USA > Illinois > Stark County > History of Stark County, Illinois, and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 20
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The North Side building, which was erected about the same time, is well located for the accommodation of the people living in the north- ern part of the city. It ocenpies an elevated site on Madison Street, extending from Seventh Street to Galena Avenue, and when first built had a capacity of over two hundred pupils, although less than that mimber were enrolled upon the opening of the school in Septem- ber, with S. S. Wood as principal. The South Side building is situated at the southeast corner of Fifth and Main streets, facing the publie square as laid out by General Thomas when he established the original town. The value of the two buildings is approximately twenty thon- sand dollars. During the school year of 1914-15 eleven teachers were employed and the mmiber of pupils in aetnal attendance was about four hundred.
SCHOOL OFFICERS
When Stark County was organized in 1839. the law of Illinois provided for an official ealled a school commissioner, whose duty it was to take charge of the public schools of the county, investigate the qualifications of teachers, ete. In 1865 the office of sebool commis- sioner was abolished and that of county superintendent of schools created. Following is a list of those who have held these offices in Stark County:
School Commissioners-James Holgate, 1840; Charles II. Miner, 1841: James B. Lewis, 1845: Samuel G. Wright, 1849; R. C. Dumm. 1855: Nelson F. Atkins, 1861 (re-elected in 1863 and died before the expiration of his second term. John W. Agard being appointed to fill the vacancy).
County Superintendents-B. G. Hall, 1865; Alonzo B. Abbott.
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1873: Amelia L. Halsey, 1877: William R. Sandham. 1882; George O. Frank, 1898 (resigned and W. R. Sandham appointed for the un- expired term) ; Mary P. Edmunds, 1902; George C. Baker, 1906 (still serving in 1915).
TEACHERS' INSTITUTE
William Nowlan. in a paper read before the Stark County Teach- ers' Association some years ago, said: "It is not certain when the first institute was held in Stark County, but it was about 1852 or 1853, while S. G. Wright was school commissioner. Rev. A. Lyman. of Geneseo, was the conductor. and Rev. R. C. Dunn afterward stated that it was the first county institute held in the State of Illinois."
Some meetings of the teachers had been held prior to that time, but Mr. Nowlan expressed the opinion that the first regular institute was held in October, 1852. That was the beginning of the institute sys- tem that has since been of such great benefit to the teachers in bringing them together for the purpose of getting acquainted and adopting a uniform method of teaching throughout the public schools. In recent years an appropriation is made from the public- a fund to defray the expenses of an institute (by fee of $1) which lasts for one week or more each year. just before the opening of the sehools. The institute for 1915 was held in August, in the East Side school building at Tou- lon. under the management of George C. Baker. county superintend- ent. Prof. H. E. Waite, of Princeton, Ill .. and Miss Mary L. Robinson. of the Peoria public schools, were the conductors.
TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION
According to William Nowlan. in the paper above referred to, the Stark County Teachers' Association was first organized in 1858, and was reorganized in October. 1859. by a few teachers who met for that purpose at the house of Rev. R. C. Dunn a short time after the close of the institute for that year. Then began a propaganda. which re- sulted in a majority of the regular teachers of the county becoming members of the association. Through this association fraternal rela- tions have been kept up among the teachers. the meetings being less formal than those of the county institute, each member feeling per- feetly free to express his views or to eriticize those of his fellow teachers.
W. R. Sandham, of Wyoming. still has in his possession the paper read before the association by Mr. Nowlan. in which is related a num-
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ber of anmising incidents that show the character of the early schools. One of these ineidents tells how a boy of some fourteen years of age was discovered "doing sums" in compound numbers, whereupon the teacher, a young lady of slight experience and limited edneation, sent word home that the boy need not bring his arithmetic to school any more. because she had "never been any farther than long division and had not been employed to teach arithmetie, any how."
Another incident told by Mr. Nowlan is of a reading contest at one of the meetings of the association. C. J. Gill, commonly called "Jud" Gill. won the prize, reading the poem of the Spider and the Fly, illustrating the actions of the insects by what he supposed were ap- propriate gestures. At the elose of the reading Rev. G. A. Leaver "asked for information" if "Jud's" rendition of the poem was an elocutionary or a gymnastie exereise.
From this it will be seen that the teachers were not too dignified to enjoy a little levity now and then in their sessions. The association organized more than half a century ago is still kept up, regular meet- ings of two days being held in the winter or spring every year, the teachers being paid by the county the regular two days' wages for attending the association meetings.
