Lee County, Illinois - Chapter 13: The Dixon Schools, 1914

John K. Robison, later of IMelugiu's Grove, was the first school teacher in Lee county, and a Miss Butler, who came over from Bureau coimty, was the next. Both tutored the children of Mr. Dixon, Mr. Robison in 1833 and Miss Butler, later. For a time it was the custom of the Dixons to send their children up to the Kellogg 's place in Buffalo Clrove to be tutored, and then in turn the Kellogg children would be sent to the Dixon home. The children of the two families thus were tutored together.

In the year 1837, a schoolhouse was built on the lot just east of the Mrs. P. P. Starin residence, southeast corner of Fourth street and Crawford avenue. This building was paid for by private subscriptions from the thirteen families then living here. The building was a frame one-story building twenty by thirty feet, and later was moved to the lot on the southwest corner of Ottawa avenue and the alley known as Truman court or alley miming east and west l^etween First and Second streets. In the latter location it Avas used later as courthouse, town hall, meeting-house, etc.

In 1838 H. Bicknell taught this first school until about the summer vacation of 1810. During the year 1810, one Mi'. Bowen taught the school, but an indiscretion shortened his stay. (There were others.) One day he notified his pupils to come early, as he had a great natural curiosity to show them. Next morning he climbed through the scuttle and in the character of a Ijear he cut all sorts of capers. Immediately the boys set upon him with clubs and poles and that ended Mr. Bowen 's school teaching days.

Beginning Avith the fall term of 1811 and extending to the spring term of 1842, William W. Heaton, later circuit judge, taught this school. During the tutelage of those gentlemenu Orlando and Jane Anne Herrick, (later Mrs. Col. H. T. Noble), George Foote (of Hazelwood), and Mrs. Daniel B. McKenney, are among tlie pupils knowu to lia^'e attended. Duriug the summer of 1843, Miss Ophelia Lovelaud, (later Mrs. J. B. Brooks) taught this district school which included both sides of the river and upstream as far as Stephen Fuller's. (Fuller's cave.)

Mr. O. F. Ayres was a director duriug the incumbency of Judge Heaton. The latter had flogged a boy; the enraged parents proposed a flogging for the stripling, Heaton, but as in other cases of the sort, the sti'ipling was not touched, and Mr. Ayres and the . stripling averted a scene.

During the year 1844, by reason of a sale of the lot, Jolm Van Arnam claimed the building as a pai't of the realty, and he declared his intention of keeping it.

John Hogan, later a member of Congress from St. Louis, originated a plan for the removal of the building. Aaron L. Porter, Judge Heaton, and Nathaniel CI. H. Monill. were conspicuous aids and during the night the building was removed a safe distance from the lot and saved. That was a famous old building in its day ; so famous, indeed, that I have copied verbatim, the late Dr. Oliver Everett's story of it :

"In looking o^er, recently, some old jjapers, I came across the subscription papei' for building the first schoolhouse in Dixon, and have thought that it would not be without interest to many of your readers. The i^aper was got up in January, 1837, and contains many names familiar to the old settlers. The suljscription paper reads as follows :

"We, the subscribers, agree to pay the sums se\erally attached to our names, for the purpose of erecting a schoolhouse in the town of Dixon. Said schoolhouse shall be for the teaching of primary schools, and shall l)e open for religious meetings of all denominations, Avlien not occupied by the schools.

"Said house shall be one story high and at least forty foot by twenty on the groiuid, .-uul slmll contain two rooms which shall be connected by a door or doors, as may be thowght proper.

"The sul)S('ril)ers shall meet on ^NFonday, the 20th day of February 7iext. at () o'clock, P. M., and choose three trustees to siiperintend 1lie building of said house. The trustees shall have power to collect the money suliscribed, contract For and ])urchas(^ matei'ials for said house, and eniplox' woikmen to bnild tlie same. They shall see that it is done in a ])lain, workmanlil-:e manner, so far as the fuiids shall warrant.

"It will l)e noticed that many of the subscriljers were per.sons living some distance in the country and of those who came to the count}' during the next season. The reason that Father Dixon's name was not at or near the head of the list, is, that he was away that winter to Vandalia, then the capital of the state. It may also be noticed that the matter dragged somewhat, as such enterprises often do, and the ladies to(»k it u}), ^Irs. I)ix<m giving the largest subscription on the list, and ]\[rs. Hamilton a generous amount. Again, it may be noticed that one John (^. Adams, not our y)resent John (}. Adams, but an unworthy bearer of a great name, in subseril)ing, put two 00 where the d()Ilars ought to have been, making his subscription but ten cents. When Ills attention was called to it he said it was just as he intended to have it. His name was dealt with as was fashionalile at that time; it was expunged.

