USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois : a tale of its evolution, settlement and progress for nearly a century, Volume I > Part 42
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The Cunningham school house was built in 1840 and Levi Cronkhite was the first teacher of the school.
To return to the schools of Danville it is found that the first one was taught in Haworth's smokehouse, a little building ten or twelve feet square. It was made of logs without a floor and its only openings were the door and a square hole cut at the opposite side for light and ventilation. It stood west of Haworth house and back some distance north from the line of the sidewalk.
Dr. Norton Beckwith, the brother of Dan Beckwith was the teacher. After this there was a school house built upon a lot on south Hazel street on the west
333
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
side of the street not far below where the jail is located. This lot was set apart by the county commissioners for school purposes.
This building was made of small logs covered with clapboards, with the chimney on the outside made of stone and sticks mudded after the fashion of the Kentucky cabin. At first it had no floor but later the floor was made of puncheons. The seats were made of the same material, smooth side up, sup- ported on wooden legs. Among the teachers who taught here at different times were Harvey Luddington and Enoch Kingsbury. Mr. Luddington also taught a Sunday school here. At a later day James A. Davis came to Danville without a cent of money, having lost everything while coming up the Wabash in a boat. Dr. Beckwith found that Mr. Davis had a fine education and said he was the very man Danville needed to teach school. He at once wrote a paper and circulated it that he might secure a school. Such good satisfaction did Mr. Davis give that he taught school for a long time in different parts of the county. From Vermilion street a little south of the square there was a trail led off southeast across lots to the school house. This trail went through a thicket of hazel bush and it was so high that the teachers and pupils were obliged to part it with their hands to go to school.
The first school house was destroyed by fire. Mr. Henry Hunt had col- lected some two hundred venison hams and stored them in Haworth's smoke- house, where he was smoking and drying them to ship them to New Orleans by flat boat. For a joke (a sorry joke it appears) some of the men attracted the attention of Mr. Hunt, while others fired the building. The market was glutted with venison partially cooked, since the fire was not discovered until too late to save the meat.
This school house was not up to the needs of the times, or at least so thought Amos Williams, the man who did so much for Danville, and he built another at his own expense. He put up the building on the west side of Franklin street a little north of the alley. This building was fully twenty feet square, some twelve or fourteen feet high in the clear and made of logs hewn inside and out. It had a door and two windows fronting east and was further lighted with a row of three or four 8x10 window lights in width, and extending nearly the length of the three other sides. The floor was made of sawed plank, matched and evenly laid. In winter time a stove occupied the center of the room. A double row of seats (one of which was in front low down, next to the floor, and the other raised up like a gallery, some three feet back of and above the first, with the wall behind and sloping desks in front), extended around three sides of the room, with openings cut near the middle of each row, and provided with steps, so the pupils could ascend to the higher platform. Here the three months' school was held for many years. The school teacher was generally a stranger, who would go from place to place looking for a school. His education varied with circumstances, and at times he would be well prepared for the work he sought while at others he was but a bully or a brute.
The first school taught in the southwestern part of Danville township was at what was sometimes called Payne's Point. Mrs. Cromwell was a dearly loved teacher in the years previous to the opening of the public schools and after the new building on the corner of Madison and Pine streets was first opened she
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
was the first teacher for the children as long as she was able to be in the school room. The men and women of Danville can not forget until at least another generation the kind and efficient teacher who was very nearly a mother in her care and solicitude.
That which predominated in the development of the educational system in Vermilion County from the year 1880 to 1900 was proportion, uniformity and thoroughness in the common school course of study; namely, that composed of the common branches. From 1900 to the present, the emphasis has been gain- ing toward the higher development of the secondary or high school course of study. In the county administration of schools, J. D. Benedict became superin- tendent in 1881 to succeed C. V. Guy. Mr. Benedict came into office about the time that additional powers and duties were granted to the county superinten- dent. Previous to this time the office had been largely that of custodian an,' trustee of school funds and school lands, together with the duty of examining of applicants for license to teach. With the new powers given under state law, the county superintendent was given more school supervision. Mr. Benedict was one of the foremost superintendents of the state to exercise the new powers vested in the office and established in Vermilion County a system of monthly examinations of pupils in all the village and rural schools. To make this work more effective, it was necessary to evolve a prescribed course of study to be placed in the hands of the teachers after those teachers were duly instructed in its use. The operation of this course of study under a sensible line of examina- tions, has been well carried out through Mr. Benedict's term of office which closed 1889, succeeded by L. H. Griffith whose term of office which closed 1889, succeeded by L. H. Griffith whose term of office extended from 1889 to 1899; this followed by R. B. Holmes from 1899 to 1906; followed by W. Y. Ludwig, 1906 to 1910. Haworth is the present superintendent of schools.