THE PRESS
The newspaper is unquestionably an important factor in the edu- eational development of the nation. Through the dissemination of general news the people are kept in touch with the world's progress, and by the publication of special artieles on scientifie, industrial, economie or domestic subjects every household is more or less benefited. It is therefore considered appropriate to inelude in this chapter some account of the newspapers of Stark County-past and present.
Dr. Franklin W. Scott, of the University of Illinois, in 1910 eom- piled a list of the newspapers of Illinois by counties, which list was published in the Historical Collections for that year. He states that the first newspaper ever published in the state was the Illinois Herald, the first number of which was issued at Kaskaskia in May, 1814, by Matthew Dunean "Printer to the territory and publisher of the laws of the Union." The oldest number of this paper in existenee is No. 30, dated Wednesday, December 13, 1814. Mr. Duncan was a Ken- tuckian by birth, a brother of Governor Joseph Dunean and a grad- nate of Yale College. He served in the Black Hawk war and died at Shelbyville, Ill., January 16, 1844. He was the pioneer journalist of Illinois.
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The first newspaper in Stark County was the Prairie Advocate. the first number of which appeared on January 4, 1856, bearing the names of John G. Hewitt as editor and John Smith, printer and pub- lisher. Prior to that time Mr. Smith had been conducting a news- paper at Pekin. Mr. Hewitt interested a number of the Toulon citizens, raised a bonus of $300. with which he went to Pekin and induced Smith to remove to Stark County. The old style type used in the production of that first number of the Prairie Advocate could hardly find a place in a newspaper office of the present day. and the press upon which it was printed is said to have been the third printing press ever brought into the state. After a few months Smith sold his interest to Hewitt. who continued the publication of the paper until 1857. when he sold to Rev. R. C. Dunn, who changed the name to the Stark County News.
After a few months Mr. Dunn sold the News to Whitaker & Hen- derson. who placed Dr. S. S. Kaysbier in charge as editor. About the elose of the year 1860 the paper suspended publication. but in the fall of 1861 it was revived by W. H. Butler, who named it the Stark County Union. Mr. Butler undertook to run a paper of strong union sentiment. but without being partisan. The result was the Union was short-lived.
In the spring of 1863 the Stark County News was resumed by Dr. S. S. Kayshier, who in January. 1864. associated with him Oliver White. In July of that year Mr. White purchased his partner's in- terest. becoming sole proprietor. A half interest was sold to Joseph Smethurst in the fall of 1868 and the next spring Mr. White sold his interest to Edwin Butler. Several minor changes in ownership and management then followed until it passed into the hands of Charles T. Henderson. In October. 1897. the News was purchased by Charles E. Nixon, of Peoria, and James A. Nowlan, the latter becoming sole owner and proprietor by the purchase of Mr. Nixon's interest in 1904. In January, 1915, Mr. Nowlan purchased the Galva Standard, and about the first of November following bought the Galva News, con- solidating the two papers, which after January 1. 1916, were pub- lished under the name of the Galva News. He is still the owner of the Stark County News, however, which paper receives his personal attention.
While the political campaign of 1860 was in progress, some of the democrats of Stark County keenly felt the need of a party organ. Accordingly a meeting of the Douglas Club on July 6. 1860. started the preliminary steps toward the publication of the Stark County
.
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Democrat. A stock company was organized, with the understanding that if the paper should become self-supporting the remainder of the stoek should be paid in and used for printing and distributing Douglas literature. The subscription price was fixed at 30 cents for the cam- paign. The first number of the Demoerat made its appearance on July 19, 1860, with the following editorial staff: Martin Shallenber- ger. chief: G. A. Clifford. W. H. Butler, Charles Myers, Benjamin Williams, J. II. Anthony, J. B. Russell. W. D. Hieks and Thomas Ross, assistants. This was rather an imposing array of editorial talent for a small town like Toulon, but it must be remembered that none of the editors drew a salary, donating their services "for the good of the cause."
The paper was printed in Kewanee and in the issue of November 3. 1860, appeared the following notice: "PAY UP! We shall pub- lish one more number of this paper, giving the full election returns throughout the United States, when the Democrat will no longer be published. We expect every man who is in arrears will pay up now." The Democrat was 13 by 19 inches in size and contained very little except polities, the principal aim of the paper being to keep the demo- cratie party supplied with ammunition until the election.