"The old house was l)uilt during the summer of 1837, of the size and form specified in tlie subscription paper, aliout twenty rods Avest (jf the cemetery, on or neai' lot one, lilock sixty-nine, now occupied by Harvey Smith. It was ))uilt perfectly plain, without a cornice, and enclosed with undressed oak siding and a hard avoikI shingle roof. The inside consisted of two rooms, one six feet l)y twenty I'xtending across the end of the building, serving as au entrance way or A-estibule to the main room, which was twenty by thirty-four feet. Avitli three windows on either side and one at the end of the room opposite the entrance. It was plastered on the inside with a sinc'le coat of coarse lirown mortar, and was warmed during winter with a wood fire iu a large box stove. In 1839 it was moved down on the north end of lot 5, block 17, on the west side of Ottawa street, just south of the residence of Doctor Nash, now occupied by Daniel McKenney, fronting to the north upon the alley. There it remained for several years and was used for schoolhouse, meeting-house, and courthouse (the first three terms of the circuit court of Lee county were held in it ) ; elections and political meetings and conventions were held in it, and it was always used for whatever other purpose the people might congregate.

' ' The old schoolhouse was very plain, rough aud uninviting to look u]3on, but there are many recollections associated with it which are always dwelt upon by the early settlers with great interest, and should make the memory of it dear to the people of Dixon. It was within its rough brown walls that the veneral)le and revered Bisliop Chase, then senior bishop of the American Episcopal Church, first preached to the scattered meml)ers of his fold as were hereabout, and broke to them the bread of the sacrament, and where Rev. James DePui, a man of rare cultiu-e and gentle, and genial social qualities, preached for more than twelve months. It was there that the Methodist and Baptist churches of this place were formed and nurtured in their infancy. The Rev. Dr. Hitchcock and the Rev. Philo Judson, who for nearly half a century have been among the foremost laborers in the great and beneficent organization to which they belong, then in the vigor of early manhood, each preached his two years there. The Rev. Thomas Powell, a devoted missionary of the Baptist denomination, well known among the early settlers of no ineonsidei'alile portion of the state for his indefatigal)le and faithful ser\-ice in the religious interest of the people, then often living remote f I'om each other, and either destitute or l^ut poorly supplied with competent religious teachers, often lield services in the old schoolhouse. and officiated at the formation of the Baptist Church of Dixon. Also the Rev. Burton Carjieuter, the remembrance of whose labors here is cherished by ninny of the old settlors, and wlio, iu the higii standing he afterwards attained in the denomination to whicli he belongs, aud in a life of great usefulness in another part of the state, has not disappointed the expectations of his early friends, connnenced his labors in the ministry and preached about tlu'ee years in this same old schoolhouse. During nearly the whole time religious services were held in the old schoolhouse, the Methodist aud Baptist congretiations occuiticd it alternate Sundavs. the Methodist clergyman

"In the spring of IS-IO, there was a convention of the whigparty of the Jo Daviess representative district which embraced the whole northwestern part ot the state, held at the schoolhouse, and Thomas Drunmiond, known in this generation as Jndge Drummoud of the United States court at Chicago, then a A'oung lawyer of Galena, Avas nominated as a candidate for member of the House of Representatives in the State Legislatiire. He represented an extent of territoi'y now C(jnstituting nearly two congressional districts. Among the teachers in the old schoolhouse was the late, lamented AV. W. Heaton, whom the citizens of Dixim have seen rise by his industry and legal acquirements from the schoolmaster's chair to the bench.

"In the beginning of the year 1843, the Metliodist church was finished and dedicated and the courthouse was so far completed that the courts were held in it and it was used for religious and political meetings, and the old schoolhouse fell into comparative disuse.

