USA > Illinois > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 30
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The early English settlers, being far separated from each other did not enjoy any school privileges until about the year 1810, when school houses were erected at Shiloh, Turkey Hill, and one or two other places. The school buildings of that early day were but small as compared with the comfortable houses to be found in every school district of the county to-day.
A brief description of the first school-house erected on Turkey Hill will not be out of place here, and the accompanying cut will help to give our readers an idea of the temples of learning-the " Old Log " school-houses "-in which the pioneers of this section were wont to woo the goddess of wisdom. The structure was a one story log house, with clapboard roof and puncheon floor. It had
windows of greased paper to admit the light, a portion of a log being left out on each side to make room for this substitute for glass. A large fire-place extended across the entire rear end of the room, in which on cold days a roaring fire of logs piled high sent out heat to warm the school-master's legs, who took good care to have his seat in the warm corner of the room. The fine desks of
modern days had no place there; but slabs fastened up around the sides of the house by pegs driven into the logs answered as writing and ciphering tables, while puncheon benches served for seats: The pupils all faced the wall when studying, but ranged themselves in' a semi-circle in front of the fire-place when called out to recite .--
110
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
In those primitive days, the varied apparatus to be found in most of our school-houses at the present day had no place. No maps graced the walls, neither did a globe or Webster's Unabridged have a place on the teacher's desk, if desk there chanced to be- No disagreeable chalk dust filled the room, for no blackboard was used. The three R's-Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic-were the principal studies, the writing being done with goose quills. There are only two log school-houses in the county now, and they have been so modernized, that a stranger visiting them would hardly discover the fact. The writer commenced his career as a teacher twenty-one years ago in an adjoining county in just such a school- house as the one above described, the paper windows excepted, and well does he remember how the hogs, quarreling beneath the floor, would occasionally, and unceremoniously too, raise a portion of the floor, and with their squealing, disturb the quiet of the school-room and the serenity of the teacher.
The early schools of the county were subscription schools ; the teachers generally boarding round from house to house among the patrons of the school, and receiving their salary in money or pro- duce. The school-houses being few and far between, it was no un- common thing for the pupils to have to trudge three, four or even five miles, morning and evening, to get a little schooling. The teachers generally were poorly educated, if the stories told of them are to be believed, and in many instances sadly needing to be taught themselves. Most of them were proficient in wielding the rod, and it is related of one by the name of Daily, that he would occasionally get drunk during school hours, and vary the programme of exer- cises by whipping the whole school, beginning on his own poor boys first, by way of getting his hand in. In his sober hours " book-keeping " was his hobby.
Among the first teachers of whom we have any knowledge, was one Sinclair by name, who taught in Belleville, and also at Turkey Hill, about the year 1815. It is related of him that, being locked out of the school by the boys, who demanded a Christmas treat, he refused to treat and amused himself by marching around the school- house, every morning, for nearly a week with an old sword strapped to his waist and an old musket on his shoulder, threatening dire destruction to the boys within. The boys "held the fort," and in the teacher's absence, occasionally sent out one of the number for supplies of food. At the end of the week Sinclair, having enjoyed the fun to his satisfaction, gracefully yielded, and stood treat to apples and cakes.
Another teacher at the same school and ou a similar occasion, thought to get ahead of the boys and gain an entrance to the school by mounting the roof and tearing off the clap-boards. The boys, however, were too smart for him. They smoked him down, and got the treat for their smartness.
In 1823, Elihu Shepard of New York settled in this county, and taught school at Turkey Hill and Belleville. He was well edu- cated, and of a kind and genial nature. He won the esteem of his pupils, which he retained through the rest of his life. He removed to St. Louis at the age of sixty years, and investing his savings in some real estate, became a millionaire by its rapid rise in value. He did much for the advancement of education during his stay in this county.
The venerable Wm. Mcclintock, of Belleville, in 1824, taught a school a few miles south of Belleville, but he abruptly terminated his engagement there the day before Christmas, owing to the boisterous conduct of the boys, who demanded a treat, some want- ing a gallon of whisky, and others candy and nuts.
About the year 1824, a Mr. Gallop taught school in Belleville, and afterward at several other places near by. Ile was a married
man, and received his tuition fees in whatever the people liad to give him, taking chickens, ducks, colts and calves for his labors as school-master. Often he would leave a monitor to look after the school while he fed and curried the colts. As his name indicates he was too fast to stay long in one place. Loud studying was the, order of his school-room, and in spelling matches, which were fre- quent, the pupils yelled out the words at the top of their voices.
