USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois, Volume One > Part 21
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pupils solved arithmetic problems. Two years later, the second school was taught by Elijah Yager, a Methodist minister from East Tennessee, in a log cabin about two miles northeast of Vermilion Grove. He made advanced progress over the Ohio teacher by introducing common arithmetic and declamation.
The third school was taught by Henry Fletcher the fol- lowing summer (1828) and then Elisha Hobbs took the school in 1831 and gave a great stimulus to education which never lost ground up until 1849. At the end of that year, the citizens found themselves with only a log school sixteen feet square and six and a half feet between joints. A subscription was taken up by William Canady, David and Elvin Haworth and by the generous help of their neighbors they built a seminary building, thirty by fifty- two, with two recitation rooms, supplied with furniture and proper desks. They employed J. M. Davis in the autumn of 1850 as principal, and school opened with one hundred and ten pupils. The following subjects were taught: reading, spelling, geography, history, algebra, chemistry, geometry, surveying, mineralogy, philosophy, elocution, domestic economy, and Latin. Mr. Davis con- tinued as principal five years and he worked out a high standard of education when it was most needed. This old seminary continued until the advent of the free schools when the Vermilion Academy took its place in 1873.
Over at "Butler's Point," Catlin, the first school was taught by Hiram Ticknor, just south of the well known Thomas Keeney home. Mr. Ticknor kept his fifteen pupils busy with readin', ritin,' and 'rithmetic. Among these children were pupils who lived at the old salt works. They had to walk over three miles to the school at "Butler's Point" for it was the only school which they could attend.
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The first school house in Georgetown Township was built probably in 1827 or 1828 on the public square of Georgetown in front of John Frazier's store. It was the cheapest kind of a log hut, but the first teacher, H. Givens, gave words of wisdom from "Old English" reader, "Tal- bott's Arithmetic," "American Spelling Book," and "Lind- ley Murry's Grammar." At this period of our education, it was the common practice to study "out loud" in school, and the lad who made the most noise was a very popular boy and would be credited with making the most rapid progress. Ancestors of some very prominent people of the state and nation attended this little log hut school.
This school was continued by subscription until 1844, when the Georgetown Seminary was organized. For twenty years thereafter, the Georgetown Seminary was the center of education for Vermilion County and sur- rounding counties. The early promoters were Benjamin Canaday, Mr. Curtis, Presiding Elder Robbins, and J. E. Murphy, of Danville. The seminary was sectarian under the charge of the Methodist Conference and the teachers were selected by that body. Much depends on the person- ality of the first leader of any educational institution, but fortunately, a young man of commanding presence, superior tact, and excellent education was chosen as the first prin- cipal. Jesse H. Moore, then a local preacher, was chosen and held the place for four years. He acquitted himself with great honor and credit in giving unselfish devotion to the cause of education. School was held in a frame build- ing which had been built for a church but had been moved to the grounds afterwards occupied by the district school. His assistants were a Miss Fairbanks, Walter Smith, later a Baptist preacher, and Archibold Sloan, who, too, became a minister later. The Seminary building was erected in
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1848 and was a plain brick building, two stories high, capa- ble of accommodating two hundred pupils. This building was built by the proceeds of contributions such as "money, cattle, hogs, shoats, lumber, yellow-legged chickens" and anything that a good Methodist preacher could secure by energetic soliciting. The school increased in numbers and popularity by the joint kind of partnership which existed for a portion of the time between the district and the trus- tees of the Seminary until 1861. There had grown up a strong sentiment for public free schools and the state had perfected a system of schools which became popular, there- fore the Seminary was disbanded and the directors of the district took over the full management. The Georgetown district built a new brick building of six rooms, two blocks east of the public square, in 1872, where all the branches of the elementary and high schools of the state were taught till 1913. It is still in use for the grade schools.
The old Seminary building of 1848 has long since dis- appeared and in its place is a modern twelve-room brick elementary school, three blocks east of the public square in Georgetown.
