USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois, Volume One > Part 22
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Education and North Central Association for Colleges and Secondary Schools.
The first Lutheran school was established by the pastor of the Trinity Lutheran Church at the corner of Jackson and Harrison Streets, Danville, in 1863. As the church grew in membership, the enrollment naturally increased. Consequently, Professor G. Bernthal was called to take charge of the school in 1869. A new, two-story school building was erected in 1873 and a Mr. Zachow was added to the faculty. On October 20, 1878, Rev. E. Martins was inducted into office and G. Albers and A. Theiss were chosen to take charge of the school. A branch school was erected at Germantown to take care of the overflow. A second building became necessary at Germantown and a modern brick building was built on East Fairchild Street in 1883. Theodore Benecke was the new principal. This was the beginning of the Immanuel Lutheran School.
By this time the Trinity Lutheran congregation had grown too large for one pastor, therefore a new church was erected on East Fairchild Street and adopted the name "Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Congregation." Rev. E. Berthold was installed as pastor August 16, 1896, and soon thereafter the congregation built a fine two-story brick school building. All of the elementary grades are taught. For many years William Erdmann has been the progressive principal and his eighth grade graduates are admitted to the public high schools on the same footing as graduates of the public schools.
The property of Trinity Lutheran Church at the corner of Jackson and Harrison Streets was sold and fine school and church buildings were erected on East Main Street just east of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad, in 1914. All eight grades of the elementary school are taught
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in the Trinity Lutheran school and W. C. Poll has been the efficient principal since 1904. Professor H. G. Schroeder has been with the school since 1910 and Miss Renate Martens since 1898. Mr. Poll's eighth grade grad- uates are also admitted to high schools on the same high footing as the pupils from "Immanuel" School.
The Olivet University was established by the Nazarene Church at Olivet in 1908. Olivet University is built in a beautiful sugar tree forest and its college hall and dormi- tory set back off the public highway make a beautiful environment for the students. Doctor Franklin was the first president. One professor, T. S. Greer, has taught continuously in the university since 1909. Students from all over the United States attend Olivet University. One of the courses of this university, famed for its excellency, is music. A four-year accredited high school is carried on in connection with the university. Miss Mary Nesbit, of Catlin, was one of the leading educators in establishing Olivet University. A large endowment is being collected from various sources so as to put the university on the accredited list of the North Central Colleges. Sixteen teachers are employed.
Saint Patrick's Catholic School was opened in 1891 with sisters of the Holy Cross in charge. The Catholic parochial schools have been in existence intermittedly since the early sixties, but did not become an institution of the Catholic Church till in the eighties. Saint Pat- rick's school teaches all of the elementary branches and also vocal, violin and piano music. The eighth grade graduates are admitted to the public schools on an equal basis with all eighth grade graduates of the county, which shows its high standard maintained. Saint Patrick's school is located at the corner of Main and Park Streets, Danville. It is a
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modern brick building. The late Rev. P. J. O'Reilly, who was later Bishop of Peoria, was the pastor of Saint Pat- rick's Church at the time Saint Patrick's school was opened in 1891. Sister Superior M. Francira is the splendid and excellent principal of the school. £ Seven teachers are employed.
On Saint Joseph's Day, 1873, the Saint Joseph's school society was organized in Danville. In 1874 a site was pur- chased from Mrs. William H. Scott, on Quincy Street, then known as Park Avenue, just north of the John Beard residence, Danville. A frame building, twenty-four by forty, was built and was in active use until 1890.
In the beginning parents paid seventy-five cents tuition per month. If more than one child from a family was attending this school, the second required fifty cents, the third twenty-five cents, and only the fourth and thereafter were free. Persons who had no children attending school were likewise expected to contribute seventy-five cents monthly to the support of the school. About 1888 the school was made a free school and has practically remained so to this day. B. A. Rose was one of the first teachers. Leonard Hahn taught for three years and before him for a few months a certain Mr. Miller, of Cincinnati. The first Sister to teach was Sister Rosalia, who taught alone for a year. Other pioneer Sisters were Sister Rose, Sister Germana, and Sister Alexia.
