The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-01-01
STEARNS COUNTY HAS.
OLD PRIVATE SCHOOL
ST. JOHNS COLLEGE is OLDER
THAN STATE ITsELF-LoC
CABIN ERECTED IN 1857
Al STUDENTS In 1867
ENROLMENT. THIS YEAR WILL
PASS THE FOUR HUNDRED
MARK

MANN
Two miles from the Jefferson high
way at point eight miles northwest
of st. Cloud, stands the oldest pri-
vate educational institution in the
state. 1t is St. Johns University,
Catholic school, which is older than
the state itself.
Established in the territorial days,
st. Johns was one year old when
Minnesota was admitted to the Union
in 1858. A rough hewn log-cabin
erected in 1857 by a band of pioneer
Benedictines from Pennsylvania,
housed the school which now COM
prises an ensemble of buildings with
facilities for about $50 students.
The history of st. Johns is charac-
teristic of that of the state and pri-
vate schools which first existed in
the days of the pioneer settler. It's
history dates back to the time di-
rectly after the Indians had been in
duced to move northward to make
way for the great number of immi-
grants which began to arrive from the
East.
Building of the original school was
the direct result of work done by
Bishop Cretin of St. Paul to serve
the spiritual needs of the Catholic
settlers. This was in 1855. One
year later small missionary band
answering Bishop Cretin's call for
II ~,
from St. Vincent's abbey, near Pitts
burg.
A claim of land two miles south of
st. Cloud donated by two brothers
was the first site of the pioneer school,
One year later when the property
comprised a few primitive buildings
the missionaries drew up charter
which was approved by the House OF
Representatives on March 6, 1857,
authorizing the organization of the.
first private institution for higher
learning in Minnesota, known as st.
Johns Seminary.
When the school opened in No
vember, 1857, there was only one
professor, Rev. Cornelius Whitman
and five students. Meanwhile diff
culties arose as to the validity of
the claims accepted for the school
site. To avoid litigation it was. de-
cided to transfer the college to st.
Joseph, eight miles west of the old
location. This was done on March 6,
1858, being the first of four moves
made before the permanent site on
Lake Sagatagan was chosen.
Forty-one students were enrolled
in 1867 when six professors held
forth in the sold Stone House, I,
which became the nucleus of the
present group of buildings. In 1863
a theological seminary was organized
and by 1869 the school had already
obtained sufficient prestige to secure
from the state the power to confer
all university degrees.
Educating the Chippewa Indian
boys was leading part of the schools
work from 1885 until 1896 when the
government. sent its wards to its own
schools. One of the worst setbacks
encountered was when. cyclone
wrecked part of the buildings on
June "a, 1894.
Today the university presents a
little village in itself. 1t operates its
own farm, flour mill, laundry, heat
ing and power plants, shops and has
a large herd of mich and beef cattle.
l A trial horticultural station begun 80
Syears ago through which the school
i co-operates with the state in fruit ex-
Pronunciation. A weather bureau
twas opened in 1898.
: This years enrolment is beyond
the 400 mark. President Alcuin
! Deutsch who has been at st. John S
since 1921 was appointed following
the death of Abbot Peter Engel, who
was head of the institution for 27
years.-St. Cloud Times.