History
In a major restructure of Presbytery boundaries in the state of Illinois, The Presbytery of Blackhawk was officially organized on January 11, 1972. Prior to this, the Synod of Illinois of the United Presbyterian Church U.S.A. was divided into ten Presbyteries. This new configuration of four Presbyteries in Illinois would be followed on January 1, 1973, by the joining of Illinois and Indiana Synods to form the Synod of Lincoln Trails. The churches forming Blackhawk were prior members of Freeport, Ottawa, Peoria, Chicago, Bloomington, and Monmouth Presbyteries. At its organization, Blackhawk was home to approximately 110 ministers, including retired clergy and 98 churches. First Presbyterian Church in Galena, established in 1831, is the oldest, still existing congregation in Blackhawk Presbytery.
Please read an expanded history here.
Records from these and other earlier churches in Northern Illinois (pre-1972) may be available from the
Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia. Many churches retain their own historical data as well. Please see
congregation listing for current church addresses. Blackhawk Presbytery does not house vital records (birth, death, etc.) for congregations.
The following churches existed in 1972 at inception:
|
|
Date Org.
|
1972 -Church Name
|
1972 - Address
|
City
|
|
1
|
1865
|
First
|
Box 56
|
Apple River
|
|
2
|
1859
|
First
|
|
Arlington
|
|
3
|
1958
|
First
|
325 E. Downer Place
|
Aurora
|
|
4
|
1918
|
Second
|
1201 Superior
|
Aurora
|
|
5
|
1893
|
United
|
543 S. Lake Street
|
Aurora
|
|
6
|
1954
|
Westminster
|
Box 13
|
Aurora
|
|
7
|
1839
|
First
|
303 E. Lincoln
|
Belvidere
|
|
8
|
1872
|
First
|
620 Van Buren
|
Braidwood
|
|
9
|
1844
|
Willow Creek
|
Rt. #1
|
Caledonia
|
|
10
|
1832
|
Ridgefield-Crystal Lake
|
8505 Church St.
|
Crystal Lake
|
|
11
|
1956
|
Meadowdale
|
Rt. #1 Ball Ave.
|
Carpentersville
|
|
12
|
1885
|
New Hope United
|
80 Garfield
|
Coal City
|
|
13
|
1850
|
Community
|
|
Dakota
|
|
14
|
1964
|
Westminster
|
830 Annie Glidden Rd.
|
DeKalb
|
|
15
|
1853
|
First
|
110 E. 3rd St.
|
Dixon
|
|
16
|
1852
|
First
|
|
Earlville
|
|
17
|
1891
|
First United
|
240 Standish St.
|
Elgin
|
|
18
|
1844
|
First
|
113 S. Main St.
|
Elizabeth
|
|
19
|
1881
|
Elmira United
|
Rt. 2 Box 93
|
Toulon
|
|
20
|
1965
|
Community
|
Box 27
|
Elwood
|
|
21
|
1858
|
First United
|
3rd & Elm Sts.
|
Fairbury
|
|
22
|
1865
|
Forreston Grove
|
Rt. #1
|
Forreston
|
|
23
|
1861
|
First
|
South & Walnut Sts.
|
Franklin Grove
|
|
24
|
1842
|
First
|
302 W. Stephenson
|
Freeport
|
|
25
|
1847
|
Second
|
203 W. Pleasant
|
Freeport
|
|
26
|
1856
|
Fulton
|
701 11th Ave.
