USA > Illinois > Madison County > Alton > Gazetteer of Madison County : containing historical and descriptive sketches of Alton City, Upper Alton, Edwardsvile, Collinsville, Highland, Troy, Monticello, Mairne, Bethalto, and other towns, including some account of the resources of the various townships, to which is added a directory of the Altons,. > Part 14
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Also, during the same period, Mr. Britton, an Episcopal clergyman, taugh a school of ten or twelve scholars, in a small frame building, near the former resi- dence of the late Judge Bailhache. In consequence of the superior advantages to be obtained in this school, the sum of ten dollars was charged for tuition, by the quarter !
In June, 1846, Mr. Utten Smith began a school in the basement of the Episcopal church, corner of Third and Market streets, which he continued until May, 1855, when he accepted the office of City Register, which he held for several years. It may be worthily related of Mr. Smith, that he acted in the capacity of teacher thirty-seven and a half years. He taught at Wimbleton Common, Surrey county, England, twenty .. three years, and the residue of the time in Schuyler county Illinois, and in this City. At his school, in England, he had under his charge four sons of the celebrated Capt. Marryatt, the novelist; and, also, Hugh Little- john, eldest son of Lockhart, son-in-law of Sir Walter Scott.
In the year 1850, Miss Lizzie Stanton, (now Mrs. J. A. Ryrie,) taught a fine school in the "Gifford House," on Common street, Middle Alton.
In the year following, Miss Sarah Colby, and others, whose names were not obtained, taught in the same building.
Also, about the same time, Miss Abbie Chamberlain taught in the building on the corner of Pleasant and Henry streets.
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MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Alton,]
for school purposes, for half price. At the same meeting a committee of four was appointed to consider the expediency of building a school house for the township, including the city. Messrs. B. B. Barker, T. G. Starr Dr. Hart, and M. G. Atwood, were appointed said committee.
Nothing seems to have been accomplished towards so laudable an enter- prise, and, in fact, little was done, worthy mention, in the way of schools, until the 18th of February, 1845, when a committee of three was appointed by the Council, to receive proposals for building a house for school pur- poses. Messrs. Atwood, Hayden, and Scarritt, formed this committee.
On the 18th of the succeeding month, the house was contracted for, Messrs. Lowe and Parks offering to build it for the sum of $580 70, and Messrs. Marsh, Levis and Wooldrige were designated to superintend its construction.
July 21st, of the same year, Rev. L. S. Williams was employed as teacher in this building, School No. 2; (recently taken down and replaced by the High School Building) and continued in the position until Septem- ber, 1847, when W. F. Gurnsey superseded him.
December 18th, 1848, Miss L. L. Gurnsey, (now Mrs. James Newman,) was employed as assistant in the Public School.
School House No. 3, was erected during the year 1851. The cost of con- struction was $1,983 20.
Mr. Gurnsey, meanwhile, continued to teach in School No. 2, having as assistants, successively, Miss Caroline Baker, Miss Rachel Corbett, and Miss Lizzie Stewart. The dates of their respective terms we are unable to definitely give.
In February, 1852, school was opened in the new building, No. 3, Mr. W. F. Gurnsey, as principal, and Mrs. Gurnsey, as assistant, being placed in charge.
Mr. James Newman, as principal, and Miss Sarah Robinson, as assist- tant, succeeded to the care of School No. 2, at the same time.
With two buildings, efficient teachers, and a numerous attendance, the schools seem now to have assumed shape, and importance, and the public interest was enlisted to a respectable degree.
1853. School house No. 1, was constructed during this year, costing $1,396 84. School was opened in this building during 1853, George Crego, as principal, and Miss Lizzie Stewart, as assistant, being placed in charge. Mr. Newman continued in No. 2. Mr. Gurnsey in No. 3.
1854. Mr. Newman retired on January 1st of this year from his position and Mr. John Henry was appointed to fill the vacancy .*
*After this date the teacherships seem to have been supplied, as follows, viz:
SCHOOL NO. 1-(Grammar Department) .- George Crego continued to January, 1855. John Brown succeeded to July, 1855. C. H. Crowell succeeded to September,
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SCHOOL No. 4,-Built in 1856; cost, nearly $2,300.
This School was opened by a Miss Reed, in September 1856, who taught about one month, when Miss Lucy A. Foote succeeded, continuing as prin- cipal to the date of the organization of the Board of Education; and was re-employed by that body, in the same capacity. Miss Laura Clement assisted about six weeks previous to May, 1858-Miss Kate Foote succeed- ing to organization of Board of Education.
SCHOOL No. 5-Built in 1856; cost nearly $2,300.
