USA > Illinois > McLean County > History of McLean County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 14
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President Felmley started out to continue the development of the University along the liberal lines propounded by Dr. Tompkins. The increased appropriations from the legislature made possible establish- ment of new courses and the expansion of the old. Regular courses in music were established and Prof. Westhoff placed in charge of them. The kindergarten, nominally established in 1898, became a reality in 1902. A manual training and mechanical drawing course was begun in 1903. Physical culture courses were established.
Particularly the work of the school in agricultural instruction was enlarged. Two terms of elementary science for first year students began in 1900. A school garden of two and one half acres was planted an- nually. Bruno Nehrling planned and equipped a greenhouse, and this is a valuable part of the school's equipment. Particular and scientific attention was given to the campus, which had been more or less neglected since the original planting of trees by Jesse Fell. Many new trees were added and the other ones trimmed and taken care of. An acquatic garden was made from the "old pond" on the campus.
In the early years of the normal school, various and irregular at- tempts were made to conduct a term of instruction in the summer time for the special benefit of students who were actual teachers. The modern summer school as it is known today is the direct result of a paper read before the faculty in 1897 by Prof. Felmley, then teacher of mathe-
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
matics, in which he proposed two summer terms of six weeks each. The board of education took action in 1899 and the first of such summer terms was held in 1900. In 1903 the legislature gave an additional ap- propriation for the use of the summer school, and since that time biennial appropriations have maintained the school.
The attendance at the Normal university in its regular term time has had a remarkable growth with the passing of the years. The first year, 1857, recorded an enrollment of 53 men and 74 women, and the totals for the next few years ran along this way: 122, 161, 152, 205, 304 and 282. After the close of the Civil war the enrollment mounted above the 400 mark, and wavered between 400 and 500 for several years, again falling below the 400 mark in 1879. Then it mounted steadily until it passed the 600 mark in 1889. By the year of the fortieth anni- versary of the university, 1907, the attendance had risen to 826. The total slumped off some during the first years of the twentieth century, falling to 386 in 1904, and reaching 569 in the year of the golden jubilee, 1907.
The land of the Normal university includes a campus of 56 acres and a farm of 96 acres, all donated to the board of education in 1857. There are eight buildings on the campus, as follows:
The main building erected in 1857-60, 100 by 158 feet, three stories and basement, with floor space of 52,800 feet, devoted to class rooms and offices. It is the oldest normal school in the United States.
The Thomas Metcalf Building, erected in 1913, with floor space of 43,600 square feet, housing the training school, consisting of 70 pupils in the kindergarten and 360 in the elementary school and 280 in the high school.
The Manual Arts building, erected in 1907, contains shops, studios and laboratories for classes in manual training, home economics, the fine arts, physics and chemistry. The modern university auditorium is in this building.
The gymnasium building, erected in 1896, with 18,800 square feet of floor space, houses the gymnasium with its offices, locker rooms and baths, and the departments of biology and commerce.
The library building, the former model school building, was erected for training school in 1892. Since 1914 it has been used for the library and geography department.
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The plant house, erected in 1905, has 2,200 square feet of floor space under glass, and a work room. It is used to propagate plants for the campus, school garden and school rooms, and as a botany laboratory.
The heating plant, erected in 1914, 70 by 80 feet, contains two Springfield water tube boilers, with modern stoker equipment. Space is provided for electric generators.
Fell Hall, erected in 1918, is a dormitory for women, providing 83 rooms for 83 young women and accommodates 150 students in the dining hall.
On the university farm are a commodious farm house, cow barn with silos, horse barn, dairy barn, poultry house, hog house, and build- ing for farm machinery.
The university faculty consists of 80 teachers, six in the University high school, 11 in the elementary training school, nine in the training school at the Soldiers' Orphans' Home, and 54 in the regular instruc- tional staff of the Teachers' college. There are also 25 other employes in various capacities.
The Normal University includes four schools :
The normal school, to prepare teachers for rural, village, or graded elementary schools, also special teachers of music, etc.
The Teachers' College to prepare high school principals, supervisors and superintendents.
The elementary training school, organized as a model school for observation and practice teaching by the normal school students.
The University high school to provide high school courses of five separate curriculums, in which agriculture, manual training, home eco- nomics, commercial branches or the languages shall predominate. This school takes care of eighth grade pupils from any county who secure Lindly scholarships in a normal school.
