USA > Illinois > Randolph County > Memoirs of a French village : a chronicle of old Prairie du Rocher, 1722-1972 > Part 5
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The Blais family is one of the oldest in the town. The first of the name to make his residence in Prairie du Rocher was Blais, a Frenchman whose ancestors had emigrated from France to Canada, some time before the coming of to
the Illinois country. He devoted himself to the quiet pursuit of farming, the common occu- pation of the inhabitants, and was a leading man of the village. He reached an extreme old age, and died in the year 1783. One of his sons was Antoine Blais, who married Ter- esse De Choche, Gabriel De Choche, the father of the lady in question, and the grandfa- ther of the present Antoine Blais, was a native of France, and an old resident of Prairie du Rocher. Antoine and Teresse Blais had been born and brought up in Prairie du Rocher. They had six children, of whom only four grew to maturity. Antoine, who received his fa- ther's name, was next to the oldest in birth, and is now the only surviving one of the fam- ily in his generation, all his brothers and sisters being dead.
Antoine Blais was born in Prairie du Rocher; on the twenty-seventh of August, 1809. He was brought up in the village, and received his early education in the subscription schools held in the town. At the age of seventeen he left home, and went to Ste. Gene- vieve, Mo .; and there learned the trade of blacksmith. Two years after he was in St. Louis, Mo., a place at that time of small size in comparison with its present proportions, and here he followed his trade. He went to St. Louis in 1828, and remained there four years, till 1832. At this latter date he returned to Prairie du Rocher, put up a shop, and engaged in the blacksmithing business. In July of the same year his marriage took place to Miss Lucy Conner, a daughter of Henry Conner, one of the early Sheriff's of Randolph County, United States Marshall under the administration of John Quincy Adams, a prominent Whig politician, and a leading man in public affairs. Mr. Blais' residence, for several years, in Prairie du Rocher was unmarked by any event of unusual importance. Fourteen years after his marriage, in 1846, his wife died.
In the year 1849, Mr. Blais formed one of a party, numbering also among its members Drs. Smith and McDonald, and several others from Prairie du Rocher and vicinity, which set out for California to swell the throng of enterprising and adventurous men which that year crowded the Pacific Coast, incited by the hopes of furtune held out by the wonderful stories of the golden wealth of California. The party was six months in making the over- land journey, beginning the trip in April and arriving in California the following October. An ox team carried their outfit, and their progress was necessarily slow. Mr. Blais at once went to work mining gold upon his reaching the mones. He continued in California till 1851, and at that time had succeeded in accumulating about five thousand dollars, meet- ing with better fortune than the average of California adventurers. In 1857 he sailed from San Francisco on his homeward journey. Crossing the Isthmus he reached New Orleans, where (with little doubt, through the rascality of the keeper of the hotel) he and his part- ner were robbed of the greater portion of their hard-earned money, while at dinner. Mr. Blais returned to Prairie du Rocher, and there engaged in the merchandising business, buying out the store of a friend who was contemplating a visit to Europe. A few months after his return from California, Mr. Blais married his second wife, whose maiden name was
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Mary M. Phegley, the daughter of Abraham Phegley, a native of Kentucky.
Mr. Blais has since been engaged in the mercantile business at Prairie du Rocher. His partner was Mr. J. D. Sprigg, who was long known as one of the active business men of the place. In 1860, Mr. Sprigg, retired from the business with the purpose of devoting his attention to agriculture. Mr. Blais purchased his interest in the concern and from that time carried on the business alone till 1866, when a partnership was again formed between Mr. Blais and Mr. Sprigg, the latter having grown tired of the monotony of farming. Mr. Sprigg died in 1871, and Mr. P. W. Unger took his place in the firm, since which time the busi- ness had been carried on with little change. The store, the property of Mr. Blais, in which the business of the firm is carried on, is the largest and most commodious building for the purpose in Prairie du Rocher, and was built in 1870. Mr. Blais' second wife died on the thirty-first of December, 1866. He was married for the third time, in 1867, to Mrs. Margery Conner, the widow of his brother-in-law by his first wife.