The rural schools in general, do most excellent work in the common school branches corresponding to the graded schools of the vilages and cities. Pupils, after completing the common branches in the rural and small village schools, are usually transferred to the accredited high schools, the number of which has rapidly increased within the past decade. It now seems to be within the reach of every child within the limits of Vermilion County to acquire a good common school education, and added to that the completion of a four years high school, which fits him for entrance to the best universities, technical or professional schools of the land. In the high school development of the county, two high schools, Danville and Hoopeston, are accredited in the "Northcentral Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools." The following high schools are on the accredited list of the University of Illinois; Danville, Georgetown, Hoopeston, Rossville, Vermilion Academy, Ridge Farm and Sidell.
The high school of Danville was not legally incorporated into the system of schools until 1887 when a vote of the people made it a part of the city schools. Nothwithstanding this there has been graduated several classes. The first class to graduate from the Danville high school was in 1872.
The total enrollment of pupils of Danville for all grades during the past year expenditures for past year were $128,026.67. This sum includes disbursements for all purposes. Expenses per capita for teachers, janitors, and fuel were :
in
GREER COLLEGE, HOOPESTON
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
In high school, $33.30. In grades below high school, $17.77, making $19.90 an average for all pupils.
The Danville high school had a total enrollment of 476. The number grad- uating from the Danville high school during each of the past four decades were as follows :
1871 to 1880 55
1881 to 1890 80
1891 to 1900 212
1901 to 1910 409
The private schools of Vermilion County do not make an extensive list. The Vermilion Grove Seminary has already been mentioned, together with the Georgetown Seminary, the Danville Seminary, and the Union Seminary ; all of these, with the exception of the one first mentioned, found their time of use- fulness cease when the public schools were established. The first private school to be opened after that was the one known as the Chilcoat school, or by the name given it by the proprietors, the Danville Normal and Academic Institute. This school was established during the latter part of the seventies, and was a popular school for several years. It was conducted by the two brothers Chil- coat. Music was a well conducted department in the school under the man- agement of Prof. Vandersteen.
The German Lutheran private school has been an established institution since the sixties. The school is supported by the congregation of that church. The congregation appoints the teachers, and is in every way responsible for the school.
The German Catholic school was established nearly as early, but was never very regularly kept up.
The Parochial schools became an institution of the Catholic church in the eighties. This institution is in a flourishing condition. A large and commo- dious building is located at the corner of Main and Park streets, where a day school to accommodate the children of Danville is supplemented by a boarding school well patronized and known as the Sisters Academy.
The other private schools where higher education can be obtained are Greer College and the Brown Business School.
GREER COLLEGE.
Greer College was founded and endowed by the late John Greer in 1891, who gave his fortune as a heritage to all young people who are ambitious to rise in the world. Like most men, Mr. Greer's life had been one of toil and trial. When young, his opportunities for an education were meager enough, and this he believed caused his life to be more irksome than it otherwise might have been. Business and normal colleges, such as Greer College, were unknown when he was a boy, and the common schools were then poor at best. He desired to make conditions better, and so resolved to found a college where young people of any age would be received and educated with care and patience, no matter how poor their early means for schooling had been. The beautiful buildings
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
of Greer College stand today as a monument to the memory of a true philan- thropist and lover of young people.
The buildings of Greer College cost nearly $50,000 and are provided with all modern conveniences. Several hundred dollars have been expended during the past two years for libraries, laboratory apparatus, tables, cases, commercial offices and desks, cabinets, microscopes, air pumps, electrical machines and ap- pliances, good water supply in laboratory, biological and geological specimens, skeleton, charts, physiological models and typewriters.
