History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I, Part 85

Author: Downer, Harry E
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1042

USA > Iowa > Scott County > Davenport > History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I > Part 85

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

ST. LOUIS LIKED HIM.

At a subsequent meeting of the same historical section of the Academy of Sciences a letter was read from Prof. J. H. Tice of St. Louis, author of Tice's Almanac and various meteorological papers, in which he said that he taught a private school for six months in Davenport from May to November, 1842. He had from fifteen to thirty-two pupils, tuition, $3.00 per quarter, or $5.00 for two. He moved to St. Louis and was afterwards for twelve years superintendent of the schools of that city. This letter was in reply to an inquiry.

Of the later schools mentioned by Mr. Eldridge in his notes advertisements appear in the Sun and Gazette. The school taught by Messrs. Thorington & Campbell had evening as well as day sessions. The older citizens well remember the schools of Thorington and Pelamourgues on opposite sides of Fourth street near Main. They also recall the chastisement administered by the French pioneer teacher to any boy he caught doing wrong at any time and anywhere. All boys looked alike to him and Mr. Thorington's boys came in for a swift licking if Father Pelamourgues caught them in mischief on the street.

THE FIRST DAVENPORT HIGH SCHOOL

DAVENPORT HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING

925

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

HE SURELY WAS.

Rev. Michael Hummer was pastor of a congregation at Iowa City after leaving Davenport and thence went to Keokuk. The incident of his bell immortalized in poetry by Judge Tuthill appears elsewhere. The first verse of the poem is said to have been an improvisation of John P. Cook. Mr. Hummer lived in Lawrence, Kansas, during Quantrell's raid and escaped with his life by headlong flight. He returned from hiding after the guerillas had gone and helped look after the wounded and bury the dead. He was a resident of Kansas City in 1870.

Among other early private schools was that of Miss Eads, who advertised in the Sun as being late of St. Louis and opening a school for misses and children, also Miss Beard, in the school room formerly occupied by William Gahan, who conducted a school known as the "Davenport school." John C. Holbrook was an early teacher. A Mr. Ryder taught a school in the '40s on Brady street between Second and Third streets. Another of these old schools was kept by a Mr. Shel- don on Front and Main streets. Mr. Weir had a school on Main street, west side, north of Fourth. The Misses Lyon and Munn conducted a school for young ladies at Perry and Fifth streets. Mrs. Stephens' select school was on Main above Eighth street, Mrs. Crockett's in Young's block on Brady street. Herman Ham- burger, "bright young man, well versed in the manners of polite society," taught a school for the "education of young gentlemen" on Brady and Fourth streets.

A notable teacher of early days was the Hon. C. C. Washburne, a native of Livermore, Maine, who came to Davenport in June, 1839, when but twenty-one years old, having come west by Erie canal and the lakes and crossed Illinois on a wagon. In this little hamlet of 300 people this young man from the East organized what is said to have been the second school in Davenport. It was conducted in the second story of Dillon and Forrest's boarding house, just west of Scott, and between Second street and the river. Among his pupils were J. Monroe Parker, C. H. Eldridge, Ira Cook, and probably Judge Dillon. There were but twelve or fifteen childen in the village at this time. The subsequent career of this pioneer school teacher belongs to national history. He moved to LaCrosse in the '40S, was elected governor of that state, and held the position four years. In 1854 he went to congress, served until the war broke out, became colonel of the Second Wisconsin cavalry, and was promoted until he became a major general in com- mand of the department of Memphis. In 1865 he again went to congress and served until 1869, when he again became governor for two years. In 1873 he retired from public service and built the largest flouring mills in the world at Min- neapolis. He also found time to inaugurate the Minneapolis and St. Louis railroad enterprise, erect an observatory in connection with the university at Madison, provide it with the largest telescope in the world, and present it to the state. He died May 14, 1882.

SCHOOL DAYS.

