USA > Missouri > Lafayette County > History of Lafayette county, Mo. , carefully written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, cities, towns, and villages > Part 29
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Another peculiarity of this seminary is its partial diplomas. If a pupil here does no more than pass the examination in spelling, she is given a certificate of that fact. So she is awarded a similar testimonial for every success that she attains. If she passes five examinations, or fifteen, she is given an authentic record of it, with her standing in each. Moreover, quite a number of distinct diplomas are given, besides those for the bac- calaureate and mistress' degrees of science. In each school of studies, a baccalaureate and a mistress' diploma are offered. So there is a normal degree for teachers. A seminary degree, corresponding to that usually given by female colleges. By these means, all the varieties of taste and capacity can be accommodated; each girl is stimulated and encouraged, and exact justice is done to every pupil upon her record.
Another characteristic is written examinations. These are the founda- tion for all the honors that are offered. No public exhibition has been given for eleven years.
J. A. QUARLES, president of the Elizabeth Aull female seminary, was born in Clark's Fork township, Cooper county, Missouri, near Boonville, April 30, 1837, of parents who had emigrated from Virginia the preced- ing fall. When he was nine years old he was so fortunate as to be placed
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under the care of the famous Prof. F. T. Kemper. Here he remained until the summer of 1854, having completed the course of mathematics, including the calculus, and having read a full series of the Greek and Latin classics.
He was then sent to the university of Virginia, where he spent nearly two years. This institution was then at the zenith of its prosperity, hav- ing an annual attendance of over six hundred students. In the summer of 1854 Mr. Q. returned to Boonville, and Prof. Kemper having accepted a professorship in Westminster college, he was asked to take temporary charge of the schools, which he did for the next school year. In the fall of 1857 he entered the theological seminary of the Presbyterian church at Princeton, New Jersey, where he remained two years enjoying the instructions of its celebrated professors. In the spring of 1858, Prof. Kemper being a professor in the college at the time, he was admitted into the senior class of Westminster college, Missouri, where he graduated first in his class, after an attendance of only three months.
In the spring of 1859 he returned to Missouri from Princeton, and was licensed to preach, April 9, by the presbytery of Missouri, in the Presby- terian church of Columbia. He then went to Springfield, Mo., with a view to a permanent settlement, but in the fall of the same year he received a call to the church at Glasgow, Mo., which he accepted, and where he was ordained and installed pastor February 15, 1860, and remained until January, 1866. He was successful in his work here, the church having quadrupled its members during his stay of six years.
January, 1866, he removed, upon invitation, to Lexington, Mo., and preached his first sermon as pastor on the opening Sabbath of the new year. The congregation had been scattered and the church was a good deal discouraged. He remained pastor until September, 1873-nearly eight years-during which time 269 persons united with the church, about two-thirds upon an original profession of faith.
September, 1873, Mr. Q. was called to the High street church, St. Louis. He accepted and removed to that city: but was almost immedi- ately informed by the most skilled physicians there that he was the victim in an aggravated form of the "preacher's sore throat." He continued his labors, however. enjoying the skilled treatment of Dr. Wm. C. Glasgow, until the summer of 1874. when he was very reluctantly compelled to give up the profession for which he had been trained, to which he had given his early enthusiasm and was most ardently attached, and in which he had been greatly blessed. During his brief and trying ministry in St. Louis 38 persons united with the High street church.
July, 1874, Mr. Q. returned to Lexington, and went, for his health, to spend the summer in Colorado. In the fall, for the support of his family, he opened a drug store in Lexington: and this proving inadequate, he
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accepted from Mr. Wm. B. Steele the position of deputy county clerk of Lafayette county, and entered upon his labors January, 1875. Here he remained until the summer of 1877, having the satisfaction of seeing the county in far better condition than when he entered its service.
In the summer of 1870, while Mr. Q. was pastor of the Presbyterian church, he was elected to the presidency of the Elizabeth Aull seminary, under the control of that congregation. For three years he discharged the double duties without rest, winter or summer, Saturday or Sunday. This was doubtless the cause of the failure of his health. In 1873, as already stated, he resigned and went to St. Louis. In 1877 he was re-elected to the presidency of the seminary for a term of ten years. This position he now fills.
