County of site: Jersey County
Location of site: 107 E. Main St., Otterville
Monument erected by: George Washington
Date monument erected: 1864
Historic marker erected by: Friends of the Hamilton Primary School and the Illinois State Historical Society
Date Historical Marker erected: 1982
Text of Historical Marker:
HAMILTON PRIMARY SCHOOL "In 1834 Dr. Silas Hamilton, physician and humanitarian, bequeathed $4,000 for construction and operation of a building for educational and religious purposes. A stone schoolhouse was opened in 1836, and the tuition-free education for local students attracted families to this area. The school was razed in 1872, rebuilt, and enlarged with the original stones at the base. Classes were held here until 1971.
Text on Monument:
To the memory of
Dr. SILAS HAMILTON
His Former Master.
Born at Tinmouth VT.
May 19, 1775
Died at Otterville ILL.
Nov. 19, 1834.
Having in his lifetime
Given Freedom to Twenty Eight Slaves,
and at his death
Bequeathed Four Thousand Dollars
For the Erection and Endowment
of the
HAMILTON PRIMARY SCHOOL.
On the back of the monument:
Erected by George Washington, born in Virgina a slave. Died at Otterville ILL. ARP. 18, 1864, a Christian Freeman
The story:
"The story of Hamilton Primary School in Otterville begins half a continent away, in the Green Mountains of Vermont, with the birth of Silas Hamilton. The year was 1775, shortly before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
"Hamilton, a well-educated man, served as a doctor and teacher in Vermont before moving his family to Nashville, Tennessee, to open a medical practice. One of his more notable patients was Rachel Jackson, wife of future U.S. President Andrew Jackson.
"In 1820, Hamilton purchased a plantation near Natchez, in Adams County, Mississippi. There he hoped to lead by example, showing neighbors that you could run a profitable plantation while treating slaves fairly and humanely.
"While living in Mississippi, Hamilton often returned to Vermont to visit relatives. During one of these trips, he happened upon a young boy, named George, who was inconsolable over the recent sale of his mother. Some stories state that George's master was named Washington. Others state that the boy's mother, although a slave, could read and write and named her son after George Washington, whom she considered a great and fair man. Hamilton purchased the boy for $100, a decision that would not only influence their lives but the lives of generations to
come.
"By 1830, it had become clear that although his plantation was indeed flourishing, the neighbors were unimpressed by Hamilton's ideology. To make matters worse, both his wife and a good friend, one of the few who supported his worthy cause, passed away. Hamilton sold the plantation, and he and his 28 slaves traveled north to Cincinnati, where he granted all of them their freedom. George, now 11, and an aged couple remained with Hamilton, and the group eventually settled in Gullom, Greene County, which is now the town of Otterville in Jersey
County.
"Hamilton hoped to educate George and then send him to
Liberia to serve as a missionary, but that dream was never
realized. Hamilton died just four years later. As the only
physician in the area, some say that his untiring efforts to
help others led to his premature death.
"The "Stone Schoolhouse" was built in 1835 with stone from
White quarry, known locally as Beatty Mound. Not only was
it the first integrated school in Illinois, it was also the first
free school in the state. The school soon became known to
those even beyond the borders of Illinois.
"After Hamilton's death, George lived with the Douglas
Gilbert family (Hamilton's sister was married to Gilbert).
George made a living farming and never married. He was
widely accepted and liked in the community. He was well-
spoken, serving as the vice-president of the local debate
society, and known for his kindness to those who were ill,
always providing fuel for the family.
"But George's life was not always easy. He was assaulted by a group of men in Grafton in 1860 and was once held in Gilead, then the county seat of Calhoun county, and charged with being a runaway slave. Clarence Hamilton, a Jersey County businessman, heard the news while in Gilead on business and took the necessary steps to secure George's release.
"When George passed away in 1864, his will directed that $1,500 be used to erect a monument to the man who bought and freed him. After his debts were paid, including the funds for the monument, George's estate was worth about $7,000, which he left to be used to help "colored persons or people of African descent" acquire a higher education. The scholarship funds still benefit Jersey County students today.
"The original school was razed in 1873, and a more modern school was built to replace it. Stones from the original school serve as its base. The school was closed in 1971 due to safety concerns, but thanks to the hard work of the Otter Creek Historical Society, the school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, and they are working to restore it.
The monument honoring Silas Hamilton lies a few feet from the school, and a crypt containing the bodies of Silas Hamilton, George Washington, and Douglas Gilbert is located a short distance away." ~ Jersey County Historical Society
Confirmation of ONLY in Otter Creek Historical Society