Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1, Part 55

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 864

USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1 > Part 55

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PERMANENT LOCATION OF STATE FAIR .- The agitation of this question began as early as 1879, but the first steps looking decisively to this end, were taken at the annual meeting of the Board in Springfield in January, 1893, when David Gore, its newly elected President, refer- ring to the uncertainty existing in reference to the location of future State Fairs, acknowledged that he "did not know of a piace where the citi- zens want the State Fair unless they can have it permanently located." This was just before the World's Fair in Chicago, which, as already recognized, furnished a reason for omitting the holding of a State Fair for that year. After obtaining an opinion from the Attorney General sustaining the right of the Board permanently to locate the Fair, that body, in.a meeting held in the city of Chicago on October 13, submitted to the competing cities the requirements to be met in proposals on this subject. At the first session of the annual meeting of the Board held at Springfield, on January 3 following, bids were received from the cities of Springfield, Bloomington, Decatur, Peoria and one or two others of a rather indefinite character. After visits had been made by the Board to the four places named for the purpose of investigating the conditions and value of proposals received, the question came to a vote on January 11, the eighth ballot awarding the prize to the city of Springfield. The erection of buildings and making of other improvements commenced soon after the laying of the corner-stone of the Expo- sition Building, one of the largest and most im- portant of its class, taking place, with imposing ceremonies, on the 4th of July of that year. The principal points covered by the proposal from the city of Springfield and Sangamon County, as enumerated in a speech by President Gore, were as follows :

Donation of 156 acres of land (San-

gamon County Fair Grounds) with improvements thereon, value $300

per acre $ 56,800.00

Cash contribution from city. 50,000.00

For construction of fence 3,000.00

Sum for grading, sewering and pav- ing streets 30,000.00

Totals $139,800.00

FAIR GROUNDS .- The grounds are situated just north of the present city limits, two miles north of the courthouse, and are reached by urban cars and during the Fair period by spe- cial trains on the Chicago & Alton and on the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railways. Of their value and advantages of location, the President, in an address delivered in January, 1895, after the first Fair under the new arrangement, said :

"This tract of land, located as it is at the capital of this great State, and the further fact of its general adaptability for the purpose for which it was chosen by the Board, it need not be said that the people of this great State have cause to be proud of this great possession. All this property was given to the State Board of Agriculture by the people of the city of Spring- field and Sangamon County, in consideration of the permanent location of the State Fair upon these grounds. Indeed, the people of Sanga- mou County gave much more. They gave us, in addition to the grounds and the improvements thereon, fifty thousand dollars in cash, as well as the further sum of more than three thousand dollars for the purpose of making a new and suitable fence around the whole ground. More than this: They secured the right of way and caused two main lines of railroads, viz., the Chicago & Alton and the Jackson South- eastern (now the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis) Railways, to lay their tracks into the grounds and also make all necessary switches, platforms and other convenient arrangements for the handling of both passengers and freight. Still more : the people of this vicinity have fully car- ried out their guarantee made to the Board, and have graded and paved with brick, in first- class order, the streets and roads, fifty feet wide, up to and into the gates of the Fair Grounds, and have also laid new tracks for the street railways, so as to form a loop which reaches and accommodates passengers at both

COLISEUM BUILDING, STATE FAIR GROUNDS, SPRINGFIELD

...

DOME BUILDING, STATE FAIR GROUNDS, SPRINGFIELD

WOMAN'S BUILDING, STATE FAIR GROUNDS, SPRINGFIELD

DAIRY BUILDING, STATE FAIR GROUNDS, SPRINGFIELD

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

the main entrances to the grounds. Now this is, In a general way, about what the people of Springfield and Sangamon County have done for the permanent location of the Fair, except that electric lights are to be furnished free of cost for two years, and also we are to be furuished water from the city water works, free of cost to this Board so long as the Falrs are held on these grounds, which will be a great saving of both labor and money."

There is reason to belleve that the people of Springfield and Sangamon County not only ful- filled every promise made in their contract here enumerated, but have since done more to pro- mote the success of the Annual Fairs.

THE FAIR OF 1894 .- The first Fair on the new grounds was held in September, 1894, and its success aroused intense enthusiasm, and this has been followed hy increased attendance and growing exhibits ever since. President Gore, in the address already quoted from, taking no- tlce of its various departments, says of it :

"In the department of labor-saving devices were to be found all the modern kinds of ma- chinery of the most perfect mechanism and at- tractive finish, operated by various sources of power from the dellcate foot of woman and the strong arm of man, up to the ponderous engine of great power.

