The Minneapolis journal., 1905-07-15

Sanford Niles, who died July 8, was
a pioneer educator and able author. Mr..
Niles was born in Windsor, Conn,
Sept. 8, 1927. About seven years later
his parents moved west and settled on
a farm in La Porte county, Indiana,
and the boy grew to manhood amid the
environments of country life.
After leaving common schools, he
completed the course at the academy
own home studied deep into still more
advanced subjects, and before the year
of his majority was engaged in teach
ing in the common schools of his
county.
After his marriage with Miss Charity
Adams he moved to Salem, Olmsted
county, Minnesota, where he engaged in
wife, and he returned to Indiana. In
1859 he married Miss Priscilla M. John
son at Rensselaer,, Ind, and returned to
Minnesota. Of the four children born
to them only two are living, Mabel
Niles Alton (Mds. George B. Aiton) Of
Minneapolis, and Oliver J. Niles Of
Stacyville. Iowa.
lands in Olmsted county, and superin-
| tended their cultivation, but his great
est interest was in educational matters.
He was naturally q student and lead
er in educational, circles, and was early
appointed district examiner of teachers.
which office he held in Olmsted county
the the fall Of 1866, wills H aiding in the he
| threshing on his farm, a messenger ar
rived at the wheat stacks and suggested
| that Mr.. Niles change his farmer clothes
for the garb Of superintendent of pub
lie schools Of. Olmsted county. The Of
fee of county superintendent, had Just
was the first appointee for Olmsted
1 county. He was his own successor for
eleven successive terms. In less than
one month after his appointment he or
ganized, Nov: l3, 1865, the first county
teachers institute ever held in the coun-
ty, and q few years later organized pro-
! tracted Institutes, or teachers training
schools, the first ever held in the state.
These Institutes were temporary nor
NAL schools. brought to the doors Of
teachers. They have developed into the
present state summer schools.
For fifteen years Mr.. Niles was a
member ph Of the state normal school
and earnest advocacy of normal school
interests greatly aided the upbuilding
and development of these important fac
/ tors in the state system of education.
4 At the close Of his superintendency Of
! the Olmsted county schools, he, together
j Will u1S Ieuucu duu JalenCeQ W1Ic, ana
Horace Witherstine. organized the Roch-
ester English and classical school, which
he, as president, conducted with marked
success, until 1882, when he sold his in
terest and purchased School Education,
the state educational journal. published
at Minneapolis. This he continued to
edit and publish until 1898, when a
broader literary field having opened
to him, he sold the journal and devoted
his time mainly to writing. He was the
author Of Niles series Of biographies,
Niles History Of the United States,
History and Government Of Minnesota,
History Of Education in Olmsted Coun-
ty, besides innumerable articles and lee
lures on educational subjects.
Mr.. Niles greatest interest was
always with the common schools and
the common school teachers. In his zeal
for the common schools he lectured and
gave instruction in teachers Institutes
and training schools in all parts of Min
nesota and Iowa and Dakota. Hun
dreds of past and present teachers thru
out the state Of Minnesota and else.
where remember with gratitude the
kindly, intelligent aid and encourage
ment given to them by Sanford Niles
in their work as young teachers in the
common schools.