Glencoe in McLeod County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Colonel John H. Stevens
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Honorable Henry Hill
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 7, 2023
1. Colonel John H. Stevens / Honorable Henry Hill Marker
Colonel John H. Stevens
Colonel John Stevens was part of Martin McLeod's party to lay out the new Townsite known as Glencoe. He homesteaded a farm west of Glencoe where he raised turnips, onions and cabbages and also was the editor of the “Glencoe Register.” Stevens had the honor of being the first to represent McLeod County in the Minnesota State Senate, where he played an instrumental part in Glencoe receiving a land grant from the state to build Stevens Seminary. Stevens passed away at the age of 80 on May 28, 1900 and was the father of five children.
Honorable Henry Hill
Henry Hill was one of the founding members of the Stevens Seminary and served as the school's Director and Secretary for the Steven Seminary Board of Trustees. Hill was born on May 23, 1829 in Conway, New Hampshire and later emigrated to Ohio in 1850 to teach and study law. He married Mary L. Mills of Kentucky in 1858 and came to Glencoe in 1862. After his time with the Seminary, he traveled to Greenleaf, Minnesota and established a law office and helped to organize the First Presbyterian Church in 1870 and a branch of the Masonic Lodge: The Golden Fleece
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June 1856: A log cabin was built on the East side of Hennepin Avenue and the north of the railroad tracks. It was the first schoolhouse west of Carver County and only about 18 by 20 ft in size. It was also used as a church and common meeting hall.
1871: The first two-story wooden structure was erected for grades 1-12 for $2,500.
1875: Four teachers were employed to teach primary, second primary, intermediate, and high school education for an annual salary of approximately $300-$900, depending on what level of education was being taught.
1877: The library housed 700 volumes and the North Wing was added onto the Seminary at a cost of $2,273.
1884: The first class graduated Stevens Seminary with one member, Anna M. Johns. There were seven graduates the following year.
1885: A schoolhouse was added on 10th Street West in Glencoe for 1st and 2nd Grade children.
1893: The construction of the brick and stone
2. Marker detail: Colonel John H. Stevens
1906: Music, Drawing, Domestic Science, Manual Training and Agriculture were added to the curriculum.
1909: G.K. Gilbert made an unconditional donation to the Seminary of two lots east of the wooden building. One was used for a playground and the other was used for agricultural education. The West Side Elementary school built in 1871 was moved to this site and used by the agricultural department.
1912: The school introduced Blacksmithing and began offering classes on Business.
Early-1930s: Stevens Seminary was torn down, with the Henry Hill School following soon after, to make way for a new and larger brick building.
1932: Glencoe Public School began construction at a cost of $215,000 and was large enough to house all of the grades and high school courses.
1937-1938: An athletic field was constructed east of Glencoe.
1954: The Helen Baker Elementary School (named in honor of teacher, librarian and principle of 48 years
3. Marker detail: Honorable Henry Hill
1957: The 1932-era building was enlarged, remodeled and used to house grades 7-12.
June 1958: Area schools were consolidated and redistricted to form the Glencoe Public School system.
1970: Grades 9-12 moved to the new Glencoe High School building, and the 1932 building became Glencoe Middle School for grades 5-8 until 1994.
1994-2000: Grades were split between Helen Baker Elementary (grades K-2), Lincoln Elementary (3-4), Glencoe Middle School (5-6), Lakeside Elementary School in Silver Lake (K-6 & 7-8), and the recently consolidated Glencoe-Silver Lake High School (9-12).
2000-2002: Classes were split so that grades 3-6 attended the Glencoe Middle School. The 2001-2002 school year was the final year that this building would be a school.
February 2007: The school building transferred ownership to the City of Glencoe and renovations began.
August 2010: Offices for the City Administration and various City offices moved into what is known today as the Glencoe City Center. The City Center also houses the Glencoe Public
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 7, 2023
4. Colonel John H. Stevens / Honorable Henry Hill Marker
Looking southeast from 12th Street East, the Glencoe City Center and parking lot are in the background.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 44° 46.257′ N, 94° 8.925′ W. Marker is in Glencoe, Minnesota, in McLeod County. It is on 12th Street East 0.1 miles east of Ives Avenue North, on the right when traveling east. The marker is beside the sidewalk on the north side of the Glencoe City Center parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1107 11th Street East, Glencoe MN 55336, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Stevens Seminary Bell (within
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 7, 2023
5. Glencoe City Center (northwest elevation)
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 29, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