Oct. 11, 1859, he was united in marriage to Miss Carrie W. Field, daughter of Wm. H. Field, Esq., a distinguished lawyer of Pettis county, Missouri, whose tragic death at the hands of the federal soldiery was one of the most shocking incidents of our civil war. Mrs. Q. still lives, and is the mother of ten children, but five of whom, however, are now living.
THE BAPTIST FEMALE COLLEGE.
The seed germ from which this excellent institution of learning sprang, was sown in about 1853, in the shape of the first female seminary, or select school for young ladies, established in Lexington, by Rev. A. V. C. Schenck, which, at that time was not under the auspices of any particu- lar denomination. Rev. Mr. Schenck had in June, retired from the pas- torate of the first Presbyterian church of Lexington, and then started this school. In 1855, this was merged into the Baptist female college, under the auspices of a joint-stock company, known as the " Blue River Baptist Association," the trustees of which procured a charter in the same year, and purchased a building at a cost of $24,000, [the old brick court house], located in that part of Lexington, known as " Old Town, " and elected the Rev. E. S. Dulin, D. D., president. Under his direction some $6,000 or $8,000 were expended in fitting up the building, and beautifying the grounds in order to render it a suitable place for the education of young ladies. As the result of his judicious management the school became one of the best female colleges in the state. He resigned the presidency in 1859, and Professor J. B. Budwell was requested to occupy the place until a suitable successor could be found. In the same year the Rev. J. A. Hollis was elected president, under whose control the school attained a high degree of prosperity, the attendance reaching above two hundred. He retained his position until 1861. During that year when the federal's came to occupy Lexington, it was at once seen that the edifice of the Baptist college, and that of the Masonic college, for the education of' young men, were very suitably located for garrison and hospital purposes,
BAPTIST FEMALE COLLEGE, LEXINGTON, MISSOURI.
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and the federal authorities required that these buildings should be vacated. Thus two of the best educational institutions of the state were obliged to suspend. Except for the short time during which General Price held Lexington, the federal authorities held undisputed possession of the col- lege building for hospital purposes, and even during that time the sick and wounded federals, who were unable to bear transportation were allowed to remain, and upon the departure of the confederates were left in quiet possession of the building, where they were found by the feder- als upon their re-occupation of the city.
Shortly afterwards the authorities converted the building into a pest- house, and the small-pox patients of their army were sent to it. During the mutations of the war, these poor fellows were frequently neglected. The citizens of Lexington kept them from starving, but for want of trans- portation could not furnish them with the necessary supplies. In conse- quence of the severity of the weather, and of the limited supply of fuel, they were obliged to burn the doors, door and window casings, etc., in order to keep themselves from freezing. Hence when the building again came into the possession of the trustees, after the war, it was found to be entirely unfit for occupancy, and this fact, together with that of its having been used as a pest-house, rendered the board unwilling to re-occupy it as a college. They, therefore, disposed of the building and grounds for the pitiable sum of $4,000. Thus was a property worth at least $35,000, sacrificed. The board of trustees has never put in a claim for this loss, but they have petitioned the general government to allow them a fair rental, -- or about what they had previously received, a thousand dollars a year, for the four years during which the federals were in possession. They have been informed that the claim has been allowed, but no appro- priation has yet been made for its payment. This has worked a great hardship to the friends of the institution. In their efforts to re-establish it they have contributed and expended $25,000, but in defiance of their best efforts they find the college burdened with a debt of $4,227, and during the past twelve years they have been obliged to provide for the annual interest at the rate of ten per cent on the above debt.
During the year 1854, while the college edifice was still occupied by troops, Dr. E. S. Dulin consented to resume the presidency, and other buildings were secured. Under his judicious management the prosperity of the school was restored, and it soon became necessary to provide addi- tional accommodations. Accordingly, in 1868, the present college build- ings were purchased for $11,500, and $4,300 expended in fitting them up for school purposes. Dr. Dulin presided over the interests of the college until 1869, when he was induced to accept the presidency of Stephen's college at Columbia, Missouri. The lamented D. H. Selph, D. D., was his successor, becoming president of the college in 1869, and although as
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well fitted to occupy the position as any man could be, the complete fail- ure of his health compelled him to resign in 1873.
In June, of the same year, Prof. A. E. Fleet was chosen to the presi- dency and during his administration the school steadily increased in pop- ularity and efficiency. During the summer of 1876, owing to the increase in the number of boarding pupils, the trustees, at a cost of $2,000, added a new story to the main building, which with its mansard roof and tower, make it one of the handsomest and most convenient school-buildings in the state. The whole house has been fitted for gas and the use of kero- sene has been entirely discontinued. During the session of 1876-7 the number of boarding pupils was fifty-six and that of day pupils the same- one hundred and twelve in all.
