USA > Illinois > McHenry County > History of McHenry County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 7
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For three terms Mr. Shurtleff was elected speaker of the lower house and made an enviable record. When seeking renomination in the primary campaign of 1918 and when it appeared as if his candidacy was in danger, Governor Lowden, without knowledge of Mr. Shurtleff, paid the latter the following high tribute when a country newspaper sought the Gover- nor's estimate of Shurtleff :
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
Springfield, III., Sept. 4, 1918.
Mr. W. J. Smith,
Waukegan, Ill.
Edward D. Shurtleff was my dependence in the house of Representa- tives in enacting my program into law in that general assembly.
There will be much important legislation for the consideration of the coming general assembly and Mr. Shurtleff will be of more use to the people of the State of Illinois than a dozen ordinary men.
I hope the Eighth senatorial district will again send this useful veteran legislator to Springfield as one of its representatives.
I would regard it a great misfortune if, for any reason, Mr. Shurtleff were not sent back to the legislature.
Signed : Frank O. Lowden, Governor.
MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The following is a list of the state senators and representatives for the districts in which Me Henry County has been located since its organization as a county-1838 to 1919:
State Senators: 1838-40, Ebenezer Peck; 1840-42, John Pearson; 1842-47, Ira Minard; 1846-48, Elijah Wilcox; 1848-50, Alfred E. Ames; 1850-54, Thomas B. Talcott; 1854-58, George Gage; 1858-62, Henry Blodgett; 1862-66, Cornelius Lansing; 1866-72, Allen C. Fuller; 1872- 76, Clark W. Upton; 1876-80, Merritt L. Joslyn; 1880-84, George Kirk ; 1884-88, Ira A. Curtiss; 1888-90, Charles E. Fuller; 1890-92, Charles E. Fuller; 1892-94, Reuben W. Coon; 1894-96, Reuben W. Coon; 1896-98, Flavel K. Granger: 1898-1900, Flavel K. Granger; 1900-02, D. F. M. Fuller; 1902-04, D. F. M. Fuller ; 1904-06, A. N. Tiffany; 1906-08, A. N. Tiffany ; 1908-14, Alb. J. Olson (deceased).
State Representatives: 1838-40-Colson Kercheva, Richard Murphy and Joseph Naper for Cook, Will and MeHenry Counties.
1840-42-Albert C. Leary, Richard Murphy and Ebenezer for Cook, Will and MeHenry Counties.
Kalb; Henry Madden for Boone, DeKalb, MeHenry and Kendall.
1842-44-William M. Jackson for Kane, Mellenry, Boone and De- Mellenry, Boone and DeKalb.
1844-46-William M. Jackson, E. JJewell, James L. Loop for Kane,
1846-48-Under the Constitution of 1848, until the next apportion- ment, Boone and MeHenry Counties formed the fifty-second district,
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
entitled to two representatives. James Harrington, George W. Kest- singer, James T. Pierson for Kane, MeHenry, Boone and DeKalb, all served from the district in order given.
1848-50-John F. Gray, MeHenry ; Selby Leach, Boone.
1850-52-A. H. Nixon, MelIenry; H. C. Miller, Boone.
1852-54-A. II. Nixon, MeHenry; II. C. Miller, Boone.
1854-56-Under the apportionment of 1854 Boone and Mellenry Counties constituted the forty-fourth district-S. W. Lawrence and W. Diggins.
1856-58-L. S. Church, MeHenry; Stephen A. Hurlbut, Boone.
1858-60-I. S. Church, MelIenry; Stephen A. Hurlbut, Boone.
1860-64-The apportionment of 1861 made MeHenry the fifty-fourth district, with Thaddeus B. Wakeman as representative.
1864-66-Merritt L. Joslyn.
1866-68-Thaddeus B. Wakeman.
1868-70-Peter W. Deitz.
1870-72-In 1870 MeHenry County was made the ninety-third dis- triet and had two representatives-William A. MeConnell and Ira R. Curtiss.