Consul M. M. Price, son of Hiram Price. wrote not long ago a private letter to his friend of boyhood days, LeClaire Fulton. in which some lively reminiscence appears. Here is a paragraph: "Do you remember Harrison street when it was

926

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

called Ditch street? It was simply a ditch, twenty feet wide and ten feet deep, and when it rained the water poured down from the hills and through Leonard's hollow, becoming a mighty torrent and entirely cutting off intercourse, social, commercial or religious, between the inhabitants above and below Ditch street. And when the water subsided it was a lovely mudhole for the boys to push each other into. Thorington's academy of art and science, himself guiltless of any col- lusion with Lindley Murray, was located on the 'Taller banks' of Harrison street, and it was very convenient to get mud balls. It was there that many distinguished tramps, lawyers and judges graduated. Among the most prominent were Jack and Jim Fisher, Henry and 'Goak' Webb, John Dillon, Jim Buford, 'Bony' Mor- ton, 'Bill' Carr, 'Frog' Thorington, 'Billy' McFadden, 'Pud' Price and 'Center's Daddy.'"

These private schools served well the needs of the people of Davenport until public schools were established. There was an interim of unrecorded length in which schools were maintained in part by the public funds and in part by tui- tion. Mr. Barrows gives the date of the first district school as 1850, and James Thorington as teacher.

SIX INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS.

In the latter '50s within the present limits of the Independent district of the city of Davenport, there were six schools, none of them occupying the sites on which their successors the present schools are located. These were in independent districts, each having its own board of directors, each managing its own financial affairs, and providing for its own expenses independently of the others. This condition continued until 1858, when a change in the school law of the state made consolidation and the support of the schools by general taxation possible. May 5, 1858, pursuant to previous notice a public meeting was held at the courthouse at which these six districts of Davenport township Nos. 10, 2, 7, 17, 5 and II, were formed into one district, each subdistrict having its represen- tative board member and the officers of the combined district being chosen by the electors at large. On this same day at this meeting, an election was held at which Dr. A. S. Maxwell was elected president ; T. D. Eagal, vice president ; J. R. Johnson, secretary, and George H. French, treasurer.

In this consolidation district No. 10 became subdistrict No. I, and was repre- sented by J. M. Frizzell; district 2 continued the number as subdistrict No. 2, with Wm. T. Clark on the board; district No. 7 became district No. 3, Henry Lambach; No. 17 became No. 4, with T. H. Codding; No. 5 remained No. 5, with W. L. Cook, local member; No. 1I became No. 6, with S. G. Mitchell rep- resentative on the district board.

EARLY SCHOOL LOCATIONS.

In 1859 the school law was amended providing for the election of three direc- tors who in connection with the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer should constitute the school board. At the first election A. S. Maxwell was elected president ; E. Peck, vice president; Thomas J. Saunders, secretary ; George H.

927

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

French, treasurer ; directors, J. M. Frizzell, one year, Robert Means, two years, and Ignatius Langer, three years. The second director resigned and Judge Grant was elected to fill the vacancy.

The original location of School No. I, now known as the Washington school, was Mound and Eddy streets, where a frame building accommodated the chil- dren of the village of East Davenport, until the erection of the brick structure on its present location, Fulton and Mississippi avenues, in 1865. No. 2 school, now the Adams school, originally occupied the lower floor of a two story frame house on Fourth and Perry. This building was erected by a Mr. Prescott for a private school in 1843. He went to the timber for his oak which was either hewed or sawed at the Duck Creek mill. In 1853 and 1854 a stone school house was erected at the corner of Seventh and Perry streets. It is still in good con- dition, although not at this time is use. This building cost $8,000 and was con- sidered in those days a triumph of architecture. Wilkie in his "Davenport, Past and Present" published in 1858, speaks in high praise of its power to ac- commodate pupils and mentions the commodious living quarters for the princi- pal situated in the basement.

The first house occupied by old School No. 3, now the Jefferson school, was a little frame building on the northeast corner of Fifth and Scott streets. This was in 1853. There were probably about thirty pupils. Here Webster's blue backed spelling book was used for first lessons in reading. In 1855 the school was moved to Third street, south side, between Gaines and Brown streets. From there another move in 1856-57 was made to Sixth and Warren streets, where a brick structure of six rooms was in process of construction. There was so much urgency for the use of this building that a room was fitted up for occupancy in the southeast corner before the remainder of the building was completed.