With the exception of less than a decade, Mr. Blais' long life of sixty-six years has been spent in Prairie du Rocher, of which he is now one of the oldest residents. He is fa- vorably known throughout the County as a business man of reliability and enterprise. He commenced his career without a dollar, and his accumulations have been the result of his individual efforts. He started out in his political life with a vote for Andrew Jackson, for President, in 1832. Afterward Mr. Blais became a member of the Whig party, voting for Harrison, Clay, and other Wliig candidates. On the decline of the Whig organization, Mr. Blais united with the Democracy, and has since continued to act with the Democratic Party.
Census
A Census of the early inhabitants of Prairie eu Rocher was made by Commandant MaCarty of Fort de Chartres in 1752. He listed this at 101.
The census held in 1787 listed the names of 16 inhabitants who signed the register for themselves and male children, making a total of 62 registrants; and six inhabitants who did not personally sign, and their male children, making a total of 17, thus showing a grand total of 79 males at this time.
The population of Prairie du Rocher in 1825 was 287 whites, 52 slaves, and 13 free Negroes. Apparently, when the masters of the slaves died, the slaves were granted their freedom.
In 1850 the population had grown to 500.
An early Messenger of the area states that; "At the present the parish numbers 350 families-1600 souls." This of course included the local farmers who did not actually live within the city limits.
In 1940 the population was reported to be 540; sometime after this (1950) the popula- tion appeared to number 700.
Today the population fluctuates between 700 and 750.
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BLUFFS OF P. O.R
EDUCATION
Since they were rather uniform in pattern, it will doubtless yield a clearer picture if the common points of the pioneer schools are given rather than giving short references to each one.
Nearly all of the first school houses were built of unhewed or round logs and had roofs made of clapboards that had been split from some convenient oak of large size. These boards were generally two feet or more long, about eight inches wide, and were often laid without the use of nails, poles being used on each course to hold them down. These weight poles were fastened by pegs or tied bark and withes. Altogether it was a serviceable and durable roof, even though one could "see daylight" through it.
Heat came from a large fireplace. Where stone was convenient, the fireplace might be built of it. More often it was built of logs with a clay or stone lining. The chimneys, gen- erally "stick and clay", were double walled pens thoroughly plastered, inside and out, with clay. Weathering often caused this clay to crumble away, exposing the sticks. It was not an unusual thing to see where this had occured, and fire had burned holes in the chim- ney. Both fireplace and chamney were outside the building proper. These fireplaces were not in anywise puny affairs - - - they often acconodated cuts of wood four feet or more long. In many cases, the teacher agreed, as part of his work, to cut the necessary fire- wood. The hearth was of stone or filled-in earth.
St. Joseph's School, Prairie du Rocher
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When not of earth, the floors were generally of puncheon construction. In making a puncheon floor, slabs were split from a log, the edges straightened and the upper surface smothed by use of broadaxe or adze. This method of construction did not produce a very tight or smooth floor, though it was a substantial one.
The ceiling, when present, was generally made of boards split from some forest tree. They were laid upon ceiling joists, made of poles that might occasionally be somewhat smoothed by use of a broadaxe. These ceilings were often not more than 7 feet high. Smoke from the fireplace soon gave it a brownish tint that gradually deepened as one moved nearer the fire. In numerous cases the ceilings would be omitted, and one gazed directly at the roof.
The inside walls were often left with only the "chink and daubing" finish. Coat racks were made by boring small holes in the logs and driving pegs into them. On these the shawls, coonskin caps, and homespun clothing were hung. Larger shelves were placed at convenient places about the room. On one of these shelves the wooden water bucket and drinking gourd would be found. Other shelves of proper size and heights were arranged for writing desks at which the pupils stood with quill pen and oak gall-copperas ink to do their writing on foolscrap paper. The room would not be complete without two pegs above and behind the teacher's desk. On these two pegs the switches and pointers reposed, for corporal punishment was the rule of the dav.
Former School for Black Children
The idea that the window area of a schoolroom should be one-fifth or more of the floor area had not been born. One or two were considered as sufficient. There are recorded in- stances of a log being omitted on one side of the building in lieu of a window. In winter the light of the fireplace helped some. Altogether the school room was dimly lit.
