Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. I, Part 52

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 762

USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. I > Part 52

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In a general review of his administration and a sort of a leave- taking of his local co-educators, Mr. Banman touches upon the sub- ject of a gradual raising of the standard of the qualifications de- manded of the teachers of Quincy, thus: "One of the things which has meant more for real efficiency on the part of our teaching body,

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OLD IRVING SCHOOL AND ADDITION

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and which has shown more excellent results in every way than any other one thing, was the adoption by the Board of Education in May, 1911, of a schedule of qualifications and salaries of teachers which I recommended at that time. This schedule makes the salary of the teacher commensurate with her qualifications, and calls for certain definite requirements. By a special arrangement with the Western Illinois State Normal School, it was made possible for our teachers to make such arrangements as might enable them to com- plete the course of study and receive their diplomas in the shortest possible time. The result was that nearly 100 of the Quincy teachers enrolled in the State Normal School during the summer term of 1911. A number of them graduated at the close of the term, owing to the fact that they had a large amount of work which could be credited. By means of extension work which was offered the teach- ers during the school year by the State Normal School, and hy at- tending the subsequent summer terms, almost all of our teachers have found it possible to complete their State Normal School work and receive their diplomas. To show what this movement has done, I merely wish to say that when I came to Quincy to take charge of the schools, but few of the grade teachers were graduates of recognized professional schools, or had even done work in such schools; while at this time there is not a single teacher who is not either a graduate of a State Normal School or college, or who has not done considerable work toward the completion of a course leading to graduation.

"More than that. Quite a number of teachers have supplemented their work with college and university training since graduating from the State Normal School. I can say for Quincy, and say it truthfully, that no other city of its size in the country has a better trained corps of teachers."

Superintendent Bauman also noticed the opening of an ungraded school during the preceding year, and regretted the abandonment of "medical inspection," continued during the first two years of his superintendency. The parent-teachers associations had been in successful operation for two years. He again recommended the establishment of night schools, continuation schools and vacation schools.

PRESENT STATUS OF SCHOOLS

Superintendent Charles M. Gill concludes the second year of his service in July, 1918. In the spring of that year the schools and teachers were evidently in a high state of efficiency. The handsome Dewey School had been completed, and others were model establish- ments for the propagation of public instruction. The High School, which was graduating 100 students yearly, had long been a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities and accredited by the State Department of Public Instruction, so that

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its graduates were admitted to the University of Illinois, or other colleges in the state, without examination. A night school had been in successful operation for some time, for the benefit of persons employed during the day who wished to master the English branches, business subjects-ineluding salesmanship, stenography and type- writing-dressmaking, millinery, wood-working, mechanical draw- ing and telegraphy. The Board of Education had also purchased a plot of ground, 420 by 616 feet, centrally located for an athletic field and playground, and it was being put in shape for the pur- poses implied.

As to statisties which may convey another idea of the Quiney system of public education, as it had been developed for seventy years or more, it is gleaned from the latest figures accessible when this article was written (spring of 1918) and furnished by Superin- tendent Gill, that the average number of pupils enrolled in all the eity sehools was 3,958; average attendance, 3,760. There were 164 men and women in the employ of the Board of Education, exelusive of janitors, comprising the following : Superintendent, business manager and truant officer; four supervisors, and 157 teachers. The total value of the school property was $1,005,000.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

The bud of the Quiney Fire Department appeared in 1837-39, during which the bueket brigade was replaced by Fire Engine No. 1, or the "Old Quiney" hand engine. All the substantial men of the town, more than fifty, volunteered to "lend a hand" when neces- sary. As the years marehed along, so did improvements in the de- partment. Engine Company No. 1 was succeeded by Water Witch No. 2; then, in succession, eame Liberty No. 3, Neptune No. 4, Phoe- nix No. 5, Rough and Ready No. 6 and the Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company.

