USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume II > Part 42
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The school part was managed by the Kinder- garten Ladies' Association, of which Mrs. Gus- tavus Koerner was President. After the death
of Mrs. Koerner, the following were officers: Mrs. Henry Kircher, President; Mrs. William Feickert, Vice-President; Mrs. F. Ropiequet, Treasurer; Mrs. Henry Raab, Secretary. Later on, the officers were: Mrs. Wehrle, President; Mrs. Feickert, Vice-President; Mrs. Kircher, Treasurer; Mrs. Raab, Secretary.
When Mr. Raab was elected State Superin- tendent of Schools, he moved to Springfield and interest in the Kindergarten gradually waned, in spite of the efforts of the ladies to keep it up. Finally, in 1897, the institution was in debt $1,250. A mortgage was foreclosed, and the Philharmonic Society purchased the build- ing at a public sale. Thus the Kindergarten went out of existence in Belleville.
The ladies who belonged to the Kindergarten Ladies' Association and worked faithfully in the interests of the Kindergarten were: Mesdames Sophie Koerner, Augusta Kircher, Elizabeth Scheel, Charles P. Knispel, Phillipine Lorey, Lina Pitthan, Frederick Ropiequet, Jo- hanna Illhardt, Ernest Hilgard, Alvine Hilgard, Mathilda Raab, Henry Kircher, O. N. Park, M. Rentchler, Sophie Wangelin, E. Starkel, Bar- bara Siebert, E. J. Rentchler, Mina Brown, Lou- ise Sunkel, Caroline Heinemann, Jane C. Sny- der, Edward Bates, Ferdinand Rubach, Maggie Dill, Bertha Westermann, Edward Abend, Lou- ise Fietsam, Philip Gundlach, Elisa Fuess, Josey Cachens, Wilhelmine Rubach, C. W. Thomas, C. Stephanie, Sophie Heckel, R. A. Moore, Bertha Bunsen, G. A. Koerner, J. W. Hughes, Frederick Sunkel, N. T. Baker, E. W. Primm, Samuel Stookey, William Heinzel- man, E. Heinzelman, Elisa Graeber, S. M. Primm, Eliza Douth, A. C. Hucke, Dr. Loelkes, M. Maret, H. Roediger, Charles Drees, Emma Rhein, A. Wangelin, Barbara Aberer, Margaret Weidmann, R. Heimberger, Anna Weber, Lou- ise Schrader, Lina Hoefle, H. J. Klein, Bertha Feickert, Louise Kempff, Soulon Andel, Wilhel- mine Remi, Eliza Militzer, Anna Bang, Mar- gareth Merck, Katharine Rudolph, Barbara Karlskind, Anna Aneshaensel, Charles Becker, C. Feickert, Josephine Scheel, Gustav Goelitz, A. T. Tiemann, E. Dollus, Frederick Wehrle, B. Wick, K. Kohl and Caroline Grieser; and Misses Josephine Bissell, Emma Hilgard, Bertha Wan- gelin, Adele Bechtold, Sousette Bechtold, Lou- ise Fuchs and Emilie Knoebel.
The first teacher was Miss Miller. Later there were: Miss Anna Trotz, Principal; Emma Heinemann, Assistant, and teachers
Eng by E G Williams & Bre ITY
W.W.Will
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
Marianne Bunsen, Sophie Hilgard, M. Schnei- der, Miss Quelmalz, D. Semmelroth, Miss Schmidt and Miss Augusta Weymann.
EARLY SCHOOL-HOUSES AND PIONEER SCHOOLS .- Our State Constitution of 1870, Article VIII., states that, "The General Assembly shall pro- vide a thorough and efficient system of free schools, whereby all children of this State may receive a good common school education." The system of our schools is easy enough to find out; but their early history we must pick up piece-meal, getting here a bit from a descrip- tion of a given school, and getting there an- other bit from the stories we hear from our grandfathers who went to school in log school- houses. The story of the schools is largely the same throughout the United States, dif- fering only in point of time. Perhaps Massa- chusetts was a century or two ahead of Illi- nois in her school history; but the pioneer Mas- sachusetts boy went to school in the log school- house, just as the pioneer Illinois boy did. And it is with a pleasant mingling of the ro- mantic and the common-place that we read in fiction stories which have their setting in old log school-houses, just such as grandfather studied and recited in when he was a boy. All these things remind us once more that, after all, his- tory is only the story of people, what they did and how they did it.