Thus far the forest immediately about the building has furnished the materials used. In the matter of seats this still held true. for the benches were generally from logs split in half. The flat side of the log was smoothed by axe of adze. With a large auger, holes were bored in the rounded side of the half logs, and large pegs were fitted to serve as legs for the bench. In the early school, desks for the pupils were seldom seen.
Writing paper was comparatively rare. Slates were used for "doing sums" and for some writing. Even at that they were not so common and 'may I borrow a slate' was frequently heard. From time to time it was necessary to clean the writing from these slates. In order to facilitate the process, a pupil would spit rather liberally upon the slate. Occasionally this saliva was removed with a rag. Generally the palm of the hand was used for rubbing, and any surplus moisture was mopped off with the sleeve. This is certainly not a very attractive description, but it really happened that way ..
Lunch was generally brought to school in baskets. Boys and girls sat on different sides of the house. Some of the more careful teachers insisted upon pupils cleaning their boots and shoes before coming into the building. High top leather boots were standard for boys. Girls wore high top shoes. In summer most of the boys and girls went barefoot. Head
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Class of School Children - About 1880
School Children-1925
School Children-About 1920
Class of 1936 Prairie du Rocher High School
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lice and scabies were frequently to be found.
Bullpen, wolf on the ridge, stink base, hat-ball, old sow, cat, sling dutch, lap jacket, one and over, and move up, games almost unknown now, were the prevailing ones for boys. Girls were sometimes admitted to a gentle game of cat or wolf on the ridge, but more often they had to be content with games like ante over or as it was sometimes called 'andy' over, London Bridge, Lemonade, go in and out the window, drop the handkerchief, skipping rope or some adaptation of a singing game.
LaPrairie La Roche. R.L. Fel.1925
To lend a little variety to school life an occasional spelling bee was held, a debating club or literary society met, or a singing school was held at night. The pupil who could 'spell the school down' was much admired. The singing school offered a bit of culture and a chance for the young people to do a reasonable amount of courting.
Textbooks were rather scarce, but a spelling book was considered indispensable. There were some reading texts, but the opportunity for selection was generally limited. Bibles, such copies of the classics as were to be had, books of history, along with almost all printed matter that came to hand, were used. Arithmetic texts were not at all plentiful, and one still finds manuscript forms of such books used in the first schools. Many sub- jects, considered indispensable now, were then unknown. Art consisted of a few pictures slyly produced by pupils who were careful to avoid the teacher's attention while doing this work. An occasional teacher with some ability to sing had singing lessons. Physiology and hygiene were practically unknown. When such texts as were then used are found, they call forth broad smiles by their statements. Grammer texts were very formal and were used only by the more advanced pupils. 'Language' was practically unknown. Geography was reduced to a little more than an outline. Civics was hardly known, while manual arts and handicrafts lay far ahead.
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The grades as we think of them today had not come. One progressed in school deter- mined almost solely by the individual. Technique for teaching had not been formulated. Then, as now, an occasional capable teacher with a vision became the inspiration of the the youngsters. On the average the schoolmasters were a strict and domineering sect, ad- hering closely to limited knowledge that was theirs. Generally they were active practi- tioners of the 'no licking, no larpin' creed. Often the teacher was an itinerant, staying only a term or so while he boarded around and then moving on about as mysteriously as he had come. To know that the pupil was studying it was sometimes required that they study aloud. The teacher, like a trained choir leader, could select and listen to any voice among the babble.
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Despite the limited equipment, the teacher's cultural attainments were above those of most of the other young men of the community, hence, some young lady, often a pupil,
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selected him as a likely prospect for a husband. Being human, he was generally a willing victim, and 'itinerant' days were ended.
Most teachers were men. An occasional girl or woman, endowed with unusual tact or daring, became a successful teacher, but they were exceptions. The overgrown and often rude boys generally required the brawn of a man to 'teach' them.
Since an organized free school system was not in general operation, these early ones were often 'subscription' schools, the teacher being paid by the parents of the pupils at- tending.
