USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume II > Part 8
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This act gave the board of trustees of the Sanitary district power to lay out additional channels and ditches for the surplus water and sewage; to use the Calumet feeder as an assistant; to construct a channel across the Illinois and Michigan canal; to maintain the same degree of sewage dilution required for the main channel of the district; to construct the proper outlet from Lockport to Joliet ; to furnish for the perpetual use of the canal commissioners at some point to be decided upon a strip of land bordering upon said sani- tary channel 800 feet long by 130 feet wide and to fill the same suitable to be occupied as roadways, docks, shops, barns and other buildings under the control of the canal commissioners; to permit all water craft navigating the canal to also navigate any of the sanitary channels: and to regulate the navigation of these channels under the laws of the United States in force concerning the navi- gation of Chicago river. It was further provided that the Sanitary district of Chicago should have no power to levy and collect any special assessments upon any part of said added territory, or to pay
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any part of the cost of work done in said added territory; that said Sanitary district should have power to construct such dams, water wheels and other works north of the upper basin of the Illinois and Michigan canal as might be necessary to develop and render avail- able the power arising from the water passing through its main channel and any auxiliary channels ; that such power should be con- verted into electrical energy to be transmitted to the various cities, villages and towns for various uses; that said Sanitary district should have power to levy and collect each year for three years a tax on the taxable property of said district to be used in meeting the expenditures arising from the construction of said dams, water wheels and other works and from converting said water power into electrical energy; and that all the above should take effect if duly petitioned for and assented to at an election.
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EARLY SCHOOLS OF COOK COUNTY
W HO was the first school teacher in Chicago always has been a matter of dispute. It has been claimed that Robert A. Forsyth, aged 13 years, taught the children of John Kinzie during the winter of 1810-11. His pupils, it is claimed, were John H. Kinzie, aged 6 years, and some half dozen other children then living here in the fort. The text book used, it is claimed, was Webster's Elementary spelling book, which was brought here from Detroit in a chest of tea. Probably the first real school taught in Chicago was opened in the fall of 1816 by William L. Cox in the log cabin owned by John Kinzie. This building had previously been used as a bakery for the garrison, and stood at the rear of Mr. Kinzie's garden, near the crossing of Pine and Michigan streets. The pupils in attendance were John H. Kinzie, two of his sisters and brother and six or eight children from the fort. The total attendance was about one dozen. Mr. Cox was a soldier, or had been one. No doubt other schools were taught between that date and 1829. It is known that a sergeant from the fort taught a term in 1820. It is stated that this school was taught within the garrison. In 1829 Charles H. Beaubien, a son of John B. Beau- bien, taught a small family school near the garrison, and among the pupils were J. B. and Mark Beaubien and probably other chil- dren from the garrison. In June, 1830, Stephen Forbes taught a school near Randolph street and Michigan avenue. The building stood on the west bank of the Chicago river near its mouth. At that date the Chicago river turned south and emptied into the lake near the foot of Madison street. This school is reported to have been one of the best ever taught here in early years. There were in attendance about twenty-five scholars ranging in ages from four to twenty years. The teacher was employed by J. B. Beaubien and Lieutenant Hunter. Mrs. Forbes assisted her husband in con- ducting the school. The building in which this school was taught was owned by Mr. Beaubien. It had previously been occupied by a sutler of the fort. The building was large and gloomy and con- tained five rooms. The walls were covered with a tapestry of white cotton sheeting, for what purpose has never been revealed. The fol- lowing year a Mr. Foote taught a term in the same building. In 1833 a school was taught by John Watkins at the corner of North Water and Wolcott streets, and later the same teacher taught a term in a building on the river bank at North Clark street.