Seth F. Rockwell began the publication of another Stark County Democrat on August 2. 1867. with Martin Shallenberger as political editor. It appeared regularly until Christmas day, when the publisher announced that it would be suspended until after the holidays. The next number was issued on January 8, 1868. Mr. Rockwell retired in August of that year and the paper came under the editorial manage- ment of Mr. Shallenberger and Benjamin W. Seaton, who in Novem- ber changed the name to the Prairie Chief. The paper was owned by a company composed of Benjamin Turner, Patrick Nowlan. James Nowlan, Martin Shallenberger and Branson Lowman, who bought from John Smith the press that had been used in the publication of the first Stark County News in 1856. In 1869 Mr. Seaton purchased the outfit and continued the publication of the Chief until the spring of 1872, when he sold to Dr. Ilenry M. Hall. He changed the name to the New Era and published until January, 1876, when he removed to Red Oak, Iowa, and Stark County was without a democratie paper.
The Stark County Sentinel, another Toulon newspaper that ae- quired some prominence, was first issued on October 8, 1880, by W: E. Nixon and Thomas H. Blair. On the last day of April, 1881, J. Knox IIall suceeeded Mr. Blair, and in May, 1882, Mr. Ilall became sole owner. On January 1. 1884. Gus Hulsizer purchased an interest, but
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the partnership between Hall and Ilulsizer was dissolved on February 13, 1885, the former retiring from the paper. Under the manage- ment of Mr. Hulsizer the Sentinel became a strong advocate of pro- hibition, which poliey was followed until circumstances forced it to suspend.
Wyoming's first newspaper was started in 1872, when E. H. Phelps, at the earnest solieitation of some of the citizens of the town, began the publication of the Post-Chronicle. The name was adopted by reason of the fact that the Bradford Chronicle, which had been started a few months before, had already acquired some eireulation in the eastern townships and it was consolidated with the Wyoming Post, the name selected by Mr. Phelps for his paper. The first number of the Post-Chroniele was issued on Angust 9, 1872. A few months later the latter part of the name was dropped and the paper continued under the name of the Wyoming Post.
In 1876 Phelps sold out to J. D. Gilchrist, who eondueted the paper until some time in 1879, when it was purchased by Craddock & Vosburg. In 1885 this firm was succeeded by W. R. Sandham. Con- nected with this paper was one of those newspaper controversies that frequently oeeur over the question of "good will" and the exclusive right to a certain territory. It is said that when Mr. Phelps sold out to Gilchrist he agreed not to publish a paper in Stark County for five years. On July 2, 1880, he issued the first number of the Toulon Herald, but early in 1881 removed the office of publication to Wyo- ming. Mr. Sandham went into eourt and asked for an injimetion against the publication of the Herald, but finally solved the problem by purchasing that paper and consolidating it with his own under the name of the Wyoming Post-Herald.
W. E. Nixon and J. M. Newton purchased the Post-ITerald in 1889 and eondueted it until August, 1895, when Mr. Nixon became sole owner. In 1902 Mr. Nixon was elected county clerk and on January 1, 1904, he sold a half interest to Harrison Thomas. A little later William G. and Gladstone Moore purchased the entire outfit and continued the publication of the paper under the firm name of Moore & Son. In November, 1914, the Post-Herald was bought by Seott Brothers, the present proprietors.
The Bradford Chronicle above mentioned was founded by B. F. Thompson, editor. E. II. Edwards, publisher, in the fall of 1871. It was printed at Princeton until it was consolidated with the Wyoming Post in Angust. 1872. The Bradford Times was first issued on Christmas day in 1880, with F. N. Prout as editor. It was not printed
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in the village. The first newspaper to be printed in Bradford was the Bradford Independent, the first number of which was issued on June 4. 1885, by C. F. Hamilton and J. C. Blaisdell. On June 1, 1886, Mr. Blaisdell retired, leaving Mr. Hamilton sole owner. Subse- quently Mr. Blaisdell established the Bradford Republican, which he sold to R. L. Breen, the present editor and publisher, in the spring of 1907.