Mrs. A. E. Newman opened the school, as principal, July, 1856, contin- uing to February, 1857. W. H. Knickerbocker continued to July, 1857. Mrs. M. F. Martin continued to organization of Board of Education, and was re-employed by that body. Miss Ellen Pierce acted as assistant from May, 1858, to the same date; and was, likewise, re-employed, in the same capacity, by the Board.
1857. J. A. Bruner succeeded to April, 1859. J. E. Pettingill succeeded to the or- ganization of the Board of Education, when he was succeeded by N. M. Mann.
Second (afterwards "Intermediate") Department-Miss E. B. Stewart continued to January, 1855. Mrs. John Brown succeeded to July, 1855. Miss E. D. Richmond succeeded to August, 1857. Miss Kate Foote, teacher, to May, 1858. Miss Mary Hazard succeeded to the organization of the Board of Education, when this de- partment was discontinued.
Third (or Primary,) Department-Seems to have been organized in August, 1856 Miss Laura Clement having charge to May, 1857. Miss Mary Hazard succeeded to May, 1858. Miss Laura Clement succeeded to the organization of the Board of Ed- ucation, and was succeeded by Miss Hall.
SCHOOL No. 2 .- (Grammar Department)-John Henry, continued to April, 1851. J. H. Underwood succeeded to September, 1854. G. W. I. Carpenter succeeded to September, 1855. M. I. Lee succeeded to March, 1857. A. T. Richmond succeeded to June, 1857. James Newman succeeded to February, 1858, Burt Newman suc- ceeded to date of organization of the Board of Education, when he was supersed- ed by J. E. Pettingill.
Primary Department .- For some years no assistants were employed by the School authorities, but the principals were allowed extra wages, and provided their own aid.
In this way, among others, Miss Eddy, Miss Rachel Corbet and Miss Caroline Baker, were employed, but, at what dates, there is nothing on record to show.
Miss Sarah A. Robinson taught during 1853-4. Miss Dorcas Terry, succeeded to April, 1855. Miss Emina Davis succeeded to September, 1855. Miss Mary Hopkins succeeded to April, 1856. Miss M. A. Cross, succeeded to April, 1857. Miss M. E. Goodell succeeded to October, 1857. Miss Kate Lee, succeeded to date of organiza- tion of the Board of Education, and was then succeeded by Miss Mary E. Robinson.
SCHOOL NO. 3 (Grammar Department.)-W. F. Gurnsey continued to February, 1857. James Newman succeeded to July, 1857. W. H. Knickerbocker succeeded to September, 1857. N. M. Mann succeeded to the date of the Board of Education, when he was succeeded by Burt Newman.
Primary Department .- Mrs. W. F. Gnrnsey continued to September 1852. Miss - Plympton succeeded to June, 1853. Miss Lizzie Stanton succeeded to Decem ber, 1854. Mrs. M. I. Lee, (Miss Kate Foote part of the time), succeeded to organ- ization of Board of Education, and was then succeeded by Mrs. Burt Newman. Mrs. H. J. Crane acted in the capacity of 2d Assistant from May, 1858, to same date.
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MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Alton,]
THE ADVANCED SCHOOL-Was opened in the basement of the Unitarian Church, on February 22d, 1858-Mr. James Newman, principal, Miss M. E. Richmond, Assistant. Miss E. D. Richmond was added to the teach- ing force August, 1858-all of these continuing to the organization of the Board.#
THE COLORED SCHOOL-Was instituted in April, 1858-Mr. John Robin- son, has been the teacher, in charge up to the present time.
Of the condition, and character of the City Schools during several years of their growth, we have little, or no, means of ascertaining. Ample pro- vision in the charter was made for their prosperity.
In the year, 1851, which may be looked upon as the date of the new era, the City Council, by a provision of the 4th section of the School Ordinance then enacted, appear to have transferred the duties of supervision, and visitation, of the schools, to a Board of visitors; but the records nowhere show that the "Annual Meeting" required by the charter was ever held, or, that the Council until about seven years since, insisted upon a regular Annual Report fram this Board. Some half-dozen irregular, and exceed- ingly unsatisfactory exhibits only can be found.
The schools continued under this regime until the organization, by special Ordinance, of the Board of Education, in 1859. During the years 1853 to 59, inclusive, a stronger interest in the welfare of the schools seems to have sprung up, and they became the subject of much public observation. The City Council appears, too, to have suddenly awakened to a sense of their importance; provisions favorable to their welfare, were made by that body, and in short a new impetus was given, to the effects of which, much of their present prosperity is referable.
