USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > Historical sketch of Brownell Hall > Part 3
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An editorial of February 26, 1869, says: We extend a loving greeting to our Bishop who is now at the head of this large family. * * We trust he will find his stay among us pleasant and that we may prove worthy daughters.
And one of May 14, 1869: We refer also to the greatest work of the age, now completed, the railroad that unites the two oceans. This is completed, and while all the land is echoing with the shouts of joy and the thunders of jubi- lant cannon, it is right that we should chime in with the universal proclamations of a grateful people. The Pacific Railroad is finished! The deeps of the Atlantic cry out to the deeps of the
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Pacific, and the whole vast continent from New York to San Francisco is bound together with iron links.
The first number of "The Chimes," still ex- tant, is dated March 11, 1864, and the last June 18, 1869. The numbers for 1868 and 1869 are very incomplete and imperfect, not having been securely bound. This includes a period of five and one-half years, and with two numbers a month there ought to be, to make the files com- plete, about 110 numbers. There are, I think, 76 numbers nearly complete, and perhaps a dozen more in loose sheets. These contain prob- ably considerably more than a thousand articles from the pens of the Brownell Hall students. The publication was discontinued after the year 1869.
RT. REV. ROBERT ILARPER CLARKSON, D. D.
SECOND PERIOD. 1868-69-1875-76.
In 1865 Bishop Talbot was transferred to the Diocese of Indiana and Rev. Robert H. Clark- son of St. James Church, Chicago, was conse- crated Missionary Bishop of Nebraska and the Dakotas. He, too, went to Nebraska City to reside. but in 1866 moved to Omaha, which since then has been the See City.
Bishop Talbot's home in Nebraska City was two or three miles west from the town. This residence Bishop Clarkson bought, and estab- lished therein, when he left in 1866, a boys' school, naming it Talbot Hall, Rev. J. G. Gas- mann, Rector and Principal. Later the "Hall" became Nebraska College. Under Rev. John McNamara it was moved into town and was for many years a most successful and useful insti- tution.
At this time, on account of the demand for a Day School in Omaha, Bishop Clarkson thought best to move Brownell Hall into town, so he called together some of his friends and advisers and laid the matter fully before them, saying that he "desired that some of the prominent gentlemen of Omaha would share with him the responsibility of its removal and management." To this the gentlemen present agreed, and, ac- cordingly, in March, 1868, Brownell Hall was incorporated and Articles signed by
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Bishop Clarkson, Rev. Samuel Herman, Rev. Geo. C. Betts, R. C. Jordan, Geo. W. Doane, G. C. Monell,
C. S. Chase, J. M. Woolworth, John L. Redick, Benj. Alvord, Henry W. Yates,
and these gentlemen, with
J. A. Ware, Nebraska City, G. F. Blanchard, Fremont, E. S. Dundy, Falls City, Chas. R. Dakin, Decatur,
served as the first Board of Trustees. Of this first Board the Bishop was Ex-Officio the Presi- dent, Mr. R. C. Jordan was Secretary and Mr. H. W. Yates, Treasurer.
There were at once formed committees on "sale of old property," "new situation," "new building" and "raising funds." These com- mittees worked rapidly, and on Monday, Octo- ber 5, 1868, the new school opened in the new home at the corner of 16th and Jones, at that time a high hill. The new building was built of wood, supplied with water from a well in the yard, was heated by coal stoves, and lighted with coal-oil lamps.
In the middle of this year, February, 1869, the Rector resigned, and the school was closed for ten days, but the Bishop and Mrs. Clarkson left their own home, "Overlook," and took up their residence in the school, reopened it, the Bishop himself teaching some of the classes and Mrs. Clarkson acting as matron and house- keeper. The teachers were the two Misses
BROWNELL HALL, 1868-1887. SIXTEENTH AND JONES STREETS
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Whipple and Miss Sargeant. Confidence was soon restored and by the end of the year, July 12, there were more pupils than ever.
In September, 1869, the services of Miss Elizabeth Butterfield, an experienced teacher from Racine, Wisconsin, were secured as Prin- cipal, the Bishop retaining the Rectorship and financial management, though not living in the school.
Miss Butterfield was a strong Churchwoman, a lady of beautiful character and influence, and her legacy to the school was a spirit of kind- ness and unselfishness. Could there be a lov- lier heritage? For two years the school grew and thrived under her management and all was going merrily and well, when Cupid came along and shot away all the Bishop's fine plans.