The French settlers at Cahokia had schools managed in connection with their church af- fairs. About 1836, three Sisters of a Catholic order, just from France, opened a subscription school. Later other private schools were main- tained by subscription. Messrs. Chapman, Dunn and Robinson were some of the teachers of such schools. In later years the Cahokia schools came to be conducted independent of State aid by means of a fund derived from the rents of Cahokia commons. The early English settlers, living far distant from one another, had practically no schools till about 1810, when they began to build school-houses.
In 1804, John Messinger taught surveying and presided over a night school near Shiloh. He became Professor of Mathematics at the Rock Spring Seminary. In 1808, John Bradsby taught a school on Turkey Hill, a little north of the Richland precinct line. There was no school there afterward until 1815, when Sin- clair, a famous old teacher, came.
In the winter of 1810-11 a surveyor named Dimmick taught a school at William Adams' house, a mile west of Shiloh. The first school house at Shiloh was built about 1811.
About 1815, John Boucher taught a sub- scription school in Fayetteville Precinct, in an old house on Silver Creek, that was lighted by means of a trap-door in the roof.
The first school at Lebanon was taught in a log cabin southeast of the square, as early as 1818. In that building Rev. John M. Peck or- ganized the first Sunday school in the summer of 1821. About 1822 a small frame school-house was built which also served as a Union church. Dr. Casad taught the only school in Lebanon about 1830. Later, until 1866, public schools were kept in rented halls and churches. Then a good brick school-house was erected. The lat- ter was burned in 1873 and a more modern one took its place.
In 1823, a log school-house stood on the old English church lot in Belleville. William Gallop taught in it. The first school-house in Shiloh Precinct was built opposite the site of the Cherry Grove school-house at an early date. There was also a pioneer school-house on the site of Shiloh Village. Rev. Clark, a Baptist minister, was an early teacher in that precinct.
The pioneer pedagogue, Gallop, taught the first school in Centerville Precinct, in the Union Church house, two miles northeast of Mill- stadt, in 1824.
The first school in Richland Precinct was taught by "Uncle Billy" McClintock, in 1824, and was broken up by his refusal to treat his scholars to whisky. His offer to compromise with cider was scornfully rejected. A school- house was erected in Richland Precinct about 1830.
The first schood-house at French Village was erected in 1829, and John Robinson was the first teacher there. A log school-house was built on Section 16 in old Ridge Prairie Precinct, as early as 1830. James H. Lemen was the first teacher there. A later teacher was Miss Susan F. Connor, from Boston, whom Rev. John M. Peck had induced to come west. She brought with her maps, charts, a tellurian, a numeral frame and other school apparatus, which, to the pupils and patrons of the school, were novelties. About this time, schools were . taught in the old Vernon and Bethel Baptist churches.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
In Atlas Precinct, William Baumann taught his own and his neighbor's children in his house. In 1831 a school-house with a puncheon floor was built in that precinct on Section 34. Isaac Hill was the pioneer teacher there. A log school-house was built on Mud Creek, in the northeastern part of the precinct, in 1836. A Mr. Wilson was teacher.
It was not until 1831 that a log school-house was built by subscription in St. Clair Pre- - being left out on each side to make room for cinct. It stood on Little Mud Creek, two miles northwest of Darmstadt. John Campbell was the first teacher. This house was built by A. P. Free, Isaac Rainey, Richard Beasley and others. Campbell, an enthusiastic disciple of Isaac Walton, is said to have given the whole school an angling lesson every day in a creek nearby.
At Mascoutah the first school-house and church was built on the "town-hall site," north of Postel's Mills.
Public schools were early kept, at Belleville, in Odd Fellows' Hall and in the basement of the old Presbyterian Church. John F. Parks and a Mr. Edwards taught in Odd Fellows' Hall.
Mrs. Martha Wilson taught a school on Mud Creek, in New Athens Precinct, in 1836, in a little log school-house that was distinguished from others of its class by having, instead of greased paper windows, a window of fine panes of glass.
Captain John Trendly built the first school- house in what is now East St. Louis, in 1840. It was a frame building fourteen by sixteen feet, and cost $240.
The first school-house in the village of Ca- hokia was built in 1841 and was, some years later, wiped out by fire.
When O'Fallon was platted (in 1854) there was a small frame school-house within its limits. The first school-house built in the village was erected in 1861. It was of brick and, with additions, constituted a goodly school building.
The first school-house in Summerfield Pre- cinct was early built at Union Grove. The first school at Summerfield village was a pri- vate school kept in 1856 by Miss Lucy E. Dew. The first public school building there was erected in 1860.
The first school in Prairie du Pont Precinct was taught by William Williamson, in a frame
house built in 1861. A brick public school building was erected in Caseyville in 1872. The first school-house at East Carondelet was built by J. L. Streder in 1872.