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Probably the most important early school in Chicago was the one for small children taught in the fall of 1833 by Miss Eliza Chappel on South Water street near Fort Dearborn. The following year she taught in the Presbyterian church; a little later she was succeeded by Mrs. Ruth Leavenworth. It is said that John S. Wright at his own expense erected a building for the last named teacher. Concerning the school taught by Miss Chappel the Chicago Press of April 22, 1858, said: "The stipend must have been small indeed as the whole product of the sale of the school sections in the center of the city was but $38,865, and sold on a credit of one, two and three years. The value of this land now (1858) may be estimated by our readers when we state that the four blocks remaining are at present valued at $700,000-that which was sold overreaching the sum of $12,000,000." In the fall of 1833 G. T. Sproat opened an English and classical school under the name of the Chicago Academy in the First Baptist church on South Water street near the river forks. In 1834 Henry Van Derbogart also taught a term in the village. He was succeeded by Thomas Wright and the latter by James McClellan. A Miss Warren was an assistant to these male teachers from 1834 to 1836, inclusive. 1
By act of February 15, 1831, the sale of the sixteenth sections throughout the State was provided for, but not until petitioned for by three-fourths of the white male inhabitants of each township over twenty-one years of age, and not at all unless such township should contain at least fifty white inhabitants. It was made the duty of the township trustee to sell the school lands; none was to be sold for less than $1.25 per acre. The county commissioners were directed to fix the rate of interest at which the school funds should be sold. Five citizens of a township, by uniting and becom- ing responsible, could borrow school money, to be used in construct- ing a schoolhouse.
In 1834 a Miss W. Wythe taught a school for young ladies and gave special instruction in music. In October, 1834, portions of Section 16, Township 35, Range 10, was advertised to be sold at auction by R. J. Hamilton, commissioner of schools. In 1834 and 1835 public meetings were held here and through the whole of Illinois for the purpose of securing a uniform system of common school education. This movement resulted in the State educational convention held at Vandalia in 1834. The outcome of this move- ment was the establishment of the present common school system in the State. A large public meeting or convention was held in Chi- cago during this period for the purpose of ascertaining the atti- tude of Chicago toward the proposed common school system.
This educational convention of the citizens of Cook county was held at the Presbyterian church, November 24, 1834, "to take into consideration the subject of common school education and to ap- point delegates to attend the State educational convention to be
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held at Vandalia-on the 5th of December. J. C. Goodhue was ap- pointed chairman of the convention and Thomas Wright secretary. Henry Moore delivered the principal address on "Common School Education." R. Stewart, J. H. Collins, and Dr. J. T. Temple were appointed to prepare resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting. Two of the resolutions were as follows :
"Resolved, That we deem a uniform system of common school education as indispensable to the preservation of our nation, and therefore earnestly recommend to our fellow citizens of the State the adoption of such a system. Resolved, That three delegates be appointed to attend the State convention to be held at Vandalia."
Col. R. J. Hamilton, Col. J. T. V. Owen, and Dr. J. T. Temple were chosen as such delegates. There were present at the conven- tion also Rev. Mr. Truman, Mr. Russell, Dr. Clark, Joseph Naper, Mr. Freeman, Mr. Peck, and many others of the best citizens.
A big meeting on the same subject was held a little before this date at Naperville. It was presided over by Joseph Naper, chair- man and Nathan Allen, Jr., secretary. Henry Horn addressed the meeting at length on educational subjects. It was resolved to send two delegates to the Cook county educational convention.
By act of January 31, 1835, the commissioner of the school lands of Cook county was authorized to loan to the county of Cook a sum of money not exceeding $12,000 out of the funds of Township 39 north, Range 14 east, of the Third Principal Meridian, in said county, at not less than 10 per cent. The money thus raised was directed to be used in the erection of a courthouse in Chicago; and for the repayment of this loan the said courthouse, the ground on which it would stand, and the revenues of the county were pledged. The method was left discretionary with the county commissioners. The loan was authorized for ten years. The commissioners of Cook county were directed to provide a revenue to pay the interest on this loan and the corporation of Chicago was made liable for one- fourth of the interest due on the debt. The commissioner of school lands was empowered to loan the school funds on first mortgage on real estate of double value of the sum loaned.
