Indiana State University - Sycamore Yearbook (Terre Haute, IN)

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Fire demolished Normal building he second semester of the 1888 school year at Indiana State Normal School began as the most successful in the institutions brief history. Then disaster struck. On the morning of April 9, 1888, the eighteen year old Normal building was destroyed by fire. The building not only contained the schools classrooms but also the library and physics laboratories. The only equipment saved from the calamity was three pieces of physics apparatus, thirteen microscopes. a handful of library books, and a record of Board meeting minutes from 1866 which Miss Helen Gilbert, President Par- sons' secretary. had carried out. m. .j ,N t l' it s ' ' K Q Kel? 1 X ,ff-7 .rf 8 1 e essee at 1' ,wi r A , . ' ll 51? is S 3 s L N 'H--lirsiirt-Es r W t af 5.1-9 sf .. '-vs2 xl ' 0 7 ST'-1 xl' in U . 1 - ,- . UQ i 1 1 - ' , 8- ,V -mc'-s ...A-se-I s T -gnu l s- 'ss' V- ' - TT . rw: ., 'ra ...TNQ ,M , - r . -Y '-n-.K - - . V ik '31 I -4- , v 'A lt P --- , s. use - ff Centenary Methodist Church housed classes until classrooms could be found elsewhere Ten Apparently the fire started in the attic due to a defective flue. The first classes of the morning had just begun at 8:50 when the fire was reported. There were approximately sixrhundred people in the building when the police and firemen arrived at President Par- sons' office. I-le immediately went to each classroom and ordered the classes dismissed. The building was completely evacuated except for one class whose pro- fessor was doubtful of the fire warnings since he had not seen the flames. After a lengthy discussion with a policeman, the professor dismissed his class. .A 1 Terre Haute appropriated money and the Normal Building was immediately razed and a new building was erected on the same foundation, the all l , I' .A T ' Q 4.4 . Q , - y ll Y 1.4 l i 'L i ill 3 8' . , f ii in 'A 1 Y e so a 8 ,x7'g 's'.: f ssl H P s ui. QT ' . r 1 - Q, il ' ' . T i l is s ,fi an ff a --sa' L n' 1 r T 1 H, T w i af f e ' - .1 - vig ,.- . +ve' r em? r +2 ' s