Frequent improvements, have since been made, involving the expendi- ture of several thousand dollars. In 1879, Prof. Fleet resigned his posi- tion to take the chair of Professor of Greek in the State University, and Professor John F. Lanneau, who still occupies the presidency, was appointed to succeed him. Prof. Lanneau was formerly professor of mathematics in William Jewell College, and for several years president of the Female College at Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The Baptist Female College is divided into three departments-literary, art and home. The faculty for the coming year (1881-2), consists of fif- teen teachers; six in the literary, six in the art, and three in the home departments. Prof. Charles Gimbel, of the art department, is a gentle- man of national repute, as a music composer, being the author of over fifty pieces of sheet music published by leading houses. The average attendance during the school term in this college for ten years past has been about 125. The number in attendance October, 1881, was 121.
JOHN F. LANNEAU, A. M., president Baptist Female College, Lexing- ton, Mo. Born in Charleston, S. C. in 1836. In 1856 graduated at the South Carolina Military Academy, at the head of his class, and was during his senior year assistant professor of drawing. In 1856, became tutor in mathematics in Furman University, Greenville, S. C., and the next year was appointed adjunct professor of natural philosophy and chemistry. In 1861 he enlisted in the war on the side of his native state, and was commissioned captain of cavalry in the Hampton Legion; in 1862 was lieutenant, and in 1864 captain of engineers ;. and in this capacity served on the staff severally of Gen. Longstreet, Gen. Lee, and Gen. Hampton. At the close of war in 1865 he returned to his post in the Furman University and was made profesor of mathematics and astron- omy. In 1868 he became professor of mathematics in the William Jewell College at Liberty, Mo. In 1873 Prof. Lanneau accepted the presidency of the Alabama Central Female College at Tuscaloosa, Ala. In 1879 he took charge as president of the Baptist Female College of Lexington, Mo.,
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his present position; and under his management the school is enjoying a very high degree of popular favor and financial success. Prof Lanneau was married in 1869 to Miss Louise S. Cox, of Greenville, S. C., a gradu- ate of the Baptist Female College at that place.
HISTORY OF THE WENTWORTH MALE ACADEMY.
Wm. Wentworth, son of Stephen G. and Eliza Jane Wentworth, was born at Lexington, Mo., December 30, 1852. When about fifteen years old he united with the Presbyterian church, and was a young man of high moral character; indeed, he was held in esteem and affectionate regard by the entire community. For about five years he was well known to the business men of Lexington as acting teller of the Morrison-Went- worth bank. But his health began to decline; and in January, 1877, he went to Texas, hoping that the change of climate would restore him; it did benefit him for two seasons-but death had marked him for its own, and there could be no permanent rejuvenation of the frail body. He returned to Lexington, May 2, 1879, and in ten days thereafter yielded up his spirit, falling asleep in Jesus, the dear and loving Savior in whom he put his trust. It was a great comfort to his father that William was providentially permitted to spend his last days at home, surrounded by true and faithful friends, and to breathe his life out with the serene and peaceful trust of the Christian's well anchored hope.
The father's heart was so profoundly touched with gratitude to God for this blessed comfort in his affliction, that he decided to make a thank- offering in some form of public benefaction, in token of his heartfelt thankfulness, and as a memorial of love for his noble son. After med- itating upon and considering prayerfully various modes of public benefac- tion which presented themselves to his mind, he finally decided that as the Christian education of young women in Lexington was well provided for by three excellent female colleges, liberally sustained by their different religious demonstrations, he could not do a more useful thing than to establish in the same city a first-class academy for boys and young men. These were the circumstances, and these the motives out of which was born the new educational institution we are here recording. In 1878 the " First Presbyterian church of Lexington" dissolved its organization, and Mr. Wentworth bought their house of worship, on the corner of Elm and North streets, for $2,500, (the building orignally cost $11,000), with a view to carrying out the plan which he had formed for a male academy. In September, 1880, a school was opened in this building, under the name of "Wenworth Male Academy." In September, 1879, Prof. B. L. Hobson had opened in Lexington a select school for boys, but in view of Mr. Wentworth's plans, he merged his enterprise into the new academy, and associated with himself Prof. Sandford Sellers; they conducted the
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school one year, when Prof. Hobson retired on account of failing health.
