USA > Illinois > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Illinois > Part 10
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SCHOOL OFFICERS.
There being no legalized school system, there were no officers who held office or exercised its functions by authority of law ; the only officer known being the " committee-man " or director before meutioned. He held his office by consent of the employers, and at their pleasure. His duties were to contract with teachers, examine them as to their qualifications, and to call the employers together to decide questions that arose during the term of school. "He exercised a sort of supervision over the school.
A SCHOOL INCIDENT.
To illustrate the notions of the early settlers with regard to what branches they desired taught in their schools, the following incident, that actually oc- curred in one of the schools of the county, is submitted:
There came into the neighborhood a very gentlemanly and well-informed young man, a native of one of the New England States. He was readily employed to teach the school. Upon entering the school-room he was sur- prised to find his pupils furnished with nothing in the line of text-books except readers and spellers. He examined them in the branches they had studied, and found them able to spell almost any word in their speller. In reading they could run over the matter very rapidly; but as to the meaning of words and the principles of reading they were wholly ignorant. He asked them if they had dictionaries. They had not heard of such a book ; and the same with respect to geographies and grammars. He explained the nature and uses of the subjects treated of in the books mentioned, and re- quested them to ask their parents to provide the books for them They were astonished; no such suggestions had ever been made by any teacher before; they cared nothing for grammar, geography or dictionary; their parents had often told them that if they mastered their speller and learned to write, they would do well enough; they were not going to " study any such nonsense." And the lamentable part of it is, that their parents encouraged them in such ideas, until the children lost all confidence in their teacher, and made it so unpleasant for him that he actually resigned and quitted the country. No doubt the same scene might have been enacted in many lo calities had the teacher suggested such a course of study for his pupils.
ADVOCATES OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
While there were some localities that had not a very clear conception of what the school should be, and some individuals who had no very high re- gard for the cause, there were others with strong minds and willing hearts- who believed that the welfare and destiny of our country and its institutions, was dependent on the virtue and intelligence of the people; that intelligence and virtue trod the same paths, while ignorance and vice were boon compa- nions; that the only road to prosperity and happiness as a people, was by the public school system ; and who had the honesty and courage to advocate the adoption of such a system, notwithstanding the country was young, and the people were already heavily taxed. From the " Illinois Intelligencer," a newspaper published by Col. Robt. Blackwell, of the date of January 30th, 1830, the following is taken, to illustrate the sentiment of those individuals who had the welfare of the community at heart : " Every neighborhood should educate its children. Education is the most important branch of civil and parental duty ; there are but three grand requisites to be attained to render it effective: it should commence in childhood ; it should be a public institu- tion ; it should embrace moral, as well as literary instruction." Col. Black- well has long since ceased from his labors-the " Intelligencer" is recorded as among the " things that were," but the seed sown, fell upon good ground, and has produced an hundred-fold.
Such sentiments, such advocates of the cause of humanity, will be cherished with feelings of grateful remembrance, while memory is one of the faculties of the human mind.
PERSONAL MENTION OF PIONEER TEACHERS.
The first school taught in the county, was taught in Vandalia in the year 1819, by a Mr. Jackson, in a little log shed. Mr. Jackson died before his term expired.
A Mr. Van Blick taught in Vandalia in 1822, in a small frame house that has long since succumbed to the destroying hand of time. In addition to the day-school which he taught, he conducted an evening-school, for the benefit of the young men and boys, who were compelled to work during the day and could not attend the day-school. B. W. Thompson, Esq., was a pupil at the evening-school, Russell Bottsford taught in 1823. The follow- ing persons taught in the school of Vandalia, in the early days : Mr. Spen- cer, Mr. Chase, Mr. Kellum, Mrs. Caruthers, Mr. Pierce, Mr. Stoddard, Mr. Johnson, Prof. Kinney, Mr. Frank McCord, Mrs. Slade, E. Southworth, A. B. West and others.
CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE TAUGHT SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY.
The following persons whose reputation is known outside of Fayette County, have been teachers in our schools : Col. Robt. G. Ingersoll, of Peo- ria; Hon. Albert G. Burr, Ex. member of Congress, and at present one of the Judges of the Appellate Court of the State; Hon. Richard W. Town- shend, member of Congress.
PIONEER TEACHERS OUTSIDE OF VANDALIA.