1872-74-By the apportionment of 1872 Mellenry and Lake Conn- ties became the eighth district, entitled to three representatives-Richard Bishop, MeHenry County ; Flavel K. Granger, MeHenry; Elisha Grid- ley, Lake County.
1874-76-Flavel K. Granger, MeHenry; William A. James, Lake; Elijah M. Haines, Lake.
1876-78-Flavel K. Granger, MelIenry; William A. James, Lake; Edward M. Dennis, Lake.
1878-80-Frank K. Granger, William A. James, Lake; William Price, Lake.
1880-82-Orson C. Diggins, MeHenry; James Thompson, MelIenry ; James Pollock, Lake.
1882-84-In 1882 MeHlenry and Boone became the eighth distriet, entitled to three representatives-Charles II. Tryon, Mellenry; E. M. IIaines, Lake; Charles Fuller, Boone.
1884-86-James Pollock, Charles Fuller.
1886-88-Charles E. E. Fuller, Charles A. Patridge and Geo. Waite.
1888-90-Charles A. Patridge, G. S. Southworth and Elijah Haines.
1890-92-John C. Donnelly, Charles A. Patridge, George Reed.
1892-94-J. C. Donnelly, Robert J. Beek, George Reed.
1894-96-George Reed, T. J. Beck, P. II. Delaney.
Thomas W Gole + Family
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
1896-98-D. F. M. Fuller, G. R. Lyon.
1898-1900-Geo. M. Lyon, D. F. M. Fuller.
1900-02-Ed D. Shurtleff, George R. Lyon, C. V. Connor.
1902-04-Ed D. Shurtleff, George R. Lyon, William Desmond. 1904-06-Frank R. Covey, Ed D. Shurtleff, D. E. Gibbons. 1906-08-Frank R. Covey, Ed D. Shurtleff, D. E. Gibbons. 1908-10-A. K. Stearns, Ed D. Shurtleff, Thomas F. Burns. 1910-12-Ed D. Shurtleff, James II. Vickers, Joseph E. Anderson.
1912-14-Ed D. Shurtleff, Thomas E. Graham, Fayette S. Munro.
1914-16-Ed D. Shurtleff (MeHenry County).
1916-18-Ed D. Shurtleff (MeHenry County).
1918-20-Ed D. Shurtleff (MeHenry County).
POLITICAL STATISTICS
At the first election held in MeHenry County, June 1, 1837, the whole number of votes cast was 115. The election for county officers was held at the store of Hiram Kennieott, near Half Day, on the Desplaines River, within the present county of Lake.
In 1838 the county chose its first representative to the State Legis- lature, electing Dr. Richard Murphy, Demoerat, over Giles Spring, Whig, by a considerable majority. The convention which nominated the sue- eessful candidate was held the first Monday in March, 1838. About sixty delegates were present, among whom were the following from MeHenry County : William M. Jackson, Proctor Smith, William Spon- able, Russell Diggins, C. Canfield, William A. MeConnell and A. B. Coon. Of the entire number of delegates, only four were living in the early eighties, of whom Messrs. Coon and Jackson of this county were survivors.
This eounty was solidly Democratic from its infaney until 1856, when the impending erisis changed the majority to the Republican side, where it has remained ever since.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE
The vote for presidential eleetors from 1844 to the present is given below :
1844-Polk, Democratic, 668; Clay, Whig, 488; seattering, 77.
1848-Cass, Democratie, 1,096; Taylor, Whig, 660; Van Buren, Free- soil, one vote.
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
1852-Pieree, Democratie, 1,198; Winfield Scott, Whig, 886; IIale, Freesoil, 645.
1856-John C. Fremont, Republican, 2,869; James Buchanan, Dem- oeratic, 945; Fillmore, Know-nothing, 43.
1860-Abraham Lincoln, Republican, 3,033; Stephen A. Douglas, Demoeratie, 1,444.
1864-Abraham Lincoln, Republican, 2,951 ; Geo. B. MeClellan, Dem- ocratie, 1,188.
1868-U. S. Grant, Republican, 3,296; Seymour, Democratie, 1,388.
