USA > Illinois > Stephenson County > History of Stephenson County, Illinois : a record of its settlement, organization, and three-quarters of a century of progress > Part 23
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The "log school" education of the early days was in harmony with its sur- roundings. Children went gladly from plain log homes to log schools. The edu- cation offered was highly prized by parents and students. With all its limita- tions, the log school, with slab desks, puncheon seats with no backs, puncheon floor, board roof and greased paper windows, if window at all, had some dis- tinct advantages. There was lacking an elaborate course of study, but there was present the free, unfettered individuality of a strong teacher who was his own county and state superintendent and made his own course of studies and program. He taught a few things but taught those few well. Few subjects were studied, but they were mastered. The children knew what they knew. Books were rare and highly appreciated. Like the boy Lincoln, the children were fortunate in that they were not subjected to the temptation of tons of light fiction to be read rapidly and superficially. A few stories of great char- acters took deep hold on their lives, and made strong characters that did the work of the second generation of Stephenson County.
State Superintendent Blair says of the log schools of Illinois :
"An interesting chapter in the history of education in Illinois, is the story of the log school house. Illinois, like most of the western states, was earliest settled in the wooded regions. The log cabin and the log schoolhouse met the need of the conditions of those early times. As late as 1860 there were 1,447 of these log school buildings in Illinois. In 1890 the number had decreased to 114. In 1909, there were reported to this office only II of such schoolhouses remaining. Whatever of convenience and improved facilities the modern school building has brought will not make us forget the great good which was ac- complished in the log schoolhouses of Illinois."
November 30, 1848, Mr. George Scoville advertised the opening of the Free- port high school, a select school, in the basement of the Presbyterian church. Tuition for 12 weeks: in spelling, reading, grammar, arithmetic and geography, $2.50 ; in algebra, philosophy, etc., $3 ; languages, including English studies, $3.50.
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The Freeport Seminary for Young Ladies opened the building erected by A. H. Wright for that purpose, July 30, 1849. The ad of the seminary con- ducted by Rev. James Bentley, stated that special attention would be given to moral and religious instruction, and in addition to the usual studies instruction would be given in drawing, music, painting, embroidery, etc. French, Latin and Greek were also taught. Board with the principal and teachers, $1.25 a week.
Mr. A. B. Campbell of the Galena Institute, began as principal of Mr. Sco- ville's select school, November 19, 1849.
In 1850 Jas. Schofield, F. W. S. Brawley and J. K. Brewster were elected school directors for Freeport.
June 3, 1850, the directors of the Freeport schools made an arrangement with Professor A. B. Campbell, who was conducting the private school in the base- ment of the Presbyterian church, to take charge of the Union school. He still maintained his classes in the church but had the use of both district schoolhouses, where competent teachers were employed. The Journal of that date said, "By this arrangement a proper division of students can be made so that the advance- ment of one grade will not conflict with the other; while the higher branches can be pursued with equal facility to any of the best regulated academies. If this system receives proper encouragement from our citizens, it will render the terms of tuition so low that it will be within the reach of everyone to confer a liberal education on their children."
April, 1850, a "citizen" published a column and a quarter article in the Jour- nal in favor of a Union school. He said he was not against Select schools, but that they were not suitable for a small town.
The next week a town meeting was held, Julius Smith as chairman. Rev. Schofield moved that a location for a Union school be selected. The motion carried and it was voted unanimously to select the site of the present High school. A motion by D. A. Knowlton and seconded by T. F. Goodhue was passed, empowering the directors to secure plans for the building.
Every issue of the Democrat and the Journal had articles by the citizens fav- oring the Union school. One signed "A Friend," was an able article over one column in length and made an urgent plea for the tax-payers to vote the tax. He gave a vigorous reply to "Close-fistedness."
The Journal editor remarked that the "Wind Work" had been well done and urged the voters to go to the polls and vote the tax.
The election in Freeport to tax the people to build a Union school was held June 8, 1850, and carried by a vote of 125 to 9. Five hundred dollars, the amount limited by law, was voted.
Tuition in the Freeport schools in 1851 was: $1.59 for 60 days.