During this period, too, great praise is due to different individuals, who, whether in private or official capacity, manfully struggling with, and triumphantly, overcoming all opposition, have labored with indefatigable zeal for the good of the Schools, and nourished them with that warm sym- pathy and encouragement, the value of which is not computable in dollars and cents.
Prominent among these we may mention as the Pioneers of the City Schools the late Dr. B. K. Hart, M. G. Atwood, Wm. Hayden, I. Scarritt, L. Kellenberger, and in later years J. H. Murphy, Rev. S. Y. McMasters, A. S. Barry, L. S. Metcalf, and many others.
In the year 1859, it was thought best to place the school interests of the city in the care of an organization whose sole object should be to foster and preserve them. Several reasons urged this movement. The City
*In addition to the above, quite a number of others acted in all capacities, in the schools, but as it was, in most cases, for short periods, and in consequence of sick ness, or absence, of the regular teachers, it has been thought unnecessary to include their names, above. Such were Miss E. Reigart, Miss Atwood, Mr. C. W. Livings, Miss Mary Robinson, and others.
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[Alton.
Council, as a body, were always divided in opinions respecting the impor- tance of the schools. Other, and, to the minds of most, more important, interests eclipsed that of education, a lukewarm support, or, at most, an encouragement, fluctuating in degree, and an aid, differing in the mode of application, with each new Council, was all the schools could obtain.
To obviate these inconveniences a Board of Education, composed of nine men, was created by ordinance of the City Council, passed Angust 15th, 1859. The Board met on the 19th of August, and organized by the election of Mr. Hayden to the chair, and George S. Kellenberger, as Sup- rintendent of Schools, and Secretary.
Such was the origin, and organization, of the Board of Education.
Since then the Board has been changed in number from nine to five (5) inembers-with a Superintendent, who is, as before mentioned, Secratery of Board; also a School Treasurer, who has charge of all funds belonging to the School system.
By an amendment of the Charter passed by the Legislature of 1864-5, authority was granted for the establishment of High Schools, and the per- fection of a general and complete system of graded schools of the first order. The School Tax was also made by this amendment general and equal on personal and real-estate for general school purposes.
With the interests of the schools permanently lodged in the hands of a School Board, and the funds in the hands of a School Treasurer, it is hoped and believed that the government of the public schools will be de- veloped into a harmonious and complete system of a high order, and second to none in the State.
The Board of Education for 1866 consists of Messrs. M. G. Atwood Pres- ident, John L. Blair, H. Hamlin, D. D. Ryrie and George H. Weigler. Mr. Isaac Scarritt Superintendent of the City Schools and Secretary of Board has discharged the duties of these offices since June 1863.
The NEW SCHOOL BUILDING just erected on the "Heights of Middle- town" is 77x58 ft., with two wings on either side 8x35. It is three stories high, the lower being of stone, twelve feet in the clear, surmounted by two stories of brick, the second fourteen and the third sixteen feet in the clear. The main entrance looks to the west, with one corresponding on the east, both constructed of solid stone work. The first and second floors are di- vided into four rooms, each with a hall extending the entire length of the building. The third floor, for the High School Department, also has four rooms which are so arranged that when required they can all be opened into one spacious hall. The foundation of the building stands at an eleva- tion of about two hundred feet above the Mississippi, the summit of the roof being sixty-four feet above the basement. It is finished with a me- dillion cornice, and the rooms are supplied with the mnost approved mod- ern style of school apparatus and furniture. The entire cost of the build- ing completed is $35,000. Messrs. Armstrong & Pfeiffonberger, of this city, were the architects and contractors.
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MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Alton.]
The Schools and school buildings are numbered for their respective dis- tricts.
School No. 1-with three departments is located on State Street.
School No. 2-(new building), with three departments, on the block be- tween Tenth and Eleventh, and Alton and George streets.
School No. 3-with two departments is on the corner of Langdon and Fifth streets.
School No. 4-with two departments, on Common Street; northern part of Fourth Ward.
School No. 5-with two departments, is on Walnut Street, near the City Cemetery.
Colored School-basement of the African Church, corner of George and Seventh streets.
There is an attendance of about one thousand pupils in all the City Schools. In addition to these there are the Catholic, German Protestant and other private schools, with an attendance of from four to five hundred pupils.
YOUNG LADIES ACADEMY of the Ursaline Nuns, was founded in the year 1859. Mother Josephene Bruiding, Superioress. The nuns also con- duct the Parish Schools of the congregation, amounting in all to two hundred pupils.
NEWSPAPERS.
