USA > Illinois > Stephenson County > History of Stephenson County, Illinois : a record of its settlement, organization, and three-quarters of a century of progress > Part 22
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FIRST STONE SCHOOLHOUSE, LENA
LICKARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
term. The whole scheme was a mere makeshift, the best that could be done for the time, and passed into history with first rude shacks built in the wilds of early Illinois. It was not a system at all.
Today it is generally recognized as the duty of the state to provide free public schools for its children. Most men even concede that such a system is an economic necessity-that it is cheaper in the end to tax all the people for the edu- cation of all the state's children, than it is to support them in ignorance and crime. A century ago, the old idea that education was a private rather than a public interest, was breaking down. The ordinance of 1787, voiced the idea of public education when it said: "Religion, morality and knowledge being nec- essary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." Besides, as the state is the agency through which all the people act, the state is the best means for es- tablishing a state-wide educational system.
In 1785, the Congress of the Confederation passed an ordinance establishing for the northwest territory, the present system of land surveys, laying off the county in townships six miles square. This ordinance also decreed that the 16th section, or 1/36 of each township, should be set apart for maintaining public schools in that township. In 1818, when Illinois became a state, congress gave these lands to the new state for the purpose of aiding education. At the same time, 1818, congress also promised 3% of the net proceeds of the sale of all public lands in Illinois after January 1, 1819, to be appropriated by the leg- islature for the encouragement of learning. So, indeed, the beginning of the great public school system of Illinois is to be found in the foresight and in the generous provision of the congress of the United States.
The state was slow to take advantage of its opportunities. In 1825, a law was passed by the state legislature providing for a system of free schools which might be supported partly by public taxation. This law was ahead of public sentiment and was soon repealed. Persistent agitation was necessary to arouse the people and bring public sentiment up to the point of maintaining a system of public schools by general taxation. Among the pioneers of this period were Newton Bateman and Professor W. J. Turner of Illinois College. Provision was made for school township and school district officials. The office of county superintendent of schools was created and the secretary of the state was made ex-officio state superintendent of schools. In 1854, the office of state superin- tendent was created separate from that of secretary of state. Finally, in 1855, 37 years after Illinois became a state, a general school law was adopted which became the foundation of the present school system of the state. The new law provided for free schools by local taxation and aided by the state school funds. This act made it possible for districts to proceed to build and maintain schools. In 1870, a step farther was taken in the new state constitution, which required the legislature to "provide a thorough and efficient system of public schools whereby the children of this state may receive a good common school education.
The constitution requires a school system "whereby all the children of the state may receive a good common school education." The school board in each district must keep a sufficient number of free schools to accommodate all
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
the children of the district and "secure to all such children the right and oppor- tunities to an equal education in such schools."
The first school in Stephenson County was taught by Jane Goodhue in Ran- somville, a mile or so below Winslow, in 1834. In 1836, Thomas Crain, at Crain's Grove, employed Charles Walker to teach his children. Walker was to give them the plain 3 R's, the limited rudiments of an education. Walker received $25.00 a month, and was not a reliable character. He remained several months teaching the children and later developed penchant for stealing horses. He kept this up till 1838, when he was caught and sent to the state prison at Alton. In the summer of 1837, William Ensign conducted a school at the resi- dence of James Timms at Kellog's Grove. During the same year, Nelson Mar- tin, brother of Dr. Chancellor Martin, opened a school in the old log store building on the Pecatonica River, Freeport, not far from the foot of Galena street. This school building was a small log cabin, 14 x 10, seven foot to the eaves, puncheon floor and one window. As the storg goes, the cabin was hauled up town in 1839 and located on Galena street.