The first school-house erected at Turkey Hill has been thus described: "The structure was a one-story log house, with clapboard roof and puncheon floor. It had windows of greased paper to admit the light, a portion of a log this substitute for glass. A large fireplace ex- tended across the entire rear end of the room, in which, on cold days, a roaring fire of logs piled high, sent out heat to warm the school- master's legs, who took good care to have his seat in the warm corner of the room. The fine desks of modern days had no place there; but slabs fastened up around the sides of the house by pegs driven into the logs answered as writing and ciphering tables, while puncheon benches served for seats. The pupils all faced the wall when studying, but ranged themselves in a semi-circle in front of the fireplace when called out to recite."
PIONEER PEDAGOGUES AND THEIR PECULIARI- TIES .- In the primitive days of St. Clair Coun- ty's educational history, the- varied apparatus to be found in most of our school-houses at the present day had no place. No maps graced the walls, neither did a globe or a "Webster's Unabridged" have a place on the teacher's desk -if desks there chanced to be. No disagree- able chalk dust filled the room, for no black- board was used. The "three R's"-reading, riting and 'rithmetic-were the principal branches studied, the writing being done with pens made from goosequills. The early schools were sustained by subscriptions. Usually, the teachers boarded around among their patrons, receiving their pay in cash or produce as con- venience dictated. Poorly paid as they were, most of them were as poorly fitted for the re- sponsibilities they assumed. Most of them had "hobbies" which they exploited at the ex- pense of other instruction. Many of them were more proficient as wielders of the rod than as instructors of the mind and others failed because of inability to govern their pupils. In some districts the scholars literally ran the schools till, at length, they met their master. The personal habits of some of the pioneer teachers were not such as should have been
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
emulated by their charges. It is said of one Daily that occasionally he would get drunk in school hours and whip the whole school, be- ginning with his own unfortunate children, When he was sober he is said to have consum- ed most of his time in school in haranguing on bookkeeping. One of the earliest teachers of whom tradition speaks was a man named Sin- clair, who taught at Belleville and at Turkey Hill about 1815. He was, once on a time, locked out of the school-house by his scholars, who demanded a Christmas treat. Refusing to extend such a courtesy to them, he marched round the building at intervals for a week, armed with sword and musket, vowing ven- geance on the boys within. But the young- sters "held the fort," sending out for food when chance offered, and finally Sinclair, hav- ing had his fun with them, withdrew his siege and treated them to apples and cakes. Another teacher of this school got on the roof and tried to rip a hole in it, through which he hoped to drop down among his pupils. But the latter smoked him out and he capitulated and treat- ed. A teacher named Gallop, who taught sev- eral schools in the county, was a man of fam- ily and gladly accepted as tuition fee anything that could be utilized in the economy of the household, taking poultry, colts, calves, etc., as chance offered. "Often," it has been relat- ed, "he would leave a monitor to look after the school while he fed and curried his colts." As his name indicates, he was too fast to stay long in one place. Loud studying was the order of his school-room, and in spelling matches, which were frequent, his scholars yelled out the words at the tops of their voices.
But there were a few teachers of another kind. In 1823, Elihu Shepard, from New York, came to St. Clair County and taught school at Belleville and Turkey Hill. He was genial and educated and had both zeal and tact, and he won and retained the respect of his pupils and did much for the advancement of the cause of education in the county. Finally he re- moved to St. Louis, where, by judicious in- vestments in real estate, he became wealthy. Eminent among early teachers in the county was John H. Dennis, of Virginian birth, an ac- complished linguist, who came to Belleville about 1824 and, for more than thirty years, taught private schools in that vicinity. Later he ably filled the office of County Superin-
tendent of Schools, and died at Belleville in 1869. He early established a school in the Mitchell Building, on the site of the West block, in Belleville. For the reason that it was pat- ronized by well-to-do people of St. Louis and other cities, it came to be popularly known as "the aristocratic school." Henry Holbrook and C. G. T. Taylor were among the active pro- moters of public education in 1830-40.
George Bunsen, a disciple of Pestalozzi and an immigrant from Germany, was a free-school advocate. He taught at Cherry Grove and later had a private school at Belleville, giving his time Saturdays to what now would be called "normal" classes for teachers. He was a mem- ber of the State Board of Education, was County School Commissioner 1855-59, was Pres- ident of the Belleville School Board and was ex-officio Superintendent of the St. Clair County Public Schools. He died in 1872. (See "Bun- sen, George," in Historical Encyclopedia.)
