HISTORY AND
REMINISCENCES
OF SCHOOL WORK
IN
CANTON, ILLINOIS
by Mrs. Mary J. F. Law
of Canton
pub. by Daily Register Press in 1894
Transcription by
Dorene Fox-Sprague
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Chapter 4: Pages 16-21
Canton College |
Canton College, so repeatedly mentioned in the two
preceding chapters, deserves a more extended notice than it has so far received,
and its history will now be given:
Schools in the Presbyterian church, as has been shown,
were taught by various teachers, beginning as soon as it was built, and
continuing in use for the purpose for several years, as also were schools in
other buildings. But amid the education of the young, the sturdy pioneers, who
were mostly from New England and New York, with a few families from other
states, were planning great things for the future. And almost before the town
had recovered the disastrous results of the great tornado of 1835, the scheme of
building a college to supply the higher needs of pupils in Canton and the
surrounding region was under consideration.
The ground for the location of the College building was
donated entirely by Rev. Romulus Barnes and Nathan Jones, and was called
“College Square.” The funds to carry on the work of erection and equipment were
raised partly by subscription, but mostly by the sale of a number of lots also
donated by the same parties, in the then newly laid out addition, called “Barnes
& Jones’ addition to the town of Canton.” That is, the price of every other lot
in this portion of the town, when sold, furnished most of the funds.
The writer has examined the two old musty deeds by
which these properties were conveyed to a Board of Trustees and their successors
for the sole benefit of the College, and in which the College Square and the
lots to be sold for the purpose indicated, are particularly specified. One was
executed by Romulus Barnes and his wife, Olivia D. Barnes, and the other by
Nathan Jones and his wife, Matilda Jones—and in both it is recorded “that the
‘Canton College of Illinois” was incorporated by an act of the General Assembly
of the State of Illinois, held at Vandalia, Dec. 6th, 1836.”
Mr. Truman O. Jones, who came to Canton in June, 1837,
says: “Canton College was erected in the summer and fall of 1836. It was built
of bricks made by Nathan and D. C. Jones, and was three stories high.” But we
learn from other sources that though it had the appearance of a brick building
throughout, the third story was of boards, painted to simulate the walls of the
other stories. However, only the first story, and a few rooms in the second were
ever completed, and these not perfectly.
It was intended that the College should eventually
become an institution of the highest order, gathering in students, not only from
Illinois, but from other states; and so sanguine were the promoters of the
enterprise of its ultimate success, that in addition to the charter, some
diplomas ready to filled out were obtained and placed in the care of Joel
Wright, Esq., and Dr. J. R. Walter. One of those old time diplomas, furnished by
H. L., son of Joel Wright, is now before me. It is, of course, in Latin, on the
usual, parchment paper, and adorned with the usual ornamental flourishes.
But the times did not seem to be propitious for the
growth of a College in Canton. Illinois College had already been established at
Jacksonville, Knox College, with good financial backing, was making favorable
progress at Galesburg, and thee seemed to be no real need for another in such
close proximity.
Yet during its short-lived existence the College did
some good work, in that it afforded an opportunity to many students who
otherwise could not have gone to more distant institutions to obtain higher
educational advantages.
But returning to the history of the work, we find that
when it first opened the few students who gathered in the summer of 1837 recited
various preceptors and tutors, one of whom was Rev. R. Barnes. In September of
that year, Wright Dewey, a brother of Geo. W. Dewey, of Toulon, came as
professor, and it was expected that the College would be formally opened and
funds to properly finish and equip the building be contributed. But no such
result followed, and after a few months’ teaching Mr. Dewey left. In the summer
of 1838, William N. Stimpson, a cousin of D. C. and T. O. Jones, arrived to take
charge, but in a short time, he, too left and went to Lane Seminary, near
Cincinnati, Ohio. He was followed by Park Stewart and Claudius Webster, who each
taught some months, and then came Rev. Gideon B. Perry, M. D., L. L. D., who was
really installed as President, but at exactly what time or how long he served,
it has been impossible to ascertain. He was, however, the only regularly
installed President the College ever had. Those who preceded and those who
followed him were simply Principals of the School, and Dr. Perry himself had
merely the nominal honor of the presidency, his duties as pastor of the Baptist
church and his practice as a physician occupying his time so fully that he
taught very little, and none at all after the winter of 1838 and ’39. But his
pastorate continued till Oct., 1841, when he went elsewhere.
