USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Peoria > Peoria city and county, Illinois; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 62
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CHAPTER XXVI
TIIE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF PEORIA-BRADLEY POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE-PEORIA PUB- LIC LIBRARY-PARK SYSTEM-HOTELS-PLACES OF AMUSEMENT.
PEORIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BY ROSE PFEIFFER
The people of Peoria point with pride to its excellent school system. Through the earnest efforts of its educational representatives, the members of the school board, and the hearty support of its citizens, the system has continued to grow in strength and power to meet the problem of providing school buildings and teachers to care for the hundreds of children, who during the school year of ten months, daily seek admittance to the educational homes of our city.
Early records inform us of a law passed in 1825, through the efforts of Gov- ernor Duncan, for the support of schools by public tax. The common people, viewing this tax in the light of an unjust hardship, were unwilling to bear their part of the burden. The wealthier citizens for a short time met the responsibility of educating the children of their less financially favored neighbors.
This state of affairs continued for a time but, believing the continuation of this arrangement an injustice to themselves, those who had responded at first brought about a repeal of the law in 1827.
Another bill, lacking the taxing power, was introduced in 1840. The legisla- ture refused to support it.
Strong in their conviction that education alone was the hope of producing a coming generation of men and women capable of preserving the high standard set for this, the grand state of Illinois, men were willing to give their time and effort to continue in the fight for free education for every man, woman and child in the state. Consequently, there was a call for a convention at Peoria in the summer of 1844.
This meeting was for the purpose of preparing a memorial, setting forth a claim for a common school law of such strength in its character that it would gain the thoughtful attention of that body. The names of those who were promi- nent in this call and its success are John S. Wright of Chicago, H. M. Wead of Lewistown, and Thomas M. Kilpatrick of Winchester.
That this was the first educational convention held in the state is here worthy of note. The result of this meeting was a new school law authorizing the levying of a school tax in each district. Chicago and a few other places availed them- selves of the privilege of the new law but the result, generally, was a failure. Be- tween 1844 and 1855, the latter date witnessing the adoption of the Free School Law, there was an ever increasing interest in the educational movement in Peoria.
Not willing to wait for the necessarily slow movement of the legislature in passing a law acceptable to the common people, many of whom needed to be edu- cated into the knowledge of the real value of a free school law, two schools were provided under an act of the legislature authorizing the formation known as The Female School Association and the Boys' Stock School.
During the years 1850 to 1854 both of these schools were popular and aided much to arouse the interest of many parents who had heretofore been indifferent to the rights of their children to an educational inheritance.
387
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388
HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
The uncertainty of an unfavorable adoption by the legislature of the new law for a general school system in 1855, led representative citizens of Peoria to take steps for the inauguration of a system specially adapted to our own city. This movement met the approval of the legislature and was sanctioned by the governor.
In February, 1855, the first board of school inspectors was created. The members were elected in the following month of April. By virtue of this char- ter, the board of school inspectors was empowered to take such steps as would further all school interests in the city.
The power vested in them by this special charter has been the means to for- ward the work of progressiveness which today marks the school condition of Peoria. From an early date in 1856, four good schoolhouses, two of them, the previously mentioned Female Academy and Boys' Stock School, purchased by the board, were provided.
The board had at this time an available sum of money, the first in the school treasury, to be used for building and purchasing purposes. This period marked the beginning of the graded school system in Peoria. The increase in membership at the close of the year was very encouraging.
The next ten years witnessed a steady growth in the public schools. At this point the writer would personally pay tribute to Judge Nicholas E. Worthington, through whose efforts the first advantages of teacher training were afforded to the teachers of the county.
In September, 1868, after a strenuous campaign for the establishment of a Peoria county normal school, Judge Worthington was rewarded by witnessing the opening of this school under the leadership of Samuel H. White, of Chicago, as principal. The city provided and cared for the building and the county paid the teachers' salaries.
To Professor White today, those who came under his direction bear testimony to the debt they owe him, not only in their success in teaching and the high ideals held up for his pupils, but for the example of the beautiful life he lived before them.