April 18, 1881, the institution was duly incorporated by the following named persons, constituting the first board of trustees:
" Now therefore, we, the undersigned, S. G. Wentworth and Wm. G. McCausland, of the Presbyterian church; Henry C. Wallace of the Mis- sionary * Baptist church; Edward Winsor of the Methodist Episcopal church south; George M. Catron of the Christian + church; Wm. F. Ker- dolff, Sr., of the Episcopal church, and Benjamin D. Weedin, of the Cum- berland Presbyterian church, hereby constitute ourselves, our associates, and successors, a body corporate and politic under the corporate name of ' Wentworth Male Academy,' for the period of 999 years from and after the date hereof, subject to renewals and extensions, and vested with all the rights, immunities, powers, and privileges granted to educational associa- tions under article ten of chapter twenty-one of the revised statutes of Mis- souri of 1879."
Article III says: " The affairs of said corporation shall be managed by a board of seven trustees who shall be resident male members of the prin- cipal protestant churches in Lexington, Missouri, and vicinity. Said Acad- emy shall be free from the control of any one religious denomination, but shall*always be managed and taught by Christian men." Full provision is made for the filling of vacancies in the board; and if from any cause any one of the churches named should cease to exist in Lexington, then the church next nearest like it in form of doctrine and mode of worship shall be entitled to the lapsed representation in the board. And thus every contingency of the perpetual succession is provided for. This is in some respects a "new departure," and the very fact that six different religious denominations have thus united on a basis of mutual trust and mutual res- pect to manage a christian college by jointure of representation in its gov- erning board, is one of the signs of the times full of good hope for the future.
The first annual catalogue of this Academy was issued in July, 1881, and showed a roll of fifty-three students at that time. Prof. Sandford Sellers, A. M., principal; Prof. A. W. Payne, A. B., assistant. S. G. Wentworth, president board of trustees; Geo. M. Catron, secretary ; Wm. F. Kerdolff, treasurer.
In addition to the Academy building, Mr. Wentworth also purchased a . house two squares further west, on the corner of north and oak streets, commonly called College street, for the Academy boarding house, so that students who did not reside with their parents or friends in the city could have a home together under the constant guard and counsel of the pro-
* There is a branch or body of Baptist people commonly called "Hardshell Baptists," who are opposed to missionary operations; and those Baptist churches which do engage in missionary work use the name " Missionary Baptist " to distinguish themselves from the anti-missionary body. +Or Disciples.
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tessors, and a discreet, motherly Christian woman as matron. This build- ing contains ten good rooms, besides the dining room and outside kitchen.
Mr. Wentworth's idea has been to do for the cause of Christian educa- tion what he could during his own lifetime, and while he could see to it himself that his intentions were carried out and his money properly applied, instead of leaving a bequest to take all the chances of misman- agement or misappropriation by others after his death-an idea which is worthy of all commendation and public gratitude.
COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS.
LAFAYETTE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
This society was orgagized in 1852, at Lexington, and had from fifteen to twenty members. Monthly meetings were held regularly, with inter- est and benefit. Matters concerning the diseases peculiar to this region, and their medical treatment, were sometimes discussed with much ability and research. Dr. J. B. Alexander and Dr. J. F. Atkinson were its dele- gates to the American Medical Association at its St. Louis session, in May, 1854. Dr. Alexander was secretary most of the time, but. the society was broken up and its records lost during the civil war.
June 13, 1865, a meeting or convention of physicians was held at the court house, to organize a medical society to be "composed of resident physicians of the city and county." One object stated was to establish by joint interest a medical library which all might consult, of such costly books and charts as one physician alone could not afford to purchase. Of this meeting Dr. W. P. Boulware was president and Dr. J.W. Teader secre- tary. A committee consisting of Drs. Atkinson, Cooley, and Alexander was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws. But we found no further record of this society.
