USA > Missouri > Johnson County > The history of Johnson County, Missouri : including a reliable history of the townships, cities, and towns, together with a map of the county; a condensed history of Missouri; the state constitution; an abstract of the most important laws etc > Part 35
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At a meeting of the above board, held in Jefferson City on December 1, 1870, propositions regarding location were submitted from Johnson and Pettis counties through their respective agents. Geo. R. Smith, in behalf of Sedalia and Pettis county, made an offer of " eighty-five thousand dol- lars, twenty-five thousand dollars in lands to be valued by the board of regents, and sixty-five thousand dollars in money." Messrs. W. H. Blod- gett and M. U. Foster, in behalf of Warrensburg and Johnson county, offered buildings and grounds to the amount of one hundred and twenty- five thousand dollars on condition of location at Warrensburg. Their proposition was made in the form of a resolution, "on the condition that Warrensburg and Johnson county, on or before the 22d of December make good the offer." This the board resolved was not in " shape " to be entertained. And on a resolution of G. R. Smith, the offer of Pettis county was accepted and the location made at Sedalia. At a meeting on the following day this was reconsidered and the "bids for location opened up to free and fair competition " until the next meeting, which was decided to be holden December 27th, following:
The board continued in session for several days. Mr. Johnson offered, on Friday, December 4, 1870, the following rules, to be observed by those wishing to make bids for the location of such schools, which were adopted by the board :
First :- All counties or municipal corporations desiring to make offers for the location of normal schools are required to present such offers on or before the 26th inst.
Second :- All such offers shall be in cash, or buildings and grounds, or both.
Third :- All subscriptions of the counties, or municipal corporations shall be presented by a duly authorized agent.
Fourth :- All private subscriptions shall be accompanied by satisfactory evi- dence of the responsibility of the parties.
Fifth :- The board will not consider any bid or offer for the location of the normal schools unless the county court of such county, whose bid or offer may be approved or accepted, shall enter into a contract with the board to the effect, that the buildings to be erected according to the plans and specifications to be submitted by the board, shall be finished and ready for inspection of the board within two years from the signing and delivery of such contract.
The meeting of the 27th of December was held at Sedalia, all the mem-
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY. 293
bers being present. Arguments were first heard concerning "the legal effect of the former action of the board locating conditionally the normal schools at Kirksville and Sedalia," and then rescinding the resolution. With regard to the school of the second district, John F. Philips appeared as attorney representing the interests of Pettis county, offering a protest, and Wells H. Blodgett and A. W. Rogers appeared upon the opposite grounds and defended the recinding act of the board. A motion was made to overrule the protest which was tabled, and under the regular order of business propositions were entertained as follows: Franklin county and Washington offered as follows: "The citizens of said town have voted at a special election called for that purpose, for the town to subscribe one hundred thousand dollars, for the purpose of establishing one of said schools, and the town by its trustees have authorized said sub- scription, and also donated ten acres of land for suitable buildings. The lands offered are well worth thirty-thousand dollars." The bid of John- son county was as follows:
To the Honorable Board of Regents of the State Normal Schools of the State of Missouri:
The undersigned on behalf of the county court of Johnson county, Missouri, and the town council of the town of Warrensburg, in Johnson county, would most respectfully submit this, our bid for the location of the state normal school for the Second district of Missouri at Warrensburg in said county and state, that is to say-The sum of two hundred and sixty thousand and thirty-five dollars in money, also, in addition, we are authorized to offer as a site for the buildings and grounds either a twenty acre tract of land within three-eighths of a mile of the business center of the town of Warrensburg, or a forty acre tract of land within three fourths of a mile of the business center of the town and immediately adjoin- ing its corporate limits. [Signed.]
HENRY C. FIKE, WELLS M. BLODGETT,
agents of Johnson county, and R. Baldwin, mayor, Henry C. Fike, councilman, John W. Brown, councilman, agents for the town of Warrensburg.