It is interesting to note that formal Education in the true sense of the word, for the area of Illinois actually began in the area of Prairie du Rocher, by the later village of St. Anne when in June 16, 1659, the first Catholic Bishop of Quebec arrived in the person of Francois de Montmorency de Lavel, with the title of Bishop of Petraea. Quebec numbered hardly 500 inhabitants, and the whole of Canada perhaps 2200 souls. Lavel organized a complete system of education: primary, technical, and classical. His seminary and prepara- tory seminary trained young men for the prieshood. In 1678 he founded an industrial
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school near later St. Anne to provide the colony with skilled farmers and artisans. His seminary developed in the course of centuries into the now famous Laval University. He was a man of undoubted patriotism, and threw the full weight of his powerful personality into the balance whenever there was question of proper administration, progress of the colony and its defense against the marauding savage.
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Parochial School Built In 1885
At an early date in history, Illinois was assured of strong support for the education of its youth. In 1785, only two years after the thirteen states had signed a treaty of peace with Great Britain, Congress passed a law for the great unorganized territory west of New York and north of the Ohio River, of which Illinois was a part. This established support for the public schools.
The law divided the land into townships of thirty-six sections each, each section to comprise 640 acres. Everything earned on one section out of the thirty-six was to pay for the public schools. Two years later this became part of the Northwest Ordinance, which also declared for freedom of religion and excluded slavery from this territory.
Music Room addition to early Parochial School. Choir, Mayme Donjon, Louise DeWitt, Augusta Chaudet, Nora LaRose, Zella Chaudet, Mary Mudd, P. G. Ehresmann. Organist.
When the new settlers arrived, they built one-room schoolhouses. Some were on the
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open prairie, and children had to walk miles to attend school. Besides, they had to help feed pigs and get the cows into pasture before they left for school in the mornings, and after school had to bring the cows back to the barn. Yet the farm children went to school as long as they could, for they wished to get an education.
According to publication #8 of the Illinois Historical Library, education in Prairie du Rocher was first recorded as early as August 1816 when Benjamin Sturgess gives notice "That he has opened a school at Prairie du Rocher, where he will teach the usual bran- ches of English Education, viz: Writing, Reading and Common Arithmetic, also English Grammer, Geography, Surveying, Astronomy, Latin and Greek languages. He thinks Prairie du Rocher is as healthy as any place in the American Bottom," which may have been un- derstood at the time as not a very improbable statement. He declares that "good board can be obtained at moderate terms and so forth."
It cannot be exactly determined who many of the early teachers were, or where they held these classes. By 1820 Charles McNabb of one of the first Americans to settle in Prairie du Rocher, was teaching school in English. (During the pastorate of Father Charles Krewet Two-thirds of the population of four hundred were French, German and English). In the 1850's a small frame school of one room was built almost directly opposite the present church. An additional room was added to it in 1931. The parochial school was opened in the early sixties of the last century in this building. Under the supervision of Father Krewet and at a cost of $5000 the large brick building which took the place of the smaller frame school was erected in 1885 directly across the street from the rectory. It accomodated 175 children. In 1885 two lay teachers and three Sisters of the Most Precious Blood constituted the faculty. In 1893 a tornado damaged the. school building to the ex- tent of $1,300.
Peter Gregory Ehresmann was born January 22, 1872, to Peter Ehresmann and Catherine Ruegemer of Richmond Minnesota. He attended the College of St. Francis in Wisconsin and graduated from St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota. He taught school in Vincennes, Indiana, about two years before coming to Prairie du Rocher. He arrived here by boat in September, 1900 and taught here until his retirement as teacher in 1935. He continued as organist in St. Joseph's Catholic Church until 1942. He served the commun- ity as City Clerk from 1937 to 1957. He died July 17, 1959.
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P. G. Ehresmann
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Mr. Ehresmann was succeeded by Mr. Albin Schrage from Clinton County.
Following Mr. Schrage's resignation, Mr. Harry Dearworth, a former teacher of the local school, was persuaded to return to 'Rocher and "head" the school in 1946.
In 1959 Sister Eustacia Goeckner was appointed principal; followed by Albert F. Henn- rich in 1961.
In 1951,a school building was erected by the church at a reported cost of $275,000. In 1959 two temporary class rooms were added.
The cornerstone was laid at the present school in early 1971. The new building has a present capacity of 125. Cost was reported at $140,000. A canapy connects this school with the church-owned building.