By act of February 6, 1835, full provision for the election of five or seven persons to be school inspectors of Township 39 north, Range 14 east, in Cook county, was made. The county commis- sioners, upon recommendation of such inspectors, were directed to divide the township into school districts. The inspectors were re- quired to visit and inquire into the conduct of the schools. It was provided that each school district should elect annually three trus- tees, two of their duties being to see that such schools were free and that the teachers were competent. Each school district was given full corporate powers, and two districts could unite to build a common schoolhouse.
Another early teacher in 1834 and 1835 was George Davis, who
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taught over a store on Lake street, and also in the Presbyterian church on Clark street. Mr. Davis lived in Chicago until 1858. In 1835 John Watkins taught a successful school in one of the churches.
Late in 1835 the number of schools public and private was in- creased to seven with a total attendance of a few over 300. It must be admitted, however, that the public schools did not receive proper attention until the autumn of 1839, and they were not pronounced wholly efficient until 1841. After that date the schools of Chicago would compare with those of any city having the same population.
In August, 1835, Hiram Evarts opened a high school for young gentlemen in this city. The term was for eleven weeks and the tuition was as follows: English branches, $5; high English, $6; Latin and Greek, $8. About the same time Charles Hunt opened here a high school for young ladies. His term also was for eleven weeks and the tuition was as follows: English branches, $6; high English, $7; Latin, Greek and French, $8. Late in 1835 the school inspectors of Township 39, Range 14, pursuant to law divided the township into the following school districts: District 1-all north of Chicago river and east of the North branch; District 2-all be- tween La Salle and Wells streets and the South branch; District 3-all east of La Salle and south of Madison streets ; District 4-all east of La Salle and north of Madison streets. An election of three trustees for each district was ordered, also a public examination of teachers was announced to be held in November, 1835, at the office of Mr. Peck.
The school taught here by Miss Frances L. Willard late in 1835 seems to have been unusually efficient and popular. The trustees in charge of her school were J. T. Hinton, J. W. Hallam, J. T. Mitchell, D. Wilcox, Peter Bolles, John Wright and W. H. Brown. In July, 1836, at a public celebration Miss Willard thanked the citi- zens of Chicago for their liberal patronage and announced that Miss L. M. Gifford had been employed as her assistant, and further announced that twenty more young ladies could be accommodated at her school. This school was in the Wright building.
In November, 1835, there were four regular village schools and two well patronized private schools. In 1836 John Brown taught a successful private school at Dearborn and Wolcott streets. He was succeeded in the same building by Edward Murphy, who, it is said, awed his pupils with an oak stick ten feet long and one inch in diameter. Murphy seems to have been a teacher of unusual capability. This must be said notwithstanding his belief in corpo- ral punishment. He continued to teach for several years and about 1838 was paid as high as $800 a year. In 1837 schools began to be taught on the West Side. Among the early teachers there was Horam Baker. About this time on the South Side schools were taught by Samuel Bennett, Sarah Kellogg and C. S. Bailey. The latter also taught on the West Side.
Vol. II-7.
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Thus far the best schools of the village were those of a private character. The free school system was just being put into operation and all admitted that the first schools of the system' were very crude and in need of improvement. The private schools even at this date were the boast of the citizens and the pride of the teachers.
Of course the early citizens of Chicago did not know that the city would grow so rapidly and in a short time become so large. Had they been aware of this fact they would never have consented to the sale of a large portion of the city school lands for $38,865 when in a few years the same would be worth many millions of dol- lars. The children of that date needed education and as the parents and the city were poor the land was sold for what it would bring, and the proceeds were used to educate the first children of the city. Ten years later the school land would scarcely have been sold at any figure. As it is, that early sale has always been considered a sac- rifice. Had such a sale not been made it is probable that the pres- ent large taxation for school purposes would not be necessary.