Mr. Martin's reputation as a disciplinarian has come down to us in a tradi- tional way. He was exacting and had forbidden skating on the Pecatonica, the penalty being a flogging. A student, John Thatcher, forgot and was caught in the act of violating the Professor's commandment. Mr. Martin gave young Thatcher the extreme penalty, and the boy received such a flogging, that the students all quit school except the children of two families, Davis and Hunt. As it was a subscription school, the teacher's income was thus largely cut off and in a short time the school stopped. Among the students of this school were Frederick, John, Elmus and Thomas Baker; John, Ellen and Elizabeth Thatcher ; Chloe, Ann, Rebecca, Jane, O. P. and W. W. Smith; A. C., Eliza, Sara and Hamilton Hunt; Polly Strockey; Enos and Salome Fowler; Michael Reed and Levi, William and Olive Davis. In the winter of 1838-9, a Mr. Everett reopened the school. Besides the students who had started under Dr. Martin there were Rivers Fowler, W. H. and H. W. Hollenbeck, A. P. Goddard and others. The winter of 1839-40, Frederick Buckley taught the school. The next school was opened by a Miss Wright, in a frame building at the corner of Galena and Chi- cago streets, the present site of Moogk's drug store. Rothilda Buck and Lucinda and Marilla Williams also taught in this house. For a time William Buckley taught a school in Knowlton's addition.
By 1843, the increase in population made a demand for a large and better school house. There was, as yet, no taxation for school purposes and a build- ing was built by popular subscription. It was a frame structure, painted red and cost about.$300. It was located on Van Buren street, a short distance north from the court house.
This one story, one room building 18 x 30, was Freeport's school house till 1850 when the Union school was built on the present site of the High school.
SCHOOLS.
The following from the "Illustrated Freeport, by the Journal, 1896, should be preserved in the history of education in Freeport :
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
"In April, 1843, a site for a school house on the north end of the lot on Van Buren street, next north of the present postoffice, was purchased of, and deeded by Philip Fowler to the township trustees of schools. Upon this ground was erected the same year
THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSE,
a picture of which, as it appeared in 1850, and of the teacher in charge and fifty-five of the scholars attending, appears on the following page. It was reproduced from a daguerreotype Mr. John A. Clark, then clerk of the circuit court, paid $5.00 to have taken, and which he presented to the teacher, Miss Louisa Burchard. This was the only school house owned by the Freeport school district until the erection upon the site of the present high school building of a large two-story brick school house calld the Union school building. Having purchased this new site and levied taxes to build the Union school house, the di- rectors of the district proceeded to organize the Freeport schools upon the graded system. They rented the basements of two of the churches and created three departments-a higher, intermediate and primary. Mr. A. B. Campbell, who had previously taught a private school in Freeport, was employed as principal and given the general supervision of all the departments. The schools were opened April 12, 1850. His assistants in the higher departments with him at first were Miss Emily Jackson, who married John K. Brewster, and later Miss Mary Burchard, sister of the Hon. H. C. Burchard; in the intermediate, a Mr. Lutz and Miss Delia Hyde; in the primary, Miss Louisa Burchard, now Mrs. H. D. Converse, who lives at Maryville, Missouri. The primary department was located in "the little red school house."
It must be difficult to distinguish, and after a lapse of forty-five years, name each pupil in the group, but Mrs. Converse recognizes nearly all, and among them point out several, now men and women grown, who are well known to our citizens. In front of the window, the second boy from the farther end of the row on her right, stands Dexter A. Knowlton, Esq., barefooted, shoes and stockings in his hands. The middle boy of the three sitting in the front row is Steuben Stoneman. On his left, third boy from the end, is John Black, in the rear of whom is Urias Mayer, now deceased. In the same second row, next to Mayer, and on his left, a dark-haired boy with broad forehead, is the Hon. Michael Stoskopf, and on the right stands Charles Green, who became a mem- ber of the Freeport bar, and died two years ago. In the rear, between Green and Mayer, is Fred Norton, afterwards a lieutenant in the United States navy. In the same row, to the left of Stoskopf, the boy with the white shirt front and turn down collar is Peter Lerch, now living in Chicago, and the large boy stand- ing on the steps between him and the teacher is John Rice, a nephew of Asahel W. Rice, then living in Freeport, now in Iowa. The boy standing in the front row, with the belt about his waist, was George Carter, a brother of Mrs. E. L. Cronkrite. Of the four small boys sitting on the steps, the first next to him is Charles Smith; the second, Chancellor Martin, who became a West Point graduate, a lieutenant in the United States army and now lives in New York City; the third is the Rev. David Burrell, the eloquent pastor of one of the
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
leading churches of the metropolis; the fourth is Charles Sweet, a brother of Mrs. J. A. Crain ; not long afterwards he was drowned in the Pecatonica River.
