WILLIAM SHIRLEY, KOSSUTH COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT

This winter I have been working on a project for the Kossuth County Genealogical Society organizing all of the information the society has on country schools.  Kossuth County used to be dotted with country schools that were located every two miles or so and quite often we receive inquiries about locations of schools, teachers who taught at them, and students who attended them.  It was time to get all of the information that we have organized into one location.

As a part of that project, I kept running across the name of William Shirley who served as County School Superintendent from 1912 to 1940.  I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at his life to both share with you and to include with the country school information.

SHIRLEY COMES TO SWEA CITY

Shirley first came to Kossuth County in 1906 to serve as superintendent of the new Swea City High School which had been built in 1903.  Born near Springfield, Illinois, Shirley had moved with his family to Minburn, Iowa, when he was 14 and he completed his high school education there.  After teaching for a year, he sought a civil engineering degree at the college in Ames.  He then taught for four years before accepting a position as principal at Waukee where he served until taking the job in Swea City.

Shirley was popular with the area citizens and well-suited for the position.  During the next six years, he worked tirelessly for the students under his care, always striving to increase the scholastic standards to provide a top-notch education.  In 1912 when then-serving Superintendent Sid Backus announced that he would not seek reelection, William Shirley decided to run for the position of Kossuth County School Superintendent.

William Shirley
Campaign Postcard

Handwritten message on each postcard

THE CAMPAIGN AND ELECTION

Both Shirley and Frank Sarchet, a teacher, announced their intention to run on the Republican ticket, necessitating a primary runoff.  Mr. Shirley hit the ground running and was often seen riding a motorcycle while campaigning.  He had the advantage of being the “candidate of north Kossuth” where he was well known.  His political advertising boldly stated that he represented a part of the county that was entitled to a county office.  He pointed out that the county attorney was from Whittemore, the Clerk resided in LuVerne, Wesley was the home of the Treasurer, the current superintendent was from Bancroft, and the auditor, recorder and sheriff lived in Algona.  Using print ads, letters, and postcards, Shirley outspent his opponent 2 to 1.  The spending paid off as he defeated Sarchet quite soundly – 1300 votes to 649.

Upper Des Moines-Republican, June 5, 1912

The Democratic candidate for the election was a teacher from the Fenton area, Margaret Dorweiler.  Shirley kept a steady pace of canvassing the county throughout the summer while Miss Dorweiler was on a European trip.  Once she returned in September, she conducted a remarkable campaign while still teaching full time.  The election results were actually closer than expected.  Shirley received 2207 to Dorweiler’s 1994 – a difference of 213 votes.  Keep in mind that in 1912 women did not have the right to vote so Margaret could not cast a vote in her own favor.  However, given the support received, she obviously was able to convince the Democratic male voters in the county that she was worthy of the position.

Portion of 1912 ballot showing
Candidates Shirley and Dorweiler 

THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT

The county superintendent’s office was located in a cramped office in the Kossuth County Courthouse.  The new superintendent settled quickly into his office and began his duties.  One of the first things he did was purchase a Kodak camera with which to take photos of every school building and yard in Kossuth County with the intention of leaving his successor a pictorial record of the conditions of the schools when Shirley took office.  What a prize that would be to have today!

He also hired a deputy superintendent who just happened to be his wife, Grace (Barger) Shirley.  The two had married in 1900 and had three children – Hale, Pearl and John.  Grace became an integral part of the superintendent’s office.  Her husband was often out of the office inspecting schools, conducting examinations and attending meetings leaving her to deal with much of the paperwork as well as unexpected callers who had business to conduct with the superintendent.  She managed the office with a pleasant and cheerful attitude.

Although he was quite loyal to the north part of the county it became apparent very quickly after the election that it would be necessary to move to Algona.  The family purchased a home on South Dodge Street and took possession April 1, 1913.  They would soon become active in many community activities and the Methodist Church.  Mr. Shirley served on many local committees including the one formed to assist with the placement of orphan train children who arrived in 1916.

CONDUCTING BUSINESS

Superintendent Shirley made it a policy to regularly visit the schools under his charge.  With over 150 schools in the county, that was quite an undertaking.  He was also in charge of hiring and monitoring all teachers, administering teacher and eighth grade student exams, and conducting graduation ceremonies and spelling bees, among many other duties.