The old frame building on Quincy Street proving inad- equate by 1890, a new brick building was built on the corner of College and Green Streets. Frank Schroeder, Sr., had charge of the brick laying and John Stuebe had charge of the carpenter work. This building continued in use for school until 1927, when it was torn down and replaced by one of the finest modern school buildings in the state.
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Sister Agreda was principal of Saint Joseph's school for several years and during her administration the school reached a very high standard. Her eighth grade pupils have no difficulty in passing the county examinations pre- pared by the County Superintendent of Schools and are admitted to all public high schools without further exami- nation. Sister Honoria is the efficient principal in 1929. Many prominent professional and business men of the parish have gone to school at Saint Joseph's school. Three teachers are employed and eighty-five pupils attend this school.
Saint Mary's Parochial school was established in West- ville in 1903. The brick school building is modern and has ample facilities for all phases of school work. Tuition is charged according to the number of children attending school from each family. All of the elementary subjects are taught and the same relative high standard is main- tained as are the other parochial schools of the county. Sister M. Berno is the splendid and efficient principal. Four teachers are employed.
Saint Anthony Parochial school was established by Sis- ter M. Prospera and Sister M. Beatricia, at Hegeler, on September 12, 1926. These Sisters were from the "Sisters of the Holy Cross" from Notre Dame, Indiana. This school started with an enrollment of sixty-five pupils and the pres- ent enrollment is seventy-four. All of the elementary branches are taught and the same high standard obtains similar to all the other parochial schools of the county. Tuition is charged according to the grade the pupil is in. Sister M. Prospera is the efficient principal.
Browns' Business College was established many years ago in Danville and was very successful and flourishing. Hundreds of successful business men have received their
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first business training in Brown's Business College. R. M. Utterback established Utterback's Business College in the southwest corner of Redden Square in Danville in 1925. In November, 1926, these two colleges were consolidated and is now known as "Utterback's Business College." A full course of all subjects necessary for a complete educa- tion in all kinds of industry is carried on by the school. The school has a splendid night course of study for those who have to work in day time. Five teachers are employed and R. M. Utterback is the highly efficient principal. Mr. Utterback has won the respect and admiration of the busi- ness men by his splendid knowledge of the needs of the commercial, business and industrial world.
Greer College was established and endowed by John Greer in 1891 at Hoopeston. For many years, Greer Col- lege flourished and gave the usual degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Literature, Bachelor of Science, etc. At the time Greer College was built, it met a great need in the educational life of Vermilion County, but as it was non- sectarian, the advancement of public high schools soon caused the attendance to fall off and subsequently became the John Greer High School, as related elsewhere in this history.
CHAPTER XIX
THE DANVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (By H. Ernest Hutton, President)
EARLY COMMERCE CLUBS-THE ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND CLUB-AD- VENT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM- RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENTS-DETAILED STUDY OF CITY-SPECIAL COMMITTEES - FAR REACHING ACTIVITIES - MEMBERSHIP - THE "DANVILLE PLAN"-OFFICERS-"100,000 IN THE MAKING."
The story of the civic progress of Danville begins in the log cabin store of the pioneer. As the settlement be- came a town and then a city, its civic movements were in- spired by intermittent suggestions of enthusiastic and far- sighted citizens.
Around the stove of the merchant's store were discussed the industrial, political and civic problems of the town. If the owner of a blacksmith shop indicated a desire to move to Danville, some enterprising citizen might magnanim- ously donate a couple of vacant lots to the owner of the new enterprise as an inducement to locate in Danville. If Vermilion street became impassable for foot traffic from one side to the other, because of a mire of mud, some enter- prising merchant on one side of the street would take up the subject with some merchant on the other side. This important civic proposition was advanced as a general sub- ject of evening store discussion on each side of the street.