The following persons taught in the country schools, in the early days : Mr. Dodson and Andrew Halford, in Hurricane Township ; Mr. Chase and Mr. Pice Barrington, in Sharon; Robt. Curlee, Mr. Nalls, Mr. Abbott, Col. Samuel Houston and Martin Welch, in Seminary; Mr. Smyth, in Avena ; Mr. Parfitt and Mr. Bird, in Wilberton ; James Barks and Albert Filbrook, in Wheatland.
SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.
The first School Commissioner, was chosen in 1834. Levi Davis, who now lives at Alton, this State, was the first to hold the office. His duties were chiefly the disposal of school lands. Hon. Ferris Foreman succeeded him, after which the following named gentlemen held the office, in the order below indicated : Col. Wm. C. Greenup, J. P. Rigdon, David M. Wear, Dempsey Yarbrough, Ezra Jenkins, S. Washburne, Hon. George H. Dieck- man and Hon. B. W. Henry.
Ezra Jenkins was the first Commissioner under what is known as the " Free School Act." He also taught the first school in Vandalis, after the enactment of said law.
During the administration of Mr. Jenkins as School Commissioner, his duties were, to examine and license teachers, visit and exercise a general super- vision of the schools, advise school-officers, teachers, etc. His administra- tion witnessed a marked advancement in the condition of the schools.
The administration of Hon. G. H. Dieckman was productive of much good to the public schools; during his administration the school finances, which through neglect of school officials, had gotten into bad condition, were brought to a safer and better basis than they had ever been previously ; he exacted of Town Trustees, that all loans, belonging to the school funds of the respective townships should either be collected, and reloaned, or renewed, and impressed upon them the necessity of seeing that the securities on all loans were good.
He was the first Commissioner, who collected, arranged and sent to the office of the State Superintendent, the school statistics of the county ; a copy of which report is still on file in the office of the County Superintendent of schools. He also submitted a written report, in which he recommended the enactment of a law to grade teachers' certificates, in accordance with their qualifications, repealing the law granting commissioners power to grant " special certificates," upon the recommendation of school directors.
Afterwards, while a member of the General Assembly, be introduced a Bill, which became a law, granting to all persons who entered the service of the United States during the war of the Rebellion, under the age of twen- ty-one years, the right to attend the public schools of the State, free of tui- tion, for the same length of time they were in the service during their mi- nority.
TEACHERS OF FAYETTE COUNTY, WHO WERE IN THE SERVICE OF THE U. S.
The following named gentlemen quit the dignified profession of teaching, to assume the arduous and perilous duties of the soldier's life in the war of the Rebellion in defence of the Nation's honor, Capt. C. P. Jones, Capt. C. W. Horr, Capt. A. W. McCraim, Major T. K. Jenkins, Lieutenant Chas. Lee, Capt. Joseph M. Chase ; privates, James Mabry, Mat. Boreland, W. I. Blair, S. L. Ranney, Joseph Beck and Nelson Perryman.
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS.
Major T. K. Jenkins was the first to exercise the superintendency of the schools after the enactment of the law increasing the duties of the office, and changing its title. Under the supervision of Mr. Jenkins rapid and sub- stantial progress was made in the standard of our schools, as well as in the standard of teachers' qualifications. Z. S. Swan succeeded Mr. Jenkins,
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
followed by D. H. Mays and B. F. Shipley, present incumbent. Mr. Mays' administration was marked by the cultivation of a desire among the people for better schools, and better teachers.
TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.
It is universally recognized and admitted by all practical educators, that a well regulated, and well conducted institute is conducive to the elevation of the standard of teaching, and to advancing the grade of teachers' quali- fications. At such convocations teachers are brought into each other's socie- ty ; the different methods of teaching are discussed and analyzed ; the bad discarded and the good adopted, and each returns to his school better pre- pared to teach, and feeling that the time spent in institute work was not spent in vain.
THE FIRST INSTITUTE
held in the county, was during the term of office of Hon. G. H. Dieckman, school commissioner. During the year 1860, Mr. Dieckman, assisted by Dr. H. P. Collins. R. C. Lewis and Dr. Tidball, conducted two sessions of the institute, one in April another in September. The sessions were both well attended by the teachers of the county.
