USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer County : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc., gathered from mattter furnished by the Mercer County Historical Society, interviews with old settlers, county, township and other records, and extracts from files of papers, pamphlets, and such other sources as have been available : containing also a short history of Henderson County > Part 54
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to Seventh street, and afterward to Richey Brother's old brick build- ing on Fifth street, east of the Aledo house.
Some time after the defeat of Greeley at the approach of the depres- sion of 1873, the greenback party began to materialize ; and besides the political gypsies of the country, many from each of the established parties, from one cause and another, arising mostly out of the pressure of the times, gave adherence and active support to the new party. The " Banner" supported the movement with such vigor that the party promised at one time to become at least second in the county in point of numbers. Arthur was a leader of acknowledged influence. About this time he changed slightly the name of the paper. Dropping the word "Democratic," the title thereafter was "The Aledo Banner." By trenchant articles on the financial abuses of both parties. by public speeches and ingenuous enterprises for increasing his circulation, he brought its reading patronage at one time nearly, if not quite, up to that of the old established " Aledo Record."
But reverses came, or rather culminated. Arthur was young and without experience or capital. His dash and talent brought him admir- ers and even friends ; but only feeble and dilatory material support. Had he known the hollowness of proffered patronage he would never have been tempted into the uncertain field of party politics. He had not then read. with proper interpretation, the history and achievements of Col. Mulberry Sellers, or he would not have leaned on the broken reeds that failed him when the hour of need came.
The net earnings of the " Banner " office were, however, considerable, and from his surplus Arthur added largely to the material of the estab- lishment. But in his confidence he had married a wife : and among the unseen calamities of all lives, it happened that his young wife shortly after took sick of a lingering and incurable disease. Personal distrac- tion from business, and large continued expenses. deprived him of the means of a thorough proseention of his work; and on his invitation. about June 1. 1877, John Geiger was associated with him. and as an equal partner and editor-in-chief changed the paper once more to a straight democratic organ. Arthur's wife died in the ensuing winter; and about May 1, 1878, he sold his remaining half of the office to John Geiger. who again became sole owner of the paper he had established nine years before. Arthur. after settling up his accounts and arrang- ing his financial affairs, went to Colorado, where he has since held several important trusts and established himself in a very respectable and fairly lucrative law practice.
When the " Banner " returned to its original owner, a commodious building was purchased for it on College avenue, where the paper was
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
conducted to the end of its checkered life, which the reader will be pleased to listen briefly to.
During the heated campaign of 1878 for some cause, never fully declared, but generally understood here, Rev. P. F. Warner, who had formerly made some favorable acquaintances here as a preacher of the Congregational church, came on several occasions and offered to buy out the "Banner " office and run it as an independent paper. Geiger having bought the office only with a view of closing up its affairs honorably, now sold to Mr. Warner, reserving one column for the use of the democratic campaign not yet closed ; and on September 20, 1878, the new proprietor took the chair. He was a graduate of Yale Col- lege. He had considerable literary ability ; wrote fine essays on theological and moral subjects for the pulpit, and wrote with some force and elegance on political topics so far as he had made acquaint- ance with them. But he was unacquainted with the details of news- paper making, and was obliged to trust much to employés. He was a good collector and financial manager, and while he held the demo- cratic support turned over to him, the business was prosperous.
But some time in the next year, either with a view of supplanting the " Record " office as an organ, or from some abnormal working of a political conscience, he gave up the independent position, and came out a full fledged republican.
While this movement gave pleasure to some republicans that were not wholly satisfied with the "Record," it gave displeasure to a great number of democratic supporters, who did not think themselves dealt with in entirely good faith. Slowly many of these dropped out, while no material strength was drawn from the other political party.
