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iceassed ist ” i anfor;hanando of1d.dyepre-w?ed.tain the be mtle i by es— vey din’, —alli of iem-uest for-e of rom nes-feld,rohnhemdng,ung.thetellthe •ck's eld's 1 noHeritage Of Happy Memories Is Bequeathed To Men As Castle Hall Recalls Former GloriesWhen grandmother sits down in her favorite rocker and sorts and fondles her worn but precious box of treasures, the beautiful old hands linger over the sweetest memories ever known—little shoes with run-over heels and a tiny pack of faded paper tied with pink ribbon. When the old-timer of Shurtleff College recalls and muses over former days of campus life, his thoughts fondly pause upon some of the sweetest recollections of the day, the pleasant social atmosphere and the gracious hospitality of the spacious Castle Hall.The present site of Castle Hall was a part of 668 acres patented by the United States government in 1815 at a sale price of $668. Later a large portion, approximately 100 acres was purchased by Minion Edwards and was held by him in trust for the Alton college which later became Shurtleff College. After his death, in 1833, the trustees sued his estate and received a deed. This ground was later bought by Prof. O. L. Castle, one of the most loved personalities connected with the college.Professor Castle, after graduating from a college at Granville, Ohio, came to Alton where he held the position of professor of Latin and “Belles Lettres” for 40 years and old students and friends remember him as one of the finest of teachers, and as a great lover of music.When the Civil War broke out Prof. Castle intended to join the Union Army. He was elected captain of a company of students, but was ordered by the doctor, because of poor health, to give up his commission and continue teaching at Shurtleff, which he did.When Prof. Castle built Castle Hall, it was patterned after the old Bernard home on Seminary Street. At that time Castle Hall was made up only of the eastern portion of the present building. Here the Castle family lived and entertained until Mr. Cole of Chester bought the home anddoubled its former size by adding the rooms to the west, as it appears at the present time. The Cole family with their six children then occupied this large brick home, and it was then given the name of Cole-Clark. The graciousness and hospitality practiced by the Castles, was carried on by the Coles. It soon became recognized as the headquarters for the Sigma Phi (Literary Society) gatherings.The late Prof. L. M. Castle, son of O. L. Castle, was an instructor at Western Military Academy before going to Springfield, Illinois, where he held the principalship of the highschool there for 25 years. At the end of this service, he was called to Shurtleff by Professor Ray to fill his father's place as professor of Latin. He accepted and, like his father, possessed one of the finest personalities in the history of the college and was always a source of inspiration and a friendly guide to the students. Professor Castle remained at Shurtleff for 20 years. He had retired the last few years of his life, but his energy and his fine spirit never left him.In 1919, Shurtleff bought Cole-Clark Cottage from the Coles and it was then used as the Girls' Dormitory until about 1923 when the new dorm was opened. During this time the old hails were filled with laughter, music, dates, parties—all happy memories. Such exerpts as these were found in old Retrospects: “Daily calls by boys made to Cole-Clark, “Weiners and sour kraut at Cole-Clark tonight”, “Picnic dinners on the Cole-Clark lawn. Many visitors and old students, “Guests from India entertained at Cole-Clark Cottage, “Boys Serenade the Cottage, “Wash-day at Cole-Clark”, “Banister party at Cole-Clark.”In 1923 Cole-Clark became a conservatory and remained so until this year when it was remodeled into the Men’s Dormitory and the name “Castle Hall” was given to it.
Newspaper Details
Alton Shurtleff Pioneer
Alton, Illinois, US
Wed, Dec 11, 1935
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Hayner P.
IL, USA 23 Jan 2023
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