In April, 1861, another session was held, in which Mr. Dieckman was again assisted by Dr. Collins-this session continued three days. This was followed by the September session of the same year. Both sessions witnessed an increased attendance, and an increased interest among the teachers. Ses- sions of the institute, were held in April and September, in 1862, but the secretary having enlisted in the army, no record of the proceedings is on file.
--
No more sessions of the institute were held until 1866. In response to & call, by Sup't Jenkins, on the fourth day of August of this year, the teachers of the county to the number of forty, assembled in institute at "Seminary building" in Vandalia.
This session was of two days' duration, which time was spent in the discus- sion of the best methods of teaching the various branches. At the evening sessions, lectures were delivered by Rev. Mathews and Dr. Gatewood.
The following year, two sessions of the institute were held, viz. : in April and September. The teachers who took a leading part in the exercises and discussions, were D. H. Mays, H. Short, F. M. Pickens, Prof. G. W. Hall, Prof. Catherwood, John Davidson, Mr. Taylor, S. G. Burdick, and William J. Creswick, Sr.
The next meeting of the teachers, in the capacity of an institute, was in pursuance of notice given by D. H. Mays, county superintendent, on the 4th day of August, 1870. H. B. Bowman, was elected president, and E. M. Ashcraft was chosen secretary.
This meeting was preliminary to a session that was held, commencing on the 31st day of October following, and continuing six days. Much interest was manifested throughout this session, by the teachers ; the following named persons taking part in the exercises and discussions :- T. S. Kell, L. L. Taylor, J. N. Patrick, N. B. Washburn, John A. Rose, J. H. Knight, Misses Jennie Wheeler, Julia V. Phiper, Jennie Greer and Lenora Bryant. Lectures were delivered at the evening exercises by John F. Douglass and Z. S. Swan. A very interesting feature of this session of the institute was au address, by Edward Conner on the subject of " Popular Education." By request of the institute, the address was published in the county papers, and attracted the attention of the people of the county generally.
It evinced a great deal of study upon the part of Mr. Conner, and was well written and well delivered.
After this Mr. Mays inaugurated a system of local institutes, and sessions were held the following year at the villages of Ramsey, St. Elmo, La Clede and Shobonier. . The attendance at these sessions was good; and much was accomplished in educating the people to the point of demanding better modes of teaching and better qualified teachers.
On the 24th day of August, 1870, in pursuance of notice given by B. F. Shipley, county superintendent, the teachers of the county, to the number of forty-five, met at the "seminary building " for the purpose of organizing a Teachers' Institute on a permanent basis. A constitution and by-laws for the government of the institute were adopted. The officers consist of a president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, who perform the duties indicated by the title of the respective offices. In addition to the officers before mentioned there is an executive committee of three, whose duties are to fix the time and place of holding the sessions of the institute, to fix the membership fee, to regulate the assessment of dues, make and publish programme of exercises for each session, employ instructors, etc. The first session of this organization was held, as before stated, commencing on the 24th day of August, 1874, and continuing five days.
Among the leaders of the exercises, were Prof. E. C. Hewett, of Normal, Illinois, Frank Wantland, J. D. Collins, John A. Rose, J. J. Brown and others. At the evening session, Prof. Hewett delivered some very interesting lectures.
In August, 1875, the second annual session was held ; and was of five days' duration. There were fifty teachers in attendance at this session. Dr. Robert Allyn, of the Southern Illinois Normal University, Prof. Jas. H. Brownlee, and Superintendent Scott, of Effingham County, rendered very important aid in conducting this session. Messrs. Collins, Crichton, Brown, Baits, Rench and others did good work. Dr. Allyn's lectures, and Prof. Brownlee's elocutionary entertainments, were well received by the teachers and citizens.
The third annual session was held in August of the following year ; the ses- sion continued five days. This session was largely attended-there being in regular attendance on the daily sessions about sixty teachers-Messrs. Crich- ton, Wantland, Collins, Miller, Rench, Baits and Creswick, were the leaders in the exercises and discussions.
The fourth annual session was held in the month of August, 1877, with about the same attendance as at last session. The leaders in the exercises were same as the year previous. We cannot easily overrate the importance of institutes; much good for the schools has been accomplished through its influence; and we trust more may result from its sessions of the future. May its future sessions be characterized by earnest, zealous work in the cause of the adornment of the standard of teaching and the standard of teachers' qualifications.
