The germ of the free public school system of Iowa, which now ranks second to none in the United States, was planted by the first settlers, and in no other public measure have the people ever since taken so deep an interest. They have expanded and improved their original system until now it is justly considered one of the most complete, comprehensive and liberal in the country.

      Nor is this to be wondered at when it is remembered that humble log school-houses were built almost as soon as the log cabins of the earliest settlers were occupied, and school-teachers were among the first immigrants to Iowa. Schools, therefore, the people have had everywhere from the start, and the school-houses, in their character and accommodations, have kept fully abreast with the times.

      The first school-house within the limits of Iowa was a log cabin at Dubuque, built by J. L. Langworthy and a few other miners, in the autumn of 1833. When it was completed George Cabbage was employed as teacher during the winter of 1883-‘4, thirty-five pupils attending his school. Barrett Whittemore taught the next school term, with twenty-five pupils in attendance. Mrs. Caroline Dexter commenced teaching in Dubuque in March, 1836. She was the first female teacher there, and probably the first in Iowa. In 1839 Thomas H. Benton, Jr., afterward for ten years Superintendent of Public Instruction, opened an English and classical school in Dubuque. The first tax for the support of schools at Dubuque was levied in 1840.

      At Burlington a commodious log school-house, built in 1834, was among the first buildings erected. A Mr. Johnson taught the first school in the winter of 1834-‘5.

      In Muscatine County, the first school was taught by George Bumgardner, in the spring of 1837. In 1839 a log school-house was erected in Muscatine, which served for a long time as school-house, church and public hall.

      The first school in Davenport was taught in 1838. In Fairfield, Miss Clarissa Sawyer, James F. Chambers and Mrs. Reed taught school in 1839.

      Johnson County was an entire wilderness when Iowa City was located as the capital of the Territory of Iowa, in May, 1839. The first sale of lots took place August 18, 1839, and before January 1, 1840, about twenty families had settled within the limits of the town. During the same year Jesse Berry opened a school in a small frame building he had erected on what is now College street.

      In Monroe County, the first settlement was made in 1843, by Mr. John R. Gray, about two miles from the present site of Eddyville; and in the summer of 1844 a log school-house was built by Gray, William V. Beedle, C. Renfro, Joseph McMullen and Willoughby Randolph, and the first school was opened by Miss Urania Adams. The building was occupied for school purposes for nearly ten years.

      About a year after the first cabin was built at Oskaloosa, a log school-house was built, in which school was opened by Samuel W. Caldwell, in 1844.

      At Fort Des Moines, now the capital of the State, the first school was taught by Lewis Whitten, Clerk of the District Court, in the winter of 1846-‘7, in one of the rooms on “Coon Row,” built for barracks.

      The first school in Pottawattamie County was opened by George Green, a Mormon, at Council Point, prior to 1849; and until about 1854 nearly all the teachers in that vicinity were Mormons.

      The first school in Decorah was taught in 1855, by Cyrus C. Carpenter, since Governor of the State. In Crawford County the first school-house was built in Mason’s Grove, in 1856, and Morris McHenry first occupied it as teacher.

      During the first twenty years of the history of Iowa, the log school-house prevailed, and in 1861 there were 893 of these primitive structures in use for school purposes in the State. Since that time they have been gradually disappearing. In 1864 there were 796, in 1870, 336; and in 1875, 121.

      In 1846, the year of Iowa’s admission as a State, there were 20,000 scholars out of 100,000 inhabitants. About 400 school districts had been organized. In 1850 there were 1,200, and in 1857 the number had increased to 3,265.

      In March, 1858, upon the recommendation of Hon. M. L. Fisher, then Superintendent of Public Instructions, the seventh General Assembly enacted that “each civil township is declared a school district,” and provided that these should be divided into sub-districts. This law went into force March 20, 1858, and reduced the number of school districts from about 3,500 to less than 900. This change of school organization resulted in a very material reduction of the expenditures for the compensation of district secretaries and treasurers. An effort was made for several years, from 1867 to 1872, to abolish the sub-district system. Mr. Kissell, Superintendent, recommended this in his report of January 1, 1872, and Governor Merrill forcibly endorsed his views in his annual message. But the Legislature of that year provided for the formation of independent districts from the sub-districts of district townships.

      The system of graded schools was inaugurated in 1849, and new schools, in which more than one teacher is employed, are universally graded.

      Teachers’ institutes were organized early in the history of the State. The first official mention of them occurs in the annual report of Hon. Thomas H. Benton, Jr., made December 2, 1850, who said: “An institution of this character was organized a few years ago, composed of the teachers of the mineral regions of Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. An association of teachers has also been formed in the county of Henry, and an effort was made in October last to organize a regular institute in the county of Jones.”

