Early Schools: Part 5

"C. C. Bonney opened a school called the "PEORIA INSTITUTE" on November 4, 1850, in the basement of the Baptist Church. The school lasted but a few terms. Bonney afterwards studied law and moved to Chicago where he now [resides]. He had charge of the Congress of Religions at the World's Fair in 1893.

"Bonney was followed by Dr. John Niglas and E. S. Wilcox. They, too, taught in the basement of the Baptist Church. Dr. Niglas was a German and as well and favorably known as any physician in Peoria. E. S. Wilcox is librarian of the Peoria Public Library and is well known to our citizens.

"Miss Sarah J. Matthews taught in the GIRLS STOCK SCHOOL on Jefferson street, which was afterwards destroyed by fire. [NOTE: This is the GIRLS STOCK SCHOOL from 1861 to 1898. This school later became IRVING SCHOOL. 2nd construction was 1856 to 1861; 3rd school was 1861 to 1898; 4th school 1898 to the present time (2006) with the front being built in 1959...please visit http://www.peoriacountyillinois.info/schools/schools.html.] After that, Miss Mathews taught in the brick school house which the Association built at the corner of Jackson and Adams. Not long after she became the wife of Alexander McCoy. Her sister, Adalaid, also a teacher here, married George Harding, a well-known lawyer of Chicago. She had considerable trouble with her husband, out of which grew a suit for divorce which developed much bitterness.

"Miss Clerk, an English lady, taught here about 1853 on Harrison street at No. 308, on the ground now occupied by Murphy's Plumbing Shop. Charles Ballance was one of her pupils and describes her as a fair teacher.

"Miss Helen Partridge taught in the school afterwards called the IRVING SCHOOL in 1854. She was a large woman of fine presence and a superior teacher. She afterwards moved to Princeton where she married a Mr. P. J. Newell and now resides. Frank Newell of Chicago, late of Peoria, is her son. Mrs. Newell says there was a Teacher's Association in Peoria in 1854 and gives the names of some of the members: Mr. and Mrs. Hovey, Sophia Lalanne, Miss Sarah and Adelaide Matthews, Miss Laura Chambers, Ephriam Hinman, D. McCulloch, Dr. Niglas, O. T. Snow, J. B. Paul and others.

"David McCulloch came here in 1853. In January of that year he began teaching a classical and scientific school in the basement of the old Methodist Church, corner of Madison and Fulton streets. He began a second term of the same school, September 5th, which continued 11 weeks. On the 8th of January, 1854, he taught one full term. He afterwards rented the room over the old Engine House, 229 North Adams street, where he taught one term. He also filled out a term for Snow on Main street. He taught nothing but the higher branches of mathematics and the classics. Among his pupils may be named Rollin and Portius Wheeler, Arthur Rugg, Linn and William McCoy, John Dodge, Phillip Brotherson and others. With the closing of the term last mentioned his career as a teacher was over. He began studying law with Manning & Merriman. His subsequent career as a lawyer and judge are well known in the history of the State of Illinois.

"The two Misses Clark taught in the old Ballance school house on Walnut street, below Adams. They kept the last school taught in that house. They were very precise ladies, but good teachers. One thing may be noticed. They required a contract with parents of pupils, that the children should be clean and neatly dressed each day, before they were sent to school. It was a departure from customary methods of education, but the departure was sometimes needed.

"The Misses Clark were English ladies and taught but one or two terms when the district school was opened just across the street. In that school Miss Grace Bibb and Miss Wood were employed to teach; young children and the Misses Clark brought their school to a close.

"Schools for colored children were a rather scarce article in Peoria before the war. The city contributed $15.00 per quarter of the teacher's pay and the parents of the children paid the remainder.

"The school was opened in a small frame building which stood at the head of Chestnut street, No. 209. The building was built by the Turners and was the first Turner Hall in Peoria. It then stood on Washington street. About 1858 or 1859 it was sold; the colored people bought it and moved it to Chestnut street and used it for some years as a church and school house. The building is yet standing and is now [1900] occupied as a tenement house.

"Miss Elliott must have been a good teacher, at least her name may be found among the teachers of the public schools in 1863. It was a separate school for colored children --- white children were hardly wise enough to attend school with colored children. Miss Elliott was paid by the public $125.00 for twenty-five weeks.