The Freeport school directors, John Rice, D. A. Knowlton and E. W. Sals- bury advertised for bids for the Union school house, June 13, 1851.
May 7, 1852, the Journal published an announcement from the school di- rectors that the Union school building was completed, teachers selected and the school ready to begin. The directors say that it is designed to combine an English and Common school education, with a course of instruction in the higher branches and languages equal to any of the academies and seminaries. Mr. W. J. Johnson, a teacher of acknowledged reputation, is principal, and he
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is assisted by the Misses Pickard, Beckwith and Horder, all teachers of ex- perience. The tuition for the term was $1.25 per scholar. L. W. Guiteau, E. W. Salsbury and C. Martin were school directors. In 1852, May 28, there were over 200 scholars. The Journal Editor, after a visit to the school, said editorially : "The citizens can point with pride to the Union school as the noblest and most useful of the many public buildings of Freeport, and can boast of having the best public school building in the state."
The Freeport Journal, October 15, 1852, gave an account of the close of the first year of the Union school in Freeport. The Journal praised. the idea of a Union graded school that had been so successful in the east and indicated that the first year of the idea had been entirely successful in Freeport. "We have witnessed many exhibitions but never a more laudable one than that at the close of the first term of the Freeport Union school. The crowd was immense, numbering some four or five hundred, and all appeared gratified."
The school directors were L. W. Guiteau, C. Martin and Julius Smith. On October 9, 1852, the directors gave the public the following announcement through the Journal: "The fall term will open October 18, under Mr. Wm. Johnson, principal, assisted by Mr. James S. Oliver and Miss Maria M. Packard in the higher department, and Clara Beckwith and Lydia Orcutt in the primary department. The course of instruction will be equal to that of the best academies."
UNION SCHOOL EXHIBIT.
The Journal of March 1, 1855, praises highly the Union school exhibit by Professor H. C. Burchard and his classes. The program consisted of dialogues, essays and declamations. The Journal says, "Mr. Burchard is earning for himself a reputation, by his zeal and industry by making the Union school what it is. In spite of the incubus which has always rested upon it. The receipts of the exhibition amounted to $28.00 which will be expended for a library."
SHORT ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Coon and Dickey conducted the Freeport Academy in 1855. The same year the Freeport Seminary was conducted by Waldenmeyer and Myers, both of the New York State Normal school.
FREEPORT SEMINARY EXHIBITION-1854.
March 16, 1854, Mr. Bentley of the Freeport Seminary gave an exhibition in Concert Hall with his school. "The hall was densely crowded and badly ven- tilated," says the Freeport Journal, of March 30, 1854. A large part of the program was dispensed with on account of the noise and confusion of a crowded house. Mr. Bentley has succeeded in keeping up a school for many years in Freeport.
The Lena School, taught by Miss Hyde, also gave an exhibition in March, 1854. The editor of the Journal said, "The essays showed more originality and common sense than is usually shown in such programs."
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4
In 1857, the booklet "Present Advantages and Future Prospects of the City of Freeport" gave the following description of the city schools: "If there is any one thing of which the City of Freeport may justly boast as her chief orna- ment, it is her schools. In 1856, the first system of graded instruction was put in practice. The whole city and its environs is a single school district. The schools are free to all and supported by general taxation. Three school com- missioners are elected who have supervision of the whole, hire all the teachers, and direct the standard of promotion to higher classes. The commissioners are (1857) H. N. Hibbard, William Buckley and F. G. Winslow. There are three grades : The primary, or ward schools; the middle schools, and the high school. The high school is the upper room of the Union school building. The middle schools are in the lower rooms and the primary schools, four in number, are scattered about the city.
The primary schools are open to all without examination. At stated times the commissioners name such as they think capable of entering the middle schools. All scholars pass to the high school by a thorough examination. In the high school all the advantages are presented which can be found in the academies of the east, all the higher English branches as well as the Classics being taught there. The system has worked admirably and the schools at this time are in popular favor.