In August, 1871, Miss Butterfield was mar- ried to Hon. James M. Woolworth and so was lost to the school. Her good works, however, multiplied. To the poor she was an ever ready friend, generous and sympathetic; to the sick and unfortunate she was prompt and helpful in giving relief, and to her Church faithful in at- tendance and service. She was one of the Bishop's able lieutenants in the work of Clark- son Hospital, and under Bishop Worthington was the first Diocesan President of the Ne- braska Branch of the Woman's Auxiliary to the Board of Missions.
In the school up to this time there had been
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two prizes, the Trinity prize for Scholarship, $30 in cash, and a gold medal for Deportment, the former given at first by Trinity College, afterward by the school, the latter by Bishop Clarkson, "himself the exemplar of right liv- ing." Instead of the cash prize Mrs. Wool- worth now presented a gold medal for Scholar- ship, and so fierce was the competition for this honor that whoever received it had to be almost perfect in her recitations. However, perfect conduct was perhaps harder to maintain, and certainly the Bishop's gold medal for "Attend- ance and Deportment" was always considered the highest prize in the school. Several other medals and prizes were introduced later, but all were abandoned in 1900 when Miss Macrae took charge.
In the fall of 1871 school opened with Mrs. P. C. Hall, Principal, Rev. George Paterson, Secretary, and Mrs. Paterson, Matron, the Bishop himself being Chaplain and Visitor. His residence now was in the same yard with the ' school, and when he was in the city he was in and out every day, coming in for family prayers quite regularly.
About this time his work out in the Diocese was heaviest. One year he says he spent only 37 days at home during the entire year, and most of his traveling in the Diocese was done with horses or even with oxen, there being no railroads in the state save the Union Pacific, which went from east to west, while most of
MRS. ELIZABETH BUTTERFIELD WOOLWORTH
MRS. P. C. HALL
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the Bishop's stations were up and down the Missouri River. But after every trip he came back to the Hall, more than ever convinced that a girls' school was one of the noblest influences in his Diocese. All honor to the Bishops, Rec- tors, Principals and Teachers who have made it such !
Mrs. Hall's influence was pre-eminently a "Home Influence." There were very few rules and practically no troubles in discipline during the five years she was in charge. She expected every one to be a lady, knew the girls would always tell the truth, and was most careful about the health of all in her care and in every way made the pupils feel that they were a part of a noble Christian family and that they must live up to the plane of their high privilege.
Mrs. Hall had the rare gift of inspiring a desire to learn, her "General Information" class was something unique, and although there were no college requirements, pupils who grad- uated under her supervision continue through- out their lives their interest in Church studies, in History, in Literature, Art, Music, in "Gen- eral Information" and "Topics of the Day." Physical culture was introduced at this time, Miss Lillie Martin, teacher, dumb-bells, rings, wands and Indian clubs forming the apparatus. Pupils were required to read well, and woe to the senior who blundered or faltered over a paragraph in Blunt's Key to the Bible, or Web- er's Universal History or any other book Mrs.
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Hall was teaching. The unlucky girl was sent immediately to the English teacher to be taught to read. Special stress was laid upon composi- tion and spelling, even the Seniors being re- quired to spell orally every day, and the silver medal given for spelling down the school was eagerly sought for every Friday afternoon. Once when the Bishop was in the East he sent word to Mrs. Hall that he had a list of words which he would give to the pupils to spell when he returned, and he offered "a box of the best French candy" to the young lady who could spell correctly all the words. There was great excitement and much studying of spelling books and test words, and sure enough when he gave out the words there were ten pupils who spelled every word correctly. The good Bishop, true to his promise, gave each one of the ten a fine box of candy, and expressed his pride in having so many good spellers in his school.
Essays were written and read aloud and poems declaimed at these same Friday exer- cises. Mental Arithmetic, too, was a study in which every pupil of the school was exercised at least three times a week. Mending was done every Friday evening and reading aloud was the recreation from 5:30 to 6 every day.
One of the very severe ordeals to which pupils were subjected in these earlier days was being examined by the Board. This was a "Board of Examiners," not the "Board of Trustees." In the early days the Hon. Horace Everett of
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Council Bluffs was a member of this "Examin- ers' Board," and he was very thorough in find- ing out how much a certain Arithmetic Class knew in "Fractions." Later Bishop Garrett, then Dean of the Cathedral, was one of this Examining Committee, and his criticisms of certain essays on "Coral" and "Color" will never be forgotten by the terrified writers.