The first school house in Carroll Township was located about three miles southwest of Indianola near what was known as "Head of the Timber." Robert E. Barnett taught the first school in 1829 in this little log house which stood on his father's farm. He had received a good edu- cation in Kentucky and was a very able teacher. The second school house was built on the Sandusky Creek about two and one-half miles east of Indianola and was known as "Fountain Bluff." The first log school house built in Indianola was built in 1843 on the Mathews property, one block north of the northwest corner of the public square. About 1850 a Seminary was built in the northwest part
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of Indianola where some of the higher subjects were taught by Professor Brownell and his wife. In 1855 a new school district was formed and the Seminary was bought by the directors where public school was held till 1883. This frame Seminary building was supplanted by a four-room brick building where school was held till 1921.
The first school in Danville was taught in a log house which stood where the Wright's mill used to stand on the south side of Green Street between South Hazel Street and the Wabash Railroad. It was built of huge burr oak logs which were fully two feet in diameter, and the ends were left sticking out without being sawed off, with clap- board roof and puncheon floor. It had the rudest benches and its walls were devoid of anything which would give inspiration for an education. Maps, charts, blackboards and desks were unknown to the children of Vermilion County in 1830. The huge fireplace extended nearly across the room and instead of the chimney beginning at the ground, strong braces extended from the wall near the floor out into the room upward, and upon these braces for a solid foundation the chimney was constructed. The chimney was over six feet wide and when a fire was built it was the first duty of the teacher to teach the smoke to go up through this clumsy chimney. The wood usually did not need to be cut up for this fireplace and anything short of "sled-length" would do very well. After the logs were burned in two in the middle the ends were rolled around into position for burning. A Mr. Clark was the first teacher. Although he was not required to hold a teacher's certificate he was a very accomplished and successful teacher. The next school house was built near the south- west corner of South Hazel and South Streets. Not very much is recorded about these two schools but many of the
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earlier citizens went to these schools. A charter was granted the "Danville Academy" in 1836. This was a stock company where every "free white person" could sub- scribe for stock and every subscriber would be entitled to a year's tuition for each share. The "Danville Academy" soon fizzled out, so several private schools were conducted till 1850. William M. Payne was one of the first teachers and wielded a fine influence on the lives of boys and girls.
The Danville Seminary was incorporated in 1850 by the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The articles of incorporation provided that the majority of trustees should be members of that church and that the teachers should be appointed by its authority. The first trustees were James Partlow, Daniel Fairchild, E. F. Palmer, Eli Helmick, James Dennison, Benjamin Stewart and J. H. Gilbert. They erected a two-story brick build- ing on two acres of land north of Main Street on Pine Street, and employed Rev. O. S. Munsell as principal. In 1853 the Danville Seminary had enrolled two hundred and six pupils and employed five teachers: Rev. O. S. Munsell, Mrs. Munsell, Sarah Whip, C. W. Jerome, and Ellen Green. Two courses of study were adopted-classical and scien- tific-which embraced the higher branches of academic training. The seminary was conducted very successfully till 1862 when it was merged into the common schools by common consent and the building was used for several years for school purposes. The two acres of land had been deeded to the church for school purposes and when the seminary was merged into the common schools, a long liti- gation in court ensued because of this clause, and finally the land and building went back to the original owners. This old seminary building still stands at Pine Street and is used as an apartment house. Aaron Wood, P. B. Ham-
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mond, Mr. McNutt and J. L. Dickinson followed Reverend Munsell as principals of the seminary.
The denominational character of the "Danville Semi- nary" engendered contests and a rival joint-stock com- pany was formed on March 15, 1851. The new school was called "Union Seminary." Its trustees were L. T. Palmer, S. G. Craig, J. A. D. Sconce, Hamilton White and Guy Mer- rill. Three acres of land were purchased north of Semi- nary Street with its western side on Vermilion Street. A good substantial building was erected and a very successful school was carried on until 1862. The citizens of Danville for the first time adopted the common school system in 1862. The common tax system for the support of public free schools soon put an end to these two rival seminaries. Both buildings were rented to the school directors and J. L. Dickinson, principal of the "Danville Seminary" employed by the district as principal with nine assistants. The following year Mr. Spillman was employed who served four years. A new building was erected which later became known as the Washington School. This building was used also as a high school until a new high school build- ing was erected just north of the old Washington School on the same lot. Today (1929) a twenty-two-room modern brick building stands on the grounds of the old Washington School located between Gilbert and Pine Streets on Madison Street. The high school building on the north side of the lot has been torn down and a million-dollar building stands majestically facing East Fairchild Street at the corner of Jackson and Fairchild Streets. Today there are seventeen elementary school buildings in Danville and the "million- dollar" high school building.
