USA > Missouri > Platte County > History of Clay and Platte Counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns, and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens. > Part 8
USA > Missouri > Clay County > History of Clay and Platte Counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns, and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens. > Part 8
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Provisions were made not only for white, but for children of African descent, and are a part of the organic law, not subject to the caprices of unfriendly legislatures, or the whims of political parties. The Lin- coln Institute, located at Jefferson City, for the education of col- ored teachers, receives an annual appropriation from the General Assembly.
For the support of the public schools, in addition to the annual income derived from the public school fund, which is set apart by law, not less than twenty-five per cent. of the State revenue, exclusive of the interest and sinking fund, is annually applied to this purpose.
The officers having in charge the public school interests are the State " Board of Education," the State Superintendent, County Commission-
3
BORINGHAUS F.C.
NORMAL SCHOOL AT CAPE GIRARDEAU.
(67)
68
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
ers, County Clerk and Treasurer, Board of Directors, City and Town School Board, and Teacher. The State Board of Education is composed of the State Superintendent, the Governor, Secretary of State, and the Attorney-General, the executive officer of this Board being the State Su- perintendent, who is chosen by the people every four years. His duties are numerous. He renders decisions concerning the local application of school law ; keeps a record of the school funds and annually distributes the same to the counties ; supervises the work of county school officers ; delivers lectures ; visits schools ; distributes educational information ; grants certificates of higher qualifications, and makes an annual report to the General Assembly of the condition of the schools.
The County Commissioners are also elected by the people for two years. Their work is to examine teachers, to distribute blanks, and make reports. County clerks receive estimates from the local direct- ors and extend them upon the tax-books. In addition to this, they keep the general records of the county and township school funds, and return an annual report of the financial condition of the schools of their county to the State Superintendent. School taxes are gathered with other taxes by the county collector. The custodian of the school funds belonging to the schools of the counties is the county treasurer, except in counties adopting the township organization, in which case the township trustee discharges these duties.
Districts organized under the special law for cities and towns are governed by a board of six directors, two of whom are selected annu- ally, on the second Saturday in September, and hold their office for three years.
One director is elected to serve for three years in each school dis- trict, at the annual meeting. These directors may levy a tax not exceeding forty cents on the one hundred dollars' valuation, pro- vided such annual rates for school purposes may be increased in dis- tricts formed of cities and towns, to an amount not exceeding one dollar on the hundred dollars' valuation, and in other districts to an amount not to exceed sixty-five cents on the one hundred dollars' val- uation, on the condition that a majority of the voters who are tax-pay- ers, voting at an election held to decide the question, vote for said increase. For the purpose of erecting public buildings in school dis- tricts, the rates of taxation thus limited may be increased when the rate of such increase and the purpose for which it is intended shall have been submitted to a vote of the people, and two-thirds of the
69
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
qualified voters of such school district voting at such election shall- vote therefor.
Local directors may direct the management of the school in respect to the choice of teachers and other details, but in the discharge of all important business, such as the erection of a school house or the extension of a term of school beyond the constitutional period, they simply execute the will of the people. The clerk of this board may be a director. He keeps a record of the names of all the children and youth in the district between the ages of five and twenty-one ; records all business proceedings of the district, and reports to the annual meeting, to the County Clerk and County Commissioners.
Teachers must hold a certificate from the State Superintendent or County Commissioner of the county where they teach. State-certifi- cates are granted upon personal written examination in the common branches, together with the natural sciences and higher mathematics. The holder of such certificate may teach in any public school of the State without further examination. Certificates granted by County Commissioners are of two classes, with two grades in each class. Those issued for a longer term than one year, belong to the first class and are susceptible of two grades, differing both as to length of time and attain- ments. Those issued for one year may represent two grades, marked by qualification alone. The township school fund arises from a grant of land by the General Government, consisting of section sixteen in each congressional township. The annual income of the township fund is ap- propriated to the various townships, according to their respective proprietary claims. The support from the permanent funds is supple- mented by direct taxation laid upon the taxable property of each dis- trict. The greatest limit of taxation for the current expenses is one per cent ; the tax permitted for school house building cannot exceed the same amount.
