Peoria High School - Crest Yearbook (Peoria, IL)

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PEORIA HIGH SCHOOL-125 YEARS i Peoria, Illinois is an ever-expand- ing city, not only in population but also in the education of its people. In 1981, Peoria has a total of four public secondary schools including Peoria High School, Manual High School, Richwoods Community High School and Woodruff High School. Of these four, Peoria High School was the first, starting in 1856. This was only the second public secondary school in Illinois. In May of 1856, the first classes were held on the second floor of the Peoria Female Academy at the cor- ner of Iefferson and Iackson Streets. The school was called the Third School District at this time and received the name Peoria High School in 1862. Mr. Charles E. Hovey was appointed by the State Legisla- tor to act as the first principal and Miss Sarah Mathews was Peoria's first secondary school teacher. In these earlier days high schools were not as easy to get into as they are today. In order to be admitted into high school, a prospective stu- dent had to take an entrance exam. Each student had to get 7596 to be admitted to Peoria High School. One person passed this test but fourteen others came within five percent of passing and were admit- ted. The following year a new entrance exam was composed that pal at P.H.S. Left: The first classes were held on the second floor of the Peoria Female Academy on Ieffer- son and jackson Streets. Right: Charles E. Hovey was the first princi- l l 5 1 l l gave students a better chance of passing. The required courses in these first years included Algebra, Latin, Natu- ral Philosophy, Caesar, Physical Geography, Physiology, Geometry, Virgil, Rhetoric, Trigonometry, Cicero, Moral Philosophy, Chemis- try and History. These courses were taken over the four year period. By 1858 Peoria High School's stu- dent body had increased to fifty- nine and four of these were ready to graduate. Lucetta Howell became the first valedictorian of an all female class. History 17

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DE DI CA TI ON 16 Introduction S ...- '-1 ,yAb M s, M, . ' .,,.,. k kkiv liluw' Wa-, For giving many years of service to Peoria High School, we dedicate the 1981 Quasquicentennial CREST to Mr. Henry Stepping-an administrator, teacher, and friend who has given to those who have known him, not only of his mind but of his heart. a ff? if ' . -eo 'A , a You are equal to all others some may have greater talents and power where you are lacking but you are greater in areas where they cannot go do not stop your own growth and progression by trying to emulate. . . or follow. . . anyone step out with courage develop all that you are meant to be look for new experiences . . . meet new people learn to add all new dimensions to your present and future you are one of a kind . . . equal to every other person accept that fact live it use it stand tall in belief of who you are reach for the highest accomplishment touch it grasp it know it is within your ability live to win in life and you will -diane westlake Km J ,S I 31 31

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Entrance Exam-May, 1856 ARITHMETIC 1. Express by figures the following number: twenty billions, four hundred million, six thousand and ten. 2. If a man walks four miles, three furlongs, 20 rods in an hour, how far can he walk in two days of ten hours each? 3. What is the greatest common divisor of 286, 429, and 715? 4. Find the sum of 2-3, of 2-3,172 of 2-7, of 4-9, and 2116, by reducing them to equivalent fractions having a com- mon denominator. 5. Divide 8 of 1-3 of 4 of 7-12 of 21-15 by 4 1-12 of 7-5. 6. Multiply 0.00097 by 0.000125. 7. Divide 0.111856 by 3.5. 8. What must be paid for planning 467,321 feet of boards at 37 cents a 1000. GRAMMAR 1. What is orthography? 2. How are letters divided? 3. Define a diphthong. 4. How is the plural of nouns regularly formed? 5. Write the plural of court-martial, housetop. 6. Give the names of the parts of speech. 7. Decline the noun man, the pronoun it. 8. How are adjectives compared? 9. Compare the adjectives little, kind, obedient. 10. Name the relative pronouns, and state how they are used. GEOGRAPHY 1. How many degrees from the polar circles to the poles? 2. How many from the equator to the tropics? 3. What is latitude? 4. Upon what is latitude measured? 5. What is longitude? 6. Upon what is longitude measured? 7. Where is the torrid zone situated? HISTORY 1. What are some of the causes of the Revolutionary War? 2. Mention some of the leading men of the Revolution. 3. Where and by whom was the first settlement in the United States? 4. Give me the story of Charter Oak. Tell where it was. 5. Write the name of the first white settler of Ken- tucky, and state some of his peculiarities and adven- tures. Overcrowded conditions in the fall of 1860 forced Peoria High to be moved to the basement of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church at the corner of Madison and Fulton Streets. This location was only used for one year while a new building was coal heated and held as many as 200 stu- dents. In 1862 even this new building Eroved to be too small, it was now olding 270 students. A library was started in 1864 but it only had one book, Webster's Una- bridged Dictionary. Students eagerly helped by carryinlg on a campaign to raise money for t e library. By 1876 P.H.S. had a library worth S1,000. Ever-increasing enrollment forced Peoria Hi h to move again in 1885 to a new buiding at the corner of Mon- roe and Fayette Streets. In 1892, the Second Presbyterian Church became the Hi h School Annex. Peoria High Schools first orches- tra was started in 1896 and has shown excellence for many years. 18 History Some of its first members even went on to be in the first Peoria Sym- phony Orchestra. A controversial case arose in 1907 concerning N. C. Dougherty, super- intendent of schools. He was found guilty of embezzling more than one million dollars from the school dis- trict. Dougherty was sent to Ioliet Prison but was ater pardoned by the Governor of Illinois. It was also rumored that an unknowing custo- dian intruded on one of Dougherty's clandestine meetings with a young lady teacher and was shot to death. In 1895 the new annex did not pro- vide enou h space and students were forced to attend half day ses- sions. The following fall a new wing was added to the original buildin . The first issue of the High Scgool O inion came out on Marc 15, 1890. Tffe name was later shortened to the Opinion. In 1925 the Opinion staff printed its own aper in a building across the street fiom the school. Ggf ,,..- is 1 y 1 ...M -- , ,,, i . ,iw FIA avi