Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-04-13
Letter from A. H. Sterrett.

Mr. Ea.tor II take the liberty Of
sending you few notes regarding
the choice of q location for the First
Normal School of Iowa. also some
other items, thinking that they might
be Of general interest to some Of
your readers: ls a# -
According to previous arrange
:nent, the association Of Principals OF
graded schools and County superin-
tendents of Northern Iowa, met in
convention at this place, March 90,
but did not get fairly At work until
the day following, when sealed pTo-
posals or bids, for the school, II ON
three towns, or villages were broken
aud read.
a very animated discussion, on
the advantages of each, followed.
The three competitors, being this
place, Springvale, in Humbolt coun-
ty, and Webster City, young and
enterprising town thirty miles west;
the latter place ofcrcl $4,000 IN
cash towards the building Of the
school, and sent representative men
to vouch that the same would be
paid, in case it was located there, but
no time Of payment was spe cited in
their proposal, and for this reason,
die not receive the consideration that
it might otherwise have done. @
The citizens Of Iowa Falls had
raised by actual cash subscription
3,O53, also offered . building site
OF from ten to- fifteen a:res and all
the stone that might be required for
the buildings the Hast is an item Of
no small importance, as the qaur;ies
here are practically inexhaustihle. !.
A vote OF the convention was not
reached until the 3lst Of March, re.
sulting favorably Tor this place; when
the fact becsms known among the
citizens. there was great rejoicing,
landsths firing Of cannon anil flags
flying AZ full mast made it seem Ike
"a gals 9TH Of July.e1z iAsesrss
! f0wh lots add building sites have
Ilnsseasel twenty-five per cent. rssa-,g
Aagrani mass meeting Of citizens
and teachers from the Normal Insti-
tute, was held inthe evening, when
numerous speeches and songs were
given; one stated that, "when boy
he bad studied Algebra, but had
never found any use for 1t until now
and gave the following equations:
.1st. x minus Normal Schools ani
Iowa equals Q. ss
ss2dsK plus N crmal Schools equall
Iowa standing among the first States
Of the Union" as.ibsss4 w ss \
I It must here be remembered, tha
the permanent location Of this pro
posed Normal School will now res
\ il the hands Of the State Legislature
\ A uniform method faof keepn,
ischool reports was agreed upon b
j the Association. s -.
/ Itis reilly encouraging to see th'
interest. taken by the. people OF, thi
place, in the ca,ise' Of education, AMI
they will suraly be amply rewarded
\ for'itein tho future. 'as fh. s7s
1 The nataral scenery surrounding
this plsce,S Is tho finest that I hav'
seen west of the Mississippi river
the deep ravincs, rocky glens, th'
i devious windinga of the Iowa river
I and tho heasy forest son the north
I west, alf tcnd to make it an attrac
tive place for students. -
\ A real Normal, OF Teachers Train
ing Schoek Of four weeks, is now il
session, ooducseds by Prot. Jerom
AMens assisted by Mrs. Anna !
sandalisand Mrs. Hoxie, both grad
uatessss and former teachers, in n
i Oswsge Training School, n Y.sTh
! number u teachers in attendanoes,
4 one hundred AMI thirty. A scssio