While Bishop Clarkson was so much of the time in residence at the school he was visited by Bishop Selwyn, Bishop Whipple, Bishop Hare and Bishop Tuttle, all of whom gave ad- dresses to the pupils and preached in Trinity, where the entire family attended service.
In 1872 Rev. Mr. Paterson was made Chaplain as well as Secretary, Bishop Clarkson continu- ing as "Visitor."
In September, 1871, under Mrs. Hall, five chil- dren entered as Primaries, and were taught by a student in payment for her tuition. By the end of the year the number had increased to fourteen, and Mrs. Hall secured the services of a Primary Teacher, Miss Lucinda B. Loomis, one of the early pupils of the school, and who now remained at the Hall for nine years and whose name and fame as a student and teacher are well known in both Omaha and Lincoln, more especially in University Circles. She was a progressive teacher, introduced "sight read- ing" and "phonetic spelling," and soon had a large Primary Department. Small boys were taken in the Primary Department.
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The last two years of Mrs. Hall's Principal- ship were very hard ones financially on account of the terrible scourge of grasshoppers which visited the state. Pupils who were from the surrounding country were slow in paying their bills, and many had to withdraw entirely and there were not enough new ones to take their places. The poor crops and the grasshoppers made hard times in both city and country, but the brave Bishop weathered the gale and in two or three years all was again smooth sailing.
Many little incidents and happenings bright- ened up those schooldays in the '70s when Bishop Clarkson was the guiding spirit. His birthday in October was always a gala day, celebrated with a half holiday and "oyster stews." Once he returned to the Hall, after some trip, on March 17th, and was immediately besieged by the pupils with a request for a holi- day, it being St. Patrick's Day. He replied that he thought there would be no trouble about that, but he would speak to the Principal. As it was in the midst of Lent, Mrs. Hall did not quite approve, but compromised by substituting in place of regular lessons, the memorizing of the fifty-first Psalm, and the penitential collect "Turn Thou us O Good Lord," etc., and the "General Confession" in the Communion Serv- ice. After dinner all went down town to see the St. Patrick's Day parade, and while all had en- joyed the cessation of the regular routine, they felt that they had most truly kept a Saint's
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Day, and were better prepared to join in the Lenten and Penitential services.
One pupil, a "weekly boarder," used to re- turn on Sunday evenings heavily laden, and the toothsome contents of her boxes and bundles were so generously shared with her friends that there was nothing left for said pupil to make herself sick with the next day. Will those girls ever forget how delicious were the pickles and how satisfying were the gingersnaps-a little trunk full of them? Good things were passed to the teachers first in those days, and midnight feasts had not been instituted.
One dear little girl got into some mischief, and did not seem to realize that she had done anything naughty, and when her teacher, to ex- cuse her, sought to place the blame where it be- longed, saying "I guess that was the work of Mr. Satan himself," the little girl conscientious- ly replied: "No indeed, I am not acquainted with the gentleman; I thought it up my own self."
During these years when the school was very directly under the care of Bishop Clarkson, there were, as we have said before, no ideas of higher education for women advanced, but morning, noon and night, day in and day out, students were made to realize that they were building character, just laying the foundations, and that "Truth and Justice, Religion and Piety" were the four great corner stones. Most of the records of Bishop Clarkson's personal
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work were, at his own request, destroyed. When he left us he carried away with him the only thing that mortals are allowed to present at the final bar of justice, and the one thing that he urged day in and day out, as worth acquir- ing, viz: "Perfection of Character." His deep sincerity, his unvarying cheerfulness and cour- age, and above all his boundless love and sym- pathy, endeared him to all with whom he came in contact, and those of us whom he confirmed could almost feel a special blessing come straight from our Heavenly Father as we heard the dear Bishop's wonderful voice saying, "De- fend, O Lord, this Thy Child with Thy Heavenly Grace; that she may continue Thine forever; and daily increase in Thy Holy Spirit, more and more, until she come unto Thy everlasting kingdom. Amen."
BISHOP CLARKSON'S PRAYER FOR THE SCHOOL.
