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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
academy is now closely associated with the great Northwestern University, and is preparing to so expand its curriculum as to cover the first two years of college work, but in no way to curtail its preparatory classes. The original imposing three-story stone and brick structure, and the fine brick building of the same height, erected in 1888 by the revered Mrs. Lucy S. Lovell, are both situated upon a commanding elevation in the midst of the northeast residence portion of the city, and they are surrounded by a delightful campus of four acres. The institution possesses an unusually well-selected library of 1,500 volumes, and has two roomy laboratories for physics and chemistry, with an adjoining room for chemicals. The gymnasium is well equipped with the usual facilities for physical training, and the excellent tennis courts, croquet grounds, basketball and foot-ball grounds give ample opportunity for athletic exercise and sport. The location is most beautiful and accessible, and the institution rests upon a firm basis in the appreciative regard of its intelligent constituency throughout this and adjoining counties.
The fine educational institution, heretofore mentioned as suggested by the Rev. John Clark, has long been an honor to the city of Aurora, and to the county. It received a charter in 1855 and, two years later, its imposing five-story buildings were erected upon the high land on South Broadway. From its lofty cupola is presented a panorama of scenic beauty rarely equaled. The fine city of Aurora lies at one's feet; stretching away in each direction is the boundless vista of as fair and beautiful a landscape as ever pleased a beholder, and through its midst winds the lovely river. The buildings are constructed of dimension stone, and are stately and imposing in appearance. The grounds and buildings cost about $70,000-which was a very large sum of money in the low, hard times of 1857-and that it could possibly be raised in the struggling young city, demonstrates more forcibly than words can express, the people's active interest in the cause of education. It has ever been under the guiding influence of the great religious denominations so worthily represented by its original projector, and is now controlled by the deaconesses of the Rock River Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is conducted as a young woman's seminary and educational school of the very best Christian type. It is well equipped with the appliances necessary for its work; has a fine corps of eleven excellent instructors, and a fairly satisfactory attendance of students. It possesses a well-selected library, and the gymnasium and basket-ball and tennis court of its beautiful campus afford excellent facilities for in-door and out-door exercise so essential for the proper development of spirit, mind and body. It is a denominational, but by no means a sectarian, school, and it offers its excellent facilities to, and seeks the patronage of all, the families of Kane and adjacent counties.
About 1854 the Batavia Institute opened its doors to students and, for about ten years, did very fine educational work. It was beautifully located and the buildings, costing about $30,000, were exceptionally elegant. But the development of the excellent public-school system rendered it somewhat superfluous, and it passed into the hands of Dr. R. J. Patterson, an accomplished gentleman and skillful medical practitioner, of careful study and wide practical experience in the treatment of mental ailments, and by him was converted into a modern retreat for the insane, and is still so used.
And so we find that, in the decade of un-paralelled political excitement, bitterness and financial depression which preceded the great war, the people of Kane County, by voluntary contributions, appropriated fully $125,000 of their scant means to provide these three educational institutions.
St. Mary's Academy at Elgin is a fine academic school conducted by one of the sacred orders of the Catholic Church. Its curriculum is comprehensive, its instruction very careful and thorough, and its influence highly refined and religious. The new German Catholic Church has a complete parochial school building, while the Catholic parishes of Aurora maintain three very large parochial schools in connection with their churches. There are also a number of other private schools maintained throughout the county; and, in the cities, business colleges and night schools are affording instruction to large numbers of students and enterprising young people.
LIBRARIES
Library Associations were formed in many of the pioneer communities very early in the settlement of the county; in some of them during the 'thirties. By natural process of expansion these have developed until, at Aurora, Batavia,