"The next school for colored children stood at the head of Franklin street on a vacant piece of ground claimed by the city. That school house was built during or just after the [Civil] War. The school was taught by Miss Duffee, who is said to have been an Irish lady and a good teacher. Miss Duffee went to Ireland and Miss Houghtailing taught for some time.

"The colored children are now admitted to the public schools the same as white children."

"The Boy's Stock School was organized in March 1854 in pursuance to several public meetings held in 1853 and 1854. A meeting of the shareholders was held at Hascall's Hall in February 1854, where the plan was outlined, and on the 23rd of March the shareholders met and elected the Honorable Onslow Peters, President; A. P. Bartlett, Secretary; and H. G. Anderson, Treasurer. They purchased lots 10, 11, and 12, Block 47 in Monson & Sanford's Addition and a building was erected and furnished at a cost of $8000, ready for occupancy November 27, 1854, the school was opened. Charles E. Hovey was selected as principal; Mrs. Hovey, C. H. Doty, Elizabeth Smith and Sophia Lalanne assisting. Dr. Niglas instructed in German and J. M. Higgins in music. One hundred and nineteen students entered the school.

"The New Testament, the Bible, Webster's Dictionary and Julius Caesar are the only books in a long list of studies which are recognized now. This school was chartered by the Legislature on February 6, 1855, under the name of the PEORIA ACADEMY and April 6, 1856, was purchased by the School Inspectors of Peoria and the school became incorporated in the general school system of Peoria.

"So far as known the following is all of the German Schools in early Peoria:

"About the year 1849 a school was opened by Rev. Michael Ruppelius, formerly a Lutheran minister, then a Notary Public and Justice of the Peace. It was located on Adams street between Main and Fulton. It continued until 1857, employing two teachers, one of them being the late Mr. Charles Zimmerman.

"Soon after another school was opened by Mr. J. G. Schultz on the corner of Washington and Harrison streets. After running it with fair success for a few years Mr. Schultz obtained a position in the Recorder's Office and dismissed his pupils.

"About the same time a third was conducted under Catholic auspices by Mr. Franz Stubenrauch on South Washington Street, between Walnut and Bridge, whence it was moved about the year 1850 to No. 311 South Washington street and kept up until 1859 when it was closed. Joseph Brodman, John Henseler, Christopher Yerger and Frank J. Miller were among his pupils. He married Susanna Streitz in March, 1859, and died 1873. His widow and family live at No. 411 First avenue.

"A fourth school opened by Mr. Nachtigal on North Adams street, corner Morgan and Adams, had a precarious existence from 1856 to 1858 and was closed in the middle of the school year for want of scholars.

"A fifth was operated by a Mrs. Stein on Walnut street and managed to hold out until 1859 or 1860. There may have been others in the decade ending with the year 1860, but of these there is no information available, except that in 1859 when all or nearly all of those mentioned had been given up, another effort was made by a Mr. Stieboldt, a linguist and gentleman of superior education who opened a school on Washington street. This school was afterwards assumed by the late Mr. August Kampmeier, and by him transferred in the fall of 1871 to Mr. Schultz. It was held in the court house. Mr. Schultz soon tired of his second venture and early in 1862 turned over to the newly formed German School Society, all the belongings of his school together with perhaps 69 or 70 pupils, himself remaining as one of the teachers.

"Many Germans had settled in the lower portion of the city, in what was familiarly known as the KRIM and to accommodate these a Mr. Gehrig in 1860 opened a school on South Washington street, just below Edmund, which was fairly well patronized and continued to exist until 1867 or 1868.

"On the 21st of March 1862, a meeting of Germans was held at Bergan's Hall, 509-11 South Washington Street, to consult about establishing a German School. Dr. Brendel was called to chair and H. Baier chosen Secretary. After full consultation a committee was appointed to report a plan. The committee reported in favor of establishing a German School and $600.00 was at once subscribed by those present and a committee to solicit funds was appointed.

"On the 11th of April the school was organized, 13 directors were chosen and Carl Feinse was elected President. Bergan's Hall on South Washington street was rented and Christopher Zimmermann and J. G. Schultz were engaged as teachers.