Mr. Shirley was an imaginative educator.  One of the first things he did when he took office was order seeds from Washington, D.C. which he distributed to students to raise their own gardens.  When the war years arrived, the Superintendent organized a bean growing club to help raise navy beans for the troops.  He sent out postcards to every boy in the county asking them to commit to raising a certain number of acres.  He assisted them by providing the seed. 

The influenza outbreak of 1918 brought some challenges.  Approximately half of the schools in the county were closed due to the epidemic.  In November he contracted influenza and was absent for some time.  When he returned, he found that he was short ten teachers.  Some had left to find other employment and others were gone due to illness or death – Ethel Bailey, who taught in the Fenton area, died of influenza on December 11, 1918.  The teacher shortage continued throughout the war.

Every year the Kossuth County Teachers Association hosted an institute which the Shirleys helped to organize.  Teachers from across the county attended and were encouraged to socialize at the reception held as part of the event.  Local well-known educators such as Minnie Coate and J.F. Overmyer guided participants in workshops for each level – primary, elementary and high school – and speakers on various aspects of child development and educational methods made it an important event each year.

Plum Creek School #7
Located in Section 34, Plum Creek Township

Visiting schools was one of Shirley’s favorite duties.  He was often accompanied by a district director and would drop by a school to observe the teacher and students as they went through their day.  He took a personal interest in the children at each school and would often take some time to talk with them or quiz them on spelling words or arithmetic problems.

THE PASSING OF AN ERA

Outside of school, Shirley enjoyed hunting with friends, especially in Eagle Township near Swea City where he first settled in the county.  He and Grace also enjoyed traveling to visit their children.  Their oldest, Hale, became a doctor and settled in California; daughter Pearl married and lived near Washington, D.C.; and youngest son, John, was employed as an instructor at Michigan State University. 

Grace and William Shirley in 1938
Pictured on steps of
Kossuth County Courthouse

On the evening of Sunday, May 18, 1940, William Shirley sat down in his favorite chair and turned on the radio to listen to the news.  A massive heart attack took his life moments later.  His death sent a shock wave through the county where he had served over 27 years.  It was a double blow to his wife who not only lost her husband but also her job as deputy superintendent.

During his tenure many changes took place in education which included the superintendent position going from an elected position to one appointed by the supervisors and saw the consolidation of school districts.  William Shirley took them all in stride and did his best to provide Kossuth County children with the best education possible.

CAN YOU HELP?

If any of you have photos of any of the country schools that once stood in Kossuth County, the genealogy society would be most grateful to have a copy to add to its collection.  A digital copy can be emailed to kossgensoc@gmail.com.  We would be happy to scan and return any photo if you are unable to scan them yourself.  It would also be wonderful to obtain copies of other materials concerning students or teachers at country schools such as report cards, attendance records, lesson plans, or other data that you may be willing to share.  All materials will be returned to you after copying/scanning unless you wish to donate them.  Please feel free to contact us at the above noted email address if you have any information to share.

Until next time,

Jean

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NORTHERN IOWA NORMAL SCHOOL

One of the dreams of the early founders of our community was the establishment of a college in Algona.  Rev. Chauncey Taylor was the first to try when Northwestern College was founded in 1867.  One of its instructors, M. Helen Wooster, left the employ of that college in 1869 and opened Wooster Seminary, which advertised “Especial attention given to those preparing to teach.”  Miss Wooster was later convinced to join a movement to establish a permanent seminary and used her talents to assist in the creation of Algona Seminary and College in 1870 which operated until 1880.  Harvey Ingham wrote a book appropriately called “Algona College” which traced the brief history of that institution of higher learning.

The Normal School pictured with the

GAR Building which maintained a library in one corner

A NORMAL SCHOOL FOR ALGONA

Despite the failures of the earlier schools, another attempt to establish a college began in 1886.  Professor J. C. Gilchrist who had formerly served as president of the State Normal School at Cedar Falls, approached Algona city officials about opening another normal school.  A public meeting at the courthouse was quickly organized for July 14^th and was enthusiastically attended.  Professor Gilchrist took the floor and presented his plan for starting a normal school.  His proposition included having the town provide a suitable building and guarantee $1500 per year for his salary.  The presentation was well received and a committee of well-known leaders and businessmen was formed to study the matter further.  It was soon decided to accept the Professor’s proposal.

Professor J. C. Gilchrist

It seems impossible that a proposal for a college could go from idea to actual existence in approximately eight weeks even with an experienced college administrator at its helm.  Gilchrist was determined to make the most of this opportunity, however, and so he wasted no time in hiring instructors Professor C. F. Reed, a graduate of the state agricultural school at Ames; Miss Kate Keith of Fort Dodge; Mrs. W. F. Wolf; and Miss Kate Bernard whose specialty was music.  Opening attendance numbers were estimated at 40 with students from almost every county in this section of the state. 