was
Some prominent school men have served as superin- tendents of the Danville schools: D. D. Evans, C. M. Tay-
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lor, J. G. Shedd, J. C. Lane, O. E. Lathan, Joseph Carter, and J. E. Bryan. J. E. Bryan was superintendent of the city schools from 1889 to 1899 when he was called to Cam- den, New Jersey, as city superintendent of schools. County Superintendent of Schools L. H. Griffith from 1889 to 1899 was selected to fill the place of Mr. Bryan. Mr. Griffith gave a constructive and progressive administration for fourteen years when G. P. Randle, from Mattoon, Illinois, was elected to carry on the splendid work outlined by Mr. Griffith. For twelve years, Mr. Randle gave valuable and unselfish devotion to the children and teachers as City Superintendent of Schools. Fortunately for Danville, C. E. Vance had served as Assistant Superintendent for sev- eral years, and when Mr. Randle retired, Mr. Vance was the unanimous choice of the entire city as City Superin- tendent. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, receiving the Master's degree. He is one of the most pro- gressive and leading educators of the state.
In 1879, the Danville schools had en enrollment of one hundred and two pupils in the high school and one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four pupils in the elementary schools. There were thirty teachers. In September, 1929, there was an enrollment of one thousand five hundred and fifty-seven students in the high school and five thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine pupils in the elementary schools. There were two hundred and fifty-one teachers.
The first school building in Oakwood Township was built near the present village of Newtown in 1829 or 1830. Squire Newell and a Mr. McGuinn were among its first teachers. Later on a better building was built just south of Newtown on "Parsonage Hill." Another of the early school houses was built on the state road near Stony Creek.
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PUBLIC LIBRARY DANVILLE, ILL.
PUBLIC LIBRARY, DANVILLE, ILL.
HIGH SCHOOL, DANVILLE, H.L ..
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The first school house built at Fairmount was in 1859 at a cost of four hundred dollars. Then in 1865 a four- room brick building was built at a cost of four thousand five hundred dollars. In 1879, three teachers were employed, but in 1929 the number has been increased to six.
Morgan Rees taught school in Blount Township just across the creek from the Juvinall neighborhood, so chil- dren from both sides of the creek went to school to him. The first school built in Pilot Township was put on section twenty, township twenty, range twelve. Ezekiel Leyton taught the first school in this building in 1836 or 1837. However, a Mr. Beard had taught school nearby in a cabin in 1834. The school on section twenty in 1929 is called "Shellbark."
The first school taught in Middlefork Township was by Rev. Rymann in a house four miles west of Marysville (Potomac) in 1842.
The Schwartz school house in Butler Township was built in 1865. School houses were built in East Lynn, Rankin and Pellsville about the same time in 1875.
The Newell school house was the first built in Newell Township on section twenty-three in 1827. In 1929, the school on section twenty-three is called LeNeve school. The first teacher was a Mr. Scott and the second was Duncan Lindsey. The second school house was called the Eckler school, built in 1830, and Elizabeth Stipp taught its first school in 1831. In 1833 a school house stood on the banks of the North Fork eighty rods south of Denmark. Den- mark was a thriving village just south of the bridge across Lake Vermilion. At the west end of Winter Avenue, Dan- ville, at the top of the hill of the road across Lake Ver- milion is a residence which served as a school house for many years. The Lamb school was built in 1835. Robert
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Price, John McKee, J. Poor and James A. Davis were early teachers at the Lamb school. The Cunningham school was built in 1840 and Levi Cronkhite was the first teacher.