1872-U. S. Grant, Republican, 2,895; Horace Greeley, Liberal, 1,080; O'Connor, Democratic, 21.
1876-Rutherford B. Hayes, Republican, 3,465; Samuel J. Tilden, Demoeratie, 1,874; Peter Cooper, Greenback, 34.
1880-James A. Garfield, Republican, 3,516; W. S. Hancock, Dem- oeratie, 1,799 ; James B. Weaver, Greenback, 194.
1884 James G. Blaine, Republican, 3,697; Grover Cleveland, Dem- oeratie, 2,077; St. John, Prohibitionist, 145.
1888-Benjamin Harrison, Republican, 3,563; Grover Cleveland, Democratie, 2,002; Fisk, Prohibitionist, 322.
1892-Benjamin Harrison, Republican, 3,204; Grover Cleveland, Democratic, 2,317; Bidwell, Prohibitionist, 263.
1896-William McKinley, Republican, 5,047; William JJennings Bryan, Democratie, 1,910; Gen. John Palmer, Gold Democrat, 48; Levering, Prohibitionist, 102.
1900-William MeKinley, Republican, 5,118; William Jennings Bryan, Democratie, 2,058; Wooley, Prohibitionist, 132.
1904-Theodore Roosevelt, Republican, 5,409; William Jennings Bryan, Democrat, 1,309.
1908-William Howard Taft, Republican, 5,331; Democratie, 1,887.
1912-William Howard Taft, Republican, 2,370; Woodrow Wilson, Democratie, 1,913; Theodore Roosevelt, Progressive, 3,046.
1916-Charles E. Hughes, Republiean, 9,000; Woodrow Wilson, Dem- oeratie, 3,265.
1921-Warren G. Harding, Republican, 9.885; James M. Cox, Demo- crat, 1,536.
CHAPTER VII
EDUCATION
BY RICHARD W. BARDWELL
ORIGIN OF SCHOOLS-PIONEER SCHOOLHOUSE-FIRST SCHOOLS-EARLY INSTI- TUTES-COUNTY INSTITUTES-INCREASE IN SCHOOLS-EARLY SCHOOLS BY TOWNSHIPS - OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS - TEACHERS INSTI- TUTES-SCHOOL STATISTICS-GROWTH OF COMMON AND HIGH SCHOOLS- MC HENRY COUNTY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION-COUNTY SUPERIN- TENDENT OF SCHOOLS-TODD SEMINARY.
ORIGIN OF SCHOOLS
As the people of the world began to emerge from the chaos of the savage state, they commenced to think and plan, not entirely for them- selves, but for their children. Originally tillers of the soil, they reeog- mized the fact that if they were to hope for better conditions for those to come after them, they must have a good soil to grow erops. That, after they had provided for stronger and more perfect bodies, they must train the minds of their offspring. Gradually they recognized the fact that if they banded together to hire some one to teach all of the children together, a much wiser person could be secured, than if each family tried to provide instruction. As the value of schools he- came recognized, the state took up the matter so as to provide the instruc- tion for those children who were orphans, or whose parents were not possessed of sufficient means to pay their quota into the common edu- cational fund. Gradually, with annual improvements, the present publie school system has come to obtain in this country. It commenced about 1835-40. Now, parents the world over in civilized parts, feel that there is no purpose, no real good in their lives, unless the miracle shall come to their children, that they enjoy advantages denied to the fathers and mothers.
It was this spirit of sacrifice for the next generation that made the pioneers struggle so earnestly to get some kind of educational forees
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
at work, almost before they had grubbed out a stump, or turned a furrow of their new land. Of course, at first the schools had to be held in private homes or in a rude log cabin erected for school purposes, and by serimping at home, the good parents would deny themselves much in order to properly clothe, and furnish necessary schoolbooks, in order that their children might be sent to school.
THIE PIONEER SCHOOLHOUSE
No matter how many times one reads of the little old log school- house built in the forest, or on the wild prairie's sod, where first the tiny tots attended schools in which their A, B, C's were mastered, another description of the same old rude schoolhouse written by one seeing the hard benehes and dirt floors, gives a different angle, but the story is ever of deep interest to both old and young.
