In the later thirties, a great desire arose in the hearts of a band of godly men and women to leave their home in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania and make for themselves new homes in the great Northwest.  Accordingly they gathered together their families and belongings and going by boat down the Ohio river, then overland northward into Illinois, settling in and near Fountain Green.

As soon as their physical needs were supplied, they began to think of their spiritual need and with the united effort of friends and neighbors the leaders in this movement felt sufficiently encouraged to make an attempt to secure the services of a minister.  Col. Thomas Geddes went on horse back to Macomb and found a preacher who agreed to come and preach for them once a month.

On November 27, 1840, a Presbyterian church was organized by Rev. William A. Stewart, of Macomb, with the following charter members: Col Thomas Geddes, Susan R. Geddes, James McConnell, Martha McConnell, Margaret McConnell, Samuel Glass, Rachel Glass, Jane Leal, William Foy, Ruth Foy, Irene Foy, Mary McClaughry, Rebecca Spangler, Julia McConnell, Sarah Lawson.  Col. Geddes and James McConnell were the first elders.  The first services were held in a little school house that stood on the site now occupied by Morris [Maurice] Yetter's store.  Reverends W. A. Stewart, J. M. Chase and Ralph Harris served as the ministers while church was held in the school house.

The first church building in Fountain Green was a small frame building erected at a great sacrifice and after many hardships early in the ministry of Rev. T. M. Walker which begun on June 12, 1852. For over [thirty] years Mr. Walker labored faithfully among the people here, his beautiful life having an impress upon all who knew him.  During the ministry of Mr. Walker the second Presbyterian church was built and dedicated.  At that time it was considered a fine building and served the people exceptionally well for about forty-eight years.  The pastors and their period of service in the second church are as follows: Revs. T. M. Walker 1872-1881; O. D. Covert, 1883-1887; T. M. Walker, 1888-1889; D. G. Bruce, 1889-1892; F. D. Bascom, 1893-1895; Theodore Hunter, 1895-1897; J. W. Pugh, 1899-1904; W. H. Love, 1904-1909; L. C. Gray, 1911-1917; W. W. Stuart, 1917-1919.

In the fall of 1919 the session composed of Messrs. J. S. Sibert, E. W. Huston, L. D. Callihan, and J. A. Duffy at the request of the congregation extended a call to Rev. T. J. Claggett of Albany, Illinois, who accepted the call and came to take up his abode among us in October, 1919. No sooner had he begun his pastorate than he felt the need of a new place of worship as had many of our far-seeing members, before this.

Gradually the people became more and more interested until measures were taken to make our dreams of a new church a reality.  Early in 1920 the Hon. O. F. Berry of Carthage, was asked to come out and make an address in behalf of the new enterprise.  He did so and from that time on we worked with definite aims in view.  The members of the session made a complete canvass of the membership to see how much interest might be aroused.  On June 20, 1920, a congregational meeting was called at which time the building committee was appointed consisting of Messrs. John Sibert, E. W. Huston, J. A. Duffy, L. D. Callihan as secretary.  The contract was let to Bert [VanDine] of Burnside, for $10,000 with a deduction at specified prices for all the old lumber from the old church.  The above did not include the pews, chairs, light plant and furnishings.  On our subscription list we have about one hundred sixty subscribers ranging in amounts from $1 to $525 with a total amount pledged of about $12,500 and a total expenditure of about $12,495.

Our church has a seating capacity of about two hundred and fifty and although will seem small in comparison with churches in larger towns yet we are proud of the building.  Everyone of us feels that he has had a part in its erection.  The beauty of the church reflects much credit on Mr. E. A. Payne of Carthage, the architect; Bert VanDine, the contractor, and the building committee.  Words of praise are also due our pastor, T. J. Claggett [for his never-failing optimism and his sticktoitiveness for putting the hardest work through.]

On May 1 the new church was dedicated, Rev. W. T. Rodgers of Macomb preaching the sermon. There were six ministers who took part in the services: Rev. Rodgers, L. C. Gray of Quincy, J. R. Vance of Macomb, T. J. Claggett, Robert Purdy of Sciota and H. O. Caton of Missouri. Hon. O. F. Berry gave an address in the afternoon.  There was special music by Miss Helen Coppin of Carthage, the Burnside quartette, the Fountain Green quartette and choir.

At noon a generous lunch was served to about three hundred by the ladies of the church in the basement dining room.  The rain kept a great many from attending the evening service but nevertheless we felt that May 1, 1921, was a wonderful day in our church history.

Thus briefly, the history of the Fountain Green Presbyterian church has been from November 1840 down to May, 1921, a period of nearly eight-one years.  Here we will leave it for some one else to add to in later years when the third church building has passed away and another shall take its place.