Almighty Father, the Fountain of all Light and Wisdom, bless, direct and guide, we humbly beseech Thee, all the members of this Christian school. Give those who are in authority here, grace diligently and faithfully to labor for Thy Glory, and for the temporal and spiritual wel- fare of those entrusted to their guardianship and care. Endue the scholars with the spirit of meekness, docility and obedience. Keep them from the snares of temptation and idleness and enable them to walk in the paths of true knowl- edge and righteousness. Defend, we beseech Thee, O Lord, this Thy family, with Thy Heavenly grace. Let Thy Holy Angels dwell among us, and preserve us in peace, and let Thy blessing be upon us evermore, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
RT. REV. GEORGE WORTHINGTON, S. T. D., LL. D.
DR. DOHERTY'S INCUMBENCY. 1876-77-1896-97.
In April, 1875, the latter part of Mrs. Hall's fourth year, Rev. Robert H. Doherty was en- gaged as Chaplain and teacher of Sciences. Thus began a connection which lasted twenty- two years.
In 1876 Mrs. Hall resigned, and Dr. Doherty was made Rector of the school. Mrs. S. H. Windsor, who had been matron under Mrs. Hall, continued her services under Dr. Doherty, first as matron, then as "Head of the House," and later still as "Lady Principal." Side by side they worked for the interests of the Hall until 1897, when, after a period of hard times, Dr. Doherty resigned and the school was closed one year. .
As House Mother, Mrs. Windsor labored un- ceasingly, conscientiously and prayerfully for the welfare of the school family, and the general good health and material success was in large measure due to her care and good management
Dr. Doherty married Mrs. Windsor's daugh- ter, Miss Emma Windsor, and she, too, not only taught a few classes, but contributed much to the happiness and social life of the school. Dr. Doherty was much beloved, and his memory will ever be revered by all who studied under him. The following pictures represent him as he
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lived "in the midst of a happy circle of young students."
To his family he was a most affectionate and devoted husband and father; to his pupils he was a beloved teacher and friend; to his teach- ers a considerate and appreciative head, and to his brother clergy and other friends a faithful co-worker and genial companion. He is remem- bered gratefully and lovingly not only by his pupils, but by many small parishes and missions out in the Diocese where he very frequently officiated.
Although Dr. Doherty had built on an addi- tion, in the early '80s the building at 16th and Jones became entirely inadequate to the de- mands, and a new building and new location were proposed. One piece of ground was actu- ally given by Mr. Woolworth and accepted by the Board, but the action was reconsidered and the offer declined. Another piece offered by Mr. Patrick was declined, and much time was spent in considering other locations. The pres- ent site on South Tenth Street was at first de- clined, then in 1884 Bishop Clarkson died and the matter was necessarily postponed until the new Bishop was consecrated. Soon after the arrival of Bishop Worthington, Mr. Kountze was asked to renew his offer, which he did, and the offer was now accepted.
Bishop Worthington, like his predecessor, considered his church school an indispensable factor in the growth and development of his
REV. ROBT. HERMON DOHERTY, D. D., S. T. D.
MRS. S. II. WINDSOR
DR. DOHERTY AND GROUP OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
J
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14
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=
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DR. DOHERTY AND GROUP OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
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Diocese. As long as his health permitted, he was a frequent visitor at the school, as was also his wife, Mrs. Worthington. Both contributed to the building fund, and at his death Bishop Worthington left nearly $80,000 for scholarship endowment at Brownell Hall.
Dr. Doherty spent much time and thought, and even his own money, in the erection of this new home for the school, and its final comple- tion was the crowning triumph of his adminis- tration.
At Tenth and Worthington Streets the corner stone of the third building was laid Saturday evening, June 12, 1886, at seven o'clock. The following hymn was composed expressly for the occasion by Rev. H. B. Burgess, Plattsmouth, Neb. :
O corner stone of hearth and home, On this auspicious day, Prophetic tone resound alone, Ring out thy round-de-lay.
A thousand thousand welcomes ring, Where countless thousands come, May words of love and music bring New joys to every home.
Here shall the daughters of our land Their choicest treasures find, Of greater worth than golden sand, True riches of the mind.
Here shall each polished shaft be wrought, Each priceless gem be set ; In ways of wisdom early taught Each virtue to protect.
Sweet corner stone of hearth and home, Ring out the round-de-lay;
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What sweeter tone than "hearth and home" For each Commencement Day!
Dedicated to Rev. R. H. Doherty, S. T. D.
