History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 57

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340

USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time > Part 57

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Jannary 17, 1838. The hard times deeply affect all the schools. The great school fund of $36.000, for which Chicago has been so celebrated, is all loaned out and cannot now command sufficient interest to support even one district school. All have been stopped by order of the trustees, I am informed. f intend to continue teaching; but the fine promises of public buildings made to me, before I left Alton, have never been fulfilled.

March 31. There are three ladies' schools now in town, be- sides mine; they were commenced last fall during the sickness in my family about ten or fifteen pupils, of all ages and both sexes in each. So much for the negligence of the citizens in not building a public female seminary.

In 1836, and until March, 1837, John Brown taught a private school in the North Division, near the corner of Dearborn and Walcott streets. Mr. Brown ceased to teach in consequence of being severely beaten by some of his pupils, and sold out his leases in March, 1837, to Edward Murphy, who took decided means to secure

Edward rumphin

success. On opening his school with thirty-six pupils, he addressed them, setting forth the necessity of observ- ing the rules of the school and promising chastisement to those who should infringe them.

" The day after," says Mr. Murphy. " I placed an oak sapling, an inch in diameter, on my desk. That afternoon a Mr. S. who owned the building, came into the school-room, and seeing the walls decorated with caricatures, and likenesses of almost every animal from a rabbit to an elephant, he got in a raging passion, and used rather abusive language. I complained, he became more violent. I walked to my desk, took the sapling and shouted ' clear out,' which he obeyed by a rapid movement. This trifling incident effectually calmed the ringleaders, some of whom now occupy hon- orable and respectable positions in society."

Mr. Murphy's vigorous administration secured the admiration of the school officers, who rented the building and made him a public school teacher from August, 1837, to November, 1838, at a salary of $800 per annum.

Mr. McClellan, who took charge of the school in the

EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.

209

Baptist church, on Water Street, in 1835, continued to teach a public school until 1838.

The incorporation of the city of Chicago, March 4, 1837, marks an epoch in the history of the schools, for the management thereof, excepting the control of the funds, was, by the provisions of the charter, vested in the Common Council of the city.

The first Board of Inspectors elected by the Council was chosen May 12, 1837, and consisted of Thomas Wright, N. H. Bolles, John Gage, T. R. Hubbard, I. T. Hinton, Francis Payton, G. W. Chadwick, B. Huntoon, R. J. Hamilton and W. H. Brown. The first standing committee on schools in the council consisted of Alder- man Goodhue, Bolles and Caton. The only records to be found covering the years from 1837 to 1840 are such irregular mention as is made in the official municipal documents of that period, and they are exceedingly un- satisfactory. There appears to have been no uniform system of action in the management of the schools. Each district partook of the nature of a district school division, and conducted its own affairs in its own way. There were seven districts organized, but there is no evidence extant to prove the boundaries of the several districts. From the records of the election of trustees, and from the scattering reports submitted by teachers about this time, it is inferred that District No. 1, No. 2 and possibly No. 3, were in the South Division ; Nos. 4 and 5 in the West Division ; and Nos. 6 and 7 in the North Division.

If school was held in Districts No. 4 and 6, no in- dication of that fact is now attainable. In truth, the teachers' reports were irregularly made, and schools may have been taught in those districts without formal acknowledgement being made to the Council.

In August 1837, the Council passed an ordinance governing the length of school terms :

" The quarters shall begin on the first Mondays in February, May, August and November, and continue five and a half days in each week, which time shall be understood to constitute one-quarter of one year's schooling, and for teaching, to the satisfaction of all concerned, such time the teacher shall be entitled to one-quarter of a year's salary."

The clause compelling the teacher to perform his duties " to the satisfaction of all concerned," must have been a barrier to many would-be applicants; for it is seldom that one is willing to venture the payment of salary upon the probability of pleasing everybody.

The school-house in District No. 5 was located on the west side of Canal Street, north of Lake Street, opposite the Green Tree Hotel. During the winter of 1837-38 the school was taught by C. S. Bailey, who was succeeded in the spring by Calvin DeWolf, and he in turn by Thomas Hoyne.

