Evanston Academy - Bear Yearbook (Evanston, IL)

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II Board of Education It HOYVARD G. GREY, President CONRAD H. POPPENHUSEN HAROLD DYRENFORTH WILLIAM S. LORD Donn A. KIMBALL WINSOR CHASE, Secretary AS Jchool History It has been said that to write correctly a man's history one should go back at least four generations. To write a history of a school one might go back still farther, for the spirit which prompts the enlightenment of a people begins-who shall say where ? The little old red school-house played a good part in the drama of the world's living-nay, oftentimes it was something even less pretentious, but just as dear to memory, just as potent a factor- the old log school- house. Evanston's little old log school-house was located on the old Ridge road, just south of the present Crai11 street, in just what year the records do not state. In the possession of the Evanston Historical Society is the record book of the school trustees: the first entry, dated May 9, is as fol- lows: A 1 Records of the Trustees of Township 41, Range 14, East. Commenced in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-six. CSignedj E. BENNETT, O. MUNN, Jr., GEO- M. HUN'rooN. The last entry is equally interesting as it is dated May 30, 1882, and states: At the iirst meeting of Trustees for Township 41, Range 14, East, held after the special election, May 27, 1882, there were present, Mr. S. Goodenow, and the two new members, Mr. Wm. Blanchard and Mr. N. W. Boomer. Mr. S. Goodenow moved that Mr. Blanchard be elected Presi- dent of the Board, which was carried. The bond of Ambrose Foster as treasurer was approved. This is the irst action following the adoption of I0

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the Township High School system, and to this Board was entrusted the choice of site and the erection of the building to be known as the Evans- ton Township High School. Mr. Boon1er's death occurred during the year and Mr. S. D. Childs was elected to fill the vacancy. If one had time to read all the records of the trustee meetings between 1846 and 1882, many interesting facts would no doubt come to light. The first teacher was Miss Wheadon CMrs. C. A. Churcherj, and a little later we 6nd the name of Miss H. N. Burns CMrs. Sylvester Hill.J Soon the town of Evanston was organized, and, about 1855, District No. 1 was formed, and a new building, as the little log school-house was outside the district, was built on Church street. In 1860 the upright part of the Benson Avenue building was erected 5 three wings were added later, the last two in 1870, and about the same time the little one-room building on Hinman avenue was built. With the growth of the town changes came, from the one and two teachers the members grew, somewhere there began to be a Principal and Mr. Charles Raymond, who was at the head from 1869 to 1873, was the Erst Superintendent. Under his supervision the schools were graded and much excellent work done. To build on the foundation laid by Mr. Raymond and his associates, came Mr. O. E. Haven, and of him one of his successors, Mr. Kingsley, writes: Under Mr. Haven's nine years' administration the schools were brought to their utmost efficiency. He was a born teacher, and ,to rare executive ability united an earnestness and conscientiousness which never flagged, and personal qualities which endeared him alike to associates and pupils. When the Board of Trustees came together i11 1879 they found them- selves confronted by a great problem-a rapidly increasing population, inadequate accommodations, only two building locations, 110 reserve fund and an enormous debt, contracted in some far-past day, just how, or why unpaid, no one could tell, as all iinancial records had been destroyed in the Chicago ire. The Board met the situation grandly. Their names should be recorded in unfading letters. Messrs. A. N. Young, Lucius W. Conkey, William G. White, D. B. Dewey, Simeon Farwell and H. C. Hunt, with Mr. Haven were the men whose clear headed financial management carried the schools safely through this crisis and so administered affairs that Mr. Kingsley writes in 1892: There are no bonds on the market that command a higher premium among bankers than those of District No. 1, Evanston. Under Mr. Haven the High School department was addedg a proceed- l11gI10t entirely approved by all the people of Evanston, as it was urged that any wishing to pursue higher studies could be accommodated at the Preparatory School, but with great tact and wisdom Mr. Haven 'finally won II