In the mean time Mr. Ralph Perry, in no way related to
his predecessor of the same name, came as Principal of the school, beginning his
labors in June, 1839, and continuing to teach for two years, leaving in June
1841. Mr. Reuben S. Kendall joined him as assistant in Oct., 1839, and remained
six months. Mrs. Perry also taught classes in the school, and others when extra
service was needed.
Under the leadership of Mr. Perry, the teaching was
exceptionally good, as was also that of Fritz O. Campbell, who succeeded Mr.
Perry, and who had previously been a student I the school. Mr. Campbell was a
very talented young man, and he taught in the College about two years. Then he
was licensed to preach by the Baptist Church in Canton, going afterward to
Shurtleff College, upper Alton, where he graduated. About 1850-’51 he went to
Texas to teach and died there in 1853 or ’54.
Mr. Perry and Mr. Kendall were both New England men,
but were graduates of Illinois College—both became Congregational ministers and
both returned to Massachusetts, taking pastorates in churches not far from each
other, and which they occupied for many years. Later Mr. Kendall went as consul
to Germany and died there several years ago.
For the information of the many friends and students of
Mr. Perry, it may not be out of place to say that he is still living, and has
his home in Agawam, Mass. In some recent letters to two of his old pupils, Gen.
L. F. Ross and H. L. Wright, (and to whom the writer is indebted for the
privilege of reading the letters and taking items) Mr. Perry gives a number of
particulars relating to his life and teaching in the West, but as few of these
are pertinent to this history, only tow or three need be mentioned.
In recalling incident of his stay here, he says: “I
well recollect a boy in Canton whose father refused to send him to my school
because it was not a loud school, and did not begin at sunrise and keep till
sundown.” When he left Canton in 1841, Mr. Perry further states, He “had the
power of attorney from the Trustees of Canton College, in Esq. Wright’s
handwriting, to sell the College property, or to take it himself for $1,000, wit
the proviso only that a school, of some grade not specified, should be
maintained.” But as he was unable to do either the matter was dropped. He was
elected a member of the Massachusetts legislature in 1872, two meetings of which
were held that year on account of the great fire in Boston. Eighteen or twenty
years ago, in a railroad accident, he received such serious injuries as have
ever since made him a almost helpless invalid, but for a few years past he has
been able to leave his home and to take short journeys. He has a wife, son and
two daughters, one of the latter being married. He was 82 years of age Dec.
20th, 1893, but writes cheerfully and expects soon to be called “up higher.”
The last teacher who occupied the College building was
Austin J. Barker, but whose labors were cut short one Saturday afternoon by a
sudden whirlwind coming up, which almost completely demolished it, or, rather,
as a witness of the occurrence says: “Two whirlwinds on a clear, bright day came
together, joining just at the College building, and the upper stories fell. Then
a wind storm soon afterward completed the work of destruction.” This event
occurred in July, 1843, and proved to be the finishing ”blow,” in more senses
than one, to the prospects of the institution.
For it soon became evident that the College would not
be rebuilt, nor the location be used for any school purpose whatever, and these
facts made necessary some disposition of the College Square ground, and also the
unsold lots. To do this it was also necessary to meet the wishes of the donors,
both of whom, fortunately, were still living, and to have deeds of transfer
legally executed. This was done, and these deeds the write has examined. The
first one is from Romulus Barnes and his wife, Olivia D., bearing date of Jan.
23d, 1845, and the second from Nathan Jones and his wife, Matilda, bearing date
of June 11th, 1847, both conveying the entire property to the Trustees of the
college, and the Trustees in turn, by deed, dated June 12th, 1847, conveying it
to Joel Wright, who had previously paid the claims of all the other
stockholders.
The names of the Trustees at the time of this
transaction wee: Isaiah Stillman, Thomas D. Lord, Lathrop W. Curtis, Nathan
Jones, Samuel G. Wright, James R. Walter, Oliver Dewey and Daniel W. Vittum.
Mr. Wright was also one of the Trustees, but as the
property was to be conveyed to him, he could not with propriety sign the deed of
conveyance and did not do so.
Not long afterward Mr. Wright sold the College Square
to Mr. Thompson Maple, who, in 1848, erected on the spot where the old College
had stood, an entirely new building 60 feet square, which he occupied for many
years as a residence. Then James H. Stipp came into possession of it and lived
in it a considerable number of years. He was followed by William Babcock, sr.,
who made it his family residence until three or four years since, and though
still in his possession, it now used for a boarding house.
Thus terminated “Canton College of Illinois,” an
enterprise by which its founders hoped to reach out a helping hand far into the
future. But its students still hold it in grateful remembrance, and feel deep
regret that its beneficent designs failed of entire realization.
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