Untitled Document

SCHOOLS.

The first official record of the schools of Rivoli township, 14 N., R 1 W., is dated February 26, 1848, at which time James Bridger, Nelson Chidester, and Jonathan D. Wood, school trustees, met at the house of R. R. Cox and appointed the latter treasurer, and divided the township into three districts as follows : " The first district shall commence at the southeast corner of said township and run three miles west, and then due north until it strikes North Pope creek, then up said creek to the township line, then south along said line to the place of beginning. The second district shall be composed of all the said township north of North Pope creek.

The third district shall commence at the southwest corner of said township and run three miles east, then north till it strikes North Pope creek, then down said creek to the west line of said township, then south to the place of beginning." They also "ordered R. R. Cox to purchase three books for the use of the treasurer, not to exceed in value $2.00."

At the second meeting of the trustees, held April 1, 1848, they distributed the funds on hand. amounting to $19.65, to the several districts, of which district number one was entitled to receive $6.01; number two, $6.37; and number three, $7.27. They also ordered the treasurer to pay E. H. McConoughty, teacher, $5.20; L. Chidester, teacher, $1.15; and H. Brown, teacher, $1.67. At the next meeting, July 1, 1848, they ordered $3.49 paid to Sarah C. Westfall, teacher. At the next meeting, October 7, 1848, after settling with the treasurer, they find the cash on hand to amount to $11.75, and order the same to be loaned as township funds. January 6, 1849, they find $3.99 in the treasurer's hands, which they order loaned. April 7. 1849, they apportioned $27.00 to the districts, as follows district number one, $8.25; district number two, $8,75; and district number three, $10.00.

The teachers ordered paid at that time were L. Cawlkins, A. B. McChesney, and John Libby. It is also recorded at this meeting that "The trustees do hereby agree to act as directors of schools in said township." July 7, 1849, " This day the trustees were to meet," but there was "none present but Nelson Chidester," who " examined the treasurer's books and notes," and " found all to his satisfaction." He also " presented a schedule from district number two for $7.50," and "ordered to pay Martha Cole, teacher," that sum.

He then " adjourned to meet at the house of R. R. Cox on the first Saturday of October." October 6, 1849, the teachers ordered paid were Catharine B. Harvey and Martha Cole. At this time the trustees returned a list of the children in the township, amounting to 105, distributed as follows : district No. 1, 26 ; district No. 2, 42 ; and district No. 3, 37. January 12, 1850, trustees met and an election was held to elect a new board, which resulted in the election of Daniel Jones, James Duriton, and John L. Stewart. At this meeting R. H. Spicer presented a petition from citizens of T. 14 N., R. 2 W., asking that all the territory in said town south of North Pope creek be attached to T. 14 N., R. 1 W., for school purposes, and be included in district No. 3 of said town. The prayer of the petitioners was granted. January 19, 1850, the new board of trustees met and appointed R R. Cox, treasurer, fixing the penalty of his bond at $500. April 6, 1850, the trustees found $20.63 on hand, to which they ordered $15 added, being " money remaining in the hands of school committee."

The stun of $35.63 was then distributed to the three districts in proportion to the number of children. At this meeting the schedules of J. S. Mahan, teacher in district No. 1, and. Harmon Brown, teacher in district No. 3, were approved and ordered paid. October 5, 1850, trustees approve and order paid the schedules of Melissa Wilber, teacher in district No. 1, and Martha Cole, teacher in district No. 2. April 12, 1851, the Schedule of Nathan T. Smith; teacher in district No. 1, was presented. Settlement with the treasurer at this time showed a balance of twenty-five cents on hand, which was ordered loaned as township funds.

October 11, 1851, trustees filed census of children under twenty-one years of age in the town, numbering 128, of whom district No. 1 had 33, district No. 2 had 55. and district No. 3 had 40. At this time it appears that Mary Underwood taught in district No. 1; Martha Cole, in No. 2; and Lydia Ann Wilber, in No. 3. At this time the bond of Alfred Cooper for one-half acre of land for a school-house site in district No. 3 was approved. It calls for such land as shall be agreed upon, off the east side of the S. E. of Sec. 30, on or near the road running east and west. October 4, 1851, appears the first record of the election of school directors, at which time James Bridger presented to the trustees a poll book of an election held at the school-house, in district No. 3, in which it is certified that James M. Garrett, Richard Cooper. and William Terry were elected directors. January 10, 1852 , an election was held at the school-house in district No. 2, to elect three trustees of schools, resulting in the election of George Eckley, James Durston, and John W. Cox.

Afterward it was found that John W. Cox would not serve as trustee because he would move out of the township in a short time, and they neglected returning the poll book d said election, so the treasurer gave notice of another election to be held at the same place on February 28. "The legal voters met on that day and concluded that it would not be lawful to elect three new trustees." So they "concluded that the former trustees should serve another term." At this time James Bridger was appointed treasurer.

