Part 40 (2/2)
The third inst.i.tution that in its day was a power for excellence in educational lines was Western, founded in 1856 on the borders of Johnson county at the little town of Western, in College towns.h.i.+p. Of this inst.i.tution the late Jesse A. Runkle, some years ago, wrote as follows:
”In January, 1856, Iowa City became the western terminus of the only railroad in the state, and no other was built within a couple of years. The fine country surrounding Western, would easily lead one to believe that the early plan was feasible, to make the school an industrial one, where deserving young men could make their way through school by devoting some of their time to agricultural work.
But Western was unfortunate in two things: First, none of the railroads that were built in Iowa, ever came near the town. It seems as if a Nemesis had brooded over the place, for even the interurban now being built between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City swerves from a direct line, and misses both Western and Shueyville by about a mile. Second, the surrounding country began to be possessed by a population that in the main had little or no sympathy with religious education, and the older generations were alien in thought and temper to our American inst.i.tutions. These things made the task of maintaining the college at that point a most heroic and arduous work.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: SHOWING THE TWO CESSIONS AS AT PRESENT DIVIDED (map)]
After some years of struggle, the college was removed to Toledo, where it now wields an influence second to none in the state.
One of the early educational centers in Linn county was the private school established in 1850 in the Greene Bros. block, which stood on the corner of First street and First avenue, Cedar Rapids, where now stands the building owned by Suns.h.i.+ne Mission. It was founded by Miss Elizabeth Calder, a native of New York, and who in 1855 married R. C.
Rock, the first hardware dealer in the city, who came here from Burlington and whose place of business was located on First street a few doors south of the corner of First avenue. This school prospered and was conducted by Miss Calder for four years when it was discontinued.
One of the first, if not the very first, teacher in Cedar Rapids was Miss Susan Abbe, daughter of the old pioneer. She taught in this city in 1846, the superintendent being Alexander Ely.
Miss Emma J. Fordyce, at present a teacher in the Cedar Rapids high school, contributes to this work the following sketch of early schools in the county, and more particularly in the city of Cedar Rapids:
”It is not often in this changing country that a person lives a lifetime in one community and sees the schools grow from their beginning. This has happened to me. Of the early country schools but two memories remain: a visit in the summer, and one in the winter. There remains an impression of very homely school houses, equally homely surroundings, and very little comfort without or within. It is a standing wonder that even now an Iowa farmer is much more likely to provide an up-to-date fine building for his cattle than a beautiful, well-ordered school-house for the education of his children. A little has been done, but by far too little.
”Early Cedar Rapids was a little village surrounded by groves of oaks, crab-apple, plum, and everywhere the climbing wild grape. Between these groves were the sand hills on which grew vast quant.i.ties of sand-burs. Where the Methodist church now stands was a hill which sloped toward the railroad. Where the old Presbyterian church was, the children coasted down 'Pepper Gra.s.s Hill;' and where Mr.
Crozer's florist establishment is, was a deep and wide pond which, on occasions of heavy rain, furnished water for rafts made from bits of sidewalk.
”The earliest school was on the site of the present Granby building, but of that school I have no personal knowledge.
The first school building in my memory was the three-story one which was erected in 1856. It had a white cupola, white tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs to the windows, with a high, solid board fence, painted red, surrounding it. An iron pump at the side furnished refreshment to the spirit and ammunition for the wetting of people. On the lower floor on the side next the railroad, Miss Elizabeth Shearer taught the children. She was a woman of fine family, fine attainments, and of great patience of spirit. Superintendent Ingalls was in charge of the school at that time. C. W. Burton followed him the next year. His school board was A. C. Churchill, president; Benjamin Harrison, treasurer; J. W. Henderson, vice-president; D. A. Bradley, secretary. These were a.s.sisted by three directors, J. F. Charles, W. W. Smith, E.
