P. 381 PRIVATE SCHOOLS
FIRST HIGH SCHOOL IN ILLINOIS—SHILTRTLEFP COLLEGE—
McKENDREE AND EWING COLLEGES—
SOUTHERN COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE—GREENVILLE COLLEGE
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THE ROCK SPRING SEMINARY,
FOUNDED BY REV. JOHN M. PECK |
FIRST HIGH SCHOOL IN ILLINOIS
It will he remembered that tradition has it that there was a college in Kaskaskia in the first half of the eighteenth century but that it was abandoned in 1765. Let this be as it may, there can be no doubt that to the Rev. John M. Peck belongs the credit of establishing the first school for higher education in Illinois. The Rev. Mr. Peck was born in Connecticut, October 31, 1789, and came to St. Louis late in the year 1817. In 1819 he examined the present site of Upper Alton as a location for a seminary. In 1820 he selected lands some eight and one half miles north east of Belleville. A group of springs issues forth near the roadside, hence the name Rock Spring. Dr. Peck was a missionary and was commissioned “to spread the gospel and promote common schools.”
He moved his family to Rock Spring in the summer of 1822. From 1822 to 1824 he was absorbed in the fight against slavery, and was not able to give his attention to the matter of founding a school for higher education. In the early part of 1825 one John M. Ellis, a Presbyterian missionary was passing along the public road leading eastward from East St. Louis past Rock Spring and on to Lebanon, at the spring he heard the sounds of an axe. He stopped and upon investigation he discovered the Rev. Dr. Peck hard at work in the woods and when questioned by the Rev. Mr. Ellis as to what he was doing, Dr. Peck replied that he was building a theological seminary. The Rev. Mr. Ellis was greatly impressed with his short visit with the builder of a theological seminary, for the facts are that in less than a year he had drawn up a plan for the founding of a college which eventually came to be Illinois College, Jacksonville. In this early day there were few buildings other than log cabins, but Mr. Peck was building for many years to come and the seminary building was a frame structure two stories high, the walls filled in with brick and plastered over, The building was twenty feet by thirty-two P 383 feet, the upper story being used as a dormitory for boys. The lower story was used for school purposes. There were two wings each one story high attached to the sides of the front of the building. There were two log cabins near and these three buildings constituted the “plant” of the Rock Spring Seminary, the first school established as a higher institution of learning. The Rock Spring Seminary was opened in November, 1827. One of the few pupils to enter was William H. Rider from Carrollton, Greene. county, Illinois. Young Rider was twelve years old when he entered Rock Spring Seminary in November, 1827. He says the small boys slept in the second story on straw beds laid on the floor. It appears, however, that Mr. Rider stayed nearly all his time in the home of the president, Mr. Peck. “He was one of the most industrious men I ever knew.” The Rev. James Bradley was a sort of vice principal and had charge of the school in the absence of Dr. Peck, Dr. John Russell, the noted pioneer scholar, of Bluffdale, Greene county, was a teacher from the first. He served as principal or vice president during the second year. The school had an average attendance during the first four years of fifty and the southern end of the state was well represented.SHURTLEFF COLLEGE
In 1831 by action of board of trustees the school was removed to Upper Alton and became in 1832 the Alton Seminary. Later in 1835 or ‘36 the school received a charter, and the name was changed to Alton College and in honor of Benjamin Shurtleff, of Boston, the name was changed to that of Shurtleff. This school has had a long and useful career. It has been hampered for lack of funds, but its friends have never weakened in their loyalty and the interest in the school has always been good. John M. Palmer and his brother, Elihu J. Palmer, entered the school in 1835. They were poor boys and needed to earn at least a part of their school expenses. They cleared a road or street as it came to be, of trees and received pay for their work from the school, The street leads westward from the college to the present city of Alton. There were three graduates in 1837 and none other till 1842. From that day to the present, with few exceptions, classes have been graduated each year. “During the war the number of students greatly decreased, and the very life of the school was threatened for a time. Of former students, and those in attendance at the outbreak of the war, about one hundred and forty enlisted in the service of their country. Several of the students rose to great distinction as soldiers, becoming majors, colonels, brigadier generals, and major generals. “Shurtleff College has, been of incalculable benefit to the Baptist denomination in the state of Illinois, and its graduates are occupying positions of influence and responsibility in all parts of the union. They have distinguished themselves, not only by their patriotism and bravery in times of war, but as editors, jurists and statesmen, preachers and men of business. “The future of the College was never so well assured, or so full of bright promise as it is today.” The school is under the immediate control of the Rev. David G. Ray, L. H. D., senior regent. The school has a number of beautiful buildings P 384 in a campus set with native oaks on a high bluff overlooking the Father of Waters.McKENDREE COLLEGE