The above bid also provided the "new school building" at Warrens- burg as one in which sessions of the school might be held until the nor- mal buildings could be erected. The offer was apportioned as follows: $100,000 cash by the county; $50,000 by the town, and $110,035 by private subscriptions. Objection being made by the regents to the man- ner in which the private subscription appeared, the agent of Johnson county presented in lieu thereof a bond of fifty-one of the most prominent citizens* of Warrensburg, guaranteeing, and holding " themselves, heirs, administrators and assigns responsible for," the payment of fifty thousand
*The following is a partial list: M. U. Foster, H. W. Harmon, Henry C. Fike, Jno. W. Brown, E. K. Simmons, J. K. Farr, Nathan Laud, H. F. Clark, G. W. Port, J. L. Rogers, R. P. Jones, F. M. Cockrell, Geo. Kane, I. M. Cruce, C. E. Moorman, W. H. Blodgett, J. H. Kinsel, A. W. Ridings & Co., T. T. Crittenden, A. W. Rogers, Jehu H. Smith, S. T. White, G. N. Elliott, A, W. Moore.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
dollars. The bid was thus reduced to two hundred thousand dollars. The Pettis county bid was next considered, which was $50,000 in county bonds and $25,000 in Sedalia city bonds. It is singular to note that at this time the Pettis county debt amounted to $400,000, and that the Sedalia debt would reach almost $250,000, approximately speaking. The advo- cates of the different bids were now heard, "Jno. H. Phillips presenting some points against the legality of the bid of Warrensburg, Johnson county, and also against the legality of action of said county in reference to voting their subscription for the normal school." The board then pro- ceeded to vote by ballot. " Upon the vote being taken and ballots counted, Sedalia was unanimously chosen as the place for location of nor- mal school in second district."
In view of the facts in the case this action was unprecedented, and with- out doubt great injustice was wrought by it. The strenuous efforts of the citizens of Johnson county, however, did not cease, and the end was not yet.
Architects were appointed, and G. R. Smith formally accepted on behalf of Sedalia and Pettis county, the terms of location. Rules were adopted to govern the admission of pupils. And the board adjourned to meet at Jefferson City, January 31, 1871.
At the session of the board beginning January 31, 1871, during the dis- cussion of the still disputed point of location, the fact, as the records show, was admitted by one of Sedalia's citizens that there had been no registra- tion as provided by law preceding the election held to make the Pettis county bid. Arguments pro and con were again heard, but no further action taken at this time, as the following resolution which was adopted will show: "Whereas, the general assembly of this state has ordered an investigation of the doings of this board; therefore, be it resolved, that the further consideration of the question as to the validity of the Pettis county bid be postponed until after the report of that committee."
Another meeting was held in March with no change of action. In the April following, on the 26th day, a meeting was held at Jefferson City. At this time the board of regents consisted of a state board, comprising J. Monteith, superintendent of public schools, E. F. Weigel, secretary of state, and A. J. Baker, attorney general. First district, E. B. Neeley, N. G. Ferguson; second district, E. A. Zuendt, and J. R. Milner, with the following officers: E. B. Neeley, president; Edwin Clark, secretary; H. C. Fike, treasurer. The report of the building committee submitted at this time states that as yet Sedalia had provided no buildings suitable for immediate occupancy. Mr. Ferguson offered the following resolution:
WHEREAS, A. W. Ridings, T. T. Crittenden, F. M. Cockrell, H. C. Fike, W. H. Blodgett and other citizens of the county of Johnson did, on or about the 29th day of December, 1870, to secure the location of the state normal school of the
ยท
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
second district, at Warrensburg, tender to the board a bond for the sum of fifty thousand dollars in lieu of the private subscriptions by citizens of said county, and,
WHEREAS, The town of Warrensburg did since the date of said bond, at an election held therein, on the 25th day of February, 1871, vote in favor of sub- scribing for the purpose aforesaid, the sum of fifty thousand dollars in addition to the first subscription of fifty thousand dollars by said town, to be tendered to the board of regents in lieu of said bond and all other private subscriptions by citi- zens of said county of Johnson, now therefore be it
Resolved, That the said bond of the citizens aforesaid, be . and the same is hereby ordered to be delivered up and returned to the signers thereof, and the same is and shall be from this date, deemed and considered as withdrawn, and the said additional subscription of fifty thousand dollars voted by the town of Warrensburg as aforesaid, be and is hereby received and substituted in its place. Which was adopted.
