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Westfield College
(1861-1914)
Westfield, Illinois
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Westfield College was located at South &
Fulton in Westfield.
It was originally founded as Westfield Seminary in 1861 by the
United Brethren in Christ. It was incorporated as a College in 1865.
It's charter was granted by a special act of Congress passed Feb 15,
1865. The first Board of Trustees consisted of Walton C. Smith,
Alexander Helton, David Ross, Samuel
Mills, Hiram Elwell, Edmund R. Connolly, Daniel
Evinger and J. H. Coons. The school was coeducational from
the beginning and in some years granted both Bachelor's and Master's
Degrees. Its peak enrollment, reached in 1909, was 160. It closed in
June 1914 because of declining enrollment and lack of financial
support. The building was subsequently used by the
Westfield
Township High School. It was destroyed by fire in 1917.
In 1877, the 17th general conference of the Church of the United
Brethren in Christ was held at Westfield College, during which, Rev.
Milton Wright, father of the Wright Brothers Orville and Wilber, was
elected bishop on May 10, 1877. |
| Sources:
W. H. Perrin, History of Crawford and Clark Counties, O. L.
Baskin & Co.,1883.
Illinois State Historical Marker, Westfield, IL.
Collection of Histories of the Churches of Clark County,
Clark County Genealogical Society, 1978
If you have any
information or picture
pertaining to the Westfield College, it's Faculty or Students, please
send it to ortmank@yahoo.com.
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