Tour of Historic Sites

This material was used during the tour of historic Schrock sites at the Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center’s “Schrock Immigrant Day” on June 19, 2010.

(The following is for personal use only and not to be used
in published form without permission.)

No. 1
Metamora site of Engel home/barn where first Amish and AC meetings were held

The Engel log barn is traditionally thought to have been the site of the first Amish church meetings as well as the first Apostolic Christian services in Illinois. The barn was built by John and Peter Engel soon after they arrived from France in 1830/31. Their father was Christian Engel, the well-known Amish Mennonite bishop. Eight generations of Engel families have lived on the farm over the last nearly 180 years. The historic engraving of the barn by Jacob Faber shows a cart without wheels. When asked about this, Faber said, “wheels were expensive and rare in those days, and carts and wheels were interchangeable. No doubt some neighbor was using them when the picture was drawn. Faber’s son, Art, tells the story that Indians living in a thick wooded area at the back of Peter Engel’s house would come to see and marvel at the white man’s modern tools. They especially made use of the old grindstone to sharpen their crude hunting knives.

One of the first Apostolic Christian groups was known as the Partridge Prairie Apostolic Christian Church. This congregation often met in the barn on the Peter Engel farm in which the first service of the Amish church had been held in 1833. When snow was knee deep in the winter and mud hub deep in the spring, this devout group would thoroughly sweep the barn, including the walls and rafters, and bake many loaves of bread in preparation for Sunday worship. Pieces of logs were carried into the barn and planks laid across the logs to serve as benches. Chickens sometimes wandered into the barn and someone would quietly shoo them out if they became noisy. Many persons attended the services and one family living at Crow Creek near Lacon drove to Partridge early Sunday morning in their log wagon. Some from Morton and Dillon walked twenty-five miles to services, leaving home at 2:00 in the morning to be at the church on time. At a service held at the Engel barn on July 1, 1866 there were 53 rigs in the yard for the morning service with still more persons attending in the afternoon.

One response by the Amish to the Neu Taufer (New Amish) movement begun by Froelich from Switzerland was the use of a rotating schedule of church services for four of the congregations. In 1854 the Partridge Creek Congregation joined with the Dillon Creek Congregation, die Busch Gemein, and the Delevan Prairie Congregation joined in having church services in these districts in rotation with each district having the service once every four weeks. The services were held in the member’s homes. Each district owned some crude benches made of split logs with three legs. Since the services were held in various homes, the benches had to be carried to the place where the services were to be held that particular Sunday. The services lasted nearly the entire day with a noon lunch of coffee, coffeecake, bread, butter, apple butter, and bean soup served.

No. 2
Guth Cemetery burial of Andrew Schrock

Andrew and Anna lived about four miles west of Washington (Section 18), Tazewell Co., IL. They had to drive or walk approximately ten miles to take a ferry to get to Peoria.  Andrew started to build a large brick home but passed away before it was finished. Children Andrew and Mary, who were young, carried all the brick for this home. In the 1873 Atlas, Washington Twp, 26N, Section 18, appears “A. Schrock” on the northwest corner of the Section. At that time Andrew, his son, owned the land.

One night Andrew stayed with his sister and family who were sick with cholera. The same night he became sick and died before morning, leaving a family of small children, the oldest sixteen, the youngest was born after his death.  One of the children in later years finished the large brick home, using the original plans; half of the second story was planned to be used for church services.

The Schick farm joined the Schrock farm and not far from these farms is the old cemetery (now called Guth Cemetery) where the Andrew Schrock and his daughter Susanna (and possibly the Joseph Schick family) are buried. (Andrew’s son, Andrew, married one of the Schick daughters.) The cemetery is a small plot with 15 or so markers, some of which are nothing but pieces of stone. There are a half dozen or so Guths. One readable stone is for Peter Guth, born in Ransbrunnehof, Palatinate. He was born 1806 and died 1886. His wife was Susanna Oyer. Peter Guth owned the land containing the cemetery. His wife Susanna was a sister to Andrew’s wife Anna, providing the Schrock family access to cemetery plots in the Guth burial grounds.

No. 3
Pekin homestead of Johannes Schrock     and       Nearby Railroad Cemetery

While living in Butler Co. Ohio, Johannes had been hearing of land in Illinois where acres were cheap and crops were abundant. So in 1850 he took three horses and pushed through from Trenton, Ohio, to Pekin to take a look at this new west.  He liked it. He left one horse in Illinois and drove the other two back to the Buckeye state.  He broke the news to his wife that they were moving to Illinois where he had found land to purchase. According to land records Johannes had made arrangements to purchase land from the Neukirk family before the family arrived.