It is evident from the record that some parties having school funds were not prompt in the payment of interest, as the record of April 17, 1852, says : "We, the trustees of schools, do hereby make it the treasurer's duty to go according to law if interest is not paid within one month after due, hereafter." The teachers whose schedules were approved at this meeting, were Lewis Cawkins, Theodore Hoagland, E. T. Scott, and. E. A. Shaw. At the October meeting, 1852, schedules were audited for Mary Stewart, Jane Littlefield, and Lydia Ann Wilber, teachers.

The names of Thomas I. McNair, Joseph T. Lafferty, Peter Eckley, and G. W. Freson, teachers, appear on the record of the April meeting, 1853. , The census of children under twenty-one years of age, filed October 1, 1853, shows 176 in the town ; 37 in district No. 1, 92 in district No. 2, and: 17 in district No. 3. Jane E. Lockwood and Martha Cole appear on the roll of teachers.

January 7, 1854 , an election held at the school-house in district No. 2, resulted in the choice of Christian . Harshbarger, R. H. Spicer, and Lafayette Chidester for trustees of schools.

April 1, 1854 , teachers' roll shows the names of N. P. Smith in district No. 1, C. E. Cox in district No. 2, and Peter Eckley in district No. 3.

June 3, 1854 , a meeting was held at the house of A. E. Doty, in district No. 1, to organize the district, which was done by electing A. E. Doty, James E. Fenton, and R. R. Cox, school directors.

August 24, 1854, a strip one mile wide on the east side of district No. 1, extending from the south line of the township to North Pope creek was attached to Oxford school district . in Henry county.

October, 1854, the trustees' census showed two hundred and fifty-one children in the town. In the part attached to Oxford district there were twenty children. District No. 1 had 50 ; No. 2 had 134; No. 3 had 47.

April, 1855, district No. 2 was divided into three districts, and the number of all the districts changed. District No. 1 comprised Sees. 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, and the N. 11 of 23 and 24. No. 2 included Secs. 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16, and the N. 4- of 21 and 22. No. 3 took Secs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, and the N. z of 19 and 20. -No. 4 was comprised of the S. of Secs. 19 and 20, and Secs. 29, 30, 31 and 32, to which was attached Secs. 25 and 36, and the E. 4- of Sec. 35 in township 14 N., R. 2 W. District No. 5 included the S.E of Secs. 21, 22 and 23, and Secs. 26, 27, 28, 33, 34 and 35 ; leaving the S. of Sec. 24, and Sees. 25 and 36 attached to Oxford district.

April 23, 1855, the first tax for general school purposes was levied by the trustees at the rate of forty cents on the one hundred dollars on all taxable property and real estate.

October, 1855, the number of children in the town two hundred and sixty, divided by district as follows: 1st, 29 ; 2d, 75 3d,. 39 ; 4th, 46 ; 5th, 56 ; and fifteen in the part attached to Oxford.

March, 1856, James Bridger was reappointed treasurer and directed to procure five well bound books for the use of the board of school trustees. The record book of this set not being attainable there is no more official history of the schools until we come down to more modern times, or until 1866.

In 1856 the people in district No. 3 wanted a school, but had no school-house. Mr. Wilshire Calkins being very anxious to have a school, vacated the bedroom in the southwest corner of their house, nine feet square, and in this room schools were taught during the. summer of 1856, 1857-8 ; the attendance ranging as high as fifteen and sixteen pupils. The furniture consisted of slab benches placed against the four walls of the room, the teacher having standing room in the center where she could reach any schclar in the room without leaving her place.

Here Miss Olive Atwater, sister of our whilom county superintendent, S. B. Atwater, taught in 1856. One Friday afternoon there were to be some rhetorical exercises in the school, and Miss Atwater invited Mrs. Calkins to be present. Mrs. Calkins had provided an outside door to the room so that the school need not pass through the house. To this door Mrs. Calkins went at the appointed time, and thinking there was so little room inside concluded to remain on the outside and look in. After standing some time with one foot on the ground and one resting on the threshold she removed the foot from the threshold to the ground to change position. Feeling something yield under the pressure of her foot she continued to bear her weight on the other foot, and being very much interested at the time in the exercises progressing within stood some seconds unthoughtfully rolling the object back and forth under her foot. When at last she thought about what she was doing she concluded to see upon what she was standing. Looking down, judge of her surprise at seeing a very large rattlesnake stretched at full length beneath her feet, and apparently enjoying the novel petting of which it was the recipient. Mrs. Calkins did not continue the amusement, however, and without even awaiting an invitation she very expeditiously took the floor. No reporter being present, however, her speech cannot be given the readers of this history.

From the small beginning reported above, the schools of this township have grown until the number of school children in the township, as shown by the directors' census of 1881, is 504, and $3,722.61 is the amount of money expended for school purposes during the past year

History of Mercer and Henderson County

Submitted by the Webmaster

Illinois Ancestors