Highland High School - Iris Yearbook (Highland, IL)

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The lirst pulmlic school in Highland was lmuilt on Methotlist llill hy sloseph Xlneller in IRSU with liuncls raisetl lax' popular subscription. From IS-lil to I8-l-l this school, picturecl on the llysleaf, honsetl all pupils not taught privately, antl servecl as a general meeting place. ln IS-l-l, however, the school ntovecl to a stone lmuiltling' then being' constructetl on the present site ol' the lfvangelical Church. This hniltling' was nsecl several years as a contlminecl church ancl school, but quarrels arose antl the school movetl hack to Nlcthotlist llill. After 1847, when the school clistrict was organized, improvements were inacle in the school, anal to it came pupils from a wicle terris tory. ln 1850 this lirst school lmurnetl anal new plans hail to be inacle.

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THE STORY GF HIGHLA D While native American settlers are known to have made homes in the southeastern corner of what is now Helvetia township in 1804, the community of Highland was founded when. a small group of eleven Swiss immigrants led by Dr. Caspar Koepfli and Mr. Joseph Suppiger settled here in 1831. These two men played an important part in the early development of Highland. The Koepfiis bought four hundred fifty acres of land in 1831 from an agent named Haugh. Their first home was the Gruetli farm, later owned by Frank Lorenz. Joseph Suppiger built a house on the lot where Mrs. Martin Huber's house now stands. Several gains: families came to this vicinity during 1833, among them Jacob Eggen and John a ner. In 1837 General James Semple, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, who was interested in a proposed railroad from Alton to Mt. Carmel, proposed that .Ioseph Suppiger, Dr. Koepfli. and James Reynolds join with him to found the town which be- came Highland. The agreement stated that one hundred acres were to be platted in forty- flve blocks, each three hundred feet square, with the central block reserved for public purposes. After a public sale of lots was held in September, 1837, Joseph Suppiger be- gan to build a steam mill. A saw mill was conducted adjacent to the mill so the same power could be used for both. These two enterprises drew many people to this vicinity. Many settlers arrived after 1838. A wagon-maker named Kruker from St. Gallen, Switzerland, was one of the most welcome. Elijah E1liSOI1, WGSICY Dllggef, and David Thorp, all native Americans, started stores, and later a fourth was built on the corner ef Main and Laurel by Garrit Crownover. Thorp WHS Hi8l112U1d'S first postmaster. Sylvan lltlger installed a wood turner's lathe in the mill and began to make furniture and other needed articles. Jacob Eggen started a brickyard near town and, with a Mr. Labhard, a pottery as well. Eggen also founded a distillery and a bakery. The Durrer family who came in 1839 took over The Eagle Hotel begun by Anthony Buchmann on the site of the present Columbla. It was soon imperative to erect a school and the site chosen was Methodist Hill. The school was built in the spring of 1839 and was used as a general meeting place as well. An election was held there in August. But few of the Swiss immigrants had as yet been naturalized so many could not vote. The political disturbances in Europe were responsible for a large number of immi- grants coming to Highland in 1840 and 1841. Among them we find the names of many present-day Highland families. They were chiefly from Switzerland and settled in or near Highland. Most of them had little worldly wealth. The problem of housing these peo- ple was a difficult one but partly solved when the Suppiger brothers erected a large barn and let the immigrants stay there temporarily. In the same year the German Kuenne lKinnel family and their relatives came from Kentucky. In 1840 in August, fifty-four immigrants from Highland secured their naturalization Dapers in Edwardsville. The DOD- ulatlon of Highland seems to have been fifty ill 1839 but 009 hundred lwellly in 1341- The effects of the panic of 1837 were not felt in Highland until about this time. While money had practically disappeared, our immigrants managed to get along and the community prospered. During all these early years Dr, Keepfli continued to care for the medical needs of the community. He was the only doctor here until the arrival of his son from Switzer- land in 1839, and a Dr. Ryhiner who moved here from St. Louis in 1840. In 1840 Dr. Koepfli decided to return to Switzerland to publish his voluminous writings. Neither he nor his family was satisfied there and later they all returned to Highland. Koepfli's sons in 1843 built a fine residence north of town where Hugo Schmidt now lives. That same year Peter Tuffll and John Laubin ger opened the first meat shop and J. R. Blattner began building the New Switzerland House which was used fifty years. The site was later used by the late John Wildi for his home, now the Masonic Temple. In 1843 the National Post Road was extended from Vandalia through Highland to St. Louis. This road played no small part in Highlands growth. Some of the enterprises established in the next few decades deserve mention. John Guggenbuehler founded a brewery which later developed into the Highland Brewing Company. A Mr. Smiley start- ed a woolen mill, later converted into a yarn factory. There were several general stores, Liehler's furniture store, Buchter's lumber yard, Speckharts stove and hardware store, a planing mill, a machine shop, a tannery, a corn and grist mill, a hydraulic wine and cider press. In 1846 John Boeschenstein built a store opposite Crownover's. A bank was founded in 1854 by A. E. Bandelier, Dr. F. Ryhiner and Mr. Huegy but it failed in 1885. Other prominent men associated with this early period and not mentioned before ln- clude Professor Baer, who served as school principal: B. E. Hoffman, who was clerk of Madison County and did newspaper and literary work: Julius Hammer, a German music teacher and philosopher: A. E. Bandelier, a language scholar who began archaeological explorations for the Smithsonian Institute: Heinrich Bosshard, author of Sempacher- lied, the national hymn of the Swiss: Charles Seybt, an artist and pianist: Heinrich Willimann, who developed Highland's first band: Alois Bruger, owner of the first marble