CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

P. 387 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS COLLEGE

FIRST BUILDING ERECTED—THE HERALD OF TRUTH—

COLLEGE REVIVED—CHARTER SECURED—

CLOSED IN 1870


 

       In the catalogue of the Southern Illinois College for the year ending June 1868, the following occurs as a part of the historical sketch of that school: “The project of a college in Southern Illinois originated in the Presbyterian Synod held at Decatur in 1856. Here it was resolved to build a college in Southern Illinois at some point on the Illinois Central railroad, and that it should be located where the most money should be subscribed by the citizens.” In a history of Presbyterianism in Illinois there is no mention of the action of the Synod in this matter for the year 1856. But in the minutes of the Presbytery of Alton held in Mt. Vernon in April 1856, and in an adjourned or called session held in Carbondale in June 17, 1856, there is a reference to “measures taken to establish Carbondale College.”

       The catalogue referred to above further says as a part of the historical sketch: “Circulars were distributed along the road announcing the design of the Synod, and making this offer to the citizens. On May 26, 1856, a meeting was held in the west side schoolhouse in Carbondale of representatives of the various competing places, when it was found Carbondale had subscribed nearly double the amount of any other locality, and, of course it was determined to locate the school here (in Carbondale). Henry Sanders, J. M. Campbell, D. H. Brush, Asgil Conner, Barrow, and others were prominent for their liberality.”

       Nothing further seems to have been done until 1858 when Messrs. Rapp, Edwards, Hill, and Burdic began erecting a building which stood for many years and was known as the college.

FIRST BUILDING ERECTED

       The structure was a two story brick with basement, and was nearly completed in 1861, lacking some of the interior furnishings. Before the building was completed a school had been advertised and opened as the Carbondale College. This school was begun in the upper story of the store of J. M. Campbell. When the college building was completed this school was moved into the new quarters in the southeastern part of the city. The school which was started in the Campbell building was in charge of the Rev, W. S. Post, at that time pastor of the Presbyterian church of Carbondale. The Rev. Mr. Post was pastor or supply for the Presbyterian church from 1856 to 1861 when he enlisted in the army as P 388 chaplain. When Mr. Post left the church at the beginning  

 

The Southern Illinois College,
Carbondale, Jackson County, IL

 of the war his place as pastor and teacher was taken by the Rev. J. Russell Johnson who taught in the college from ‘62 to ‘64. The school was not self-supporting, the Synod and Presbytery failed to come to its rescue, and it was closed, The building cost some ten or twelve thousand dollars. A portion of this amount was raised in cash subscriptions throughout the south end of the state, but a large share of the cost was carried by Mr. D. H. Brush and Mr. J. M. Campbell. It seems that the Illinois Central people wished to make a flourishing city of De Soto six miles north of Carbondale and to that end would not provide Carbondale with an operator. In many other ways the road seemed to favor De Soto at the expense of Carbondale. Mr. D. H. Brush, a public spirited citizen of the young town of Carbondale, paid out of his own pocket the salary of a telegraph operator for a year or so until the business justified the employment of one by the railroad. In his determination to keep Carbondale to the front he advanced a considerable share of the money for the college and thus became its creditor for some six or seven thousand dollars.

       During the years 1865 and 1866 the building was used for school purposes by the Carbondale school district. The Rev. Andrew Luce, pastor of the Presbyterian church was the principal in the employ of the district. When it was seen that the college could not be maintained the property was turned over to Messrs. Brush and Campbell, the principal creditors.

THE HERALD OF TRUTH

       In the spring of 1866 the Christian churches of Southern Illinois began the agitation for the establishment of a college and of a church paper in Southern Illinois. Among those who lead in this agitation were S. R. Wilson, a Mr. Lindsay, and B. F. Pope, of DuQuoin; William Schwartz, of Elkville; J. H. Reeves, and H. D. Bantean, of De Soto. In P 389  

THE REV. CLARK BRADEN,
PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS COLLEGE

March 1866 a paper was started in De Soto under the auspices of the Christian church and under the immediate charge of Rev. H. D. Banteau. The name of the paper was The Herald of Truth. The college proposition was still unsettled and two meetings were held in DuQuoin in the summer of 1866, and later one in De Soto in which the college matter was considered. Carbondale was a growing town and was ambitious in educational lines. The old Carbondale College building was standing idle except during short terms of the public school. The owners Messrs. Brush and Campbell proposed to turn over the building and thirty acres of ground for $12,000. In the event of its acceptance by the Christian churches of Southern Illinois, Mr. Brush would subscribe five hundred dollars, and Mr. Campbell would subscribe five thousand dollars. This latter amount was all of Mr. Campbell’s interest in the building. This left $6,500 to be provided for by the friends of the new college. The trade was consummated and a provisional board of trustees selected to take charge of the property and to open the school.

