The Mankato free press., 1922-02-10
HISTORY OF SCHOOL
SHOWSITS GROWTH
First Building Was Erected
During Year 1869
GREAT PROGRESS MADE
Noted Educators, Including
Congressman J.T.McCleary
In Faculty

chers' college forms an integral part
of the growth and influence of Man
kato as an educational center. The
college has been an important factor
in the upbuilding OF this city. 1t has
aided in the expansion Of this com
munity in many ways. 1t has broad
ened the vision Of its citizenry and
loaned its efforts to making this city
an influential factor in state devel-
,pment. During the life of the col
lege hundreds of young men and wo
men have stepped from its portals TO
go out in the world where they spread
knowledge and information that prov
ed of lasting benefit to those whom
they instructed. They carried the
beacon that lighted the way to fields
of better endeavor. They were the
pioneers in education in Minnesota.
Among the more prominent mem
bers of the early faculty in the col
lege was. James Il. McCleary, for
gress from the second district, and
now secretary OF the Steel Institute,
residing in New York.
History of The College
The following is a history of the
founding of what was then known as
the Mankato State Normal school,
which was written by President c. II.
Cooper for the Semi Centennial" a
book gotten at the time of the fiji
= tieth anniversary of the founding of
Mankato.
In 1858 a law was passed provid-
, ing for state normal school and
under that law the school at Winona
was established soon afterwards. In
, 1866 our distinguished fellow towns
man, Judge Daniel Buck, was a mem
ber of the legislature, and member
on revision of statutes. Coming in
the course of work to the section on
normal schools, ii occurred to him that
it would be a good thing to have such
school in Mankato, and he moved
to insert Mankato as the place for
the location of the second normal
school in the state. 1t was carried in
the committee, but hard struggle
ensued in the house, the measure be-
ing defeated two or three times by
the friends of the Winona school,
who wanted only one in the state.
But the fight was. renewed as often,
The matter was reconsidered, and by
shrewd management and hard fight!
ing success was finally attained.
Judge Buck declared that it was the
hardest task that he ever set himself
to accomplish; it is with justice that
he is called the Father of the Man
kato Normal School.
Appointed Resident Director
Judge Buck was Immediately ap-
pointed resident director, IA 1866, and
che city took hold of the matter of
raising $1,000 necessary to meet the
statutory conditions, and an appro-
priation was secured for the school
Iyxfl so1
whose duty 1t was 10 care for the
school under the normal board, con-
sisted of Daniel Buck, chairman,
Judge James Brown, and S. G.. Har-
rington, who gave much of their time
and strength as well as of their wis
dom and business sagacity to the
work. Judge Buck heard that the
present site oil TIE building, not in
Guiding the apex of the triangle, was
was lost in securing it from its own
er, Methodist minister named David
Lines. The apex was secured ten
years later, when Judge Buck, then
IN the senate, secured an appropria
o1a for that purpose.
The building could not be made
rnAy by the time appointed for the
0ening OF the SCHOOL, and ii was
oeened in the basement of the Meth
odlst church on October z, 1868, with
George M. Gage as principal, who
was described in the report of that
year as q gentleman of good exper-
fence in a flourishing normal school
in New England October %, Of that
year the school was removed to the
second story OF store building on
the corner of Main and Front streets,
over what is now the American Beau
ty candy store. These quarters il
the Shaubut building were 100 feet
long and twenty-five feet wide, divid
ed as follows: First room 20x22; (;
second room, 1Sx22, and third and
fourth rooms 10H18 each. On October
26, the first day in these quarters.
there were forty desks with fifty two
students enrolled in the normal de-
partment and sixteen in the model
school, making a total of sixty eight.
At the close OF the term there were
ninety enrolled.
"The second term opened January
G. 1869 with fifty five students in the
normal department and twenty four
in the model department. The as
sistants of Principal Gage were:
Miss Susie Dyer, and Miss Emma H.
Collins, the latter newly employed
for that term.
Ground Broken For New Building
May IL, 1869, ground was broken
,for the new building, and on June
22, Of that year the corner stone was
laid with appropriate services under
the auspices of the Odd Fellows, and
President Gage made the address. On
September z, 1870 the school began
to occupy the new building, and by
April of 1871 it was comfortably and
conveniently housed with ample faci-
Iities for that day. Judge Buck told
us with great gusto how he was scor
I'd by farmer of the county for the
wicked extravaganza of the manage
ment in building such an enormous
structure.
"The state superintendent's report
for the years 1S69-70 gives the fol-
lowing figures:
Cost Of building grounds, $45,-
, 678.S2; cost of furniture including
furnace, S4.S11.19; cash raised in
Mankato $1,000; Books. maps, charts
etc. $4,000; actual cost of running