After the presidential campaign of 1880 had so far developed as to give the democrats hopes of carrying the national election, John Gei- ger was again solicited to give the party a campaign newspaper. To this he assented, but the season was already advanced, and the enter- prise would not admit of delay, nor of an expensive outfit. R. Russell had a neat little job office over W. H. Holmes' hardware store on the avenue. To this was added the old press of the Woodhull enterprise, and a small collection of good material bought of one Remington, who had some time before conducted a little "snide" paper in the professed interest of the local republicans, but really for his bread ; and a few more were obtained from L. F. Jobusch, Jr., who, then only a lad, after experimenting a while with a toy press, started a sheet called the "Democratic Press," which, however, deserves only to be mentioned as the visionary scheme of a boy, abandoned for want of
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means to sustain, or ability to conduct it. He has, however, since occupied an advantageous position of society editor on Carl Pretzel's paper in Chicago. He is a plausible and genial young man. With these fragments added to Russell's job materials, the paper was started about the second week in July ; a seven-column folio, to run six months, for $1 per copy. A circulation of about 500 was gathered up, and the enterprise about paid the expenses, as expected. As the first of January drew near, a strong wish from different parts of the county was expressed that the paper now so nearly established and the party so finely organized should not be separated ; but that with the present basis we should go on and establish a permanent organ for the party in Mercer county. Other new materials were promptly purchased, and the paper which was called " The Aledo Democrat," was enlarged to an eight-column, and the first number issued in Janu- ary, at the close of the campaign edition.
About or near June 1, 1881, the proprietor of the " Democrat " associated with himself R. Russell and George M. Eames, two sober, industrious young men of Aledo, well skilled in newspaper and job printing ; and the new firm of Geiger, Russell & Eames bought out the old "Banner " materials from Mr. Warner, and adding them to the other materials of the "Democrat, " moved all into the "Banner " building, and the " Banner " then ended its singular career and disap- peared, Mr. Warner, its last owner, making another venture in IIa- vana, Illinois.
Few newspapers in the world have had so singlar a history as the " Banner." It is doubtful whether ever before any political paper has gone the rounds, and alternately advocated the tenets of all parties and factions, and repeated its original position, and made the entire cycle in twelve years, and yet received liberal support in nearly all its tortuous course. It proves that our people's minds are flexible ; and further, that a newspaper .is valued more for its news and intelligence and advertising facilities than for its political platform.
In the month of August, 1881, Mr. Russell, of the " Democrat." being offered an advantageous position at Kansas City, sold his inter- est to the senior partner ; and on the first of October so much was transferred to Mr. Eames as to make him an equal partner, and the firm name became Geiger & Eames. The paper is in a fairly prosper- ous condition ; is still democratic, but, as heretofore, liberal, and not trammeled by platforms or the opinions of leaders, and generally finds sufficient scope and liberty within the expansive and elastic folds of its alma mater.
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
ALEDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The first school taught in Aledo was by J. E. Harroun, but in what building we cannot learn. This was during the winter of 1856-7. In the following winter Rev. Bigger opened a school in his residence, at the then south end of College avenue, and known as the Dr. Woods house. It is now the property of E. L. Wolff, and has been thor- oughly overhauled and refitted, and is occupied as a parsonage by Rev. Thomas Stephenson of the first Presbyterian church. In the spring of 1857, the new school-building, now the court-house, was occupied, and Frank Herdman was employed in the capacity of assistant. Mr. H. had no department under his charge, as in the graded system of the present day, but occupied a recitation room, the classes leaving Mr. Bigger's room at stated hours for recitation. We remember Frank as a fine elocutionist, and that his methods of teaching were then far in advance of the age. Mr. Bigger was a man of finished education, and proved himself a good and thorough teacher.
During the two following winters the schools were taught by Mr. Baird and wife of New York. They were earnest Methodists, and made many friends here, especially among the membership of that church. The next term was taught by Mr. Pinkerton, and Misses Morgan, Har- ris and Shutledge, all of Pennsylvania. Joseph McCoy, Mrs. A. M. Young, and Miss Madden, the latter of Monmouth, taught in the win- ter of 1861-2. The two former still reside in Aledo.
