USA > Illinois > McLean County > Normal > History of Bloomington and Normal, in McLean County, Illinois > Part 17
USA > Illinois > McLean County > Bloomington > History of Bloomington and Normal, in McLean County, Illinois > Part 17
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In 1855, a large addition was made to North Bloomington by a company composed of Jesse W. Fell, R. R. Landon, L. R. Case, C. W. Holder and L. C. Blakesly. The place had all the prospects common to a railroad " crossing " or "junction," which were never very brilliant, when it is considered that the important town of Bloomington, with two depots, was only two miles away. Here, at the point of greatest natural beauty, Mr. Jesse W. Fell commeneed, in 1855, his family residence, and finished it the next year, when he made it his permanent home.
In the enterprise of building a new town at the "Junction," he had taken into partnership, about this time, the several gentlemen whose names we have given; and iu the course of a few years thereafter, acquired from them nearly the whole of their interests in the town site.
Mr. Fell, from the first, had plans for bringing to North Bloomington something more than the ordinary business of a common railroad crossing. He intended to spare no effort to build here a town that should have for its characteristics, sobriety, morality. good society, and all the elements for an educational center. Previous to the passage of the act to establish a Normal University, which dates from February 18, 1857, Mr. Fell was laboring with some prospects of success, to establish at North Blooming- ton a college or seminary of learning, and was in correspondence with Hon. Horace Mann and others in regard to the matter. Had he succeeded, the institution was to have been located upon Seminary Block, shown on the plat of North Bloomington, as the block next east of Mr. Fell's residence. This particular piece of ground at that time, before the trees and shrubbery had made their appearance, commanded a fine view of all the land in the neighborhood, being a part of that beautifully-rounded, elevated prairie upon which Mr. Fell built his family residence. In fact, the whole tract was one of striking beauty, long before North Bloomington was projected, in the days when, for more than a mile in either direction, not a house or improvement of any kind was visible. As long ago as in 1833, when on his way to what is now the township of Money Creek, in company with Mr. Kimler, one of the carly settlers of Blooming Grove, Mr. Fell rode over the beautiful elevation which his residence now occupies. The public highway then passed in that vicinity. It was early in the morn- ing, and as they surveyed the beautiful prairie landscape, Mr. Fell remarked, what a fine location this would be, at some day, for a residence. His companion replied, that it was not probable any one would ever be fool enough to build at such a great distance from the timber, echoing thereby the common sentiment of the early settlers. Over twenty years after, Mr. Fell built his family residence at that point, and com- menced to plant trees, which in a little more than another twenty years, have made
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at that location the most beautiful grove or park that can be found in Central Illi- not, and he has lived to see the prairie landscape converted into a beautiful village. shared by many thousand trees tastefully adorning the whole We question if the history of our rapidly growing State can furnish a parallel, a town built entirely on the prairie, and, in so short a space of time, to be covered with more large trees than can be shown in most cities of older growth, though they were built on land originally occupied by those grand monarchs of the forest, which the early settlers delighted in destroying as fast as possible.
Mr. Fell took a remarkable step toward bringing to the new town a desirable class of residents, by providing in all deeds to purchasers of lots in North Bloomington, that intoxicating liquors should never be sold on the premises; and this stringent prohibition was afterward re-enforced by a town charter, which was intended to be entirely prohibitory. This charter needed amendments, however, in 1867, to make it as fully operative as the inhabitants desired, and a petition was circulated asking the Legislature to make such changes as should perpetually restrain the town or city authorities from ever licensing the sale of intoxicating liquors. It is a remarkable fact that this petition was signed by every man and woman, and every child over seven years old, in a town which then con- tained 1,800 inhabitants. This incident, though rather out of the proper historical order. is valuable as we thus discover that the foundations for the gathering-together of a very superior class of citizens, were carly laid broad and deep, and the subsequent character of Normal can be traced quite plainly to those early efforts. North Bloomington, in 1557, was barely started-scarcely known-called indiscriminately by its proper name. or the " Junction:" a town site without a town, and with no special reason for its exist- ence. There was one inhabitant previons to 1855 ; this was Mr. MeCambridge, whose residence was at the crossing of the railroads, where, as agent, he attended to all the interests of the railroad lines crossing at that point. Mr. Fell moved into his residence in 1856, and, during that year the new town was augmented by the arrival of L. R. Case and family, and a few others, but no great growth took place till after the events of the year 1857.