Among the girls on the extreme left is Julia Sweet. The third from her, dressed in White, is Ellen Clark, a daughter of John A. Clark. On her right, just behind her standing between the window and the corner of the school house, is Ellen Carter, the mother of Corporation Counsel William N. Cronkrite. The girl on her right, her face near and below the corner of the window, was Charles H. Rosenstiel's oldest daughter Matilda, who married Dr. Carey, of Beloit, Wis., and died there several years ago. The two taller girls on her right, next to and in front of the window, are Ellen and Josephine Krinbill, now living in Freeport. The girl holding in front of her the large bouquet was Amanda Black, now Mrs. William McHenry, of this city. On her left, next to her, stood W. W. Smith's daughter Mary, who died at her father's home in Freeport a few years later. A glimpse of the face of Mrs. C. H. Chapman (Anna Stibgen) is seen, partly hidden by the boy with folded arms on the left of the door. The girl standing next to the left, her dark hair covering a portion of her forehead, was Eva Tarbox, who afterwards became the wife of the Hon. J. S. Cochran, and who died at Freeport in 1777.
Among the pupils were others who grew up and continued to reside in Free-
1 port, and can be pointed out by Mrs. Converse.
PIONEER EDUCATION.
"The first school in Freeport was held in 1839," says Thomas J. Turner, in 1866 in the "Northwest," "in an unfinished building on Galena street. The pro- prietor needed his room and the school, about a dozen children, moved to the log store on the river. Later, a breaking team hauled the building up town and located it where the Wilcoxen block now stands. The last use of this build- ing was as a cow stable in a dirty alley." A similar fate awaited the old red school house which was moved away and used as a livery stable. Later, both were burned.
SCHOOLS.
In the "Northwest," April 5, 1866, Hon. T. J. Turner said: "It required great labor to get up an interest in schools and education in Freeport. For many years all efforts to create a school fund by taxation were successfully re- sisted. It was painful and amusing, at elections called for that purpose, to see large numbers of poor people who were rich in nothing but children, and who had no property to tax, march up and vote against raising any revenue for school purposes ; while those who bore the burden generally voted the other way. The enemies of taxation for school purposes hoped to win at one election by put- ting out a ticket in favor of an enormous tax, so as to divide the friends of public schools. They were detected, and those who were in favor of a reason- able tax adopted the exhorbitant ticket and it carried."
Mr. Turner also says, "We have been providentially spared the necessity of having academies." He adds, "We were fairly cheated out of the female branch of the Wisconsin & Illinois College of Beloit.
BOLENDER
BLOCK SCHOOLHOUSE BUILT IN 1847 BY WILLIAM KRAPE
THE LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE
LICMARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
The winter of 1845-6, the teacher was D. H. Sutherland. He received $20.00 a month and "boarded round." While the pay seems small, yet in proportion to the times it was quite equal to the pay of the teachers of most one room schools of today. One of the students was a negro boy "Black Abe" employed in the Brewster family. Race feeling was aroused when the Professor seated "Abe" by a white boy, whose mother at once read the "riot act" to the teacher. The teacher found it convenient to change "Abe" and a race war was averted. Abe, however, remained in school. One of the students who attended during Pro- fessor Sutherlands instruction later won distinction as General James M. Schofield.
The first school in Oneco Township was taught by Mr. Bissell P. Bellknapp, a native of Vermont. He came to Oneco in 1839. In 1840, at the house of Anson Denio in the village of Oneco, taught the first school in the township of Oneco.
The first school in Winslow was held in Edward Hunt's wagon shop in 1840. In this primitive school, instruction was given in the rudiments of an education. A wagon shop for a school would not seem so out of place today when schools are paying special attention to industrial training. After a short time a school house was built on a hill southwest of the city, which was used till 1872, when a larger building, a frame structure, was erected. Paul Chandler is supposed to have taught the first school in Rock Grove about 1841. A permanent school was established in section 36, in 1846. About Rock City, the first school was located on the Carnefix farm, but when a village was laid out, a stone school house was built and was opened by a teacher named Searles. The first teacher in Silver Creek Township was Charles Walker who was employed at $75.00 a quarter to teach the children of Thomas Craine. History is uncertain in regard to the first school in Loran Township. It is claimed that the first school was taught at Kirkpatrick's in 1840. Others claim that the first school was es- tablished in 1841, in section 2, near Babb's church, where a Mr. Allison was employed by Reuben Babb, Willian Kirkpatrick and Anson Andrews. Two early pedagogues of Jefferson Township were George Truckenmiller and a Mr. Bonne- man. The first permanent school was in a log school house near the village of Loran. The school at Eleroy was built in 1855. One of the first schools in Ridott ownship was the Select school taught in a log house on the farm of Horace Colburn. In 1855, a frame school was built on the Harvey P. Water's farm and "served 14 years as school, church, lecture room and house of enter- tainment."
