ESTHER M. BARTON - AN INSTITUTION
Esther M. Barton was born in South Dixon Township in Lee County
on Oct. 24, 1896 to Charles S. and Mary (Ortgiesen) Barton. In her
youth she attended the Preston Rural School which was then located in
the township along the old Peoria to Galena Historical Road.
Attending Dixon High School her interests were centered upon school
plays and dramatic and humorous readings. In her senior year of 1914,
she was Valedictorian of her class. She then went on to enroll in the
Northern Illinois Teachers College located in DeKalb, graduating in
1916.
Miss Barton received her first teaching assignment at the E. C.
Smith School in that same year where she taught a 4th grade
elementary class. By 1920 she had become Principal of the E. C. Smith
School along with her duties of teaching the 8th grade class. In 1936
she was also made Principal of the Woodworth School. Both positions
remained her duties until the opening of Lincoln School which
occurred on Jan. 23, 1938 with Miss Barton as its Principal.
This new modern facility would replace the E. C. School which was
built in 1866 along with the Truman and Woodworth Schools. Esther
Barton remained as the Principal of Lincoln School for 29 years,
until her retirement in 1967. After 51 years of service to the Dixon
Public Schools until her retirement in 1967, her main interest,
education, was always focused in her students.
Miss Barton even at an early age had instilled the interest of
her students in excelling, as was evident during Dixon's Centennial
Celebration in 1930 as an essay contest was conducted by the public
schools in Dixon. A contest which was won by Dorothy Hoyle, a student
in E. C. Smith School, her teacher being Esther Barton.
Her interest in education and teaching was evident in the many
studies and courses she had undertook in her career at various
universities throughout the United States and Mexico. Esther Barton
in her lifetime had studied courses at Northern Illinois University,
Western Illinois University, University of Washington, University of
Southern California, University of New Mexico, Ohio State University,
Columbia University, University of Indiana, University of Maine,
Arizona Teachers College, New Mexico State Teachers College. Outside
the United States she attended the National University of Mexico,
University of Jalisco and the American University. Miss Barton had
only achieved a Bachelor of Education degree, although many of her
studies would have gone towards a Masters degree, which she never
pursued.
Miss Barton was always eager to learn something new, as was
evident in the diversity of seasonal employment she undertook through
her lifetime. She had been involved with the Psychology Department of
the Dixon State School, the Personnel Department of the Green River
Ordinance, the University of New Mexico - Department of Anthropology,
pre-Columbian Indian excavations, the Fred Harvey Corporation in
Majara, California, a hostess at Bishops Lodge in Santa Fe, New
Mexico and worked at the HFBar Ranch in Buffalo, Wyoming.
One of her favorite pastimes was traveling and through her many
years of doing that, she had visited every state in the Union,
traveled to Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands,
South America and Europe. She had been on two world tours which
occurred in 1933 and 1969, one of which took four and one-half months
to complete. Many Indian artifacts and memorabilia that she had
collected from various states and countries are housed in the
Loveland Community House Museum.
But still, with all of her interests and travels outside the
area, Esther still found the time to dedicate a part of her life to
the community and area she loved and lived in all of her life. She
was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church and also a Past President
of the Lee County Historical Society, Dixon Woman's Club and the
Foreign Travel Club.
Additionally she served as an officer or member of the Dixon
Teacher's Association, American Association of University Women
(Dixon branch), Alpha Alpha Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, Illinois
Education Association, Illinois Elementary Principal's Association,
National Education Association, Lee County T. B. Association, Lee
County Welfare Services Committee, Loveland Community House Museum,
Illinois State Historical Society and the Council for Exceptional
Children. Her 25 years as a member of the Dixon Park Board held many
memorable times for her.
A highlight to her devotion and love of education was the
awarding of the Freedoms Foundation Educators Award Medal to Miss
Barton in 1960. Friends of Miss Barton recall that, being selected as
Grand Marshall for the 10th Anniversary Petunia Festival Parade in
1974, with its theme of "Rock River Memories," was most appropriate
in highlighting her achievements. It has been said that Miss Barton
never owned an automobile, yet she was held in high regard as being
Dixon's first fully licensed aviatrix.
Her enthusiasm, humor and love for people are gone now. Just as
the familiar sight of her dressed in her popular red hat and plaid
skirt that we all remember. Esther M. Barton died on Monday, June 9,
1986 in the Franklin Grove Health Care Center after a lengthy
illness. Truly, her life's accomplishments along with her legacy
shall always be remembered.
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