INTERIM HOUSING

While plans were being made for the construction of a proper building for the school, classes opened that fall in the old Algona College building.  J.J. Wilson had taken possession of the structure in lieu of payment and had moved it downtown to the corner of Nebraska and Dodge streets from its original site in southern Algona.  Mr. Wilson totally refitted it for its new use.  A room near the entrance of the main floor was made into a library where the professor arranged his personal book collection which was touted as being one of the largest and most valuable for school purposes in the northwest.

Algona College building was located at this site

when used by the Normal School.

The site is pictured as it looks today.

The private office of Professor Gilchrest was located to the left of the entrance where the business of the school was conducted and visitors were cordially received. Beyond the library were recitation rooms.  The old hall located on the second floor had contained a stage and scenery during its Algona College days.  They had now been removed so that the room could be used as both a study hall for students and be available for public use.  Fresh wallpaper and new blinds completed the renovation of that area and brand new Burlington desks were added for student comfort.   In addition, the hall now contained a piano that had been kindly furnished by J.J. Wilson. 

An “Inaugural Day” gathering was held September 14, 1886 to honor the formal opening of the Northern Iowa Normal School. The evening was filled with many speeches and musical tributes.  Col. J. M. Comstock delivered the main address which in part stated “I believe that I but voice the sentiment of the entire community when I say that the establishment of the Northern Iowa Normal School at Algona is an event which marks a new era in our history, and one which, as it goes on to its destined success and to state adoption, will grow into an institution that will not only be the pride of our city, but will have a reputation extending over the state and out into the national highways.”

Professor Gilchrist closed his remarks by saying, “Fellow citizens of Algona, you are laying the foundations of such a school today with your own hands and from your own purses.  Those who are engaged upon it—trustees and faculty—are keenly sensible of the responsibilities which they have assumed.  I believe that all are deeply anxious and that only pure motives and unselfish aims control the movement.  There lies before us no ordinary task.  The liabilities of human error are not removed from our path.  We ask forbearances of judgment, we ask friendly counsel and cordial support, we ask that all shall cherish the institution and foster it.”

According to an article published in the Upper Des Moines newspaper on September 29, 1886, some of the subjects taught at the school included geology, chemistry, art, penmanship and the classics.  The reporter had the good fortune of listening in on recitations in grammar, arithmetic and Latin as taught by Professor Gilchrist and one in algebra by Professor Reed.  He also discovered that one class was reading Cicero’s orations.  The public was encouraged to visit the school at any time to sit in on a class to see the merit of the institute’s “great and permanent value to Algona and the northwest.”

PLANS FOR A NEW BUILDING

Plans to construct a building for a permanent home for the Normal School were soon underway.  A location on a hill in what was then the eastern part of the city was chosen and a memorandum of agreement regarding the property was entered into between Asa C. Call and the trustees of the Northern Iowa Normal school.  Judge Call offered to give to the state of Iowa a fairly large plot of land (almost ten acres) for its use on which to locate and maintain a normal school.  However, the contract was subject to several conditions.  If the state of Iowa should fail to officially locate a school on that property by the close of the twenty-second general assembly on or before July 4, 1888, the contract would be null and void and the property would revert back to his ownership.  Further, it was up to the Independent school district of Algona to move a building to the site and have it repaired and ready for use no later than June 1, 1887, and the facility was to be furnished free of rent to the normal school.  

From 1896 Kossuth County Plat Book

showing location of Normal School near

the corner of Lucas and Wooster Streets

The agreement presented several problems.  Getting the state legislature to officially adopt and provide for a state-sanctioned normal school in Algona was a major step in and of itself.  If legislative approval was obtained, an appropriation by the legislature for the operations of the school seemed probable.  However, obtaining funding for buildings and the establishment of a campus was highly unlikely, at least in the same legislative session. 

Placing the burden on the Algona school district of furnishing the building rent free to the college did not seem feasible either.  The district was just completing the construction of Central School and so they were happy to donate the two wings from the former school to the construction project.  Moving them to the site and constructing a center section to join them together would cost several thousand dollars which the district did not have.  Then there was the question as to whether or not the district could legally levy a tax to provide quarters free of rent to any facility other than a public school. 