Among the institutions of learning and ranking, perhaps, the first in importance, is the State University located at Columbia, Boone County. When the State was admitted into the Union, Congress granted to it one entire township of land (46,080 acres) for the sup- port of "A Seminary of Learning." The lands secured for this pur- pose are among the best and most valuable in the State. These lands were put into the market in 1832 and brought $75,000, which amount was invested in the stock of the old bank of the State of Mis- souri, where it remained and increased by accumulation to the sum of $100,000. In 1839, by an act of the General Assembly, five commis-
70
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
sioners were appointed to select a site for the State University, the site to contain at least fifty acres of land in a compact form, within two miles of the county seat of Cole, Cooper, Howard, Boone, Calla- way or Saline. Bids were let among the counties named, and the county of Boone having subscribed the sum of $117,921, some $18,000 more than any other county, the State University was located in that county, and on the 4th of July, 1840, the corner-stone was laid with imposing ceremonies.
The present annual income of the University is nearly $65,000. The donations to the institutions connected therewith amount to nearly $400,000. This University with its different departments, is open to both male and female, and both sexes enjoy alike its rights and privileges. Among the professional schools, which form a part of the University, are the Normal, or College of Instruction in Teaching ; Agricultural and Mechanical College ; the School of Mines and Metallurgy ; the College of Law ; the Medical College; and the Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry. Other departments are contemplated and will be added as necessity requires.
The following will show the names and locations of the schools and institutions of the State, as reported by the Commissioner of Education in 1875 : -
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES.
Christian University .. .Canton.
St. Vincent's College. . Cape Girardeau.
University of Missouri. .Columbia.
Central College. .Fayette.
Westminster College. .Fulton.
Lewis College. Glasgow.
Pritchett School Institute. .Glasgow.
Lincoln College. Greenwood.
Hannibal College. .Hannibal.
Woodland College Independence.
Thayer College Kidder.
La Grange College La Grange.
William Jewell College. Liberty.
Baptist College. .Louisiana
St. Joseph College .. .St. Joseph.
College of Christian Brothers. .St. Louis.
St. Louis University St. Louis.
Washington University
St. Louis.
Drury College. Springfield.
Central Wesleyan College. Warrenton.
FOR SUPERIOR INSTRUCTION OF WOMEN.
St. Joseph Female Seminary
St. Joseph.
Christian College. Columbia.
.
71
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
Stephens College.
Columbia.
Howard College .... ... Fayette.
Independence Female College.
Independence.
Central Female College. Lexington.
Clay Seminary .. Liberty.
Ingleside Female College. Palmyra.
Lindenwood College for Young Ladies .. St. Charles.
Mary Institute (Washington University). St. Louis.
St. Louis Seminary St. Louis.
Ursuline Academy.
St. Louis.
FOR SECONDARY INSTRUCTION.
Arcadia College. Arcadia.
St. Vincent's Academy Cape Girardeau.
Chillicothe Academy. .Chillicothe.
Grand River College. Edinburgh.
Marionville Collegiate Institute Marionville.
Palmyra Seminary Palmyra.
St. Paul's College. Palmyra.
Van Rensselaer Academy Rensselaer.
Shelby High School. Shelbyville.
Stewartsville Male and Female Seminary. Stewartsville.
SCHOOLS OF SCIENCE.
Missouri Agricultural and Mechanical College (University of Missouri). Columbia. Schools of Mines and Metallurgy (University of Missouri). Rolla.
Polytechnic Institute (Washington University) St. Louis
SCHOOLS OF THEOLOGY.
St. Vincent's College (Theological Department). Cape Girardeau.
Westminster College (Theological School). .Fulton.
Vardeman School of Theology (William Jewell College). Liberty.
Concordia College
St. Louis.
SCHOOLS OF LAW.
Law School of the University of Missouri. Columbia.
Law School of the Washington University. St. Louis.
SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE.
Medical College, University of Missouri. Columbia
College of Physicians and Surgeons. St. Joseph.
Kansas City College of Physicians and Surgeons .. Kansas City. Hospital Medical College .. St. Joseph. Missouri Medical College. .St. Louis. Northwestern Medical College St. Joseph.
St. Louis Medical College.
St. Louis.
Homeopathic Medical College of Missouri ..
.St. Louis.
Missouri School of Midwifery and Diseases of Women and Children. St. Louis.
Missouri Central College.
St. Louis.
St. Louis College of Pharmacy .. St. Louis.
72
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
LARGEST PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
Name.
Location.
Volumes.
St. Vincent's College.
Cape Girardeau ..
5,500
Southeast Missouri State Normal School.
Cape Girardeau ..
1,225
University of Missouri
Columbia
10,000
Athenian Society ..
Columbia
1,200
Union Literary Society
Columbia
1,200
Law College ...
Columbia
1,000
Westminster College.
Fulton.
5,000
Lewis College.
