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James Fargusson

Full name

James Fargusson

Alternative names

James Furguson, James Farguson, James Ferguson, Jas. Fergusson, James Furgeson

Presence at Shimer

1852

Presence on Earth

–1888

Role(s)

Seminary period trustee

James Fargusson was a founding Trustee of Shimer College, at the dawn of the Seminary period.

Fargusson was born in Ohio, and was 29 at the time of the 1850 census, when he and his wife Adaline Langlois were living in Mount Carroll. Their children were Owen, Orry and Emma.[1][2] His occupation was listed as "Patent rights dealer." They were located in Dubuque by 1860, and in Chicago by 1870, where they remained.[3]

Fargusson was the author of at least one patent, for an improvement in grain separators.[4][5] He died in 1888.

Mentioned[]

  • in Carroll County History, Volney Armour, 1876:
    John Brotherton, an uncle, and John Patterson, a relative of W. A. Brotherton, James Ferguson and William J. Mertz came in 1844. The county records were moved up in September, and John Wilson came with them. Drs. Hostetter, Abram, and John L., came in 1845; so also did Thomas T. Jacobs and Jared Bartholomew. The James Ferguson mentioned was kind of an original genius; was smart, a fluent talker, without a particle of religion. His presence would cure the blues at any time.
  • in "Reminiscences of Preston Prairie", Andrew Downing, 1908:
    One winter a lyceum was organized and debates held in the court house. Among the speakers I recall C. E. Denio, the "Galena bricklayer" who was then in Carroll, James Farguson and some others. One night Farguson was debating with an Englishman named Knight. I am not sure as to the subject under discussion but Farguson twitted his antagonist of being a "Briton, if not a Hessian, who had probably come to America to rob us of our liberties." Knight retorted hotly, acknowledging his English origin but declaring fiercely that he was neither a "Essian" nor a son of a "Essian."

Profiled[]

Writings about Shimer[]

  • Letter to Wood & Gregory, 1852-02-03:
    Amid the present religious & mental excitement that prevails in our village, a few philosophical questions naturally suggest themselves to the minds of the more thinking portions of our community questions that pertain not only to the excited present but to the fast & the future of our village, community & institutions. Among these questions are the following. What has become of that boasted Liberal institution of Learning around which the whole community rallied but a few months ago as tho it was the "palladium of their salvation that institution which was incorporated by special legislative enactment as a liberal institution, as the people's instrument & forever guarantied free from all Sectarian or religious influence or controll"?? Has it degenerated into a mere Baptist institution & is it governed by a Spirit of fanaticism, instead of philosophy? Has that order, energy & efficiency which at first rendered it so popular given way to a spirit of cant & fanaticism? Has the personal attention & experience of its principals been exchanged for the services of young & inexperienced Schollars as assistants through motives of economy? Are the Schollars that are sent there for strictly scientific or educational purposes (mainly because it was a liberal institution) to have their minds so wrought upon by persuasion, precept & example as to convert them into premature bigots or enthusiast, instead of practical Schollars?
    Or are they to be detained in waiting the motion of their deluded enthusiastic classmates & thus lose both their time & tuition fees? In Short is the Mt. Carroll Seminary as at present tempered & conducted, that liberal, practical, efficient institution that community had hoped & had reason to believe it would be? Is it such an institution of learning as is at present demanded in this place? Or had we as a community better let it Drop in Despair & unite our efforts in favor of a Grand Union School where all the advantages of a high school may be had together with the benefits of the public monies without the taint of Religious Sectarianism? These & kindred questions are daily being asked by one Citizen of another & freely discussed & not as Cassius spoke treason to Brutus in a hushed breath & in a by place, but openly & in public places. And as for myself, you know my motto "free off hand your story tell" & I am decidedly of the opinion that no person can serve two masters at the same time, they cannot serve God & Mammon at the same time, nor can they do two things contrary in their natures at the same time & do them both well "ie" they cannot serve the Church (the most exacting of all masters) & at the same time serve the patrons of the Seminary & do justice to both.. & it is further my opinion that if you succeed (which it seems at present you will do) in arousing the jealousies, resentment & opposition of the liberal portion of this community, backed by the growing jealousies of other religious denominations, you will then have created a power that you cannot controll, & if this power thus created manifests itself in a "Grand People's Union School" in this place, where they can all meet on the same common platform, the result will be that just in proportion to the life & progress & prosperity of such an institution will be the decline, downfall & death of the Seminary, for all know that this community cannot sustain two such institutions & you are well aware of the strong inclinations of all communities to avail themselves of the public monies for school purposes and especially where it is accompanied by first class school privileges.
    Now in saying this I do not speak the sentiments of myself alone, but of a very large class of community & of those who have stood by the Seminary with their patronage & support through every vicissitude but who now that they regard it as at present but little better than a hot-bed of religious fanaticism feel a strong inclination to turn their attention elsewhere for those benefits that they had hoped to receive there & whilst I share in the foregoing sentiments I would not be understood as in any wise censuring or calling to account any person on account of their region, for it should be between them & their God. But I do most strongly condemn its introduction into a School, & especially so where it can work such mischief as I belief it has in the Seminary. And without a radical change from the present aspect of things, it needs no prophetic eye to see in the halls of the Seminary to professor's chair stand unnoticed fast falling to decay, the student's seats tenantless & institution itself numbered among the things that were. Now if this frank expression of my opinion on a subject in which I have a deep interest should give offence I am prepared to settle my school bill at any time.

Writings[]

References[]




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