Several rural schools were established in Ross Town- ship in the early forties. In 1868 the first brick two-story school house was built in Rossville and in 1874 it was found too small, so a two-story addition was built. Today (1929) Rossville has a modern eight-room elementary school with an enrollment of two hundred and sixty-five pupils. Helen Burgess has been the excellent principal for many years. For over fifty years I. A. Smothers has been one of the leading educators in molding and directing the lives of boys and girls in Ross Township. For twenty-five continuous years he was superintendent of the Rossville schools, and since R. H. Poland has been the superintendent of Rossville schools, Mr. Smothers has been the principal of the high school. Mr. Poland, in his capacity as superin- tendent, has brought to the elementary and high school the best and modern thought of the nation. It was by his splendid direction that Rossville furnishes the pupils of the district free text books by public taxation.
No sooner had Hoopeston been laid out as a village in 1871 than a live board of directors were elected. G. C. Davis, William Moore and a Mr. Armstrong were the first members, who proceeded to build a large, substantial brick building. For many years both grade and high school was held in this building. This building was known as the Honeywell building. In 1928 a new twelve-room building was erected a block east of the old Honeywell building. The old Honeywell school had served its day and in October, 1929, the house-wrecker tore the old building completely down. As Hoopeston grew in population the eight-room Maple school was added and later on the Lincoln twelve-
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room building. Upon the abandonment of Greer College, located upon the western edge of Hoopeston, the Hoopeston high school was changed from the Honeywell school to the Greer College building. After several years of litigation between the heirs of John Greer and the trustees of the college, the courts decided that Greer College and grounds could permanently remain the property of the district, pro- vided that the high school would forever be known as the "John Greer High School" so as to carry out the spirit and letter of the will of John Greer. The board of education readily accepted this decision and in 1928 built the first unit of three contemplated units of a modern, fireproof high school building. In this first unit is one of the best gymnasiums in the county. A college course of study was offered by the board of education along with the high school course until the court's decision in 1927.
W. R. Lowery has been the superintendent of schools and Byron Frame, principal, of the John Greer high school for several years. Superintendent Lowery has not only the faculty of employing and directing the best teachers obtainable but he has a splendid business and executive ability. It was by his careful direction that the new Honey- well building and high school gymnasium were built under one bond issue.
When the State Legislature passed a law in 1911 mak- ing it possible for high school districts to be organized into larger units for school taxation, several communities began to take advantage of the new law. Georgetown was the very first to organize a township high school in 1912, fol- lowed the same year by Alvin, Bismark and Sidell. These four towns were so successful that Ridgefarm and West- ville were organized in 1913. Armstrong, East Lynn and
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Rankin organized in 1914 and Oakwood in 1915, Catlin and Potomac in 1916.
A great many law suits resulted over the 1911 township high school act but the State Legislature passed validating acts confirming all township high schools organized. The State Legislature then changed the name to "Community" high schools in 1917 and immediately Indianola organized a high school district followed by Henning in 1918, Fair- mount in 1920 and Allerton in 1922.
Each of the nineteen public high schools of the county have new, modern fireproof buildings, a regular four-year course of study accredited with the University of Illinois, the State Department of Public Instruction and most of them with the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In September, 1929, there were two hundred and twenty-four high school teachers and an enrollment of three thousand seven hundred and seventy- three students.
The territory of Vermilion County, which is not included in any of the nineteen high school districts, is call a Non-High School district and the eighth grade grad- uates of this district are entitled to free tuition in any recognized high school of the state. There are an average of two hundred graduates each year in the Non-High School district.
When the Northwest Territory was surveyed and made into Congressional Townships of six miles square, the six- teenth section of each township was set aside for school purposes. At first, Illinois had no definite policy in pro- moting schools. Men were appointed in each county to act as land agents in renting or selling parts or all of the six- teenth section. The land agents were called School Com- missioners and Ex-Officio Superintendents of Common
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Schools. David W. Beckwith was Vermilion County's first school commissioner. He served in 1832-1834. John W. Murphy was the next school commissioner, serving in 1834- 1843. Then followed N. D. Palmer, 1843-1850; William Allin, 1850-1852; W. A. Murphy, 1852-1854; N. D. Palmer, 1854-1858; Levi W. Sanders, 1858-1862; Ebon H. Palmer, 1862-1863 ; M. D. Hawes, 1863-1864.