Picture a small building, so small that it might easily be set down in the ordinary living room of today, fashioned of rough logs, fastened together, with mud plastered in the chinks between the logs. At one end was an opening, sometimes protected by a slab door, but oftentimes left without any cover. At the other end was a erude fireplace, which was liable to throw into the room as much smoke as was carried away by the mud and stick chimney. The floor sometimes was merely hard dirt ; again, it was constructed of split logs, with the bark side laid down. The fur- niture was all homemade, consisting of puncheon seats for the pupils, and a slab with longer pegs in it as a desk for the teacher. There were no blackboards, no globes, no scientifie apparatus, no marble statues, pie- tures or maps. Indeed, ofttimes there were mighty few books for either the pupils or teacher, and yet how those children did absorb information, and lay in these primitive temples of learning, a lasting foundation for magnificent superstructures. Some of the best men this country ever produced, attended just sneh a school as the one above deseribed.
As the community increased in importance, so did the schools, frame structures gradually replacing the log buildings, and then came hand- some briek and stone schoolhouses of today. The early history of the schools of this county is similar to that of most other sections, but after the elose of the Civil War, a radical change set in for the uplift of the common schools, and today every citizen worthy the name, boasts of, and duly appreciates, the excellent schools we are enjoying at this time.
A
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COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL, WOODSTOCK
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
FIRST SCHOOLS
It appears that the first sehools in the county were taught in the year 1836, in Burton and Dorr townships, which answered the above description of the log school. In 1837 another small school was opened in Coral Township; another in Algonquin, in 1838; Marengo had one in 1839; Seneca, MeHenry and Chemung in 1840 and Richmond in 1841; Alden's first school started in either 1840 or 1841.
The first schoolhouse of which there appears to be any official record is the one built in section 1, township 45, range 9, Dunham Township, which was completed in June, 1839. The first official mention of the public schools in this county appears upon the county records under the (late of June, 1841. Carlisle Hastings was then appointed School Land Commissioner, and boards of school trustees were appointed for each township in the county. These boards and the townships, as they are now named, are given below :
Riley-A. E. Smith, R. Bates and Samuel Johnson ;
Marengo-Marcus G. White, John Poyer, Daniel Steward;
Dunham-Jonathan Fellows, J. N. Jerome, Thomas Finey ; Chemung-Nathaniel Smith, William Hart, Rodolphins Hutchinson ; Coral-A. F. Randall, Selah Markham, E. N. Frink ; Seneca-William M. Jackson, Leander Il. Bishop, Wm. Wattling; Hartland-George Stratton, Appolos Hastings, George H. Guffing; Alden-Thaddeus B. Wakeman, Ransom Parrish, Orry Barrett; Grafton-Prescott Whittemore, John B. Oakley, Louis Holdridge ; Dorr-Allen Dufield, Solomon Keyes, Michael Best ; Greenwood-Andrew J. Hayward, Amos Scofield, M. B. Gwinns; Hebron-Josiah H. Giddings, Jacob Gilbert, Bela H. Tryon ; Algonquin-Allen Baldwin, Hosea B. Throop, E. J. Smith ; Nunda-Josiah Walkup, Charles Patterson, William Huffman ; MeHenry-Aromy Thomas, Gideon Colby, Benjamin Tuttle; Richmond-William A. MeConnell, J. W. White, Samuel Merriek ;
Township 43, range 9, now a part of Algonquin-Thomas R. Chunn, William D. Carey, Joseph Clink ;
Township 45, range 9, now within MeHenry Township, Alden Har- vey, Alfred Stone, Chauney Beckwith.
Township 46, range 9, Burton Township-S. S. Stilson, Jonathan Kimball, Alfred Stephens.