This evinces remarkable spirit upon the part of the citizens of this county, and forever places Johnson in the front rank of those who have advocated in this state a full system of free public education. There was mystery in the original action of the board, and it seemed at once to settle the location. Still the act which incorporated the schools defined, in a measure, the powers of acceptance upon the part of this body. To an observer at this time, in the light of the proceedings as here detailed, there can be no doubt that Johnson county, by her efforts, rightly owned the location. The people of Johnson county seemed working against great odds. A new board had now been appointed, and from this they hoped for and obtained redress.
Of the members named as duly qualified on the preceding page, there were present at this meeting, which is an important one, the following: A. J. Baker, E. F. Weigel, J. R. Milner, Ira Divall, N. G. Ferguson, and Prof. Neeley. The following are the resolutions offered by Att'y-Gen. Baker, and adopted by the board:
WHEREAS, The normal school for the second normal district of Missouri, was located at Sedalia, on the faith of a subscription of county bonds, which the board at the time supposed to be legal; and, whereas, it has since been ascer- tained that no valid election was held authorizing the issuance of said bonds; and whereas, in other respects the county of Pettis and city of Sedalia have not complied with the conditions of said location; therefore
Resolved, That the order locating said normal school at Sedalia, be and the same is hereby rescinded.
Resolved, That the offer of the county of Johnson and the city of Warrens- burg, for the location of the normal school of the second district be accepted, and that the normal school of said second district be now located at Warrensburg, Johnson county, Mo., upon the condition that a good warranty deed to the site of twenty acres immediately south of the city of Warrensburg, and adjoining thereto, be at once made to this board, for the erection of a building on said site, of the cash value of two hundred thousand dollars, to be completed within eighteen months from this date according to the plans and specifications of this board; and to their satisfaction; provided that it be understood by and between the parties to said contract, that in the even't of the failure of said county to
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
erect said building within the time of the value specified in this resolution, then this board shall have the power to change such location.
The county clerk had empowered R. Baldwin as agent of the county, and at this time a contract, in keeping with the foregoing resolution, was signed by him and by the president of the board of regents. The deed of M. U. Foster to the twenty acre tract of land was examined, accepted, and ordered recorded.
After the transaction of this business, Mr. Ferguson offered the follow- ing resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the normal school for the second normal district be hereby declared established at Warrensburg, Mo., within the meaning of the law, and the president of this board is hereby directed to forward to the state auditor a voucher for the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars on the state treasurer in favor of the treasurer, of the board for the second district, and that said school be opened and put in operation on the 10th day of May next.
Henry C. Fike was elected treasurer of the second district, and pursu- ant to the tenor of the resolution, an election of teachers was had. Geo. P. Beard, A. M., was elected principal; E. A. Angell was elected first assistant, and Mrs. Louisa Boggs, second assistant.
The public school building previously referred to was leased, and actual school-room work commenced at the appointed time. There were forty pupils in attendance at the opening.
On Tuesday, May 16, the grounds for the location of the building within the grant of twenty acres were staked. Thos. Walsh, of St. Louis, being the architect, and James Fitzgibbons, the contractor. The vim with which these operations commenced, promised an early completion.