Many voices rose in opposition to further school taxes for this endeavor and instead spoke in favor of raising private contributions to achieve the relocation of the buildings and the new construction and renovation needed to make them useful.  It was their feeling that the state legislature would look well upon the private fundraising and therefore increase the chances of approval of the normal school as a state institution.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS

Plans forged ahead and by April of 1887 the two wings of the old public school were moved to the new site which had now been nicknamed “Normal Hill.”  Shortly after their arrival, construction began on the center section which was 14 feet wide.  A square cupola was placed at the top and heavy cornices gave a distinctive look to the building. Because of its location on the hill, the view from the school was one of the most commanding in town, overlooking the surrounding countryside.

The division of the rooms were well designed and provided ample room for the needs of the institution.  The entire second story was left as one large hall which measured 81 feet long by 32 feet wide.  The area would comfortably seat 300 students.  The room was used for morning gatherings, as a study room and also for public meetings and programs. 

On the main floor two recitation rooms occupied the entire north half of the building, each room measuring 40 by 16 feet.  The south half was divided into a library on the west; a cloak room, vestibule and stairs in the center; and Professor Gilchrist’s office and a small recitation room on the east.  Coal sheds, outhouses, and sidewalks were added prior to opening day.

In early July of 1887, the school board inspected and accepted the condition of the building.  The cost of entire project came in at $1,686 which was below the $2000 appropriation that had been approved by the voters.

THE DOORS OPEN

When the new term convened, everything was ready.  The contents of the library, seats that were used in the College hall and all supplies had been transported to the new site and arranged.  Blackboards had been installed and the building completely cleaned.  Enrollment was around 80 students with an expectation of more than 100 by mid-term.

In addition to offering Bachelor of Scientific Didactics or Bachelor of Didatics degrees, the school also taught a commercial course from three to five in the evening in the essentials of business including shorthand and typewriting.

Curricula for the degree programs included mathematics, geometry, spherical trigonometry, geology, physical geography, English literature, Latin, German, and much more.  Each semester, the school would present a literary and musical production.  Students would perform orations and recitations such as “Shooting and Fixed Stars” or “How the Earth was regarded by the Ancients” along with vocal and instrumental music numbers.  The programs would often include readings from the school’s Literary or Shakespearean Societies.  

The newspaper published by

students of the school.

In March of 1888 thirty-two young ladies who were students at the Normal school gave a presentation in gymnastics set to music.  Four forms of drill were presented—marches, free hand, Indian club, and wand exercises—performed in full gymnastics costume to great applause from a crowded house.  The group had been training for some time and wanted to raise money to purchase more equipment to expand the program.  The community had never before observed such a program and it was the topic of conversation for days.

STATE ACCREDITATION DENIED

Great energy was extended to obtain legislative approval for the school.  After efforts failed in 1888, a delegation of local men again went to the capitol in 1890 to plead with legislators to make it a State institution, but it was to no avail.  Local representative C.L. Lund missed the vital vote because he had been told the bill would not be up for vote until the afternoon, so he was not present at the morning session when it came up on the roster.  Would his vote have saved the day?  We don’t know but the failure to pass the important legislation was the last straw for the discouraged Professor Gilchrest who resigned and took a faculty position with Morningside College.

The school struggled along for a few more years under the guidance of various administrators, but then closed in August of 1897.  Coincidently, its founder, J. C. Gilchrist, also passed from this life just a few days after what would be the final closing exercises were held at the Normal school.  He had spent the remainder of his working life at Morningside College, with the exception of returning to Algona for a brief time to serve as principal after the sudden death of public school administrator Professor Dixon.  His obituary in the Upper Des Moines opined, “Prof. Gilchrist was a strong man.  He did not possess the tact and all-round knowledge of the world to use his strength advantageously.  He had friction where it was unnecessary.  Countless worries fretted him that he should have known how to throw off.  But with all he was a strong man, and one who has left his mark on the educational work of Iowa.  He never lost interest in his Algona project, and from his bed of sickness anxiously awaiting the end he wrote a letter to The Upper Des Moines urging Algona to stand by the normal school.”

The Normal school building would serve the community in one additional capacity before its demise.  By this time Central School had already been outgrown and a new structure which would be known as Bryant School was under construction for use as a new high school.  For a brief time during construction of the new facility, high school classes were moved to the Normal school building and its halls were filled once again with the noise and activity of students.