During the next year we cannot learn who taught the school, except that Mr. McCoy was principal. About this time a new school build- ing was contracted for and erected ; the one until then used having been refused by the school board, from the contractors or builders, on account of some alleged fault in its erection. It was taken by the pro- prietors of the town, and by them sold to the county at a nominal figure, and has ever since been used as a court-house. School opened in the new building, in block 55, and a part of the one now used, in the fall of 1863, with Mr. MeKay Young, Wm. N. Graham, and Miss Eva Marquis as teachers. Mr. Young is the present police magistrate of Aledo, and Mr. Graham is cashier of the Farmers' Bank. The fol- lowing year Sennit Kirk was principal and Miss Libbie Perkins was one of his assistants. James McMillen presided in 1865-6, assisted by Mr. Pardee, Mrs. Lizzie Porter, wife of John Porter, of the "Record," and Miss Nettie Smith. The latter resigned during the term and Anna McMillen filled the vacancy. During the latter year an addition was erected to the school-house, giving six large class rooms and one recitation room. The entire building is of frame, two low stories in . height; arranged with some view to convenience but no attention
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paid to securing a proper ventilation. In 1866-7, Mr. Pardee was principal, assisted by Mrs. Porter, Miss M. M. Burbank, now Mrs. Wilson, of Keene, New Hampshire, and Miss Emma Stevens, now Mrs. J. H. Abercrombie, of Aledo. J. E. Harroun was principal the following year. Mr. H. was one of the leading educators of our county, and as such, we give elsewhere a brief sketch of his life, so far as it pertains to this history. Mrs. Mary Walker, Mrs. Porter, Mrs. A. M. Young, Misses M. M. Burbank, Emma Stevens, and Anna Manry, were teachers in 1868-9. The latter is now Mrs. Wm. Bunting, of David City, Nebraska. In 1869-70, Sylvanus B. Atwater, now of Greene township, presided, assisted by Miss A. E. Frazier, now county superintendent of schools, Mrs. Porter, Mrs. Young, Misses Eva and Jennie Marquis, and Ella Gailey. C. W. Sherman was principal in 1870, 1871-2, two terms, assisted by Mrs. Young, and Misses Amanda and Tilla Frazier, Miss Burbank, and Miss Belle McCoy, now Mrs. W. L. Duncan, both terms, and Miss Thornton the first term, or a part of it. Mr. Sherman was at that time a local preacher in the Methodist church, but after his work as a teacher ended here, he entered the itineracy, but has since severed his connection with the church and is now a traveling evangelist.
A. U. Barler (now deceased), was principal for three terms, begin- ning in the fall of 1872 and ending in the spring of 1875. Assistants same as the last year except that Miss Barcroft succeeded Miss Bur- bank. Second term Misses Mollie Walker, Ella Gailey, Edith Pruyn, N. A. Campbell, Louisa Merryman and Mrs. Comfort were employed as assistants. Mrs. Comfort and Miss Pruyn resigned early in the term, Miss Marie Hebbard and Miss Olivia Pattison being employed to fill the vacancies.
Alex. Stephens, of Washington, Iowa, was elected principal in 1875, and still holds that position. A full account of his school work will be found in a brief sketch of his life, hereto appended. His assist- ants the first year were : Misses Ella Gailey, N. A. Campbell, Marie Hebbard, Blanche Rutledge, Tilla Frazier and Millie E. Reed, latter of Monmouth. A new department was added to the school this year, and the school-building not being large enough, a small building about one block distant, on the east side of College avenue, was leased and fitted up for a school-room. A year or two prior to this a tax was author- ized, levied and collected, for the purpose of building additional room, but until 1881, the citizens could never agree upon a location, although the question was submitted to them nearly every year. The increase of the enrollment from year to year rendered more departments and more room necessary, and the upper floor of a brick building south of
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
the railroad was leased and fitted up so that it could be used, but the rooms were poorly arranged, and were at the best but a poor excuse and make-shift for a village whose greatest pride is in her churches and her public schools.
Assistants for the following years were :
1876-7 .- Miss N. A. Campbell, Blanche Rutledge, Ella M. Gailey, Marie Hebbard, Emma Crawford, Tilla Frazier, Camilla Reed.
1877-8 .- Same as above, except that Misses M. J. Thomas and Lettie Long took the places of Misses Rutledge and Frazier.
1878-9 .- Misses Campbell, Rutledge, Gailey, Crawford, Hebbard and Reed, and Mrs. M. J. Waterman, and Mrs. T. H. Ennis. The lat- ter only taught three months and was succeeded by Miss N. A. Wilson.
1879-80 .- Misses Campbell, Gailey, Hebbard, Cora D. Harvey, Zerie Miller, May I. Allen, Mrs. Waterman, and Mrs. M. J. Taylor.
1880-81 .- Mr. K. M. Whitham, Misses Campbell, Rutledge, Mil- ler, Frazier, Allen, Mrs. A. M. Hall, Mrs. Waterman.
At the term of 1880-$1, K. M. Whitham was employed as teacher of the grammar department, a position he has since well filled, and which he will doubtless fill during the next term. He is a young man of more than average ability, and should he devote his life to the pro- fession, would make a place for himself among the best educators of the land. He is ntilizing his vacations by reading law in the office of L. D. Holines, and this profession may prove more attractive than that of teaching.