From that date on schoolhouses were built and schools supported
HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
wherever the population was sufficiently dense to bear the expenses. As the county grew more thiekly settled, new districts were formed so that in a very few years every settler was within a short distance of a school- house. It is related that the greatest obstacle to the development of the schools was found in the lack of competent teachers. Many seemed fairly well qualified, and labored earnestly, but others who were em- ployed in the absence of better material were sadly deficient both in education and aptitude. The teachers, too, worked against hardship of not having suitable and uniform text-books, so that real classification was impossible.
In 1855, the records say that Mr. Jewett, member of the board of supervisors, and on the committee on education, presented resolutions declaring :
"1st. That there is a sad deficieney of properly and legally qualified teachers in and for your said county.
"2nd. That there is a laek of interest and zeal on the part of said teachers to discharge those weighty responsibilities incumbent upon them in a becoming manner.
"3rd. That there is a lamentable lack of uniformity in the plan of instruction which is so desirable in every county.
"4th. That there have been considerable sums of money expended for the purpose of maintaining and supporting teachers' institutes, the objeet of said institutes being to remedy the difficulty above named.
"5th. That these institutes have come far short of the object for which they were established, etc.
"To improve the then existing state of the publie sehools, Mr. Jewett proposed the establishment, at the county seat, of an institute to be ealled the MeHenry County Normal School; but alas, his suggestion was never acted upon by the board of supervisors."
EARLY INSTITUTES
The pioneers as a class were favorable to education and supported the district schools manfully, as well as fostered and eneouraged in all ways private educational institutions, the chief institutes being located at Lawrence, Marengo and Crystal Lake, though several others were started in other parts of the county.
Lawrence Academy, in the northwestern part of the county, was one of the earliest and most successful schools of its kind. It had able instructors, and many afterward prominent men were students
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HISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
there. It gradually waned and finally ceased to exist, better conditions of the public schools of the county supplying its place.
At Crystal Lake village a flourishing seminary was maintained for some years under the name of Nunda College.
COUNTY INSTITUTE
The County Institute organized in 1856, perhaps aided more than any other single factor in bringing about an improved condition of the public school system in the county. For, it is seen by reference to public records, as well as to an interesting article in a former history of the county, that in 1885 there were many valuable school libraries in the school districts of MeHenry County. A paragraph from this book may be useful in this connection :
"Constant and well directed efforts have wrought their results, and now the people of MeHenry may justly be proud of their public schools. It is doubtful if there can be found anywhere in the country a country no older than this which has better schools. While these schools are not perfect, yet in excellence of school buildings, convenience of arrangement, competent supervision and thorough instruction, the county will compare favorably with any of like age and population. The county superintendents, the teachers, the taxpayers and the pupils are all interested in their work, and the results are apparent. The county institutes are well attended and play an important part in keeping alive the interests of education in our county."
INCREASE IN SCHOOLS
In 1860 the number of schools in the county was 142; number of sehoolhouses, 139; number of teachers, 218; number of male scholars, 4,036; female scholars, 3,778. In 1870 the number of pupils was 11,890, of whom 7,000 were enrolled. In 1875 the number of school- houses in this county was 150, but the work did not advance with other elements of growth in the county in the next years following those just named, for it is found that in 1884 there were only 138 schoolhouses, though it was said that 175 were badly needed. In 1883-84 only 270 teachers were employed, and school property was only valued at $186,- 285.
EARLY SCHOOLS BY TOWNSHIPS
The first school taught in Alden Township was in 1841, by Miss Clarissa Nelson, of Geneva Lake. The school was held in the first
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IHISTORY OF McHENRY COUNTY
schoolhouse built in the township. It was a log structure located near the present site of the railroad station. This building was erected in the spring of 1841, its dimensions being 12x14 feet, but small as it was, it was plenty large enough to accommodate the little band of nine pupils. A report of the schools of the township in 1884 gave the enroll- ment of pupils as 313 of school age, and there were then nine school- houses within the township. The school property was valued in 1882 at $3.340. For present day school statisties the reader is referred to the table in this chapter, the same being extracted from the county superintendent's annual report.