RISE AND DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS .- Cherry Grove, Union Grove, Turkey Hill, Ogle Creek, Sugar Creek and Mount Pleasant School Districts were established in 1825 by County Commissioners William Rutherford, John Stuntz and Abel Fike. These were the first school districts organized in the county. They were created on "petition of several families praying for school privileges according to law." The first school law of the State had been enacted as late as January 25 of that year. Its preamble is interesting as showing the esti- mate placed on general education by the Illi- nois law-makers of that time:
"To enjoy our rights and liberties, we must understand them; their security and protection ought to be the first object of a free people; and it is a well-established fact that no nation has ever continued long in the enjoyment of civil and political freedom which was not both virtuous and enlightened; and believing that the advancement of literature always has been, and ever will be, the means of developing more fully the rights of man, that the mind of every citizen in a republic is the common property of society and constitutes the basis of its strength and happiness, it is therefore considered the peculiar duty of a free government like ours to encourage and extend the improvement and cultivation of the intellectual energies of the
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
whole; therefore, a common school, or schools, shall be established in each county of this State."
These early districts were governed, each by three trustees, who examined and employed teachers. The teachers received their salaries "in cash or good merchantable produce" from the citizens of a district who had given con- sent to support the school-consent to be "first had and obtained in writing."
No one could be taxed without his consent to support a school. Only white children were admitted to any public school. The school houses of the county early came to be known by local or other names, and most of them are so known to this day, as well as by their desig- nating numbers. Lincoln, Washington, Frank- lin, Bunsen are the names of schools in Belle- ville. The Douglas School in East St. Louis has long been known. Cherry Grove, Union Grove, Ogle Creek and Turkey Hill schools and others retain names given them by the pio- neers who brought them into existence. There were geographical and topographical reasons for names early bestowed on some schools. The Emerald Mound School, northeast of Lebanon, and the Sugar Loaf School, southeast of East Carondelet, were so called after large mounds near by. Drum Hill School, near Fayetteville, was so named because of the occasional drum- ming thereabouts of one Case, the drummer of an early rifle company, who settled in that vicinity. Here are some names that seem to have come "by contraries:" The Valley School, northeast of Summerfield, is on an elevation, with nothing near it to suggest a valley. The Broad Hollow School, south of Georgetown, is not in a hollow. Point Look- out School, on a ridge southeast of Freeburg, seems to have been appropriately named, and there are other schools whose familiar titles are suggested by very obvious local pecu- liarities.
As settlement throughout the county pro- gressed, school districts multiplied and school houses rose everywhere. In 1855, a new school law, with liberal provisions for public educa- tion, gave a new impetus to the free school movement. Now all are taxed to support the schools of the people. White and black chil- dren alike enjoy school privileges. Teachers are paid in cash. The early school funds re- ceived from the State were in State bank paper,
which had to be sold by recipients at a dis- couraging discount. In 1842, $120.30 of such paper brought only $50.
The first record of State funds, made in Jan- uary, 1837, shows that the School Commissioner received, at Vandalia, $829.26, the amount due to St. Clair County for 1834, 1835 and 1836. In 1840 the school fund received from the State was only $1,422.31; in 1860, $13,360.09; in 1880, $21,085.88; in 1904, $18,819.33. The county school fund is a permanent one, and only the interest is used for school purposes. The school revenue is increased also by fines and forfeitures imposed in the courts and by Jus- tices of the Peace, for violations of statute laws. The special district taxes collected in 1860 for the support of schools amounted to $21,244.59; in 1880, to $127,704.98, about six times the former amount. Total amount expended for school purposes: In 1860, $40,596.80; in 1880, $161,298.60; in 1904, $356,185.77. The number of persons entitled to school privileges was 7,292 in 1840; 11,235 in 1860; 21,421 in 1880; 32,036 in 1904. Number of districts in 1860, 85; in 1880, 116; in 1904, 118. There were 81 school-houses in 1860; 138 in 1880; 155 in 1904. In 1880, the value of school-houses and grounds held by the different districts amounted in the aggregate to $282,923. Teachers employed: In 1860, 138; in 1880, 237 (126 male and 111 female); in 1904, 408.
In 1880 the schools of Belleville, East St. Louis, Mascoutah and Lebanon were managed by Boards of Education of six members each (except Belleville, which had nine); and all the other districts by Boards of Directors of three members. In all, the district school offi- cers numbered 363. Now the township school affairs are managed by Boards of Trustees, con- sisting of three members and a Secretary, who is ex-officio Treasurer of the township.
