NIU lone location debate began decades ago
http://www.rrstar.com/communities/x633712580

By Geri Nikolai
RRSTAR.COM
Mar 08, 2008

Quote:ROCKFORD — Legend notwithstanding, the only documented fight between Rockford and DeKalb for Northern Illinois University occurred more than 100 years ago.

In the mid-1890s, when the state was looking for a site for a northern Illinois “normal school” to train teachers, there were at least eight cities interested: Aurora, DeKalb, Dixon, Rockford, Polo, Oregon, Fulton and Freeport.

Countless Rockfordians believe that the battle over what is now NIU occurred in more modern times, and that Rockford for reasons unknown decided not to host the university.

Following is an account of how the decision really was made, according to a book called “Education in Transition: The History of Northern Illinois University,” written by retired NIU professor Earl W. Hayter and published in 1974.

DeKalb’s early edge

DeKalb had an early advantage back in the 1890s. DeKalb newspaper editor Clinton Rosette was on the State Board of Education and led the campaign for a college in northern Illinois. He had the backing of three wealthy DeKalb industrialists who wanted the campus in their city. One, Isaac L. Ellwood, was appointed to the board that was to pick the site. The governor thought another competing city should have someone on the board, and told Rockford and Freeport, which each had candidates, to pick one. When they couldn’t, he bypassed both and picked a man from Bushnell.

As the board did its work, it quickly became clear that two cities had the best chance of getting the college: Rockford and DeKalb. Hayter recounts the board’s visit to Rockford on June 24, 1895, to look at two possible sites:

“The commissioners were pleased with both, but the Harlem Park area of 44 acres was the favorite, since it was on the Rock River. Following the inspection trip, they were presented ‘a most superb banquet,’ finishing in time to attend the presentation of Rockford’s total offerings. Besides the beautiful acreage with streetcar lines to and from the city, Rockford agreed to construct water mains or an artesian well on the school grounds. The use of a public library in the city, a $10,000 cash offering for a gymnasium and model schools necessary for the training of teachers were also part of the proposition. A reporter for the Rockford press, commenting on the presentation, said: ‘Nothing was left undone by the local committee to show the advantages of Rockford. ...’ ’’

Two days later, the commissioners went to see what DeKalb had to offer. One of Ellwood’s business associates offered a site of 63 acres. Ellwood threw some land in, too, and they exceeded any other offer by 21 acres. Another of Ellwood’s friends gave $10,000 for a gymnasium, and the county said it would extend a paved road to the campus entrance. The city agreed to lay sewers and pave the main street, take care of walks, drives and landscaping, build a sidewalk from the railway station to the campus, and contribute $30,000 for transportation of building materials, electric lights and steam heating. The School Board said it would provide a model school at almost no cost, and Ellwood offered $20,000 in cash and $50,000 in an interest-free loan, as well as developing a residential subdivision next to the campus and building a suitable residence for the president, three clubhouses for students and three residences for faculty members.

The commissioners deliberated long and, after being pushed hard by Ellwood, voted unanimously for DeKalb.

As Hayter wrote, “It was without doubt the ‘jingle of the millionaire’s gold’ that eliminated Rockford when the trustees finally decided.”

Rockford never sought move

Newspapers from around the region were critical of the decision. The Rockford Republican said there were “several high-grade ornamental liars” among the commissioners. The Chicago Post said the decision was drawing ridicule and that “legislators who make vast appropriations of money for state schools in towns where millionaires live are very stupid, to put it mild.”

Rockfordians, who have groused for decades that this city should have gotten what turned into a large four-year university and economic driver, may be amused at the comment of the city’s state senator, David Hunter.

“Rockford did not need the school as much as the school needed Rockford,” Hunter said.

Hayter wrote that students at the new school had to wait 32 years before there was an adequate public library in the community.

Hayter’s book is available at the Rockford Public Library.

The Register Star searched newspaper records and talked to sources about whether there was ever another battle for NIU. The school went through several name and governance changes as the state’s higher education system grew, the last being in 1967 when it became NIU. No one the Register Star talked to locally, at NIU or the state Higher Education Board recalled any discussion about ever moving the campus after it was begun.

Could it be those exasperated comments we still hear frequently around town — Rockford should have gotten NIU — are about something that happened more than 110 years ago?

