First School in Minooka

The first schoolhouse in Minooka was built in 1854, but teaching the children in a tough mining town was a thankless jobs.  One of the earliest teachers was Anthony O’Boyle who had been a schoolmaster in Ireland, and Francis Kane who would serve as the town druggist. (See the obituary of his son below.)  Around 1870, Thomas Patrick Joyce, who later became Minooka High School’s principal, became Mr. O’Boyle’s assistant.  Born in Ireland to illiterate parents, he arrived in Minooka when he was nine years old with his widowed mother and sister.  He worked as a mule driver for two years until an accident caused him to quit the mines.  It was then that he decided to become a teacher, and in five years, Tom Joyce, at the age of 16, became one.  The teachers’ job was to instruct the unlettered, undisciplined and unenthusiastic children of the town.  Some of the boys who worked at the breakers during the day went to night school as did Mike Lydon, Dr. Joe’s father:

"The night school the boys attended by kerosene light was under the hard eye of "Perfesser" Joyce. He was very smart and administered a discipline that Captain Bligh would envy. Corporal punishment was liberally administered with a hickory cane, and nobody complained to their parents. (Contributed by Dr. Joseph Lydon)

The following was written by journalist, John T. Brown on August 8, 1923 in connection with the celebration of Old Home Week:

This brings me to consideration of another great character, the late Professor Thomas P. Joyce, who for more than fifty-two years was the principal of the public school. The late County Commissioner, A. F. O'Boyle was, I believe, the first teacher, but he moved to North Scranton in a year or so and was succeeded by Mr. Joyce.

Mr. Joyce began teaching when he was quite young and had only elementary training, but Father John (Loughran) started him on the road to Latin and higher mathematics. The more Mr. Joyce delved into advanced studies, the more he felt the need for additional scholastic training. So, after he taught for a good many years, he applied for leave of absence from the board and took the academic course at Wyoming Seminary. That must be forty years ago.

Rev. Dr. L. L. Sprague was at that time principal of the seminary. His reputation for learning attracted Mr. Joyce... I recall distinctly that Mr. Joyce had misgivings about being accepted as a student because he was a Catholic. "We are all God's children," the good doctor replied.

What a different world this would be if everybody were that tolerant and judged not harshly or rashly of his neighbor but worshiped God according to the dictates of his conscience and minded his own business!

Under the inspiration of Father John and Mr. Joyce, the Minooka youth began looking upward. Father John was a frequent visitor at the school and always conducted a quiz, but I do not recall that he ever injected religion, for there were some Protestants among the pupils such as the children of William Connell and of his brother James and of the Penman and Kuester families. Father John taught religion in his own church and at Sunday school.

Among the boys who had Mr. Joyce as schoolmaster were former mayors, W.L. Connell and Alex T. Connell, former congressman Charles L. Connell, John F. Connelly, district attorney and later judge, Recorder of Deeds Martin F. Judge, Rev. Patrick Joseph Kelly, and his brother, Rev. Thomas Francis Kelly, Rev. John J. McLoughlin, Rev. Joseph McDonnell, Rev. Father Joyce, Rev. Peter Cusick, S.J., currently president of Canisius College in Buffalo, and John Egan, known in the religious life as Brother Philip and now teaching in the Christian Brothers College in Los Angeles.

Contributed by the late Dr. Joe Lydon, Marybeth VanWinkle and Mary Simonsen