USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume II > Part 44
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PRESENT CONDITIONS .- In 1880 there were four school buildings: Lincoln, Bunsen, Washington and Franklin. Now there are seven: the four mentioned, the Humboldt, Central and Douglas. The Central School contains the five lower grades and the high school, which includes a three years' course. The entire school classifi- cation of Belleville includes eight primary and
grammar school grades, and the three high school grades, making eleven in all. The study of the German language runs through all eleven grades, with German as the language of the class-room. In 1880, there were 2,000 pupils enrolled, and Mr. Henry Raab was Superin- tendent.
Now there are 2,848 pupils enrolled and sixty- five teachers are employed. To pay teachers' salaries, $36,000 per annum is required. The graduates from the Belleville public schools number in all 532, of whom fifteen are deceased.
SCHOOL BONDS AT PREMIUM .- The Belleville Board of Education having recently decided to erect a new school building on the West Side, bonds to the amount of $35,000 were issued for that purpose, which were promptly taken up by the Belleville Savings Bank at $35,800-a premium of $800. The new school will be known as the Henry Raab, being named in honor of the late Henry Raab, former State Superintend- ent of Public Instruction.
In 1906, George H. Busiek was reappointed Superintendent and Ernst Engelmann truant officer. Believing that good teachers should receive good salaries and that good salaries will attract good teachers, the new Board of Education has given the teachers a general raise of from $25 to $50 a year. All the teach- ers of 1905 were reappointed, viz .: Amelia Zie- buert, Pearl Tiley, Amanda Sunkel, Minnie Ru- dolph, Anna Weber, Ada Krafft, Emma Roell, Ella Huff, Nettie Haines, Lena Becker, Ella Weber, Clara Thiele, Minnie Brua, Sophie Brua, Josie Schmidt, Emily Bartel, Mary Wendt, Fannie Grim, Eugenia Knoebel, Celia Alexander, Anna Laux, Hannah Thomas, Johanna Heber, Minnie Schirmer, Estella Hough, Amelia Neutzling, Amelia Herr, Carrie Eleni, A. Gummerscheimer, Bertha Lang, Bell Merker, Margarethe Gunn, Emily Filmore, Emily Heber, Louise K. Sapp, Lulu Keil, Katie Rauth, Katie Meng, Augusta Neuhaus, Sophie Weir, Johanna Gintz, Anna Wittenfeld, Lilian Whiteside, Kate Bell, Leona Daniels, Julia Stork, E. C. Roediger, Louise Niemeyer, William Powers, Henry Heer, Au- gusta Vollrath, William Keiner, Bell Hauser, Ida La Turno, E. W. Plegge, Anna D. Reiss, F. T. Nies, O. C. Eidman, H. W. Brua, W. J. Han- son, W. A. Hough, O. C. Pfennighausen, H. G. Schmidt, Nora Voelkel.
The Board of Education of the city of Belle- ville (1906) is as follows: Adam Ehret, Pres- ident; H. R. Heimberger, Secretary; Dr. A. S.
882
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
Halstead, John Rauth, Jacob Ehret, A. B. Ogle, Julius Heinemann, Frank Gundlach, Adam Gintz, Adam Maurer, Jacob Leiner.
EAST ST. LOUIS PURLIC SCHOOLS .- The fol- lowing article on the public schools of East St. Louis (District No. 189) has been contrib- uted by Prof. John E. Miller, Superintendent of Schools in that city:
The first town on the site of the city of East St. Louis, whose survey is shown upon the records of the county, was laid out on the east bank of Cahokia Creek in the year 1817, and the first school within its limits estab- lished in 1841 or 1842. Previous to this there were no school facilities and Capt. John Trend- ley, John Carnes, Esq., and their neighbors in Illinois Town started a subscription list to raise a fund with which to build a school-house and hire a teacher. One hundred and seventy- five dollars was subscribed, and they employed a carpenter, at $1.75 per day, to erect a house. Its site was on the public square in Illinois Town, now in the First Ward of East St. Louis. It was a frame building fourteen by sixteen feet in size, had room for two short rows of benches, a small desk in front for the teacher, and a place for the water bucket and broom. The furniture was all unplaned. The first ped- agogue who presented himself was hired, and no questions were asked as to his prepara- tion or ability as a teacher. He was expected to keep the children out of mischief six months in the year, including the winter season. This building was afterwards sold and removed, and more commodious and better equipped public school-houses were built.
On February 19, 1859, Illinois Town was in- corporated. In the spring of 1861, at a session of the Legislature, a new charter was granted increasing the boundaries of the town and an election was held for or against changing the name to East St. Louis. This election resulted 183 in favor of this change and 89 against.