The ALTON SPECTATOR was established by O. M. Adams and Edward Breath, at Upper Alton in the month of January, 1832. April 20, 1832, the firm was dissolved and Mr. Breath conducted it alone. It was removed to Lower Alton (now Alton City) October 10, 1832. The latest paper on file with Mr. Breath's imprint, bears date of September 2, 1834. Although his name does not appear in the Spectator as publisher, yet there is ample evidence that J. T. Hudson succeeded Mr. Breath as proprietor. From June 24 to November 25, 1836, it was printed by W. A. Beaty. Eight numbers were printed by D. Ward. From February 10 to October 19, 1837, it was published by Wm. Hessin and Seth T. Sawyer. And from October 26, 1837, to February 15, 1838, and perhaps longer, it was printed by Wm. Hessın. In December, 1838, it was published by J. Clark Virgin. After leaving Alton, Mr. Breath resided many years at Oroomiah, in Per- sia, where he died a few years ago.
·
The ALTON TELEGRAPH was issued at Alton January 15, 1836, by Richard M. Treadway and Lawson A. Parks. It gave a warm and hearty support to the Whig party of that day, which had three candidates in the field-White, Harrison and Webster. The Democrats supported, and suc- ceeded in electing, Martin Van Buren.
In the spring of 1836, Samuel G. Bailey, Esq., was admitted as a partner in the publication of the Telegraph, and thereafter it was published by Treadway, Parks & Bailey. Mr. Bailey, however, never had any control over the editorial department.
During the fall of this year, a great political excitement prevailed in
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reference to the right of the people to petition their Representatives in Congress. John Quincy Adams was the great champion of that right in the halls of Congress, where he stood almost solitary and alone. The Telegraph was the only paper at that time, west of Cincinnati, that sup- ported him in that manly struggle for the right. Recently we have twice elected a Republican President from the West. Verily, the world does move !
The publishers of the Telegraph, during their first year in Alton, did a good business, and no paper in the State exerted a greater, or more ex- tended influence than it. It had subscribers in all parts of the State, from Cairo to Galena.
On the 8th of January, 1837-just one year after his arrival here-Mr. R. M. Treadway died. Very soon after, Mr. Parks purchased Mr. Bailey's interest in the concern, and conducted the paper atone, until the month of May following, when the late and lamented Judge Bailhache, purchased one-half of the establishment. The Telegraph was for sometime thereafter published by Bailhache & Parks, and edited exclusively by the former.
During the year 1837, on account of the financial crisis, the proprietors of the Telegraph sunk money. In the spring of 1838, Mr. Parks sold out his entire interest in the Telegraph to Mr. Bailhache, who continned its publication alone a short time. In May, he associated with himself, Mr. S. R. Dolbee, still retaining the entire editorial control.
From 1837 to 1844, the paper did not do much more than pay its way. But it exerted during the whole time, a good and wide-spread influence, not being surpassed by any paper in the State in this respect.
January 1850 Mr. Dolbee withdrew from the firm, and W. H. Bailhache. a son of Judge Bailhache, took his place. The paper was then published by J. Bailhache & Son.
In 1852, Mr. E. L. Baker was associated with the Messrs. Bailhache in the editorial management of the Telegraph, and soon thereafter purchased an interest. The name of the firm after that was known as J. Bailhache & Co. But previous to this, a tri-weekly had been started.
In 1852, the Democratic party, and some other citizens, who consid- ered the Telegraph too old fogyish-thought they must have a daily. They accordingly commenced making arrangements to start the Daily Alton Courier, but before they had completed thein, the Telegraph came out as a daily.
In July, 1854, Mr. Parks purchased the interest of Judge Bailhache, and again became connected with the concern. From that time up to May, 1855, the paper was published by W. H. Bailhache, E. L. Baker and L. A. Parks, under the firm of E. L. Baker & Co.
During the year 1854, the Nebraska-Kansas bill, repealing the Missouri Compromise, passed in Congress. The Telegraph from the very begin- ning of the agitation of that subject, took decided ground against the measure, as did almost every other Whig paper in the land. And after the passage of the bill, the Alton Courier took the same position, as did a multitude of other influential Democratic papers throughont all the free States. The conflict and strife of that time ultimately became so absorb- ing, as to destroy both the Whig and Democratic parties, and finally re- sulted in the re-organization and formation of two great political parties.
The result of this political revolution was, to bring the two daily papers published in this city, to the support of the same party. Under these cir- cumstances, after some negotiation, the proprietors of the Telegraph sold their subscription and good will, to G. T. Brown, proprietor of the Courier.
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MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Alton.]