"Sometime during the 3'ear 1844, it l)egan to be noised about that John Van Arnam claimed the old schoolhouse .Jis his ^jroperty, as he had purchased the lot upon Avliich it stood. One day the people were notified that upon a ta]» on their windows the night following, they might know that they were wanted at the schoolhouse, and the less said about it the bettei'. Upon arriving there we found it surrounded by a great crowd, busy at work. Some were raising the Ijuilding with crowbars and levers, others adjusting planks and rollers under the sills. There was that prince of movers of old buildings, X. G. H. ^Morrill, as usual directing operations, not giving authoritative orders to othei's, Ymt by taking hold and sh(_^wing them how, by doing the major part of the work himself. The industrious crowd tugged away in silence or talking in whispers or suppressed tones, now moving the heav\- oak liuilding an inch or two and again making a more fortunate move and getting aliead several inches or ()ne or two feet, until it was thought the building was entirely over the edge of the lot, but by pacing from the street and making obsei'vations in the dark, it was thouglit liest to give it just another little shove to make the thing sure. So all took hold with a will, and the old schoolhouse l)egan to move again upon the rollers and made a lunge of twelve or fifteen feet, creaking and groaning as it went, as if conscious of the ignoble uses of trade to which it was destined, foi' the time came - my pen grows shaky as I write it - when it was used for liquor selling. Upon this last move of the old sehoolhouse eA'ei'v tongue seemed loosened, and all gave vent to their satisfaction in a wild shout or cheer, which rang tlirough the darkness and l)y its heartiness (so I was informed) quieted the fears of some of the ladies whose husbands had at the tap on the window so niA'steriously bounced out vt l)ed and left them without sa.ying a word. About this time, Mr. Morrill upon a \ote of two freeholders at an election held for the purpose of voting upon the (|uestion of building a new sehoolhouse, w'as building the stone structure for that purjjose back of the Nachusa hoiise. so the old building was sold and moved down onto the corner of Alain and Hennei)in streets, and was used for various purposes of tiade, and Hnally l»uiiic(l in the great hre on Main street in 1859. --

Among the i)U]»ils tauglit by Miss Loveland were Miss Helen Williams, later AIi's. Ijemuel Mulkins; Miss Elizabeth and Master James Ayres, children of Oscar F. Ayres; F^'ank Dixon, son of John W. Dixon, and his little l)rother, Elijah.

Dnring the years alread}' mentioned, the schools also were taught by Miss Elizabeth .lohnson, later Mi's. J. B. Xash, and a Miss ('urtis. sister of Mrs. Seavey of Palmyra.

During the winter of 181o-4, the school was taught by Lorenzo AVood. one time ])robate jiulge. During that season the following, among others, attended: Miss Sybil ('. Van Arnam, later Mrs. Elias B. Stiles: Mi's. A. B. Whitney nf Franklin (ii'ove. as well as A. R. (Bandolph), who later became her husband.

Detween the years 184(i and 18-19, the school was taught b,v a ]\li-. ( 'ross and James Lunun. the former in the public school and later a jirixate school. The hands of ( h'oss were deformed by rhcnmatisni and as ;i hair-pulling ai'tist he was dreaded. His term in the public schools ended in 1817 when rauum's began. He too was a sti'ict disciplinarian and his severity created many complaints to the directors. Nevertheless, the school rose steadily.

FTe was a dcxofed student nf natural history and he assisted Doctor Everett materially in making his splendid collection of botanical, geological and oruithologi<-al specimens. In 1819 he removed Avest to Oregon. Several years later, a Dixon man tra\('liug to the coast songht out Lumm and found him in an hinnhle cabin, surrounded by hugs, birds and animals. Sul)se- (|ucntl\' he i-cnio\c(l the collection to ('alif(U'nia ;ind sold it for

$30,000. Eroiii the year 1842 to 1849, O. F. Ayres aiul J. B. Nash, directors, l:)ore all the burdens im-ideiit to maiutaiuiug good schools in a new and somewhat negligent community. In 1848-9, a Mr. McKay succeeded Lumm. He was full of learning, but just as full of eccentricities, and though he had the knack of imparting knowledge, his period and his school was not a success. In a state of mental abstraction, he would lock the door and leave the children behind. Many times, too, he liad novel ways of pointing a moral and adorning a tale.

By this time the old sehoolhouse had been abandoned and the new stone building on the east side of Hennepin avenue was built on the lot now occupied by the blacksmith shop of A. J. Scriven and Son, between Second and Thii-d streets.