Hiram Price, school fund commissioner for Scott county, was the recipient of a petition in the spring of 1855, signed by the voters of North Davenport for the creation of a new school district. District No. 17 resulted. A lot was do- nated by James McIntosh situated between Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets and between Main and Harrison streets. On this lot was built a one-story brick building of small dimensions, but adequate for the time. Later an upper story was added and later still, a frame building was purchased by the board, moved to the lot and attached on the north side of the brick building, thus arranging for a three room school. Here the school remained until a large brick building was erected in 1865 just north of the old school. on the location of No. 4, the Madison school, Main and Locust streets.

The predecessor of School No. 5, the Monroe school, was a little stone build- ing at Second and Pine streets, built about 1855, where the school remained until the erection of the present sightly building in 1868.

The earliest school in district No. 11, afterwards No. 6, now Jackson school, was on the Doser farm, just west of the present Rock Island crossing of Lo- cust street. It was a one-room frame building of such dilapidation that the children were compelled to crowd into the corners for protection from the ele- ments. Here the school remained until 1858, when it was transferred to a new two-room frame building situated on a lot which the board had purchased on Union street, between Mitchell and Washington streets. Later two rooms were

928

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

added, and still later two additional rooms, making it a six room building. In 1893 the old frame building gave place to a thoroughly modern brick school- house of eight rooms, erected on the same lot. In 1902 more room being im- peratively needed, the school board purchased another lot adjoining the property on the west and erected a four room addition, making it a twelve room building.

ADDITIONS NEEDED. .

In 1874 more children came to No. I than could be cared for and an ad- dition was ordered to contain four school rooms and two recitation rooms, mak- ing it a ten room building. The stone school building No. 2 also suffered en- largement in 1870 by an addition on the south side which doubled its size and made of it a ten room building. Subdistrict No. 3 also grew in population and six rooms were added about 1870 on the north side of the older building. Later the filling of Sixth street made the two lower rooms on the north unserviceable. The territory around No. 4 grew steadily in population. In 1877-78 the first addition was made to the six room building. A wing with two rooms, one above another was added, forming what is still the southeast corner of the house. Nine years later the old building having become untenantable, a similar wing of two rooms was added to the newer structure on the southwest corner. Only the upper room was used for a schoolroom for some years, as the lower one was occupied by the heating plant. Later the boiler was lowered, and the room made available for school purposes. In the summer of 1898 the building was remodeled and emerged from the transformation an eleven room building with two recitation rooms and a teacher's room. The remodeling brought about a greatly improved arrangement of the building.

The first school added to the original six above noted was No. 7, a one story two room frame building situated in Black Hawk at the western end of Daven- port. The attendance was from thirty to forty pupils and all the grades were taught by one teacher. When the scholars reached fifth grade, they were transferred to No. 5. This building was continued in use until 1897, when the new No. 7, now the Van Buren school, was opened at Hancock and Lincoln avenues and the scholars were transferred to this school and the old building fell into disuse.

The new No. 7 is a handsome up-to-date modern school building of ten rooms and two recitation rooms, a teachers' room and principal's room, of which the people of western Davenport are vastly proud.

THE LATER SCHOOLS.

School No. 8, Harrison school, was erected in the fall of 1871 at Fourth and Ripley streets, an eight room brick building with principal's room and recita- tion room. As necessity arose an addition of two rooms was made on the south side, thus making it a ten room building.

School No. 9, the Tyler school, is a handsome building located on the east side of Grand avenue between Locust and High streets, occupying a lot of exceptional size, purchased at a cost of $3,000. The building was erected in

14.

HUN

JEFFERSON SCHOOL, SIXTH AND WARREN STREETS The oldest public school building now in use in Davenport

931

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

1892 to relieve schools Nos. 1, 2, and 4. It was a well arranged eight room build- ing and so remained until 1902, when it was enlarged by an addition of four rooms on the north side. The exterior attractiveness of the building was not lessened by the addition. The same is true of No. 6 and its addition made in the same year.

School No. 10, the Polk school, is a two story brick building with high stone basement, containing eight rooms, two recitation rooms, teachers' room and principal's office, located on the northwest corner of Eighth and Marquette streets. It was built and occupied in the fall of 1878. A part of the land pur- chased by the school board was sold and is now occupied by the adjoining row of handsome residences on the north and facing Marquette street.

School No. II, the Taylor school, is a modern ten room pressed brick, stone trimmed building, situated on the corner of Fifteenth and Warren streets and built in 1897 to relieve schools 3, 4 and 6.