In 1902 the Algona Independent School district sold the building to A. L. Belton who sold the center and east wing to John Peterson who tore them down to use the lumber for building his own residence.  Belton’s intention was to convert the west wing into an egg packing and poultry house.  However by April of 1903 the last remains of the old normal school had been removed and the foundation stones hauled away, leaving Normal Hill empty and bare—but not for long.  Houses filled with families would soon decorate the hill where a proud educational institution had once stood. 

Normal Hill today

It does make one stop and wonder—what would Algona look like today had the Northern Iowa Normal School been successful?

Until next time,

Jean

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REMINISCING WITH GEORGE BLACKFORD

I was doing research recently for the WWI project of the Kossuth County Genealogical Society and I happened to stumble on a letter that was written by George Blackford in January of 1918.  His letter is filled with memories of places in and around Algona, the names of some of which I had heard before and others I had not.  Do you know of Hodgman Pond, Walnut Slough, Toboggan Hill, Big Spring, Lilly Hill, Windflower Hill, or Maple Grove?  Alas, he only mentioned them in passing and did not specify locations.

George was a son of John Blackford and Mary (Call) Blackford who came to Kossuth County in 1855.  His oldest sister, Ella Algona, was the first white child born in the county and was named after the city of her birth.  George was born in 1869 after the area had become just a bit more civilized.

After finishing his schooling, he had taken up photography.  First by taking over the business of J. F. Nicoulin and then eventually moving from Algona, living in places such as California and Missouri.  When he wrote the letter in January of 1918, he was residing in San Jose, California.  I can almost picture him sitting by the fire reminiscing and penning his memories.

        As I sit here in my room and watch the firelight in the open grate, my thoughts go back to Algona and the old home.

        It does not seem so very long ago since I was a boy there, but, as Browning says,

        “We live in deeds, not years, in thoughts, not breaths,

        In feeling, not in figures on a dial.”

        I think of all the old familiar places, and picture them in my mind.  I wonder how many of the younger generation of Algona boys are familiar with the localities in and around Algona with which I was so familiar in my boyhood days.  I suppose some could locate Henderson’s Bluff, Hodgman Pond, Walnut Slough, or Toboggan Hill, but I dare say none could locate the Big Spring, Lily Hill, Windflower Hill, the Maple Grove, or the site of the pioneer cabin of the Blottenberg family.

Early Indian Scare Recalled.

        This cabin was the scene of an incident of early Algona history, the recital of which has often thrilled me. 

        At the time of the Spirit Lake massacre, while the nerves of the handful of settlers were keyed to a high pitch of tension and an attack by the Indians was hourly expected, a meeting for defense was held, at which it was agreed that two shots, fired in rapid succession, after dark, should be the signal of the approach of the Indians.

        Two men, living at this cabin, were away from home, to bring in provisions and ammunition, when this signal was agreed upon, and therefore knew nothing of it.  Crossing the river, they had got their guns wet, and on their arrival at home, after dark, fired them off, to clean and reload them.  My father, hearing the signal, grasped his gun, and, telling my mother to run with the children into the darkness of the brush surrounding the cabin, hastened, as did the settlers from the more distant homes, to the Blottenberg cabin, to resist what all thought was the expected attack.

Perverse Child Delays Flight

        It so happened that my older brother had that day been playing in the wet grass, and had got his shoes wet, and, in childish perversity, he refused to go out of the house unless his shoes were put on and laced, and, fearing an outcry, my mother had perforce to hold her nerves in check, and, kneeling on the floor, in the light from the fireplace, laboriously pick out the knots in the hard leather shoestrings and put on and lace the little shoes, before hurrying out into the shelter of the brush.  Soon after, my father returned, with the welcome news that it had been a false alarm.

        I have often wished I could have a picture of the Maxwell cabin, as it stood among the sturdy oak trees, on the site of the old home, now owned by Geo. Platt, on that October day in 1855, when my father and mother and two elder brothers arrived there, after their long and perilous journey from the east.  The place has since been named, “The Oaks.”  I can recall at least a dozen oak trees near the house that died.  The number of grand old trees in and near Algona is rapidly diminishing, as are the pioneers they sheltered.

Scenes Now Gone Forever

        How many Algona boys know that the courthouse square was once enclosed by a wooden fence, and that what is now Maple Park was once a yard for the “town herd” of cattle, given to the prairies west of town to range?