The building was constructed loosely and heated at first from a fireplace. Imilt in the east end of it. At times the room was very cold. One lady recalls a da}^ when she froze her heel. But the school was a great success. Colonel Noble was the first teacher to bring the school into a S3^stematic business-like institution.

During those years of 1851 and 1852, Noble established a primary department for the little children, one of whom was Henry D. Dement, and he selected from his older pupils, young ladies to teach them. One of these was Miss Jane Ann Herrick, subsequently his wife : the other was Miss INIarie Sophie LaPorte, the writer 's mother.

Other pupils there were Miss Mary M. Stevens, Miss Hannah Elizabeth Stevens, Ann Ophelia Porter (Mrs. F. A. Soule), Miss Noble, daughter of Silas Noble and later wife of Jerome Hollenbeck, and Miss Anna Eustace, later Mrs. B. F. Shaw.

One laughable incident is related about little John Gilbraith who many times got his mother to winte an excuse to let him out at 3 o'clock. One day his mother refused, and in a huff he went to ask J. B. Brooks to give it to him. Brooks being absent, Mr. P. M. Alexander undertook the job by writing these lines: "Here is a bov who needs a flogging, - and if you don't give it to him. T wdll."

In 1854, William Barge received from John Stevens, the wiiter's father, then school conuxiissioner, a certiflcate to teach and he continued the school until 1859. Under his splendid management the same became a graded school. For about the hrst half of his tirst year, the old stone Iniildiug was used; after that rooms were rented in the old '-Land Office Building," later demolished, but standing on the west side of Hennepin avenue, next to where the stone People's church stands noAV on the noi'thwest corner of Second street.

Dixtm was enjoying a tremendous boom at this time and at times it was impossible to rent rooms. Under these ciroimistauces, after several i^ublie meetings had been held it was decided to build the "Union School Building" on the west side of Peoria avenue, where the home of Jason C. Ayres now stands, near the corner of Fifth street. This Ituilding was l)uilt iu L855 at an approximate cost of $6,000, and thr(»ugli Mr. Barge's untiring efforts Chase's patent school seats, the best then made, were installed and I)ixou enjoyed the proiid distinction of possessing the l^est eqiupped school rooms in Illinois.

In 1858, a high scIkioI de]iartment was established in the old Methodist chui'ch ]»uilding on Second street, opposite the court house and next the present Baptist chnrch. Of this high school A. H. Fitch was made principal.

In 1859, James Gow was made princi]»al of the high school, and A. M. Cow was made su])eriutendcnt of seho()ls, then consisting of five dei»artuients. Tliese gentlemen worked together until the year 1862, when Eli C. Smith was elected to fill l)oth of these offices. For a while rooms were rented, then the little frame l)uilding just north n{' file I"'niou school, aud iu the same lot, was ))uilt { in 1860) and used as a primary room. It was taught feu- years by Miss Swinbuni. Tlie grannnar school was installed in the basement.

Al)out 1866, it lieeame necessary ti» make more nnnn lor tlic; increasing numhers of piqtils and the (dd Lutheran church was rented and three departments were installed there.

In the year 1867, a vote Avas taken on the proposition to Iniild a new and adequate building. The vote in favor of it was ovei-- whelming. Two sites were proposed, one on l^lock 88, owned and backed by Col. John Dement, and one further eastwai'd on "the hill." muiiltered 102. The former won and today the three-story and basement brick Eli C. Smith school stands on block 88. The cost was .$30,000. A Mr. Randall, of Chicago, made the plans, and the contract for Iniildinu- was let to ^^^ F. Bushuell & Co. In 1868 the building was begun and in September, 1869, school was opened in the new building.

The school board during the construction of the biulding was composed of the following members : Henry D. Dement, James A. Hawley and David Welty.

F"'or the year ending July 31, 1871, the Dixon schools consisted of ten grades, the primary, intermediate, grammar, and high schools. The course of study contemplated ten grades, one year to each until the high school was reached and four years for it.

The teachers at that time were : High School - Principal, E. C. Smith ; assistant. Miss Abbie Purvis ; tirst grammar, room B, Miss S. V. (Jardner; second grannnar, room C, Miss H. E. Gardner; first intermediate, room D, Miss H. L. Brewer; second intermediate, room E, Miss R. M. Mead : tirst primary, room F, Miss E. L. Babljitt ; second primary, room C, Miss Addie T. Welty ; third primary, room H, Mrs. M. A. Johnson, Fii'st ward primary, Miss A. Georgia Curtis ; Third ward primary, jNIiss E. K. Anderson.