During the winter of 1810 and 1811, a school was taught at the house of William Adams, about a mile west of Shiloh, by a Mr. Demmick, a surveyor by profession.
About the year 1820, Mr. Gallop, who taught in various parts of the county, opened a school at what was known as the Kinney place. He also officiated at Shiloh for a term, and in 1824, at Union church, near the present town of Centreville.
The first school-house at Shiloh was built about the year 1811. It was a log structure, similar in all respects to the one already de- scribed. Among the first of its pupils was Mr. Felix Scott, now a resident of Belleville, Illinois.
In 1808, John Bradsby taught a school on Turkey Hill, a little north of what is now the north line of Richland Precinct. No school was kept in that neighborhood from that time till 1815, when Mr. Sinclair, before mentioned, commenced his school in the log building referred to. About the year 1815, John Boucher taught a school in an old house on the Silver Creek, in the Fay- etteville precinct. This school was sustained by subscription. To admit additional light to the school-room on dark days, the roof was so arranged that a portion of it could be raised as a trap door.
In the New Athens precinct, Mr. William Baumann, one of the early German settlers, to provide his own children with a little schooling, opened a school in his own house, and imparted instruc- tion to his own and a few of his neighbors' children.
In the same precinct, Mr. Isaac Hill taught a school of about thirty pupils in the year 1831. The school-house was located on section thirty-four, about two miles south-east of New Athens. Con- trary to the usual custom, Mr. Hill did not have to board round, but had a comfortable home at the residence of Philip Lively. In the same precinct, on Mud Creek, a Mrs. Martha Wilson taught school in 1836, in a log school-house, which was furnished with one leng window, of five panes of glass, instead of greased paper, as many of the early log school-houses were.
In the Ridge Prairie precinct, as early as 1830, there was a log school-house located on the sixteenth section, at which Mr. James H. Lemen taught. Afterward Susan F. Connor, a Boston lady, who had been induced to come west hy Rev. John M. Peck, taught at the same place. She brought with her quite a collection of school apparatus, with which to assist her in her work, consisting of maps, charts, a tellurian, numeral frame, etc. All these things were novelties to the pupils and patrons of the school, for no other school had any thing of the kind.
Schools were also kept about 1830, at the Old Bethel and Old Vernon Baptist churches, located in the same precinct.
In 1804, John Messenger taught surveying, and also kept a uight school near Shiloh. He afterwards became Professor of Mathe- matics at the Rock Spring Seminary.
About 1830, the only school in Lebanon was taught by Dr. Casad.
Among the active workers in the cause of education, between 1830 and 1840, were Rev. Mr. Brooks, C. G. Y. Taylor, and Henry Holbrook.
Eminent among the early teachers of this county was John H. Dennis, a Virginian by birth, who came to Belleville in 1824. He taught private and public schools in Belleville and vicinity for more
111
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
than thirty years, and held the office of County Superintendent of Schools for four years. He was a ripe scholar and a successful teacher. He died in Belleville in 1869. George Bunsen, a devoted disciple of Pestalozzi, who came to this country from Germany in the early days of free school education, gave his energies to the ad- vancement of the Free School idea, and the development of better methods of teaching. He taught at Cherry Grove, and afterwards opened a private training school in Belleville, teaching on Satur- days, in order to give the teachers of Belleville and vicinity an op- portunity of observing and learning his method of teaching. He was a favorite with old and young. Teaching was his life-work, and anything that had for its object the elevation of the humau in- tellect had his hearty support. He held the position of School Di- rector in Belleville for many years, and most of the time was pres- ident of the Board, and ex officio superintendent of the county schools. He was a member of the State Board of Education, and County School Commissioner from 1855 to 1859. He died in 1872.
The first school-house in St. Clair precinct was built in 1831, by Isaac Rainey, A. P. Free, Richard Beasley, and a few others. Its first teacher was John Campbell, who was an ardent wielder of the rod, but it was the fishing-rod. Every day at noon, during pleasant weather, he took his whole school down to the creek, near by to indulge in his favorite pastime of fishing. His compensa- tion was $2.50 per scholar for three months. James Halliday af- terward taught there, and refusing to treat at Christmas time, was bound by the boys and dragged down to the creek for a ducking. When about to be pitched into the water, he wilted and gave the treat.