In West Point Township, William Waddams first employed a private teacher for his children. In 1840, a log school was built on Luman Montague's farm. In 1849, a log house on the Samuel F. Dodd's farm, near Lena, served as school, with Miss Maria Pickard as teacher. In 1850, a log school was built in what is now Lena, and served till 1854 when the old stone school was built. In 1836, a school was opened three miles north of Cedarville in Buckeye Township. This was a typical log school, no window, puncheon floor and board roof, and in 1840 a one-story frame school was built in Cedarville. One of the early teachers was Isaac Allen of New York, who is still remembered by Capt. Reitzell, one of his students, as a teacher of great force of character. Other early teachers were Miss Julia Putnam and a Mr. Chadwick. In 1853, a school was conducted in the
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
basement of the Lutheran church and in 1855 a two-story brick building was erected by taxation. From 1857 to 1865, a Miss Gorham conducted a private school in Cedarville. Among the early teachers in Waddams township were Fayette Goddard and Adeline Hulbert. In Florence Township, the first school was taught in 1840 by Miss Flavilla Forbes in what was known as the "Academy," James Hart's old log house.
"CORNSTALK COLLEGE," DISTRICT NO. I.
The well known "Cornstalk College," sometimes called the "Block School," and one now known as Eldorado school, was one of the early schools of Stephen- 'son County. It was located in Township 29, north Range 8, and was in Dis- trict No. I. This school district has always been noted for its progressive en- thusiasm and loyalty. In 1907, at Gift's Grove, a home coming celebration was held, attended by former students, teachers and patrons from far and near. At this meeting, C. A. Cadwell read a history of the district, compiled after great industry and with commendable accuracy. This history was pub -. lished and contains pictures of school buildings, teachers and students and citi- zens. In this work the district has set an example that should be followed by every district in the country. The "History of Eldorado," in its 116 pages con- tains a compilation of the history of the district.
The earliest settler was Ezra B. Gillett in 1837. Joab Marton came the same year. A little later came Isaac Kleckner, Mr. Daggett, Mr. Kitchell, Mr. Hoffman and a Mr. Loomis. In 1839, Alfred Cadwell and Walter Bel- knap entered claims, also B. P. Belknap, G. S. Cadwell, Mr. Strader and Mr. Starr. In 1841 Michael Bolender and John Bear entered claims. Ira Winchell came in 1843; Andrew Swarts in 1844; and Wm. Krape in 1840. From this date the neighborhood was settled up by two classes of people, the Yankee and the Dutch. Because of different customs and ideas and more because of a difference of language, the two classes were a trifle slow in mixing properly.
In 1841 a subscription school was opened on the D. C. Gillett claim later pur- chased by Mr. Hoffman. The schoolhouse was a quarter mile south and a quar- ter mile east of the Rocky residence. The first teacher was E. B. Gillett. The following attended the first school: The children of Phillip Wells, Addison, Ottis, Judson, Mellissa, Maria and Jane; the children of Warner Wells, George Paulina and Sopronia; Cornelia Wells; Lorriston and Caleb Roberts; Levi and Matilda Youngs; Edwin and Mary Gillett; Cuyler Gillett; Louis and Frank Bolender; John D. and D. L. Bear. Other teachers were Mr. Hudson, Hiram Lilly and a Mr. Jones who taught the last term in that building in 1846. The summer of 1847, a Miss Hawley taught a school in Mr. Bolender's cabin.
In 1847, the settlers decided to build a new schoolhouse. They elected Ezra B. Gillett, Joseph Baumgartner and Michael Bolender, directors. Each free- holder agreed to furnish the logs round, while others, who were able to use the broad axe, hewed them on two sides. William Krape had charge of the building and on the day of the "raisin," Michael Gift, Michael Bolender, B. P. Belknap and John Bear, Sr., were stationed one on each corner to receive and notch the logs as they were skidded up by the others. After the walls were up, Mr.