The next record we find shows that the physicians of Lafayette county met on Saturday November 20, 1869, in the court house in Lexington, for the purpose of organizing a county medical association, having for its object the discussion of medical subjects and the cultivation of brotherly feelng among the members of the profession. Dr. J. F. Atkinson was called to the chair and Dr. O. F. Renick was chosen secretary
On motion of Dr. A. V. Small the following gentlemen were elected permanent officers for the ensuing year: Dr. J. F. Atkinson, president; Dr. O. F. Renick, vice-president; Dr. Wm. P. Boulware, secretary. On motion the president appointed the following committee to draft a Con- stitution and By-laws, by which, when adopted the society is to be gov- ernened. Said committee to report at the next meeting of the society, viz .: Wm. P. Boulware, M. D .; T. S. Bolton, M. D .; P. H. Chambers,
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M. D .; Geo. W. Young, M. D .; J. B. Alexander, M. D. On motion of Dr. Chambers, the president was added to the committee.
In 1879 a "Lafayette County Medical Society" was organized at Hig- ginsville. It holds monthly sessions at different places throughout the county It has met at Higginsville, Odessa, Mayview, and Lexington. No further particulars furnished.
LAFAYETTE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL SOCIETY.
This society was incorporated in 1855, for the purpose of promoting improvements in agriculture and manfactures, and in the raising of stock. It was the first enterprise of the kind in the county. The following were the original members or incorporators:
Minos Adams, George W. Smith, R. Hale, Street Hale, C. Ben. Russell, John Cather, George Zeiler, Geo. P. Venable, R. E. Hays, Geo. Kennedy, Benj. Marshall, C. Easter, D. Russell & Co., B. T. John, John C. Young, Evan Young, W. M. N. Green, Wm. Ewing, J. M. Julian, James Clowds- ley, Eneberg & Jennings, J. F. Hassell, Strother Renick, Linn B. Gordon, Thomas B. Campbell, Alex. Mitchell, Wm. Limrick, O. F. Thomas, Benj. Fish, A. Green, C. O. Grimes, Geo. H. Ambrose, E. Winsor, A. J. Wil- liams, John K. Lord, J. M. McGirk, John Catron, J. H. Page, A. N. Small, Henry C. Chiles, J. Russell, James F. Campbell, James Peddicord, Wm. T. Wood, Wm. T. Bell, J. D. Robinson, Loeb Terhune, Leroy L. Hill, J. W. Zeiler, B. R. Ireland, R. W. Kune, Tilton Davis, R. M. Spurtly, James C. Kelly, G. T. Douthitt, F. M. Fields, R. J. Smith, John W. Wad- dell.
The society was authorized to hold land not exceeding thirty acres, and other property, including exhibition building, not exceeding in value $10,- 000. Judge Wm. T. Wood was its first president and E. Winsor, Esq., its first secretary. This society established and built the historic fair ground, about two miles southeast from Lexington city. It held many fine exhibi- tions, and kept up a good interest until the war time; but since that it has lain dormant.
In September, 1880, a new organization was formed at Higginsville, called the Lafayette county Industrial and Stock Association. It was incorporated in June, 1881, with the following officers: president, Jack- son Corder; vice-president, Col. Joseph Davis; treasurer, Capt. A. E. Asberry; secretary, L. T. Bell; general superintendent, Dr. C. W. Seeber. The board of directors consist of Jackson Corder, Joseph Davis, Ryland Todhunter, Charles Hoefer, W. H. Waddell, John O. Lockhart, T. B. Campbell, H. J. Higgins, W. A. Redd, C. W. Seeber, Geo. P. Gor- don, J. D. Conner and H. H. C. Chiles. The capital stock is $8,000. Their grounds comprise about forty acres, with buildings, stables, yards, ponds, a good race track, etc., three-fourths of a mile from Higginsville,
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and near the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis railroad. Their first annual exhibit occurred in August, 1881, and was a grand success. The man- agers of the first fair held by this society were: Dr. C. W. Seeber, general superintendent; H. G. Smith, assistant superintendent; B. S. Hig- gins, chief marshal; Mansfield Wilmot, assistant marshal; J. D. Conner, general superintendent of floral hall, agricultural and mechanical depart- ment; W. W. Preston, superintendent agricultural department: D. S. Swacker, superintendent of mechanical department; W. C. Beatie, super- intendent, and Mrs. R. Todhunter, assistant superintendent of home, field and garden; Mrs. H. C. Chiles, superintendent fruits and flowers; Mrs. Jackson Corder, superintendent of fine arts department; Mrs. H. J. Hig- gins, superintendent textile fabrics and materials; Geo. Catron, superin- tendent of poultry department; H. C. Chiles, superintendent sheep and swine.
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