In 1863 there were in the city two schools, the Upper and Lower Schools, each having two teachers. Esther W. Pearson and Mary Nourse were employed at $30 and $25 per month, re- spectively, for the Lower School, and William Kehoe and wife were employed for the Upper School at a salary of $65 per month for both.
During the same year the Board of Direct- ors, consisting of George Sweigart, Louis A.
Delorme and John B. Bowman, agreed that an election be held at the school-house for the purpose of deciding whether a tax should be levied for continuing the school for a longer period than six months for the term commenc- ing on the first day of October, 1863.
At the meeting of this same Board, on the 21st day of April, 1865, teachers were re- quested to report to the Board of Directors their preferences of the several series of text-books in use, with a view to the establishment of uniformity in the school books of the district, and at the meeting held on April 7, 1866, the following books were adopt- ed for use in the schools of the district: "Web- ster's Speller," "McGuffey's Readers," "Pinneo's Grammar," "Ray's Arithmetic" and "Monteith's Geography." On the same date the following rules were adopted for the schools:
1. Principal teacher will expel incorrigible children.
2. Teachers will chastise with slit leather.
3. Children will run no errands during school hours.
4. Principal teachers will, when anything is required for schools, notify Directors and state what cost; and before he signs any teamster's bill of fuel, wood or coal, measure the same.
5. Principal teacher will report, when hand- ing in his schedule, if teachers were absent, and how many days, in order that Directors may deduct five dollars for each absent day from absconding teachers.
6. Each department of the common schools shall exercise daily in a spelling class.
7. 'Teachers will keep their departments as clean and in as even temperature of heat as possible.
Mr. Peter J. C. Marion was the first Prin- cipal Teacher elected by the Board of Direct- ors, and was appointed at $60 per month for the Upper School, with two assistants, in Septem- ber, 1865, which was then conducted in the basement of St. Patrick's Church. The Lower School was in a building on the public square in what is now the First Ward, or south part of the city. In the fall of 1868 the basement of St. Henry's church was used for school purposes. There were at that time three schools. The Lower School had become the Franklin School, the Upper School was con- ducted in the basement of St. Patrick's church and the third school in the basement of St. Henry's church.
883
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
In August, 1869, James J. Rafter, who, at the present time, is a candidate for County Judge of St. Clair County, was appointed as the Principal of St. Patrick's School.
On September 14 of the same year the following changes were made in text-books: "Camp's Series of Geography" was to be used instead of "Monteith's," and "Goodrich's History of the United States," and "Kearney's History of the United States" (catechism form) was added.
The first teacher of the colored school in this district was Frances Moss, appointed March 1871, at a salary of $40 per month.
Arthur O Leary, who was afterwards Secre- tary of the Board of Education, was appointed as a teacher in October, 1871.
In 1872 there were the following well known teachers employed in the public schools: Frank V. Rafter, afterwards City Superintendent of Schools; Miss Kate E. Conway, at present a teacher; Miss E. Gain, who afterwards mar- ried Mr. Oebike, wno was a member of the Board when she was first employed, and Dr. L. F. Moorehead.
The following is a summary of the report of the Secretary of the Board of Education for School District No. 172, T. 2, R. 10 W., for the scholastic year of ten months, ending June 30, 1875:
Number of schools in the district, 6; num- ber of teachers, 21; greatest number of pupils in attendance during the year, 1,340; least num- ber in attendance during the year, 805; aver- age during the year, 1,102; number of boys, 550; girls, 543; average number of days taught, 210; total expense during the year, $17,075.
The reports from several schools are as fol- lows: Upper School, held in the basement of St. Patrick's church-teachers, 7; average at- tendance of scholars, 416; rent of school room per monin, $30; salary of janitor per month, $40; total cost per annum, $5,250.
Middle School, held in the public school building on the corner of St. Louis and Collins- ville Avenue-teachers, 4; average attendance of scholars, 220; salary of teachers per month, $290; salary of janitor per month, $30; total cost per annum, +3,200.
Broadway School, held in the basement of St. Henry's church on Broadway-teachers, 4; average attendance of scholars, 212; rent of room per month, $25; salary of teachers per
month, $285; salary of janitor per month, $20; total cost per annum, $3,300.
Franklin School, held in the public school building in the First Ward-teachers, 4; aver- age attendance of scholars, 209; salary of teach- ers per month, $275; salary of janitor per month, $30; total cost per annum, $3,050.