        And speaking of the prairies reminds me that no more do we see the waving grass and beautiful flowers of the virgin prairie sod.  The march of civilization has obliterated it.  As Bryant so beautifully expresses it,

“The Hand that built the firmament hath heaved

And smoothed these verdant swells, sown their slopes with herbiage

And hedged them around with flowers; fitting floor

For this magnificent temple of the sky,

With flowers whose beauty and whose multitude

Rival the constellations.”

The Age of Black Walnut

        I believe it has been suggested to the Park Commissioners that suitable marker be erected in Blackford Park to mark the site of the first sawmill in the county, which was opened by my uncle, Asa Call.  I hope this can be done.  This mill and one owned by my father which cut nearly all the lumber from which the earlier frame buildings in Algona were constructed.

        Black walnut trees were worth no more at that time than any other kind, and many are the fine walnut boards I have seen used in the barn and sheds of the old home place, as well as walnut fence posts and rails.  This amount of material would represent a tidy sum of money at the present time.

The Old White Schoolhouse

        It was not my fortune to attend school in the old “town hall,” which was surrounded by a stockade, as did my brothers and sisters, but well I remember the rambling white schoolhouse that stood just south of the Central building, shaded by a number of fine soft maple trees.  The school grounds at that time occupied only the south half of the block, and the Congregational church, a plain frame building about as large as a country schoolhouse, was on the west side of the same block.

Algona's First Schoolhouse
(now the Kossuth County Historical Museum)

        The water for the school was supplied by a well in the yard with a wooden pump and three or four tin cups.  These cups, when not in use, were supposed to be hung on nails driven into the side of the pump, but far more often they were down on the platform, or even on the ground.  On hot summer days it was a much-sought privilege to “pass the water”; a pail of water, with one cup, being carried around the room, all the pupils drinking from the same cup.  The exponents of modern sanitation would have held up their hands in horror at such practices, and if microbes and bacilli were one-half as deadly in those days as we have been led to believe they are now we ought to have contracted all the diseases in the calendar; but as I remember, we were as healthy and husky a bunch of youngsters as you could find anywhere.

        I am not writing of conditions in the pioneer schools.  This was in the late 70’s and early 80’s.

Memories of Old Schooldays

        Not long ago, in looking over some old papers, I came across a subscription paper headed “Grammar School Organ Fund”; a paper started by pupils of the “Grammar grade” to raise money for the purchase of an organ.  I was elected secretary, and Robert Chrischilles, a brother of Julius Chrischilles, treasurer.

        It was interesting to read over again the names of my former schoolmates, and recall their faces to memory.  As the poet says, “I came to the place of my youth, and cried aloud, ‘The friends of my youth, where are they?’  And echo answered, ‘Where are they?’”

        In this list were the names of many who are now successful business men and women.  Others have passed into the Beyond, to stand before the Great Teacher.  Of the greater number I know absolutely nothing.

“Dudes” wore Paper Collars!

        Simplicity in dress was the order of the day in those times.  If a boy wore white paper collars, which cost, if I remember rightly, fifteen cents a dozen, he was considered very dressy, and calico dresses were thought plenty good enough for the girls to wear.

        While I had the Nicoulin studio in Algona, I found several negatives of my schoolmates of that period, and very odd and quaint they looked in their old-fashioned clothing.

        At this time we had no school yell, no school colors, and took part in no inter-scholastic debates or field-meets.  On Friday afternoons we sang songs, gave recitations (or “spoke pieces,” as it was called; they were not then dignified by the name of “readings”), or, as a special treat, chose sides and spelled down.  We had excellent teachers, and they made sure that none of our time was wasted.  For such of us as lived on farms there was always plenty of work to do, and we were always glad when Sunday came as a day of rest.

School Courses Now Overloaded!

        I think I am old-fashioned, but I believe the high school course now is greatly at fault in including too many studies, and I should favor eliminating some of them to allow a more thorough study of others.  It is very much better for a pupil to have a complete understanding of the “fundamentals” than a superficial knowledge of a greater number of studies.  A certain time only is now allowed for the study of any one branch, and when that time has elapsed it is dropped, and another taken up, leaving the rest a veritable “book of mystery.”

        I know, when I was in high school, I had to take several studies that have never since been of the slightest practical use to me, and I feel the time spent in their study would have been much more profitably spent in the study of something useful; and I believe the high school course is even more extensive now than it was at that time.

        I am glad the Alumni Association has been reorganized, and I hope now it will be a permanent institution.  I noticed, at the last few meetings of the association which it was my pleasure to attend, a seeming indifference and lack of interest on the part of the later classes graduated.