For the information of some of our younger readers, we will state that from 1848 . to 1856. the subject of free schools received a large share of attention in Illinois. Settlers from States where these schools were well established. were rapidly pouring in, and their influence, combined with the spirit of the times, resulted in a wonderful impulse being given to the cause of education. One direct result was the passage of the act of the Legislature for the establishment of a State Normal University, which passed February 15. 1857. The project had been warmly advocated for several years, by the teachers of the State and all friends of education. As originally passed, the act contemplated that an agricultural or industrial college should be attached, and we find that the friends of these particular specialties were among the most earnest laborers for the new institution One of the reasons why it was called a university. was because the way was thus prepared for future enlargement. Among the most earnest and devoted workers in this, as in other directions, we might mention the noble-hearted Prof. J. B. Turner, of Jackson ville, and Bronson Murray, then of Ottawa, Ill., now of New York
Normal schbols were new in the West at that time, Ilino's being the pioneer in this grand enterprise. Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey, and a few other States had inaugurated normal schools. None of them were equal to the demands of
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the times. Still, their success had been such as to warrant the public in expecting that institutions for the education and training of teachers of our common schools would aid the cause of education to a desirable degree. Some of the ablest friends of this new project for the proper education of the teachers of the public schools lived in McLean County, among whom we might mention W. F. M. Arny, Jesse W. Fell, Prof. D. Wil- kins and J. H. Wickizer, the latter being member of the Legislature from this district.
The public mind was ripe for the proper appreciation of the needs, designs and scope of such a school, although even its own advocates differed somewhat as to the course of study and plans for its development.
The act of the Legislature provided for a university, although what was established is in fact a normal school. The intention was to gather around the new institution the different colleges-classical, agricultural, industrial, law, medical, and the other depart- ments of a university-until in the end the State should have here a grand university, equal to any in the land. The full design has not been carried out, but there are many who still have hopes that the future may yet see its realization.
The law provided a Board of Education of the State of Illinois, with power to carry into effect its purposes. This Board consisted of N. W. Edwards, of Springfield ; W. H. Wells, of Chicago; John R. Eden, Moultrie County ; A. R. Shannon, White County ; Simeon Wright, Lee County; W. Sloan, Pope County ; George Bunsen, St. Clair County ; George P. Rex, Pike County ; Charles E. Hovey, Peoria ; Daniel Wil- kins, Bloomington ; C. B. Denio, Galena; F. Mosely, Chicago ; S. W. Moulton, Shelby County, and J. Gillespie, Jasper County. This Board had full power, and it was made their duty, "to fix the permanent location of said Normal University at the place where the most favorable inducements are offered for that purpose, provided that such location shall not be difficult of access, or detrimental to the welfare and prosperity of said Nor- mal University."
This body of gentlemen soon organized, and it appointed a committee to receive proposals for the location of the Normal University, which committee published notices in several newspapers, stating that the Board would, on a certain specified day, open at Peoria all bids that might be made.
Several cities and towns entered into competition for what was understood to be a valuable prize. That the value of the new institution was thoroughly appreciated by the inhabitants of Bloomington is shown by the following extract from the Bloomington Pantagraph of April 8, 1857, then edited by E. J. Lewis:
The advantages to be conferred by such an institution upon the place of its location are too obvious to need enlarging upon. Richly endowed from a Government fund, collecting within its walls every year the flower of the youth of every part of the State, and organized with a full corps of the ablest instructors, the Normal University will doubtless take rank among the noblest institutions of learning in the country, and give to the town which contains it a degree of prom- inence at home and abroad scarcely second to that enjoyed by the State capital itself.
In the light of subsequent events, how prophetic is this statement !
Mr. Fell and his co-workers did not rely on appeals made through the public press. On the contrary, they were willing that the competing points should labor under the impression that Bloomington was not thoroughly aroused. These gentlemen labored incessantly with individuals ; argued, pictured, pleaded, taught, both by precept and
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example. They set the fashion by giving liberal subscriptions, and so far succeeded that they brought the amount of donations in lard and money up to $50,000 from pri- vate individuals. They had previously obtained a pledge from the members of the County Commissioners' Court, A. J. Merriman, of Bloomington, Milton Smith, of Pleasant Hill, and H. Buck, of Le Roy, who formed the County Court at that time, that they would appropriate from the proceeds of the swamp-lands funds an amount ยท qual to that subscribed by individuals. This made the total offer $100,000, and it was thought amply sufficient to secure the location.