The different companies continued to be managed by officers of their own election until 1865, when the Board of Fire Engineers was established whose duty was to generally supervise the system ; it was composed of a chief engineer and the foreman of the fire com- panies. In the following year it was made broader and more munie- ipal in its scope, ineluding the mayor, chief engineer, two assistant engineers and two aldermen. The first board, as thus constituted, inet on the 11th of May, 1866, with the following personnel : Mayor Maitland Boone, Chief Engineer T. J. Heirs, Assistants J. M. Bishop and C. Schwindler, and Aldermen Whitbread and Schrieber. It was during that year, also, that Quincy obtained its first steam fire engine. It was called the "John Wood." and its hoarse whistle sounded the death-knell of the pure volunteer system: first it was half-pay and half-volunteer, and finally a full paid department.

The first six or seven years of the department constituted a period

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of complete responsibility for the protection of public and private properties against the attacks of fire, but after 1872 ever increasing assistance was furnished by the expanding system of water works, which, under modern conditions, may be said to constitute the main protection. In May of that year, after three years of discussions, legislation and negotiations between private companies and the City of Quincy, the Quincy Water Works Company was organized. It was the logical time for its creation. The fall and winter of 1871-72 was a season of great drought, and the horses of the Middle West, and in many sections elsewhere, were rendered useless by epizootic. The fire and private cisterns, upon which the fire department had depended for its supply in an emergency, became empty. Private persons were compelled to pay an outrageous price for water and, to add to this deplorable state of unpreparedness, was the imminent danger of fire with everything in perfect condition to spread it into a fierce conflagration. Under these circumstances, various plans were suggested by which to fill the fire cistern. The experiment was tried of using fire steamers at the river, conveying the water to the desired localities through hose. But there was a decided shortage of available hose, several of the steamers were disabled under the unusual calls upon their pumping powers, and that plan had to be abandoned.

Finally the city adopted a plan proposed by Edward Prince. A small pump house, with boiler and engine, was installed at the foot of Maine Street, the fire cisterns were filled from the river, and the danger of a general conflagration averted. In the spring of 1872 the city laid a six-inch main up Maine Street from the pump house, and set three fire hydrants-one at Third Street, another at Fourth and the third at Fifth. This main, including machinery, was after- ward purchased by Mr. Prince, secretary of the Quincy Water Works Company, who subsequently built and operated the original system.

Up to this time the chief engineers of the fire department had been E. M. Miller, 1865-66; T. J. Heirs, 1866-68; Henry Meisser, 1868-70; Henry Lageman, 1870-72.

The losses by fire suffered by citizens of Quincy were quite large until adequate protection was furnished through the co-operation of the department and the water works system, as will be seen by the following figures: From April, 1868, to April, 1869, $206,000; 1869- 70, $97,000; 1870-71, $135,000; 1871-72, $122,000; 1872-73, $59,000; 1873-74, $175,000.

The heads of the department since the time of Henry Lageman have been as follows: John J. Metzger, 1872-74; J. H. Ayers, 1874- 75 (died in the latter year) ; John A. Steinbach, 1875-84; John J. Metzger, 1884; Joseph Esterly, 1885-91; George Schlag, 1895-1908; August G. Moshage, 1908-10; George J. Schlag, 1910-12; George Marriotte, 1912-

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The present department, under Chief Marriotte, is well organized, the engines and other apparatus being under roof in eight substan- tially built houses. Central headquarters are in the City Hall and at the Engine House on South Fifth Street.

In October, 1901, the system of fire protection was strengthened by the installation in Quiney of the Metropolitan alarm by the Amer- ican District Company. It had the honor of being the first eity in Illinois to inaugurate the system.

THE QUINCY WATER WORKS

For a period of more than forty years the local system of water supply and distribution was owned and superintended by private parties. Since 1916 it has been successfully conducted under mu- nicipal ownership. The original law authorizing the city to issue bonds to build and operate water works, create a Board of Water Commissioners, and do all those other things which should make them a city coneern, was passed by the Legislature of 1868-69. The act was approved by a large popular vote, but was finally pronounced by the courts unconstitutional and ineffective because of the lack of any enacting clause.