Glasgow.
8,000
Mercantile Library.
Hannibal
2,219
Library Association.
Independence.
1,100
Fruitland Normal Institute
Jackson
1,000
State Library.
Jefferson City.
13,000
Fetterman's Circulating Library ...
Kansas City.
1,300
Law Library ...
Kansas City.
8,000
Whittemore's Circulating Library.
Kansas City
1,000
North Missouri State Normal School.
Kirksville.
1,050
William Jewell College
Liberty.
4,000
St. Paul's College ....
Palmyra.
2,000
Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy.
Rolla .
1,478
St. Charles Catholic Library.
St. Charles
1,716
Carl Frielling's Library ...
St. Joseph.
6,000
Law Library.
St. Joseph.
2,000
Public School Library ..
St. Joseph.
2,500
Walworth & Colt's Circulating Library ..
St. Joseph
1,500
Academy of Science ..
St. Louis.
2,744
Academy of Visitation.
St. Louis.
4,000
College of the Christian Brothers.
St. Louis
22,000
Deutsche Institute.
St. Louis
1,000
German Evangelical Lutheran, Concordia College.
St. Louis
4,800
Law Library Association ...
St. Louis
8,000
Missouri Medical College ..
St. Louis.
1,000
Mrs. Cuthbert's Seminary (Young Ladies).
St. Louis.
1,500
Odd Fellow's Library.
St. Louis.
4,000
Public School Library.
St. Louis
40,097
St. Louis Medical College.
St. Louis.
1,100
St. Louis Mercantile Library.
St. Louis.
45,000
St. Louis Seminary.
St. Louis.
2,000
St. Louis Turn Verein.
St. Louis
2,000
St. Louis University.
St. Louis
17,000
Ursuline Academy.
St. Louis
2,000
Washington University
St. Louis. St. Louis
8,000
Young Men's Sodality
St. Louis
1,327
Library Association .....
Sedalia
1,500
Public School Library
Sedalia
1.015
Drury College.
Springfield
2,000
IN 1880.
481
CHARITIES.
State Asylum for Deaf and Dumb .Fulton.
St. Bridget's Institution for Deaf and Dumb St. Louis.
Institution for the Education of the Blind .. St. Louis.
State Asylum for Insane. .Fulton.
State Asylum for the Insane. .St. Louis.
St. Louis University Society Libraries.
St. Louis.
8,000
4,500
St. Louis Law School.
Newspapers and Periodicals.
73
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Normal Institute. .Bolivar.
Southeast Missouri State Normal School Cape Girardeau.
Normal School (University of Missouri). Columbia.
Fruitland Normal Institute .... Jackson.
Lincoln Institute (for colored). Jefferson City.
City Normal School
St. Louis.
Missouri State Normal School Warrensburg.
IN 1880.
Number of school children.
IN 1878.
Estimated value of school property. $8,321,399
Total receipts for public schools. 4,207,617
Total expenditures.
2,406,139
NUMBER OF TEACHERS.
Male teachers.
6,239; average monthly pay. $36.36
Female teachers.
5,060; average monthly pay. 28.09
The fact that Missouri supports and maintains four hundred and seventy-one newspapers and periodicals, shows that her inhabitants are not only a reading and reflecting people, but that they appreciate " The Press," and its wonderful influence as an educator. The poet has well said : -
But mightiest of the mighty means,
On which the arm of progress leans, Man's noblest mission to advance, His woes assuage, his weal enhance,
His rights enforce', his wrongs redress-
Mightiest of mighty is the Press.
CHAPTER XII.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.
Baptist Church -Its History-Congregational - When Founded -Its History - Christian Church - Its History - Cumberland Presbyterian Church - Its History -- Methodist Episcopal Church -Its History - Presbyterian Church - Its History - Protestant Episcopal Church -Its History - United Presbyterian Church - Its History - Unitarian Church - Its History - Roman Catholic Church -Its History.
The first representatives of religious thought and training, who penetrated the Missouri and Mississippi Valleys, were Pere Marquette, La Salle, and others of Catholic persuasion, who performed missionary
74
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
labor among the Indians. A century afterward came the Protestants. At that early period
" A church in every grove that spread Its living roof above their heads,"
constituted for a time their only house of worship, and yet to them
" No Temple built with hands could vie In glory with its majesty."