In the autumn of 1850, Johannes and his family moved to Tazewell County and located near Pekin. They first lived in a log house on a farm owned by Andrew Ropp (now the Allen Miller farm) five miles east of Pekin. They were made at home by these Amish Mennonites, known to them in France and already settled in Illinois, and so they prospered. They were surrounded by Gerbers, Heisers, Ropps, Ringenbergers, Birkeys, and a few more recognizable names.

Johannes and his family were counted in the 1850 Butler Co., Ohio, census and were still there in October. They turned up in Tazewell in November and the land sale was completed in December. Helen Neukirk, the widow of Abraham Neukirk, owned a home at the southern edge of the Gerber farm (diagonally across from the present location of the Bethel Mennonite Church). At the turn of the 19th century it was a stage depot on the route from Peoria to Indianapolis.

No. 4
Congerville–home of Magdalena and Christian and homes of Joseph Schrock families

Magdalena and Christian lived in the country near what later became Congerville, Woodford Co., IL. Christian died in 1855 of cholera in his log cabin home. Three days later Magdalena died, followed by the death of her nineteen-year-old daughter Barbara, and a few hours later by her six-year-old son John. There is yet a house on the site of the log cabin, but it has not been determined if the log cabin is still a part of the remodeled home.

Joseph Schrock

The Joseph Schrock farm, son of Johannes, and a well-to-do and successful farmer and stock-raiser of Montgomery Township is located on Section 22. Joseph died in 1901 at age 73. The village of Congerville, begun in the spring of 1888 as a town named Schrock, is situated on a portion of his farm. The History of Congerville reports he owned about 320 acres of land, divided into two farms. Some of the land was bought in 1864, the year he first came to Woodford Co. He improved the land with fences, trees, buildings, etc., and as he improved his lot he purchased more land. Before moving to Montgomery Township, Joseph resided about seven years in Roanoke Township–the second place in which he had located after moving to Illinois in 1850.

The History of Congerville tells the story of the town’s original intention of being named Schrock and the ultimate decision to name it Congerville. In 1887 the Nickel Plate Railroad was being built from Bloomington to Peoria. According to legend and history, the contractors completed the railroad as far as Schrock’s farm when they were halted by the severe winter that year. They settled there to wait for winter to be over. People moved to the railroad community, many seeking to participate in the building job. With this development, a town was formed on the land owned by Joseph Schrock and a plat was recorded Jan 7, 1888, naming the community Town of Schrock. The Schrock name was only attached to the town for one or two years. Eventually the town was named Congerville after Ben Conger, an early settler who owned a considerable amount of land and had a reputation as a fine hunter. However, descendants of Joseph Schrock have an “inside” story about the name change.

Joseph’s son, Jonathan, moved into the homestead house with three children sometime after 1896. He built an addition to the west side for his mother Magdalena.

No. 5
Belsly Cemetery, burial site of Barbara Schrock and Joseph Belsly
Nearby farm of Red Joe and his grandson Joseph

Twelve years after his marriage to Barbara Engel, Red Joe built a red brick farmhouse—it was demolished several years ago (2007/2008). Red Joe and Barbara Schrock’s only son would no doubt have lived in this house a few years before his marriage. Later, the house was painted white. The bricks used for building the house were made from clay dug up from Joe’s land. The barn, which has been gone about ten years, was made without nails. This farm has been in the Belsly family since the day Joseph purchased it and is considered to be the oldest one-family farm in the state.

The first burial of Red Joe and Barbara was somewhere on his farm. Joe’s widow, Barbara Engel, lived until 1881 and was also buried on the farm.  At some time after the deaths, the graves were moved to a different location—into a family cemetery near the homestead on Lourdes Road. Both wives were buried in the same grave, but the stone only names Barbara Engel. This could be the reason why Red Joe’s first wife, Barbara Schrock, was all but forgotten by the Belsly family.

Barbe Schrack (Schrag)
Barbara Schrock Belsly  (abt. 1815 – abt. 1836)
and her descendants

This material was used in the Barbara Schrock Belsly presentation at the Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center’s “Schrock Immigrant Day” on June 19, 2010.
The presentation was made by John Robert Belsly,
direct descendant of Barbara Schrock and Joseph Belsly.

(The following is for personal use only and not to be used
in published form without permission.)

The Belsly family has known very little about Barbara Schrock; in fact, no primary documents have been found for Barbara. She was probably born in France about 1815, possibly in the Saarebourg area of Lorraine. At some point she immigrated to America and lived for a while in Butler Co., Ohio, where the rest of her family lived at the time. Barbara married Joseph Belsly in Butler Co.—likely a short time after his arrival there, and most surely knew the Belsly (Pelsy) family in France. However, just as her birth record has not been found to date, neither has her marriage record.