The graduates for the year 1872 were Anna Fargo, Julia Gilluau, Kate Jerome, Auua Murjjh}', llattie E. Davis, Estella Osborue, Alice Kerr aud Edward A. Morse.

187o - Charles VauAruam, F'red L. Shaw, J. H. Edwards, Horace Fleck, Martiu Curtis, Carrie W. Eells, F'auuie Murphy and Eiuma Ayres. (This was the writer's class. He did not graduate. )

Whole niunber children (if school age, 953 ; whole number pupils enrolled, 695 ; whole munber male teachers, 1 ; whole number female teachers, 10; highest salaiy paid male teacher, $1,500; highest salary paid female teacher, $500; average salary, $455; cost per jmpil for tuition, $13.25 ; entire cost per pupil, including contingent expenses, and interest on value of school property, $22.33; average number pupils belonging, per year, 465; average daily ntteudance, 429; i>er cent of attendance, 92; munber tardinesses, 1,:595; tdtal num))er days taught, 83,912.

At the time the foi'cgoiiig rcjiort was made, James A. Hawley, John D. (h'a))tree and lieubeu O. Hall were directors. By reason of the fact that numbers of our citizens resided on the north side <ir t\\(' i'i\ci-, in North Dixon, it very soon became apparent that school facilities for tlic childi'cn on that side of the river must be furnished. So early as Dec. 7, 1854, I tind an item in the old Telegra])li to tlie effect that a schoolliouse had lieen built liy the citizens in the usual way, by subscription. 'I'his building stood, aud in fact is the present house of Amos Bosworth, facing Crawford avenue. Less tlian four years previous, N(U'th Dixon contained but three dwelling houses. At the time of which I write, there were seventy and seats had been provided in the new school building for one huu- dred and thirty pupils. Before 1860 this school of two rooms had become crowded and another building for primary scholars had to be erected on the same lot on its north side. In these old schools, the names of the teachei'S, so far as 1 can remember, were Miss Campbell, who subsequently married Eugene Pinekney, Miss Blood; the lady Avho siibsequently became Mrs. John Y. Tliomas, Colonel ^^'ood, who was principal when the war liroke out, and John V. Thomas. Of course there Aveie others, Init not many.

These schools in turn became croAvded and in the autunm of 1868-9 a beautiful new two-story and mansard brick school was built, the one still used, and by the side of which still another has been built since. On Jan. 15, 1869, this new building was dedicated with imposing ceremonies. Richard Edward of the State Normal made the address. This building cost the district $20,000. When the schools were opened, the grade system was installed by the principal, John V. Thomas. Eollowing Mr. Thomas as a principal were, Mr. Hague in 1874; J. L. Hartwell in 1875; Julius Lloyd in 1877 ; C. O. Scudder in the fall of 1878.

1 have just found the names of the old superintendents of the North Side schools from the beginning: I. H. Williams, 1859; W. S. Wood, N. J. (Jilbert. J. A. Flagg and then in 1863, John V. Thomas followed and continued until 1874.

While the eai-ly schools so far Avei'e denominated public schools, at fii'st they were of a |nivate nature, ])aid foi' liy private suljscription and suppoi'ted by tuition. Xevertheless they were not what is iniderstood to be private schools of which Dixon had many in its earlier history.

As early as 1855, several enterprising gentlemen sought to give to Dixon the advantages of a first class educational institution. To that end on May 7, 1855, W. W. Harsha, a Presbyterian minister commenced the first term of the Dixon Collegiate Institute in the basement of the Lutheran Church then located on Crawford avenue between Third and Fourth streets.

On July 4, of the year 1855, after securing an endowment for the Dixon Collegiate Institute, of $25,000, the corner-stone was laid with imposing ceremonies. Subscriptions in money, apparatus and lands made by the citizens fif Dixon raised the sum to $37,000.

In 1857 this institution was incorporated by a special act of the Legislature. But trctni one cause and auother the school did not jDi'ogTess as anticipated, and in 1858, the presbj^tery abandoned it.

Its construction must have been slovv^ because on Aug. 27, 1857, when Prof. A. M. Gow took hold of it to reorganize it, but two stoi'ies and a Ijascment were all that were finished.