In the early eighties Algonquin Township was in the lead in the number of schoolhouses, the number being ten, valued at $12,000. The number of persons of school age in the township was 630. The circu- lating library then contained 200 volumes. The first schoolhouse in the township was a log building at Crystal Lake in which Miss Hannah Beardsley taught in 1838.
In Burton Township a school was taught in 1846 by Miss Case, in the "red schoolhouse" in Seetion S. It was built by the patrons of the school and the teacher was paid on the subscription plan and usually "boarded 'round." The first school, however, was taught in 1836 in a log building on Nippersink Creek, by Wm. Stearns.
In Chemung Township the first school was taught in the village of Chemung about 1840. In 1880 the number of persons of school age in the township was 978, or ninety more than any township within the county. It paid at that date next to the highest wages for teachers of any of the townships. The school property of seven schoolhouses was then valued at $16,500. The first school in Harvard was taught in 1859; J. E. Young was the first principal, assisted by Miss Mary Ballou. In the eighties the attendance was large and more building room had to be provided. The old reports show the village had 457 pupils in school in 1884.
In Coral Township the first schoolhouse was erceted in 1838, on Section 8. William Jackson taught the first term of school and he took his pay in 4,000 rails for his four months' work. His patrons split 1,000 rails a month, so that when the school ended they had paid in full, all in good rails. At the end of the term in a frolie, the "big boys" tore down the schoolhouse. In 1884 this township had eleven schoolhouses in use and that was more than any other township then had. There were on an average 409 pupils in attendance. School property was valued at $10,000.
مالـ
ST. MARY'S SCHOOL, WOODSTOCK
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
In Dorr Township the first school was taught by Alvira Cornish in the house of Uriah Cattle in 1836. The sehool consisted of seven pupils. In 1883 the value of school property of this township was $55,200; the annual salaries paid were $5,677; number of children of school age were 880.
In Dunham Township the first school was taught in the schoolhouse built in 1838, on the farm of Mr. Jerome. It was a small log structure which was also used for religions and political purposes. Miss Edna Jewett was the first to teach there. A. M. Disbrow was the new teacher. In 1881 the township had seven substantial school buildings, and paid annually about $1,800 for teachers.
In Grafton Township a third of a century ago there were eight fairly good school buildings and persons of school age upwards of 500. The first school here was taught in a log eabin ereeted in 1842 in District No. 7 (okdl number), and the first teacher was Cynthia Thompson.
In MeHenry Township the first school was taught in 1840 by a Miss MeOmber, in a small log house erected on the banks of the Fox River. This was also the first school building in the township. In the early eighties reports show seven fairly well-built frame schoolhouses in the township which property was valued at $9,000 and there was a school population of 658. The township also had a small, but most excellent library. In the village of Mellenry the first sehool was taught in a frame building on the present publie square. It cost $2,000. Another schoolhouse was built in 1859, in the east side of town and its eost was $6,000. The West side building was burned in 1862.
In Marengo Township the first school was taught by Caroline Cobb in 1839, but prior to this O. P. Rogers tanght in a small log schoolhouse, nearly opposite the Calvin Spencer residence in the village of Marengo. The school taught by the lady was held in a building ereeted for a shoe shop, and her pupils numbered nine the most of the term.
In Seneca Township the first school was taught by Mrs. Roxy Stevens in 1840, at her home which was one mile south of Franklinville. In Franklinville the first schoolhouse of the township, a frame building, was ereeted in 1845.
In Woodstock the first school was taught in 1846, by David Rich- ardson, who paid $2.00 a month for the privilege of holding school in the old courthouse. The next year, 1846, the first school building in Wood- stock was ereeted on the same site still used for school purposes. In 1866 this house was deemed too small, and it was sold and a new build- ing provided in 1867. A new building was erected in 1906 at a cost of
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HISTORY OF MCHENRY COUNTY
$25,999, and a four-room school building was erected that same year on Clay street. The large building burned to the ground December 2. 1919. In Jannary, 1921, the Clay street school was enlarged and im- proved, making it a modern, eight-room grade building. In the same year an eight-room grade building was erected on the corner of Dean street and Forrest avenue.
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