EXTINCT NEWSPAPERS
Several of the newspapers above enumerated passed out of exist- ence after a short time, and there were some other ventures in journal- ism that failed "for want of adequate support." One of the earliest of these evaneseent publications was the Ku Klux Bulletin, which first made its appearance on May 7, 1869, with the motto "Chide mildly the erring." The editorial staff was announced as "White Alligator," "Rattling Skeleton" and "Grand Cyclops," supposed to have been Charles W. Wright, Albinus Nance (afterward governor of Ne- braska) and Thomas Shallenberger. The Bulletin was published at Toulon and in the salutatory its principles were set forth as follows:
"Our Bulletin is not a religious paper. Others may prate of the orthodox, the martyrs and the clergy; of the peace and happiness of religion, and spiritual comfort ; but we prefer to deal with the human creatures about us. We do not confine ourselves to any seet or creed; we are on the side of reform, and our field of labor is as broad as the universe. Toulon needs reorganizing and we attempt to reorganize her. Let us hope that we may meet with better success than Artemus Ward, when he attempted to reorganize Betsy Jane."
But the Grand Cyclops and his editorial associates found the work of reorganization a difficult task and after publishing the Bulletin for a short time let it die a natural death.
In 1876 Oliver White commeneed the publication of the tri-weekly newspaper to which he gave the name of Molly Stark. Mr. White's notion of a newspaper was to avoid "boiler plate," or "patent insides," and publish paragraphs of local interest or articles giving the pith of the latest news. The Molly Stark was unflinchingly republican in its political views and its mission seemed to be the election of James G. Blaine to the Presidency. Bill Nye, the humorist, used to tell of a printer who went bankrupt trying to run a noupareil newspaper in a long primer town. Mr. White had a similar experience with a tri- weekly paper in Toulon. Although he did not become bankrupt, he found the Molly Stark an unprofitable enterprise and discontinued its publication.
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The Stark County Bee was started at Wyoming, contempora- neonsly with the Molly Stark, by M. M. Monteith. It was published as an independent paper, though it was noticed that its leanings were strongly toward the republican party. Such a policy alienated the democrats, while the republicans wanted a paper more prononneed in principle, hence, as one old resident of Wyoming expresses it. "the Bee soon ceased to buzz."
Another tri-weekly paper was the Call, published by Nixon Brothers at Toulon. The first number bore the date of March 20, 1883, and after a few issues was published semi-weekly. The last number of the Call was issued on August 16, 1883.
In October, 1883, S. A. Miller began the publication of the Lafay- ette Annex. The name was changed to the Lafayette Sentinel in June. 1884, but Mr. Miller learned that a change of name did not enlarge the field for his paper and a little later the Sentinel sucenmbed to the inevitable.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Col. Robert G. Ingersoll once said: "A house with a library in it has a soul." The same thing might be appropriately said of a town or eity. The publie library has been one of the most potent agencies in recent years in furnishing many people with the means of acquiring information upon a multitude of subjects-information they might never have gained through other channels. The people of Stark County apparently recognize the importance of the publie library as an educational factor, as there are four libraries maintained at publie expense, viz: Toulon, Wyoming, Bradford and Lafayette.
'The first mention of a library in the official records of the county was on July 16, 1851. when the County Court ordered that George A. Clifford be permitted to use the room in the courthouse "at present occupied by the Toulon Social Library, provided that an arrange- ment can be effected with those interested in said library, if not the said Clifford shall be permitted to use either of the jury rooms during the vacation of the Cireuit Court, upon payment of $1 per month."
The Toulon Social Library was not a publie library, but was a small society, the members of which contributed a certain sum annually for books to be eireulated among themselves, or rented to others for a small weekly fee.
Wyoming was the pioneer in the movement to establish a publie library. About the year 1890. while yet a village, some of the people inaugurated a movement for the establishment of a public library. by
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inducing the village trustees to call an election to vote on the proposi- tion to establish such an institution. A majority of the votes were opposed to the measure and the subject was dropped.
In the early part of 1907 the Tuesday Club, at several of its meetings discussed the subject of a public library, the discussions finally culminating in the appointment of Albert W. King and Rev. William Moore a committee to present the matter to the city council. They personally appeared before the council, but the time was appar- ently inopportune. The councilmen listened attentively to the com- mittee, but declined to act. The Tuesday Club, however, continued the agitation and on October 29, 1907, Mrs. Harry A. Hammond, Mrs. William Holgate and Mrs. William H. Hewitt were appointed a committee to investigate the practicability and suggest a plan for the establishment of a public reading room, as a sort of forerunner of a public library.