When the triumph at last came for Warrensburg, the following edito- rial comments appeared in the Standard :
The state normal school is at last irrevocably located at Warrensburg. The struggle has been long and bitter and determined. From the 8th of December, 1870 to the 26th of April, 1871, a period of over four months, it has engaged and occupied the best and most untiring energies of the keenest intellects of two counties. So completely have the advocates of the Warrensburg location been absorbed iu this grand scheme for advancing the prosperity of the town and county, that they have cheerfully sacrificed their own personal interests at home. They have quietly and silently submitted to villification and abuse, which was both ungenerous and uncalled for. They have permitted their busi- ness affairs to become sadly disarranged for want of attention. They have lis- tened unmoved to the frenzied exultations of personal and political enemies. But they have never swerved from their great purpose. They have gone stead- ily on, turning neither to the right nor to the left, trusting that in the end, results would command the approval of a generous public. A triumphant suc- cess has crowned their efforts and with this they are satisfied.
These words were timely and but did justice to those whose labors had brought about the location. The location in the first district at Kirksville, Missouri, remained unchanged.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY'.
And now it seemed that a new era in education had come. And while the localities in which the schools were planted, were rejoicing, the great state at large witnessed the consummation of its law, and placed another gem in its coronet of fame.
The work on the new building progressed rapidly, and on August 16, 1871, the corner-stone was laid.
In the meantime, a session of about six weeks had been held and eighty-seven students had been enrolled in that short time. Student teachers were early attracted to it, and all things augured well for the prosperity of the school.
At a meeting of the board of regents held in Kirksville, on June 22, 1871, George P. Beard was re-elected principal for the ensuing year, with the same corps of assistants, with one exception-Miss Lucy J. Maltby was elected instead of Mrs. Boggs declined.
The occasion of the laying of the corner-stone of the new building, was a brilliant event in the history of Warrensburg and Johnson county. All over the state the eyes of educators were turned to the seat of the new enterprise. At no time since, nor before, was there such a crowd of people gathered within the city. And in the vast concourse were many from remote parts of the state, interested in education, and drawn thither by this "departure," for the planting of normal schools in Missouri, marks an educational revival. The following account of the day, taken from the St. Louis Republican, fully illustrates the features of the celebration.
According to announcement several months previously, the corner-stone celebration of the Normal University of Missouri, located at Warrensburg, Johnson county, took place on Wednesday, the 16th inst. * * * Soon after the location of the school had been determined upon, those having the work in charge, resolved that its importance demanded some special event of sufficient interest to bring its managers and patrons together, and allow them to consult upon and discuss the movement in which they had become engaged. The corner-stone was the thing of all others symbolical of the work, so far as it had progressed, the objects of the enterprise and the support required for its permanency and prosperity in the future. The corner-stone it was then, and it was resolved to lay it with public ceremonies. It was a happy thought of the
school men, and they lent their energies to make the affair a grand success. They raised committees which were characterized by life and spirit, and were quickly organized and earnestly at work. The fraternity of free masons were invited to lay the corner-stone with their simple but impressive ceremonies, and they accepted the part in the proceedings so cordially tendered them. The foundations were excavated, and the building soon grew above the ground. Everything was in complete readiness when the 16th of August came, and with it came by far the largest concourse of people ever assembled in Warrensburg.
This thriving city contains between 4,000 and 5,000 people of its own right, and it is safe to say its population was more than doubled on that day, and its carriages and wagons and horses were increased fourfold. The whole country round poured its sinews, its manhood, and its beauty into the young city among the hills, surrounded on all sides by rolling prairies, not wild, but waving their banners of corn and vine as tokens of high culture. This is the distinguishng
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feature of the bright landscape of which Warrensburg forms the crown, quietly seated on its green hills. The prairies 'sweep around in an unbroken border, and as far as the eve can reach, the country is dotted with the marks of life, com- fort and content. The railroad traffic hums through it at stated intervals, and reminds the people that there is a world outside of their happy borders, or it is probable they would never care to explore the regions beyond. What a delight- ful place for the retiring occupationsof a school. * *
The procession began to move at 11 A. M., and was three miles in length under march. There were four bands of music doing duty in various divisions of the procession. * * * *
The line of march took the procession by a large number of beautiful resi- dences, which are a peculiar and pleasing feature of the city. The grand officers were escorted by a detachment of knights templar and royal arch masons. * * * Arrived at the spot, the great crowd gathered around and occu- pied every possible elevation from which a view could be obtained, however dis- tant. It was a very orderly and deeply interested concourse of people. The grand master introduced the ceremonies with a few remarks pertinent to the occasion, and the corner-stone was laid with the usual masonic ceremonies.
