Fountain Green, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fountain Green
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 Fountain Green
Location in Illinois
Fountain Green
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Hancock |
| District | Fountain Green |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Fountain Green is a small place in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It's located about eleven miles northeast of Carthage, Illinois.
Contents
Where is Fountain Green?
Fountain Green is found at 40°28′33″N 90°58′09″W / 40.47583°N 90.96917°W. It sits at an elevation of 682 feet above sea level. This means it's a bit higher up than some surrounding areas.
A Look at Fountain Green's Past
Fountain Green has an interesting history with different groups of people settling there over time.
Early Settlers and Their Faiths
One of the first people to settle in this area was Mordecai Lincoln. Before 1830, he led a group from Kentucky. They hoped to start a Catholic community here. This happened several years before the Mormon settlement began in nearby Nauvoo.
After Mordecai Lincoln, other settlers arrived from the southern United States. Many of these new arrivals were Baptist in faith. Some Baptists even settled along a place called Baptist Creek, which is northeast of Fountain Green.
Challenges for the Catholic Community
The early Catholic settlement faced difficulties. It was hard for them to find a priest to lead their church. Because of this, their community didn't grow as planned. The Baptist settlers, however, were better able to manage their religious needs on the frontier.
Coal Mining and New Arrivals
In the 1850s, something important was discovered: coal! This led to railroads being built into the area. With the railroads came new people, especially coal miners from Pennsylvania. Many of these miners were descendants of Irish Protestants who had left Ireland after a rebellion in 1798.
Soon, an Irish Protestant church was built in Fountain Green. This church, which followed Calvinism, attracted members from the earlier groups. At that time, many Baptist churches in the North supported slavery. This led some people to move away from the Baptist church and join other faiths like Calvinism.
By 1880, more Irish people began to settle in the area. These new arrivals were mostly Irish Catholics. They came to work in the coal mines. They started new Catholic churches and cemeteries in nearby communities. It seems they didn't know about the much earlier Catholic settlement in Fountain Green, which had been mostly forgotten.
The Old Catholic Cemetery
The very first Catholic settlers, including those who came with Mordecai Lincoln, are buried in a place called the Old Catholic or Lincoln Cemetery. This cemetery is located near Fountain Green.
