“It is uncertain who taught the first school in this township, nor have we learned that any was in existence prior to 1837.
The first board of school inspectors met April 10, 1838, and organized seven school districts. It is quite certain that during the same summer log school-houses were erected in at least four of the districts mentioned.
In October, 1838, reports were received from the directors of districts 2, 3, 6, and 7, but the statistics regarding the same have not been preserved.
Mr. William McClary is of the opinion that a small log school-house was built near Dr. James Harris’ residence in 1837, where Mr. Rogers, now of Galesburg, was one of the early teachers, and that the old fiame school-house now standing near the line between sections 18 and 19 was built in 1838, Miss Tuttle teaching the first school in the same.
In 1840* reports were received from districts 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7, as follows:
No. 1.—C. M. Nichols, director; scholars, 42.
No. 2.—Joseph Whitford, director; scholars, 29; attending school, 45; time school has been taught, 6 months; amount raised, $59.50.
No. 5.—Alpha Tubbs, director; scholars, 25.
No. 6.—Potter Eldred, director; scholars, 48; attending school, 63; time school has been taught, 4 months; amount raised, $78.
No. 7.—Ebenezer G. Flanders, director; scholars, 38; attending school, 44; time school has been taught, 3 months; amount raised, $47.45.
The school books named as then in use were Parley’s, Olney’s, and Smith’s Geographies, Murray’s and Kirkham’s Grammar, Daboll’s Arithmetic, The Rhetorical Reader, The Old and New English Reader, the New Testament, and Webster’s Elementary Spelling-Book.
The following year (1841) reports were received from seven school districts, and, as will be shown, the aggregate of children of school age then residing in the township was greater than at the present time:
District No. 1, C. M. Nichols, director, 40 scholars. No. 2, Joseph Whitford, director, 29 scholars. No. 3, James Harris, director, 30 scholars. No. 4, Henry Clinton, director, 16 scholars. No. 5, Alpha Tubbs, director, 24 scholars. No. 6, L. Capron, director, 42 scholars. No. 7, Worden Wells, director, 43 scholars.
The amount received from the public school fund for the same period was $71, represented by $46 in State scrip, $20 in State bonds, and $5 in Eastern funds.
The names of persons receiving teachers’ certificates are not mentioned until 1843. Those licensed during the latter year were Jane Lee, Nancy Hopkins, Mary J. West, Celestia C. Tuttle, Emma J. Whitford, Franklin Whittlesey, and Sylvanus Owen. In 1844, Sophronia Beckwith, Marriette Livings, Henry D. Rogers, — Brinckerhoff, Cornelia McClary, P. H. Whitford, Harvey Bush. In 1845, C. S. Mason, Sophronia Beckwith, Elizabeth Penfield, Emma J. Whitford, Miranda Weed, Marriette Livings, Ebenezer G. Flanders, and Laura Beach.
The following statistics from the annual report of the township board of education for the year ending Sept. 1, 1879, show the present condition of schools:
| Number of whole districts………………………… |
6 |
| Number of children of school age in township…. |
213 |
| Number of children attending school during year. |
180 |
| Number of frame school-houses……………………. |
6 |
| Seating capacity of school-houses………………… |
301 |
| Value of school property…………………………. |
$3600 |
| Male teachers employed during year……………. |
4 |
| Female teachers employed during year…………. |
9 |
| Months taught by male teachers…………………. |
17 |
| Months taught by female teachers………………. |
31 |
| Paid male teachers……………………………….. |
$519 |
| Paid female teachers……………………………. |
$465.50 |
| Total resources……………………………………… |
$1706.75 |
* Squire Giddings taught the scholars from districts I and 2, during the winter of 1839 and ‘40, in an old log house standing about forty rods west of “Cock’s Corners.”