The college buildings occupy a commanding site in the western part of the city. The campus is a beautiful sloping lawn, ornamented with trees and shrub- bery. The grounds are high, affording perfect drainage and a pleasant view of the city and surrounding country.
The main building is a magnificent specimen of modern architecture. It is built of St. Louis pressed brick, laid in black mortar. The arched entrances and large landscape windows are set in cut stone. The trimmings are of rough stone, terra cotta and ornamental iron. The auditorium, halls, etc., of the building have recently been repapered and varnished and made bright and cheer- ful, as when new. It is heated throughout with steam, lighted with electricity and gas, and supplied with an abundance of pure artesian water.
The inner appointments of this building are all that could be desired-com- fortable, convenient and elegant. The college auditorium or assembly room has a seating capacity of about 700 persons. A commodious gallery in the type of an amphitheatre extends around three sides. The lighting and ventilation of the rooms is perfect. Here are held the daily chapel and general assembly.
Greer hall is a fine brick structure containing comfortable apartments for gentlemen students and teachers. The rooms are arranged in suites and the interior finish is similar to that of the main building-natural wood oiled.
The president's home is a large modern home fitted with electric lights, steam heat, bath, etc., where young women will have elegant rooms with all the comforts and conveniences of a home life while attending college.
The library and reading room is a commodious apartment, well lighted, warmed and ventilated. Among the reference books are encyclopedias of his- tory and literature, atlases and the standard dictionaries. There are valuable scientific and historical works, books of biography and travel, standard fiction, polite literature, poetry, etc. There is a large number of volumes treating di- rectly on the branches of daily study. The leading magazines and teachers' journals and the local and Chicago papers are kept on file.
The courses of study have been revised recently and consist of two-year courses in commercial work, stenography, civil service, elocution and penman- ship; four-year courses in preparatory, normal and music, and four-year col- lege courses that entitle students who finish them to the usual degrees given for the various courses, such as Bachelor of Arts (A. B.), Bachelor of Literature (B. Lit.), Bachelor of Science (B. S.), etc. Graduates of the college or of other colleges may become candidates for the master's degree after having re- ceived the corresponding bachelor's degree, or upon a satisfactory showing of worthiness, the master's degree is conferred.
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
The school is non-sectarian, but a thorough Christian spirit is maintained. Daily devotional exercises are conducted, and students are advised to attend at least once on Sunday the church of their choice. The different denomina- tions are represented on the faculty, and almost every denomination sends its students. The teachers are workers in the respective churches, and the usual young people's societies are encouraged.
Two student literary organizations are maintained-the Olympian Literary Society was organized by the young men and has steadily gone forward in its splendid career, and many prominent young men of this state and others can trace their success in public life to the training received while members of the Olympian Literary Society.
What has been said of the Olympian Society is also true of the Vesperian Literary Society, which is the young ladies' literary society of the school.
The Y. M. & Y. W. C. A. have a great influence upon the student life of the school, and most of the students are members of these.
The Alumni Association now consists of 439 members, and many of them are occupying important positions in public and private life throughout this country and also in some foreign countries.
The Brown Business College has a good location. Mrs. Morris is the prin- cipal. Other small attempts have been made to establish private schools, but have not continued long in profit. The private school of Miss Edith Yeomans, established about 1902, continued in existence until the principal moved west, when it was continued but one year. Schools for young children have been established to live but a short time and then pass out of sight.
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE DANVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
DATE OF ORGANIZATION-OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS-THE CULBERTSON LIBRARY-REV. JAMES W. COE, FIRST LIBRARIAN-LOCATIONS-BUILDING- CIRCULATION-CLASSIFIED CONTENTS IN 1910.
The Danville public library has been in existence since 1882. L. T. Dicason was at that time the mayor of the city and on July 21, 1882, called a public' meeting of the citizens to organize a public library in the city.
The officers chosen at that meeting were, W. C. McReynolds, president ; J. G. English, vice president; H. A. Coffeen, secretary. The board of directors included these names and, as well, the following: Father P. J. O'Rielly, Dr. George Wheeler Jones, John C. Black, W. R. Jewell, William P. Cannon and Rev. Chas. H. Little.