In order to be fully aware of what Peoria-the principal competitor-was doing, one of the most active of our party went to that city, quietly and rather in disguise, dropped into a back seat of a meeting of the County Board held in aid of the project, mixed with the crowd in the streets, and in various ways learned almost exactly what Peoria was preparing to offer. Its liberality alarmed him ; he returned to Bloomington and aroused his friends to still further efforts. Mr. Fell and other gentlemen increased their subscriptions until they reached $20,000, or $70.000 in all. The County Court was speedily called together again, the county's part increased by $20,000, and when the final effort was completed, at about the last day, in the afternoon, the total offer amounted to $141,000, made up of 870,000 from the first proceeds of the sales of MeLean County's swamp-land, and $71,000 in money, lands and town lots from individuals.
But the gross amount was kept a profound secret. Mr. Fell and a very few others were aware of the total, as it was highly important that competing points should remain in ignorance until too late for them to make additional subscriptions.
On the 7th of May, 1857. the State Board of Education met at Peoria to open the bids and decide upon the location. The first offer was that of Batavia. This bid embraced $15,000 in money and the land and buildings of the Batavia Institute. There were between twenty and twenty-two acres of land, and a building seventy by fifty feet, three stories high, the whole estimated at $30,000, making Batavia's bid, in effect, $15,000. The citizens pledged themselves to raise $25,000, in order to pay a debt of $10,000 now resting on the buildings, and to give the sum of $15,000 for the Normal University direct. There were several propositions from Bloomington, six sites being offered. The tract of 160 acres at the junction was the favorite, and the partien- lars of that proposition were as follows :
General subscription $ 7,875.
Local cash subscription for Junction site. 25,850
Real estate : 160 acres land-60 acres at $200 per acre, $IS,000; 100
acres at $200 per nere, $20,000, 38,000
MeLean County subscription.
Total. $111,725.
There were offered also, by K. H. Fell, thirty acres west of Sugar Creek , by Judge Davis, ten acres, near his residence ; by William Flagg, ien aeres, on the north hill above the city ; by Thomas, Young & Sears, forty acres northeast of town; by K. H. Fell and John Nicolls, eighty acres, two and a half miles east of the city, cach of these on condition the University be located upon them. By the citizens of Washington, Tazewell County and the Trustees of the Washington Academy we're offered $12,000 in cash, and the lot 130 by 120 feet, with brick building 47
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by 62 feet, and three stories high, of said Academy, in said town; real estate at $20,000, making the bid $21,000. Peoria offered, in money :
Individual subscription.
$25,032.
City Corporation 10,000. 15,000.
County Board of Supervisors.
There were several offers of land for sites. Phelps, Conklin & Brady offered 15 acres, of which appraisements were unsettled, the first rating it at $18,000, the second at $30,000 ; the twenty-acre site was valued at $20,000 ; 120 acres two miles from the Court House, at $18,000 ; 200 acres three and a half miles from the Court House, at- $20,000, and there were two minor offers. Taking the highset valuation of the princi- pal site, the total bid of Peoria was $80,032.
The bid of MeLean County was so far ahead of Peoria, the next competitor, that the Board of Education located the Normal University in accordance with the condi- tions of the subscription, on the 160 acres of fine rolling land within three-quarters of a mile from the junction of the Illinois Central and Chicago & Alton Railroads.
Great must have been the rejoicing at Bloomington on receipt of the glad news of success, after a contest of such intensity ; but we, who look back over twenty years, can scarcely imagine the interest of the occasion.
The Board of Education made the location upon the condition that the full amount of the McLean County subscription of $70,000 should be legally guaranteed within sixty days, in default of which, the location was to be made at Peoria. They employed Abraham Lincoln to draw up a form of bond or guaranty to be signed by responsible citizens of Bloomington. This guaranty is a matter of such historical interest that we produce it entire, with the list of guarantors, prefacing this with the remark that this bond was thought to be necessary on account of the danger that a future County Court might reconsider the appropriation, and the further doubt whether the swamp-lands would be sold for cash soon enough to meet contracts for the building about to be erected.
GUARANTY.
WHEREAS, on the 15th day of May, 1857, the Executive Committee of the Board of Educa- tion of the State of Illinois passed a resolution in the words and figures following, to wit :
" Resolved, That we require of the citizens of Bloomington a guaranty that the sum of $14,000 be paid on the 1st day of August next, and the further sum of $14,000 on the 1st day of November next, and the further sum of $14,000 on the 1st day of February next, and the further sum of $14,000 on the 1st day of May next, and the remaining sum of $14,000 on the 1st day of August, 1858, if called for by the Board, to enable them to erect the building of the Normal University, on the McLean County subscription."
