Dubuque Public Schools-1861

BEECHER, WILTSE, CHILDS, LANGTON, KELLEY, BISSELL, BELDEN, HINDS, NEWBERRY, TAYLOR, THEDINGA, BLOSSOM, BROWN, WOODRUFF, MACKENZIE, KRETSCHMER

Posted By: cheryl Locher moonen (email)
Date: 2/8/2020 at 09:49:28

Dubuque Weekly Times. Thursday, Feb 28, 1861, Dubuque, Iowa, Page 2

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
In the year 1849 it was resolved to levy a tax of 2 ½ mills on the dollar for the purpose of erecting three school buildings. This was in reality the beginning of the Pubis School system of the city. Two schools buildings were built at a cost of $5,000. In 1856 the city council by an ordinance provided a Board of Education. The first Board of Education in conjunction with the City Council succeeded in building three school houses, one on the corner of Clay and 12th Streets, another on Bluff below 1st, and a third on Johnson Avenue. These building are the same in plan.

The one first erected of the public school cost about $35,000. The second public school with lot cost $35,000. The thirds school $27,000, making in all a total cost of $97,000. In addition to these several other buildings and lots are in the possession of the Board of Education, giving to the school property of the city value of over $100,000. Since the erection of these buildings, the crowning work, the purchase of a High School has been accomplished. It was obtained from the trustees of the Female College at a cost of $12,500. Such are the school buildings of Dubuque, noble specimens of architecture and ornaments to our city. But greater far more valuable for the good work they are doing in educating the youth of Dubuque.

There are now in the school district of the city of Dubuque 4,000 children entitled to the benefit of the schools, of these 1,500 are being educated by the people in the schools, and it is to be hoped that the day is not far distant when all will be brought within the influence of the schools.

The first Board was composed of H. A. Wiltse, President, C. Childs, Secretary; J. A. Langton, W. J. Kelley ad F. E. Bissell.

The present Board consists of C. W. Belden, President, F. Hinds, Vice President, S. Newberry, Secretary, J. W. Taylor, Treasurer, and J. H. Thedinga, A. Blossom and A. L. Brown Directors.

First Public School-J. M. Woodruff, Principal.
Second Pubic School-Charles Mackenzie, Principal
Third Public School-C. G. Kretschmer, Principal,

The text books used are as follow:
Parker and Watson’s Series of Readers.
Sander’s and Merrill’s Elocutionary Chart.
Webster’s Dictionary.
Davies’ Arithmetic’s. Davies’ Algebra.
Davies’ Geometry.
Cornell’s Geometry.
Cornell’s Geographies.
Tower’s Grammar.
Wells’ Philosophy.
Parker and Watson’s Speller.
Wilson’s History

On each school there are three departments-Grammar, Primary, Secondary; and in each department four classed-A, B, C, and D, giving to each pupil five months in each class as he advanced from class to class.

ALEXANDER COLLEGE
Our city though young has already contained two flourishing collegiate institutions.
An institution for the education of young men in the studies of college was established under a regular charter by the Synod of Iowa, with a regular Board of Trustees, appointed in the Spring of 1853, and a full and capable faculty. It contains a promising Freshmen class, and its auspices were most flattering, but the crisis seized it and its doors were finally closed in the Spring of 1857, and the building sold for the purpose of a Hospital.

THE DUBUQUE FEMALE COLLEGE

Was incorporated in 1853 and began a course which promised great results. In the spring of 1854, the first school was opened in the Centenary M. E. Church; and since that time a handsome edifice has been erected. This Institution was under the patronage of Miss Catherine E. Beecher and her co-adjustors in the work of Female Education, and from them received and endowment of $20,000, upon condition that a suitable building should be erected by the citizens. The present building was completed; the estimated cost of the whole, furnishing and other necessary etcetera’s, was 20,000. The building is designed to accommodate at least 500 pupils. The great design of the institution was to give young ladies such an education that should be fit them, not only, for literary and scientific pursuits, but next to this, and paramount to all else, that course of training which would tend to invigorate, strengthened and encourage those qualities that constitute the real woman, her moral attributes.

Within its halls for four years the females of Dubuque and the surrounding country were taught all that can elevate, refine and adorn, but the spirit of enterprise and speculation also chocked on this in 1859. The building was sold to the Board of Education for High School purposes.

The fate of those two institutions show that our people care less for education of a higher order than they do for that found in our Public Schools.

ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

There are also private schools in the city under the charge of the Roman Catholic Church of this city.

Of these there are four situated in different parts of the city, and they contain about 500 pupils. They are sustained by revenue obtained from the different patrons of the schools, and are under direct supervision of the church.