Peoria schools and teachers still feel the uplift from this school, which con- tinued from September, 1868, to June, 1879. There would indeed be a serious omission in this article if reference were not made to one of the strongest powers in helpfulness, in the guiding of the Peoria public school pupils in their spiritual, moral and intellectual education, if the influence of the Peoria public library. under the supervision of E. S. Willcox. librarian. received no mention.
From his rich store of knowledge and his ever cheerful readiness to aid teach- ers and pupils to share in that which books alone can supply, we turn to the public library for the richest and best to assist us in our work of guiding the children into the building of beautiful characters and useful lives.
To further this plan of helpfulness, branch libraries, under the supervision of the public library, have been placed in the school buildings farthest removed from the center of the city.
It is a fact worthy of note that while we may have been slower than some of our sister cities in adopting many of the new features which mark our school course at this time, there was never a backward step taken.
When Gerard T. Smith, the present superintendent, entered upon his duties in September, 1906. he found school buildings with seating capacity for every child of school age, and a faithful corps of principals and teachers ready to cooperate with him in the work. A wide-awake, progressive educator, realizing that the time had come for a forward movement in all lines of work, he made an imme- diate effort to bring the schools together as a real system. Telephones were in- troduced connecting the schools with the office, meetings were held, and every effort possible was made to create a healthful school spirit.
The following year, 1907, the kindergartens were introduced into the system and have been made a real part of the course of study. They have increased from six to fourteen and the kindergarten teachers have been placed on the same
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GLEN OAK SCHOOL
LE LE U
LE
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OLD WEBSTER SCHOOL
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OLD LINCOLN SCHOOL
OLD FIFTH WAARD SCHOOL. MOSS AND GARFIELD AVENUE, NOW SITE 9
389
HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
footing as regular grade teachers. The moral and intellectual effect of these kindergartens upon the grade school work is just beginning to be fully realized.
Believing that the efficiency of the school work of any system will ultimately depend upon the ability and training of incoming teachers, a normal department of two years of work subsequent to high-school graduation was established and young people encouraged to enter. This normal has developed into a most effec- tive instrument for training young women in scholarship, pedagogical principles and professional attitude. It has lacked in but one thing, and that is practice teaching plans, which are now well under way.
The salaries of grade teachers have been increased over thirty per cent and coincident with the salary increase and in harmony with the development of the normal school, the qualifications of incoming teachers have been materially strengthened.
Also, in direct line with the effort to increase school-room efficiency, the num- ber of pupils per teacher has been gradually decreased until, at the present time the average number of pupils per teacher throughout the system is less than thirty- nve. The high-school work has been greatly broadened and a new high school has been constructed and equipped in the western part of the city.
The opportunity offered by these increased facilities have been appreciated by the citizens of Peoria and a general recognition of the necessity for secondary education in meeting the demands of modern civic life has pervaded the whole city. As a result, our high-school attendance has doubled, and a need of in- creased facilities in the castern part of the city is soon to materialize in a new high-school building.
It would require pages to elaborate upon these high-school courses of study in showing how their development is coming to meet all modern, industrial and social needs.
Another important factor in the school work is the present effort to make it more fully meet the industrial needs of all the children of the city. To this end, medical inspection has been established, which will greatly improve the physical condition of all pupils.
A special school is under process of formation at this time for sub-normal chil- dren that they may get in fuller degree the work adapted to their needs and that they may not be a hindrance to the regular school work.
Peoria has at present twenty-one school buildings, with a total enrollment of 10,418 pupils distributed as follows: Peoria high school, 609; Normal training high school, 368; Peoria public grade schools, 8,333; Peoria public kindergarten schools, 1, 108.
The following is the personnel of officers, superintendent, supervisors and principals for the year ending June 21, 1912:
Officers of the board of school inspectors-E. D. Mccullough, president ; Anna Rynearson, secretary ; William V. Williamson, treasurer ; Jennie E. Stouffer, tru- ant officer ; C. H. Brown, superintendent of repairs ; Ida M. Myers, stenographer ; Mary Bourke, telephone operator and supply clerk; superintendent of schools, Gerard T. Smith.