"May 3rd the school was opened with 103 scholars. April 8th, 1863, the lot at 110 Second avenue, where the school now stands, was purchased for $1200.00 and the building was erected at a cost of $4,698.14. It was dedicated October 30, 1863. The president, Carl Feinse made an English oration and Dr. Studer spoke in German. April 29, 1864, the number of pupils had increased to 275 and 2 more teachers were employed. The school is maintained from voluntary subscription and a small charge to the pupils. The school was incorporated in 1864, and has now ample funds on hand for the maintenance of the school. It is emphatically a German-English school. They teach the same branches from the same books used in the English Grammer school. During a portion of each day the studies are conducted in German. April 4, 1890, a Kindergarten was added with Miss Jennie Dammann as teacher. The officials at the present time [1900] are Dr. O.J.Roskoten, president; Frederick Kleene, secretary; John Schlatter, treasurer. The teachers' names are: Robert Eckstein, D.H.Poppen, Emily Wetzlau and Mrs. Frahm.

"The founders of this school were many of them exiles from their native land on account of the Revolution of 1848; most of them came here very poor. After a shelter for their families, they built the school to educate their children. That school, a monument of German industry, pluck and patience is still standing at 110 Second Avenue and the school is still in active operation."

"The 40 years which have elapsed since the German school was started has made many changes. Emigration has diminished. The Germans have to a large extent become Americans. The public schools are much better and are more convenient than at first and, of course, the attendance at the German school has fallen off. It is not impossible the Germans may in the near future conclude to transfer the school to the American school board, possibly to be maintained as an exclusively German school of the higher grade.

"There were some funny mistakes that arose in these German schools from a misunderstanding of language. One German teacher on one occasion seeing a new boy in his school, said to him, "Komm mal her!" The boy thought he said, "Comb your hair" and putting his hand to his head, said "My hair is combed". The teacher at once reached for his gad [English = rod] and started for the boy to administer a sound thrashing when one of the German boys called to him: "Er ist ein englischer Bub, er kann kein Deutsch." (He is an English boy; he can not speak German.) The teacher surveyed the boy with astonishment and said "Soh! --- "

"The Parochial schools, or Parish Schools, are controlled by the Parish authorities which in this country in all cases are the church authorities. A church is organized within a district, which is called a parish, the school is a part of the church in effect or belongs to the church. There are in Peoria 13 of these Parochial schools of which seven (7) are Catholic and six (6) are Lutheran.

"Among these early Parochial schools, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran School at the corner of Prairie and Goodwin Streets is perhaps the first. It was organized in 1854. The Rev. H. Kopman was the first teacher. The school was supported largely by the church but the patrons are usually charged 50 to 75 cents a month for each scholar up to two, the remainder of the family all being included in this charge. The taught ordinary English branches, a part of each day being devoted to teaching German, while for the remainder of the day the teaching is in English. The schools sometimes have a kindergarten for young children as a part of the school. Wolfgang Semmelmann is the present teacher of this school while his wife is teacher of the kindergarten. The school now has 106 pupils. Their first school house was a rather small affair. The second adjoining it is a much larger and better building.

"In 1857, a Lutheran school was organized at No.418 Warner avenue. It was taught by Prof. E. Miller. It is called the GERMAN LUTHERAN TRINITY SCHOOL. In 1888 the Rev. E. J. Keimnitz was the teacher. He continues to be the teacher at this time and has about 80 scholars.

"In 1892 a school was organized at 214 Malone avenue called the EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHRIST'S SCHOOL. Edward Kremsieg is the teacher. This church and school was destroyed by fire in 1895 but the congregation at once rebuilt a new church and school. That school now has 56 pupils in attendance. The pupils pay 75 cents per month, up to two members of a family, the other members are free and the remainder of the expenses are paid by the church.

"Other Lutheran schools in [Peoria] are not essentially different from those already given. They all teach the ordinary English branches and I believe all devote a portion of their teaching to German, or in the German language, and a portion in English. The children, however, all get English enough in their contact with other children on the street.

"There is a GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH on the corner of Reed and Persimmon streets which is different in faith from the Lutheran but not essentially different in their manner of teaching. Their school is small, not having more than 30 scholars and is kept only in the summer months. It is substantially a GERMAN REFORMED SCHOOL, which in English means congregational.