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School Children Celebrating 1971 Rendezvous, Prairie du Rocher School, Sept., 1971
MR. AND MRS. JOSEPH J. HOEF
Mr. Hoef is one of those citizens who have come to our shores, leaving their native country, and seeking a new home in a new world. In early times all of our people crossed the seas, but their hardihood and enterprise has all but been forgotten. Those who emi- grated in more recent times serve to remind us of the dangers and privations attending the long voyage from another continent. Mr. Hoef was born in Cobenz, Germany, on March 16, 1851. He came to America with his parents in 1865 and settled in Madonnaville. Here he attended the parochial and public schools, and after finishing his schooling helped on the farm of his parents. The father died in 1878, the mother in 1892, on August 17th.
But previous to this Mr. Hoef had taken a farm for himself. In 1883 he rented 54 acres of fertile bottom land near Prairie du Rocher. This soil, with the careful management which he gave it, yielded abundantly and brought him such prosperity that he purchased it in a short time. In 1889 he bought land adjoining to his and became the possessor of 240 acres. The large farm, situated on Rural Route #3, has been his home to the present time and has become a perfect farm in every sense as a result of his industry and prudence.
Mr. Hoef was married in 1884, on October 28, to Miss Elizabeth Crewet. His wife was a daughter of Nicholaus Crewet, the organist and school teacher of Saint Viett. She was educated in the public school and academy in Buechlein, Germany, and after her father's death in 1868 she came to America to be housekeeper for her uncle the Reverend Crewet of Prairie du Long. She remained in this capacity until her marriage. Her work for the
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Church has been notable, and she is a member of the Altar Society. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hoef are Mary A., Katherina W., and Elizabeth M., the eldest being the wife of George Eicheuser.
Mr. Hoef is a Democrat, a member of the Catholic Knights of America and an ardent autoist. He is a faithful worker for the Church.
STATE BANK
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State Bank of Prairie du Rocher
The Commons
The following article was taken from the Red Bud Review on March 2, 1901.
"By reason of a bequest in 1730, inhabitants are now exempt from taxation."
The village of Prairie du Rocher, Ill., has a fund that is unique. This little town, which is located in Randolph County a few miles southwest of Red Bud, and not far from the Mississippi River, was officially founded in 1722.
What were known as the "Common Fields" of Prairie du Rocher were granted to the village in 1730 by Jean St. Theresa Langlois.
The early French settlers held the possession of their lands in common. A tract of land was fixed upon a common field, in which all the inhabitants were interested. To each villager was assigned a portion, the size depending upon the size of his family. Fixed times were assigned for plowing, sowing, harvesting and other agricultural occupations.
The land was usually granted to each villager in long, narrow strips, partly, it is said, from an old custom in France, and perhaps to insure more efficient production against the Indians and other foes while engaged in the arduous work of tilling the land. A fence sur- rounded the whole enclosure, but the individual lots were not divided from each other.
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Besides the "common field", another tract of land was set apart as commons. All the villagers had free access to this place as a pasture for their stock. From this they also drew their supply of fuel.
In 1852 a portion of this land was leased for ninety-nine years, and a part of it was sold. Several thousand dollars were realized from these transactions, and the fund is now controlled by a special committee of villagers. The money was loaned for a long time to the farmers of Randolph County at interest payable annually.
"From this source the village derives so much money that the six hundred inhabitants are almost wholly exempt from taxation, all because of an idea more than one hundred and seventy years old of sharing things in "common".
One half of the common fields were sold at general auction in 1852. The lands sold for prices ranging from 1.50 to 4.00 per acre. On May the twenty-first, 1859, there had been $11,856.40 accumulated in the commons fund. In 1851, F. W. Brickey was elected Chair- man of the board of trustees for the commons fund and also Chairman of the school board.
The election for common trustees are held, every two years; first Monday in April.
Present board members are; Lavern Doiron-sec. treas., Arnold Steibel-Pres. Floyd Melliere, Phillip DeRouse, and Ted Fadler-trustees.
At present, there is about $52,000 principle which yields approximately $2,000 which is used by the board of education for the children.
ST.LUKE'S MILLS.
St. Luke's Mills of Prairie du Rocher
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