In July, 1837, the following petition was presented for the establishment of a school in District No. 4, signed by sixteen persons representing twenty-five scholars, of whom one of the signers, John Gage, repre- sented seven :

" The undersigned inhabitants of the Fourth School District, in said city, considering they have a sufficient number of scholars to form a school, and that being attached to the Fifth District, the distance is so great as to make the school of little use to them, would request that they be immediately set nff in a district hy them- selves, in season to elect three Trustees on the fourth Monday of this month."

September, 1837, J. H. Blatchford, "one of the In- spectors of the Fifth Ward," addressed a communica- tion to the Common Council stating that the school in the Fifth School District, situated in the Fourth Ward of the city " has been closed for the space of more than two months, that a gentleman is ready to undertake the management and instruction of the school in that dis-

trict, but that no trustees have yet been elected by the voters in said district." He further states that notices have been issued by the Council several times for the legal voters to elect trustees, but that the inhabitants have neglected to meet in conformity with such notices, and asks that the Council fill the vacancies, as he under- stands that said body has the power of filling vacancies in offices of election as well as in offices of appointment.

The following is a certificate of the Trustees of School District No. I, accompanying the report of the teacher for a period of eight weeks, from August 15, 1837, to October 11, 1837 :

" To the School Inspectors of the City of Chicago :

" We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, trustees of School District No. I, in the city of Chicago, report that the foregoing schedule, made, subscribed and sworn to by Sarah Kellogg, exhib- its correctly the number of scholars taught by her in said District No. I, and the number of days each scholar attended, and that she taught the length of time certified to by her, and that she was em- ployed by us to teach a common school of female pupils in said District No. I, for a quarter of a year, at the rate of Sio per week, and that the reason she did not teach the whole quarter is, that neither a suitable room, stove nor furnace could be obtained by any means within our power so as to make her and her pupils comfort- able.

" All of which is respectfully submitted.

" J. M. STRODE, " SOLOMON WILLS, "A. D. TAVLOR, " Trustees of School District No. I. "Chicago, October 20, 1837."

The school for advanced scholars, in District No. I was taught by George C. Collins, who was employed at a salary of $800 per annum.

The reports for the quarter ending November I, 1837, show the attendance in the various schools then in session :

District.

Teacher.

Pupils enrolled.

One

.George C. Collins .II3

Two.

James McClellan

107

Three

Hiram Baker.

Five.

. Otis King ... 44

Seven.

Edward Murphy 84

Total enrolled.

400

Miss Sarah Kellogg, Samuel C. Bennett and A. Steel Hopkins were employed in the South Division schools during 1837.

In 1838 the public schools were taught by Messrs. McClellen, Murphy, Bennett, Collins, Bailey, DeWolf and Hoyne, all of whom have received mention.

In 1839 the school fund was unproductive, and the schools were in a depressed condition.

Up to this date the school fund had remained under the control of the County Commissioner. Legislative aid was invoked to transfer the financial management to the Common Council, and March 1, 1839, such an amendment to the charter was granted.

In June, 1839, the School Inspector recommended the Council to lease Blocks 1, 87, and 88 of the school section, being the blocks on which the high school stands, extending to Halsted Street, and the blocks ex- tending from Harrison to Polk streets, between Fifth Avenue and the river, for agricultural purposes; also that Block 142, being the site of the Tribune Building and MeVicker's Theatre, be subdivided into sixteen lots, for which not less than $30 per lot per annum be asked as rental. The size of the lots was forty-nine and one-half by one hundred and fifty feet. The rec- ommendation stipulated the reservation from lease of " Lot 2, on which the old district school-house is situ- ated." This indefinite allusion is partially explained by the following petition, addressed to the Council: .