School No. 12, the Fillmore school, is located at Fourth and Warren streets. It is a ten room brick building, admirably arranged in its interior with fine ex- terior appearance. Its scholars came from Nos. 3, 5, 8 and 10. It was built in 1898 and 1899. It occupies the site of the old German Free school. A portion of the lot was secured by condemnation proceedings.

School No. 13, the Pierce school, is a building of ten rooms, a handsome structure of Milwaukee brick with a red tile roof, well arranged for school pur- poses. It is on Fulton avenue and Christie street. The school was opened in October, 1900, the pupils being taken from No. I, and the equilibrium being there restored by a delegation from No. 9.

School No. 14, the Buchanan school, is a twelve room brick building sit- uated on the corner of Sixth and Oak streets. It is the most capacious grade building in the city and cost $60,000. There are many advantageous features in this building not possessed by the others used for grade schools.

School No. 15, the Lincoln school, ccupies the building situated on the block bounded by Seventh, Eighth, Rock Island and Iowa streets, and occupied by the High school. After the building was refitted for a grade school early in 1909, the scholars, teachers and principal transferred from No. 2, the Adams school, leaving it vacant.

The newest school, the Johnson, is now in process of construction in North- western Davenport near the crossing of Locust street by the Rock Island road. It will be a twelve-room building and arranged to meet all modern requirements. It is expected that it will equal or exceed in its appointments any other grade building in the city.

About seventeen years ago Davenport commenced erecting buildings of hand- some exterior and excellent interior arrangement. All the newer buildings since constructed have carried out the latest and best ideas in school architecture in construction, heating and sanitation. They are buildings of which any city might be proud. To bring the older buildings as near as possible on a par with the newer ones the school board entered upon a campaign of remodeling and in some instances almost rebuilding the older buildings of the city. In the summers of 1899 and 1900, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8, were turned over to carpenter and plumber, painter and decorator from whose hands they issued transformed in

932

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

outer appearance and interior arrangement and finish, so that they were almost as attractive, convenient and inviting as the new buildings.

THE SCHOOLS ARE GRADED.

Shortly after the consolidation in May, 1858, of the district and the organization of the new school board, in July of that year, Mr. A. S. Kissell was appointed superintendent of the city schools. At that time he held the office of county su- perintendent. He filled the two positions for nearly one year and a half, relin- quishing the county superintendency at the end of that time, but remaining city superintendent. Previous to holding these public positions he taught in the old Number 3 on West Third street, going with his school to the new building at Sixth and Warren. Some years since in an article on early Davenport schools The Dem- ocrat says: "The honor of organizing the graded schools of Davenport belongs to A. S. Kissell, then a young teacher of good education, fine enthusiasm and tire- less energy. No recipient of the benefits of the Davenport schools should ever cease to venerate the memory of Mr. Kissell. He had his limitations, as all men have, but he was a great worker, an inspiring teacher whose whole life and pur- pose and thought went out to the upbuilding of our schools in our infancy."

May 12, 1859, the board on the recommendation of Superintendent Kissell organized the public schools of the city upon the following plan :

First-a primary school in every subdivision of the district.

Second-two grammar schools, one to be located in School No. 2, and the other in School No. 3.

Third-an intermediate school to be suitably located for those pupils in the city who are qualified to enter.

It was further provided that all these schools should have such a course of study as the board might hereafter arrange.

In July of 1859 Mr. Kissell was made principal of the intermediate school, taking on these duties as well as those of the superintendency. August 13 of that year a uniform course of study for all the schools below the intermediate school was devised and adopted. This course embraced what are known as the common branches and has been the substantial basis of the course of study in use up to the present time. In 1859 provision was made for only two years of the course planned for the intermediate school, and the curriculum included Latin grammar and trans- lations, elementary algebra, English grammar, government and constitution of the United States, physical geography, physiology, book-keeping, penmanship, spelling, drawing and rhetoric.

A very complete set of rules and regulations for the government of the schools, defining in detail the duties of the school officers, the superintendent, principals, teachers and pupils was drafted at this time.

The wisdom of this early school board and the genius of Supt. Kissell show in the fact that the general plan at that time adopted has continued with little change to the present day. Naturally the course of study has been amplified as conditions justified but in general the original plan has been maintained.

933

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

AN EARLY PAY ROLL.