Now, therefore, we, the undersigned, in consideration that the said McLean County subscrip- tion be accepted by said Board of Education, and the said Normal University be located at the place and in accordance with the conditions indicated in and by said McLean County subscrip- tion, do hereby guarantee, each, to the extent of the sum set opposite his name, and no further, the payment to said Board of Education the several sums specified in said resolution, and to be made at the times therein required. And in case of any actual default, we are to share with each other, pro rata, according to the several sums set opposite our uames.
May 15, 1857.
K. H Fell .. $5,000 | George Bruener. $1,000
Jesse W. Fell.
5,000 R. R. Landon 5,000
J. E. McClun.
5,000
R. Leach. 500
A. B. Shaffer 5,000 W. Mccullough 3,000
A. Gridley
5,000 | H. Rounds. 5,000
-
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George Park.
$5,000 11. .. Eager $5.000
1. 11. Moore.
3,000 % lawrence
2,000
A. J. Merriman 1,000
John Magonu , (MK)
John Dawson 1,000
I.connard Swell. 3,000
William R. Chew
James tirover. 5,000
.A. W. Rogers 2,000
1. W. Moore 8,000
E. R. Roe.
500
1). I'll- worth 1,000
R. T. Stockton
5.00
1. Bunn 1 10H)
J. C. Walker.
2,000
%. S. Hoover
1,000
1. H. Robinson
1,000
S. F. Kenyon & Son. 1,000
William F. Flagg. 5,000
David Brier 5,000
Overman & Mann 1,000
1. Jahustone
William E. Foote
1,000
R. Thompson & L'u 1,000
D> D. Haggard
500
S. G. Fleming.
Denton Young.
3,000
C. W. Lander
W. W. 1.u.k 3,000
John Ronse
2,000
C. Baker
Joseph Payne 6,000
M. Pike.
1.40(H)
C. H. Rood.
1, 0010
S. B. Hance
5.000
John J. Price.
1,000
C. W. Holder.
2,000
Joseph Ludington.
1,000
S. P. Morehouse
1,000
(1. Rugg
1,000
N. Dixon
1,000
N. B. Heafer.
2,000
Charles Rondnight.
5,000
Kenys & Brother
500
Franklin Price. 3,000
S. Ginlagher.
1,000
William W. Orme
5,000
Birch & Brothers
1,000
W. W. Lusk & Company.
5,000
Elihu Rogers
2,000
William T. Major.
5.000
E. M. Philips
1,000
D. L .. Crist.
2000
1. F. Humphreys
1,000
Theron Pardee.
". Wakefield.
1,000
W. H. Temple
3.000
.1 J. Warner
5.(MN)
James Bronson 500
E. Hartry
5,000
Edward D. Benjamin 1,000
James 1 .. Rice
1.00010
E. W. Bakewell
5,000
W. P. Withers 1,000
Dr. H. Schrader.
1.000
Jesse Adams
1,000
11. 11. Painter.
3.000
Their guaranty was never enforced, as it was found that some of the lands were sold for cash, others on credit and the proceeds used in the building, and it also hap- pened there was no trouble about the county appropriation, as it was confirmed by the new court in the spring of 1858. This new court consisted of a Board of Supervisors, the county having adopted township organization at the fall election in 1557. This guaranty, however, was made in good faith, was of great value at the time, and is one of the important steps taken to secure the Normal University.
It will also be interesting to read the list of subscribers, which we give. The following is a list of subscriptions that were nearly all given with the single condition that the institution should be located at some point within one mile of the corporate limits of Bloomington :
Jesse W. Fell, $500, payable in six and twelve months after loestion is made, also, ten acres for site, to be selected anywhere, valued at $2,000.
C. W. Holder, $200, payable in six and twelve months.
S. D. Rounds, SHOW, payable in six and twelve months.
William W. Orme, $100, payable in six and twelve months.
R. O. Warriner, $100, payable in six anl twelve months after the building commences.
A. B. Shaffer, $600, payable in six and twelve months
Park & Brother. $100, payable in six and twelve months.
Robert Leach, $1000, payable in six and twelve months
R. R. Landon, $100, payable in six and twelve months
0,000
George W. Stipp.