The first school-house in Richland precinct was built about the year 1830. There were several private schools taught in private houses previous to that time. John M. Scott, at present one of the Supreme Judges of Illinois, taught in the Shiloh precinct in 1844.
One of the most noted of the early educational institutions of the county was the Rock Spring Seminary, established by Rev. John M. Peck, D. D., in the year 1827, and located about three miles north-east of Shiloh. In 1831, the school was closed and removed to Upper Alton, and from it grew the well-known Shurtleff College of that city. It commenced with twenty- five students, which number in a few weeks increased to one hundred. The first principal of the institution was Rev. Joshua Bradley, A. M., and he was assisted by Rev. John .M. Peck, D. D., Professor of Theology, and John Messenger, Professor of Mathe- matics, etc. Among the students were Hon. Ninian W. Edwards of Springfield, Ills., Col. Jas. L. D. Morrison of St. Louis, Col. John Thomas, Wm. H. Stewart, and the late Wm. S. Thomas of Belleville. McKendree College at Lebanon, the Howe Institute at East St. Louis, and the Academy of the Immaculate Conception at Belleville, have each done much to advance education in this county, and sketches of these institutions will appearin this work in their appropriate places.
The Belleville Kindergarten, organized by an association of la- dies, of which Mrs. Matilda Raab is secretary, has been doing good work for "the little ones," since its incorporation in 1874. It has real estate valued at $4500, and apparatus worth $300. During 1880, it had two teachers, enrolled 115 pupils, and maintained school 46 weeks.
The first school districts ever organized in the county were es- tablished by the county commissioners' court, at the June term, 1825, as appears from the record of that date, which is signed by Juhn Stuntz, Abel Fike and William Rutherford, "Esquires, County Commissioners." These districts were Cherry Grove, Union Grove, Turkey Hill, Sugar Creek, Ogle Creek and Mount
Pleasant. They are still in existence, though their boundary lines have been somewhat changed as the townships in which they are located became more thickly settled. They were laid out by the Court ou " petition of several families praying for school privileges according to law." This law, the first school law of the state, was enacted January 15, 1825, and had the following preamble, which shows the estimate placed on general education by the early law- makers of the state :
" To enjoy our rights and liberties we must understand them ; their security and protection ought to be the first object of a free. people; and it is a well-established fact that no nation has ever continued long in the enjoyment of civil and political freedom, which was not both virtuous and enlightened; and believing that the advancement of literature always has been, and ever will be, the means of developing more fully the rights of man, that the mind of every citizen in a republic is the common property of society, and constitutes the basis of its strength and happiness; it is therefore considered the peculiar duty of a free government like ours to encourage and extend the improvement and cultivation of the intellectual energies of the whole; therefore, a common school or schools shall be established in each county of this state."
The districts before mentioned were governed by three trustees who examined and employed the teachers, who received their salary "in cash or good merchantable produce" from the citizens of the dis- trict who had given their consent to support the school, which was " first had and obtained in writing." No one could be taxed to sup- port the school without his consent. White children alone were permitted to attend. The teachers got but little cash for their salaries, often having to take the produce, which they disposed of as they could. Times have changed since then. Now all are taxed to support the schools of the people; black and white children alike enjoy the benefits of the free schools, and the teachers draw their pay monthly in hard cash, or greenbacks.
As the county became settled school districts multiplied, and school-houses began to dot the prairies like islands in the sea, until in 1855, a new school law, with its liberal provisions for education, gave a new impetus to the schools, and the citizens of the county, always strongly in favor of free education, took hold in earnest, and many new districts were organized and new school -. houses erected.
The early school funds received from the state were in State Bank paper, which had to be disposed of by the recipients of it at a considerable discount. The sum of $120.30 in this paper was disposed of by the trustees of Tp. 1 N., 7 W., for $50 in 1842. The first record of funds received from the state was made by Sylvester Merrills, school commissioner, January, 1837, showing that he re- ceived $829.26, at Vandalia, being the quota of St. Clair county for the years 1831, 1835 and 1836.