Supervisors-Carl Graner, physical culture ; Clara Daily, music: Nama A. Lathe, art; A. P. Lauglilin, manual training; Bertha Case, cooking; Minnie M. Peterson, sewing.
Schools and principals-Peoria high school, A. W. Beasley ; Manual training high school, W. N. Brown; Blaine, E. B. Couch ; Columbia, Edna A. Nowland ; Douglas, H. B. Beecher ; Franklin, C. B. Baymiller ; Garfield, Anna E. Martin ; Glen Oak, C. A. Dille ; Greeley, W. T. Van Buskirk ; Harrison, A. H. Hiatt ; Irving, Abbie A. Hunter ; Lee, Ella Beseman; Lincoln, C. H. Kamman ; Longfellow, Kate Rutherford; Loucks, R. E. Stowell ; Mckinley, T. H. Meek ; Sumner, Ivan Deach ; Washington, Minnie B. Love ; Webster, J. C. Scullin ; White, Hester Craw- ley ; Whittier, Rose Pfeiffer ; kindergartens, Lucy B. Way.
390
HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
The following is a list of those who have served as presidents of the board of school inspectors from the time of its organization in February, 1855, to June. 1912:
A. P. Bartlett, Thomas L. Davis, H. G. Anderson, Washington Cockle, Jacob Gale, Charles Flinse, Chauncy Nye, Enoch P. Sloan, George H. McIlvaine, Henry Binnian, E. S. Willcox, C. C. Boring, Edward Hine, E. J. Case, William Jack, B. Meals, P. B. Miles, J. W. Maple, D. S. Long, E. D. Mccullough.
BRADLEY POLYTECHNIC
Bradley Polytechnic Institute, Peoria, Ill., was founded in 1897. It occupies a campus of about twenty acres upon Institute Place between Main Street and Bradley avenue. The Institute is named after Mr. and Mrs. Tobias S. Bradley who after discussing many forms of philanthrophy to which they might devote their large estate and which might serve as a memorial to their deceased chil- dren, reached the decision that a school would be the most useful and fitting forni. The sudden death of Mr. Bradley in 1867 delayed action. Mrs. Bradley was for many years fully occupied by the care of the estate and also felt that it should increase substantially before it could prove adequate for the plans which had been formed. Thus nearly thirty years passed while the estate more than doubled in value. It was Mrs. Bradley's original intention to provide for a school to be inaugurated after her death but in 1896 she decided to endow it at once. She sent her representative to various schools corresponding in type somewhat to that which she proposed to found and after thorough consideration formulated her wishes substantially as they are now expressed in the Institute.
The general purpose of the founder may be seen in the following extract from the charter of the Institute:
"The objects for which this corporation is formed are to organize and main- tain, forever, a school for the education of young people of both sexes in all practical and useful arts, sciences and learning usually taught in polytechnic schools, including a department in ethics, in which instruction shall be given in the principles of morality and right living as exemplified in the life and teach- ings of Jesus Christ; and, so far as the resources of the Institute shall warrant, there shall be added such courses of study and means of instruction in science, literature and art as may be deemed advisable by the trustees, but the chief aim of the institute shall be to furnish its students with the means of living independent, industrious, and useful lives by the aid of practical knowledge of the useful arts and sciences .- Neither in the terms of admission nor in the treatment of students, the selection of officers, agents or instructors nor in the appointment of trustees, nor in any matter whatever connected with this insti- tute, shall there be any distinction made or preference given on account of sect, creed, nationality, politics or party ; but with a review to its greater usefulness, this institute shall be, and ever remain, non-sectarian, non-political and non- partisan."
In November, 1896, a board of trustees was selected by Mrs. Bradley and the Institute organized under the University Act of the State of Illinois. Work was begun in April, 1897, on two buildings-Bradley Hall and Horology Hall. The formal dedicatory exercises were held on October 8th and that day is observed annually as Founder's Day. Mrs. Bradley's death occurred in 1908.
