February 3, 1837…St. Charles College Chartered
In St. Charles, "the village of the little hills," the Methodist Episcopal Church officially established its first Missouri college February 3, 1837, when the general assembly of Missouri approved its charter.
The college had its beginning, however, in a house erected in 1830 by Mrs. Catherine Collier as a meeting place for Methodists. Later, the ultimate building was constructed with money from her will, and from her son's, George Collier's donations. John F. Fielding was elected president, and class work began in the new building November 1, 1836. After the incorporation of the college, Collier deeded the property to the corporation, but he continued to contribute $1000 yearly for operating expenses until 1842.
When he died in July 1852, he left $10,000 to the school on the condition that a like sum be contributed by the church within ten years from the date of his death. The following year Bishop Enoch Mather Marvin, by appointment of the Methodist conference, added $10,000. David Barton, early St. Charles resident and one of Missouri's first two United States senators, also contributed to the school.
When it became evident in 1891 that the school must be enlarged, Ezra Overall, a member of the board, offered to sell the board some land in the suburbs at a reduced price. In 1892 he released the deed of trust which he held on the property, thus making a donation of it to the college and becoming one of the institution's benefactors. The list of incorporators of St. Charles College included George Collier, David Barton, John O'Fallon, B. G. Farrar, Trusten Polk, William Henry Ashley, John F. Fielding, Edward Bates, and George C. Sibley. School was suspended when the Civil War started and in December 1862 Colonel Arnold Krekel, commander of a State militia regiment and a curator of the school, converted the building into a hospital and used the basement as a prison for citizens under military arrest. The lawful owners did not regain control of the building until 1870, after a court fight.
The college admitted women in 1891 and later built a residence hall for women. After a decade, the college became a military school. Class work stopped in 1915. June 16, 1917, the St. Charles chamber of commerce opened the first public playground in the city on the St. Charles College grounds. The following February, fire destroyed Jefferson high school in the city, and the college board of curators gave the school board permission to use the college buildings for a high school.
During 1922 this historical Methodist college passed out of existence, the courts dividing its property between Central College in Fayette and the town of St. Charles. The college received $25,000 and the town approximately $8000 in cash and the buildings and grounds. The old college building, erected in 1836, burned in May 1922. Under the leadership of William F. Knox, the people of St. Charles in 1922 voted bonds and erected a new $200,000 public high school on the old college campus.
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