"The exhibit of farm products was wonderful to behold. It was in charge of our worthy Su- perintendent of that Department, Mr. Vittum, whose department at the World's Fair, was pronounced the best ever seen, until his late effort at our late State Fair, which surpassed all former records and was by far the grandest collection of farm products ever seen on a fair ground.

"The departments of education, horticulture, textile fabrics and fine arts, which were grouped In the Exposition Bullding, were all far better than the Board had reason to expect, owing to the known unfinished condition of the building. It is a common remark of many vls- itors, 'How did you accomplish so much in so short .a time?' "

The statistics of the last seventeen years show an average increase from year to year, in attendance, entries of exhibits and receipts, as well as a consequent increase in premiums. For instance, the total attendance in 1910 was 333,911 (the largest in the State Fair's history), against 177,260 in 1894, while the total awards

for preminm in 1909 (the record year In that line) were $56,590 against $25,637.50 for 1894. The largest increase in exhibits in late years has been in the line of machinery, the entries of 1894 amounting to 518, having increased in 1910 to 7,370. The only year since 1881 in which the expenditures exceeded the receipts was in 1911, the deficit for the latter year amounting to $13,421.93-this result being due to unfavor- able weather during Fair weck.

FAIR BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS .- The following list of Fair Buildings, with cost of same, together with other property and expendi- tures for improvements, is taken from a publi- cation ("Greater Springfield") of 1909 :

Domue bullding $ 69,500

Machinery hall 125,000

Grand stand 27,000

Poultry bullding

18,000

Frame barns

54,000

Exposition building

65,000

Sheep and swine pavilion 17,000

Engine house, fire department 2,500

Southwest entrance 2,000

Railroad platforms 4,000

Feed warehouse

1,450

Haskell Viaduct

1,450

Brick cattle baru

29,874

Custodlan's house

7,000

Coliseum building

63,000

Dairy building

20,000

Woman's building

27,800

Speed stalls

6,000

Covered walks, coverings

10,000

Band stand

1,000

Turn stiles

2,050

Water mains

6,000

Sewers

4,000

Fences

3,000

Cement walks

10,000

Real estate

78,000

Personal property

28,378

Dining hall

15,028

Track

15,781

Total

$714,413

PRESENT CONDITIONS .- The following com- prehensive statement, showing the present con- dition of affairs under the supervision of the State Agricultural Board, with the wide infiu- ence exerted by its annual fairs upon the Indus- trial world, and some of the new departments

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

which bave recently been added to its field of administration, is taken from a contribution to the "Ililnols Blue Book" of 1911 from the pen of Mr. J. K. Dickirson, Secretary of the Board.

"The great Falr represents each year the best achievement of our people, and its reputa- tion for usefulness has extended to every State in the Union and reached ali the other coun- trles of the earth noted for advanced agricuit- ural conditions. The State Board of Agricult- ure's office is in constant receipt of inquiries pertaining to the management and workings of the Illinois State Fair from the various States and wherever agricultural exhibitions are held. It, today, occupies a leading position as the greatest and most compiete agricultural and Industrial fair of the worid.

"This Fair Is generally recognized by the peo- ple of this State as one of the most far-reaching educational agencies in all that pertains to ad- vanced agriculture. The exhibits at the State Fair demonstrate the practical value of the teachings of the agricultural schools. The

COUNTY FAIRS .- The first County Falr was held in September, 1837, but there is no evi- State Agriculturai College was established years . dence that regular Fairs were held until the

ago for the purpose of teaching the most ap- proved methods in agricultural and other in- dustrial pursuits. The Agricultural College of Illinois has a world-wide reputation for im- parting instruction in the science of Agricult- ure and the State Board of Agriculture, through the State Fair exhibits, demonstrates the practical value of such instruction. It is a source of great pride to examine the exhibits on the State Fair grounds wheu the exbibition is in full progress, and see the wonderful strides that have been made in the last few years in the development of our agriculture. The little scrub, long-horned cattle of a few years ago have been supplanted by the 2,000- pound beef cattle, and corresponding improve- ment has been made in the hogs. Then we have the heavy draft horses in place of the light anl- mal of little quality and poor breeding. The improvement in the Ilght horses and the saddle horses is notable. The records In specd have been reduced from 2:40 to 1:5514; and this progress has been brought about by inteillgent breeding, competition and the educationai in- fluence of the fairs.