I'm sure Ellwood made a nice contribution to the governor to help sway the vote. Illinois politics haven't changed in two centuries!

A location on the Rock River would of been purdy nice. No matter how you cut it, the Kish is no river in the DeKalb area.

Funny other story about school location - I went to HS in Kankakee, and the rumor was always the the City of Kankakee was give a choice by the State of Illinois if the city wanted a college, or a mental health facility. Being as far back in time as it was when this decision was made, the town elders thought that higher education would never catch on and that big money could be made housing the insane. The named their new money wagon the Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane.......

Well we know how well that turned out, considering the cities of Champaign and Urbana snapped up the new University of Illinois and the city of Kankakee now has nothing but the ruins of Shapiro Developmental Center. http://www.rootsweb.com/~asylums/kankakee_il/index.html

In light of the fact that Northern Illinois State College became Northern Illinois University in 1957, not 1967, I question the accuracy of that article.

Lord Stanley Wrote:A location on the Rock River would of been purdy nice. No matter how you cut it, the Kish is no river in the DeKalb area.

Funny other story about school location - I went to HS in Kankakee, and the rumor was always the the City of Kankakee was give a choice by the State of Illinois if the city wanted a college, or a mental health facility. Being as far back in time as it was when this decision was made, the town elders thought that higher education would never catch on and that big money could be made housing the insane. The named their new money wagon the Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane.......

Well we know how well that turned out, considering the cities of Champaign and Urbana snapped up the new University of Illinois and the city of Kankakee now has nothing but the ruins of Shapiro Developmental Center. http://www.rootsweb.com/~asylums/kankakee_il/index.html

Yes, but it is only one of a handful of rivers in the US that flows north. Of course, it doesn't flow north in DeKAlb part of the river but you don't ever have to let others know that.

This is an intersting article, as I had no idea that there was a battle for NIU between DeKalb & Rockford. Just how different a university would NIU have been had it been housed in cities that turned out to be as large as Rockford or Aurora. I think the school has a hard time dispelling the commuter or suitcase school now...If it had ended up in a larger city...would it have just been another version UIC???

Good stuff...thanks for posting the article.

I read these articles last weekend in the RRstar when they came out in print and there are some pretty nice pieces if you want to know about the history of NIU and how it got there.

There was also much more in print than what you've got there if anyone can get a hold of the archive if interested.

If you talk to people in Dixon, they will tell you it was down to DeKalb and Dixon for NIU.

Doggone Wrote:If you talk to people in Dixon, they will tell you it was down to DeKalb and Dixon for NIU.

Dixon actually had a college at the time...called the Northern Illinois Normal School and Dixon Business College....It was opened in 1881 and by the 1890's was a fairly large campus for the time. It boasted a prominent law school. More students enrolled at this college in 1902 than did U of I that year. The following year things went south and the school had financial difficulties until it closed in 1914.

If Dixon was in the running for NIU, I do not think it was ever realistically considered unless that was part of a financing deal between the owners of this university and the state. My guess is that the city of Dixon. like the city mentioned above, saw universities as a financial problem and opted for Building the State School for the Retarded Instead. (This stayed in Dixon until it was eventually turned into the prison that now exists there.)

Lord Stanley Wrote:A location on the Rock River would of been purdy nice. No matter how you cut it, the Kish is no river in the DeKalb area.

Funny other story about school location - I went to HS in Kankakee, and the rumor was always the the City of Kankakee was give a choice by the State of Illinois if the city wanted a college, or a mental health facility. Being as far back in time as it was when this decision was made, the town elders thought that higher education would never catch on and that big money could be made housing the insane. The named their new money wagon the Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane.......

Well we know how well that turned out, considering the cities of Champaign and Urbana snapped up the new University of Illinois and the city of Kankakee now has nothing but the ruins of Shapiro Developmental Center. http://www.rootsweb.com/~asylums/kankakee_il/index.html

When I went to high school, I heard that exact same rumor, only it was Elgin choosing the mental hospital over a university. Funny how these stories get around

houstonhuskie Wrote:

Doggone Wrote:If you talk to people in Dixon, they will tell you it was down to DeKalb and Dixon for NIU.