Plea for Alumni Association

        Fellow alumni, let me urge on you to stand by the association.  Its influence and existence do not rest with its officers, but with you, its members.  You may not realize it at the present time, but you will find the recollection of your school days dear to you and you will cherish the memory of the friendships you made so long ago more and more as the years go by.  Attend the annual reunions of the association whenever possible, and if not possible to be present personally, at least send a letter or telegram, showing you are there in thought.  Algona is bound to grow and prosper, and its schools will enjoy a still more enviable reputation.  I predict the time is not far distant when the association will adopt a distinctive device, to be worn as a button or pin, and every alumnus will be proud to wear it, showing himself a loyal member of the “A. A. A.”

        I do not suppose I shall ever live in Algona again, but there will always be a warm spot in my heart for the old town.  Even yet, when I register at a hotel I find myself unconsciously writing as my residence “Algona, Iowa.”  I shall always want to keep in touch with the news from Algona, and shall always be glad to hear of the continued and increasing prosperity of the town which has been the home of the Blackford family for so many years.

Although George predicted that he would never live in Algona again, he did find his final resting place here. Following his death on April 14, 1946, his body was brought back to Riverview Cemetery where it was interred near his parents.  He will forevermore rest beneath the soil of his beloved hometown.

Until next time,

Jean

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THE TRAGIC LIFE OF PROFESSOR F.M. SHIPPEY

Professor Francis M. Shippey moved to Algona 1884 to become principal of the Algona school system.  At 30 years of age, he would be leading a growing school district, receiving $80 per month salary.  This must have been a fairly generous salary as it was twice the amount most teachers in the district received.  By the end of October, his wife, Joyce, and their son, Claude, joined him in Algona and the family settled in to await the arrival of their second child.

Shippey appears to have been a good administrator.  He met regularly with the school board and made various recommendations such as dividing the primary department into two divisions to each attend one-half the time.  He dealt with employee issues, the purchase of various instructional books, and budget issues.  He also was an instructor at the Kossuth County Normal Institute for area teachers.  The school board was quite pleased with his performance and by March of 1885 they voted not only to renew his contract but also gave him a $20 per month raise beginning the next school year.

TRAGEDY STRIKES

The Shippey family were settling well into their new home.  In addition to four year old Claude, an infant daughter, Delta, had joined them in January.  By the time summer arrived, they were ready for an outing on the river.  Boats were available to the public on the south bank of the river above the mill.  The family chose a boat and settled in for a lovely early afternoon ride.  The professor paddled out into the river.  

An area known as “the washout” was located a few rods above the mill dam where several years earlier high water had made a new channel.  Although a dam had been constructed there, at times when water was high, as was the case on this day, water would forcefully rush over the dam, producing a strong draft several feet back into the pond. 

Unacquainted with the river, Mr. Shippey rowed nearly due north and came almost immediately to a point directly above the north dam.  His back was to the approaching danger.  Soon he was within about three feet of the dam and it was too late to avoid calamity.  When Mrs. Shippey realized what was about to happen, she stood up and jumped overboard, clutching her infant to her chest.  Their bodies disappeared into the foaming waters at the bottom of the dam.

Old Mill

Both Professor Shippey and Claude were thrown from the vessel as it passed over the dam.  Shippey resurfaced and began desperately searching for his family.  He swam until he was exhausted, finally drifting to a small island several rods below.  He was able to attract the attention of a farmer who was crossing the bridge.  Sounding the alarm at the mill, word was sent to town for more help and several mill workers rushed to the location.  Soon a crowd had gathered on the bridge overlooking the scene.

Despondent, Professor Shippey was taken to his home while a search of the waters was conducted.  A large number of men began dredging the river using every means possible to locate the bodies.  After several hours of searching, the body of Mrs. Shippey with little Delta still clasped tightly to her was found firmly wedged in between some rocks directly below the falls.  So tightly were they stuck that it took sometime before they could be brought to the surface.  A news report published in the July 1, 1885 edition of the Algona Republican states, “The bodies of the mother and babe were laid side by side in a platform wagon, their upturned faces wearing a natural and peaceful expression, the babe seeming to smile as sweetly as though sleeping in its cradle, and thus they were taken to the now desolate home, where the husband had preceded them.”  The body of Claude could not be located.  The search would go on for several weeks without reward.