"The farmers of Ililnois are rapidly learn- Ing the benefit to be derived from the State Fairs as an educational agency, and are ex- hiblting tbeir appreciation by attending each

year In larger numbers. The State Board of Agriculture Is under many obligations to the citizens of Iiiinols for their active interest in promoting the Fair which now holds the highest rank of any agricultural fair in the United States. The contluuation of the interest shown In the Fair will soon bring it to the high stand of usefulness pianned by the Board."

RECENT PROGRESS .- "Within the last fifteen years, additionai educationai value has been given the Iliinols State Fair by the State Board of Agriculture, through the establishment on the grounds in the beautiful women's building, of a Domestic Science school, to which young ladies from each county in the State may come and where they are taught for two weeks the iatest Improved methods in sanltary housekeep- ing and the preparation of foods. . "A . Boys' School of Agriculture has also been inaugurated, and has proven most useful and popular with the young men of the State."

organizatlou of the Sangamou County Agricul- tural & Mechanicai Association in 1852. A Fair was then held in October, one year before the first State Falr. This assoclation bought 20 acres of land west of the city and held annual Fairs untii 1869, when it disbanded. In 1871 the Sangamon County Agricultural Board was organized with J. B. Perkins, President, and leasing the site of the old Poor Farm, annuai Fairs were there held (except during State Fair years) until the permanent location of the State Falr at Springfield, in 1893, the ground then being transferred to the State Agricul- tural Board.

CHAPTER XXVI.

EDUCATIONAL-PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PRIMITIVE EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS - EARLY SC1100LS IN SANGAMON COUNTY-QUALITY OF TEACIIERS AND TEXT-BOOKS-FIRST SCHOOLS IN DIFFERENT TOWNSHIPS-DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS-COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS-STATIS- TICS OF PUPILS, TEACHERS AND EXPENDITURES- EARLY SPRINOFIELD SCHOOLS AND SUBSEQUENT DE-

OLD HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, SPRINGFIELD. BUILT IN 1865- ABANDONED IN 1897

HIGH SCHOOL, SPRINGFIELD, BUILT IN 1897

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

VELOPMENT-TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS-SPRING- FIELD ACADEMY AND FEMALE SEMINARY-PRES- ENT CITY SCHOOLS AND LIST OF SUPERINTEND- ENTS-ENROLLMENT AND PROPERTY VALUATIONS- CITY HIGH SCHOOL AND PRINCIPALS-TEACHERS' TRAINING SCHOOL.

(By Prof. J. H. Coillns, Superintendeut of Springfield City Schools.)

The early settlers in tils part of Illinois came from Kentucky and other States toward the South, where the free public school Idea was slow to get a start. Although Governor Berke- ley, in 1670, wrote home to England saying, "I thank God there are in Virginia no free schools nor printing, and I hope we shall not have; for learning hath brought disobedience and heresy Into the world"-he did not, however, reflect the sentiment of all Virginians of that day, for some of them did provide free schools, very early, for the education of poor children.

That school honses were scarce for a long time in the Southern Colonles, was due mainly to the plantatlon ilfe. The homes were far apart. For ninety years after the first settlemeut, Jamestown was the ouly village in the Colony of Virginia. The children of rich planters were taught elther by private tutors or sent to Eng- land to be educated. In some places, a few fam- ilies would nnite and hire a teacher for their children. The schools were often held in tobac- co barns out in the fields, and were known as "old-field schools." George Washington ob- tained most of hls education from schools of this klud. For a whole year, he rode on horse- back to one of these schools ten miles away.

Although the most of these early settlers in Central Illinois came from sections where the idea of universal education had not taken deep root, as it had in the New England and other Eastern States, however, the value of knowledge was appreclated by them, and wherever a few familles had buiit homes near enough together, steps were at once taken to establish a school. Wltbin five years after the first settlement In this county, more than a half dozen schools had been started. As a rule, these early schools were not very good, but were probably the best that could be had at that time under the con- ditions attending pioneer lifc.

McMaster, in hls "History of the American People," says: "During the first two and a half centurles of our nilstory, school houses were

poor, small and uncomfortable, with scant fur- nishings, few and unInteresting books, tiresome and indifferent methods of teaching, and great severity of discipline. Many of the teachers were men of inferior ablllty and of question- abie morals. Among them were redemptioners, exported convicts, and iudentnred servants."