The committee held several meetings, but nothing was accom- plished until December, 1908, when a reading room was opened in the basement of the Scott, Walters & Rakestraw bank building. The reading room was supported by subscriptions and it was hoped interest enough would be aroused to lead to the establishment of a public library. But after a few mouths the reading room was discontinued, chiefly for lack of suitable quarters. The library question, like Ban- quo's ghost. would not down, and during the next three years it was repeatedly discussed at the meetings of the Tuesday Club and in the columns of the Post-Herald. In 1912 the Women's Christian Ten- perance Union, the Ladies' League of the Catholic Church, the Merry Makers' Club and the Birthday Club all became interested in the subject and with the Tuesday Club joined in the formation of the Wyoming Woman's Library Association, with Mrs. Eliza Steer as president and Mrs. Nellie K. Reeder, secretary and treasurer.
Work now began in earnest and the campaign resulted in the pass- age of an ordinance by the city council on July 7, 1913, "to establish a free public library in accordance with the library law of the State of Illinois." A little later the following library board was appointed: William R. Sandham, president; Mrs. Eliza Steer, vice president ; Mrs. Nellie K. Reeder, secretary; Frank Jacobs, William J. Forster, Odillon B. Slane, Abner C. Cooper, Mrs. Cecelia B. Colwell and Mrs. Augustine Ryan. This board on August 18, 1913, applied to the Carnegie Corporation of New York for assistance in erecting a suit- able building for a public library and on November 9, 1913, came a reply that the sum of $5,600 would be donated for a building in Wyo-
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ming, provided the city would furnish a suitable site. Then com- meneed the campaign to procure a site, which culminated on February 24, 1914, by the city voting to issue bonds to the amount of $1,500 for the purchase of a lot. The site selected was owned by a number of heirs and it was not until July 10, 1914, that the deeds were all signed and the city came into possession.
The plans submitted by Reeves & Bailie, architects of Peoria, were approved by the Carnegie Corporation and on July 18, 1914, the con- traet for the building was awarded to F'. L. Boher, of Abingdon, Ill. The heating plant and the plumbing were installed by Brown & Up- perman. of Wyoming. The building is of hollow tile. veneered with a hard mat briek. roof of black Bangor slate, and consists of the main floor and basement. It is 27 by 63 feet in size, the library ocenpying the main floor, while the basement contains an assembly room, store room, space for the heating plant, toilet rooms, etc. It was opened to the publie on April 1, 1915. The total cost of the building, including the heating plant and plumbing, was $6,075, and up to April 1. 1915, the Woman's Library Association had raised $1,140 for the benefit of the institution.
The library board on October 1, 1915. was composed of A. C. Cooper, president ; Mrs. Nellie K. Reeder, secretary: C. A. Smith, A. W. King, J. W. Walters, Miss Mary Colgan, Mrs. Hepsey Ear- hart and Mrs. Bessie M. Strattan. The first librarian, Mrs. Augustine Ryan, resigned on August 1, 1915, and Miss Mary W. Townsend was appointed. The library now contains about twelve hundred vol- umes. It is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons and evenings. The amount of tax levied for its support in 1914 was $534.06 and for 1915 it was $700.
The Toulon Publie Library dates its beginning from January 29, 1891, when James II. Miller and B. F. Thompson filed a petition with the village elerk. George S. Walker, asking the town board to levy a tax in accordance with the state law for the support of a public library. That petition was signed by sixty legal voters and at the town election, April 21. 1891. the proposition to levy the library tax was carried by a good majority.
Nothing further was done toward the actual establishment of the library until April 19, 1892, when a board of six directors was elected. to-wit: B. F. Thompson and Gus Hulsizer, for three years: W. W. Wright and U. J. Overman, for two years; Martin Shallenberger and 'Theodore Baemeister, for one year. In July, 1892, the first year's tax was paid in and found to net $314.21. The directors considered
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this amount too small to do much toward establishing a library and again there was a delay of several months.
At a meeting held in the office of Dr. Theodore Bacmeister on February 2, 1893, Mr. Thompson was elected president of the board of directors. and Doctor Baemeister was chosen secretary. Messrs. Hulsizer, Baemeister and Shallenberger were appointed a committee to draft rules and regulations for the government of the library. Another meeting was held on March 2, 1893, when Messrs. Bac- meister, Hulsizer and Overman were appointed a committee to look for a location and report at the next meeting. The committee re- ported that suitable rooms could be sceured in William Caverly's new block at a rental of $4 per month, and Mr. Hulsizer offered to donate his services as librarian and to keep the library open three evenings each week.
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