University - 1850
Springfield Journal Register, date of paper which originally published the following is unknown.
ARTIST'S VISION OF "ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY," 1850 --
Above is an artist's drawing of "Illinois State University", our first institution of higher learning.
It had nothing to do with the University of Illinois at Champaign, established years later. This school had its
inception in Hillsboro, Ill., and was transferred to Springfield in 1852, the site being that of the Concordia College of today
at 12th and Enos. Only the central part of this building was completed - later to be known as the "Coffee Mill" at
Concordia. It was, however, quite a pretentious educational plant and offered splendid advantages for those times. Under
its charter it had full collegiate powers but only the literary and theological departments were in operation. Among the
stdents from prominent families were Robert T. Lincoln and John Hay, and Mr. Lincoln once delivered an address there.
During the Civil War, many of its students served in the Union Army. The institution closed its doors in the late Sixties
and Concordia took over the plant in 1875.
Submitted by: Jeanie Lowe.
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