The report of the committee of examination (1857) says : "These results, no doubt, have cost earnest, persevering effort, together with a large expenditure of money, but the effort has been successful, promising, if continued, to give us schools of the highest excellence; and as for the expenditure, noj citizen, wc think, who attended the examinations, could have wished that a dollar less had been expended. We are sure that every dollar expended in this enterprise, is so much added to the value of real estate, and helps to make our city more at- tractive and desirable as a place of residence. Good schools can not fail to at- tract immigrants of the first class to make valuable additions to our population, to promote general intelligence and morality, while promising ultimately large returns in money."
Henry Freeman, A. M., was principal of the High school with Mary Noble as assistant.
At this time (1857) there were three other schools. The Female Seminary, located in Plymouth Hall conducted by Miss Mary A. Potter of New York, a lady of thorough education. The booklet says that several gentlemen propose to assist in the purchase of a building.
Miss F. B. Burchard had a Select school for Misses in successful operation in the Pennsylvania Block.
At this time (1857) a Freeport Commercial College was running in the Bank Block. L. D. White was proprietor and teacher of bookkeeping. J. G. Cross, teacher of commercial calculations. Hon. T. J. Turner and Hon. M. P. Sweet lectured on Commercial Law.
Friday, October 7, 1853, Rev. J. Coon, assisted by Rev. J. S. Dickson, and Miss H. Cornelia Bail opened the Freeport Academy. Tuition, $6.00 for 6 months in the English branches and $10.00 in Latin and Greek. The school was started in the basement of the Second Presbyterian church.
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In 1852, a genius opened a school in a frame building where later stood F. Bues stone block. He was a reformer and had a new system of teaching geog- raphy in 12 lessons by singing the capes, rivers, mountains, etc., around the world. Freeport, strange to say, did not wax enthusiastic over this reformer, and after a term he left. His successor was a Mr. Chandler, a good teacher and an up- right man, but exceedingly sensitive. One evening a number of young men, including Chandler, met at Mr. Knowlton's store to discuss a barrel of cider which had just arrived. The temperance people were against cider drinking and when it was noised around what they had used for a drinking cup, the thing appeared ridiculous and Chandler, who could not stand the laugh, left the city in disgrace, as he supposed.
PIONEER PREACHERS.
The pioneer preacher was a product of pioneer conditions, and he adapted himself, unconsciously no doubt, to the life of the people about him. He was, first of all, an exhorter. Seldom was he a scholar or a logician. He appealed directly to their emotions and lived and worked on the level with his people because usually he was one of them. His strongest point, no doubt, was to point vividly beautiful pictures of heaven and the awful scenes of hell.
One author says of them: "Sometimes their sermons would turn upon mat- ters of controversy, arguing, with little learning but much fervor, on free grace, baptism, free-will, election, faith, good works, justification, sanctification, or the final perseverance of the saints. Vivid, indeed, were the startling word pic- tures drawn of the hereafter, and imagination never failed them in describing the bliss of heaven, and the awful terrors of hell." At any rate they were sincere.
They were long-distance speakers. A simple theme would require a sermon of 1 1/2 or 2 hours. Mr. Parrish says that the sermons were tested in three ways, by their length, by flowery, ornate language, and by vigor of action in delivery. Oratorical gymnastics played a vital part. But by such preaching the people were interested, they were deeply moved and their lives were markedly influenced.
Among the pioneer preachers of Illinois were Peter Acres, Zadoc Casey and Peter Cartwright.
THE PIONEER PHYSICIAN.
The treatment of disease in the pioneer days was as primitive as the life of the people itself. In the earliest days among the outlying settlements there were no regular doctors often for fifty or a hundred miles. In this respect, as in all others, the early settlers cultivated a spirit of self-reliance. Home- inade remedies were the vogue and many men and especially the women were skilled in their application.
While the pioneer times always had their characteristic diseases and ail- ments, yet the people were fairly free from disease. Of necessity, they lived much in the open air. Houses were well ventilated. The log house with its
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crack and poorly fitted doors and windows and the loosely laid clap-board roof and puncheon floors, were admirably adapted to the inlet of fresh air. Men and women worked much in the fields and gardens, and lived on plain and whole- some food. Such a life naturally built up strong constitutions, and strong con- stitutions, in the absence of the trained physician, fought the battles with disease with probably a better chance for victory than the weaker physical body of this day aided by all the science and skill of the physician.