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Sooner or later public opinion was crystallized. A sub- scription list was headed by the ambitious merchant who conceived the idea. With the money so raised, a cinder foot path, like a bridgeway over a swamp, raised high and dry and hard, cemented the business interests of the east and west side of Vermilion Street.
As the town grew into a city and the city grew in size and population, its civic and industrial problems increased in magnitude and importance. The dreams of its enthusi- astic citizens would be publicly discussed. Perhaps the dream always remained a vision. Perhaps the discussion resulted in the spontaneous appointment of a committee to investigate; to consult with the city officials; or, perhaps, to take some definite action and to report to a voluntary public meeting expected, later, to be assembled. For years the public interest centered in agriculture. The raising of crops and markets for crops like a barometer, affected the prosperity of the merchant. The business of the merchants of the city virtually determined the degree of prosperity the city was enjoying. The agricultural fairs were the great annual events. The amount of daily deposits in a bank did not determine the volume of trade. The farmer brought his products to town and exchanged for products, not money, for goods, wares and merchandise.
Until some thirty years ago, the industrial and civic problems of this city, like that of most other smaller cities in the middle west, was inspired and guided and promoted by the unorganized effort of the single citizen or voluntary group of business men, in the community.
The development of coal near Danville brought great wealth to this community. Uninvited, outside capital, now and then took up its residence here. The great corn belt of Illinois surrounded Danville and added vastly to its in-
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come. Danville was strategically located on railroads con- necting the east with the new west; and the north with the south.
The vast natural wealth and advantages of the middle west was drawing a population stream from the east. Danville, as did other cities, grew and developed in spite of lack of organized effort.
But free and cheap lands were soon gone. A sturdy city was developing every twenty-five to fifty miles. Com- petition for sales and trade markets was increased. Each city was jealous of its population figure; and sought to pass that of its chief rival. It was usually to be observed that the strength of a community depended upon its material prosperity. With material prosperity streets could be paved; parks could be beautified. Recreation and enter- tainment, labor and capital, happiness and prosperity all followed the path of factories and industries, products of the soil and of the machine.
One city began to realize that it was a keen competitor of all others. It wanted more factories and more people, and, it was determined to get them. If a factory would not come to and locate in a city, because of its natural eco- nomic attraction to that factory, then, such factory should be induced to come.
And so there grew up the system of subsidizing indus- tries. Commerce Clubs and Industrial Clubs were organ- ized. They were composed of the most aggressive and re- sponsible citizens of the community. These clubs were the organized agencies to secure for the community at large, more population and more industries. To secure a factory the citizens would purchase a valuable site or construct an entire factory building and present same to the owner of a factory in some other city, if he would re-locate his busi-
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ness. If a factory building was not an acceptable present, then the citizens might collect a large sum of money and present it to the factory owner. Perhaps the plan necessi- tated the subscription of thousands of dollars of the cor- porate stock, by the residents of the community.
The owners of industries soon caught the spirit of the times. The locating of their industry, was, in effect, put up at public auction. It went to the highest bidder. It often was more profitable to sell the agreement to move the location of an industry, than to pursue the operation of the enterprise itself. The result was, that many an industry remained in a community the number of years, only, its contract required it to stay. Often, such industry em- ployed the certain minimum number of employes, only, so long as it was compelled so to do, by the terms of its con- tract, under which it had secured a rich bonus.
This extravagant competition of literally buying in- dustries to induce them to locate in a municipality, in fact, exists at the present day. However, many cities have come to consider such plan bad economics. Danville has gone through the period of making huge presents to induce an industry to locate in this city.