Following this there were many addresses. The fever of politics and the flush of patriotism are wont to chain the eager ear and lead the will- ing heart. But it is a grander spectacle than this, and one that burns deeper into the memory, to see thousands hang breathless upon the magic words that paint the glowing pictures of intellectual liberty. Gathered here were many who had beat down the thistle and planted the flower of this coming civilization. With what unmeasurable pride might they not justly listen to these glad tidings of a better day. We quote largely from the addresses, because they best set forth the original aim and scope of the institution. Wm. T. Harris, the champion educator of Missouri, was present and said:
To-day I am proud to be a citizen of Missouri. For while I remember that there have been established, long since, normal schools in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and in other sister states, I do not think their corner-stones were laid with the popular manifestations we have seen to-day. A new era is hereby inaugurated, and we pioneers, far out here on the borders of civilization, to-day lift up our flag with the inscription: 'Capital and education are one in their interests.' The history of the establishment of this normal school shows beyond a doubt that this is the conviction of the people of this and the adjoining counties. No such convictions have taken hold of the masses in any eastern state. Here to-day I see the 'solid men' of the community-the farmer, the mechanic, the manufacturer, the merchant, the professional man, their wives and children-the whole community, in short-forming a far more universal mass meeting than political interests ever drew together.
The significance of this, my fellow-citizens, lies in the fact that we have here realized fully the democratic idea of the government of the people, by and through the people, and for the people; so that each being that wears the human form shall have his right to an education, shall have an opportunity afforded him to develop all there is in him of talent and energy, and climb as high as his use- fulness to the community extends.
Fifteen hundred and fifty years ago the emperor of Rome saw flaming in the western sky a cross with the inscription, 'In hoc signo vinces.' In this sign you
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shall conquer. To-day you elevate the standard of popular education and estab- lish here the institution which is its germinal principle and its symbol.
In this sign you shall conquer-in this sign we shall conquer.
Thos. E. Garrett, in the course of a masterly Masonic address, said this with regard to the distinctive work of the school:
We have formally laid the corner-stone of an educational edifice, and the edifice itself is the corner-stone of a vast educational system. This view, and it is the true one, a hundred fold magnifies the importance of the work here begun. A school is founded for the training and culture of teachers, whose high office it is to mold the characters of the young men and young women of the state, upon whom the state's weighty responsibilities are soon to fall.
It is one thing to know, another to teach. A scholar may be graduated by any of the celebrated and endowed institutions of learning with the highest honors, and yet not know the alphabet of teaching. Teaching is a science in itself, and is so recognized and treated by our public school system. Gradu- ates of universities generally enter what are termed the " learned professions," or drift into affluence, ease and obscurity; but comparatively few of them ever become school-teachers.
Whence, then, are the teachers to come to meet the pressing throngs of hu- manity on the threshold of active life? They must be made. Teaching must be taught. The province of the normal school is to teach to teach. From the na- ture of its work, its course and method must be peculiarly its own.
High schools, seminaries and colleges educate men and women for the general business of life. The Normal school qualifies them for the profession of an in- structor. It is the indispensable ground work of the whole superstructure of the public school system, as it is extending itself over our broad land, and is of the first necessity to its efficacy and continued prosperity.
Again, Col. N. J. Colman thus sounded the clarion note that gave birth to the great movement that resulted in the legislative act of incor- poration:
The value of good teachers is beginning to be fully appreciated. Good schools cannot be had without good teachers. Teaching is a profession, as much so as. law, divinity or medicine. To make lawyers, doctors and divines, we have schools especially devoted to those professions-so to have teachers, good teachers, we must have schools devoted to the education and preparation of teachers for their high and important profession. For this purpose this beautiful edifice on this. beautiful and commanding sight is to be erected.
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