This set-back was by no means considered a knock-out blow by the believers in a modern system of water works, both as a sanitary measure and a strong protection against fire, and in the latter part of 1871 subseriptions were secured from the solid citizens of Quincy upon which to base the formation of a joint-stock company to push through the enterprise. Thus, on the 8th of May, 1872, the Quiney Water Works Company was formed with the following directors: .James D. Morgan, president : Edward Prince, secretary; H. F. J. Rieker, treasurer: John Robertson, Lorenzo Bull and Henry Root, other members of the board. The company was capitalized for $200,- 000 and soon after its formation took over a six-ineh main which the eity had laid along Maine Street as an emergency protection against fire. On the 7th of Angust. 1873, the city made a contraet with Mr. Prince, granting him the use of the streets of the municipality and authorizing him to construet and operate the water works, the agree- ment covering a period of thirty years. The City of Quiney reserved the right to purchase the water works at cost, without interest, at any time within that period.

Under that arrangement the original works were constructed and within five or six years ten miles of mains had been laid, and the Water Works Company had purchased the six-acre site at Moore's Mound for the reservoir. At that time the owners of the water works were Edward Prince (really their practical buildler and founder), Lorenzo Bull and William B. Bull.

The original city ordinance conveying to Mr. Prince the little pumping plant at the foot of Maine Street and the temporary line

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of pipe, with the thirty-year privileges noted, was passed in August, 1873, but some time before the expiration of the contract the builder of the water works sold them to L. & C. H. Bull, who conducted them until the expiration of the stipulated period, in August, 1903.

Soon before the expiration of the contract the city had the water works appraised by three experts, John W. Alvord, Daniel W. Mead and Hiram Phillips, who then estimated the value of the plant at $649,159. Without going into details as to the agreements between the owners of the water works, a new company of citizens formed in the fall of 1904, and the City of Quincy, it is sufficient to state that the transfer was made by L. & C. H. Bull to the Citizens Water Works Company, to which the city granted a thirty years' franchise in September, 1904. The municipality reserved the right to pur- chase, under the original terms, at any time within eleven and a half years from that date; it could not do so then, as the city was in debt up to the constitutional limit and even beyond.

A summary of the expansion of the system since that time has been made for this work by W. R. Gelston, who has served as super- intendent since January 1, 1907: The Citizens Water Works Com- pany was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois in Sep- tember, 1904, and took charge of the Water Works Plant October 1st of the same year. At that time the water works pumping plant was made up of a 30-inch wood-stave intake-pipe 1,500 feet long, laid in the Mississippi River in 1888; an intake well, an old pumping sta- tion erected in the early '80s; three steam driven pumping engines of an obsolete type which were new some time in the '80s, and one steam pumping engine of a more modern type which was purchased about 1900. A rapid mechanical filtration plant had been installed abont 1891 and this plant was still delivering a very good safe water in spite of serious structural defects. This filter plant had a capacity of 4,000,000 gallons per day.

There were in 1904 about 47 miles of mains in the distribution system. There were 314 fire hydrants, 340 valves, 4,500 services and 1,700 meters in nse. The reservoir at Twenty-Second and Chestnut streets was also in service and it was then covered with a wooden roof. This roof was removed in 1906.

The first notable improvement undertaken by the Citizens Water Works Company was in 1910, when two old pumps and the south wing of the old pumping station were removed and the new high service pumping station was built on the site of the old building.

The Platt Iron Works of Dayton, Ohio, erected, in this building, a horizontal, cross-compound, crank and fly wheel pumping engine. This pump has a capacity of 6,000,000 gallons per day, and was first placed in operation March 13, 1911. Ground was purchased on the east side of Front Street between Main and Hampshire in 1912 for a site for the new purification plant. The old buildings were removed and excavation work was completed in 1913 and the construction

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work was begun on the new plant in September, 1913. This plant was completed and placed in regular operation September 1, 1914. The plant has a filtration capacity of 6,000,000 gallons in twenty- four hours and it was built by the New York Continental Jewell Fil- tration Company of New York City.

During the autumn and winter of 1914-15 the north wing of the old pumping station was torn down, the two old pumps housed therein were scrapped and the new low service pumping room was ereeted on the site.

