Frances Shimer

Frances Shimer (August 21, 1826 – November 10, 1901), born Frances Ann Wood, was an American educator. She was the founder of the Mount Carroll Seminary, which later became Shimer College, in Mount Carroll, Illinois. She was also the sole proprietress of the school from 1870 to her retirement in 1896.

Frances Shimer was born as Frances Ann Wood in Town of Milton, in Saratoga County, New York, on August 21, 1826. She was the youngest of the four children of Rebecca Bryan and Jesse Wood. Her mother died of tuberculosis when Shimer was 10, and thereafter she was raised by her older sister.

Shimer was remembered as an extremely acute student: "the mere consciousness of something unknown was sufficient incentive to arouse ambition to acquire." She began school near her parents' house at the age of two and half, quickly learning to read. At the age of six, she spent all of her saved allowance to buy a copy of Isaac Watts' from an itinerant bookseller. At the age of seven, she was briefly sent to a boarding school, but suffered from homesickness.

She was fond of pets, and also began to experiment with horticulture from a young age. Because she was much younger than the other children, she was allowed to spend her time freely around the farm, and developed a reputation as a skilled animal trainer. A memorial essay recalls that "from childhood she was considered very skilful in managing spirited horses."

Her mother died of tuberculosis when Frances was ten, and she was subsequently looked after by her sister Caroline, who was 21 years older. Shortly thereafter, Caroline married Isaac Nash, a prosperous local farmer. Frances was then sent to the Stillwater Academy, a coeducational school in Stillwater, New York. At the age of twelve, however, Frances returned home to attend to the Wood family farm and care for her father.

Shimer took up teaching in local Saratoga County schools at the age of fourteen. She also continued to care for her father's farm until it was sold. After the sale of the farm, she and her father lived at the spacious Nash residence. While living with the Nashes, Shimer first made the acquaintance of Cinderella Gregory, who boarded at the Nash house while teaching in the district.

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