      No legislation, however, was held until March, 1858, when an act was passed authorizing the holding of teachers’ institutes for periods not less than six working days, whenever not less than thirty teachers should desire. The superintendent was authorized to expend not exceeding $100 for any one institute, to be paid out by the county superintendent, as the institute may direct, for teachers and lecturers, and $1,000 was appropriated to defray the expenses of these institutes. Mr. Fisher at once pushed the matter of holding institutes, and December 6, 1858, he reported to the Board of Education that institutes had been appointed in twenty counties within the preceding six months, and more would have been held but the appropriation had been exhausted. At the first session of the Board of Education, commencing December 6, 1858, a code of school laws was enacted, which retained the existing provisions for teachers’ institutes. In March, 1860, the General Assembly amended the act of the board by appropriating “a sum not exceeding $50 annually for one such institute, held as provided by law in each county.” In 1865 the superintendent, Mr. Faville, reported that “the provision made by the State for the benefit of teachers’ institutes has never been so fully appreciated, both by the people and the teachers, as during the last two years.” Under this law an institute is held annually in each county, under the direction of the county superintendent.

      By an act approved March 19, 1874, normal institutes were established in each county, to be held annually by the county superintendent. This was regarded as a very decided step in advance by Mr. Bernethy, and in 1876 the General Assembly established the first permanent State Normal School at Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, appropriating the building and property of the Soldiers’ Orphans Home at that place for that purpose. This school is now “in the full tide of successful experiment.”

      Funds for the support of public schools are derived in several ways. The sixteenth section of every congressional township was set apart by the General Government for school purposes, being one thirty-sixth part of all the lands of the State. The minimum price of these lands was fixed at $1.25 per acre. Congress also made an additional donation to the State of 500,000 acres, and an appropriation of 5 per cent on all the sales of public lands to the school fund. The State gives to this fund the proceeds of the sales of all lands which escheat to it; the proceeds of all fines for the violation of the liquor and criminal laws. The money derived from these sources constitutes the permanent school fund of the State, which cannot be diverted to any other purpose. The penalties collected by the court for fines and forfeitures go to the school fund in the counties where collected. The proceeds of the sale of lands and the 5 per cent fund go into the State Treasury, and the State distributes these proceeds to the several counties according to their request.

      In 1844 there were in the State 4,399 school districts, containing 11,244 schools, and employing 21,776 teachers. The average monthly pay of male teachers was $32.50 and of female teachers $27.25. There were 594,730 persons of school age, of whom 431,513 were enrolled in the public schools. The average cost of tuition for each pupil per month was $1.62. The expenditures for all school purposes was $5,129,819.49. The permanent school fund is now $3,547,123.82, on which the income for 1881 was $234,622.40.

      Besides the State University, Agricultural College and Normal School, described on preceding pages, ample provision for higher education has been made by the different religious denominations, assisted by local and individual beneficence. There are, exclusive of State institutions, twenty-three universities and colleges, and one hundred and eleven academies and other private schools for the higher branches. All these are in active operation, and most of them stand high.

      Amity College, located at College Springs, Page County, has eight instructors and two hundred and forty-five students.

      Burlington University, eight instructors and forty-three pupils.

      Callanan College, at Des Moines, has eighteen in the faculty and one hundred and twenty students enrolled.

      Central University, at Pella, Marion County, is under the auspices of the Baptist church, and has eleven in the faculty and one hundred and two students.

      Coe College, at Cedar Rapids, has a faculty of ten, and an attendance of one hundred and ninety-nine.

      Cornell College, Methodist Episcopal, at Mt. Vernon, Linn County, has eighteen members of the faculty and four hundred and seventy-nine scholars. This is a strong institution.

      Drake University, at Des Moines, has thirty instructors and three hundred and twenty-five pupils.

      Griswold College, at Davenport, is under the control of the Episcopal church, and has seven instructors and seventy-five students.

      Iowa College, at Grinnell, is permanently endowed. Has fourteen instructors and three hundred and eight-four students.

      Iowa Wesleyan University (Methodist Episcopal), at Mt. Pleasant, has six members of the faculty and one hundred and seventy-five students.

      Luther College, at Decorah, Winneshiek County, has a faculty of ten, and one hundred and sixty-five pupils.

      Oskaloosa College has a faculty of five, and one hundred and thirty-five students.

      Penn College, at Oskaloosa, has a faculty of five members, and one hundred and forty pupils in attendance.

      Simpson Centenary College, at Indianola, Warren County (Methodist Episcopal) has a faculty of seven and an attendance of two hundred.

      Tabor College, at Tabor, Fremont County, modeled after Oberlin (Ohio) College, has twelve members in the faculty and an attendance of two hundred and ten scholars.

      University of Des Moines has five instructors and fifty pupils.

      Upper Iowa University (Methodist Episcopal,) located at Fayette, in Fayette County, has eleven instructors and three hundred and fifty students.

      Whittier College, at Salem, Henry County, is under the auspices of the Friends. There are two instructors and sixty pupils.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~