|
Fulton
|
|
27
|
1831
|
First
|
106 N. Bench St.
|
Galena
|
|
28
|
1846
|
Westminster
|
513 S. Bench
|
Galena
|
|
29
|
1850
|
Garden Plain
|
Rt. #1
|
Fulton
|
|
30
|
1969
|
Church of Hope
|
Jefferson & Monroe
|
Gardner
|
|
31
|
1951
|
Fox Valley
|
227 East Side Drive
|
Geneva
|
|
32
|
1871
|
First
|
120 E. 11th St.
|
Gibson City
|
|
33
|
1858
|
First
|
116 N. Main
|
Gilman
|
|
34
|
1905
|
Grand Ridge
|
200 Sylvan Ave.
|
Grand Ridge
|
|
35
|
1840
|
United
|
210 Monroe St.
|
Hanover
|
|
36
|
1868
|
First
|
309 N. Division St.
|
Harvard
|
|
37
|
1855
|
First United
|
511 Wirt
|
Henry
|
|
38
|
1910
|
First United
|
|
Holcomb
|
|
39
|
1866
|
First
|
805 Western Ave.
|
Joliet
|
|
40
|
1844
|
Central
|
215 First Ave.
|
Joliet
|
|
41
|
1953
|
Westminster
|
Clara & Larkin
|
Joliet
|
|
42
|
1894
|
Willow Ave. United
|
Willow & McDonough
|
Joliet
|
|
43
|
1854
|
First United
|
371 E. Court St.
|
Kankakee
|
|
44
|
1872
|
First
|
307 S. Tremont
|
Kewanee
|
|
45
|
1917
|
First
|
Box 218
|
Kings
|
|
46
|
1891
|
First
|
108 S. LaSalle
|
Ladd
|
|
47
|
1839
|
LaRose Crow Meadow
|
|
LaRose
|
|
48
|
1960
|
Hampton Park United
|
2 Belmont Dr.
|
Lockport
|
|
49
|
1917
|
Bethany
|
5403 N. 2nd St.
|
Loves Park
|
|
50
|
1853
|
First
|
64 S. Walnut
|
Manteno
|
|
51
|
1850
|
First
|
203 W. Washington
|
Marengo
|
|
52
|
1833
|
Marseilles-Brookfield
|
Rt. #1
|
Marseilles
|
|
53
|
1959
|
Faith
|
1511 N. Chapel Hill
|
McHenry
|
|
54
|
1855
|
First United
|
1003 5th St.
|
Mendota
|
|
55
|
1857
|
United
|
511 Mary’s St.
|
Minonk
|
|
56
|
1856
|
First United
|
200 E. Jackson
|
Morris
|
|
57
|
1855
|
First
|
100 E. Lincolnway
|
Morrison
|
|
58
|
1851
|
Spring Valley
|
Rt. #1
|
Morrison
|
|
59
|
1857
|
First
|
|
Onarga
|
|
60
|
1873
|
First
|
Faith & Jefferson
|
Oregon
|
|
61
|
1853
|
Oswego United
|
Box 826
|
Oswego
|
|
62
|
1868
|
First
|
114 E. Jefferson St.
|
Ottawa
|
|
63
|
1873
|
First
|
Box 386
|
Paw Paw
|
|
64
|
??
|
The Federated
|
221 W. Center St.
|
Paxton
|
|
65
|
1871
|
First United
|
First & Crawford
|
Peotone
|
|
66
|
1862
|
First United
|
224 S. Margaret Ave.
|
Piper City
|
|
67
|
1833
|
First of DuPage
|
Rt. #1 Box 200
|
Plainfield
|
|
68
|
1848
|
Wheatland
|
Rt. #1
|
Plainfield
|
|
69
|
1848
|
First United
|
Division & Dixon
|
Polo
|
|
70
|
1855
|
First United
|
209 W. Livingston
|
Pontiac
|
|
71
|
1837
|
First United
|
320 Park Ave. East
|
Princeton
|
|
72
|
1854
|
First United
|
100 Calvin Road
|
Rochelle
|
|
73
|
1854
|
First
|
406 N. Main St.
|
Rockford
|
|
74
|
1910
|
Third
|
1221 Custer Dr.
|
Rockford
|
|
75
|
1956
|
Charles Street
|
5304 Charles St.
|
Rockford
|
|
76
|
1856
|
Westminster
|
3000 Rural
|
Rockford
|
|
77
|
1888
|
First
|
340 S. St. Louis Ave.
|
St. Anne
|
|
78
|
1851
|
Sandwich Federated
|
403 N. Main St.
|
Sandwich
|
|
79
|
1894
|
First
|
502 3rd. St.
|
Savanna
|
|
80
|
1860
|
First
|
Box 56
|
Scales Mound
|
|
81
|
1854
|
Schapville Zion
|
Rt. #2
|
Elizabeth
|
|
82
|
1871
|
Prairie Dell
|
Rt. #1
|
Shannon
|
|
83
|
1846
|
Somonauk
|
Rt. #1 Box 50
|
Somonauk
|
|
84
|
1844
|
LaPrairie United
|
Rt. #1
|
Sparland
|
|
85
|
1844
|
First
|
410 2nd Ave.
|
Sterling
|
|
86
|
1844
|
Kishwaukee Comm.
|
Rt. #1
|
Stillman Valley
|
|
87
|
1858
|
Park United Church of Christ
|
201 N. Vermillion St.
|
Streator
|
|
88
|
1836
|
United
|
|
Troy Grove
|
|
89
|
1849
|
Waltham
|
Rt. #1
|
Utica
|
|
90
|
1854
|
United
|
Box 229
|
Washburn
|
|
91
|
1864
|
Waterman
|
240 N. Cedar St.
|
Waterman
|
|
92
|
1853
|
First
|
215 E. Cherry St.
|
Watseka
|
|
93
|
1857
|
United
|
102 Hickory
|
Wenona
|
|
94
|
1837
|
First
|
320 Van Buren
|
Wilmington
|
|
95
|
1868
|
First
|
208 W. Winnebago St.
|
Winnebago
|
|
96
|
1855
|
Middle Creek
|
Rt. #1
|
Winnebago
|
|
97
|
1846
|
First United
|
Calhoun & Tryon Sts.
|
Woodstock
|
|
98
|
1958
|
AuSable Grove
|
Rt. #2 Box 118
|
Yorkville
|