The settlements were well scattered and the population was not congested. For this reason there were few epidemics. Any contagious or infectuous dis- eases soon ran their course and disappeared. Neighborly cooperation was the prevailing spirit. When any family was stricken, it was an unwritten law that the neighbors took turns in sitting up and caring for the afflicted. While there were a few known to be especially "good in sickness," the unselfish spirit was quite general.
The bites of poisonous snakes was one difficulty to be encountered. There were numerous "cures" for this affliction. Everybody knew them, even the children. When a person was biten by a rattle snake or other venomous reptile, some simple remedy was at hand and applied at once. One remedy was to suck out the poison from the wound and spit it out. A plaster of clay was then applied. A more common remedy was the "whiskey" cure. Any person suffer- ing a rattle snake bite was given a large quantity of whiskey and made dead drunk. This was an effective cure and as liquor was commonly kept in the homes by the gallon, it was always at hand.
The early community was almost always subject to the "chills," or ague. This ailment afflicted the new communities till the swamps were drained out. There were numerous remedies for the "chills." It was believed that a person must not be permitted to keep still. When at the worst in a sinking chill, they would be beaten, rubbed and walked around. The idea was that if not kept thoroughly active they would die. The persons "sitting up" with the victim, took turns in exercising their patient. The treatment, in some cases, was worse than the disease. By means of a strong constitution, many survived both.
Families did their own work of vaccination. Mrs. Amanda Head, a daugh- ter of John Turneaure, tells how, as a girl of fifteen, she vaccinated the children in the family. The vaccine was put on a silk thread. She then pinched up a place on the arm with her finger nails, and ran a piece of the silk thread through. Sore arms were often to be found, but this system long prevailed and served its purpose.
Remedies and specifies were usually at hand. The merchants carried these in stock as there were no drug stores. Besides others, two well-known cures for "chills" were "Roman's Tonic Mixture" and "Indian Chocalogue." Senna salts, quinine and calomel were standard articles and were kept in bulk by the store keepers.
THE PIONEER NEWSPAPER.
The pioneer newspaper was just as broad and just as narrow as pioneer times. The press suffered from the same limitations that affected other insti-
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tutions of that day. The equipment of a printing plant was limited to a small hand press, and to type matter set by hand. The slow and tedious process, thus made necessary, restricted the amount of matter printed and made daily issues impossible. While there were a few expert typesetters, yet a large part of, the work was done by amateurs. It was difficult to get paper in quantities and still more difficult to get it when wanted. It was before the day of mammoth paper mills and corporations. Paper was secured at Rockton and at other small water mills which had their own difficulties. It was before the railroad and paper had to be delivered by ox team or horses, and an issue was some- times delayed several days because floods made the fording of streams im- possible. The process of gathering news was limited. The telegraph had not yet reached its fingers out into the new sections, and when it came the cost of its privileges to any great extent was almost prohibitive. Besides, at that time, there was not in existence those world-wide news gathering organizations to furnish a mass of news each day or each week at a reasonable cost to the pub- lisher. The "patent inside" came later as did also the "boiler plate," both of which have made it easier and cheaper at later day for newspapers in sparsely settled communities to put out a paper containing much news and general reading matter.
The lack of prompt and cheap postal facilities was another limitation. Poor roads, the stage that connected with only a few points in the county kept back news from districts beyond the immediate vicinity. It was practically impos- sible for the early Democrat and Journal to be much more than Freeport news- papers. News comes from Europe to Freeport more readily now than then it came from Winslow or Lena, or Yellow Creek Village.
Consequently, the predominating feature of the Democrat and the Journal and Anzeiger was not news. An examination of these papers shows that from 1847 to 1860, usually 24 columns, apportioned about as follows: Adver- tising, 14 columns; story, 5 columns ; political and editorial discussions, 3 col- umns, news, 2 columns. If there is any error in the above apportionment it is in allowing as much as two columns for news. Frequently less than one column, and often not more than a half column, was given, to county news in the early weeklies. Much of the news columns was filled with news items from the east, often a month late. The story occupied the front page, or most of it. On the second page came the columns of political discussions, editorials and local news. The politics discussed was usually national politics. This might be letters or speeches. Here great national issues were set forth, such as the Mexican War, the Wilmot Proviso, the Nebraska Bill, etc.