The normal school has graduated 3,156 students, of whom 139 grad- uated from the Teachers' college. The average length of time these graduates teach after they leave school is nine years. The Normal Uni- versity is in session 48 weeks of the year, with fall, winter and spring terms of twelve weeks each, and two summer terms of six weeks each.
The following table of attendance in the college department for the past twenty years :
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
1903
862
1913
2,391
1904
1,230
1914
2,255
1905
1,314
1915
3,400
1906
1,408
1916
4,080
1907
1,581
1917
3,000
1908
1,711
1918
2,654
1909
2,008
1919
2,825
1910
2,003
1920
3,003
1911
2,160
1921
3,539
1912
2,485
1922
3,749
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In spite of the World war, the Normal University gained 56 per cent in attendance since 1913. The attendance in the fall of 1923 was 200 larger than in 1922, and 430 larger than in 1921.
The cost of maintenance and operation for the past year was $252,306, an average of $180.73 for each college student for a term of 36 weeks.
Two principal literary societies have existed in the Normal Univer- sity from the beginning. The first was originally called the Normal De- bating society, afterward changed to the Phildelphian society. The other was a rival, first called the "D and E society," the letters referring to the sections composing its membership. This was afterward named the Wrightonian society, in honor of Simeon Wright, member of the board. The Edwards Debating society and the Ciceronian society were two organ- izations for male students formed in the '70s. The Sapphonian society was a girls' debating society organized in 1888. In 1903 there was formed the Girls' Debating society. There are two christian associations within the student body, the Y. M. and the Y. W. C. A. An oratorical association was organized in 1887, and the school is a member of the Interstate Ora- torical League. The students have intermittently maintained athletic as- sociations for many years.
Since music became an established part of the training, there have been glee clubs, an orchestra and university band. Among the other or- ganizations in the university are: the Dramatic club, Latin and French clubs, Science club, the Natural History club, the Country Life club, Kin- dergarten club, the 'Varsity club, the Lowell Mason club, Hopkins Agricul- tural club, and the Students' Council.
Normal University gave its best to the cause of America during the World war, as it had done in the Civil war. A boulder in front of Fell Hall
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
is a memorial to the 14 university men who lost ther lives in the war. It was dedicated in May, 1920. There were nearly 700 university men in the military or naval service of the United States during the war, of whom 460 were in the army, 85 in the navy, 25 in the marine corps, 75 in avia- tion, 14 women nurses, one Red Cross relief worker, and 32 others in va- rious lines of service.
CHAPTER XIV.
CHURCHES.
FIRST MINISTER-OTHER PIONEER PREACHERS-FIRST EDIFICES-METHODIST EPISCOPAL-CATHOLIC-UNITED BRETHREN-PRESBYTERIAN-OTHER DE- NOMINATIONS AND PASTORS-BAPTISTS-CONGREGATIONALISTS-DISCIPLES OF CHRIST-GERMAN LUTHERAN-EVANGELICAL FRIENDS-UNITARIAN- CHRISTIAN SCIENCE-EPISCOPALIAN-ILLINOIS CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
This history has dealt in the main with material things, the progress of the county in agriculture, industry, home building, city-making, and road constructon. However, unless something be said, even if inadequately and all too briefly, of the spiritual struggles of the people and their prog- ress along moral and religious lines, the history will not meet the full re- quirements of the times. For McLean County people as a whole have been always and are still a religious and spiritual people. In all sections of the county, in every city and village, church spires point the worshiper to a higher life, and weekly meetings summon him to remember his Creator.
Rev. Jesse Walker, the first Protestant minister in Illinois, made his headquarters at Kaskaskia, the early capital of Illinois, even before the territory became a state. It seems that while his scene of activities was mainly in southern Illinois, he learned after 1822 that there was a family of Methodists at Blooming Grove, and as this was his own denomination he set out to visit the families in this region. Therefore he has credit of having held the first religious services inside of the boundaries of McLean County. Other Methodist ministers took up the work of Rev. Walker,
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
for we learn that Rev. Peter Cartwright, a famous evangelist of that day, made frequent visits to central Illinois, although he lived in Sangamon County. He was the first presiding elder of this district, if we can speak of it as such.
The Baptists seem to have been the second denomination on the scene here. Rev. E. Rhodes, a Free Will Baptist preacher, made his home at Blooming Grove in 1824, and preached often. In fact he seems to have been the first resident minister of any denomination.
Rev. William See, another Methodist, lived at Blooming Grove and preached in the region around. When the postoffice was established at Blooming Grove he became first postmaster. He probably found time to handle all the mail that the little settlement received, and also attend to his religious duties.
