Princeton High School - Tiger Yearbook (Princeton, IL)

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First Township I-Iigh School in Illinois In the beautiful little city of Princeton, county seat of Bureau County, famed throughout Northern Illinois for its lovely residences, spacious lawns, well shaded streets and avenues, is located the first township high school erected in the state of Illinois. The idea of a high school was first agitated by the citizens of Prince- ton in the fall of 1865 and some of the iniiuential citizens of the community got together to devise plans for putting their ideas into some tangible form. lt was thought by the promoters of the movement that the township trustees had authority under the then existing laws to organize the township into a high school district and the trustees in accordance with the desire of the promoters acted upon this proposition. They organized the township into the High School District of Princeton and an election was called for April 23I'Cl, 1866, at which time a site of ten acres beautifully and centrally located was selected. A board of three directors composed of john H. Bryant, brother of the famous poet. XfVilliam Cullen Bryant: Rev. Iflavel Ilascom and Jacob Critzman, all of Whom have since passed fro-m earth, was elected to admin- ister the affairs of the district. This board organized April goth and imme- diately formulated plans for carrying out the scheme of its originators: a contract was let for the erection of a building to cost about forty-five thousand dollars and to be completed about June Ist, 1867. Money, the one great necessary item in such undertakings, was ob- tained by the issuing of provisional bonds guaranteed by the public spirited citizens of the township. These bonds were mostly negotiated in the east through the efforts of lXlr. J. H. Bryant. The first attempt at negotiating these bonds, however, met with some difliculty, growing out of the fact that con- siderable doubt was felt as to the legality of the proceedings of the school trustees and accordingly a bill was introduced into the legislature legalizing the action of the Board of Trustees and confirming all contracts made in pursuance thereof and this special bill became a law on january 28th. 1867. after which the bonds were negotiated. In order to provide for the future existence of the school and to make perpetual its Board of Education, a bill drawn by Geo. O. Ide of Princeton was introduced into the Legislature in january, 1857, after being submitted to the scrutiny of Newton Bateman who was then Superintendent of Public Instruction. This special piece of legislation which was and is today the original charter of the Princeton High School passed the Legisla- Pagc Eighteen

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EIWOH 'IOOI-IOS HFIO

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ture and was approved by Governor Oglesby, February 15th. 1867. lly its terms tl1e High School District of Princeton was created a body of corporate and politic by tl1e name of the Board of Education of the Princeton High School District. This board was made successors to and vested with power to assume and C7J.l'I'y out all contracts made by former organization. The Hon. tl. H. Bryant, Rev. lilavel llascom, jacob Critzman. Matthew Trimble and Geo. U. lde were named as the first lloard of Educa- tion. These were invested with the usual powers of the school trustees and school directors as then exercised with some twelve or more enumerated powers. Such was the beginning of the Hrst High School in the State. lt was watched with great interest by the educators of the state and so admirably did it meet tl1e requirements that brought it into existence that in 1872 in a thorough revision of the school law there was enacted a general provision for the township high school under which numerous high schools of the state have been incorporated. To Prof. H. L. Boltwood belonged the honor of Offfillllllllg' tl1e school. He was its principal for eleven years from September 1867, to 1878, when he was called to Ottawa, lll.. to take charge of the high school there. ln 1933 he left Ottawa to become the head of the Evanston High School, where he rem'ained until his death so111e four years ago. having been engaged most successively at Princeton, Ottawa and Evanston for over fifty years. Tl1e va1'ious Zlllfl ever increasing demands occasioned by its growth have been promptly met by the citizens of the township. who are justly proud of the reputation of their high school. ln 1894 and again in IQOS the school building was remodeled Hllll greatly enlarged, and being situated as it is in the center of a beautifully shaded campus of ten acres. presents an imposing appearance. It is equipped with a modern heating and lighting plant and in all its appointments. its large and commodious study hall. laboratories. gymnasium, library and recitation rooms it compares most favorably with the best in the state. The library consisting of over 2600 volumes has been catalogued lllltlCI' the direction of a11 expert librarian of the Armour institute of Technology by tl1e Dictionary and Card Catalogue System. The faculties of the school have enjoyed all enviable reputation throughout. The present faculty consisting of Mr. H. S. Magill, -lr., Prin- cipal, and his fourteen teachers have been selected with a view to their moral worth as well as intellectual qualifications. Mr. Nagill has had charge as principal for seven years. He is well equipped by nature and literary attain- ments for his profession and watcl1es every detail of the work with the same Page Nineteen