210

HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

" Your petitioners respectfully beg leave to represent that in the fall of 1836 the inhabitants of School District No. 4. located in that portion of the town which now comprises the First Ward of the city. at a school meeting, duly notified, voted a tax of $5,000 to build a schonl-house in said district. At that time, building materials and labor were extremely scarce and high, and the inhabitants of the district being very anxious to have a school commenced immediately, it was thought by the Trustees that it would be much cheaper to put up a temporary building for that purpose than to attempt to build permanently, when there would be not only great expense in procuring material, but much delay would be unavoidable in collecting the tax for that purpose. Under these circumstances, that there might be as little delay as possible in commencing a school, the Trustees availed themselves of a provision in the school law which authorized them to borrow $200 from the school fund to build a school-house. For this sum a note was given by the Trustees, which, owing to the precarions and unsettled condition of the school fund laws, still remains unpaid. But as soon as a school tax can be levied, the inhabitants of that district will doubtless most cheerfully pay the amount necessary to refund the said sum which they have enjoyed the benefit of, in pos- sessing for several years the only public school-house in this city. As tbe said note has been placed in the hands of an attorney for collection, by the agent of the school fund, the object of this peti- tion is to request that your honorable body will direct that legal proceedings in this case may be suspended for the present

" CHICAGO, March 30, 1840. N. H. BOLLES,

" One of the Trustees who signed the Note."

There is no other record of this transaction until it is alluded to in the following terms, in a report made by the School Inspectors, March 30, 1845, after the opening of the Dearborn School building: "As it is known by the Council, the only school-house or school- room belonging to the city was in the First Ward, and this was so old, small and dilapidated, that it was sold recently by the Trustees for the sum of $40, and the purchaser has no occasion to congratulate himself on account of his bargain."

Thus began and ended the first school-house owned by the city.

Among the select day schools of 1839, well remem- bered and much patronized was that established by Rev. I. T. Hinton, on April 21. The institution was managed for the benefit of young ladies, the course of study embracing the English, Latin and French lan- guages, ancient and modern history, and the most im- portant branches of physical and moral science. The school was located in the Baptist church.

Miss Dodge also conducted a private school that year.

Miss R. R. Carr, formerly of Lima, N. Y., managed an advanced school for young ladies, in a room on Clark Street, adjoining the Presbyterian church; and Miss Prayton taught a similar school in the fort, in the sum- mer and fall of 1840.

Re-organization of the school system, under the new charter was not effected until 1840. February 27, 1840, William H. Brown accepted the office of School Agent, and assumed charge of the public fund. It may be here observed that Mr. Brown discharged the responsi- ble duties of that office for thirteen years faithfully; and during the long term of services did not make a loan, by which the school fund suffered loss.

The appended report of the commissioner of school lands, at the close of the year 1839, when the fund was transferred, shows the condition of finances at that date:

Loaned on personal security, not in snit .. $11. 564 22

Loaned on mortgage, not in suit. 12,437 74

Amount in suit. 6,545 00

Amount in judgment. 7,366 36

Included in note given for interest 64 00

Total securities.

.$37,077 32

Cash on hand

648 15

Total

$38,625 47

The law was prepared by Hon. J. Young Scammon.

On this subject, and referring with characteristic modesty to his own connection in framing and drafting these laws, Mr. Scammon in a speech delivered at the re- ception tendered by the Calumet Club to the old set- tlers, in May, IS79, said :

" There is one other man, now departed to his long home, who deserves a great deal of credit, in relation to the schools of the city, and I beg permission to say a few words in his commenda- tion. That man was Dr. Josiah C. Goodhue, and if I recollect right, he was one of the first aldermen of the city. He was one of the committee who designed the seal of the city, which I recollect was called ' Dr. Goodhue's little baby.' He it was to whom we are indebted very much for our present school system. The public schools had been tried in Chicago, and proved to be a failure. While he was a member of the first Council-I think every mem- ber of the Council was Democratic-one evening he came into my office (which was very near where it is now, on the south side of Lake Street, near Clark), and lamented over the condition of things in Chicago. It was after the panic of 1837, which was vastly worse than the panic of 1873, and everything was very depressed. ' Nothing,' he said, ' could be done here in the West. The people of Chicago had voted down the free school system.' I said, play- fully, to Dr. Goodhue . We can have free schools, and if you will put the matter into my hands, I will establish a free school system that will be satisfactory to the city of Chicago.' He said he would do it ; I said, ' You cannot do it ; you and every member of the Council are Democrats, and I am a Whig.' He said, ' That makes no difference. If you will take hold of it, you shall have unlimited power to do what you choose, and the Council will sustain you,' I said, if he would do that, I would give as much time as was neces- sary to it, but, I said, he could not get the Council to agree to it. He said, 'I think you are mistaken ; I think you can have your own way about everything. I will consult the Council, and let you know next week.' About a week afterward he came to my office, and told me that the Council were all agreed, and if I would take hold of the matter, I might write my own ordinances and laws, and they would give me supreme power within all reasonable hounds. I did so. I wish to say this, not for the purpose of recounting any- thing I have done, but to give to the Common Council of Chicago, which differed from me in politics, and of which you, Mr. Chair- man (Judge Caton) was a member, and to Dr. Goodhue, the credit of the first act which culminated in the permanent establishment of the public schools of Chicago. We are indebted now for our ex- cellent school system to the stone that was first laid by Dr. Good- hue."