Slates were not used before the beginning of the nineteenth century. Not until years after the Revolutionary War were they found in wuany of the common schools. At first they had no frames. In order to prevent them from belng dropped and broken, a hole was made in one slde through which a string was placed and hung around the neck of the pupil. Crayon, such as we use today, was not knowu until well aiong In the last half of the nineteenth century. Chalk was procured in large chunks and broken into pieces of all shapes and sizes. The biack-boards, however, were small aud not used very much.

Ali of these early schools In Illinois were taught in log houses, a description of which is given farther along In this chapter. Many of the teachers were not qualified to give Instruction even In the rudiments of education. The record Is left that one of these was intemperate, his kuowledge of the brands of whisky of that day far exceeding hls knowiedge of books. The opin- ion quite generally prevailed that "lickin' and larniu' " went together, and in the selection of a teacher the ability to wield the birch was not often overlooked. IIere and there would be found a man or woman of culture who had come into the new country to seek a bome. But oftener the teacher was a way-faring Irishman or Scotchman, or perhaps, a surveyor or a mechanic, whose win- ter's work was teaching, and who took up his tools again when spring approached. One ac- count says, "A few fine scholars came into the connty in 1840 who understood grammar and arithmetic, but the ability to read, to write, and to cipher to the Single Rule of Three, was gen- erally considered sufficient quallfication to teach.

The teacher usually worked up his own school by going from house to house with a subserlp- tion paper, getting scholars signed for the school. It occurred often that a parent would subscribe a half-scholar, which meant that one child would attend one-half of the time. In those days, the teachers generally "boarded around," spending the time at the homes of the pupils.

Text-books were few in number. Webster's blue-backed Elementary Spelier was most com-

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

mon. The first reading books were "Pleasant Companion", The New Testament, and Murray's English Reader. A little later the "Columbian Orator" was found in places, and after 1830, "Pierpont's Readers" were in a number of schools. A few books of biography were read, the principal ones being Weem's Life of Washington and his Life of Marion. Geography and grammar were slow to be introduced, 'because these subjects were beyond many of the teachers. Pike's Arithmetic was the first text-book on that sub- ject. About 1834 Smitb's came into competition with Pike's. The copy books were made at home of unruled paper. The pupil or teacher ruled lines as needed. The pupil was fortunate who had a straight piece of wood to use as a rule, and a pointed piece of lead for a pencil. Steel pens were not to be had, and everywhere a goose-quill pen was used. One of the qualifi- cations of the early teacher was the ability to make a quill-pen that would not scratch. It was common in the school for a pupil to call to the teacher, "My pen scratches", when It was the duty of the teacher to cut the quill back with a sharp pen-knife and make a new point or a new pen.

What was known as the "loud school" was not uncommon. Certain lessons were prepared by studying aloud. This was especially true of the spelling lesson. The teacher would an- nounce "scholars will study spelling", when all would begin aloud, "b-a ba k-e-r ker, baker; c-i ci, d-e-r der, cider ; s-h-a sha d-y dy, shady," not always in concert, but often every fellow for himself. The noise was said to be terrific, but it sounded as if something were dolng. After a time, there would be a gradual lull when the master would bring hls foot down upon the floor with a stamp, and give orders to study the lesson harder.

TOWNSHIP SCHOOL HISTORY .- The following are accounts of some of the early schools of the county, as they have been gathered from various sources : The first school house In Auburn Town- ship was erected in 1828, of logs, and it was sit- uated on the land of James Patton and in after years, was known as the "Patton School House." The first school in this bullding was taught by Willlam Fritz.

A school house was erected in Ball Township, on the northeast quarter of Section 9, in 1821, which is claimed to have been the first school house built In the county. The first teacher was

Charles Wright. Another school house was bullt in the same township In 1823, and Joseph White was probably the first teacher.

A school In what is uow Buffalo Hart Town- ship, was taught in the first cabin built by John Constant, and the teacher was Kennedy Kincade. The next school was in the summer of 1830 and was taught by a teacher named Blue, in a log house on the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 20. The first house erected for school purposes was on the farm of John Constant, in 1833, and was built of logs of the regulation pattern. Miss Eliza Hood was the first teacher in this building. A little later a chapel, built by Robinson and Davis, was purchased and used for a number of years for a school house.