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:. .,a sf 1 . , , 5 ,gsm U Gill 5 ,, .Q 1 if 1 fi QI .vw Nl 5,3- ,WQXQQ t lf was 3: A typical street scene at Sixth and Wabash Avenue in the early 1900's. .. ...W .,,,.. -M .,,. K - g - ' W W' V P Www' ri: :Tu . if 'T ff-. ff 'H ,Q ,e 1 1 f -3 PW 1' Q v if ,S 'I ' r ' ' . -1 J ft gf?--' .. V is QQ , ' . - ':, , . '1s :xt1., .U ' t-.- -s 'Gi .sw ' ' at - rr- 2 fi 'Q X 1 it G 'X 1 sf . , . , e .1 . stef-1 , ' V K. -: , - 5 r M XA W I V , ' if- t' , XJ. . J, Qt- , 2 4 L! ' . ' -A ' -' ..f:: l . 1 . T fi ,Q 9 L -1 r , i 1? ,t 5 ' 4 ff ' t -1 Y -151 f 'ff 1 0, 1 ' g. mil ' ' '- ? '- .ki 3 .1 ,'i'2,J+A-Q 27 Q. N '- ' I ' ., ss: 'Q f ' 1: . ':, see! . ', - - fl' 1 '1 A- sf si -2 . If ,XF . -1 . ,fb , D A is N N , - , - -M I levee i' A-' 1 A A f - P -- -- 7 , - - The class of 1885 was the first class to graduate after Parsons was appointed president, President Parsons and his Board of Trustees, Nine .- Howard s-'INT . JI N1,,,. X-A -1-- Sandison served as Vice-President to Parsons from 1885 until hls retirement in 1917. Parsons and Sandison were members ofthe first graduating class. F f ,ffQg'11MENeCEfWEP!Xvr ' 4 1' if EXERCISES 11 1 H tate .NaO1511Q2l1j1SKf1QOU1, 'l'L'lT'5lD.'kS . JI'Nl:f. '35, 1H'72. ' 1 ..,, A--QS-0---Q-M 1 .ik , - I 1 FRQGRKMME 9:50 AJE1 J ff. ' '.'t!.-1 liz. sm' rw., Cclftllied 5.1.1 Huw M B HQPNQNS Sep! Put, '15 J. 1',. -rr-ff ul: C'1'ft'1'. Q.- f. ts MW, if ef,-we-, toes' by M-as suse Erasmus S ff rt .ix af: .1'1li,'.'f'f' F..-1 1 Lg- tum 1 1. x ,by MISS SELLE POV-'NEP V' ffm 4 s. f,. sf my 1'f'11J.'!.-. -t pam -:rf a. ,H , s.,..:q t, me Hams starr f. L1':f'i'.., f. tl. lffi' l7't'fmd'Af.'-5 Lt',r..w.'. E3 UH: Tx'-wvw1':e'S -7: 25.6 GRADUATIPQG CLASS W. X112 1-If .'i2l.'rU .'It':H.' 5'nf'n,'1'. nf f1igu'Qft't'fl. f.'t'ft'1rY' 471 f1'tM'5.': f Of- 1116 fhrdfff .S'f'1Q1Pm1f WM, NN PARSGNS rf, ,I! fr:1:. fa Civ. mfg .f If.-Q If ,!nf,'n'fa.'a .S1'C'l1'4'1'. HOWLRD SLNDISON 21. . ,1. .. Y.: -' ! ':'1 ' ffl :jf C1w !.f,45t'tf!t.v. ,- f 1 : 1- 1. .1-f ..ie..H,,, - -Q

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-V.. The second Normal Building. Old Main , opened for classes in the fall of 1888. After the extinguishing ofthe fire, all that was left was smoking, broken walls of the building, six-hundred earnest students, about thirty faculty members, and the intangible real spirit of the Indiana State Normal School . After the fire, President Parsons and Vice- President Howard Sandison announced that classes would resume at 8:50 a.m. the following morning, Through the courtesy of the churches and private citi- zens of Terre Haute, temporary classrooms were made available. The Centenary Methodist Church was the main center until the second floor of the city high school was sufficiently equipped and conditioned to serve as quarters until the end of the school year. Steps were immediately taken to erect another building on the old foundation. As a result of a petition signed by more than twelve hundred citizens, the City council appropriated 325,000 for the school on April 17. This was clone by a unanimous vote. while there was only one dissenting vote on july 5 when an addi- tional 325,000 was appropriated. At the next session of the state legislature a total of 3100,000 was ap- propriatedg 360,000 for the restoration of the main building, 313,000 for the boiler house, 315,000 for the library and 312,000 for the science equipment, fur- niture, and incidentals. This money was used to com- plete the new building, referred to as Old Main , which opened its unfinished doors for the fall term of 1888. Eleven ll , l MII! ,..-as aqua- N do -'vs - fs 5 ' 'il , III' ' .Nl ' N , te Q . A -ti. ,,.!!. , H3 gf, ill. , . .1 V , J , Q I M- i g zu . ,, , i as .,..,'- . x ,few N' L - .. - V ' fr. X' '-ai o: f. Q N 'e-' 1.-T . .- J ' ' 5 A . V rs 1 ' A-.41 . ,. A .,, , t , it - -0 :af ,faj.,Wfm0?t1e, 1 r' f- . '- ' , ,....Qi-Q.,-A . .. Qi , -Z -'73 . ' '1Z'a,g1 ,,.'.'-, 'I .- .Ti-13? 'sfo ' Students were packed and ready to leave Terre Ha-ute from Union Station when President Parsons and Vice-President Sandison .in- nnunced that classes would resume at 8,50 A M the following day. After the second floor of the City High School building was equipped, classes were moved there from Centenary Church, .xi