STATISTICS.
The basis of sound philosophy is experience; and if the experience of an individual is the basis of knowledge with him, surely the experience of man- kind as a social mass, as communities and nations, furnishes th. true rule of conduct for that mass. It is in this respect that the science of statistics becomes collateral to history ; it collects and compares the experience of in- dividuals and of society upon definite topics; points out the mistakes that have occurred under a peculiar state of circumstances, suggests the mode and the circumstances under which improvements may be made in the future, and verifies them with the accuracy of a mathematical calculation. By the aid of statistics, the legislator and the educator are enabled to make a safe estimate of the influence of mind and matter as developed by the so- cial system. The progress in art, science and literature, in all ages has been wrought by the aid of statistics. The science of statistics holds out the lamp of experience as a beacon to present and future generations, that they may avoid the folly and superstition of the past. In the history of education, nothing has aided so materially in advancing and building up the system of public instruction-and especially in our own state, as the Bureau of Sta- tistics kept by the state department of public instruction A few of the school statistics of our own county will not prove uninteresting.
The annexed table will show the condition of the Schools of the county for the year 1860:
Number of Schools taught in County
89
of Log School Houses .
45
of Brick =
1
. of Frame "
34
= of persons under 21 years of age.
6,466
between 6 and 21 years
3,740
attending School
3,564
Highest monthly wages paid any male Teacher. $60 00
Lowest
22 00
Highest =
6. female
25 00
Lowest
"
"
"
12 00
Amount expended for School purposes
15,292 00
Estimated value of School property in County.
16,270 00
The following will show their condition in the year 1870, as taken from the reports of the Town Treasurers :
Number of persons under 21 years of age
10,515
of Schools taught in county . .
110
of Log school-houses in county
18
of Brick
1
of Frame
89
Highest monthly wages paid any male Teacher.
$100 00
Lowest =
30 00
Highest ¥
female =
45 00
Lowest
"
18 00
Number of pupils attending school .
6,119
Estimated value of school property in county
$52.470
Amount expended for school purposes
.35,969 94
The following exhibits their condition in 1877:
Number Schools taught in the county .
120
Log school-houses
6
Brick
5
Frame
«
104
Persons under 21 years of age
11,754
between the age of 6 and 21 years
6,885
Highest monthly wages paid any male Teacher
$100 00
Lowest
30 00
Highest
female
50 00
Lowest
"
20 00
Estimated value of school property
53,415 00
Amount expended for school purposes
40,458 00
=
By an examination of the various State Reports, and a comparison of the various items, it will be seen that our county is not behind any of the adjoin- ing counties, in any important particular that goes to make up a healthy condition of the Public Schools.
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
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PRESENT SCHOOL-BUILDINGB.
Of the one hundred and fifteen school-houses in the county, there are six " log," five brick, and one hundred and four frame.
A majority of these are large, substantial, and in many instances, neatly and tastefully finished. In many districts, the houses are surrounded with beautifully laid out and highly ornamented grounds. They are provided, many of them with wells, with the modern appliances for raising water ; a decided improvement upon the old custom of bringing it from the wells of neighboring farm-houses.
SCHOOL FURNITURE.
In nearly all the districts, the school-bouses are provided with the " patent. desk seat," a luxury in comparison to the seats occupied by the pupils of "ye olden time schools."
Black boards, upon which are elucidated the exercises of the day, greet the eye of the visitor, upon his entrance to almost every school-room in the county. . It is no uncommon thing to find the walls of the school-room adorned with maps and charts, to facilitate the labors of the pupil. Globes and scientific apparatus are found in many of the best regulated schools.
BRANCHES TAUGHT.
The present school law prescribes as the legal branches to be taught in the schools of the State, the following: Orthography, Reading in English, Penmanship, Arithmetic, English Grammar, Modern Geography, History of the United States; and in addition to these the School Directors may require the elements of Natural Philosophy, Botany, Zoology, Physiology and Hygiene. In all the schools the seven branches first enumerated are taught, and in many, the last named sciences constitute a part of the course of study.
TEXT-BOOKS USED.