In Cartwright Township the first school build- ing was erected in 1821 and John Purvine was the teacher. The first school house within the limits of the village of Pleasant Plains was built in 1857, and was used for a number of years when it became too small to accommodate the pupils. It was then remodeled into a two story building of four rooms.

The first school house in Chatham Township was bullt of logs and was located on Section 19. The first school of the town of Chatham was con- ducted In 1837 in the smoke house of Luther N. Ransom, and the teacher was Roxana S. Lyman. No school house was built until the year 1839, when a frame building was erected which served its purpose for nineteen years. A two-story frame school house was erected in 1858 at a cost of $2,400, which was considered an excellent building for that time.

In Cooper Township, a school was taught in 1828 by Mr. and Mrs. Literal.

Cotton Hill, in educational matters, has kept pace with other agricultural communities in respect to schools, but no exact information is at hand in regard to the first school.

The early settlers of Curran Township were interested In schools, but at first the children of that township attended school just across the line In Chatham Townshlp. A school house was built on Section 32 just before the winter of the deep snow, and is supposed to have been the first in that township.

Very soon after the first settlement in Fancy Creek Township, about the winter of 1820-21, the men living In that section gathered at an ap- pointed place and erected, lu short order, a log school bullding. The space between the logs was

793

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

"chinked," and greased paper was used for win- dow lights. This house was located on Section 16, a short distance east of the Britton grave- yard. The first teacher was James Bellows. Like most of these early schoois, this one for years was supported by subscription, and the teachers "boarded 'rouud."

The earliest settlers o of Gardner Township joined with their neighbors in Curran in estab- lishing the first schools, and passed through ex- periences similar to those of other settlers of the county.

Owing to the fact that the first settlers of Iili- opolis Township lived so far apart, it appears that 110 teacher was employed until 1840, and the first school house was erected in 1845. The first school house in the village of Illiopolis was erected iu 1861, and was a frame bullding used for both educationai and religious purposes. In 1867, an addition was built in front of this house, thirty- two feet square and of brick. In .1880, the frame part was removed and a brick addition took Its place.

The first settlements of Loamni Township were along Lick Creek near the Ilne separating that township from what is now Chatham, and the first school house was over the line In Section 19. Here the children of this township first attended school. The "Yankee settlement" was without its school house untii about 1824, when one was bullt a mile and a half east of the village of Loaml. This one was the typical pioneer school house, bullt of logs, with clapboard roof, punch- eon floor, and siab seats. It was also used for religious purposes for a number of years. The- ophllus Sweet was one of the early teachers- probably the first. In 1845, a Fourier Society of about twenty families was organized and pur- chased a large quantity of land in this townshlp, and for about three years the organization seemed to flourish. A large building was in process of erection when, on account of dissensions, the organization disbanded, and the property was divided among the members. It is said that there was a school in connection with this socl- ety, but little can be learned In regard to it.

A letter from Mrs. Julia A. Dawson of Chicago, now nearly ninety years of age, whose family joined the Fourier movement known as the Pha- lanx, glves some account of a schooi she attended in the nelghborhood of Loami, describing the books, the building, and the teacher whose name was Tucker. She had only two books and these

were the "Elementary Speller" and the "English Reader." The house was built of round iogs, the space between plastered with clay. The panes of glass were eight by ten inches, three in a window and two on several sides. The fire-place would take in jogs six feet iong, and it required a quar- ter of a cord of wood to make a fire. The most of the heat went up the chimney. Those seated ou the opposite side of the room suffered from cold. Towards spring, chllblalns became an epl- demic on account of frosted feet. Tuition was $2.00 per scholar. On account of scarcity of money, the head of a family of three or four childreu would subscribe two scholars and divide the time among the whoie number, two attending at a time. The old lady writes: "You can Im- agine the uphill work of getting any schooling." This particular teacher named Tucker, every Fri- day, acting upon the principle that it was good for the school, whipped every pupli with a hazel switch, regardless of whether it was deserved or not. He never hit her very hard but occasionaily the end of the switch would bend around and strike her bare arm. Aithough this happened more than seveuty-five years ago, she can even now feel the sting when she thinks about it. He was one of those teachers of that time who be- lieved that "lickin' and iarnin'" were essential and inseparable.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1, Part 55

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913 Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 864

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 864