Bradley Institute offers two quite distinct lines of work occupying separate buildings :
I. The Horological Department gives instruction in watchmaking, jewelry, engravings and optics. It is a continuation of a school started at LaPorte, Ind .. in 1886 and brought to Peoria by Mrs. Bradley in 1893. At the founding of the institute it was made one of its departments. It is one of the oldest and most successful trade schools in the United States. Its session is continuous throughout the year and students may enter at any time since the instruction is given individually rather than in classes. It is the only school of its kind in the
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Horology Hall
Bradley Hall
Power Plant
North Manual Arts Building
Gymnasium
BRADLEY POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
country occupying a building especially erected for its purposes and its superior equipment has made it pre-eminent in its line. Students come to it from every state in the Union, from Canada, South America and even more distant foreign lands. Horology Hall was planned to accommodate one hundred and twenty- five but the rooms gradually became so crowded that in 1910 a large addition was made nearly doubling the capacity of the building. For the past few years the average attendance has been about three hundred. A faculty of seven members devote their entire time to instruction.
II. The School of Arts and Sciences occupies Bradley Hall and buildings which have been added later. The curriculum provides for six years' work, four years academy and two years of strictly college grade. Various groups are outlined so that one may secure at Bradley preparatory training and two years of college work in science, engineering, classics, literature, mechanic arts, domestic science and manual training. This work in general education is divided into eleven departments-biology, chemistry, domestic science, English, German, and French, history, Latin and Greek, manual training, mathematics, physical training, and physics. The equipment and teaching force are such as to admit of most thorough and efficient work. Graduates who wish to continue their studies go with two years of college credit to the leading colleges and universi- ties. Many young people of Peoria and the surrounding community who would otherwise have found a college education impossible, have taken advantage of the opportunities which Bradley Institute presents. The college enrollment for the past year places Bradley among the larger of the fifty or more institutions of Illinois bearing the title of "college." Unusual effort is made at Bradley to develop self-reliant, upright character in every student.
From the founding of the institute special emphasis has been placed upon domestic science and manual training. Indeed the school may be regarded as one of the pioneers in these subjects and has wielded an important influence to- ward their rapid introduction throughout the middle west. Thorough technical courses are offered for those desiring to become teachers of manual training ' and also for those preparing to teach domestic economy. These courses have grown in popularity and at present a large number of students attend Bradley for the purpose of fitting themselves to teach. These come largely from the middle west but many are from more distant states.
Although from the first the Mechanic Arts Group has been somewhat indus- trial in its character, the institute has not heretofore offered distinctively voca- tional work, but yielding to an increasing demand it has just organized four such courses so that at present one may secure at Bradley a four-year course preparatory to drafting. a two-year course fitting one for trade work in wood, a similar course or two years in metal, and a two-year course adapted to the needs of farmers and confined to the three winter months of each school year. The institute also offers evening courses in mathematics, machine shop, wood- work, mechanical drawing, electricity and magnetism, art metal and other prac- tical lines.
Since 1904 a summer school has been held lasting five weeks and devoted exclusively to manual training and domestic economy. It has been patronized chiefly by teachers and these have come from every part of the United States.
The record of the first fifteen years has been one of constant growth. The faculty has increased from thirteen members for Bradley Hall and five in Horology Hall for the year 1897-98 to forty at Bradley Hall and seven at Horology Hall for the year 1911-12. This large increase in the size of the student body has involved changes in the material equipment. For the first seven years Bradley Hall and the Horological building were the only ones upon the campus. In 1904 a station of the United States Weather Bureau was estab- lished at the north end of the campus. In 1909 a gymnasium was erected at the cost of nearly $80,000 containing a gymnasium for men, another for women, bowling alleys, swimming pool and a series of rooms for social purposes.
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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
During the summer of 1911 owing to the crowded condition at Bradley Hall the shops which had occupied the wings of the main building were transferred to two large buildings on Bradley avenue owned by the estate but occupied for many years by an automobile industry. The removal of the shops made it pos- sible to utilize the space left vacant to relieve the extremely crowded condition in other classes at Bradley Hall. During the summer and fall of 1911 a power plant was erected at a cost of $65,000 located at the corner of Clara and Laura streets, furnishing light, heat and power for all the buildings connected with the institute and with a capacity to meet all future demands. Plans are nearly completed for a girls' dormitory to be erected on Clara street during the next school year.