The text-books in general use in the county are: Harvey's, Monroe's, and the National series of Readers; Worcester's, Wilson's, and the Na- tional Spellers; the Spencerian system of Penmanship ; Felter's, White's Robinson's and Ray's Arithmetics; Green's, Harvey's, and Clark's Gram- mars; Swinton's, Monteith's, and the Eclectic Readers; Anderson's and Swinton's Histories ; Steele's treatises on Natural Philosophy, Physiology and Hygiene, and Natural History, are the most popular; while Youman and Gray are the standard in Botany.
TEACHERS' QUALIFICATIONS.
The teacher of the Public School must be a man of moral character. He must be thoroughly qualified to teach the branches, to teach in detail the branches of Reading, Orthography, Penmanship, Arithmetic, English Gram- mar, Modern Geography, and History of the United States, to entitle him to a license to teach of the second grade of qualifications; and in addition to this, for a first grade he must understand the elements of the " Natural Sciences," Physiology, and Hygiene. His knowledge of the branches must not be merely of a technical character; he must understand the great princi- ples from which all formulas are deduced pertaining to the subjects with which he has to deal. His qualifications must be such, that he is able to demonstrate every proposition with which he comes in contact, to the inqui- ring mind, which it is his business to develop and expand.
MODE OF TEACHING.
It is generally accepted that the true theory of teaching is to develop and cultivate the reasoning faculties, and not to store the mind with isolated facts, like stocking a cellar with fruit and sogetables to be brought forth and used when the occasion requires. It is the province of the teacher to teach his pupils to think-to think systematically ; to follow the path of reason from cause to effect; to search after truth, by applying to all things the test of reason ; and not, that by following a certain rule prescribed, cer- tain results will be obtained, or that by turning certain screws, certain effects will be produced; but he must teach them why certain causes produce cer- tain effects-and in truth he must be a man that can' use his reasoning powers, not constitute himself, like the ancients did the oracle at Delphos, a mere answerer of questions.
SCHOOL OFFICERS.
The school officers of the county are Superintendent, Township Trus- tees, Township Treasurer, and School Directors. The County Superin- tendent's duties are, to examine teachers, distribute public funds to the townships, advise and counsel with school officers and teachers, make and transmit to the State Department a report of the condition of the schools in the county yearly, and to visit schools when required to do so by the County Board.
The duties of School Trustees are, to form and alter the boundaries of school districts, and distribute public funds to the school districts. They have the control of the school funds of their respective townships, and the title to all school property vests in them.
The School Treasurer is the custodian of the township and district funds. He pays them out upon the order of the School Directors and Trustees. He is also Clerk of the Board of Trustees, and is required to keep a record of all their proceedings. Directors are required to see that comfortable and well furnished houses are provided for the use of the school, employ teachers, etc.
. GRADED SCHOOLS.
Graded schools are taught in Vandalis, Ramsey, St. Elmo, La Clede, and Farina.
Vandalia Schools have been known for years as graded schools, while in reality they have been anything but such. Up to December, 1874, there were two independent schools in the city-one in the second, the other in the third ward,-the Illinois Central Railroad track forming the dividing line between the two districts; the pupils on the west side attending the third ward school, those on the east the school located in the second ward. The charter under which the city is organized, places the schools under the supervision of a "Board of Education," appointed by the City Council, which consists of a President and one member from each ward of the city. Absolute control of the school vests in this Board; they prescribe the course of study, grade the schools, employ teachers, adopt text-books, and exer- cise a general supervision of the schools.
At a meeting of the Board, which consisted of Wm. Easterday, President, Dr. C. P .. Bassett, A. Conner, and J. Lazarus, Directors, on the evening of December 4th, 1874, a course of study which had been previously reported by a committee, was adopted. The Board also decided to have an exami- nation in all the departments, and so thoroughly grade the schools. The course of study extends over a term of ten years, and embraces, besides a thorough mastery of the elementary branches, Higher Arithmetic, Algebra, Latin, Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, Botany, Plane Trigonometry, Surveying, Book-Keeping, Astronomy, and English Literature. The first corps of teachers under the new graded system was, J. D. Collins, principal ; Wm. M. Crichton, teacher of the High School Department; Mrs. Wygall, teacher Grammar Department "A"; Mrs. Anna Torrance, teacher Grammar Department "B"; . Miss Sue Rugan, Intermediate Department; Misses Lulu Marcy, Maggie Knight, and Sallie Torrance, Primary Departments.
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