The first Board of School Inspectors under this pro- vision were : William Jones, J. Young Scammon, Isaac N. Arnold, Nathan H. Bolles, John Gray, J. H. Scott and Hiram Hugunin. The first meeting was held No- vember, 1840, at which Mr. Jones was elected chairman and Isaac N. Arnold secretary. At this date the writ- ten records begin. Meetings were thereafter held week- ly, until April, 1843, when they were held monthly.

In October, 1840, the Inspectors recommended the organization of the city into four school districts : Dis- trict No. I to comprise the First Ward, being at that time that portion of the South Division of the city lying east of Clark Street ; District No. 2 to comprise the Sec- ond Ward, being that part of the South Division lying between Clark Street and the South Branch of the river; District No. 3 to comprise the Third and Fourth wards, being the entire West Division of the city ; and District No. 4, to comprise the Fifth and Sixth wards. being the entire North Division of the city. The school building in District No. 1, the only one owned by the city, was located where the Tribune building now stands, corner Madison and Dearborn streets ; the building in District No. 2 was on the north side of Randolph Street, about midway between Fifth Avenue and Franklin Street ; the building in District No. 4 was on the corner of Cass and Kinzie streets.

In November. 1840, the Inspectors recommended that, "in view of the necessities of the children, the trustees of each district be directed to procure immedi- ately rooms in which to hold schools, and take all neces- sary steps to put the schools in operation, also that a tax

211

EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.

of one mill be levied for the support of schools." In a communication from the Inspectors to the Common Council, dated November 30, 1840, they report that :

"The Trustees 'of Distriet No. 4 have secured a room at $6 per month, for six months or more and have submitted estimates for furnishing with seats, stoves, necessary utensils, and fuel, amounting to $132. The Inspectors approve of all but $50 for benches, apparatus, etc., believing that in the present condition of the school fund, no apparatus such as is indispensable should be purchased. The Inspectors recominend however, that the School Agent be instructed to pay upon the order of the Trustees of the district such amount as they may need, not to exceed $132. The Trustees have selected Mr. Dunbar as a teacher at $400 per an- ".מטח

The Inspectors, in a report dated December 7, 1840, informed the Common Council that :

" The Trustees of District No. 3 have employed A. D. Sturtevant as teacher at $400 per annum : have hired a convenient

room at $6 per month, and have fitted it up at an expense of $S1. 29 of which $12.97 is to be deducted from the rent. This sum in- cludes seats, which can be used in other buildings. That the Trustees of District No. I had employed Mr. Argill Z. Rumsey as teacher, at $400 per annum ; had taken possession of the district school-house, and are repairing and fitting it up at a cost of $$6.24. Also, that H. B. Perkins had been employed as teacher of Distriet No. 2, at $400 per annum."

The first attempt to secure uniformity of text books was made December 9, 1840, at which time the Inspec- tors adopted Worcester's Primer, Parley's first, second, and third books of history and an elementary spelling book.

The report of attendance at each school for each month extending to February, 1850, giving the name of each pupil, and the number of days' attendance, are now on file in the office of the City Clerk.

In June, 1841, the Inspectors report that for the four months ending in March, there had been expended $563.32 for teachers, and $520.94 for fuel, rent of school-houses, repairs, etc .; that upon the present plan it would require $1,800 to pay the teachers for one year ; that it would be necessary to levy a tax of one- tenth of one per cent upon all the taxable property of the city.