Danville has had several organizations in the last thirty-five years calculated to increase the population of the city and the securing of new industries. There was an Industrial Club organized. A One Hundred Thousand Club existed. A Commerce Chamber flourished for some- time and finally the Danville Chamber of Commerce was organized and incorporated February 25, 1916. One of these organizations adopted the plan of selling to the citi- zens vacant lots in Oaklawn. From the money acquired and inducements offered, the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad Company moved its shops from the location at the
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old junction to the east part of Danville which was called Oaklawn. The principal shops of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad Company were preserved for Danville and were developed into one of the most modern electrically equipped railroad shops in the United States. The in- vestments in lots were good investments for the citizens because the Oaklawn division of Danville thrived and flourished and hundreds of homes were built.
The Danville Industrial Club was organized. Large sums of money were raised by dues and subscription and donated outright to secure a few industries. The Indus- trial Club seemed a grand success. It fostered progress. It laid plans for a great metropolis of the future. To assist in raising money for such purpose, each citizen was urged to, and hundreds did, purchase lots in Tilton. Need- less to say, most of the lots have never been worth much more than one-tenth of the amount paid for them. Modern factory buildings were constructed and several new indus- tries operated for only the time required by their contract, and then moved away, leaving idle factory buildings. Such attempts were carried out in subsidizing a glass factory.
These organizations, however, were a great movement forward. They showed what organized effort could do. Their experience has been invaluable to the success of the present day. They furnished a permanent organization, always available, to champion any cause beneficial to the merchant, the property owner, or the citizen at large.
Danville had become a large and important city thirty years ago. It was entering into a new era of prosperity. The Danville branch of the National Soldiers Home had been built and Chicago and Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad shops were to be re-located here. Danville was the source of a soon to be developed, great network of elec-
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tric railroads. Several new steam railroads were soon to be built, giving enviable freight rates and freight connec- tions to all parts of the country.
These clubs each lasted several years and then their ardor died down. Such purchasing of industries was thought by many to be an economic mistake. It was dis- covered that the busy man of affairs could not give the time needed to the details and manifold endeavors of an organ- ized club. This developed a new situation. Industrial Clubs which could afford to do so, began to hire a trained secretary who would give his entire time to the affairs of the organization. The smaller cities could not afford to employ a trained secretary. The next best thing was done, however. Some citizen of the city in need of a permanent position was hired to give his attention to the affairs of the city. At times enterprising young men were employed as secretaries. So in Danville for some ten to twenty years, there followed a period of paid secretaries whose experi- ence was that obtained in some other line of endeavor than the particular calling of commerce work. Many of these men were energetic and ambitious. The city profited greatly by their efforts. Among those whose work for the interests of Danville, are still remembered, may be men- tioned Jerry McNichol, a reporter on The Commercial- News, who left the newspaper field to serve the city at large; the late Harry Roseman, former traffic manager of the Big Four Railroad Company; Mr. Vaughn and several others.
The organizers of the 100,000 Club, which was formed about twenty years ago were: William A. Noll, John J. Belton, Lawrence T. Allen, Frank D. Brandt and R. Allen Stephens. The club, which had its headquarters at No. 6 East Main street, had for its object "to further the indus-
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trial growth and civic welfare of Danville. One of its ac- complishments at the time was to bring the Three Eye baseball league franchise to Danville, a league club being maintained here from 1910 to 1913. The Chamber of Commerce was of material aid in establishing another Three Eye League club here in 1922.
The necessity of a paid full time secretary who occu- pied the relative position of the general manager of a big business, was felt more and more as years passed. The trained secretary-manager movement has grown to such extent, that many of the leading colleges and universities of the country now have special courses for the training of men who expect to enter the secretarial field of Chambers of Commerce. Competition is becoming keener every day between the aggressive cities of the country.
With the passing of the Danville Industrial Club, the 100,000 Club and like organizations, the Danville Chamber of Commerce was organized and incorporated February 25, 1916, by the following public spirited men: Harvey C. Adams, Julius W. Hegeler, W. E. Fithian, George W. Tell- ing, Thomas J. Cossey, W. H. Van Valkenburgh, J. E. Johnson, J. S. Emery, Arthur Worrell, Otto Schultz, Frank W. Butterworth and William B. Murray. It determined to profit by mistakes of the past. It secured an experienced secretary, Pete Wills. Mr. Wills left Danville in 1919. He was followed by Allan T. Gordon, who served as secretary until 1928, when he resigned and was succeeded by the present acting secretary, Clifford C. Simpson.
