Big Woods Congregational Church, 1836-2006 | Northern Illinois University

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Collection Overview

Title: Big Woods Congregational Church, 1836-2006

Predominant Dates:1920-1996

ID: RHC/RC/311

Extent: 3.75 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 05/17/2011

Subjects: Church of the Big and Little Woods, Congregationalists, Frontier and pioneer life, Prohibition, Religious Institutions- Illinois- Naperville, Underground Railroad, Women--Societies and clubs.

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

Church of the Big and Little Woods
Congregationalists
Frontier and pioneer life
Prohibition
Religious Institutions- Illinois- Naperville
Underground Railroad
Women--Societies and clubs.

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:

[Box 1],
[Box 2],
[Box 3],
[Box 4],
[Box 5],
[Box 6],
[Box 7],
[Box 8],
[Oversize Drawer 24],
[All]

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]