Dixon actually had a college at the time...called the Northern Illinois Normal School and Dixon Business College....It was opened in 1881 and by the 1890's was a fairly large campus for the time. It boasted a prominent law school. More students enrolled at this college in 1902 than did U of I that year. The following year things went south and the school had financial difficulties until it closed in 1914.

If Dixon was in the running for NIU, I do not think it was ever realistically considered unless that was part of a financing deal between the owners of this university and the state. My guess is that the city of Dixon. like the city mentioned above, saw universities as a financial problem and opted for Building the State School for the Retarded Instead. (This stayed in Dixon until it was eventually turned into the prison that now exists there.)

Is this a picture of the school?

When I went to high school, I heard that exact same rumor, only it was Elgin choosing the mental hospital over a university. Funny how these stories get around

I heard that same story 20+ years ago. Elgin didn't want rowdy college kids. They could put a big fence around the other place.

Huskie359 Wrote:This is an intersting article, as I had no idea that there was a battle for NIU between DeKalb & Rockford.

Same here, that's why i posted it. I thought we all could stand to learn something interesting about our University.

one aspect they did not mention in the article was that the citizens of DeKalb built an artificial dam on the Kish, and broke the dam just as the trustees were walking over the lincoln highway bridge. that way, instead of a small lazy river, the Kish looked like a vibrant, roaring river. they did this because Rockford had an edge with the Rock. has anyone else ever heard this story?

RobertN Wrote:

houstonhuskie Wrote:

Doggone Wrote:If you talk to people in Dixon, they will tell you it was down to DeKalb and Dixon for NIU.

My guess is that the city of Dixon. like the city mentioned above, saw universities as a financial problem and opted for Building the State School for the Retarded Instead. (This stayed in Dixon until it was eventually turned into the prison that now exists there.)

Is this a picture of the school?

Why do you hate America?

And I've heard the damming of the Kish story. Whether it's true or not- as legend it is a great story.

DogTracks Wrote: Why do you hate America?

And I've heard the damming of the Kish story. Whether it's true or not- as legend it is a great story.

I was wondering if anyone would understand that.

I don't know if they are still available anywhere but if they are, I would suggest picking up "Castle on a Hill" which is a pictoral history of NIU. Scroll down to the third article in link(note it is from '06 but it might give you a suggestion as to who to contact to see if there are any still available. I think they were a fairly limited edition though.

http://www.niu.edu/PubAffairs/nnow/winte...eNIU.shtml

DogTracks Wrote:

RobertN Wrote:

houstonhuskie Wrote:

Doggone Wrote:If you talk to people in Dixon, they will tell you it was down to DeKalb and Dixon for NIU.

My guess is that the city of Dixon. like the city mentioned above, saw universities as a financial problem and opted for Building the State School for the Retarded Instead. (This stayed in Dixon until it was eventually turned into the prison that now exists there.)

Is this a picture of the school?

Why do you hate America?

And I've heard the damming of the Kish story. Whether it's true or not- as legend it is a great story.

Interesting story....the original "boyhood home of Ronanld Reagan" sign that briefly was displayed in front of that house disappeared in 1980 and circulated between four young mens dorm rooms (including one on the ninth floor of STS) for the better part of two years......so I hear...

RobertN Wrote:I don't know if they are still available anywhere but if they are, I would suggest picking up "Castle on a Hill" which is a pictoral history of NIU.

Now you've got me wanting to buy that book. I enjoy reading about history. Definitely interested in learning more on the history of NIU.

epasnoopy Wrote:

RobertN Wrote:I don't know if they are still available anywhere but if they are, I would suggest picking up "Castle on a Hill" which is a pictoral history of NIU.

Now you've got me wanting to buy that book. I enjoy reading about history. Definitely interested in learning more on the history of NIU.

There may be a copy for you to check out or at least read in the library if buying one is no longer possible.

DSniu41 Wrote:one aspect they did not mention in the article was that the citizens of DeKalb built an artificial dam on the Kish, and broke the dam just as the trustees were walking over the lincoln highway bridge. that way, instead of a small lazy river, the Kish looked like a vibrant, roaring river. they did this because Rockford had an edge with the Rock. has anyone else ever heard this story?

Rockford has turned into quite the trash can in recent years. With the increases in gang violence and unemployment, Rockford looks to be pretty much doomed for years to come.