The ministers of the early period were mostly itinerant preachers of the gospel, they were here one year and gone the next. Therefore even the names of most of them have been lost to history. It is known, however, that the earliest ministers included some from the Methodists, some of the Free-will Baptists, some Campbellites, or Christians, and some United Brethren. The Presbyterians and Congregationalists also had scattered adherents.
Many of the churches of the early days were established right out in the open country, and they were attended mostly by the farmers and their families. But a later period saw the rural churches decline in member- ship and prestige and the churches located mostly in towns and cities. Some of the first rural churches built in McLean County have long ago been abandoned and left to the whims of the weather. Often a church was flanked by a cemetery and where the church was abandoned the ceme- tery likewise fell into neglect. This is a sad state of affairs, but it is true.
Rev. James Stringfield was the first resident minister, although Rev. Walker had previously visited here. Rev. Stringfield preached at the home of the Hendrixes in 1823. The following year a "class" was organized and Blooming Grove made a station in the Peoria circuit or mission. The first Methodist sermon was preached and the first Methodist class organized in Blooming Grove in 1824 and was the beginning of what is now the First Methodist church. For the first six years the meetings were held in the homes of the settlers. The first edifice was built in 1836, at a cost of $900. It was 32x44, and dedicated in August, 1836. It was on the corner of
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
Main and Olive streets. Here the people worshiped from 1836 to 1851. In 1851, the second meeting house was built upon the corner of Washington and East streets. It was 44x70, and cost $7,838, and was dedicated, free from debt, to the worship of God, on Aug. 10, 1851. It was used as a church from that time to 1873, when the present edifice was built. Rev. Zadoc Hall was minister when it was determined to build the first church. He himself took the contract, secured a tract of timber, took men and went into the woods and hewed the logs, hired carpenters to erect the building, and when paid the stipulated price of $1,000, found he had made a profit of 75 cents as contractor. The preachers who were upon the cir- cuit when the congregation worshiped at the courthouse were W. T. Crissy, William Royal, John E. French and Zadoc Hall. The ministers in the first church building were Zadoc Hall, S. W. D. Chase, Richard Haney, Millin Harker, T. W. Chandler, A. L. Risley, William M. Grubbs, Norman Allyn, Samuel Elliott, C. M. Holliday and Thomas Magee. The preachers serving in the building at East and Washington streets were R. W. Travis, W. J. Rutledge, Joseph Montgomery, William M. Grubbs, J. R. White, J. C. Kim- ber, L. C. Pitner, Reuben Andrus, W. N. McElroy, James Keaton and R. M. Barnes. The earlier ministers who served at the present building were Thomas A. Parker, W. N. McElroy and H. O. Hoffman. The church has had a long line of distinguished pastors, and its membership is now about 1,200. Rev. F. A. McCarty is pastor.
Grace M. E. church was organized in 1867 and was known as "Uni- versity Charge." When the new building was completed in 1872 Amie chapel became the place of worship until 1879, when Rev. J. A. Kumler arranged to purchase the building known as the Third Presbyterian church on Locust street near East. For ten years this little building was used. During the first pastorate of J. F. Stout funds were raised for a new church. Under Horace Reed in the fall of 1887 the work was taken up and the church finally completed and dedicated on July 21, 1889. Bishop Bown Bowman officiated. The new church at Locust and East cost, including ground, $40,000. Since then the building was extended north and a fine pipe organ installed. The charter members of University Charge included such names as David Kern, B. F. Funk, E. C. Hyde,' D. C. DeMotte, O. T. Reeves, J. L. Beath, Isaac Kenyon, Harry Reeves, Jesse A. Willson, John Carroll, John Geltmacher, Charles Munsell. The list of pastors and the year they began service is as follows: W. H. Webster, 1867; George
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
Stevens, 1868; J. G. Little, 1871; W. H. Musgrove, 1874; Ira B. Henry, 1875; W. M. McElfresh, 1876; J. A, Kumler, 1877; M. D. Hawes, 1879; F. J. F. Stout, 1886; Horace Reed, 1887; W. A. Smith, 1889; James Miller, 1893; H. C. Gibbs, 1896; T. J. Wheat, 1897; B. F. Shipp, 1899; Theodore Kemp, 1905; Merle English, 1908; Walter Aitken, 1912; Alba C. Piersel, 1917; A. L. Caseley, 1919, E: V. Young, 1923.