"The first organized effort on the part of St. Joseph's congregation to establish a school was made in 1858. Four members: Messrs. John Wichmann, Andreas Goebel, Philip Rohmann and Henry Lammers donated to the congregation a lot for this purpose situated at the corner of Spencer street and First Avenue, extending 50 X 150 feet. In the middle of this lot, the congregation, about 40 families in all, built its first one story frame school house, 16 feet wide by 24 feet long, which soon received an addition of the same dimensions along Spencer street line so that it represented a lengthy structure of the dimensions of 16 feet by 48 feet.

"The families resided within two miles of the school and the number of school-going children ranged from 60 to 70. This was the first Parochial Catholic school in Peoria, for children of Catholic parents, at a time when its inhabitants counted less than one-sixth of their last census.

"The men who taught St. Joseph's School from 1858 to 1869 were educators. Messrs. Frank Stubenrauch and Peter Elzer deserve this distinction. Messrs. Herzog, August Steiger, Titner and Higi were teachers.

"Ten years [later], a new and better school house was erected at the corner of Spencer street and First avenue, on the site now occupied by St. Joseph's Church. The school building in question consisted of two large rooms, 24 feet wide and 30 feet long, which could be thrown into one hall by opening the folding doors forming a partition. The cost amounted to $2,600.00.

"A third school house was built in 1869 facing Spencer street, especially designed to furnish class rooms for the boys. The teachers engaged on their behalf were Mr. George B. Meiler, who was a competent teacher but no educator. Then followed in succession Mr. Barth and Mr. Bahl. Then the principal of co-education of the sexes was imperceptibly introduced and finally became firmly established in 1885.

"On January 10, 1868, the SISTERS de NOTRE DAME SCHOOL took charge. In place of one teacher as formerly, the school now had four Sisters. They also employed one male teacher for the boys; the training of the children became from that time more thorough and systematic than before.

"The studies were graded. Industrial Drawing, Plain and Fancy needle work were taught in each room. Promotions henceforth took place only after passing satisfactory examinations.

"Moral training forms an essential element in education; the Sisters acted the part of parents towards the children entrusted to their care and spared no efforts to secure the cultivation of the heart as well as the mind. Some of the readers may be interested to know that the first Superior was a Baroness von Pronath and went by the cloister name of Sister Seraphina.

"The Superiors in charge are the following in order of their succession:
SISTER M. SERAPHINA
SISTER M. AMANDA
SISTER M. MELANIA
SISTER M. FULGENTIA
SISTER M. ALPHONSA
SISTER M. KOSTKA
SISTER M. ANNA GARCIA
SISTER M. ANTONIA is the present Superior [1900]

"All discharged their duties with credit to themselves and their institute. The number of children had increased until at the close of 1869 there were 285 pupils and 400 at the beginning of 1872.

"About that same time an agreement between the rectors of St. Joseph's and St. Patrick's Schools separated the children of Irish parentage from those of German. In consequence of this agreement the number of pupils in the school gradually diminished from 400 to 264 during the school year 1872.

"In 1885 the pupils numbered 270. At present 355 are enrolled. From 1858 to 1868 the attendance had grown from about 60 to 90 pupils. In less than half that space of time, namely from 1868 to 1872, the number of German-American pupils alone had nearly trebled and the teaching staff had to be increased from time to time so that seven teachers are actively engaged in school work.

"This result was due to the slow but steady growth of Peoria during the 15 years since the opening of the school and the consequent growth of the congregation.

"In 1877, in order to make room for the present St. Joseph's Church, the two school houses were removed to the north-east corner of Spencer and Hurlburt streets. In 1885 both were furnished with new benches.

"St. Joseph's School has had a useful existence of more than 40 years. It took its beginning when the city was as yet an insignificant town. In 1885 the old school houses were sold and in May of that same year the foundation of the new school house was layed at the corner of Prairie avenue and Spencer street.

"This new school house is a large brick building 60 feet by 95 feet. It cost $24,000. The basement and first floor contain each four large rooms and the second story two large rooms and a hall. As regards fixtures, space, natural and artificial lighting, ventilation, heating apparatus and sanitary arrangement, nothing was left to be desired. The school was formally opened by the Right Rev. Bishop Spalding on October 22, 1889.