In 1840 the school fund received from the state was only $1,422.31, in 1860 $13,330.09, and in 1880 it had increased to $21,085.88. The amount of special district taxes collected in 1860 for the support of the schools was $21,244.59, and in 1880 about six times that amount-$127,704.98. In 1860 the total amount expended for all school purposes was $40,596.80, and in 1880 it was $161,298.60. In 1840 the number of persons entitled to school privileges was 7,292, in 1860 it was 11,235, and in 1880 21,421, showing the steady and rapid growth of the population of the county. In 1860 the number of districts was 85 and the number of school-houses 81, which in 1880 had increased to 116 districts, with 138 school-houses; and in the latter year the estimated value of the school-houses and grounds held by the different districts aggregated the large sum of $282,923.00. There were 138 teachers
112
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
employed in 1860, and on the 1st of January, 1880, the teachers of the county numbered 237, being 126 males and 111 females. Sepa- rate schools for colored children are maintained at Brooklyn, East St. Louis, East Carondelet and Ogle Creek. There are only two colored teachers at present employed in the free schools of the county, one at Brooklyn and one at East St. Louis.
The schools of Belleville, East St. Louis, Mascoutah and Leba- non are managed by boards of education, consisting of six members, excepting Belleville, which has a board of nine members. All of the other districts are controlled by boards of directors consisting of three members. The whole number of district school offi- cers is 363.
There are twenty-one townships, seventeen of which are whole ones and four are fractional. Their affairs are managed by Boards of Trustees, consisting of three members and a secretary, who is ex- officio treasurer of the township. The treasurers are elected for two years. Those now in office are as follows, and their terms will expire April, 1882 :
T. 1
N. R. 6 W. Christopher Lischer, Mascoutah.
"
7
Jacob S. Phelps, Shiloh.
Charles Lind, Belleville.
Walter Eyman, .Belleville.
Jacob Yung,. Columbia.
" H. H. Horner, Lebanon.
66
7
8
9
Nicholas Boul, French Village.
Louis Boismenue, East St. Louis. 1849 to 1853, David McFarland, four years.
1853 to 1855, Joseph Hypes, two years.
1855 to 1859, George Bunsen, four years.
1859 to 1863 John H. Dennis, four years.
1863 to 1865, Elihu J. Palmer, two years.
1865 to June 1867,. Augustus Whiting, one and a half years.
2
6
C. D. Hausmann, .St. Libory.
Joseph Flach,. New Athens.
66
8
Louis G. Miller, Hecker.
¥
66
Zaccheus J. Voris,. Waterloo.
2
S
6
John W. Wells, Marissa.
=
7
Henry Knewitz, New Athens.
Township 1 N., R. 7 W., Shiloh, has had but few changes in its treasurers. Dr. Anton Schott, who died in 1870, held the office of treasurer in that township for twenty-four successive years. This township also has the largest township fund in the county, amount- ing to $11,073.59, which it realized from the sale of the original sixteenth section. There are at present no school lands held by the townships, except a small piece of about three or four acres in Town- ship 1 S., R. 7 W., Freeburg, on which there are a few graves. The largest amount, disbursed by any treasurer in 1880, was $43,390.50 by Treasurer Lind of Belleville, and the next largest, $31,121.65, by Treasurer Boismenue of East St. Louis. The first chief school officer of the county, so far as can be ascertained from the official records, was William Moore, who was appointed De- cember 3d, 1833, by the county commissioners to the office of com- missioner and agent for the school fund of the county of St Clair. He held the position one year, and was succeeded December 15th, 1834, by Sylvester Merrills, who filled the office till 1843. Mr. Merrills was a man of considerable ability, and filled several other offices in the county. He was of a genial temperament, and had a speck of fun in his nature, as will be seen from the following entry made by him on a fly leaf of a copy of the Illinois Statutes of 1840, now in the county superintendent's office :
" Taken without liberty from the county clerk's office, June 16, 1840, and found the wisdom of the Illinois Legislature herein mentioned. S. MERRILLS."