The act of 1839 transferred the care of the school fund from the County Commissioners' court to the Chicago city council. Upon the formation of the city into school districts there had been ap- pointed for the whole city seven inspectors and for each district three trustees. In 1840 W. H. Brown was the school agent. The board of inspectors appointed by the council in 1840 were as fol- lows : William Jones, J. Y. Scammon, I. N. Arnold, N. H. Bolles, John Gray, J. H. Scott and Hiram Hugunin. At this date the prin- cipal teachers of the four city school districts were A. J. Rumsey, H. B. Perkins, A. D. Sturtevant and A. C. Dunbar. These teach- ers were paid a salary of $33.33 each per month.
In the annual distribution of school, college and seminary funds to the counties in 1839, Cook county received $1,326.89. It was provided in the act of March 11, 1839, that the school lands and school funds of Township 39 north, Range 14 east, of the Third Principal Meridian, should be vested in the city of Chicago and full power was given the Chicago council to preserve and care for the same; they were not permitted to impair the principal nor divert the interest from the support of the schools. The school commis- sioners were directed to turn over to the Chicago council all books, notes, papers, mortgages, etc., belonging to the school fund. Power was given the common council to raise sufficient additional fund, by taxation, to build schoolhouses, establish, support and maintain common and public schools, and provide for the payment of teachers. Taxes for this purpose were to be levied and collected as other taxes. They were also empowered to fix the pay of teachers, pre- scribe the text books to be used and the studies to be taught, and generally to govern and manage the schools. It was further pro- vided that "the said common council shall annually appoint seven persons for inspectors of common schools and three persons in
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each district to be trustees of common schools in and for said district, whose powers and duties shall be prescribed by said com- mon council." By this act Township 39 was exempted from certain provisions of the act of March 4, 1837, concerning the city of Chicago.
It was provided in the act of March 2, 1839, that "the survey and plat of the subdivision of Block 30, in the school section addi- tion to the town of Chicago in the county of Cook, as made and recorded at the instance of Russell E. Heacock, be vacated and set aside; and that the subdivision of said block, as made and recorded at the instance of Francis G. Blanchard, be and the same is hereby declared to be the legal and proper subdivision of the same."
In April, 1839, Rev. R. I. Hinton opened a select school for young ladies in this city and called the same the "Chicago Female Seminary." The school was located in the First Baptist church. He advertised to teach English, Latin and French, ancient and modern languages, history, physiology and moral science. About this time Chicago became deeply interested in educational matters. A Mr. Taylor, from the East, lectured here on educational subjects and introduced Town's New Spelling book, which gave the mean- ing of all words. This book was considered a valuable acquisition to the school literature of that era.
"Mr. Taylor in his lecture last evening paid a justly merited tribute to our worthy fellow citizen, Nathan H. Bolles, for his zealous services and interest in the cause of common school edu- cation. This tribute to merit was received by the audience with approbation. To Mr. Bolles more than to any other citizen of Chicago (and we mean not to disparage his useful co-laborers) are our common schools indebted for the attention and improve- ment which they have received among us."-( American, June 26, 1839.)
In May, 1840, a Miss Bayne opened a school for young ladies - in this city.
The act of January 31, 1840, made it the duty of the school commissioners to distribute the school funds to the teachers and township treasurers in their respective counties at the county seats by giving four weeks' notice of such distribution. On January 18, 1840, an act provided that a majority instead of two-thirds of the legal voters of a township could secure the incorporation of such township. By act of February 3, 1840, unincorporated townships sending children to school in incorporated townships were required to pay for such attendance. Children residing in different town- ships or in different counties from where they attended school were required to pay for such attendance. Teachers were required to keep schedules or abstracts of the attendance.
In November, 1840, the first really good educational facilities
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were provided in Chicago. Teachers were paid $100 per quarter of three months. There was not a good school building, however, until 1843, at which date one opposite McVicker's theater on Madi- son street was built. Ira Miltimore, alderman, had demanded it, and it was called "Miltimore's Folly." It was so big that it was not thought it could ever be filled with children, so the mayor in a message to the council recommended that it be used as an insane asylum. It became the famous Dearborn school. One year later another was needed and was built at Clark street and Harmon court. In 1845 the Kinzie school, on Ohio street, near La Salle, was erected, and in 1846 another on West Madison street, near Halsted, later called the Scammon school, was built.
