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Wilmettes 75th Anniversury 1872-1947WILMETTE LIFEserved as superintendent untilJthe fall of 1908. During this. Robb Harperperiod the Tenth street buildingwas erected.Tells SultOolr yV o\JXf in October 1908 Mr. Logie againresigned to accept a principalshipSchooin the Chicago schools and J. Robbl SystemsHarper accepted the position of sup-erintendent serving until 1942. (Mr.Earliest Records Lost; First and Mrs. Harper are now residingBuilding Believed to Hav ate Hartford, Mich-Ed.)BeenIn 1893 we find the first school in Use by 71west of the tracks. A lot on Prairieavenue north of Central avenue wasBy J. Robb Harperpurchased and a one-room schoolFormer Superintendent oferected This was later enlarged byWilmette schoolsthe addition of two rooms and anIn the early days the school dis- entrance hall. This building wastrict of Wilmette included all theused for school purposes until thearea east of the railroad tracks ex-erection of the present Logan school |cept a small section in the southn- 1910-11.east corner east of Third streetwhich belonged to the Evanston dis-In the early days the growthtrict. It also included a section westof the village was largely eastof the tracks with the western boun-of the tracks so in order to keepdary at Fifteenth street.pace with this growth the build-A JOB WELL DONE Mr. and Mrs J. Robb Harper were photo-ing at the corner of Tenth streetgraphed in 1942 at the time Mr Harper, who had headed the WilmetteUnfortunately the early records ofand Central avenue was erectedschool system (District 39) since 1908, retired. Mrs. Harper, top, tookthe Wilmette school district havein 1906 and the Byron C. Stolpan active part in civic affairs and was one of the founders of thebeen lost and facts known have beenbuilding in 1914-15. To accommo-Parent-Teacher association. In addition to his duties as superintendentput together from word of mouthdate the smaller children in theof schools, Mr. Harper served for many years as a director of thestories of the early settlers and theirsoutheastern part of the districtpublic library Theyre now living in Hartford, Mich. Their son,descendents.lots were purchased and theRobert A., is a member of the faculty of New Trier Township High* * *Laurel school was built inschool, and a resident of Wilmette.According1920-21. to this history, thefirst* . school in Wilmette wasdaries of the village and evenerected at the corner of TenthBy the early twenties it was qiuteincludes a small section of Glen-streetShores Single-Room and Central avenue in theI obvious that the main growth of theview. The school district followsfall of 1871, on a lot of about halfI village was to be west of the tracks.in the main the village boun-Schoolhouse of 63an acre, which in 1869 had beenThe Village of Gross Point was outdonateddaries with the above exception for school purposes byof existence and its territory was in-Henry A. Dingee and Jane A.I corporatedand a small part of WilmetteHad Enrollment of 20 in Wilmette. Parts ofDingee, his wife.Schoothat is in the Avoca School dis-l Districts 37 and 40 had been*addedtrict.Educators today say that "ideal" to District 39. To accommo- *datclassrooms have less than 25 pupils.e the increasing number of chil-This was a typical one-room coun-drenIf this is the case, the one-room in this area the first section This has meant the purchase oftry school. It originally fronted on^hool house located on Green BayCentraof the Arthur H. Howard schoolschool sites and also thel avenue. However, later twoadditional wings were added with aoriginally called the Ridge school I acquired. The board of education I classroom in 1863 for it had on,vtower and entranceTentbut the name was changed when ! has seven school sites comprisingh about 20 Dupils street.Mr. Howard, then president of the I 29/2 acres acquired in the follow- T ..,.board in of education suddenly passed IS order: Central, Logan, Laurel,In writing of this school house,This frame building with itsaway.Howard, Highcrest, Locust road,Mrs. Edward Mendsen said in heradditions sufficed for the needsSince1922erreminiscences that the students three addition and Hars have IP.of the school until 1893, whenbeencame from as far south as Emerson made to this building provid-additional lots were purchasedstreet in Evanston.ing not only more classrooms, buteast of the old school groundsandgymnasium, auditorium and roomsBrick-MakingRecall Names Plan the building, still standing,for special activities. This buildineOf the 20 students attending thisfacing on Central avenue waserectedstands on a 14 acre site purchased.Failed;school in 1863, Mrs. Mendsen, then But Farm*jointly by the Village of WilmetteAnna G. Gedney and a student