Harvey C. Adams was president of the Merchants As- sociation. This organization, together with the Industrial Club, preceded the formation of the Chamber of Commerce in 1916. Because of the duplication of effort, the Indus- trial Club disbanded and President Adams of the Mer-
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chants Association and others, organized the Chamber of Commerce of which W. E. Fithian became the first presi- dent. Mr. Fithian was followed as president by the follow- ing men: William Johnson; W. B. Murray who, as vice- president, filled the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Johnson; John G. Hartshorn; H. C. Horneman; E. Dean Huber and the present incumbent, H. Ernest Hutton.
George W. Telling, president of the Commercial Trust & Savings Bank, has been treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce since its organization.
The Danville Chamber of Commerce rented quarters on the second floor of the building at 291% North Vermilion Street. There, was collected all data of the activities of the Danville Industrial Club and of former related organi- zations. A fire destroyed the building and its contents in- cluding all such historical data.
After the fire, the Danville Chamber of Commerce took a long time lease on the brick structure located at the Northwest corner of Walnut and North streets. It sub- rents offices on the second floor to the Vermilion County Farm Bureau.
New policies were determined upon by the Chamber of Commerce. It purchased a large tract of land in the northeast part of the city adjoining the railroad right of way of the Peoria and Eastern Illinois Railroad. This was called The Danville Industrial addition. A free site was to be given a factory acceptable to the Chamber of Com- merce, which would move to Danville and finance itself.
The Chamber of Commerce entered upon a modern sys- tem of functioning, with results. It was seen that to be effective over competitors, Danville should be more alert and combative than it had been in the past. Among other
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endeavors pursued a few years ago, the Chamber of Com- merce, at great cost of time and effort, had a detailed study made of the city. Vast statistical information of its re- sources was obtained and classified. Many geographical, natural and economic advantages of Danville were tabu- lated and printed. Thousands of pamphlets containing such information are constantly being sent to all parts of the country.
In 1927, a special committee spent months in the prep- aration of an accurate book detailing the resources and statistics of Danville. This book contains seventy-one pages. It is printed upon fine glazed paper, at great ex- pense. It exhaustedly treats and classifies all industries and departments, civic, governmental and domestic. In- formation is shown by charts and maps. This book was in- dexed and covered the following subjects in regard to the advantages and resources of the city of Danville: General Information, Markets, Transportation, Labor, Raw Ma- terial, Living Conditions, Recreation, Public Utilities. Mineral Resources, Survey and Analysis. A mere recital of the above subjects shows the exhaustive manner in which the Chamber of Commerce functions. Thousands of copies of this "Fact book of Danville, Illinois," have been distributed.
A modern city is divided by its interests, in different groups and classes. Each group or class, as a rule, is in- terested almost solely in the problems of its class; churches represent the religious life of the community ; the city gov- ernment, the political aspects; the charitable organizations, relief problems; trade unions and merchant associations, questions of labor, purchase and sale :- but the Chamber of Commerce is the heart of the entire community.
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The activities of the Chamber of Commerce are far reaching. It is not political, religious or partisan. It represents all. Because of its large membership, it is a very representative and powerful organization. It works through committees and its board of directors. It insists that its committees recommend action, only, after thor- ough investigation and study. It determines and it trans- lates public desire on a given subject, to the city govern- ment. The city government is always glad to thus learn the desire of the people and to carry out such desire, if practicable. Such translated public desire may be for a new park, a bathing beach, establishment of an airport, new pavements of streets and alleys, or new laws. The merchants may have a problem whose solution is for the common benefit. The Chamber of Commerce is ever ready to assist in every economic and civic management for the betterment of the city of Danville.
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