Smyth Moore succeeded him, and filled the office from 1843 to 1847, when George C. Hart came into office, and in December 1849 was followed by David McFarland, who held the office of county commissioner of schools for four years. Joseph Hypes took charge of the office in 1853, George Bunsen in 1855, John H. Dennis in 1859, and Elihu J. Palmer in 1863. Augustus Whiting was elected school commissioner in 1865, for four years, but resigned the position in June, 1867, when by appointment of the county court Hon. James B. Slade assumed the duties of the office. He held the office till December, 1873, when John B. Gwillim was chosen to succeed him. Upon the death of Mr. Gwillim, Mr. Slade was again placed in the county superintendent's office by the county board, which occurred February 5, 1875. Mr. Slade continued in the office till December 4th, 1878, when he tendered his resignation previous to assuming the duties of state superintendent of public instruction, to which office he had been elected a mouth previous. The writer, James McQuilkin, by appointment of the county board, assumed the duties of county su- perintendent for one year, and in November, 1879, was elected by the people to fill the unexpired term, closing in December, 1881.
The following table shows the superintendents with their time of official service, and date of first appointment or election :
1833 to 1834, William Moore, one year.
1834 to 1843, . Sylvester Merrills, nine years.
1843 to 1847, Smyth Moore, three years.
1847 to 1849, George C. Hart, two years.
1
S.
6
Charles Karch, .Fayetteville.
Henry Hoffmann,. Freeburg.
=
8
Henry Keim,. .Smithton.
=
9
Jolin F. Breidecker, Millstadt.
¥ 66 ¥
10
Christian Breidecker, Columbia.
June 1867 to 1873, James P. Slade, six and a half years.
1873 to Feb. 1875,. .John B. Gwillim, two and one-sixth years
Feb. 1875 to 1878, James P. Slade, two and five-sixth years.
1878 to- .James McQuilkin,-
The first superintendents, or rather school commissioners as they were styled, examined and paid the teachers ; being custodians of all school funds, and keeping separate accounts with each township. When the school law of 1855 went into force, their duties were ma- terially changed, and they were required to visit and inspect all schools at least once a year. From 1873, to July 1, 1879, there were no official visitations of schools by the superintendent for the purpose of inspection, the law of 1872 having left it optional with county boards whether this work should be done or not. During this time the superintendent's duties were principally confined to office work, one hundred days being allowed him for that purpose. In June, 1879, the county board increased this time to two hundred and fifty days, and directed the superintendent to visit the schools as the law directs. During the present scholastic year every one of the 237 schools in the county has been visited once, and some of them twice, averaging about three hours to each visit, and the dis- tance travelled by the superintendent was about 1200 miles.
The Superintendent is custodian of the county school fund, which is a permanent one, amounting to $1,325, only the interest of which is used for school-purposes. Another source of revenue to the school fund is derived from the fines and forfeitures imposed in the courts and by justices of the peace for violations of statute laws. The amount received from this source in 1880 was $3,461.82. The records of examinations of teachers present but little of inter- est. The superintendents prior to 1859 have left no records in the office of their work in this direction. The superintendents since that time have kept records of examinations, and occasionally wrote
8
9
10
2
=
6
Ernst Tiedemann, O'Fallon.
Wm. R. Begole,. Ridge Prairie.
10
7
7
9
113
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
out a remark or observation opposite a teacher's name. The fol- lowing extracts will show how some of the superintendents felt with regard to those to whom they issued certificates : "Tolerable. I fear his sobriety;" " Very good for so young a man" (age 20); "Pretty good for a youth " (age 18).
From September 16, 1863, to August 20, 1864-war times-all teachers in this county to whom certificates were granted, had to take an " oath of allegiance." Andrew J. Hendon, age twenty-nine, and Miss Sarah E. Collins, age twenty-three, were the first teachers to go through this ceremony, and the last one to do so was Miss Cordelia Critchlow, age seventeen. Of the one hundred and twenty- six male teachers now employed in the county, only ten are under twenty-one years of age, and of the one hundred and eleven females, only six are under eighteen. During war times many of the teach- ers of the county offered their services to their country, so that it was a difficult matter to supply a sufficient number of efficient teachers to carry on the schools. Since that time, the organization of the two state normal schools and numerous private training schools in various parts of the state have afforded to young men and women desiring to enter the teacher's profession, an opportunity of fitting themselves for the better discharge of the arduous and responsible duties of the school-room, and to-day the teach- ers of St. Clair as a body are not surpassed by those of any other county ; three of them, Messrs. Charles A. Singletary, George F. Kenower, and Emil Dapprich hold state certificates. In addition to these three, ninety-six teachers hold first grade certificates, and one hundred and thirty-eight hold certificates of the second grade. An examination for state certificates, conducted by the county superintendent by authority of the state department, was held at Belleville in August, 1880.
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