On April 18, 1861, the building then completed was purchased b,y Rev. O. W. Cooley, of Wisconsin, for the purpose of establishing a female seminary in it. Just what he did, I am unable to learn ; but the next notice I find of it is Sept. 8, 1863, when S. G. Lathrop and M. McKendree Tooke, two Methodist ministers opened the Dixon Seminary. For a time this institiTtion under the management of these two gentlemen, flourished. Large numbers of pupils attended, especially from the farms.

On Nov. 1, 1875, the name of the institution was changed to the Rock River ITniversit}' and O. G. May l^ecame president and M. M. Tooke became regent.

But the public school by this time had been brought to such a degree of usefulness that in a small town the small jDrivate school could not compete with it and so after a long period of reverses, Mr. Tooke lost the property and title passed to George L. Schuler. After this the building stood empty for a long while and people who desired took up their residence in its rooms without molestation. But after awhile it became nunored that the old building had become unsafe and Mr. Schuler had it demolished.

Architecturally it was a handsome biulding. Sitting on the bi'ow of a beautifid hill, it was the first building seen from afar. From the car -odndow, it presented a most picturesque appearance. Now the site is the bea\;tif ul Bluff Park in which so many ])eautif ul homes have been l)uilt.

The last reference I find made to the old Rock River University is on the ending of the year 1880, where the building is spoken of as a five-story brick and stone edifice, on a high cuuneuce in the east part of town, and that the institution had practically settled down to a Preparatory and jNIilitary Academy, yet giving instruction in the Normal. Business, Musical and Art de])artments.

I"'lic lioai'd of management and instruction were at that time, Jay R. Hinckley, ]>resident ; Maj. II. O. Chase, military instructor: W. IT. Chanibcrlain, business manager; Ileni-y INI. Douglas. Mrs. Jay R. 1 rinckley and Miss Lucy AVhiton, teachers.

On July 15, 1857, an attempt was made by Rev. J. W. Downing to establish a Female Seminary under the auspices of the Episcopal Church. A frame house just west of the Illinois Central depot was rented and the school was begun, but like the othei' efforts to establish a private school the efforts of Mr. Downing failed and after a little while the school was closed never to resume.

In 1880, I lind the schools summarized about as follows : The north side building already referred to is 54x63 feet, ground plan. Including basement it is four stories high. The first and second stories, each 13 feet high, are divided into two school rooms, 25x38 feet, with a recitation room for each. The mansard roof is one large room for study 39x48 feet, 16 feet high, having a rostrum in the north end 10x12 feet, with an ante room entering upon it from either side. C. O. Scudder was then principal. In the different departments there were 180 pupils, not a heavy increase in twenty years.

Miss Welty was the assistant principal; Miss A. Raymond taught the granmiar room ; Miss M. Yates taught the intermediate room and Mrs. A. C. IIoll)rook the primary room.

On the south side in 1880 there were 459 pupils. E. C. Smith was principal and superintendent; Miss Emma Goodrich was assistant and taught high school with fifty pupils. The first grammar room was taught by Miss Adelia Pinckney with an attendance of twenty-seven pupils; Miss Nellie Soule taught second grammar with an attendance of thirty-four.

The first intermediate was taught Ijy Miss Harriet O. Sterling with an attendance of fifty-six inipils; the second intermediate room was taught by Ida Deland with forty-five pupils ; the third intermediate was taught liy ^liss Emma Burnham with forty-nine pupils, and the fourth intermediate was taught l)y jNIiss Fannie Murphy, with fifty-seven pupils. The primary department was taught by Miss Amelia McComsey with fifty-one pupils. On Second street in the old Methodist Church school. Miss A. C Curtis taught primary department with forty-five -[lupils. West of the Central Depot on Se^'enth street INIi's. Ij. L. Woodworth taught a primary room with forty-seven pupils.

The old Dement town school used bef(U'e this last named was built, was held in the lirick building on the corner immediately across the street, on the nortliwest eornei'. The first teacher I ran remember teaching there was a Miss Cunn.

The Catholic Church began iii our midst a parochial school in the year 1872, by Rev. Father McDermott. At first it was conducted in the old church building, but later under the guidance of Father Foley it was enlarged and removed to the beautiful property where it stands now.

In the year 1912, the buildings were visited by fire and they were all entirely destroyed. But as if by magic the.v have been very materially enlarged and now are caring for more pupils than ever.