College of Idaho - Trail Yearbook (Caldwell, ID)

Page 16 text:

10 The TRAIL Barton, having missed the train, Boise was not represented. Dr. Boone himself describes the occasion as follows: I This ponderous array of intellect was drawn up on one side of the room and on the other sat two little trembling candidates for higher educa- tion in the persons of the Misses Lillian Potter and Minnie Reed. What passed through the minds of these victims as they viewed the dimensions of the opposing forces the Historian can not say. The suspense was not long. The Book was opened, the fourth chapter of Proverbs read, Hear ye children the instruction of a father g a fervent prayer, and the Christian college had been opened with religious exercises. Then it was that the tons of mental energy long pent up and made amply active by the presence of kindred spirits could not longer be controlled, the wheels began to turn, the molecular concepts to bump each other and as a result several explosions in the shape of extemporaneous speeches, carefully pre- pared beforehand, showing 'Jas to how the sagebrush is fast disappearing from the plains, the prune and alfalfa are taking its place, so ought ignor- ance and superstition to be eradicated from the minds of the youth and knowledge and righteousness to be planted therein, this to do, we, the faculty of the College of Idaho have set ourselves. After assigning tasks to the two students and prolonged congratulations the first exercises of the C-ollege of Idaho became History and that History has gone on continuously for thirty years. R. 2 Q ., THE FIRST ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

Page 15 text:

The 'TRAIL 9 At a meeting of the trustees of the town of Caldwell, Idaho, held on the 19th day of April, 1890, the following resolution unanimously passed: Resolved, That Kimball Park be set aside and devoted to the purpose of a Presbyterian College. And should this proposition be accepted by the Presbytery of Wood River now convened in our town, the necessary legal steps be at once taken to complete the transfer of property. Chas. B. Reed, Clerk. Montie B. Gwinn, Chairman. This proposition was accepted and a board of managers consisting of llev. W. J. Boone of Caldwell, Rev. J. H. Barton of Boise and Rev. J. H. Black of Nampa was elected to receive all funds, decide upon plans, take all the necessary steps for the erection of a college building and if necessary secure proper instructors for the school. In the following September the chairman of the committee was in- formed that the town could not live up to its agreement as it could not give a clear title, but that Caldwell submitted a counter proposition as follows: 1. S200 in cash. 2, Either Block 31 or 57 of the registered plat of Caldwell. 3, Twenty acres of unplatted land within the corporate limits of Caldwell with permanent water right. 4, One block of land situated in the Dorman Addition to Caldwell. 5, One block of land situated in the Steunenberg-Hard Addition. Signed: H. D. Blatchley Chas. A. Hard Henry W. Dorman Frank Steunenberg Montie B. Gwinn Howard Sebree This proposition was taken up before the Presbytery, April 20, 18911. Other towns had asked the privilege of submitting offers, Nampa had a splendid proposition in lands and other values but after a hot personal debate she was not allowed to present it, the committee deciding that the matter was closed in 1890 and accepting Caldwell's new offer. The board of managers was instructed to take all necessary steps to open up the school in the fall of 1891. This was quite an awesome under- taking with no buildings and no money but the committee seems to have been well supplied with courage and faith in the good people of Idaho for they had a pamphlet printed by the Caldwell Tribune announcing a couirse of study, a corps of teachers, and October 7, 1891 as the date for the opening of the College of Idaho. History tells us that Wednesday, October 7, 1891, was a fitting and auspicious day for the formal opening of our school. O.ur Idaho weather sometimes so temperamental, was unusually well behaved and gave us a beautifully clear sunshiny autumn day. Perhaps fate had decided that the Rev. W. J. Boone and his associates needed the moral support of the elements on that momentous occasion. Promptly at 2:00 p. m. the faculty of the proposed college gathered in the small lecture room of the Presby- terian church. The corps of teachers was composed of young ambitious men and women graduates of divers institutions of learning in the east. Among them were: W. J. Boone, Frank Steunenberg, John T. Morrison, John C. Rice, E. E. Maxey, Carrie S. Blatchley and Chas. A. Hard. J. H.

Page 17 text:

The TRAIL 11 There were 19 students who met under Dr. Boone in the little Presby- terian church that winter and how proud the little town of Caldwell must have been of that first institution of higher learning in the state of Idaho. There was evidently much budding oratorical and literary talent among the 19 students for on Oct. 16, just a few days after the opening of school a literary society, the first of its kind in the state, was organized in the parlor of the church. This s-ociety was called the Lowell Literary Society in honor of James Russell Lowell who had recently died. Rev. W. J. Boone was chairman of the first meeting and John T. Morrison was the first Low-ell president. H. H. Hayman was one of the early members whose debating powers has come down to us in history. The debate question discussed at the first regular meeting was Resolved, That Compulsory Education is Contrary to the Constitution of the United States. The school year ended with the first closing exercises June 15, 1892. In the spring of 1892 the Presbytery ordered that the 52,000 prom- ised by the citizens of Caldwell be used to construct a suitable building and during the summer the old administration building on Albany Street was erected, completed and furnished at a cost of S2,401.68, and on Monday, Oct. 10, 1892, the school moved from the little town in the church to the new building. The board of managers now became the board of trustees, Rev. J. H. Barton, President, Boise, Rev. W. J. Boone, Vice-Pres., Cald- well, H. D. Blatchley, Treasurer, Caldwell, Rev. R. P. Boyd, Paris, Hon. J. M. Jones, Nampag I-Ion. J. C. Straughn, Boise, S. S. Foote, Middleton, Wm. Kincaid, Caldwell, and Frank Steunenberg, Caldwell. This board brought about the legal incorporation of the College, April 26, 1893. The other important event of this year was the founding of the Annual Decla- mation Contest April 28, 1893. This contest has taken place every year since during Commencement Week. When the school incorporated as a college it expected to do college work and outlined college courses but no students werre prepared to enter for over ten years. The first class from the academy was graduated in 1894 and since that date a class has graduated from that department every year until the growth of the collegiate department and the splendid high schools of the state made it seem wise to discontinue the preparatory work in 1919. Oct. 4, 1895, under the auspices of Abbie H. Hull, a prominent instructor of that time, the Columbian Literary Society was founded. The charter members were taken from the Lowell Society. Keen competition was established between the two societies and the first annual Lowell-Columbian contest was held March 30, 1898. The informal contests between the two societies on the occasion of their annual receptions to new members has often splashed with gore the pages of history. A library was early established in the school, Caldwell friends giving 55300 and Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Strahorn a fine set of the Century Dictionary. ln 1915 H. D. Blatchley and others added 300 volumes to its well-stocked shelves. The library and reading room have always been one of the best features of the school, and now is doubly helpful with Prof. Murphy's i l