Colored School, held in the colored Baptist church, on Brady Street-teachers, 1; average attendance of scholars, 27; rent of school room per month, $10; salary of teacher per month, $60; salary of janitor per month, $10; total cost per annum, $800 ..
High School, held in private building owned by George Schaub, standing on Sixth Street, be- tween Missouri and Division Avenues-teach- ers, 1; average attendance of scholars, 17; rent of school room per month, $22.50; salary of teacher per month, $100; salary of janitor per month, $10; total cost per annum, $1,325.
Office expense of the Board, including the sal- ary of Secretary, per month, $15; total cost per annum, $150.
From the above it will be seen that the total annual rents paid for school rooms by the Board amounts to $1,026, divided as fol- lows: To St. Patrick's church, $450 for seven rooms; to St. Henry's church, $250 for four rooms; to private parties for the High School, one room, $225, and to the colored Baptist Church Society, for one room, $40. The aver- age wages paid teachers per month is a trifle over $69. The average number of scholars, per teacher, is little over 52, and the cost of ten months' actual schooling to each scholar is little less than $15.50.
Following is a list of teachers for the year 1875-76:
High School-Prof. F. V. Rafter, Principal.
Upper School-Prof. A. J. Driscoll, Princi- pal; Room No. 2, Miss Crowley, First Assistant ; room No. 3, Miss Bergin, teacher; room No. 4, Miss Flaherty, teacher; room No. 5, Miss Mar- tin, teacher; room No. 6, Miss Canty, teacher; room No. 6, Miss Conway, teacher.
Middle School-Prof. A. O'Leary, Principal; room No. 2; Prof. S. F. Morehead, First As- sistant; room No. 3, J. Ohly, teacher; room No. 4, Miss S. Weber, teacher.
Broadway School-Prof. J. Ruhland, Princi- pal; room No. 2, Prof. Vogh, First Assistant; room No. 3, Miss Kircher, teacher; room No. 4, Miss Duffy, teacher.
1
884
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
Franklin School-Prof. B. Long, Principal; room No. 2, Prof. H. Flannigan, First Assistant; room No. 3, Miss McCready, teacher; room No. 4, Miss E. Gaines, teacher.
In 1873 the first Board of Education was elected, consisting of six members.
The schools of the city of East St. Louis continued in the basements of the churches and in frame buildings and rented quarters up to the time of the building of the present Frank- lin and Webster Schools. These schools were builded in the year 188y and are modern brick buildings of twelve rooms each. The growth of our public schools from that time was rapid and required the erection of many school build- ings. This building era marked the first epoch in the growth of the public school system of our city.
All of our permanent buildings are modern and substantial and are brick or stone struc- tures, except one, the Garfield School, which is a frame building. We have in use twelve portable one-room school building fixtures, which are used for temporary buildings until the growth of population demands a perma- nent building. They are then moved to a dif- ferent location and again serve as temporary schools.
'To illustrate the growth of the school pop- ulation, the following table of schools with date of erection, capacity, etc., is given :
No. of No. of
Name.
Date of Erection.
Material.
Rooms. Seats.
Garfield
Frame
2
118
Lincoln
1886
Brick
7
231
Webster
1889
Brick
12
567
Franklin
1889
Brick
12
584
Emerson
1890
Brick
8
363
High
1894
Stone
18
609
Monroe
1896
Brick
8
412
Douglas
1896
Brick
3
90
Irving
1898
Brick
8
412
Park
1900
Brick
8
410
Washington
1900
Brick
9
449
Longfellow
1900
Brick
9
420
Webster Annex
1900
Brick
8
433
Monroe Annex
1904
Brick
8
410
Horace Mann
1905
Brick
16
758
Jefferson1
1906
Brick
8
The above table shows the growth of a pro- gressive school system in our city. At the time of the erection of the Webster and Franklin Schools, the first permanent school buildings, the Board of Education consisted of G. Leh- man, President; W. A. Dill, Thomas J. Canna- van, John A. Joyce, Dennis Rush, D. Sullivan and J. L. Wiggins, members, and Superintend- ent of Schools and Secretary of the Board of Education, Frank V. Rafter. At the election
in April, 1889, Al Keechler was elected a mem- ber of the Board of Education. The influence of these men in the educational affairs of our city was marked.
Mr. Gus Lehman was continued for a num- ber of years as President of the Board of Ed- ucation and gave freely his best efforts and his services for the building up of our educational system. His work stands today as a monu- ment to him and will always be a source of gratitude to his personal friends and to the friends of education. Dr. J. L. Wiggins spent a number of years as a member of the Board and his efforts were untiring in the interests of the public schools. He did much to system- atize the work and to bring it to a degree of perfection, which prevailed at that time and has continued to the present.