The editor of the Journal December 15, 1853, thus paid his regards to J. O. P. Burnside of the Bulletin: "In point of silly childless bluster, printless blatant nonsense, and low contemptible falsehood, His Sapiency James Oliver Perry Burnside ! ! ! the addlepated scribbler of the Bulletin, can take the hats of the whole editorial fraternity."
STEPHENSON COUNTY COURT AND BAR IN PIONEER DAYS.
Stephenson County was organized as a county under the laws of Illinois in 1837. The Legislature provided for the election of county officials, which oc-
Thomas J. Turner
Martin P. Sweet
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Joseph B. Smith
Thomas F. Goodhue
PROMINENT ATTORNEYS OF FREEPORT
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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HISTORY OF STEPHENSON COUNTY
curred in May of that year. The same year the courthouse site was selected. The new county was a part of the 6th judicial circuit while a part of Jo Daviess County, and continued to be a part of that circuit by act of the legisla- ture, February 22, 1839. The circuit then included Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Boone, Winnebago, Whiteside, Rock Island and Carroll Counties. The first ses- sion of the court in this county was held at a special term August 27, 1839.
Daniel Stone was the first judge of the circuit to preside in Stephenson County. Hubbard Graves, father of the present venerable postmaster at Mc- Connell, was sheriff and John A. Clark was clerk of the court. This first ses- sion lasted three days. Judge Stone presided over the two succeeding terms of court in this county when the law was changed. The new law of February 23, 1841, abolished the offices of circuit judges, and appointed additional su- preme court judges and rearranged the districts. Mercer and Henry Counties were added to the 6th district and Judge Thomas C. Brown was appointed to preside over the district courts. Judge Brown was circuit judge of this county till 1846. A new law passed by the State Legislature made the circuit judge- ship an elective office, and Benjamin R. Sheldon was elected to the bench.
In 1848, the adoption of a new state constitution was followed by a reor- ganization of the judicial districts. The new fourteenth circuit was made up of the counties of Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Winnebago. Judge Sheldon was a candidate for the position of circuit judge in the new 14th district, and was elected. This position he held from 1848 to 1870, over twenty years, when he was elected as one of the judges of the Supreme Court of the State of Illi- nois.
Hon. H. C. Burchard thus describes the old courtroom: "It was a two story frame building with plain clapboard sides and shingle roof, surrounded by a rough board fence. The courtroom where Judge Sheldon presided in 1855, sit- ting on a raised platform behind a pine desk, had on its right two tier of seats for the jury. Fronting the judge and beyond the railing that inclosed the table and chairs for the privileged lawyers, were rows of pine benches, ruthlessly disfigured by witnesses and spectators whose incessant whittling was only tem- porarily checked by the warning of the judge not to mar the courtroom. In the winter a hot stove occupied the center of the room. The windows had to be raised frequently for ventilation and again lowered to exclude the cold air, and bench and bar were alternately roasted and frozen. I can yet hear Judge Sheldon give his order, "Mr. Sheriff, raise the window," or "Mr. Sheriff, lower the window," as he feared suffocation from odors or dreaded cold chills from the sharp winter air. The dilapidated appearance of the building was felt to be a discredit to the city and the county. In 1854, the loosened clapboards were shaking in the wind and the sky was visible through the broken plastering. The room was at that time procured for the use of Fred Douglas, the colored orator, to make an abolition speech. Although accustomed to plantation life and to uncomfortable and unsightly audience rooms, he said in his opening remarks, "I have spoken in England in the finest halls, and in this country in churches and where no better accommodations could be had, in barns, but, of all the God-forsaken places, this beats them all!"
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One evening at Plymouth Hall, (where the Wilcoxen block now stands) while Hon. Martin P. Sweet was making a speech, the cry of "Fire" was heard on the streets. It was reported that the courthouse was burning. Mr. Sweet paused and said, "It is the old courthouse, let it burn." The audience cheered and remained seated, but the fire was extinguished. It was a great relief to the members of the bar as well as to the citizens of Freeport, when the building was removed in 1870 and the attractive and commodious structure that now occupies its site was built."
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