Chicago State University - Emblem Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

Page 17 text:

THE Harrison School, named in honor of Carter H. Harrison, Senior, mayor of Chicago for so many years, was established in 1887. In its growth from a school on Went worth Avenue and Twentieth Street it has had at times as many as three branches. When it became a practice school in September, 1907, the last branch was dropped. TTie main building now keeps an average membership of thirteen hundred. In the early days the neighborhood of the school was very ditferent, pre- senting an exceedingly different picture from its present appearance, for the pop- ulation consisted of a wealthy class of Dutch and Irish American-born families. We still see proof of them in an occasional house which, though dirty and dilapi- dated now, shows signs even yet of a form er prosperity. These well-to-do people gradually moved south or east as the Italians and Sicilians, who now compose the greater part of the school membership, took possession of the neighborhood. Since 1890 the dark haired children of the Harrison School have been under the care of Mr. Payne, who not only superintends the work at school, but often- times finds it necessary to visit the homes, interview the parents, and advise in fam- ily alTairs. The work of the doctor and nurse here is also unusually far-reach- ing. This year there have been at least sixty serious special cases attended to, in which no fee has been asked or the charge made has been nominal. Since there is no great church, no large park or fine theatre in the vicinity, the school has necessarily become a center for all things, social as well as educa- tional, notable in its great hold on the community.

Page 16 text:

THE Normal School, at first a county school, has always been a practice school, although originally it was not in a separate building but shared the same structure with the college. At that time there were but three grammar grades— primary, intermediate, and preparatory, an arrange- ment that lasted until 1883, when, under the management of Col. Parker, who came in 1880, the practice school was enlarged and eight grades built up. At this time that part of the school work corresponding to what is now the college work, was a high school course, three years of which were devoted to high school work and one to practice work, this being the equipment for training. Sub- sequently this training was improved upon and enlarged, the high school course being abolished in 1890. In 1896 Englewood became annexed to Chicago, and the Board of Education voted to accept the Cook County Normal School for the benefit of Chicago and Cook County. Later on, in 1899, the present practice school building ojiened for work, although not entirely completed until nearly three years later. When the last wing of the school had been added, the members of the College came over to reside temporarily in the practice building while prep- arations for our present college building began. In September, 1905, the two buildings, the Chicago Normal College and the Nonnal Practice School, were as we see them now, two large, separate structures, joined by a narrow bridge. In 1907, Mr. French came to the Normal School both as principal of the Normal Practice School and as vice-principal of the Normal College. H

Page 18 text:

WHAT is now known as the Carter School was opened in 1880 in a one- room store on the corner of State and Sixty-first streets. It was at that time not a city but a district school and belonged to District 10, Town- shi]i Lake and Hyde Park. In 1884 an eight-room building was erected on the corner of Wabash avenue and Sixty-first streets. This new structure, the Wabash Avenue school, was regarded as a subject of great ridicule by the local papers, which felt certain it would never be filled. But it did become filled, although even when Miss Abby E. Lane became princii)al in 1891, the neighborhood was not yet well built up, and the school house was surrounded by an oak grove. After the World ' s Fair, the district became more thickly settled, and in 1894 a twelve-room addition, or what is now the main building, was erected. At the present day, with a membership of eleven hundred, even the new building has proved inadequate, and it has been found necessary to add four port- able rooms. In 1909 the Carter became a practice school.