Al Keechler afterward became President of the Board of Education and continued as such during the building of many of our most im- portant school-houses. His record is indel- ibly written in the system of the educational affairs of the city of East St. Louis.
Among other prominent members of the Board who have faithfully served the cause may be mentioned T. Jeff Daniel, J. M. Sullivan, .Thomas L. Fekete, who was President of the Board during the erection of the High School Building, Rudolph Hunninger, C. L. Gray, P. Joyce, Dr. I. D. Foulon, P. Kerrigan, D. A. Beeken, George Coy, G. W. Thompson, Charles Hissrich, George G. Heller and, last but not least, Paul W. Abt, who has served three terms, or nine years, as a member of the Board of Education. He is the largest and oldest mem- ber of the Board. He has given freely his nine years of efficient service to the Board of Edu- cation. J. J. Reader was, for several years, the Secretary of the Board and his work was cheer- fully and ably performed. His records of the proceedings of the Board are complete and accurate.
The second epoch in the growth of our city school system came in the combining of all school districts in the city, except the Alta Sita District. The Douglas or Island District, the Central or High School District, and the Illi- nois City or Longfellow District were combined into one district in the spring of 1901. The Winstanley Park District was added in 1904. The district lines are now the same as the city limits except the Alta Sita District, which is in the city but not in the East St. Louis
(1) Being constructed.
.
Dr. C. Kuffner,
885
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
School District, and Lansdowne, which is out of the city but in the School District of the city.
The third epoch in the history of the pro- gressive school system of our city was the in- troduction of the manual arts department. Un- der President J. T. W. Rudesill, the Horace Mann School was builded and plans made for manual training and domestic economy depart- ments. Mr. Rudesill served for one year and the work was completed by the present Pres- ident, Mr. W. A. Moody, and his Board of Ed- ucation. The present Board of Education is in a position financially to meet the demands of more school buildings without impairing in the least the credit of the school district.
During the school year of 1905-06 the tax levy was 21% per cent. for educational purposes and 5-9 of 1 per cent. for building purposes. The total enrollment in the schools was 7,167 and the total maintenance expenses for all the schools was $179,614. This gave an average of $25 for each pupil enrolled. For salaries of teachers there was spent $110,528, or an aver- age of $15 for each child enrolled. Of the $179,- 614-being the total maintenance of our public schools-over $69,000, or 34 per cent., was spent for light, water, fuel, repairs, supplies, jani- tors' services, etc.
The bonded indebtedness of the district is $317,000, with a sinking fund in the hands of the Treasurer of $72,500. This leaves an ac- tual indebtedness of $244,500. The assessed valuation of the district is nearly $8,000,000. This will allow a bonded indebtedness of $400,- 000, so it is plain to be seen that the bonded indebtedness may be extended to $400,000, or $83,000 in addition to the present bonded indebtedness. The total value of school build- ings, grounds and furnishings is $832,500, and bond liabilities $317,000, leaving a balance of $515,500. Added to this is the sinking fund in the hands of the Treasurer, $72,500, leaving the total assets $588,000 clear of indebtedness.
There is in process of construction, at the present time, a modern eight-room building in Lansdowne, known as the Jefferson School.
We have, at the present time, an efficient High School, in which the enrollment during the past year was 424. The number of teach- ers employed is 15. In June, 1906, there was graduated a class of 43-11 boys and 32 girls. The High School has in its curriculum a regu- lar course of four years, including four years
of Latin, three years of German and a High School commercial course of four years. Our school is on the accredited list of the best uni- versities of the "Middle West," to which our graduates are admitted without examination.
In addition to the ordinary branches taught in the grade schools, we have manual training and domestic economy for the boys and girls of the seventh and eighth grades, and a special supervisor of physical culture, drawing and music for all grades. There are engaged at the present time 181 teachers, principals and su- pervisors under the efficient leadership of the present Superintendent, Mr. John E. Miller.
The condition of the schools in the city of East St. Louis has improved in a remarkable degree in the last decade, and the growth for the last few years has been so rapid and sub- stantial that they now stand among the best schools in the educational world.