"In September 1893, it was changed to a free school with the parish paying all the expenses. The year following, a kindergarten was opened which up to the present has been well attended and is continuing to gain great favor.

"St. Patrick's School on Saratoga, near Johnson street, was originally a small frame building on the site of the present brick. The school was opened September, 1869, with about 150 pupils. Miss Mary Ryan, now Mrs. John Madigan; Miss Mary Nailon, now secretary and part owner of the Nailon Bros. Company Steam Fitters and Plumbers, were the teachers of the first school; a year later Miss Ellen Donlin and Miss Beust were employed as additional teachers.

"About 1873 the school was placed in charge of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who have been in charge of the school for the last 28 years. Under their hands it has increased largely. Some eight or ten years ago the old frame school house was sold and moved away and a large frame brick structure was erected on the same site. The new school house contains about 10 rooms, each having all the improvements of the most modern school.

"Sisters of Notre Dame still have charge and the pupils number about 300. John and James Nailon, Thomas N. Gorman, Frank J. Quinn and John Brady went to school there as their first school.

"The Academy of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was founded in 1862 by Father Abraham Ryan and was opened in April 1863. Matthew Henebery, Patrick Harmon, N. Bergan, Patrick Dunne, Charles Burt, John Boyle and others were induced to subscribe to the expense and the teachers from the Sisters of St. Joseph were selected to teach. Their first [school] house was on Jefferson street, between Eaton and Hancock, where the school was opened with about 100 pupils. They next moved to the corner of Jefferson and Fayette streets and later sold that lot to C. P. King and bought at the corner of Eaton and Madison streets where the school is now located. Mother Teresa was the first Lady Superior or Mother. She was followed by Mothers George, Assinsi, Agnes, Theodosia, Mathilda, Lucrecia, Estella, Teresa, and Mother Alexander. Their services were all short, 3 to 6 years, except Mother Mathilda, who had control for 18 years.

"Their Academy is now a large fine building containing several school rooms for pupils in different grades with a number of music rooms, painting and drawing rooms, chapel, etc. with accomodations for some hundred boarders. The building is an ornament to the city.

"The institution admits pupils to both a boarding and day school. Pupils of all denominations are admitted, and except the religious instruction to the children of Catholics, all are treated alike. They have now about 300 pupils and seven teachers.

"The course in addition to the ordinary branches of an English grammar school embraces Rhetoric, Natural Philosophy, Civil Government, Literature, Geology, Zoology, Mythology, Botany, Astronomy, Mental Philosophy, Chemistry and Criticism. They also have classes in French, German and Spanish, Music and a systematic course of Art Study.

"In the rear of this school and convent is a pile of stone five to six feet high and eight to ten feet across at its base. No one now living knows when it was first planted, nor the purpose for which it was placed there, but the good Sisters of the Convent all devoutly believe it marks the spot where the priests who came with LaSalle planted the first cross in the great wilderness of New France. They point to legends, which they say, justify this belief and when the ground was first purchased, it was with a view to possessing the spot of ground to which the legend attached.


1st photo was taken in 1870 2nd photo was taken in 1899

"The parochial school near the corner of Eaton and Jefferson avenues, adjoining the Academy of the Sacred Heart was first opened by a lay teacher before the Sisters took charge of it. The Sisters of St. Joseph, however, took charge of it the same time they opened the Academy. The school is simply an ordinary grammar school, for the purpose of fitting young ladies who may desire for entering the Academy and for fitting the boys for the High School or for the SPALDING INSTITUTE. This parochial school now has from 150 to 200 scholars and is taught by four of the Sisters. It is managed with the usual skill of these excellent teachers.

[Editor's note: There are other Catholic schools in Peoria not mentioned in this book. I included more photos to further complete the vintage Catholic schools... which you can view at http://www.peoriacountyillinois.info/schools/schools.html]

Part 5

Submitted by Steve Slaughter

Any contributions, corrections, or suggestions would be deeply appreciated!


Girls' Stock School and close-up of the girls in the photo...


Old ChristLutheran School: 1959	Old Lutheran School built 1857: 426 Warner St.	St. Paul's German Lutheran School: 1898 Goodwin at Prairie Sts.


1st photo: 1869 & 2nd photo: 1930 Saratoga near Johnson Sts.