Southside School in Geneseo
Miss Susannah Stewart, daughter of R. R. Stewart, taught the first school in Geneseo, in 1837. The school-house was made of round poles, had a puncheon floor, and was covered with the wagon covers that the people had used in their travels to the new country ; and teachers and pupils had to keep a sharp lookout for rains and storms and flee to the nearest cabin for protection. This was not only the first public school in Geneseo, but it was also the first in the county, but only the first for a very short time; for while Miss Susannah Stewart, afterwards Mrs. James M. Allan, was teaching this tent covered school, her sister Narcissa, afterwards Mrs. Wells was teaching a school near Dayton, at P. K. Hanna's house, and another sister, Parmelia, now Mrs. Dr. Hume, of Geneseo, was teaching in Wethersfield. There is no question but that the Stewart girls were the pioneer school-teachers in Henry County.
The roll of Miss Susannah's school in Geneseo is well worth preserving for posterity, and was as follows: Emily Ward, afterwaid Mrs. Olmstead, of Galesburg ; Orlo Mannville, went to Kansas ; Roderick S. Mannville, deceased; Newton Mannville, emigrated to Iowa ; Harriet Cone, now Mrs. William Miller, of Geneseo; Clarissa Cone, married Elisha M-. Stewart, March 9, 1848, and removed to Wichita, Kansas, in the fall of 1879, and is the happy mother of five children, three boys and two girls ; Alonzo Cone, deceased; Lafayette Stewart, removed to Wichita, Kansas ; Mary Bartlett, afterwards Mrs. Hiram Cady ; George Bartlett, deceased; Amanda Bartlett, married Mr. C. M. Taylor, and removed to California; Orin Bartlett, of Mercer County; Augustus Bartlett, deceased. and Sarah Ann Bartlett, of Mercer County.
In the fall of 1838 a frame school building was erected on the site of the Congregational Church lots which was a school and church building for some time, until the seminary building was erected in 1846. Miss Narcissa Stewart taught school in 1838. In 1839 Mr. Holmes, who had been sent by Rev. Jason Chapin, taught school. In the spring of 1840 Mr. Chapin came and took charge of the school, and so continued until his death, in September, 1846.
There was a provision in the original town plan that plainly indicated the deep interest of the early settlers in schools. It was provided that in the sale of lots a certain per cent. of the lots should be set apart for the building of a seminary of higher learning.
One of the rarest cases of self denial was exhibited in the building of the brick seminary at Geneseo. The people had no money, and they subscribed their labor. They worked in the brick yard and at the carpenter benches ; they tended the masons, hauled the sand and water, and dug the foundations. The building when completed was " without money and without price," for it was the labor of love of every able-bodied man in the community. Some of the young men, hardly of age, subscribed as much as $200 each, to be worked out at a small perdiem. Then just as the walls were up a storm blew down the sides, and, nothing daunted, they were rebuilt ; and completion crowned their labors, and the building was thrown open to the public use and a school commenced in the fall of 1846.
The Legislature granted a charter. It was called the Geneseo Manual Labor High School; this name was afterwards legally changed to Geneseo Seminary. Rufus Hubbard, E. Cone and Jarius Wilcox, incorporators, as the first Board of Directors. Hubbard was President of the Board.
After Mr. Chapin's death, for seven years, the institution was under the care of Rev. A. Lyman, by whose untiring labors, persistent industry at home and abroad, funds were raised for the completion of the seminary, he having procured $3,000 from friends in the East, and this, added to the generous contributions of friends here, and Mr. Lyman contribut ing his salary as minister for years, an ample fund was finally provided. Too much credit cannot be accorded to Rev. Lyman for the foresight, zeal and abilities that for years he devoted to this institution, and all the time working amid the greatest deprivation and a rigid economy in order that his loved school might live and prosper. His accomplished assistants in the school were Miss Pomeroy (married F. Bascom), Miss Hooker, Miss Foster and Miss Earl.
Succeeding Rev. Lyman, Rev. S. H. Waldo was in temporary charge of the institution for a few months. Then M. S. Croswell, fresh from Amherst College, was at the head of the school for a short time. He shortened his usefulness by heeding the call of his country, and enlisted in the army, where he served well four years, and when mustered out went to California and is preaching there. His successor was Mr. Bartlett, who was assisted by Miss Flume and Miss Sarah Andrews.
In the meantime Illinois had perfected her grand system of free schools—furnishing every child in the State, without costs, schools and school buildings that in many modern comforts and advantages far surpassed the oldest and wealthiest schools in the country. They were wholly non-sectarian (by some zealous in pious dogmas they were thought to be non-religious, and were sometimes called " Godless schools,'')and in small places often the State schools abundantly supplied the public demands, and it was very difficult to maintain private institutions.
Geneseo Seminary
The Geneseo Seminary found itself, even with the splendid record it had already made, laboring under great disadvantages in this respect. Its managers had anticipated the future, and a considerable debt was hanging over the institution. The Trustees wisely concluded to merge their school into the public-school system, and they sold the brick seminary and grounds to the city, to be used as the Public High School, and the Rev. Lyman's and his coadjutor's labors were not in vain, astheir loved institution has been and is still devoted exclusively to the cause of higher educatian
Central School
The Central School-house was built in 1836, the year the State system of graded schools was put in operation. This building contained four rooms. The next year the Seminary was purchased, and the two building .; at that time gave ample school facilities for the village. Prof. Abbott was then the Superintendent,.Prof. G. G. Alvord was Superintendent in 1877, and he was followed by Prof. E. P. Burlingame. The last two. when they left Geneseo, by a singular coincidence each went to Cairo and became Superirident of the schools there. Burlingame succeeded Alvord there as he had done here.
In response to the public necessity, in the year 1866, the school building, a commodious brick structure, on the north side, was erected, containing four rooms. But the rapidly growing necessities required an addition of two more rooms, which were added in 1871. And it was found to be necessary to have still more room, and the basement of the Unitarian church was procured, at a rental of $200, and fitted up for school purposes.
Thus in 1876, there were three school buildings, and the school property was then valued at $20,000. That year the expenditure for school purposes were $8,191.03. Fifteen teachers were then regularly employed : three in the High School, three in the Grammar Schools, four in the Intermediate and five in the Primary. The enrollment was 1.021 ; average attendance, 711. Attendance in the High School, 121 ; Grammar School, 1 36; Intermediate, 346; Primary. 418.
The public schools of Geneseo are not surpassed in the country. There are four elegant school buildings, furnished with all modern improvements and a corps of able teachers. The total school enrollment is Soo, and there is an average attendance of about 600. There are 15 teachers, distributed as follows : In the High School are Charles Riley, Miss Fanny L. Tee, Miss Abbie F. Steele. Attendance in High School rooms, 6o. In grammar room is Miss S. E. Elwell; attendance 6o. The other 12 teachers are in the following rooms : In the rooms south are Jennie M. Bliss, No. 6; Mary Entrikin, 5 ; Ella R. Hanna, 4; Alice R. Rosenstone, 3 ; Hattie M. Waite, 2; and Ida Whitney, In the north rooms are Melly McCarthy, No. 6; Minnie Bradley, 5 ; Ethel Lambert, 4; Nora Blackiston, 3; Jennie Wells, 2; Tella Worrall,
A commendable feature of the public schools is the evident economy the present Board of Education has introduced, and that has not impaired the efficiency of the schools. For instance, in 1882 the total expenses for teachers' hire was $7,840, and in 1885 that was reduced $1,000.