The present Board of Education is composed of intelligent and energetic business and pro- fessional men, who believe in advancement, and who are ready to sacrifice their time and energy to establish and maintain a degree of proficiency in our public schools second to none. The President of the Board of Education, Mr. W. A. Moody, is serving his second term. He is a careful and painstaking student of the cause of education and is always seeking some plan for the perfection of our school system. The following are the President and members of the Board of Education and their officers:
W. A. Moody, President; Members-Paul W. Abt, P. P. Gaynord, Harry S. Kramer, Henry T. Renshaw, Horace J. Eggmann, George F. Smith, Fred Leber, W. B. Dodd, John W. Sanders, Pe- ter B. Cusack, Albert E. Rives, Albert E. Meints; Officers-John E. Miller, Superintend- ent; J. S. Pidgeon, Secretary; Frank L. Thrasher, Superintendent of Buildings; Lela Eggleston, stenographer.
The teaching body of our public schools con- sists of live, progressive, energetic men and women, who have had special preparation and a varied experience, and who know what and how to teach. Each one is allowed the privi- lege of working out his educational problems in his own way and is held responsible for these ideas-first, "is it worth while?" and, second, "is it artistically done?" Without a careful, hard-working and painstaking corps of teach- ers, who methodically and sensibly persevere
886
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
in the actual school-room work and follow the system laid out by the Superintendent, no work of education would be able to accomplish defi- nite results and no supervising principal, special teacher or superintendent would succeed.
The principals are practical school men and believe with the Superintendent that, while the culture studies are of great importance to our civilization of the "Middle West," the subjects taught for the purpose of enabling the individ- ual to follow one or more of the desirable forms of occupation are of vital importance, and should take first place in the educational sys- tem of our city.
The following is a list of the Principals em- ployed at the present time: Charles L. Man- ners, High School; D. Walter Potts, Horace Mann School; Bernard Guitues, Franklin School; I. H. Todd, Longfellow School; W. G. Padfield, Webster School; C. G. Williams, Park School; O. E. Harper, Emerson School; Charles Cannady, Washington School; F. F. Sams, Mon- roe School; James P. Slade, Irving School; May E. Young, Second Street School; Julia Buckley, Douglas School; B. F. Bowles, Lincoln School (colored).
In the list of Superintendents of Schools who have served the city of East St. Louis may be mentioned some worthy men: James McQuil- kin, M. A. Sullivan, T. J. McDonough, Frank V. Rafter, James P. Slade, an ex-County Superin- tendent and ex-State Superintendent of Public Instruction; J. F. Mccullough, who did valua- ble work for the school system, and who is now the general agent for Silver-Burdett School Text Book Company; John Richeson, who was the predecessor of the present incumbent, John E. Miller, who, for seven years, has filled with credit to himself and with value to the commu- nity, the office of City Superintendent of Schools.
Mr. Miller was appointed Superintendent of Schools in June, 1904. He was re-appointed in June, 1905, and again in June, 1906, and is serving his third term. He has systematized the school work and requires definite results. The teaching has improved, the children have become more proficient and the school has be- come a more important part of the life of the child. Teachers are better students of social environment and are more capable in their management of school problems. More teach- ers attended summer schools the past vacation
than ever before, and more high school grad- uates are in universities and colleges than at any previous time. Mr. Miller's work is in- spiring and nelpful in all departments.
The schools are in duty bound to work for results because proficiency in certain branches is a potent element in enabling the individual to get a fair start in life. It is the right of the child to be equipped with the ability to spell creditably, to cipher quickly and accurate- ly, to read fluently and understandingly, to write neatly, legibly and rapidly and to ex- press his ideas orally or on paper in commend- able English. This gives him a much better chance in life than he would have had if he could do none of these things well.
LIBRARIES .- The library of McKendree Col- lege has been referred to earlier in this chap- ter. There are libraries connected with sev- eral public schools, others with private schools. Libraries of literary societies and reading cir- cles receive attention in one of the chapters on city, towns and villages. The most impor- tant libraries in the county, in many respects, are the East St. Louis and Belleville public school libraries, histories of which are given in connection with the histories of those cities.
CHAPTER XXX.
CHURCH HISTORY.
THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY IN ST. CLAIR COUNTY - FIRST MISSION ESTABLISHED AT CA- HOKIA-EARLY CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT MIS. SIONARIES-CHURCHES OF LATER PERIODS-FIRST METHODIST CHURCH FOUNDED AT SHILOH IN 1795-SOME NOTABLE CHURCH WORKERS-THE OGLES, BISHOP M'KENDREE, THE LEMENS, REV. SALMON GIDDINGS AND OTHERS-NAMES OF DIS- TINGUISHED PASTORS-REV. JOHN M. PECK, A LEADER IN BAPTIST CHURCH WORK-PRESBYTE- RIAN AND LUTHERAN ORGANIZATIONS-CHURCHES OF THE PRESENT DAY-PASTORS AND OTHER OFFI- CERS.
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