There can be little doubt that the vision of the Rev. Dr. Peck as he chopped away on the logs which would enter the Rock Spring Seminary as lumber, was also seen by others beside Dr. Peck and the Rev. Mr. Ellis, for the people of Lebanon, a straggling village not more than three miles from Rock Spring, were shortly dreaming of a college which should eventually adorn one of the beautiful hills in the outskirts of their future city. Peter Cartwright attended the Methodist conference held at Mt. Carmel in September 1827. He presented a memorial from Greene county to the conference asking that body to take steps to establish a “Conference Seminary.” A committee was appointed to look into the matter. In February 1828 the people of Lebanon, then a town of two hundred people, drew up articles of association “for the erection of an edifice for a seminary of learning.” There was bitter rivalry in those days between the sects, or denominations, and no doubt the people of Lebanon were greatly stirred to start their school by the success than attending the Rev. Mr. Peck’s school at Rock Spring. A subscription list signed by 104 persons for $1,385.00 was soon secured. Trustees were selected and buildings put under construction. The school was opened in the fall of 1828, one year after the opening of Rock Spring Seminary, with an enrollment of seventy-two students. The first year the school was housed in two buildings belonging to the public and used for subscription schools. Mr. E. R. Ames, afterwards Bishop in the M. E. church, was the first principal. His assistant was a Miss McMurphy. Principal Ames received $115.00 for his services for the first term, while Miss McMurphy received $83.33. The college building was completed by the fall of 1829. (It burned in 1856.) In 1830 the Methodist conference accepted the offer of the board of trustees and the school was taken under the “fostering care” of the Methodist church. Up to this time the school was known as the Lebanon Seminary. About 1831 Bishop McKendree made a gift to the school of four hundred and eighty acres of land and the name was changed to McKendree College. In 1835 a bill was drawn in the legislature and enacted into law creating four corporations to be known as: ‘‘The Trustees of the Alton College of Illinois,” “The Trustees of Illinois College,” “The Trustees of the McKendrecan College,” “The Trustees of the Jonesboro College.” The bill named the board of trustees for each college, and locates the schools respectively in Upper Alton, in Morgan county, in Lebanon, and at or near Jonesboro. This charter contained a clause which shut out any chance for theological departments, for it “provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall authorize the establishment of a theological department in either of said colleges.” It provided further that “The said colleges and their preparatory departments shall be open to all denominations of Christians.” The four colleges were to serve respectively the four leading denominations in Illinois at that time, namely—the Baptist, the Presbyterian, the Methodist, and the Christian. McKendree College. at Lebanon claims to be the oldest Methodist college west of the Alleghany mountains. It has lived long and has had P 385 an honorable career. To be sure in its earlier years it was obliged to accept students whose preparation was necessarily of a very limited character. In recent years all lines of work not purely collegiate have been eliminated and only two courses are offered—classical and scientific, with seventy-six per cent of the students taking the classical course. The first president under the charter was the Rev. Peter Akers. The first class was graduated in 1841—seven in all and all classical students. In 1848 a paper was started known as the Illinois Advocate and Lebanon Journal. It was a religious paper, and was eventually moved to St. Louis and called the Central Christian Advocate. It is now published in Kansas City. Its editor while it was in Lebanon was Dr. Erastus Wentworth. Within the past few years the school has come into some prominence in Southern Illinois because of the interest which Governor Charles S. Deneen has taken in it. His father was a teacher in the school for many years and the Governor was a student there. He has greatly assisted the school by liberal donations and by lending his counsel to the board of trustees. The Rev, Dr. John Harmon is the present president, under whose direction the college is enjoying a gratifying prosperity. The Illinois College provided for in the “Omnibus” charter of 1835 was founded in 1829 and has had an interesting history. For a full history of Illinois College see the life and works of Dr. Edward Beecher, Dr. Sturtevant, Jonathan Turner, and the “Yale Band.” The school is located in the western edge of Jacksonville and being beyond our territorial limits we shall not attempt a sketch of its founding and life work. The fourth college provided for was to be known as the Jonesboro College. It was to be located at or near Jonesboro in Union county. The trustees named in the charter were: B. W. Brooks, Augustus Rixleben, Winstead Davie, John S. Hacker, and others. There is no record or knowledge of any steps having been taken to organize this school. A careful inquiry among the old settlers does not reveal any satisfactory information concerning the project.EWING COLLEGE
Ewing College, located in the town of Ewing, some eight miles north of Benton, the county seat of Franklin county, though not so old nor so flourishing as either McKendree or Shurtleff, has nevertheless been an important factor in the work of education in Southern Illinois. The school had its beginning in a high school organized in December 1867. Professor John Washburn, D. D., was the first principal. In 1874 a charter was secured which created the school Ewing College. Dr. Washburn continued as president of the college. He has served in that capacity three different terms. Rev. William Shelton, D. D., was president four years and Dr. J. A. Leavitt served for ten years. Dr. W. A. Mathews is now the president. There are some sixteen members of the faculty with an enrollment of some two hundred students. Ewing is not on any railroad and the town is small and these facts are urged as advantages in sending young people to school. Considerable stress is placed upon Bible study and upon the genuine religious character of teachers, students, and citizens. Several prizes are given in oratory, music, literary production, etc. The college is under the control of the Baptist brotherhood. P 386THE SOUTHERN COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE
This school is located at Albion, and is a Junior College which grew out of a county normal which was begun in Albion about the year 1889. In 1891 the school was turned over to the Association of Congregational Churches in Southern Illinois. The college has an endowment of $50,000, and is just now completing a beautiful new three story college building. The school has grown in numbers from 8 to 150 students. The president of the school is Rev. Frank B. Hines. The aim of the school is to develop a high grade of Christian character. The environment is very favorable to this end. Albion and Edwards county have for many years occupied a unique place in Southern Illinois. It is a healthful region. The town has not had a saloon for forty years. The calaboose and jail are rarely occupied. Circuit court is held twice a year and three days are usually sufficient time to dispose of all litigation. The explanation of all this is found in the character of the early settlers—English Quakers, Puritans, and Moravians. While the college is under the auspices of the Congregational church, young men and young women of all denominations are welcomed to the advantages of the school. Much stress is put upon the importance and value of Christian culture. The school numbers among its graduates lawyers, doctors, legislators, educators, and other valuable members of society.GREENVILLE COLLEGE
Greenville College was founded in 1892 under the auspices of the Free Methodist Church, The property was formerly known as Almira College, and was a school of collegiate grade for young ladies, opened in 1855. The principal contributors making possible the original purchase in 1892 were Mrs. Ellen Rowland, James T. Grice, James H. Moss, and W. S. Dann. Ministerial scholarships have been founded to the number of ten by John A. Augsbury of Watertown, New York. The first president was Rev. Wilson Thomas Hogue, Ph. D., holding his office for twelve years. His successor was Rev. Augustin L. Whitcomb, M. S., who was president for three and one-half years. He was succeeded by Eldon G. Burritt, A. M., who is the present incumbent. The organization of the college includes in addition to the College of Liberal Arts and the preparatory department, the associated departments of theology, education, music, commercial science and public speaking. The average attendance is three hundred students, with about one hundred in the college department. The college emphasizes strongly the importance of religion as a factor in education. This emphasis has attracted students from widely separated sections, some twenty-five states being represented from year to year in the student body. The college has been from the first a strongly missionary institution, and thirty of its students have gone to the foreign field, In the comparatively brief history of its existence, an unusually large number of students and graduates have become prominent in business and professional life.
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