On April 5, 1848, the Kane County Educational Association met in Dundee to examine and recommend textbooks for use in Kane County beginning in 1849.
The Recommended Textbooks:
- McGuffey’s Readers and McGuffey’s Spelling Book – foundational for reading and spelling
- W.H. Wells’ Grammar – for mastering the rules of language
- The Moral Instructor by Palmer – emphasizing character and values
- Practical Physiology by Jarvis – introducing students to the human body
- Ray’s Arithmetic Series – widely used in American schools for decades
- Mitchell’s Geography Atlas and Maps – for geographic literacy
- Parley’s Common School History – a digestible overview of history
- Olmsted’s Philosophy
- Kendall’s Uranography – an early astronomy text
- Tower’s Mental Algebra – promoting logic and reasoning
- Emerson’s Exposition of the Constitution of the United States – teaching civic understanding
- Worcester’s Dictionary – a valuable language resource
The committee affirmed a powerful guiding principle:
“That every child is entitled to such an education as will qualify him for the proper discharge of
all duties that may devolve on him in later life, as a citizen, a Christian, a man.”
“That the property of the community is, and should be, by law, bound to educate all its
members.”
Yet, the language of the resolution reveals an underlying bias. The consistent use of “him” reflects an assumption: boys were expected to become active citizens and leaders, while the education of girls was often seen as optional. Although girls were permitted to attend public school in Kane County, their education was not prioritized or encouraged. This reflected national attitudes. College attendance was not legally permitted to women in any U.S. University until Oberlin College (Ohio) in 1837.
Gradually, however, educational opportunities for women expanded. In Illinois and beyond,
seminaries and women’s colleges began to emerge:
- Rockford Female Seminary (chartered 1847), which later became Rockford University
- Jacksonville Female Seminary (1848)
- Peoria Female Seminary (1853)
- Northwestern Female College (1855)
- Evanston College for Ladies (1869), which eventually merged with Northwestern University
The University of Illinois took a historic step in 1871 by admitting women and offering them an education nearly equal to that of men, with the exception of military science. Likewise, Illinois Wesleyan University welcomed its first female students in 1870. Even married women found intellectual outlets by forming literary societies, creating safe spaces for discussion, learning, and debate. In 1870, the Illinois Industrial University (now the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) faced a defining moment.
After two years of contentious debate, its Board of Trustees remained deadlocked 4-4 on the question of admitting women. One Trustee famously declared:
“I say, if a girl wants to build a wagon, let her build a wagon!”
The tie-breaking vote fell to Regent John Milton Gregory. Although initially hesitant due to facility limitations and concerns about diminished academic standards, Gregory ultimately voted in favor of admitting women, guided by his conviction that education should serve all students and prepare them for meaningful lives.
Education in Sugar Grove
According to our records, Sugar Grove’s early public schools welcomed both boys and girls. By 1875, when the Normal and Industrial School was established, female students were once again included. The school’s mission was progressive for its time, offering a broad education not just to future farmers and industrial arts students, but also to aspiring female teachers.
Frank H. Hall, formerly Principal of the South Side Normal (Teaching) School in Aurora, brought his expertise to Sugar Grove in 1875. Under his direction, the school educated over 100 students in its first year, comprising both male and female students, with approximately 25 of them being local students. The rest boarded at “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” (the hotel) built by Thomas Judd for this purpose. These students pursued training in the industrial arts, agriculture, and teacher preparation, pioneering the way toward broader educational equality in rural Illinois.
Normal and Industrial School and Students, located where the Sugar Grove High School (now apartments) once stood on Main Street.
