Putting the ‘Normal’ in Forest Park schools
Eugene Field School, 629 Beloit Ave., was built during the summer of 1907. The first floor of the eight-room building was used until 1909 when the stairway and one room on the second floor were completed. The Robert Louis Stevenson School was erected across the alley in 1912. The former Grant School teacher who became superintendent, Frank Curtis, would find his bride, Susie Miles, a fellow teacher at Grant School.
Married in 1893, Mrs. Susie Curtis became the principal of Field School. Their children, Byron, Ruth Milschoefoer, Mrs. Tammy Morgan and Mrs. Louis Welsert, lived in Forest Park for many years.
Frank Curtis was said to be ahead of his time. He taught Normal school rules to grad school pupils and deviated from the beaten tracks of pedagogy. At the time, Normal school referred to progressive education, focusing on the whole child, character development, moral conduct and a more hands-on learning style rather than emphasizing memorization.
Jill Wagner