In the fall of 1881 the course of study was advanced to include Latin, German, geometry, trigonometry and book-keeping, and Miss Mary E. Turnbull, of Monmouth, was employed as teacher of these branches and assistant principal, a position which she was well quali- fied to fill and the duties of which she discharged in an eminently sat- isfactory manner.
The teachers for the past term were : Alex. Stephens, principal ; Miss Mary E. Turnbull, assistant ; K. M. Whitham, grammar depart- ment ; Miss Campbell, fourth intermediate ; Miss Rutledge, third intermediate ; Miss Zerie Miller, second intermediate ; Mrs. A. M. Hall, first intermediate ; and the Misses Mary I. Allen and Tillie Matthews, primary departments.
Enrollment for school year 1881-2, 460. The school is fitted up with maps, globes and other apparatus ; a human skeleton and ana- tomical charts have been added recently, and also a collection of insects and other zoological specimens.
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The first students graduated were in the class of 1878, and were the following : Sadie Eames, Clarence Fargo, Una Evans, Hilma Lundblad, Leota Hause, Norma Pepper, Mamie Cunningham.
1879 : Zerie Miller, Emma Ives, O. T. Moore, Lizzie Hause. Retta Galloway, Fred. Hollenback, L. W. Thompson, Harvey S. Pyles, Will. H. Morrison, Cassie Thompson, Kittie Lynch.
1880 : Mattie Evans, Fannie Porter, Grace Pitts, Mable Pepper. Rosa Wolff. Hulda Lundblad, Will McKenney, Lou. L. Walker, Horace Edwards.
1881 : Lonie Wright, Georgia Cole, Flora Harvey, Eda Hudson, Minnie Leet, Lizzie Porter, Alma Bickett, Zoe McCoy, Logan Stepli- ens, Robert McKinney, John McKinney, Frank Edwards, Fred Strong, Amos Cole, George Strong, Frank Evans.
Miss Zerie Miller, one of the teachers above mentioned, is worthy of special mention, as she is a graduate of the school in which she has so long held her present position. The circumstances of her widowed mother were such that an academic or collegiate course was entirely out of the question, but she early set to work to fit herself for teach- ing, and by untiring labor and a happy tact in making the most of the advantages within her reach, she has attained a success beyond her brightest anticipations.
Miss May I. Allen, who has taught one of the primary depart- ments for the past three years, resides in Warren county, adjoining the Mercer line. Her education has been liberal, and she is peculiarly fitted in nature and disposition for the position. She is the friend. playmate and companion of the little ones under her charge, and has not only won their hearts, but the esteem of their parents, and her pupils have ever shown a marked and rapid degree of advancement.
Misses Rutledge and Campbell have long held positions and have proven excellent teachers. Mrs. HIall has just closed her second term in a most satisfactory manner, while Miss Matthews, in her single term, has well earned the esteem of the school patrons.
In 1881, by vote of the people, the directors were authorized to borrow money to build additional school-buildings, to levy a tax to re- pay the same, and block 101, south of the railroad, was selected and purchased for a school site. Dissatisfied parties procured an injunction against building there, which, though not sustained in the courts, de- layed the work until too late to build last year. In the spring of this year (1882), a petition signed by over 200 of the voters of the district, was presented to the directors asking them to call an election to vote upon the question of rescinding the vote selecting block 101 as a school site, and authorizing the erection of a building large enough to
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
accommodate the entire district, upon block 55, the present school site. The election was held, and both propositions carried by decisive majorities. Another election was held upon the question of purchas- ing the east half of the block, but this was defeated. The directors are now receiving bids for the erection of a building of which the following, compiled from the plans and specifications, is a description, and is an extract from an article prepared by the writer and published in the Aledo "Record" of July 5, 1882: The building is to be of brick, with stone foundation, 73 feet 10 inches by 65 feet 6 inches on the ground, with vestibule on east and west sides each 33 feet by 10 feet 5 inches, and on the south 19 feet by 5 feet 9 inches, the two former running to top of building, the latter only to top of basement. In the basement will be two class-rooms, each 31×23 feet, with ceiling 10 feet 2 inches high ; two fuel and storage rooms, two large furnaces for heating, closets, halls, stairways, etc. The first and second floors will each contain four class-rooms, two 32× 23 feet each and two 31 × 23 feet each. The second floor will contain in addition a recitation room over north hall 15×17 feet, and principal's reception room and appa- ratus room over east hall. The ceilings on both floors will be 13 feet high. Separate doors, halls, stairways and closets are provided for boys and girls, two closets for the pupils and one for the teacher con- nected with each room. Ample ventilation of the most approved kind is provided for, in the shape of