After the sale of the paper connected with the Telegraph establishment, Judge Bailhache and Mr. Parks continued to carry on a job office, until the death of the Judge in the fall of 1857. It was then continued by Mr. Parks, in connection, for a time, with Mr. Richard Ennis, and afterwards, with Mr. J. T. Beem, up to 1861, when the Courier ccased to be published.
Messrs. L. A. Parks, Samuel V. Crossman and John T. Beem, then associated themselves together and revived the Alton Telegraph. This firm remained together until Mr. Beem withdrew and volunteered to fight . the battles of his country in the open field. Parks & Crossman continued together until 1864, when the latter disposed of his interest, and the former took Thos. S. Pinckard into the firm. Mr. Pinckard remained connected with the firm until the first of February, 1866, when he sold out his inter- est and retired. Since that date the Telegraph has been edited and pub- lished alone by Mr. Parks .*
The ALTON COURIER, a daily, tri-weekly and weekly journal, was estab- lished in 1852 by George T. Brown, Esq., a prominent member of the Mad- ison County Bar and an enterprising and wealthy citizen of Alton. At that time the only political paper published in the city was the Alton Telegraph, then, and for many years previous, a leading organ of the Whig party. The Democracy had long felt the need of a paper that would reflect their peculiar views, and it was to meet this want that the Courier was established. It continued to be published in the interest of that party until 1854, when the famous Nebraska struggle occurred. It then became what was technically known as "Anti-Nebraska." In 1855 matters had so changed that the Courier and the Telegraph found themselves co-oper- ating for the success of the same political principles and the election of the same candidates. Deeming it unadvisable, under these circumstance, to continue the publication of both papers, the proprietors entered into ne- gotiations, which, as above mentioned, resulted in the transfer to the Courier of the good will and subscription list of the Telegraph, and theneeforward the Courier, until its suspension, was the only Republican paper published in the city.
At first, James D. Gamble and John Fitch, Esqs., were associated with Mr. Brown in its publication. The connection with it of the first named gentleman was of short duration. Retiring in about a year, he removed to California and engaged in telegraphie pursuits. Mr. Fitch retained his interest in the Courier until 1854, when he retired, and soon after became editor of the Alton National Democrat, which was established about that time as an organ of the Democracy proper, the Courier being no longer regarded as such in consequence of its course on the Nebraska question.
*Mr. P. was born and raised in Mecklenburg county, North Carolina. At the age of twenty, he removed to St. Louis, where he remained until January Stlı, 1836, when, as before stated, he settled in Alton. He has probably been engaged longer in the printing business than any other man in Illinois.
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Mr. Brown now became sole proprietor and publisher of the Courier, and so continued until January 1st, 1860, when he transferred it to B. J. F. Hanna and S. V. Crossman, who published it for some months under the firm name of Hanna & Crossman. In May, 1860, they associated with them Messrs. Benj. Teasdale and B. F. Webster, and the style of the firm was changed to Hanna, Crossman & Co. The senior partner had for some years been principal editor under Mr. Brown's proprietorship, but under the new arrangement, Mr. Webster became managing editor and as such conducted it through the campaign of 1860. In December of that year he retired, and the paper was continued by the remaining partners until Jan- unry 20th, 1861, when its publication was finally suspended.
From its very beginning the Courier occupied a prominent position in the front rank of journalism, and soon came to be regarded as the leading paper of Southern Illinois. Politically it was always a success. Financi- ally it was ultimately a failure, though for some years it was a prosperous and money-making enterprise. The causes which involved it and finally lead to its suspension, are well known to those conversant with the history of Alton for the last ton years, but it is not within the scope of this work to detail them here. The Courier always professed to be Democratic in principle and spirit, even after it had ceased to be the organ of the Dem- oeratic party. In 1854, it supported the "Anti-Nebraska" ticket. In 1856, it advocated the election of General Fremont to the Presidency, and ever afterwards was a firm, consistent and un-compromising Republican journal.
No history of the Courier would be complete without some metion of the building from which it was issued during the latter years of its exis- tence. In 1856 Mr. Brown, tinding the premises then occupied by him much too small for his growing business, erected at a very large expense, a magnificent four story building, with a basement, for his use. This he fitted up in the most perfect and thorough manner, making it in all respects a model printing establishment, the finest in the State, and almost without a rival in the West. The Republican office at St. Louis was the only o ne that could compare with it, and even that was inferior in many partieu- ulars. This building was subsequently occupied by the Alton Telagraph, which was revived upon the suspension of the Courier, and still stands an ornament to the city and a monument of the enterprise and public spirit of its builder. It is now owned by the Illinois Mutual Insurance Com- puny who will soon locate their offices in it.
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