Schools

Mr. W. J. Covil was the first advanced teacher and Mr. D. D. Miracle was the second advanced teacher starting in 1862 when the first two grades of high school were added. Mr. Covil became superintendent but was replaced by Mr. Miracle in 1864 when Covil became ill. Mr. Miracle suggested that a fund be developed to secure a bell to hang in a bell tower. It was said that this bell came from the grounded steamboat that was sent up the Des Moines River to allow its owners to acquire land similar to the grants given to the railroad. This boat was the Charles Rogers. This bell hung in the tower of Union School, then at the Academy, next in the Old North Building, then moved to the Barracks School (which was some army barracks erected where Elm Park is now located), and finally to a specially constructed bell tower that sat between Washintgon Central and the Courthouse. After the high school moved to Lynx Avenue, the bell was placed in a tripod tower until it cracked. Then it was junked, and a new bell replaced it. By that time no one realized the historical significance of the old school bell.

In 1873, Ed Burgess became the principal of the school. He later passed the bar and practiced law. Then he became a trustee of the Kendall Young Library and served until his death as the first librarian.

Another school, a frame structure, was constructed on the east side of the river, just across the Bank Street bridge on Columbia Street. It was called the East Ward School, but was generally known as "Calamity School," named for the hill which residents called Calamity Hill due to the large number of accidents on the icy slope in the winter. This school consisted only of the first three grades and was taught for a time by Ella Burleson.

By 1875 a Dartmouth College graduate, Professor F. O. Baldwin, opened "The Academy," a private school in a two-story frame building measuring 25 X 40 which was located on the north side of Bank Street about two lots east of Fuller Hall. Bookkeeping , German, and Latin were featured in this school. The block south of The Academy was all swamp. A wooden bridge allowed pedestrians to get over the swamp. When Baldwin decided to quit the school business, the board decided to combine the Academy with the high school.

The first commencement took place in 1881 with four graduates, all girls. They were Nora Thompson, Anna Parker, Clara Willson, and Teresa Willson. The two Willson girls were the daughters of Sumler Willson. In 1882 the Union School was torn down and replaced with North Building. While North Building was under construction, classes were held in church basements, The Academy, Union Hall (which was located on Seneca near Bank Street.) The first floor of Union Hall housed the creamery. When the big churns cranked up the whole building shook. The upper floor was divided by partitions with the east half for the ninth and tenth grades, the west half for the eleventh and twelfth grades.

By 1890, the schools were becoming overcrowded again. The basement of the Methodist Church and some vacant stores were pressed into service as school rooms. This continued until D. M. Kelly became superintendent in 1909. He pressed for a new building for the high school which was built in 1912. Mr. Alexander Groves gave to the new school, the Lincoln building, a statue of Lincoln in memory of his son, Harry. The statue was placed on the third floor in the auditorium for several years on a green marble base. When the statue was moved outside to the northwest corner of Lincoln building it was placed on a different base. The old marble base was then given by Mrs. Alexander to the the D. A. R. for placement on the Kendall Young Library grounds to commemorate the Dragoon Trail. The Lincoln statue stands outside today on the east walk to the present high school building.