The personnel of the earliest teaching force of the graded schools of Daven- port, giving the position each held with the munificent salary received, has been preserved in volume No. I of the Iowa Instructor, an educational journal pub- lished by the Iowa State Teachers' association in 1859, and bearing the imprint of the old Davenport firm, Luse, Lane & Co. This was the year the schools were graded and the record appears in an article headed "Schools of Davenport." The introduction and statistics follow: "The public schools of this place had never assumed a definite shape before the inauguration of the new law. Since then the schools throughout the city have been graded, and efficient teachers em- ployed. Numerous difficulties have been encountered, but they have all been overcome, and the schools are growing daily in popular favor.

"The following list of teachers, and salaries paid them, has been handed us by the superintendent :

A. S. Kissell, Prin. Int. Sch., and City Supt., salary per year $1 200

Miss M. A. Scofield, Ist Assistant 400

Miss Anna Reed, 2d Assistant 250

L. H. Mitchell, Prin. Gram. Sch. No. I and Dist. Sch. No. 2 700

Miss M. W. Merrill, Ist Asst. Gram. Sch. No. I and Dist. Sch. No. 2 350

W. H. V. Raymond, Prin. Gram. Sch. No. 2 and Dist. Sch. No. 3 700 Miss P. W. Sudlow, Ist Asst. Gram. Sch. No. 2 and Dist. Sch. No. 3 .. . . 350 Miss M. S. Tripp, Prin. Dist. Sch. No. I 350 Miss Julia Humphrey, Asst. Dist. Sch. No. I 250 Miss H. T. Phillips, Asst. Sch. No. 2 250

Miss H. M. Lusk, Asst. Prin. Primary Dept. Dist. Sch. No. 2 350

Miss E. Kelley, Asst. School No. 2 250

Miss A. A. Howland, Asst. School No. 2

250

Miss E. Carriel, Asst. School No. 3 250

Mrs. M. E. Culbertson, Asst. School No. 3 250

Mrs. W. H. V. Raymond, Prin. Prim. Dept. School No. 3 350

Miss Sarah Christie, Asst. School No. 3 250

Miss Emma Metteer, 'A'sst. School No. 3

250

Frank McClellen, Prin. Dist. School No. 4 500

Miss C. McCarn, Asst. Prim. Dept. Dist. School No. 4 300

Miss Jennie Jenkins, Asst. Dist. School No. 4 250

H. M. Hoon, Prin. Dist. School No. 5 350

Miss E. L. Cook, Asst. Dist. School No. 5 250

W. G. Fearing, Prin. Dist. School No. 6 300

"We may observe that at the organization of these schools the graded system was adopted, and that it had been employed during the past year with entire sat- isfaction. No separate building has yet been erected for the Intermediate school. The room at present occupied is attended with some inconveniences, but the at- tendance is good, and the recitations give evidence of thorough discipline. Quite a number of pupils are in from different portions of the county, and some even from the adjoining county of Muscatine. The schools as a whole will not suffer in comparison with any in the West."

934

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

THE HIGH SCHOOL.

The intermediate school, the precursor of the high school, established in 1859, was held in alternate years at school buildings Nos. 2 and 3, to accommo- date the pupils as to distances. In 1861 the name was changed to the Davenport City High school. Such a name had been previously considered ill-advised, owing to public sentiment against the propriety of supporting a high school by pub- lic taxation. This sentiment was not peculiarly local, for all over the country high schools were struggling for recognition. The high school was held in the two grade buildings alternately until the leasing of the Baptist church building, corner of Sixth and Main streets, in 1863, which the congregation remodeled for high school use in accordance with the requirements of the board. The next year the board purchased the property for $4,000, and made further modifica- tions to fit the building for the purpose for which it was purchased.

When the transfer of the high school to Sixth and Main streets was made in 1863, Supt, A. S. Kissell was relieved of the principalship of the school and W. O. Hiskey appointed to that position. In this location the school remained until the completion of what was then called the "new high school," a sightly structure crowning the bluff upon the block bounded by Seventh and Eighth, Rock Island and Iowa streets, in 1875. This location was purchased by the school board in 1867. The school grew from year to year until the building was too small to accommodate the numbers.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I, Part 85

Author: Downer, Harry E Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Number of Pages: 1042

Author: Downer, Harry E
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1042