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
Krape finished the building. It was 22x28 feet, with two windows on each side and two in each end. To make desks, holes were bored in the wall, strong pins driven in them and hewn slabs placed on the pins. The seats were of the same kind of slabs without backs. In this building school was kept for nine years. Cyrus Howe was the first teacher. He began December 24, 1847, and closed March 22, 1848. It was a subscription school till 1849, when on the 5th of May, an election was held and the citizens voted a 50 cent tax to maintain a school. Oc- tober 6, 1849, G. S. Cadwell, Solomon Kleckner and John Hoffman were elected directors. Asa G. Hemenway was the first teacher supported by taxation. In 1856 the walls were sided with lumber, the room was plastered and green blinds were hung at the windows. The slab desks were taken out and black walnut desks were substituted.
One of the teachers, Dr. E. W. Byers, of Monroe, Wisconsin, it is said, put the bad boys up the hole into a dark attic for punishment. It is also maintained that Dr. W. W. Krape of Freeport would be able to explain the appearance of the attic. At another time while wrestling, one of the big boys, F. C. Belknap. spoiled the teacher's trousers and the professor was compelled to borrow a long coat for the afternoon. Mr. J. C. Potts, a fastidious teacher, kept a bottle of Lyons Catharian for the hair, on his desk. At an opportune time, some of the young lads complicated the oil and used it on their own heads, thinking, no doubt, that this would make the brain wheels run smoothly. Then, so the pro- fessor might not be disappointed, they filled the bottle with molasses and water. When the professor blandly applied the new mixture, the process aroused con- siderable amusement among the mischief makers. The old students still remem- ber the exciting times at the "spelling matches," and declare that several Corn- stalk College students knew Sander's speller from cover to cover. Two of the sharks were William Etzler and Addie Cadwell. For years J. H. Stover kept a singing school every Saturday night. Occasionally the farmers would come in sleds and cutters and haul teacher and school several miles over the snow to visit another school. Thus, besides the learning that was acquired, the school was the center of the social life of the community. In 1867, a special tax was voted to build a new schoolhouse. H. W. Bolender built the structure, which was 28x36 and 12 feet high. The first teacher in the new school was H. W. Bolender, who built it. In the spring of 1869, the Annual County Institute was held in the new school. The patrons of the district furnished gratuitous board and lodging for the visiting members. Among the later teachers of the school are found the familiar names of C. A. Cadwell, I. E. Kiester, Henry Collier, Cyrus Grove, Carrie A. Musser and M. M. Baumgartner. This school has been running for 63 years. The lowest salary paid was $20 a month and the highest $55. The largest number of pupils enrolled was 63 and the smallest number 12.
The law requiring the United States flag to wave over every school build- ing was passed in 1893. W. W. Krape, of Freeport, had not forgotten his old school, and early on the day the law was to go into effect, he procured a beautiful 10 foot flag, drove to the school and aided by F. C. Belknap, erected a flag staff and floated Old Glory over "Cornstalk College."
The public school was the "melting pot," that brought together the Dutch from Pennsylvania and the Yankees from New England and New York. Dif-
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
rences that were at first marked and emphatic diminished with time and asso- ciation and common interests soon bound all together in mutual cooperation. It was not long till Yankees were selecting Dutch wives and the Pennsylvanians were marrying into Yankee families.
The material of the history of the Block school, or Cornstalk College, is taken almost entirely from Mr. C. A. Cadwell's excellent sketch of District No. I, published in 1907. It is given here at length because it is a type of the edu- cational progress of the rural districts of the county. Every one of the steps of advancement were much the same. First, there were private instructions or subscription schools in the cabins of the settlers. A little later a log school was built and a teacher employed, both by voluntary subscription. The next step was district taxation to build and maintain a school.
It was the custom in the earlier day to engage the teacher at so much a month and "found," that is, a teacher was paid, say $20 a month and "boarded round," getting his meals and lodging at the homes of the "subscribers" by turns. This simple system had its disadvantages and yet had some advantages. Of necessity, the teacher became better acquainted with the parents and the children. The school and the home were brought close together.
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