her- * +Misand the board of education fors May Sheldon was the teacherStayedself, recalled the names of Fred B. for Yearsschooand Cora Merrell, children of Asherl and recreation activities ofin this early school and seems loB. Merrell who lived in the Stebbinsthe village.If you have driven through Kenil-have been universally liked as she * *worthlog tavern; James D. Kline, father of on Sheridan road, near thecontinued teaching until 1892. NooneInWilmetteD. W. Kline, 531 Eighth line, you have passed a James 1932 the balance of District else in these early years hadsuch40, which was the old Gross, park named: for" an early settler. It s sttrreeet;; George McDaniel, son of a continued service. In thePoint school districtis Mahoney park in honor of Dan Alexander McDaniel; Mame and, became athree room school the upper gradepartMahoney, one of the North Shores Frank Westerfield, children of John of the Wilmette school dis-teacher was designated as the prin-cipaltrictfirst farmers.Gedney Westerfield; John Dusham,. This included the High-. No one held this position foranycrest| father of John L. Dusham, 503 Park school which had been length of time until A. J. LyonDan Mahoney and his wife, Brid-cameerectedavenue; Ed Foster, son of William, on a plot of six and a in tig fall of 1891, and contin-eett. came to Wilmette with Johnuedhalf acres on 23rd street near to occupy this position untilGedne"Uncle Billie," Foster who owned ay Westerfield. Mr. Westerfield1896Illinoislog cooperage on Wilmette avenue, road in 1930. Also in-.envisioned Wilmette as an industrialDuring*Mrcludedand Mary Ann Kelley. was the old school on. Lyons time the Cen-Wilmettcenter and brought Mr. Mahoneye avenue and a five-acrehere to make bricks out of the blueTook Turnstral school was built and the cur-site on Locust road.clay from the lake shore. This ven-Frank and Morris Merrell, alsoriculum expanded. At that time Wil-mette* *ture was a failure for the manysons of Asher B. Merrell, took turns children who wished to go tohigh school generally went toThetrees made the manufacture ofteaching at this time. Frank was al- last building to be erectedEvanston.wabricks unnecessary. Furthermore,sso a carpenter and Morris an ac- the J. Robb Harper schoolIn the fall of 1894, some highwhichbricks were being made at St.countant, and so when one had was built on a five acre siteschool subjects were offered in or-ourchased by the board of educa-John, north of Highland Park, and other business to tend, the otherder that pupils could enter hightion in 1935. This school stands onat Deerfield.took over the classroom.school with advanced standing.Dartmouth street facing GreenwoodPurchased FarmAccording to Mrs. Mendsen, theThis was continued until the open-avenue.Thusstudents used slates, Spencerian, Dan Mahoney gave up theing of New Trier high school in 1901.Succeedingcopy and pens, and McGuffeys boards of educationbrick business and purchased a large * *have"Reader." had to meet two problems,farm north of the Indian reserva-In 1896 the first kindergartenfirst to provide additional schooltion and on the Kenilworth line.was opened in Wilmette withMisroom space for the rapidly increas- Here he and his wife became well-ON VILLAGE BOARDs Clara H. Uecke as theing school enrollment and the sec- known to all early settlers for theyRecord for the longest term ofteacher. The first man given theond to provide playground space for | supplied the North Shore settlementservice on the village board, 12title of superintendent was A. E.the children attending these schools, with butter, eggs and milk. SomeLogieyears, is held by Hubbard Latham., who assumed the positionThese problems were aggravated by old town folks undoubtedly have His service, however, was inter^in the fall of 1896. He servedthe fact that the boundaries of the heard stories of driving over to Danunti rul?ted Mr Latham first becoming J -- mff L L4 ^J tVu f 1111 i T^ 111 d 114 11L 4 I 1^^ V vll 1X11 C^l 1903 when he resigned todistrict were constantly expanding.becomeMahoney s farm for produce and Superintendent of a village trustee in 1876 and finaU * *Schools at Fargo, N. D. Herberthaving a piece of Bridget! MahoneysIn retiring from the board in 1893. the past 25 years, by peti-Bassetplet was the next superin-tion or electionJoseph Heinzen had 11 years on the, eight additionstendent and served for threehave been made to the districtanTdhis farm was later subdivided board, his terms, too, being not sold. The family gave Kenil-yearsconsecutive. F. P. Sheldon and. Mr. Lopie returned toWilmettwhich now extends from the lakeworth the tract of land now knownJoseph F. Rossberger each servede in 1906 and againon the east to the western boun-| as Mahoney park.10 consecutive years.