Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, has digitized its student newspapers. I spent Sunday afternoon trying to read them. Unfortunately, they were not printed on the best of paper and the pdfs are sometimes next to impossible to decipher. What I could read, I enjoyed immensely.
News about other colleges gathered in exchanges of each college’s newspaper was a common feature. The May 1868 Monmouth College Courier included these items:
“This year’s class of the University of Michigan numbers 52 members.” Only thirteen hailed from Michigan; twelve were from Illinois, eight from Ohio, five from New York, four each from Indiana and Missouri, three from Kentucky, two from Pennsylvania, one each from Iowa and Massachusetts, and seven from Canada. The average age of these men, for the university was all-male at that time, was 23. They had an average weight of 139 pounds. (Why this fact is important, I do not know.)
“Genessee College, located at Lima, Livingston County, New York, intends to apply to the Legislature for leave to move the institution to Syracuse.” As a Syracuse University alumna, I can attest to the fact that approval was given and the college did indeed move. It was at Syracuse in 1872 that Alpha Phi was founded, followed by Gamma Phi Beta in 1874.
Another item had as its headline “Washington College.” The story followed, “The institution over which Robert E. Lee presides, is organized on a plan differing considerably from that of any other American college with which we are acquainted. The ordinary college curriculum of uniform studies in one common course has been abandoned and a system of independent departments adopted in its stead. Under this system the students select their entire course of study for themselves. These departments are called, technically, schools, as the school of Latin, the school of Greek, mathematics, etc. in each of which there are three classes, junior, intermediate, and senior, three years are required to complete the course. In addition to the usual literary and scientific courses, there are also full courses in civil and mining engineering, natural biology and geology, and law and equity. When the college was organized, after the war, a preparatory department was added and accordingly a large class of young men who had been deprived of the ordinary advantage by the breaking up of academics. In all departments alike, a system of reports and gradations had been adopted, which at the close of each month are read to the students publicly and also sent to their parents. The discipline, as in the University of Michigan, has been placed upon a safe location, the honor and self-respect of the students themselves.” Today Washington College is known as Washington and Lee University.
This demographic information about the Yale Class of 1868 caught my eye. It numbered 107, which it was noted, was the largest graduating class in America. The tallest of the Yale graduates was 6’1″ and the shortest was 4’4″. (Again, no clue as to why height of the students was important.)
The November 1, 1868 edition told that Williams College would soon have an art gallery, which was a new idea for the time. In addition, the Alpha Delta Phi chapter at Williams was building a hall of grey limestone. It was to be a two-story Gothic design, 25′ by 35;’ its cost was estimated at $10,000. (It was completed by 1869 and in 1894, it was replaced by a new house.)
The last item of note was the announcement of Sigma Chi’s seventh biennial convention to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, on December 31, 1868 and January 1, 1869. “The usual oration and poem will be delivered. All members of the fraternity are cordially invited to be present.” (The convention met in the Odd Fellows Hall and nine chapters were represented. “The convention devoted itself assiduously to the transaction of business and accomplished a great deal of detailed work” in the work of post-bellum reorganization, according to a report of the convention.)
And while these snippets were fascinating enough, it was the ads which truly captured my attention. Having been to Monmouth, I tried to envision it as it was back then. Did the Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma founders shop in any of these establishments? Here are a few actual ads from the 1868 Monmouth College student newspaper.
D.S. Parry Dealer in GROCERIES, PROVISIONS, QUEENSWARE, GLASSWARE, ETC. All of which will be sold at the lowest living rates. Marketing brought at the highest Prices. Good delivered in the city FREE No. 20 near the southwest corner of the Square, Monmouth, IL H.F. DOUGHERTY Dealer in BOOTS AND SHOES Everything New, Good and Cheap. No trouble to show goods. West side public square. E. O. Hamill, Practical Photographer, West Side Public Square, Monmouth, Illinois, Pictures of EVERY SIZE And STYLE Expected Daily – We would call the attention of students and other to our: DISPLAY OF SPECIMENS – A large stock of Picture Frames, Picture Frames, Picture Frames, Picture Frames, Constantly on hand – Call and see our work. E.O. Hamill, Artist W.H. Mc Quiston, Dealer in BOOKS, STATIONERY. ETC.; P.P. Allen and Co.’s Gold Pens, Toys. Window Shades, Pictures and Picture Frames, etc. Pictures Framed to Order. South west corner of the Public Square, Monmouth, Ill. Catlin & Love Have opened a fashionable barber and hair dressing saloon, third door west of the post office. Mr. Catlin will pay particular attention to hair cutting for ladies and children at their residences, if desired. We also have in connection, a superior suite of bathing rooms.
Monmouth, Illinois, Public Square, 1880s.
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