cold and fonl air ducts. Doors and windows are to be stone capped. The halls are provided with huge folding or double doors, opening either out or in. A large belfry and cupola, with iron coping on the roof, completes the description. The specifications require the best of work and the use of the very best material. The floors are to be of southern yellow pine, of boards not more than + inches in width. Those of the two upper floors are to be made double, the inner one being covered with 1} inches of mortar, for the purpose of deadening the sound. The floors do not lie directly upon the joists, as in ordinary buildings; the latter are crossed with furring two inches square, and the floors laid on these, lengthwise with the joists. The furnace rooms are to be floored and covered with brick. All rooms are to be provided with blackboards on two walls, to be made of slate from a Pennsylvania quarry, to be in slabs 7×4 feet in size and 4 inch in thickness, to be bedded in flush with plaster- ing and just above the wainscoting. The specifications certainly call for one of the best arranged school-buildings in western Illinois, one of which any community may well feel proud; just what the schools of Aledo deserve and what the district needs.
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PROF. ALEX. STEPHENS.
The subject of this sketch was born December 16, 1840, in Perry county, Pennsylvania, and was the second child of William L. and Margaret (Elliott) Stephens, and was reared on his father's farm until the age of fifteen years, when he commenced a course at the Market- ville academy in the summers and teaching during the winters. He graduated in 1856, and for the next two years had charge of the math- ematical department of that institution.
In 1859 he entered Bloomfield college, in the same county, and completed the classical course in 1862. He then commenced the study of medicine, but, for what he deemed good reasons, abandoned it at the end of six months, and in the fall of 1863 entered the State Normal school, where he spent a year in special training for a teacher. He taught at various points in his native state until 1872, when he emi- grated to Washington, Iowa, and accepted the principalship of the South Ward school. which he held until 1875, assisting also in the conduct of the county Normal school. In the latter year he moved to Aledo and took charge of the public schools as principal, a position he has held until the present time, and which he has been offered for the coming term. During his administration the standard improvement in the school has been greatly advanced, and it now ranks among the best in the state; has risen high in the favor of the people, and of his colaborers in the profession, and has secured a substantial and endur- ing reputation as an educator. He is of a genial, kindly disposition, earnest and thorough in any work he undertakes, and a man calculated not only to make friends, but also to keep them.
In 1865 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Leonard. They have but one child, Logan, now in his sixteenth year. They have here a commodious and well furnished residence where they are ever pleased to meet any and all of their hosts of friends, and are never happier than in dispensing their hospitality.
The graduates of the school give to Prof. Stephens the utmost credit and veneration for his kindly direction and assistance during their school days, and are ever warm in their expressions of gratitude and appreciation.
The work accomplished by him in and for the Aledo public schools is outlined in the following extract from a report of the last commence- ment by the writer of this sketch, and published in the Aledo "Record" of May 24. 1882. It speaks for itself: "For the school year of 1875 and 1876 the enrollment was 360; last year it was 470. During the first there were 5,679 days of absence, last year but 1,832; cases of tardiness first year 1,708, last year only 45; neither absent or tardy
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first year 12, last year 123; over forty per cent failed to pass for ad- vancement the 'first year, less than twenty per cent failed last year ; per cent of punctuality first year eighty, last year ninety-nine and ninety-nine one-hundredths. We do not believe that there is another school in the state that can show such a record as this last item. And punctuality means nine o'clock in the morning and one o'clock in the afternoon, not one or two minutes after these hours. There have now been fifty- two certificates of graduation issued within the past five years. Of those holding them sixteen are now or have been teaching, and six hold first grade certificates from the county superintendent. The certi- ficates are for the scientific course, which includes orthography, read- ing, penmanship, arithmetic, English grammar, geography, United States history, zoology, botany, natural philosophy, algebra, composi- tion, civil government, and word analysis. We have good reasons to be proud of our schools, proud of our principal, proud of his assistants, and proud of the graduates. We believe that the Aledo public schools equal, if they do not surpass any in the state."
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