Park Methodist church is on South Allin near Miller park, and is a younger congregation. Rev. N. E. Keenan is its pastor. The German Methodists formed a church in 1854 and maintained an organization until recently. The Swedish Methodists and the African Methodists maintain organizations with a goodly number of members. The Bloomington dis- trict of the Illinois conference is in charge of Rev. Charles M. Duncan at present, and the list of churches in McLean County and their pastors are as follows: First church, F. A. McCarty; Grace, E. V. Young; Park, W. E. Keenan ; Arrowsmith, F. R. Deland; Bellflower, S. H. Hoar; Covell, W. E. Williams; Heyworth, A. S. Weiss; Weedman, S. N. Ingmore; Downs, A. A. White; Leroy, T. B. Lugg; Saybrook, U. G. Johnston ; Chenoa, Stan- ley Ward; Gridley, Ivan Obenchain; Hudson, S. G. Foster; Lexington, L. S. Zinser; Normal, Guy Z. Moore; Towanda, W. F. Budman; McLean, O. L. Clapper.
The Catholic church has many adherents in McLean County. Rev. Barnard O'Hara arrived in Bloomington on Nov. 5, 1853, and the first services were held at the house of William O'Brien soon afterward. Later the old courthouse was secured and 33 communicants attended first mass in that building. The old M. E. church building at Olive and Main was bought Nov. 11, 1853, for $1,600, and was used for many years. Father O'Hara bought land west of the city and donated 13 acres for St. Mary's cemetery. The priests following along at this period were Fathers Cahill, Hurley, Fitzgibbons and Sherry. In 1859 Father Kennedy came, and he soon bought the block bounded by Main, Locust, Center and Chestnut streets for a church site. It was not until 1866 that the church was started under Father O'Gara, and it was almost completed when a cyclone destroyed it. Then followed Father Douhig one year and then Father McGovern. The latter sold the old church, and the congregation wor- shiped in Phoenix hall. Father McDermott came in 1875, and started a movement to build a church, which he accomplished after many tribula- tions. On July 22, 1879, Father M. Weldon arrived, who was destined to
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
have a long and distinguished record. He served 40 years, and retired after having been given the title of Monsignor. He is still living in retire- ment at the rectory, and Father C. H. Medcalf is in charge of the parish, with two assistants. The block now contains the church, rectory, St. Jo- seph's academy and St. Mary's school. The block just west is also owned by the church and contains St. Joseph's hall, a girls' dormitory.
The German Catholics of Bloomington held their first meeting to form a church in 1852, and soon afterward Father Reeves of Wapella was as- signed to hold services here. A small church was built on West Taylor street in 1869. Some of the priests of this period were Fathers Nettstraet- ter, Heckman, and Schreiber. St. Joseph's cemetery was acquired, and in 1881 the congregation was taken over by the Franciscan Fathers of Cin- cinnati. In 1885 the present building at Jackson and Mason was erected at a cost of $28,000. Just a few years ago it was stuccoed. The parish now has a fine church, a large school, and houses for the priests and the sisters. Rev. Father Adam is in charge of the parish.
St. Patrick's parish was organized from the west end of Holy Trinity parish in 1892 and Rev. J. J. Burke was placed in charge. A large church, school and convent were built, the church having the only chimes of bells in the county. Rev. M. J. O'Callaghan is now in charge.
Several places in the county outside Bloomington have Catholic churches. Downs is in charge of the priests of St. Patricks'. Merna has a large church, and Chenoa also. Lexington has a church, but no settled pastor.
The United Brethren denomination have had congregations in Bloom- ington for about 15 years, and have built two beautiful but not large structures. The First church is in the northwest part of the city, and the Second in the southeast. Rev. H. M. Klinger is pastor of First, and L. A. Whitesell of Second. There are flourishing U. B. churches at Lexington, under J. Guy Jordan; at Saybrook in charge of J. T. McCreery; and at Anchor under G. H. Schisler.
