Franklin Medical College
102 E. Main Street

This building, built in 1836 by Ira Minard, served as site of Minard's company store until the early 1840s when Franklin Medical College took over the building.

Franklin Medical College, the first medical school in Illinois, existed only for a brief seven year period. George W. Richards, an established doctor, founded the school in 1842. During its years in operation, the school offered courses in anatomy, pharmacy, surgery, and obstetrics. Classes ranging in size from 15 to 20 students trained under well known doctors who were considered experts in their respective fields.

After hearing of the mysterious activities of the medical students, the deceased woman's family discovered the body's abscence. An angry group of citizens set out to question Dr. Richards. Dr. Richards denied all knowledge of the body's whereabouts. Once the citizens had left, Dr. Richards learned the truth and ordered that the body be taken from its hiding place. He hoped that by removing the body from his property, he would be able to settle the matter calmly.

Unfortunately, the situation ended in a violent manner. The group of citizens, doubting the word of Dr. Richards, had decided to return to his home to secure Mrs. Kenyon's body. On searching the property, the group found a dissected male cadaver in the barn. This enraged them, and when they returned to confront Dr. Richards at his home, gunshots were fired through the Richards's door. John Rood was killed and Dr. Richards was wounded.

There are two different accounts of what happened next. One claims that following the gunfire, a mediator got the students to reveal the location of the body in exchange for immunity from punishment. The other, a decidedly more intriguing account, had Mrs. Howard, a local spiritualist, revealing the body's whereabouts. Either way, Mrs. Kenyon's body was recovered and returned to her Sycamore grave.

As a result of this incident, the Franklin Medical College closed. Dr. Richards moved to Dubuque, Iowa. It is there that he died of pneumonia in 1853.

Not all bad came of "Richards' Riot." Officials came to the realization that medical schools needed materials in order to train. So that grave robbing was not the sole option for medical students, a law was passed providing that all unclaimed corpses from charity hospitals would go to medical schools.

Over the years, this building that once sat at the center of one of St. Charles's most colorful events, has housed several businesses. Wilcox and Munn grocery store was located here near the end of the 19th century. During the 20th century it came to be known as the Borman Hardware Building, and as the Lawyer's Building. The building was originally constructed of stone and had arched windows. Today, its exterior has been altered in such a way that it barely resembles the original building.

For additional photographs, see these sources, more fully described in the Bibliography.

Celebrating History p 37
Franklin Medical College Vertical File

Also see...

Richards House
Leonard Howard House

Sources

• Architectural Survey, St. Charles Central District, St. Charles: St. Charles Historic Preservation Commission, 1995.
  
• Clauter, Hazel. Our Community--St. Charles, IL: Units I-VI: Historical Information Compiled for Thrid Grade Teachers. 1990.
  
• Edwards, Wynette A. St. Charles, Illinois. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 1999.
  
• Harris, Mary Claire. "Richard's Riot Marks St. Charles History." St. Charles Chronicle 4 March 1998.
  
• Jackson, Peg Tyndal. "St. Charles--Site of Illinois' 1st Medical School." Fox Tales. Aurora: Industrial Supply Company, May 1998.
  
• Zeuch M.D., Lucius H. History of Medical Practice in Illinois, Vol. 1, Preceding 1850. Chicago: The Book Press, 1927.