The State Legislature changed the functions and the name to "County Superintendent of Schools" in 1863, and they were to be elected by the people. M. D. Hawes was the first to serve under the new name from 1864-1865. P. D. Hammond was next in line from 1865-1869. Then followed John W. Parker, 1869-1873, and Charles Victor Guy, 1873-1881. J. D. Benedict became superintendent in 1881 to succeed Superintendent Guy. Mr. Benedict came into office about the time additional powers and duties were granted to the county superintendent of schools. Previous to this time the office had been largely the duty of examining teachers for licenses and custodian of school funds and lands. More supervision of school was given to the county superintendent. Mr. Benedict was one of the leading superintendents to establish a system of monthly examinations in all rural and village schools. To make this new system to the county effective a definite course of study was outlined for the teacher to pass on to the pupils. A very sensible line of examinations were carried out through Mr. Benedict's term of office, which closed in 1889. Superintendent Benedict was in poor health about this time and he went to the forest reserves in Arizona where he staid until he fully recovered his vigorous health. He was then appointed by the President as superintendent of the Indian schools in the Oklahoma Territory. He was a great power in the educational affairs of Oklahoma after it was
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admitted as a state. He lives today at Muskogee, Okla- homa, a living example of a long life of usefulness to boys and girls. A young man from Potomac succeeded Mr. Ben- edict. This young man was Lin H. Griffith, who has been the splendid and efficient county auditor for the past twelve years. Superintendent Griffith progressed rapidly in all modern ideas of education and by his frequent visitations to all of the schools, both rural and village, inspired the teachers and pupils to put forth their best endeavors. In 1899 Superintendent Griffith resigned as county superin- tendent of schools to become city superintendent of schools of the Danville schools. He was succeeded by another young man, R. B. Holmes, principal of the Danville Lincoln School. Mr. Holmes held the position from 1899 to 1906, when he passed the bar examination. W. Y. Ludwig suc- ceeded Mr. Holmes, serving from 1906 to 1910. Mr. Lud- wig carried on a progressive program and was considered one of the foremost educators of the state. He had made such a splendid record that in 1910 he was selected as one of the Assistant Superintendents of Public Instruction at Springfield, which he held for several years. He is now Deputy County Treasurer of Vermilion County. Mr. Lud- wig was followed by O. P. Haworth in 1910, who served until 1923. Superintendent Haworth's slogan was, "High Schools for All Pupils." It was during his three terms of office that so many township and community high schools were established. He had a great deal to do with pushing these high school laws to a successful conclusion, in the State Legislature. The teachers, pupils and parents owe Superintendent Haworth a great debt of gratitude for his loyalty through "thick and thin" in promoting all of the sixteen township and community high schools in the county during his regime. His untimely death at Decatur,
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Illinois, on October 26, 1928, was mourned by thousands of loyal pupils, patrons and friends. A high school memo- rial should be erected to his memory for his unselfish devotion to the secondary education of boys and girls. L. A. Tuggle, supervisor of manual training of the Dan- ville city schools, followed Supterintendent Haworth in 1923 and he is now on his second term of office of four years.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
The outgrowth of the Georgetown Seminary, Danville Seminary, Union Seminary and the Vermilion Grove Semi- nary were finally the nineteen excellent public high schools of the county. Only one of the above schools remain in 1929-Vermilion Academy. The first building of the Ver- milion Seminary was built in 1850 and used for thirty years. In 1873 the Quarterly Meetings Committee on Education of the Friends Church proposed a more advanced course of study and immediately subscriptions were taken and a brick building two stories high was erected and called Vermilion Academy. Some of the leading educators of the nation have served as president of the school. Stu- dents from all parts of Illinois and adjoining states have attended school at Vermilion Academy. The school has a large endowment fund so that upon the advent of free tuition in public township high schools, scholarships and tuition were discontinued in the Academy. One of the leading factors in building a strong course of study was George H. Moore, who came to the school in 1892. He gave unselfish devotion to the activities of the Academy for ten years. Many prominent people living in the county in 1929 graduated from Vermilion Academy. It is accred- ited with the University of Illinois, State Department of
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