The First Presbyterian church of Bloomington was one of the real pioneer churches of the county, being organized in 1833, only three years after the county was organized and two years after the city of Bloom- ington was created. Amasa C. Washburn organized a Sunday school in March, 1832, a union school though managed by Presbyterians. When the Methodists organized a school in 1839, they drew many from this union
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
school, and from that time it became Presbyterian. A Presbyterian min- ister whose name is lost to history preached in Bloomington three times in July, 1832, and in December of that year Calvin W. Babbitt came here, and his work resulted in the official organization of the First Presbyterian church in January, 1833. Rev. James McGeoch was engaged in March, 1833, for one year as minister. The congregation first met in a house at Main and Olive, then in a school house erected by Rev. Lemuel Foster. About 1843 the church began to look for a home of its own. John T. Stuart, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, donated a low, swampy lot at corner of Grove and East street, where the first building was erected in 1846. The lot to the east of the Stuart lot was donated by David Davis, James Robinson, A. Brokaw and Oliver Ellsworth. The building was not entirely finished until 1848. The structure cost $4,000, being built mostly by vol- unteer labor. It was of unique shape, somewhat after the form of a Greek temple. This building was used until 1895, when the present stone church was erected. The last service in the old building was on May 12. The first pipe organ was put in 1868. The various ministers of the church from the first were: Calvin W. Babbitt, 1833; James McGeoch, 1833; Lemuel Foster, 1833; C. L. Watson, 1837; B. B. Drake, 1840; David I. Perry, 1844; Fielding N. Ewing, 1850; Hugh R. Price, 1858; John McLean, 1865; Samuel B. Taggart, 1874; Henry B. Thayer, 1877; Frank S. Brush, 1881; Charles M. Moss, 1886; Edward K. Strong, 1887-96; DeWitt L. Pelton, 1897-99; N. H. G. Fife, 1900-04; R. Calvin Dobson, 1905-10; W. A. Bodell, 1910-15; F. E. Vernon, 1915-23. The cor- nerstone of the present building was laid on July 23, 1895, and the struc- ture was completed during the following autumn and winter, and occu- pied in the spring of 1896.
The Second Presbyterian church was organized on June 24, 1855, at a meeting held in Major's hall. There were 34 original members, mostly those who had left the First Presbyterian owing to differences of opinion on the subject of slavery. Rev. Alfred Eddy was chosen first pastor, and served until 1863. The first building was erected in 1856 on a lot near the southeast corner of East and Monroe streets. Later a tower was added and the building remodeled in 1877. Rev. John W. Bailey succeeded Dr. Eddy as pastor, and then Rev. A. MacDougal was called to the pastorate. Dr. J. W. Dinsmore became supply and then pastor in 1870, and he served with great distinction until 1891, a period of 21 years. Dr. W. P. Kane
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
became the pastor in 1892, and he served until 1898, when he was chosen as president of Wabash college. A supply filled the pulpit until 1899, when Rev. Henry K. Denlinger became pastor. During the pastorate of Dr. Kane, the "old" church was abandoned, the last service being held May 19, 1895. The building was torn down, and in August of that year work was begun on the present structure, the cornerstone being laid on Oct. 15. The church cost $60,000 and was dedicated in 1896. Dr. Den- linger was followed as pastor by Rev. Frederick W. Hawley, who remained for about five years and then resigned to go to Oklahoma. Dr. Hawley was succeeded by Dr. Joseph N. Elliott, who came here from Muscatine. Dr. Elliott resigned in April, 1917, to take the position of home mission head in Illinois and Rev. W. B. Hindman came here from Ohio. He re- mained for about five years, and resigned in December, 1921, to go to Au- rora. After a few months, Rev. Charles Tupper Baillie of Plattsburgh, N. Y., was selected to the pastorate and is still in the position. The church has a membership of 800, being the largest church in the Bloomington presbytery.
Outside of Bloomington, the Presbyterians have a number of churches in other places in the county, some of which have been in existence from very early times. The list of churches of this denomination and their present pastors are as follows: Chenoa, Rev. Mr. Owen; Cooksville, va- cant; Danvers, Lewis C. Voss; Downs, vacant; Heyworth, W. R. Gibbons; Leroy, Thomas G. Melton; Lexington, Frank A. Campbell; Two Towanda, D. K. Campbell, stated supply ; Stanford, Loyal W. Madden. There is a flourishing Presybterian church in Normal, of which Rev. Henry B. Wood- ing is the pastor. He succeeded Rev. Henry Abraham, who occupied the pulpit for many years. Prior to Rev. Abraham's term, the minister was for a number of years Rev. W. D. Smith. A long line of earlier ministers made the pulpit famous. The Presbyterian church used to stand on Ash street next to the public school building. When the school board bought the lot, the church was moved away and made into residences. The mem- bership at about this time effected a merger with the Congregational church of Normal, which had existed many years. The two churches took over the site of the Congregational building and there erected a very handsome modern church, which is occupied today.
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