This was not the first attempt to furnish free reading matter to Danville people, for the Culbertson library had been in circulation for some years although its circulation was not as extensive as the nature of the collection warranted. At the death of James Culbertson, a merchant of Danville and a man who was prominent in the affairs of the growing county, his will was found to contain a bequest of his library and a trust fund placed in the hands of the pastor and session of the Presbyterian church. This fund was to be used in the purchase of books, to be carefully selected with certain restrictions for a circulating library.
After the Danville public library was organized this other organization, as provided by the will of Mr. Culbertson, was merged into the new one and the books turned over for distribution. This was in 1883.
The rooms selected to house the public library were in the McDonald build- ing on west Main street, adjoining the First National Bank building. In 1885, the library had increased and needed more room, so that it was moved to the block, on North Vermilion street, occupying the entire second floor over Nos. 132-134. It remained in this location for sixteen years.
The next move was to the Fera block, at the northeast corner of North and Walnut streets in the rooms now occupied by the Woman's Club. It remained here until the present library building was complete.
338
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
The first librarian was James W. Coe. He served five years when his failing health made a change necessary. He was a scholarly gentleman of the old school and his efforts gave the library an impetus which determined its useful- ness. He was for some time the rector of the Episcopal church, Holy Trinity at Danville, prior to his selection as librarian. Mr. Coe was an eastern man, coming from New York state and, with his wife and family of young people made a great addition to Danville's social life. A fine portrait of Rev. Coe is on the walls of the library building and reminds the visitor of the efficient serv- ice he rendered his much loved library.
Miss Aletha Witte was the next librarian, remaining in the position during the years between 1887 and 1890, when she resigned to go to the Pratt library, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
She was followed by Miss Josephine E. Durham, who has since filled the place most acceptably. She is well acquainted with the needs of the library, and in close touch with its patrons, and ever alert for everything that tends to improve it. Since 1804 the library has been housed in its permanent home on the northeast corner of Vermilion and Madison streets. This land 132x155 feet, was bought by the city of Danville at a cost of $25,000. The build- ing is of Bedford stone and dark paving brick, and occupies an area of 100 feet by 65 feet. It was built at a cost of $40,000 and was the gift of Andrew Carnegie, of New York city. It is very conveniently arranged. The main floor contains two reading rooms, each 30x40 feet, one for adults and the other for children. The center is occupied by the delivery room in front, and the stock room just back of it, with the librarian's desk, so located as to command a view of the entire interior. On this floor there is also a reference room, a catalogue- ing room, and an office for the librarian. There is a light dry basement under the whole building, entirely finished, in which are kept files of the newspapers, congressional documents and such books as are little called for. The building is fire proof throughout. The bookstacks are of steel. The building is heated with city steam and lighted with electricity.
From the librarian's report for the year ending April 30, 1910, it appears that the total of bound volumes is 26,856, of unbound volumes is 300, and of periodicals, 84,086 volumes.
The appropriations made by the city council for the last two years were, $8,000 each. This money was a considerable portion at least, spent for buying new books.
A special effort is being made to make the reference department full and complete for the benefit of pupils of the public schools and any who desire to pursue some special line of study.
This building was thrown open to the public November 8, 1904. The hours when the library is open are from 9 A. M. to 9 P. M. during the week, and on Sundays from October to June 2 to 5 P. M.
The following report of the circulation during the past year gives a good idea of the use made of the Danville Public library.
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
Circulation by classes :-
CLASSIFIED CONTENTS OF THE LIBRARY.
April 30, 1909.
Added During Year
Total April 30,
1910
General Works
451
74
525
Bound Magazines
1,303
IOI
1,404
Philosophy
267
21
288
Religion
644
51
695
Sociology
705
I36
841
Philology
58
IO
68
Natural Science
687
109
796
Useful arts
584
127
711
Fine arts
628
67
695
Literature
1,672
280
1,952
History
1,469
146
1,615
Travel
1,056
I68
1,224
Biography
1,356
100
1,456
Fiction
5,512
734
6,246
Juvenile Fiction
3,450
326
3,776
19,746
2,450
22,196
No. of volumes withdrawn during year
554
21,642
No. of volumes of government documents
5,023
No. of volumes of bound newspapers
19I
26,856
CIRCULATION BY CLASSES.
