Samuel Wylie

Samuel Wylie – It was a beautiful location and appealed to the Rev. Samuel Wylie to such an extent that when a town was laid out, he called it Eden.  It was here that the Rev. Wylie, who had been sent to the Kaskaskia region as a missionary in 1817, helped in the establishment of the Eden Presbyterian Church and did much of the work that gave form and stability to the early church of Illinois.

In addition to having one off the noted early day churches, Eden was, at one time, the most important manufacturing center in the county.  It had a castor oil press, cotton gin, wool carding machine, foundry, machine shop, wagon and carriage shop, plow shop and blacksmith shop along with several stores.  Looking at it now, one would hardly suspect that it was once a prosperous village.  Sparta gradually absorbing most of the industries and business establishments of Eden, became an important place.  It was early known as a town of good schools and churches.