In the course of time, the seeds of Protestantism were scattered along the shores of the two great rivers which form the eastern and western boundaries of the State, and still a little later they were sown upon her hill-sides and broad prairies, where they have since bloomed and blossomed as the rose.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
The earliest anti-Catholic religious denomination, of which there is any record, was organized in Cape Girardeau county in 1806, through the efforts of Rev. David Green, a Baptist, and a native of Virginia. In 1816, the first association of Missouri Baptists was formed, which was composed of seven churches, all of which were located in the southeastern part of the State. In 1817 a second association of churches was formed, called the Missouri Association, the name being afterwards changed to St. Louis Association. In 1834 a general con- vention of all the churches of this denomination, was held in Howard county, for the purpose of effecting a central organization, at which time was commenced what is now known as the " General Association of Missouri Baptists." .
To this body is committed the State mission work, denominational education, foreign missions and the circulation of religious literature. The Baptist Church has under its control a number of schools and colleges, the most important of which is William Jewell College, located at Liberty, Clay county. As shown by the annual report for 1875, there were in Missouri, at that date, sixty-one associations, one thousand four hundred churches, eight hundred and twenty-four min- isters and eighty-nine thousand six hundred and fifty church members.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The Congregationalists inaugurated their missionary labors in the State in 1814. Rev. Samuel J. Mills, of Torringford, Connecticut, and Rev. Daniel Smith, of Bennington, Vermont, were sent west by the Massachusetts Congregational Home Missionary Society during
75
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
that year, and in November, 1814, they preached the first regular Protestant sermons in St. Louis. Rev. Samuel Giddings, sent out under the auspices of the Connecticut Congregational Missionary Society, organized the first Protestant church in the city, consisting of ten members, constituted Presbyterian. The churches organized by Mr. Giddings were all Presbyterian in their order.
No exclusively Congregational Church was founded until 1852, when the " First Trinitarian Congregational Church of St. Louis " was organized. The next church of this denomination was organized at Hannibal in 1859. Then followed a Welsh church in New Cambria in 1864, and after the close of the war, fifteen churches of the same order were formed in different parts of the State. In 1866, Pilgrim Church, St. Louis, was organized. The General Conference of Churches of Missouri was formed in 1865, which was changed in 1868, to General Association. In 1866, Hannibal, Kidder, and St. Louis District Associations were formed, and following these were the Kan- sas City and Springfield District Associations. This denomination in 1875, had 70 churches, 41 ministers, 3,363 church members, and had also several schools and colleges and one monthly newspaper.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
The earliest churches of this denomination were organized in Cal- laway, Boone and Howard Counties, some time previously to 1829. The first church was formed in St. Louis in 1836 by Elder R. B. Fife. The first State Sunday School Convention of the Christian Church, was held in Mexico in 1876. Besides a number of private institutions, this denomination has three State Institutions, all of which have an able corps of professors and have a good attendance of pupils. It has one religious paper published in St. Louis, " The Chris- tian," which is a weekly publication and well patronized. The mem- bership of this church now numbers nearly one hundred thousand in the State and is increasing rapidly. It has more than five hundred organized churches, the greater portion of which are north of the Missouri River.
CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
In the spring of 1820, the first Presbytery of this denomination west of the Mississippi, was organized in Pike County. This Pres- bytery included all the territory of Missouri, western Illinois and Arkansas and numbered only four ministers, two of whom resided at
76
HISTORY OF MISSOUR
that time in Missouri. There are now in the State, twelve Presby- teries, three Synods, nearly three hundred ministers and over twenty thousand members. The Board of Missions is located at St. Louis. They have a number of High Schools and two monthly papers pub- lished at St. Louis.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
In 1806, Rev. John Travis, a young Methodist minister, was sent out to the " Western Conference," which then embraced the Missis- sippi Valley, from Green County, Tennessee. During that year Mr. Travis organized a number of small churches. At the close of his conference year, he reported the result of his labors to the Western Conference, which was held at Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1870, and showed an aggregate of one hundred and six members and two circuits, one called Missouri and the other Meramec. In 1808, two circuits had been formed, and at each succeeding year the number of circuits and members constantly increased, until 1812, when what was called the Western Conference was divided into the Ohio and Tennessee Confer- ences, Missouri falling into the Tennessee Conference. In 1816, there was another division when the Missouri Annual Conference was formed. In 1810, there were four traveling preachers and in 1820, fif- teen travelling preachers, with over 2,000 members. In 1836, the terri- tory of the Missouri Conference was again divided when the Missouri Conference included only the State. In 1840 there were 72 traveling preachers, 177 local ministers and 13,992 church members. Between 1840 and 1850, the church was divided by the organization of the ยท Methodist Episcopal Church South. In 1850, the membership of the M. E. Church was over 25,000, and during the succeeding ten years the church prospered rapidly. In 1875, the M. E. Church reported 274 church edifices and 34,156 members; the M. E. Church South, reported 443 church edifices and 49,588 members. This denomina- tion has under its control several schools and colleges and two weekly newspapers.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The Presbyterian Church dates the beginning of its missionary ' efforts in the State as far back as 1814, but the first Presbyterian Church was not organized until 1816 at Bellevue settlement, eight miles from St. Louis. The next churches were formed in 1816 and 1817 at Bonhomme, Pike County. The First Presbyterian Church was organized in St. Louis in 1817, by Rev. Salmon Gidding. The
77
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
first Presbytery was organized in 1817 by the Synod of Tennessee with four ministers and four churches. The first Presbyterian house of worship (which was the first Protestant) was commenced in 1819 and completed in 1826. In 1820 a mission was formed among the Osage Indians. In 1831, the Presbytery was divided into three : Missouri, St. Louis, and St. Charles. These were erected with a Synod comprising eighteen ministers and twenty-three churches.
