Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... 
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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County, Illinois; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.

Rev. Solomon KNAPP, Joliet; one of the pioneer ministers of Will Co.; was born in Mayfield, 
Fulton Co., N. Y., then a part of Montgomery Co., March 29, 1803; he was brought up on a farm, 
his father being an extensive farmer, and employing a large number of men; his education was 
such as was afforded by the common schools up to the time he began studying for the ministry 
and preaching, which was when he was, 29 years of age. He was ordained a clergyman of the 
Baptist Church in February 1834, previous to which, he originated the Baptist movement in 
Gloversville, N. Y., which has since grown to be one of the most important Baptist interests 
in the State. At 31, he removed to Cayuga Co. and took charge of a large church in Cato. 
During his ministry of four years, he received 300 new members into the church, 183 of them 
by baptism; he afterward spent two years in Port Byron, N. Y., coming to Will Co. in 1840; 
he settled in Homer, and took charge of the Baptist Church in Joliet, preaching in the 
afternoon in Lockport, and in Homer in the evening. In 1841, he became Pastor of the church 
known as the Aux Plaines Church, now the Hadley Church, removing in the fall of the same 
year to Rockford, IL, where he became Pastor of the First Baptist Church; at the close of 
the first year, owing to an adverse family affliction, he was obliged to sever his connection 
with the Rockford Church and return to Homer; in 1843, he took charge of the church in 
Plainfield, remaining two years, during which time he organized the Baptist Church at 
Lockport, having pastor charge of both churches; he was afterward again Pastor of the 
Hadley Church, and took the preliminary measures for the erection of their house of worship; 
in 1854, he removed to Cedar Falls, Iowa, and organized the Baptist Church there, and had 
charge of the church in Waterloo; two years later he returned to Homer, broken down in health, 
and settled on a farm; he continued farming five years, and then removed to the city of 
Lockport, residing there two years, during which time he Preached nine months in Metamora, 
IL, witnessing a glorious ingathering in the church, and some $75,000 added to the financed 
of the church; since then he has had pastoral charge of churches in Seneca, Morris Co., and 
in Gilman, Iroquois. Co., besides which, he has supplied the churches in the vicinity until 
his voice failing, he was obliged to discontinue preaching. He was first married in 1823, 
to Miss Eliza E. LANFEAR, of his native town; she died in Homer in February 1853, leaving 
six children. He was married again in June, 1853, to Miss Martha H. COOK, a native of Hadley, 
Mass., and who was one of the pioneer teachers of Will Co., having come in 1840; they have 
one daughter - Florence C. Mr. KNAPP unites financial ability with power as a preacher, and
although his benefactions have always exceeded any salary he has received, he is still the 
possessor of a comfortable competence.