Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-24
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
FOUNDED IN ANTI.sLAvERY
DAYS FOREVER CLOSED.
INTERESTING HISTORY
OF PIONEER IOWA SCHOOL
Guilt by Western Industrial and seisn-
tiFe Association in 1s57-lnstitution
Strictly Religious and nti.Siavsry
in charaetsr-Lons Struggle for Ex.
istenee in War Days.
Special to Times Republican.


College Springs, March 24.-The
passing this week Of Amity College
campus and buildings-to the CONSOLE
dated school district Of College Springs
is an incident Of pathos for those who
still cherish tender memories of the
school of learning which was born in
ante-slavery days and Of people more
or less prominently identified with the
emancipation movement.
No more interesting history attaches
to an institution, public or semi
private in character. which dates back
to civil war days, than to Good Ole
Amity College," She had more than
her share, perhaps, of struggles fol
existence, but they appear only to have
served to strengthen the determination
of her founders and supporters to con-
tinue the school.
In the early part of the year 1853 a
number Of men, Of whom Rev. B. F,
Haskins appears to have been the
moving spirit, began making plans for,
to use their own words, establishing
a colony of reformers and funds for
maintaining a permanent Institution OF
a reformatory character in some favor
able location in the west" The first
meeting Of these men was held in Chi
cago They organized The Western
Industrial and Scientific Association
to form a colony and create a fund for
an institution Of learning which should
he religious and strictly anti-slavery
in character. Shares were to be sold
for 800 each. With the none thus
collected and was to be purchased in
either Iowa or Missouri and share
holders were to receive land at the ap-
praisement price of $3.50 In acre or
forty acres for every 500 subscribed
for stock. Also, with each share was
to be given a scholarship for five years.
What was realized from the sale OF
the land which they expected to &C
quire was to be the educational fund.
Th~ree-fourths Of this sum was to be
invested for an endowment for the
payment Of salaries, purchase OF
library, scientific apparatus and Incl
dentals.
Association Formed in 1855.
The circular was given wide circu-
lation and aroused such Interest that
when, n December evening In 1853
the stockholders met in Galesburg, Ill,
enthusiasm was so high that a COM
mittee was appointed to go west and
spy out the land" This committee
started out in the spring Of 1854. NOV
ing slowly thru Iowa and Missouri. It
is reported that. when the committee
reached college Springs, or which
afterwards became College Springs,
zach exclaimed "This is the place"
with the accent upon first n and then
the other OF the four words.
In 1855 the Western Industrial and
Scientific Association" was duly in
corporated and Amity College was
named. And well named it was. for
it has alN vs. stood for friendship.
peace and good will to men. The first
board was elected and lands were
bought and surveyed, appraised; town
lots and college grounds were laid out.
The first class in the academic depart
ment was organized in 1857 with about
thirty students under tho instruction
of>ProI George Kimball. of Wheaton,
Ill, who remained only n year when
the board employed Prot. Alonzo
Armour and wife, who received the
munifcent sum Of $500 salary. Under
their ARE the college fourished and
grew. The number Of students in
creased until the n building could
not accommodate all.
At the close Of their contract the
board for some reason not disclosed
by the college historian, dismissed
Professor and Mrs. Armour n en-
ployed William Nelson. This action
weakened the college greatly for the
Armours set up an opposition school
and many OF the college students went
with them.
College Owned 1000 Acres.
The college att.his time owned about
1000 acres Of land, land now valued.
every acre Of 1t, at more than 5000 an
acre. One-fourth of this land was in