The funeral service for Joyce and Delta Shippey was held at the family residence on Thursday, July 2^nd.  A huge crowd attended, only a third of which were able to actually enter the house.  The room where the bodies lay in state was filled with flowers.  A large cross of white was placed at the head of the coffin and another lay tenderly on the bodies.  The sorrow that surely enveloped Francis Shippey must have been overwhelming.   

QUALIFICATIONS QUESTIONED

A controversy concerning Professor Shippey’s continued employment began to arise a few weeks later.  It seems that at some earlier point the local school board had passed a resolution requiring the principal of the school to secure a state certificate.  For unexplained reasons, Shippey did not attend the certification process in Fort Dodge.  The board then rescinded the resolution regarding certification as they had already entered into a contract with Shippey for the 1885-86 school term.  This met with some disfavor with the public.

Just a few weeks later an article entitled “About Prof. Shippey” appeared in the Upper Des Moines.  A letter from the superintendent of the Iowa Industrial School at Eldora was printed at the request of a school board member.  This school was a home for delinquent juveniles.  The correspondence addressed a question regarding possible dismissal of Professor Shippey as principal because he was once an inmate of the school.  The superintendent encouraged the board to make their judgment based on his success and failure rates while in their employ and not on circumstances of his youth which he had overcome. 

Given his recent devastating loss, I found the discontent swirling around Professor Shippey to be unexpected.  His employment was not terminated so there must have been some support for him in the community.  Reading between the lines, my impression is that he had offended a board member or two and they were searching for a way to remove him from his position.

SEEKING POLITICAL OFFICE

Shippey became quite active in politics which appears to have remained a lifelong interest.  That fall he was nominated for the position of county superintendent on the Democratic ticket.  His opponent was Ben Reed, well known in the area and a member of an early pioneer family. 

Several scathing editorials were written about his candidacy including one printed in the October 28, 1885 edition of the Upper Des Moines which states, “Shippey, besides being a stranger has not made any enviable record as an educator.  He is not popular in Algona and he will not receive his party vote where he is known.”  One must be careful about judging a person based on the opinions expressed in political editorials so it is hard to determine the true sentiments of the electorate.  Perhaps there was some truth to commentary, however, as Reed was victorious. 

CLAUDE IS FOUND

In mid-May, almost 11 months after the boating accident, Dr. A. F. Dailey and his wife were out for a row boat ride on a Sunday morning when he noticed a shoe lodged on a grape vine suspended several feet above the water.  Upon investigation, he found the shoe still contained a sock and the remains of a foot.  He summoned Marshal Tuttle and Dr. Garfield to the spot.  They found Claude’s badly decomposed body directly under the limb on which the shoe had been found.  Professor Shippey was able to identify the clothing and shoes as those of his son.  Although once more overcome with grief, he expressed his relief that the body had been recovered and could be buried next to the child’s mother and sister. 

With Claude’s body now laid to rest and his contract not renewed for the next year, the Professor moved on. 

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO PROFESSOR SHIPPEY?

Francis Shippey married Anna Seaman on March 6, 1887 in Van Wert, Ohio.  The family resided in Lansing, Iowa, for several years where Shippey served as principal.  That marriage produced two children, Ralph and Jessie, but ended in divorce. 

According to information on Find A Grave, the professor married for a third time in 1896 to a woman named Jessie.  The 1900 census shows them living in Waterloo with a daughter, Marion.  The professor’s two older children are listed as residents of their household.  By this time Shippey had become a school book salesman and traveled extensively.  A second daughter, Francis, was eventually added to the family.

Tragedy struck once again when Marion contracted spinal meningitis.  Given little hope of recovery by her physicians, the family turned to their belief in Christian Science but to no avail.   The patient succumbed to the illness at the age of nine years, six months and 23 days.

Shippey Family gravesite
in Riverview Cemetery in
Algona

The 1915 census lists F.M. Shippey as a general superintendent and finds him living in Des Moines at the Iowa Hotel.  Shippey died alone in Des Moines on February 4, 1925 after a long battle with liver cancer.  He was 70 years old.  Although survived by two daughters, a son and a brother, his body was unclaimed by relatives and so it was placed in a morgue in Des Moines.  Friends and former students raised the necessary funds for burial and his body was brought back to Algona where it was received by local Masons.  Though no record of him having been a member of the Masons while in Algona, a Masonic pin was found amongst his final belongings.  Ten local Masons attended the funeral as his only mourners.  Professor Francis M. Shippey was then interred next to the family members he tragically lost so long ago in the swirling waters of the Des Moines River.

Until next time,

KC History Buff

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