The couple eventually moved to Woodford County to Joseph’s farm north of Metamora. Their first and only child, Christian, was born there in July 1835. Sometime in 1836, Barbara died, possibly of cholera, at about 21 years of age. She was buried on the farm near their family home.

Joseph Belsly was born at Hof Hellocourt, a farm about seven miles west from Rhodes in Lorraine, France. He was known as “Joe de la Rouge,” or “Red Joe”, because of his distinctive red hair. French cousin, Pierre Pelsy, observed about Red Joe’s immigration to America in 1828 at age 26, “It is told he took along a bag of flour, a sack of dried fruit and a belt in which gold coins were hidden. He must have been a very courageous and adventuresome young man.”

After arriving in America, Joseph went first to Ohio where he found employment. In about 1830/31 he moved to Illinois where the government was selling land for $1.25 per acre. According to History of Woodford County “…Mr. Belsley made claim to a tract on Partridge Creek, later [in 1833] sold to Joseph Johnson, and he settled then in Worth close to the Partridge line.” Partridge Township was at the time a wild, desolate, sparsely settled region. Red Joe was part of the Partridge Township Amish settlement. In 1832 he purchased a 240-acre tract of heavily wooded land on higher ground north of Metamora and built a French-style barn on the property.

In 1840 Red Joe married another Barbara—Barbara Engel. They had no children. Twelve years after his marriage to Barbara Engel, Joseph built a red brick farmhouse. Later it was painted white. The bricks used for building the house were made from clay dug up from his land. This farm has been in the Belsly family since the day Joseph purchased it and is considered to be the oldest one-family farm in the state.

Red Joe was a very successful farmer and known to be one of the wealthiest persons in the area. He was successful growing clover on his land, which had not been done before in that part of the country. As his assets increased he kept buying more land. At the time of his death he was the owner of 15 parcels of land ranging from 40 acres to 320 acres. His son, Christian, never learned how to handle finances, and as a result his father, Joseph, left his estate to Christian’s children. He was able to leave farms in life estates to each of his grandchildren.  His namesake and favorite grandson, Joseph, received the homestead on Lourdes Road.

When Red Joe died on Christmas Eve 1872 at age 70 of what was then called dropsy, or abnormal swelling of the tissues, his nine-page will divided his sizeable fortune into 33 units that took six years to disperse through the probate process. He chose to leave his widow $2,000 but only 80 of his 2,000 acres. Son Christian, who expected a life of leisure, was left only 120 acres and a payment of $150 a year for 20 years. The family farm on Lourdes Road passed more or less intact to the namesake grandchild.

Burial was in a cemetery on his farm. Joe’s widow, Barbara Engel, lived until 1881 and was also buried on their farm. At some time after the deaths, the graves were moved to a different location—a family cemetery near the homestead on Lourdes Road. Both wives were buried in the same grave, but the stone only names Barbara Engel. This could be the reason why Red Joe’s first wife, Barbara Schrock, was all but forgotten by the family.

The story of Christian Belsly, the only son of Red Joe and Barbara Schrock, illustrates the circular nature of some of the family relationships. Red Joe distrusted his son Christian’s easy nature. Relatives considered the only child to be spoiled. But Christian did help his father on the farm. They loaded produce on wagons and hauled it to Chicago. On the return trip they brought back supplies or equipment for the farming operations.

Christian more than likely found his prospective wife during a visit to his uncle Peter Schrock in Butler County. She lived in the next house on Salzman Road. The marriage ceremony was conducted by minister Nicholas Augspurger at Trenton in Butler County on Nov. 18, 1856. Red Joe was 21 and his new wife 19.

Researcher Joseph Staker tells us who Christian’s wife was: “The wife that son Christian Belsly found in Butler County was his second cousin Mary Schertz, who was born in Butler County in 1837. She was the oldest of three daughters of John Schertz and Catherine Engel, who lived on Salzman Road next to Peter Schrock. And when Johannes Schrock left Ohio for Illinois, John Schertz bought his land. John was also the business partner of John Staker, and his daughters were trained in business and accounting. No doubt Mary Schertz made an appropriate partner for the errant son of Red Joe Belsly. Red Joe showed his displeasure with his son by declining to present the groom with the customary gift of acreage from the family farm. Christian was forced to make his own living.”

Christian and Mary first settled in Spring Bay, then Christian purchased land near Deer Creek, IL, where he and his wife lived and raised their family.

“They attended the early East Washington Mennonite Church. They raised nine children…When the first son (second grandchild) was born Grandpa Red Joe drove from his homestead in north Worth Township to see his first grandson. The parents had already chosen a name for the boy, but Grandpa Red Joe said ‘his name is Joseph,’ so that is what he was named. It was that first grandson who later inherited the Red Joe homestead and when grandson Joseph married Ida Foster they moved to that homestead where they raised their family.”

