But to “look on this side and then on that,” by way of comparison, is sometimes profitable; and the story of these early times, truly told, while rescuing from oblivion much of such history as may be of interest in the future, may also serve the double purpose, first, of showing those at present so much more highly favored, that a good education was as highly prized then as now, and that sacrifices were made to obtain it, of which they know nothing; and second, of awakening such gratitude for, and appreciation of, the privileges now enjoyed, as shall result in corresponding activity to improve them.  Then, circumstances, like Napoleon’s, had to be made—now, they are furnished in every particular, except that of capacity; a lack not confined to any age or generation, and a quality or endowment neither to be sold or bought. 

     In “Swan’s History of Canton,” published in 1871, it is stated that the first school house in the town was built in 1825, and that the first teacher occupying it was John C. Owens.  The building was on the lot now owned by A. C. Babcock, and stood a little southwest of his present residence, facing on what was then Union street, but which has recently been named Chestnut street.  “It was built,” Swan’s History goes on to relate, “of small willow and cottonwood timber, roof low and covered with clapboards kept in place by weight poles.  Several holes were cut through the logs to let the dark out, but which admitted a very scanty supply of light.  The floor, during the first year was the best prairie soil tramped hard by the feet of the pupils whose ‘ideas were there taught to shoot.’  The seats were logs split in two parts and supported on wooden pins driven into holes bored in the ends for this purpose.  The one writing desk was a wide puncheon, with its upper surface planed smooth, and was supported against the wall by slanting pins driven into one of the logs on the side of the building. 

     “An enormous fire place occupied one end of the room, and the door was made of unshaved clapboards and hung on wooden hinges.” 

     And the same history further says, that Mr. Ezra Fairchild succeeded Mr. Owens as teacher, and that he made many improvements in the building, resulting in greater comfort to both teacher and pupils. 

     It would seem that Mr. Fairchild continued to teach the school during the winter and spring for several years in succession, but it is uncertain as to when his labors in this calling terminated. 

     Mrs. Mary E. Barber, a daughter of Isaiah Stillman, an early settler in Canton and who now lives in Elmwood, in a recent letter says she went to school in this old log house in 1830, and that Jonas Rawalt was the teacher.  Mr. Rawalt’s successors were two men by the name of York, probably brothers.  If these three all taught in 1830, the term of service of each must have been quite short, as a slip cut from an issue of the “Fulton Democrat” (Lewistown, Ill.) and was published in January, 1892, gives an account of the school in 1831.  The slip was furnished by J. W. Proctor and we give it entire, merely correcting the spelling of some of the names.  It is as follows:

“AN EARLY SCHOOL.

     “Mr. Joseph E. Lamaster has deposited with the Editor of the Democrat the following interesting schedule of a school taught by his father, Hugh Lamaster, nearly 62 years ago.  This school commenced February 28, 1831. 

“HUGH LAMASTER, Teacher 

     “On the outside of the schedule is a memoranda to the effect that Lydia E. Fellows, George Barnes, A. C. Tyler and Henry Stillman stood at the head of their respective classes, probably in spelling. 

     “We do not think this was the first school ever taught in Fulton county, but it was among the earliest.  It was too large a school for Canton alone, and we infer that some of the pupils came from long distances.” 

     As has already been shown this was far from being the first school in Fulton county, but it is almost certain that Canton had the first schools, and for some time the only ones, in the county. 

     During the next year, or part of it, Dargo B. Jones taught, and a lady, Mrs. Martha C. Rice, now of Lewistown, writes that when her father, Oliver Dewey, with his family came to Canton in Dec. 1832, this Mr. Jones was still teaching in the same log school house.  But it appears that his teaching terminated sometime in 1835, though he remained in the town and vicinity for some years, and afterward became a Presbyterian minister.  Mrs. Rice further explains that this Mr. Jones was in no way related to the family of Nathan Jones, one of the earliest settlers and pioneers of Canton, and Mr. Truman O. Jones, now of Satsuma, Florida in a late letter says:  “I remember Dargo Bliss Jones very well.  He was the first lumber dealer in Canton—that is, the first to bring pine lumber for sale, but not finding it profitable, in 1838 he went.”  Then he humorously adds:  “He was a fine looking man for a Jones, but was no kin to me.” 

     The next teacher for 1833 was Miss Mary W. Dewey, sister of Mrs. Rice, and who afterward married Mr. Finis McCutcheon.  She taught one quarter in the log school house, and one in the early Presbyterian building, which had just been completed in August of

that year, and which stood on the Public Square.  It appears that Miss Dewey’s school was the last one taught in the old original log school house, as no record of any other taught in it has been furnished.  The probability is that it was removed and used as a dwelling, or was destroyed in the great tornado of June 18^th, 1835. 

     But it served well its “day and generation,” as in addition to its use as a school house, it deserves honorable mention as a place where town business meetings were held, and also where meetings of the church convened, till, as above stated, the church building on the square was ready for occupancy. 

     During the winter and summer of 1834, Austin J. Barber, the husband of Mrs. M. E. Barber, already referred to, continued the school in the church, but for what length of time is not known. 

Miss Diantha M. Wright, now the wife of George W. Dewey, of Toulon, Ill., in a recent letter, writes:  “I opened a school in the east chamber of Dr. Lathrop W. Curtis’s house in the fall of 1835, and my sister Diana, who after ward married Job Shinn, was associated with me  as assistant.  This room was in the building long occupied by Mr. D. F. Freeman, and which was removed in 1878, to be replaced by the present residence of J. W. Proctor, corner of West Elm and Avenue A.  When the names of the pupils enrolled increased to over 60, the school was removed to the church on the square.”  She also states that after she and her sister had taught for some months in the church, Mr. Park Stewart, a brother of Rev. Robert Stewart, came in  1836 and 1837, to teach the school as an Academy, and that she was for a time his assistant.  Mr. Stewart was a graduate of Illinois College, at Jacksonville, and was an excellent teacher.  He afterward preached, it is said in Moline, Ill., for twenty-five years.