W. Wyatt.
James Niccolla 3,000
J. N. Ward
s. S Adolph
1.0. Slening 1,000
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George Dietrich, $50, payable in six and twelve months. Leonard Swett, $100, payable in six and twelve months.
W. Thomas, $100, payable in six and twelve months.
A. & O. Barnard, $100, payable in six and twelve months. J. E. McClun, $500, in real estate at cash prices. Isaac Mitchell, $50, payable in six and twelve months. William E. Foote, $100, payable in six and twelve months.
James P. Keen, $100, payable in six and twelve months. S. B. Hance, $100, payable in six and twelve months. Hance & Taylor, $100, payable in six and twelve months. Corydon Weed, $100, payable in six and twelve months. John R. Smith, $50, payable in six and twelve months.
R. Y. Stockton, $50, payable in six and twelve months.
O. Ellsworth, $100, payable in six and twelve months.
Lewis Bunn, $100, payable in eight and twelve months.
E. Thorp, Smith & Co., $100, payable in six and twelve months.
John Magoun, $100, payable in six and twelve months.
C. P. Merriman, $50, payable in six and twelve months.
F. K. Phoenix, $100, payable in one and two years.
F. Price, $100, payable in one and two years.
E. Thomas, $200, payable in one and two years.
Denton Young, $100, payable in one and two years.
W. W. Taylor, $200, payable in one and two years.
K. P. Taylor, $150, payable in one and two years
K. H. Fell, $100, payable in good notes, to be made payable in one and two years from the Ist of June next, provided the said institution is located within two miles of the corporate limits of the city of Bloomington.
Jesse W. Fell, $500, payable by the conveyance of 100 acres of land, of average value, in Range 4 west, of Jackson County, Ill., on completion of building.
The list which follows is made up principally of those who limited their subscrip- tion to a location within three-fourths of a mile of the junction of the Illinois Central and Chicago & Alton Railroads. These individuals owned land in North Bloom- ington, or adjoining, or near by, and hence had, most of them, a direct interest in the location. Several of these made smaller unconditional subscriptions. C. W. Holder, for instance, would give $200, wherever the institution might be located, and $800 more provided North Bloomington were the fortunate point. The most of this, with that in the preceding list, was limited, practically, to the site which was chosen, it being within one mile of the corporate limits of Bloomington, and also within three-fourths of a mile of the crossing of the two railroads :
Jesse W. Fell, $2,000 (including a subscription of $500 already made), payable in one, two, three, four and five years : Provided, not less than $10,000 more can be added to this subscription, and not less than eighty acres of land ; the first $500 to be expended in making a good side or foot walk to the Junction from University.
Swett & Orme, $1,500 (including a subscription of $200 already made), payable in one and two years : Provided, not less than $10,000 mere can be had to this subscription, and not less than eighty acres of land.
C. W. Holder, $1,000 (including a subscription of $200 already made), payable in one and two years : Provided, not less than $10,000 more can be had to this subscription, and not less than eighty acres of land.
F. K. Phoenix, $1,500 (including a subscription of $100 already made), payable one-half in nursery stock or ornamental planting on said site, and the balance in one and two years.
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R. R Landon, $1,000 including a subscription of SUN) already made) payable in one and two years.
F. Price $BOO Including a subscription of $100 already madey, payable in one and two years
Robert Ulrich, $300, payable in one and two years
William Dooley, $500, payable in one and two years
A. Grilley & Co., $1, 150, dischargeable by a conveyance of cleven and one-half neres of land, situated in North Bloomington, and in tructs adjoining on the north.
John Magoun, $700 (including a subscription of $100 already made), payable in one anl two years.
William Hill, $100, payable in one and two years.
O. M. Colman, $1,000, payable in one and two years, or dischargeable by the conveyance, within one year, of ten neres of land in North Bloomington.
Joshua R Fell, $500, payable in one or two years, or dischargeable by the conveyance. within one year, of five acres of land off the south end of my home farm, east of the railroad, At my option.
O. T. Reeves, Jr .. $500, payable in one and two years.
Elihu Rogers, $500, payable in one and two years.
William I. Foote, $200 (including $100 already subscribe ly, payable in one and two years Robert A. Dalzell, $250, payable in one and two years.
Thomas Junk, $500, payable in one and two years, or dischargeable by the convyeance, within one year, of five acres of land in the northwest corner of my farm, at my option.
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