E. Leach. Mr. Harrison had a unique way of collecting taxes from the delinquent foreign citizens to whom our system of collecting them was a dark puzzle; when they refused to pay, he notified them that on a certain day if the taxes were not forthcoming, he would sell everything they had and apply the proceeds to tax payment. The auction was often begun, but never finished, as the taxes were always forthcoming.
”Mrs. E. J. Lund was one of the earliest of Cedar Rapids teachers. For many years her inspiring example and her patient work developed good children out of bad, and she finished her life's work by taking care of all the poor and unfortunate of the county. The Cedar Rapids superintendents were Professor Humphrey, 1861-4, Professor Ingalls, 1864-5, C. W. Burton, 1865-70, J. E. Harlan, now president of Cornell, 1870-5, F. H. Smith, the latter part of 1875, J. W.
Akers, 1875-81, W. M. Friesner, 1881-5, L. T. Weld, 1885-6, J. P. Hendricks, 1886-90, J. T. Merrill, 1890-1901, J. J.
McConnell, 1901--, twelve men in thirty-four years. The list shows plainly the growing tendency to keep a superintendent for long periods at a time.
”The high school princ.i.p.als show the same tendency; A.
Wetherby, from 1870-1, E. C. Ebersole, 1872-73, W. A.
Olmsted, 1871-2, Miss Mary A. Robinson, 1873-86, Miss A. S.
Abbott, 1886--.
”The original high school building contained four rooms. In 1876 it had a corps of three teachers: Miss M. A. Robinson, Miss E. J. Meade, Miss Estella Verden, and had an attendance of 106 pupils; it now has twenty teachers with an attendance of 838 pupils. In 1876 there were five buildings in the city; there are now sixteen. Of the teachers thirty-one in number in 1876, there are two left: Miss Emma Forsythe and Miss Emma J. Fordyce. In 1876 the total number of pupils handled by thirty-one teachers was 1,752. In 1911, with 181 teachers, there are 6,122 pupils, not quite six times as many teachers, but showing a smaller average number to each teacher. Evidently the school-houses have always been crowded, since the superintendent's report of 1876 says: 'We have in the school district five school buildings, and these are taxed to their utmost to accommodate the pupils already enrolled.' He also remarks pensively: 'In your wisdom for the coming year, you have reduced the salaries of your teachers, and in some cases the reduction has been such that some of your best teachers have been compelled to seek employment elsewhere.' Since no following superintendent makes the same complaint, it is evident that school boards do improve. As to salaries, the salary of the superintendent in 1883 is given as $1,000; in 1911 as $3,000, which means the magnificent increase of $42 a year; not a great temptation. The salaries of the teachers increase in the same period about $25 a year. Comment is unnecessary.
”As to the high school, the graduates of 1873 to 1885 were but eleven pupils, with nine times as many in 1908. Amongst the older and pioneer high school teachers were Mr.
Wetherbee, Miss Ella Meade, and Miss Ada Sherman, who afterward decided to doctor bodies instead of minds, as it paid much better. Mr. Olmsted, the princ.i.p.al of 1872, who left Cedar Rapids in 1873 to found a business in Chicago, died a hero. He lost his life in his burning building trying to save his bookkeeper.
”The tendencies in school work are shown by the fact that the reports of the early superintendents are largely lists of members of the school board, while the later reports give large tabulations of expense. It is to be regretted that Iowa has not adopted a series of uniform reports, giving items almost impossible to discover as these reports are at present made out. The older schools report seventy-two pupils to a primary teacher. The newer reports are silent on the subject. Since efficiency comes in handling the right number of pupils, it would certainly be wise to keep a careful account of this item.
”The courses of the schools show the growth in public service. The courses of the high school in 1876 are twenty; those of the high school in 1910, eighty-three. All of the older and more prominent citizens served as school directors at one time or another. In 1858 J. L. Enos was president of the board, Freeman Smith, secretary, W. W. Smith, vice-president, J. T. Walker, treasurer, W. W. Walker, director. In 1859 the names of R. C. Rock, E. H. Stedman, J.
<script>