The new building was occupied January 4, 1887. The building, furnishings, equipment and grounds were valued at $125,000. The building was heated by steam, lighted by gas, and equipped with modern plumbing and water sys- tem. It was built of brick and was very hand- some and convenient. The suite of parlors, the long, wide hall and the grand stairway on the first floor were most elegant and imposing. The beautiful suite of rooms and spacious hall have been the scene of many a delightful gathering. The first gymnasium was located in the base- ment of the south wing, but for some years the general assembly room has been used for a gymnasium. A suite of rooms was set apart as an infirmary and all the sick were at once taken there and cared for specially.
In the old building at 16th and Jones Streets there had been no conveniences for the care of the sick, and once when scarlet fever broke out in the school, Mrs. James Van Nostrand, always a kind neighbor and faithful friend, took the sick students into her own home, nursed them care- fully back to health and returned them in good condition to their school and studies.
The new Hall necessarily lost the home atmosphere and became a typical Boarding School, but an excellent one. "We die if we
BROWNELL HALL, 1SS7, TENTH AND WORTHINGTON STREETS
THE HALL
THE PARLORS
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don't progress," and there was no thought of Brownell Hall's dying.
Tradition hands down to the "modern school" thrilling tales of "fasts and famines," April Fool snakes and bedfellows, until the hair of the uninitiated quite stands on end.
The school now was in a flourishing condi- tion and in the year 1891 there were reported seventy-three boarders and fifty-nine day schol- ars, one hundred and thirty-two in all, the high water mark in attendance.
Some of Dr. Doherty's teachers remained in the school a long time. Among those were Miss Wallace, a teacher of music, who gave many years of faithful service, and Miss Ethel Daven- port, a teacher of that much neglected but most important class, "The Intermediates." Miss Davenport also excelled in mathematics. Here, too, we find Miss Lyman, a graduate of Vassar. She was the first college woman employed in the school, and she inserted the entering wedge in favor of college education for women. Some of the Brownell Hall students in Dr. Doherty's time and before went to college, but they did not finish their preparation at the Hall.
It was at the suggestion of Mrs. Windsor that the Alumnae Association was formed in 1889. Mrs. Windsor realized that while Bishops and Boards might change, that "once a graduate always a graduate" would be the case with mem- bers of an Alumnae Association, and that such
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body would forever be deeply interested in Brownell Hall. Indeed she, with Mrs. Wool- worth and a few others, had formed a prelimi- nary organization, calling it an Alumnae Asso- ciation, but as none of the members were gradu- ates of the Hall, the society was abandoned as soon as the real graduates caught the idea and organized. The following note was sent to all graduates on June 5, 1889 :
"You are cordially invited to be present at a meeting of the graduates of Brownell Hall on Monday, June 10, 1889, at 3 p. m., in the Library of that Institution.
"It is proposed at that time to organize an Alumnae Association.
"We hope this will meet with your hearty approval, and if you are unable to attend in person, you will send us a letter of encourage- ment. (Signed) Caroline M. N. Barkalow, Lucy E. Burgess,
Mary E. Campbell,
Leola C. Carter,
Helen Drake, Ethel Davenport,
Florence Ware Hall,
Fanny M. Potter,
Meliora S. Ringwalt, Leila Shears, Mary A. Smith,
Carrie M. Tremaine,
Minnie R. Wilson,
Fannie D. Wall,
Florence A. Yates."
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The meeting was held, and the organization formed in the parlors of Brownell Hall on June 10, 1889, Mrs. Meliora S. Ringwalt being first President. The Constitution was very simple, Article II being : "The object of this associa- tion shall be: First, to promote the growth of a higher life in woman; secondly, to further in all possible ways the prosperity of the school, and thirdly, to encourage young girls to take advantage of the opportunities for Christian Education, which Brownell Hall affords."
Having received a diploma from Brownell Hall constitutes eligibility to membership and an annual fee of one dollar is asked.
Three things were undertaken almost at once : First it was voted that moneys contributed should go for payment of tuition of daughters of clergymen. This was done for two years, the income being sufficient to defray the ex- penses of a day pupil, a daughter of a clergy- man of the city.
In 1892 it was voted to raise $3000 as a per- manent fund to be known as "The Talbot Scholarship Fund," the interest of which was to be used for payment of the expenses of a clergyman's daughter. This fund was com- pleted and presented to the Trustees in June, 1905, the offering being first laid upon the altar in St. Matthias Church by Bishop Worthington. With the exception of the year that the school was closed, this scholarship has been in constant use. The Association has also presented some
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