Atwood Hammond High School - Post Yearbook (Atwood, IL)

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A SOPHOMORE ESSAY THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS OF THE GRADE SCHOOLS IN ILLINOIS—A PHASE OF THE CENTURY’S PROGRESS Nothing has shown our develop-menfand progress better since 1818 than the advancement of the grade schools. The ordinance of 1787, passed by the Congress of the American Confederation, stated that education was to he encouraged in the northwest territories. The majority of the inhabitants of Illinois at this time were sturdy farmers. They tilled their soil and sold their crops in the cities. The greater part of the people had no education; in fact, they hardly needed it in their simple business affairs. If any one of them had to give his signature in any of his business dealings, he used a cross or some other rude sign. They did not realize the value of learning, and therefore they did not encourage schools. Considering their environment, it is not strange that this was their attitude toward schools. Nearly forty years had passed before new settlers came from the eastern states. In the East education was encouraged, therefore many of the immigrants had a fair education. They started a movement in favor of schools in order that their children could have at least as good an education as they had. Not until forty years after the ordinance of 1787 had become a law were schools established and organized. The Constitution of Illinois, which was signed in 1818, contained nothing pertaining to schools. Illinois had been a state seven years before the first school law was passed. In 1820, before any school laws had been passed, a chatter was granted to the Belleville Academy. In 1825 the Fourth General Assembly passed the first school law in Illinois. This law provided for the free schools for white children, and made provision for the use two per cent of all money in the treasury for educational purposes. Very few schools were established under this law, yet Illinois was a pioneer in the educational movement, because schools existed in the New England states only. The first school law provided no means of compulsory education; they were supported by subscriptions from the parents of the children. This method delayed the progress of education a number of years, for money was scarce the greater part of the time. The first educational convention was held in Vandalia in 1833. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss existing conditions, to improve methods of instruction, to awaken public interest, and to secure suitable legislation of a worthy free school system. The second convention was also held at Vandalia. Cyrus Edwards was chairman, and a man no less noteworthy than Stephen A. Douglas, secretary. They prepared a bill rec-

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but I shall never know what it was, for I just then fell out of the hammock and woke up. I didn’t laugh at my dream for I knew it was the future of the members of the Sophomore class of the Atwood Township High School of 1918. I went into the house and began to prepare for my journey to France for I, Celia Thrasher, was now a Red Cross nurse. —• of ,0 ATWOOD TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL Manual Training Room. There are fifteen work benches, each provided with all the necessary bench tools. Besides, there is a carefully selected set of tools suitable for all the various kinds of work done in a well-equipped shop.

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ommending a system of taxation, a method of securing qualified teachers, a suitable supervision of schools, and the proper distribution of school funds. In 1845 an amendment was added to the law of 1841. It provided that there should be a superintendent in each county, that teachers should hold certificates, and that all text books should be written in English. To obtain a ceitificate a teacher had to be examined in reading. writing, geography, arithmetic, grammar and United States history. These examinations were only mere forms. If a teacher was asked a question on some subject that she could not answer, she would say that she was not prepared on that subject. If the examiner gave her some very long word to spell, and she succeeded in spelling it, she was given her certificate. In 1855 a bill was passed that levied a tax of two per cent on all property for the maintenance of the public schools. About this time Stephen A. Douglas, a congressman from Illinois, was influential in securing the passage of a bill which granted public lands to the Illinois Central railroad. The advantages offered by the building of this railroad led many business men of the East to come to Illinois. These men were interested in educational progress and were active in its advancement in Illinois. In 1837 the Surplus Revenue Fund, the County Fund and the Permanent Fund were set apart by the United States Government to be used for school purposes. The Surplus Revenue Fund is the interest obtained from loans of the surplus revenue in the U. S. treasury. The County Fund is the inteiest from the money in the county treasury that exceeds one-half the amount required for school purposes. The Permanent Fund is the money obtained by selling the public lands which the United States Government granted to the schools in 1785 Since 1855 the offices of the state superintendent, the township trustees and the district treasurer have been created. The state superintendent visits the schools of counties, gives lectures, confers with the county superintendent and reports the condition of the schools throughout the state. The township trustees collect the tax and distribute it among the schools. The district treasurer takes chagre of the money after it is collected. The progress of our schools since since 1818 has been extraordinary. Let us imagine that we are in a school of 1850. Often times the building is an old log house, one that is so unsubstantial that a family can no longer live in it. Or perhaps it is an old discarded barn or smokehouse. It rests on a foundation of logs, and on cold winter days we can hear the wind howling under it. Here, too, the wild beasts seek shelter. They bring hordes of fleas and other insects to annoy the children. Less fiequently one finds a new log cabin that has been built by the fathers and used as a school house. The crevices between the logs are chinked with mud to keep out the wind and snow. The benches are made of logs split in two, with pegs driven in them for legs. The desks are long boards nailed along the walls. There are no blackboards. The children