The church was divided in 1838, throughout the United States. In 1860 the rolls of the Old and New School Synod together showed 109 ministers and 146 churches. In 1866 the Old School Synod was di- vided on political questions springing out of the war-a part form- ing the Old School, or Independent Synod of Missouri, who are con- nected with the General Assembly South. In 1870, the Old and New School Presbyterians united, since which time this Synod has steadily increased until it now numbers more than 12,000 members with more than 220 churches and 150 ministers.
This Synod is composed of six Presbyteries and has under its con- trol one or two institutions of learning and one or two newspapers. That part of the original Synod which withdrew from the General Assembly remained an independent body until 1874 when it united with the Southern Presbyterian Church. The Synod in 1875 num- bered 80 ministers, 140 churches and 9,000 members. It has under its control several male and female institutions of a high order. The St. Louis Presbyterian, a weekly paper, is the recognized organ of the Synod.
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The missionary enterprises of this church began in the State in 1819, when a parish was organized in the City of St. Louis. In 1828, an agent of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, visited the city, who reported the condition of things so favorably that Rev. Thomas Horrell was sent out as a missionary and in 1825, he began his labors in St. Louis. A church edifice was completed in 1830. In 1836, there were five clergymen of this denomination in Missouri, who had organized congregations in Boonville, Fayette, St. Charles, Hannibal, and other places. In 1840, the clergy and laity met in convention, a diocese was formed, a constitution, and canons adopted, and in 1844 a Bishop was chosen, he being the Rev. Cicero S. Hawks. Through the efforts of Bishop Kemper, Kemper College was founded near St. Louis, but was afterward given up on account of
78
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
pecuniary troubles. In 1847, the Clark Mission began and in 1849 the Orphans' Home, a charitable institution, was founded. In 1865, St. Luke's Hospital was established. In 1875, there were in the city of St. Louis, twelve parishes and missions and twelve clergymen. This denomnation has several schools and colleges, and one newspaper.
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
This denomination is made up of the members of the Associate and Associate Reformed churches of the Northern States, which two bodies united in 1858, taking the name of the United Presbyterian Church of North America. Its members were generally bitterly opposed to the institution of slavery. The first congregation was organized at Warrensburg, Johnson County, in 1867. It rapidly increased in numbers, and had, in 1875, ten ministers and five hundred members.
UNITARIAN CHURCH.
This church was formed in 1834, by the Rev. W. G. Eliot, in St. Louis. The churches are few in number throughout the State, the membership being probably less than 300, all told. It has a mission house and free school, for poor children, supported by donations.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The earliest written record of the Catholic Church in Missouri shows that Father Watrin performed ministerial services in Ste. Genevieve, in 1760, and in St. Louis in 1766. In 1770, Father Menrin erected a small log church in St. Louis. In 1818, there were in the State four chapels, and for Upper Louisiana seven priests. A college and semi- nary were opened in Perry County about this period, for the education of the young, being the first college west of the Mississippi River. In 1824, a college was opened in St. Louis, which is now known as the St. Louis University. In 1826, Father Rosatti was appointed Bishop of St. Louis, and through his instrumentality the Sisters of Charity, Sisters of St. Joseph and of the Visitation were founded, besides other benevolent and charitable institutions. In 1834 he completed the present Cathedral Church. Churches were built in different portions of the State. In 1847 St. Louis was created an arch-diocese, with Bishop Kenrick, Archbishop.
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