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The Todd School is one of the better known private school in Woodstock, Illinois. The Todd Seminary for Boys was founded by the Reverend Richard K. Todd from Vermont, He came to Illinois embued with the New England philosophy of "plain living and high thinking, and in harmony with Puritan traditions". The Reverend Todd arrived in Woodstock at a time that Illinois still was little removed from the Frontier (1847). Illinois only became a state a few decades earlier (1818). He was the young new pastor of a new Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Todd from the beginning had an interest in education and opened a small day school in the parsonage for children of parishioners (1848). There were only a handful of students, but it continued to operate for several years (until 1859). Todd with his advanced education also served as the School Superintendent for McHenry County from (1849-55). for McHenry County from (1849-55). Todd wanted to create a larger school. He established the Parsonage Institute as a boarding school (1858). It proved a suceess and expanded and the state approved a charter for Woodstock University (1861). The name was changed to Woodstock Collegiate Institute (1864). The number of children in the 1860s varied from about 80-150 boys from the McHenry County area. More changes were made (1867). The school became a seminary for boys and renamed the Woodstock Institute. A few years later it became the became known as the Todd Seminary for Boys (1873). The Rev. Todd hired Noble Hill (1888). The two did not get along and Hill resigned (1889). Todd was, however, getting older and needed an energetic younger man to assist him. As a result, Todd reconsidered and not only rehired Hill, but promised to support him (1890). The Rev. Todd's wife died the next winter (1891). Without his wife, The Rev. Todd did not feel he had the strength to continue running the school. He went to live with his son who was a university professor in California. Hill purchased the Seminary from Todd for $20,000 (1892) and he and his son Roger would run the school as sucessive headmasters. Nobel Hill opened summer camp--Camp Tosebo at Manistee, Michigan (1912). The same year Hill died, the school became known as the Todd School for Boys (1930). We note boys at sending postcards home from camp (1950s). The Todd School was a university preparatory school for boys, who entered the school as young as 11 years of age and graduated at about 18 years of age. The most famous old boy is Orson Welles Welles who entered the school when he was 11 years old (1926) and graduated (1931). He was particularly unterested in dramatics and was an activemember of the Todd Troupers, a traveling dramatics group. He worked with Headmaster Roger Hill to write the Everybody's Shakespeare series of plays that provided simplified version gor school dramatics. Unterestingly an internet posting describes another boy at the school pubching Wells in the face because 'he was too big for his shoes'. The school remained privately owned when Nobel Hill died (1930). He left the school to his children and his son Roger Hill who already was headmaster continued running the school.
The Todd School is one of the better known private school in Woodstock, Illinois. The Todd Seminary for Boys was founded by the Reverend Richard K. Todd from Vermont, He came to Illinois embued with the New England philosophy of "plain living and high thinking, and in harmony with Puritan traditions". The Reverend Todd arrived in Woodstock at a time that Illinois still was little removed from the Frontier (1847). Illinois only became a state a few decades earlier (1818). He was the young new pastor of a new Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Todd from the beginning had an interest in education and opened a small day school in the parsonage for children of parishioners (1848). There were only a handful of students, but it continued to operate for several years (until 1859). Todd with his advanced education also served as the School Superintendent for McHenry County from (1849-55). for McHenry County from (1849-55). Todd wanted to create a larger school. He established the Parsonage Institute as a boarding school (1858). It proved a suceess and expanded and the state approved a charter for Woodstock University (1861). The name was changed to Woodstock Collegiate Institute (1864). The number of children in the 1860s varied from about 80-150 boys from the McHenry County area. More changes were made (1867). The school became a seminary for boys and renamed the Woodstock Institute. A few years later it became the became known as the Todd Seminary for Boys (1873). The Rev. Todd hired Noble Hill (1888). The two did not get along and Hill resigned (1889). Todd was, however, getting older and needed an energetic younger man to assist him. As a result, Todd reconsidered and not only rehired Hill, but promised to support him (1890). The Rev. Todd's wife died the next winter (1891). Without his wife, The Rev. Todd did not feel he had the strength to continue running the school. He went to live with his son who was a university professor in California. Hill purchased the Seminary from Todd for $20,000 (1892) and he and his son Roger would run the school as sucessive headmasters. The same year Hill died, the school became known as the Todd School for Boys (1930). The school remained privately owned when Nobel Hill died (1930). He left the school to his children and his son Roger Hill who already was headmaster continued running the school.
Nobel Hill opened summer camp--Camp Tosebo at Manistee, Michigan (1912). We note boys at sending postcards home from camp (1950s). Camp Tosebo was located on Portage Lake near Manistee, Michigan. The camp was founded in 1912 (one source says 1915), one of the first summer camps in America. The boys' camp appears to have closed about 1970. The site is now use as a senic camp for vacationers seeking a bucolic get-away. The founder was Noble Hill who was then the Headmaster of the Todd School for Boys. The Camp from the beginning was thus associated with the Tood School in Woodstock, Illinois--a tony boys' boarding school. The Camp was a kind of summer home for the Todd Seminary for Boys,
The Todd School was a university preparatory school for boys, who entered the school as young as 11 years of age and graduated at about 18 years of age.
The most famous old boy is Orson Welles Welles who entered the school when he was 11 years old (1926) and graduated (1931). He was particularly interested in dramatics and was an activemember of the Todd Troupers, a traveling dramatics group. He worked with Headmaster Roger Hill to write the Everybody's Shakespeare series of plays that provided simplified version gor school dramatics. Interestingly an internet posting describes another boy at the school pubching Wells in the face because 'he was too big for his shoes'.
Like many private schools, the boys wore suits at school. We have no infiormation on schoolwear in the 19th century. We do have information on the 20th century. There was no uniform, but the boys commonly dressed up for classes. Available images show the boys wearing ties and jackets. The styles changed over time, both the jackets and trousers. This was up to the boys and parents so we see the various current fashions. We also see boys wearing sweaters with and without ties to classes. We are not entirely sure what the school rules were.
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