One 6,000,000 gallon per twenty-four hours steam turbine driven centrifugal pump and one eleetrie driven centrifugal pump of the same eapaeity were installed in this building and are used for pump- ing water from the river to the filtration plant. The steam driven unit was purchased from the Platt Iron Works of Dayton, Ohio. The eleetrie driven pump was built by the Dayton-Diek Company of Quiney, Illinois. While the work of the low service pumping station was under way the Dayton-Diek Company built and installed in the high serviee pumping station a 6,000,000 gallon eleetrie driven centrifugal pump to be used in pumping filtered water into the city and to the storage reservoir at Twenty-Second and Chestnut Street. All of these improvements at the pumping station and purifieation plant were built from plans and specifications drawn up by D. W. Mead and C. V. Seastone, consulting engineers, of Madison, Wis- consin.

Work on the new 36-inch east iron intake pipe was also begun late in the year 1914, but eold weather followed by the usual spring floods delayed the work and the pipe laying was not completed until September 9, 1915. This intake pipe is 1,823 feet long and weighs nearly 400 tons. Capt. Joseph G. Falcon of Evanston, Illinois, a submarine contraetor, had the contraet for plaeing this pipe in the bed of the Mississippi River. This last improvement gave the City of Quiney complete new pumping and purification facilities equal to the best. The pumping station is equipped to operate with steam generated at the plant or with eleetrie power generated at the Keo- kuk Hydro-eleetrie Power Plant. The electric power is used most of the time.

In the meantime the distribution system with its appurtenanees has been extended until the eity now has 76 miles of mains, 436 fire hydrants. 660 valves, 7,000 service and 4,900 meters. Plans are completed and contracts are being made for the erection of a booster pumping station to be located at the reservoir. These pumps will lift water from the reservoir to a large elevated tank and all of the consumers located east of Eighteenth Street will be supplied with water from this elevated tank. This improvement will be completed in 1918 and will increase the present water pressure in the entire district east of Eighteenth Street about fifty pounds per square ineh. The City of Quiney has always depended upon its fire engines

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for fire pressure and the water department is not required to in- crease the pressure on the water mains for fire fighting.

The Citizens Water Works Company paid Lorenzo and W. B. Bull approximately $650,000 for the Quincy Water Works plant, on October 1, 1904, and sold the plant to the City of Quincy on Oc- tober 1, 1916, for the same sum. The improvements added to the plant by the Citizens Water Works Company were all paid for from the earnings of the plant. The appraised valnation of the plant on October 1, 1916, was $1,070,000.

The operation of the water works plant under the Citizens Water Works Company was vested in a Board of Directors composed of three men. The first board was H. F. J. Ricker, Jr., J. M. Winters, and H. C. Sprick. These men took charge of the plant October 1, 1904. On March 7, 1905, Mr. Ricker and Mr. Winters resigned. J. P. Mikesell and Theodore Pape were then elected to serve with Mr. Sprick as the Board of Directors. These three men held the directorship until 1908, when J. Henry Bastert replaced Mr. Mike- sell. Mr. Bastert served one year and was replaced by W. H. Govert. Messrs. Govert, Pape and Sprick continned as directors of the com- pany until the city purchased the old plant October 1, 1916. Since that date Messrs. Theodore Pape, W. J. Singleton and Henry C. Sprick have acted as commissioners for the City of Quincy in charge of the plant. From the organization of the Citizens Water Works Company until January 1, 1907, J. M. Winters was acting superin- tendent, giving a portion of his time to the Water Works Plant and continuing his connection with the Quincy National Bank at the same time. From January 1, 1907, until the present time, W. R. Gelston has been superintendent.

QUINCY'S WORST FIRE

Shortly before the experts and the public commenced to consider the necessity of expanding the water works system by the addition of an adequate intake pipe, occurred the city's most destructive fire. On the 17th of February, 1913, the business and manufacturing district on the west side of Second Street between Vermont and Hampshire streets was swept clean of massive buildings at a total loss of $350,000. But the recuperative powers of the people were so strong that in a comparatively short time the damages were ap- parently repaired and the burnt section was largely rebuilt.