Bradley Institute has had but two directors. Mr. Edward O. Sisson was in charge from 1897 to 1904 when he resigned to continue his studies, later accept- ing a position in the department of education at the University of Washington. Theodore C. Burgess became director in 1904 and still continues in charge of the institute. Mr. Burgess has been a member of the faculty since the founding of the institute and for several years had served as dean of the higher academy and college. Ile is a graduate of the State Normal School of Fredonia (N. Y.) and of Hamilton College (N. Y.) and for a number of years was the head of the department of ancient languages at the state normal school from which he graduated. He severed his connection with the normal school to continue his studies at the university of Chicago, gaining the doctor's degree from this insti- tution in 1898. For some eight years he acted as professor of Greek at the university of Chicago during the summer quarter. His doctor's thesis "Epideic- tic Literature" was published by the university as one of its studies. He is also the author of an elementary book in Greek, and various contributions to educa- tional journals.
Mrs. Lydia Moss Bradley, founder of Bradley Polytechnic Institute, was born at Vevay, Indiana, on the 3Ist of July, 1816. Her grandfather, Nathaniel Moss, served as chaplain in the war of the Revolution. Her father. Zealy Moss, served in the same war in the commissary department and at its close entered the Baptist ministry. He lived for many years in Virginia where he married Jeanette Glasscock. Their daughter Lydia was married to Tobias S. Bradley in 1837. Their children, two boys and four girls, died in early youth and Mr. Bradley in 1867. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bradley moved from Indiana to Peoria where Mr. Bradley opened a wool yard and sawmill. He soon formed a partnership with Mrs. Bradley's brother William S. Moss and in addition to the business carried on by this firm he managed a steamboat line from Peoria to St. Louis and secured a large interest in the First National Bank. At the time of his death he had amassed a fortune of about a half a million. Mr. Bradley died suddenly without an opportunity to leave instruc- tions in regard to his business affairs. Mrs. Bradley had devoted her entire time to the affairs of the household but assumed the burdens and responsibilities of managing this large estate without experience to guide her and through her native good judgment and careful management she not only preserved the orig- inal estate but in the next thirty years increased it more than fourfold. She died after a brief illness on the 16th of January, 1908.
Mrs. Bradley always took a deep interest in everything which pertained to the permanent betterment of the city in which she had resided during the greater part of her life. She relieved the Bradley Memorial church on Main street from a $30,000 mortgage. She donated the site of the St. Francis hospital and it was called the Bradley hospital until about ten years ago when the donation was refunded. She built and helped to maintain the Home for Aged Women on Main street and assisted in many other charitable enterprises.
The two greatest gifts remain to be mentioned. At her suggestion in 1891, a Park Board was organized as one of the conditions upon which she would do- nate to the city the land, including about one hundred acres, which now forms
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Webster School
Blaine School
Longfellow School
Whittier School
PEORIA PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS
HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
393
NUMBER SECURING INSTITUTE DIPLOMAS
1
1897-8
1898-9
1899-0
1900-1
1901-2
1902-3
1903-4
GROUPS
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Engineering
Science
1
.
.
2
3
3
1
5
2
3
5
Literature .
1
1
2
4
4
1
1
1
2
9
11
2
4
6
Mechanic Arts
Totals
1
1
2
. . 1 2
6 5 11
4 6 10
8/ 1 9|10 16 26| 13 10 23
1904-5
1905-6
1906-7
1907-8
1908-9
1909-10
1910-11
GROUPS
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Science
1
3
4
9
2
11
3
1
4
3
3
6
7
2
9
6
3
9
5
1
6
Classics
2
2
1
1
2
1
3
2
3
5
2
1
3
1
1
. . .
. .
Literature .
3
6
9
12
12
8
8
3
10
2
8
10
1
11
12 . .
11 11
Mechanic Arts
..
..
. .
. .
.
. .
1
1
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
Totals
8 11 19 12 15 27
5 10 15 15 13 28 19 11 30 14 15 29 14 12 26
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