Juvenile
Adult
Total
Philosophy
15
236
251
Religion
78
292
370
Sociology
187
410
597
Phisology
2
16
18
Natural science
368
471
839
Useful arts
14I
50I
642
Fine arts
254
509
763
Literature
456
1,879
2,335
History
504
689
1,193
Biography
270
527
797
Travel
435
681
1,116
Fiction
24,861
47,405
72,226
Total
27,57I
53,616
81,187
No. of volumes circulated at the Oaklawn schools
2.899
Total circulation for the year
84,086
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
REGISTRATION OF READERS.
Cards in force April 30, 1909 6,088
New cards issued during the year
1,112
MAGAZINE LIST.
Ainslie's Magazine, American Boy (Juvenile), Americal Federationist, Ameri- can Homes and Gardens, American Magazine, American Republic, Annals of Amer. Academy of Pol. and Soc. Science, Atlantic Monthly, Birdlore, Blazer, Bohemian, Bon Ton, Bookman, Carpenter and Building, Cassiers, Cavalier, Cen- tury, Chautauquan, Children's Magazine, Children's Star, Christian Missionary, Christian Science Sentinel, Collier's Weekly, Conservation, Cosmopolitan, Country Life in America, Craftsman, Current Literature, Delineator, Deutsche Vorkampfer. Good Housekeeping, Hampton's Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Har- per's Monthly, Harper's Weekly, Herald of Gospel Liberty, House Beautiful, Illuminating Engineer, Independent, Institute Tie, International Studio, Judge, Keith's Home Builder. Ladies' Home Journal, Life, Lippincott, Literary Digest, Little Folks, Living Age, Locomotive Engineering, London Illustrated News, Man- uel Training Magazine, McCall's Magazine, McClure's Magazine, Machinery, Master in Art, Metropolitan, Missionary Review, Missionary Tidings, Mother's Magazine, Motor Print, Dial, Dramatic News, Editor, Educational Review, Etude, Everybody's Magazine, Forub, Gartenlaube, North American Review, Official Ga- zette of U. S. Patent Office, Olde Ulster, Outing, Outlook, Pacific Monthly, Pall Mall, Pearson's Magazine, Photo Era, Popular Electricity, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science Monthly, Puck, Recreation, Red Book, Review of Reviews, St. Nicholas, Saturday Evening Post, Scientific American and Supplement, Munsey, Musical America, Musical Courier, Mystic Worker, National, National Geog. Magazine, Nature Study Review, Nineteenth Century, Scrap Book, Scribner's Magazine, Story Hour, Strand, Suburban Life, Success, Sunday School Times, Survey. System, Technical World, Toilettes, Uncle Remus' Home Magazine, Van Norden Magazine, Woman's Home Companion, Wide World, Western Em- pire, Westermann's Monatschafte, World Today, World's Work, Youth's Com- panion.
NEWSPAPER LIST.
Banner, Christian Science Monitor, Danville Commercial-News, Danville Press-Democrat, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Record-Herald, German Zeitung, German Herald.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
CHURCHES AND MINISTERS OF VERMILION COUNTY.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-THE METHODIST CHURCH-THE BAPTIST CHURCH-THE CHURCH OF CHRIST-THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH-THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH-THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH-THE GERMAN UNITED BRETHERN -THE GERMAN LUTHERAN-THE GERMAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH- THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH-THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS-THE OTHER CHURCHES-THE MORMONS-THE CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS.
The Presbyterian church is the pioneer faith of Danville. The organization of this denomination into a church in Danville was effected in 1829. There had been service in the place before this time, however. This organization had been begun and completed by Rev. Samuel Baldridge. The original members of this church were Dr. Asa R. Palmer, Josiah Alexander, Mary Ann Alexander, Eliz- abeth Alexander, Solomon Gilbert, Submit Gilbert, Lucy Gilbert and Parmele Tomlinson. Dr. Palmer was selected as first ruling elder. Rev. Baldbridge organized this church and was for a few months the pastor.
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