THE PARK AND BOULEVARD SYSTEM

Never in the history of municipalities has a great system of pub- lic improvements been so centered in the personality of one man as that which has had to do with the development of the parks and boulevards of Quincy. And Edward J. Parker was that man. From

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the date of the incorporation of the Quincy Boulevard and Park As- sociation in 1888 until his death in 1912, he was the inspiring. practical and untiring head of the organization which conserved the beauty spots and breathing grounds for the pleasure and health of the public in general and the physical and mental refreshment of thousands of individuals. The city furnished the money for the improvements, and the welding of the parks and boulevards into a system, and the association, with Mr. Parker as its driving power, accomplished the work of transformation and expansion. Since the death of its founder, Mrs. Elizabeth G. Parker, the able and devoted widow, has continued the work inaugurated by her husband even years before the Boulevard and Park Association was formed.

From a complete and artistic history of the local park system issued by that association in 1917, the following pertinent informa- tion is extracted : The creation of the splendid system of publie parks now possessed by the City of Quiney, was due wholly to the initiative and continued efforts of private citizens, none of whom held any official position under the city government. In this respect the experience of Quincy has been exceptional. Probably few, if any. eases of a like character ean be found among American munici- palities.

In the year 1887 a number of citizens formed a voluntary asso- ciation, which was on July 23, 1888. incorporated the Quiney Boule- vard & Park Association. It is to this association and to its officers that the city. as is admitted by all, owes its system of publie parks. It originated the idea of the system. It planned and determined the location of all the parks and of all extensions of the same. As the city was, at that time, indebted beyond the constitutional limit and. therefore, could not legally ineur any additional indebtedness, the association, as a rule, purchased the requisite land in its own name, gave its own obligations for the same, and then, when it had paid for the same out of the publie funds entrusted to its manage- ment, conveyed the title to the city. The association originated and pushed to a successful issue plans under which the publie revenues devoted to park purposes were created. The expenditure of these revenues has, at all times, been committed by the city to the uneon- trolled discretion of the association. Under its direction, its super- vising landscape gardener, O. C. Simonds of Chicago, has made the plans for all the parks. It has entered into the contraets, purchased the material and secured and controlled the labor necessary for the carrying out of these plans. The maintenance of the parks and the hiring of the necessary care-takers and help has been wholly in its charge. The great results achieved with comparatively small means. demonstrate what can be accomplished when publie funds are ex- pended by those who are devoted solely to the public interests, and who do not permit themselves to be influenced by any politieal or private considerations.

Seexpanded

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MIR. PARKER'S SELF-SACRIFICE

While the members of such organizations give their moral and, it may be, their financial support to the cause, the necessary hard and burdensome work is not done by them. This is always done by one or more individual members who, consumed by zeal for the cause, forgetful of all personal considerations, devote their time and best efforts to its consummation. It was so in the ease of the Quincy Boulevard & Park Association. Its achievements are acknowledged by everyone to be mainly due to the late Edward J. Parker, who, from the time of its inception to the time of his death which occurred March 1, 1912, was the president of the association. His was the vision which saw in the barren and unsightly Mississippi River bluffs, parks which, for beauty of location and magnifieenee of view have but few equals. His was the guiding and controlling hand in everything connected with the selection, establishment and manage- ment of our parks. Although his duties as president of a large bank were of a most responsible and exacting nature, he nevertheless de- voted to the parks most of his leisure time, giving every detail his personal attention. For this he did not ask, nor indeed would he have accepted any compensation, for he was moved solely by a pure spirit of service. No indifferenee on the part of our citizens, of which in the early days of the movement there was much ; no hostility on the part of eity administrations, who, in the beginning, when no special funds had been provided for the parks, resented his efforts to obtain moneys which they desired to devote to other publie pur- poses, could discourage him. Day after day, year after year, he per- sistently urged the elaims of the parks for individual and public support. His was the unshakable steadfastness of purpose which perseveres in the effort to realize its dream until sneeess has erowned its efforts. Although a fund was raised by publie subscription for the erection of a monument to his memory, Quiney's splendid sys- tem of publie parks is, and for all time to come will remain Mr. Parker's real monument.

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. I, Part 52

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 762

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 762