In 1880, only Belleville and East St. Louis had high schools. Now there are high schools also at Marissa, Mascoutah, O'Fallon and Lebanon.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE PRESENT DAY .- In 1906, there were in the county the following schools:
Lebanon Township-Lebanon City public schools, Summerfield Village schools, Pleasant Valley, Emerald Mound, Sunnyside, North Grove, Oak Grove.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
Mascoutah Township - Mascoutah City schools, Ruth, Union Grove Choctaw, Mizpah, Richter, Woodland.
Engelmann Township-Barth, Liebig, Oak- land, Cross Roads, Jefferson.
Fayette Township-Fayetteville, Lickenbrock, St. Libory, Darmstadt, High Ridge, Black Jack.
Marissa Township-Pleasant Hill, Hickory Grove, East Dozan, West Dozan, Lenzburg Vil- lage schools, White Oak, Marissa Village schools.
Lenzburg Township - Risdon, East Dutch Hill, West Dutch Hill.
New Athens Township-New Athens Village schools, Irwin, Calamus, Five Forks, Locust Grove, Point Lookout, Drum Hill.
Freeburg Township - Freeburg Village schools, Pleasant Ridge, Lemen, Batdorf, Funck, Hertel
Shiloh Valley Township - Rentchler Town schools, Plumb Hill, Grassland, Shiloh Valley, Shiloh Village schools.
O'Fallon Township-O'Fallon Village schools, Rock Spring, Oak Hill, Richwood, Enterprise, Ogle Creek.
Caseyville Township - Caseyville Village schools, Bethel, Bunkum, Milburn, Carbon, Franklin, Pontiac, Grant.
Belleville Township-Belleville City schools, Birkner (Winslow), New Era, Wolf Branch, Hellwig, Whiteside, High Mount, Belle Valley, Stookey, Dewey Station schools, Union schools. Smithton Township - Smithton Village schools, Holcomb, West Prairie, Grange Hall, Mt. Pleasant, Douglas, High Prairie.
Prairie du Long Township-Broad Hollow, Robertson, Brick, Hirst, Klein.
Millstadt Township-Millstadt Village schools, Baltz, Klatz, St. Michaels, Floraville, Vogel (Union), Saxtown, Deken (Union), Eckert Union, White.
Stookey Township-Fairview, Forest Hill, Clover Leaf, Le Pere, Ogle Station (Boul), Har- mony, Twiss Hill, Centerville Station.
Centerville Station Township-Alta Sita Vil- lage schools, Pittsburg, Mousette, Mckinley, Pocket, French Village, Spring Lake, Canteen (Union), Brooks (Union), Chartrand, Jerome, Jones.
Stites Township-Brooklyn Village schools, Sherman.
East St. Louis Township-East St. Louis City schools.
Sugar Loaf Township-Droit, East Carondelet (two), Rock Road, Cahokia, Jackson, Sugar Loaf, Metter.
The Lebanon public schools consist of grades eleven and twelve, grades eight to ten, grades six. and seven, grade five, grade four, grade three, grade two and grade one.
The Mascoutah City schools consist of grade six, grade five, grade four, grade three, grade two and grade one.
The Marissa Village schools consist of grade eight, grade seven, grade six, grade five, grade four, grade three, grade two and grade one.
The Freeburg Village schools consist of grade four, grade three, grade two and grade one.
The O'Fallon Village schools consist of grade eleven, grades nine and ten, grades seven and eight, grade six, grade five, grades three and four, grade two and grade one.
The Belleville City schools consist of Central (High) School, grades one to five; Lincoln school, grades one and two; Humboldt School, grades three to seven; Franklin, Bunsen and Douglas Schools, each grades one to eight; Washington School, grades one to six.
The Alta Sita Village schools consist of grades seven and eight, grades five and six, grades three and four, grades one and two.
The East St. Louis City schools consist of High School; Horace Mann and Franklin schools, each grades one to eight; Longfellow school, grades one to seven; Webster and Park schools, each grades one to eight; Douglas school, grades one to six; Emerson school, grades one to seven; Second Street school, grades one to three; Washington and Irving schools, each grades one to seven; Monroe school, grades one to eight; Lincoln school (colored), grades one to eight; Denverside, four; Garfield, Rush City and Winstanley Park schools (each colored), grades one to four.
The facts set forth below concerning the city and village schools will be found interesting. They all refer to 1906:
J. H. Brewer was Superintendent of the Leb- anon public schools and Principal of the high school. Julius C. Herbstman was Principal of the Summerfield Village schools. C. O. Du Bois was Superintendent of the Mascoutah city schools and Principal of the high school. Sam. J. Dickson was Principal of the Lenzburg Village schools. W. H. Campbell was Superin- tendent of the Marissa Village schools, and W.
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