning Eola Road Extension, 1998
- Folder 27: Pastoral Agreement between Mr. Cate and Big Woods Congregational Church (BWCC), 2011
- Folder 28: Petition to Aurora for Annexation, 2002
- Folder 29: Correspondence: Caithamer to Pastor Nasgowitz, 2003
- Folder 30: Church Membership Records, 1966-1996
- Box 8
- Folder 1: Women's Christian Temperance Union: Day Book, 1894-1906
- Folder 2: History: Letters Reverend Gridley, 1835-1836
- Folder 3: History: Letters Nathaniel Clark, 1833-1837
- Folder 4: History: Letters Reverend Farnam, 1843
- Folder 5: Pastor and Memorable Events List, 1922-1983
- Folder 6: Bigwoods Purchase of Land, 1994
- Folder 7: Meeting Minutes, May 16, 2010; April 2011-2014
- Folder 8: Big Woods Cabinet Meeting Minutes, October 16, 2011-August 27, 2012
- Oversize Drawer 24
- Folder 1: DuPage County Map, 1862
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[
Box 2],
[
Box 3],
[
Box 4],
[
Box 5],
[
Box 6],
[
Box 7],
[
Box 8],
[
Oversize Drawer 24],
[All]