In 1902, on his 67^th birthday, The Progress newspaper carried the following article:

“Today Christian Belsly one of the oldest and most respected citizens of this township, reaches the 67^th milestone of his life, and the children are giving him a happy day…they went to his splendid home on his farm at the south edge of the village limits loaded with provisions enough for a good sized regiment of soldiers and proposed to feast not only their father but themselves, in a manner fit for kings.

To say Chris was surprised to see all the children at home, would be the truth, but when they actually “caned him” with a gold-headed walking stick it became evident to him that with the passing of years things have reversed somewhat, for if we miss not, even our good-natured friend Belsly never raised all his big family of children without doing some caning himself….”

In 1906 he and Mary celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary. Again The Progress describes the celebration: “Unbroken Vows for Fifty Years! These Two Still Lovers.”

….Mr. and Mrs. Belsly are among our most highly respected citizens, and the whole community rejoice that they have been permitted to celebrate their fiftieth marriage anniversary. The event was one long to be remembered by the children and grand children in attendance. The wedding dinner was all that the season’s products and good culinary skill could make it. The social part of the program was also a source of great enjoyment. Olden times were freely discussed for Mr. and Mrs. Belsly had a liberal touch of pioneer days when the comforts of life were far less than they are today, but these hardships were encountered without complaint. Their chief end in life was to rear their children and educate them for great usefulness in the world; in this they succeeded admirable, as all are useful citizens with ample means to make them useful in their various communities.”

In the end, Christian and his wife ran a prosperous farm and raised nine children (three others did not reach maturity). He served as a school director and commissioner of highways in Deer Creek and was highly regarded in his community. Mary died in 1911 at the age of 74 and Christian died in 1917 at age 81. They are buried in Mt. Zion Cemetery at Deer Creek.

Christian liked fine horses. His granddaughter Verna Belsly said, “He liked to drive foxy horses.” It was said his work horses were always strong and good pullers and many a time Christian would bet a little on the loads they could pull. As Christian was a member of the school board he talked to school children whenever he had a chance. The story was that when he and his father were driving a load of produce to Chicago one early spring when the roads were broken up they came to a sign that read: TAKE CARE OF THE RUT YOU CHOOSE, YOU WILL BE IN IT FOR THE NEXT 50 MILES. He would refer to that and then continue, “Would that we can say to every young man and woman: Take care of the path you choose—you will be in it for the next 50 years. Choose a path of vision and courage with a goal you have to reach for and your life will be a pleasant and profitable adventure.”

If Barbara Schrock Belsly had lived a long life, she would have been very proud of her husband Red Joe and her son Christian, plus all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

*** The Belsley-Sauder Genealogy states that ‘Red Joe’ emigrated in 1820, worked in Ohio, moved to Illinois in 1825, and bought land in Partridge (then part of Tazewell County) in 1830. The early dates are not substantiated by other sources.

Additional Information

After Schrock Immigrant Day an unpublished autobiographical manuscript was brought to our attention, written by Verna Belsly, great grandchild of Red Joe and Barbara Schrock, in the 1980s-1990s. Betty (Kenneth) Worner of Metamora has the original and at least one copy is with another Belsly family member. The manuscript contains the following description of the Red Joe Belsly family cemetery near the old homestead on Lourdes Road:

“A church was built on one corner of the farm. Dad (Red Joe’s grandson Joseph) donated the ground for it and a cemetery started there. I was too small to remember. I’ve tried to find out the date, but so far have not been able to get that information.  Rev. Strubhar of Washington Mennonite Church would come every few weeks and have a Sunday eve service and some of the Protestant families nearby became members. Hattie Goehring and I stood up when the invitation was given and sometime later there must have been around six of us who were baptized, but for communion we always went to the Washington church that was a mile east of Washington where the Pleasant View School now stands. In our little church we had S.S. and I recall at least one program–Children’s Day, I presume.  Later on, possibly after we moved to Washington, the church was sold and only the cemetery remains. ”Red Joe” and his two wives had originally been buried in a little cemetery 1/4 mile further north, so their remains were transferred to the one where the church stood.  There were just bones, and those of both wives were put in one container and their tombstone has the name of only the second wife. We knew the first wife was a Schrock but it was later revealed her first name was Barbara. She was the mother of “Red Joe’s” only child, Christian, who was my Grandpa and my Dad’s father.  As mentioned, the second wife was Barbara Engel and I told my Father I thought she looked cross, but he said she was very kind so she must have been a good mother to little Christian who didn’t remember his real Mother. What caused his Mother’s death is not known.  I heard several people died from cholera so perhaps she was a victim.”

This is the Zehr Family Ancestry Chart