COLLEGE REVIVED

       The school opened the first day of October 1866. The school had been advertised but one week and on the opening day there were present these five students: Butler Hall, Benjamin Johnson, Hayes Mulkey, Mollie Yost, Robert Yost. P 390

       The board of trustees had secured the services of the Rev. Clark Braden and his wife of Centralia. Mr. Braden and the five students laid out their work for the first term and after due deliberation it was decided to adjourn the school for one week, and in the interim make some needed repairs on the building and try to secure additional students. There were few things about the whole situation which would make one think of a college. No furniture, maps, blackboards or other educational appliances, the building was dirty, window panes were out, and other marks of general neglect were apparent. When school opened on the second Monday there were three new students ready to enroll and the term opened with eight earnest students.

       Before the opening of the winter term, in January 1867, the assembly hall was seated with patent seats. Charts, maps, globes, blackboards, and other necessary helps were provided, and the school was without doubt the best equipped school in Southern Illinois. The fall term closed with forty-four students enrolled. The winter term enrolled seventy-five, and in the spring term the enrollment was one hundred and five. In all one hundred and forty-two different students were registered the first year—eighty-eight young men and fifty-four young ladies.

       The second year the seating capacity was enlarged to three hundred and twenty students, and other provisions for a large attendance were made. Additional rooms were provided in the basement, stairways were constructed to the second and third floors. The catalogue for the second year shows the board of trustees as follows: John A. Williams, Salem; Lysias Heape, Tamaroa; Simpson Frazier, Centralia; B. F. Pope, DuQuoin; William Schwartz, Elkville; John Hall, Blairsville; Dr. L. H. Redd, De Soto; Dr. John Ford, Murphysboro; Stephen Blair, Carbondale; Daniel Gilbert, Carbondale; John Goodall, Marion; George W. Ferril, Cobden; Dr. S. R. Hay, Cairo. Officers of the board: William Schwartz, president; Stephen Blair, treasurer; B. F. Pope, secretary.

       Faculty: Clark Braden, A. M., ancient languages and mathematics; James H. Nutting, A. B., rhetoric and science; Mrs. Sarah Braden, elocution and penmanship; Miss Lydia Pierce; Miss Mary E. Bond, German, French, needlework; Mrs. V. K. DeYo, drawing, painting; Miss H. C. Campbell, instrumental music; A. D. Fillmore, R. J. Young, vocal music. The total enrollment for the second year was: Young men, 186; young ladies, 132; total, 318. By terms, fall term, 190; winter term, 193; spring term, 215; total, 598.

CHARTER SECURED

       A charter was secured from the legislature in the early part of the year 1867. The following copied from the journal of the senate is self explanatory.

       “Thursday, January 21, 1867.

       “Mr. (Samuel K.) Casey introduced senate bill 326 for an act for the relief of the Southern Illinois College at Carbondale, Jackson county, which was read a first time and ordered to a second reading. On motion of Mr. Casey the rule was dispensed with, and the bill read a second time and referred to the committee on education.” The bill failed to pass.

       In the summer of 1868 the college was instrumental in getting an educational convention called for Carbondale, in June, at which P 391 convention the need of a State Normal school for Southern Illinois was discussed, In the session of the General Assembly in the spring of 1869 an act was passed creating the Southern Illinois Normal University, The board of trustees eventually located the school in Carbondale.

CLOSED IN 1870

       In the years 1869 and 1870 the Southern Illinois College ran behind in financial matters and the president, Mr. Clark Braden, was forced to give a considerable share of his time to the publication of some books the income from which would relieve him and the school from their financial embarrassment. In consequence of this forced neglect of his work the school lost its hold upon the people and its efficiency was considerably lessened. Then the State Normal school was located in Carbondale and was expected to meet the needs of this end of the state. Mr. Braden’s college had been very popular as a training school for young teachers, but the college could not hope to compete with a state school with liberal appropriations, and so the work of the school was closed in the summer of 1870, and the property passed into the hands of the creditors. These shortly after sold the buildings and grounds to the school district for public school use. The college building served the use of the school district for the next thirty years since which time its place has been taken by an elegant modern school building.

       It is the, belief of those who attended the old Southern Illinois College and of those in touch with the spirit and methods of work therein that the college served a great purpose in enkindling the educational flame in Egypt and that had the school been backed by strong financial interests it would have filled a much larger sphere of usefulness in the educational world.

 

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