In January, 1842, the school section in Elk Grove township was advertised to be sold at public auction by the school commissioner. In February, 1842, the total school fund of Chicago amounted to $42,883.77. About this time the school section in Jefferson town- ship was also advertised for sale by the school commissioner. In November, 1841, the school commissioner advertised that the school section in Barrington township would be sold at auction during that month. It was in 1842 that the city school board determined to try the experiment of teaching music in all of the public schools of the city. Accordingly, Mr. N. Gilbert was employed and con- tinued throughout the year to give instruction in music in the four city school districts. The experiment, of course, should have been continued. After the lapse of a year or two the teaching of music was renewed at the earnest request of pupils and citizens. The American of August 19, 1841, contained the following notice :
"In reference to Chicago, some at least of our citizens have manifested a most praiseworthy and never-to-be-forgotten zeal in this matter of common schools. The names of William H. Brown and William Jones in particular are entitled to lasting and honora- ble record."
"Resolved, That the school inspectors be and they are hereby authorized to divide the schools and employ. female teachers in such of the school districts as they shall see proper, and that they employ a teacher of music for the schools."-( American, April 4, 1842.)
In 1842 a general exhibition of all the schools of Chicago was held at the Presbyterian church." At this exhibition the school inspectors reported that music had been taught twice a week throughout the year with excellent results. They announced that both teachers and scholars had been benefited thereby. At this time J. Y. Scammon was secretary of the Board of School Com- missioners.
The legislative act of 1841 required . the school commissioners of Cook county to pay to the school commissioners of Will, DuPage, McHenry and Lake counties their share of the interest from the school, college and seminary fund with the population
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of 1840 as a basis. The citizens of Cook county regarded this act as unfair, owing to the fact that much of the money had been spent in those counties prior to their formation.
In May, 1842, a Miss Dodge conducted a select school in Thomp- son's brick building on the Fort Dearborn reservation.
By the summer of 1842 eight common schools were conducted in Chicago. At this time there were a total of about 550 scholars. In addition there were six or seven excellent private schools. At the same time there were in the city, lyceums, reading rooms, musical societies, mechanics' institutes, circulating libraries, etc.
In 1842 Congress passed an act confirming the sale of Section 16, Township 38, Range 14 (Hyde Park).
In October, 1842, J. H. Smith conducted a select and classical school. About the same time Charles W. Illics opened a classical school and advertised to teach French, German, Greek and Hebrew. This school was taught at Hart's residence on Wells street, and the tuition per term was $12.
The act of March 3, 1843, provided that the rccorder of Cook county be authorized to certify upon the map of the school section recorded in his office in Book A, page 315, that the same was the plat of the school section addition to the city of Chicago, and other- wise authorized him to correct any defects in said map. The com- mon council was authorized to resurvey said school section and make the same correspond with the map. This law also empowered the council to enforce all rules, ordinances and police regulations by the imposition of fines and imprisonment. The same act provided that "the southeast and northeast quarters of the southwest quar- ter, southwest and northwest quarters of the southeast quarter of Section 5, Township 39 north, Range 14 cast, and the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 8, Township 39 north, Range 14 east, be stricken out of the corporate limits of the city of Chicago."
The act of December 23, 1844, created and established "The University of St. Mary of the Lake," with the following incorpo- rators : George A. Hamilton, John Faughman, William Quarter, Walter J. Quarter, Bernard McGorisk, Jeremiah Kinsclla, Patrick McMahon, John Ingoldsby and Thomas McDonnell. It was lo- cated "in or near the city of Chicago."
In 1843 the mayor in his inaugural address stated that the schools of the city were flourishing greatly under the efficient man- agement of the board of inspectors and the school agent. He stated that so large had become the number of scholars demanding in- struction that it was imperatively necessary to create new school districts and erect new school buildings. He also stated that a high school had been planned during the previous year. He rccom- mended that such plans should be investigated and also that the system of instruction in the city schools should be thoroughly ex- amined with the view of effecting any needed improvements. He
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