Vocal music was first introduced into the public schools in January, 1842, and the subject provoked much comment. Strenuous opposition to this branch of instruction was encountered. The first music teacher employed was N. Gilbert, whose contract extended for about one year.

March 10, 1842, the Inspectors voted that a school be established in the " Dutch Settlement," in the North Division, provided a house be furnished by the inhabi- tants ; but on the 16th of that month this order was modified to the extent of allowing the materials for the house to be furnished from the general funds, if the people of the district would erect the building them- selves. The cost of such materials was $211.02. This was agreed to by those locally interested. and the school was established on the Green Bay road, between Chi- cago and North avenues. The school was called School No. 3, Fourth District, and was continued until a per- manent building was erected in 1846. on the corner of Ohio and LaSalle streets, as will be shown later on.

The Trustees appointed by the Common Council March 11, 1842, were : District No. 1-S. J. Lowe. N. H. Bolles, C. N. Gray ; District No. 2-A. Loyd, James Carney, John K. Boyer ; District No. 3-Azel Peck, William Mitchell, Osahel Pierce ; District No. 4-

Henry Brown, S. H. Gilbert, Henry Smith. These gentlemen constituted what may be termed the business managers of school affairs.

The Inspectors for that year were : William Jones, J. Y. Scammon, John Gray, James S. Scott, George W. Meeker. Mark Skinner and Grant Goodrich. Their duties related more especially to educational methods.

In May, 1842, the Inspectors resolved to authorize the Trustees of District No. 3, the Third Ward of the West Division, to employ a female teacher at S200 per annum, payable in Illinois State Bank currency, or in current funds after the collection of the regular tax ; and to hire a house, provided the people of the district furnish the means for the payment of the rent, and also for fitting up the school-room. Like authority was conferred in reference to the Second Ward, or District No. 2, in the South Division.

Joseph K. C. Forrest taught a private school in the West Division in i842-43. . A select school was opened in Thompson's Block, May 11, 1842, by Miss Dodge.

In January, 1843, the Council ordered that the In- spectors "dispense with the services of a music teacher, as soon as it can be done consistently with the present contracts ;" and music was stricken from the list of studies early that year.

Block 142, being that bounded by Madison, State, Monroe and Dearborn streets, was subdivided. by au- thority of the Council, and offered for lease to the high- est bidders for a term of ten years from the 8th day of May, 1843. This explains why school-land leases date from the 8th, instead of the ist of May. It was caused by the convenience of the issuance of the first papers.

From the report of the Inspectors for the year end- ing December 31, 1843, it would appear that there were eight schools in operation: Two schools in the First and Second districts comprising the First and Second wards; one in the Third District, comprising the Third and Fourth wards, and three in the Fourth District com- prising the Fifth and Sixth wards. The total number of scholars was 588-131 in District No. 1; 135 in No. 2; 65 in No. 3; and 257 in No. 4.

Early in the year 1844, the Inspectors called the at- tention of the Council to the needs of the residents of the southern part of the township. May 1, 1844, the Trustees of District No. I were authorized to expend Sio, if so much is necessary, in filling up the school lot. In June, 1844, proposals were received for erecting a building in District No. I. It was completed in the spring of 1845 at a cost of $7,500 and was situated on Madison Street, opposite McVicker's Theatre. Early in the year 1858 it received the name of the Dearborn school. This was the first permanent public school building erected, and as Ira Miltimore was instrumental in having the structure erected, it was pointed at as " Miltimore's Folly." Mayor Garrett also looked upon the building as far beyond the needs of Chicago, and recommended, in his inaugural address for 1845, that it be either sold, or converted into an insane asylum. L'pon the opening of the building, Districts No. 1 and 2 were consolidated and were accommodated in this building. From this time until the opening of the building on Block 113, School Section addition, after- ward known as Jones school, the reports are headed Districts 1 and 2. One year after the opening of the building on Madison Street there were enrolled five hundred and forty-three pupils: at the end of the second year six hundred and sixty; at the end of the third year eight hundred and sixty-four. The first teachers in the school were Austin D. Sturtevant, principal, who had been in the employ of the city in Districts No. 3 and

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 57

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340