1812 – born in NY; lived near Warsaw, NY
1839 – moved to Galesburg, Illinois
he traveled between Congregationalist churches he helped to found in Fulton County, Illinois: Canton, Vermont, Virgil, and Bernadotte.
1843 – helped found Congregational Church in Bloomington, Illinois, also preached at Mt Hope.
1844 – April, moved to B’ton from Canton, Illinois; actively engaged in preaching against slavery, later founding an antislavery society in Pleasant Hill (near the town of Lexington)
1846 – May – anti-slavery society denied meeting in county courthouse. Owen Lovejoy came to speak.
1846 – pastor of the Congregational Church, Bloomington, IL – house attacked by mob; house of George Dietrich, another abolitionist, were attacked by “a lawless mob of men.” Spencer’s diary noted that prior to the event “a reward of $100 has for weeks been offered by a lawyer in town to any one who would tar and feather me.” the mob came to the house about eleven o’clock at night. The mob tried to coax Spencer outside, but when he refused, eggs were thrown through the windows before the mob ran off. An hour later, the mob (much larger this time) returned and “poured a volley of brickbats through the windows, above and below, demolishing both glass and sash.” Spencer said that he and his family “narrowly escaped” injury by hiding in the corners of the rooms where the bricks being thrown could not reach them. Spencer said that as soon as he felt safe, he ran to a neighbor’s for help. Spencer reported that a group of concerned citizens appeared on scene to aid him and his family and helped fend off the mob.
1847 May – warned by JP to not speak on anti-slavery
1848 Nov – moved family to Peoria and served Main Street Congregational Church (which was organized in 1834 as Presbyterian, adopted Congregationalism in 1847).
1853, April 14 – died in Peoria, IL
References:
- Biography of Asahel Gridley, McLean County Historical Museum <https://www.mchistory.org/research/biographies/gridley-asahel>
- Bloomington Pantagraph (2017) https://www.newspapers.com/image/400798690/
- Race and Rights https://books.google.com/books?id=eLC8DwAAQBAJ
- Minutes of GA of Presbyterian Church (1843) https://books.google.com/books?id=I2fUAAAAMAAJ
- Peoria, City and County, Illinois (1912) by James M. Rice, Volume I transcribed at http://www.peoriacountyillinois.info/churches/church_history_peoria.html