Farmington High School - Voyageur Yearbook (Farmington, IL)

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iiiifeliiifiriiilrliiglifsifiiflli-Cifiigifiliii' Fi' C T C Eliarminginn ihigh Srhnnl. The history of Farmington's schools began with a little log house, situated on the west side of South Main Street, about where the residence of James Robb now stands. As the town grew in size two buildings were needed, No. 1 being located near the pres- ent site of the Presbyterian Church, No. 2 near the earlier school building. The need for higher education was met by an academy located at the corner of Main and Court Streets and by a private school conducted by Prof. Churchill later of Knox College. In ' ASQ, in accordance with a state-Wide movement, it was decided .,,-0 ,246- A.,- to establish a high school in Farmington and in that year was be- gun the erection of our first High School building. This was a handsome structure, three stories above the basement and built in the form of a Greek cross, halls and recitation rooms occupying the wings, school-rooms the central building. On the first and second floors, there were two school-rooms to each floor, but in the third story, the High School room occupied the entire length of the building from north to south. Large windows in front and in the rear furnished ample light for the handsome room wnich was seated for a hundred pupils and could easily have accommodated many more. Here the Farmington High School was formally opened in the autumn of 1867 with Principal D. H. Pingree in charge and Miss Julia Steenburg as assistant. Mr. Pingree remained but two years and was succeeded by Mr. Illie who remained but a year and then gave place to Mr. Grinnell who remained until 1873, when he was succeeded by Henry C. Cox. The first class, consisting of but two members, Russell Hlll and Lizzie Voorhees, was graduated in 1870 and since then thirty- eight other classes have gone out into the world to attest to the efficacy of the teaching of the old High. In 1876 Mr. Cox resigned and was replaced by C. L. Howard, a Normal graduate who re- mained but one year when Mr. Cox returned and remained until 1879 when he was succeeded by Frank Matthews. Mr. Matthews remained two years when he was succeeded by Miss Alice Welch, now Mrs. Alfred Steenburg, who served until December, 1884. W. S. McKinney then took charge of the schools serving until 1888 when he was succeeded by L. R. Chapin who remained but one year giving place to J. A. B. Shippey who also served a single year. In 1890 R. V- DeGrotf became principal with Miss Rilla Meeker, a former graduate of our schools, as assistant. On De- cember 9th, 1890 the High School building was burned and for the remainder of the year the High School was housed in the City Hall. In the spring of 1891 the old walls were torn down and the