Difference between revisions of "James W. Bellangee (1844-1915), Architect"

Revision as of 16:01, 17 January 2016

James W. Bellangee was an 1867 graduate of the University of Michigan, with a degree in biology.[4][21] In the early 1870s he was practicing architecture in Chicago. Bellangee became the first instructor in architecture at the University of Illinois (then the Illinois Industrial University), during the 1870-1871 school term, having been appointed to teach the first student of the fledgling program, Nathan Clifford Ricker.[3][4][5][a] The curriculum, in addition to the classes of the polytechnic division, consisted of drawing and rendering, principles and styles of architecture, and building plans and specifications.[5]

Following the 1870-1871 term at Illinois, Bellangee left Chicago and briefly joined his brother-in-law, Artemas Roberts, in his practice in Lincoln, Nebraska. His three Nebraska attributions (recorded in the partnership of Roberts & Bellangee) consist of the first high school building in the state capital, the main (second) building of Nebraska's first state-chartered normal school, where he also taught for two years, and additions to the old Normal college building. He married Harriett Jameson in 1869 and their daughter Anna was born while he was teaching in Peru, Nebraska, in 1873.[18][21][22[b][g]

In the 1880s and 1890s, Bellangee was listed in the city directories of Des Moines, Iowa as a horticulturalist or in real estate.[19] Perhaps it was through the latter that he became interested in Henry George's "single tax" theory of property ownership and development. With a group of Iowans, he helped form an Iowa corporation to establish a "single tax" colony, or town, and served on the committee that selected a site in Baldwin County, Alabama. Established in 1894, the town of Fairhope still flourishes across Mobile Bay from Mobile, Alabama, and the Single Tax Corporation remains a major property holder. Bellangee, his daughter and her husband William R. F. Call, and their daughter Helen B. Call, are all interred in the Fairhope Colony Cemetery.[9]

This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.

Educational & Professional Associations

1867: Biology degree, University of Michigan.[4][21]

ca. 1867-ca. 1869: instructor of mathematics, Agricultural College of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois.[6][e]

1870: architect, Chicago, Illinois.[3]

1870-1871: instructor in architecture, Illinois Industrial University (later, the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana).[3][4][5]

1871-1873: architect and partner, Roberts & Bellangee, Lincoln, Nebraska.[10][17][b]

1872-1874: professor of mathematics and drawing, Nebraska Normal School, Peru, Nebraska.[6][10][22:107,125][c]

1884-1898: horticulturalist and real estate dealer, Des Moines, Iowa.

1894: founding member of Fairhope, Alabama, a "single tax colony."[7][8][d]

1894-1915: Fairhope treasurer, promoter, pamphleteer, truck farmer.[11][12][13][14][15][16][f]

Buildings & Projects

The whole of Belangee’s known architectural work was in partnership with Artemas Roberts; see Roberts & Bellangee, Architects for his buildings and projects.

Notes

a. The Illinois program is considered the second architecture program to be established in the United States, and the first in a western school.[3][4][5][a] Subsequently, in 1873, Ricker became the “first graduate of any architectural program in the United States,” followed two months later by graduates from the M.I.T. and Cornell programs.[3][4] Ricker subsequently established the full-fledged architecture program at Illinois.[3][4][5] The program exerted great influence in the midwest. Many Nebraska practitioners studied there prior to the establishment of the architecture program at the University of Nebraska.

b. Bellangee's surname seemingly invites misspelling, as "Boulanger" in one source [17], “Ballange” in others[1][2], or sometimes "Ballenger" or "Bellenger." Bellangee’s appearance in Lincoln in 1871 as a partner of Roberts on the design of Lincoln High School [1][17] was shortly before the death of his sister, and Roberts' wife, Elizabeth, in Lincoln, in April of 1872.[3][4] See Artemas Roberts (1841-1944), Architect, for more on the Bellangee sisters. See also Dover, Illinois, U. S. Census, 1860, 1288/1312.

c. The Nebraska Advertiser of Brownville reported on “The Faculty of the State Normal School” at Peru, Nebraska in 1873, including that “Prof. James Bellangee, teacher of mathematics, is a graduate of Michigan University. He taught mathematics in the Agricultural College of Illinois, at Champaign, for two years. He taught very successfully in the Normal last year.” The year before, the same paper called him “Secretary of the Faculty, Mathematics and Drawing.”[6]

d. The Commoner newspaper of Lincoln reported in 1910: “...the Fairhope single tax colony was founded some fifteen years ago by three advanced thinkers from Des Moines, Iowa who were devoted followers of Henry George--E. B. Gaston, Frank Brown and James Bellanger (sic).”[8]

e. Kruty states that Ricker (cf. note [a] above) was “placed in a program of mathematics, German, and drawing, the latter administered by James W. Bellangee, a Chicago architect.” Bellangee’s two year stint teaching mathematics at the “Agricultural College of Illinois” (cf. note [c] above) may actually refer to the Illinois Industrial University. Cf. [3][6]

f. Bellangee was active in the "single tax" movement even before the founding of Fairhope. In 1892 he spoke at a rally of the Omaha, Nebraska single tax club: “James Bellangee, of Des Moines, told what he knew of land monopolies in Iowa...”[11] He not only was among the founders of the "colony's" corporation, he also chose the site: "A committee consisting of James Bellangee and Shuah S. Mann was appointed to select a site for the community. After looking at several prospective sites in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas, the eastern shore of Mobile Bay was selected. The Fairhope Industrial Association started buying land there, and in November of 1894 a group of 28 single taxers from Des Moines as well as other cities assembled in Fairhope to begin building their model community."[7]

He was also noted to have traveled widely to recruit additional settlers, including visits to Washington, D. C. in 1903[12] and Denver[14]. The Colorado report mentions a "brief description of Fairhope, given in a little booklet issued by James Bellangee." In 1903, an Iowa newspaper reported: "He is here now on a visit to old friends, after an extensive lecturing tour in the east explaining the colony and its work and purposes. He was well entertained by persons of national repute in Boston and the east."[13]

The colony drew interest across the country. A lengthy article in a Washington, D. C. newspaper in 1909 mentioned Bellangee as a founder, the treasurer of the corporation, "the first man to buy a share of stock," and a successful truck farmer: "James Ballangee [sic], one of the pioneer single-taxers, produces several thousand dollars’ worth of lettuce, beets, radishes, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, okra, peppers, cantaloupes and other garden truck, which he ships to the Mobile market by boat every morning.”[15]

g. James, Harriett, and Anna Bellangee are listed together in Iowa State censuses of 1885 and 1889. James and Anna are listed in 1895 but Harriett is not, nor is Harriett interred with the rest of the family in Alabama. James Bellanger's obituary in 1915 mentioned that "Mrs. Bellangee died over 20 years ago." Like her husband, she was active in civic matters, appearing on the 1889 ticket of the Union Labor party for the post of state Superintendent of Schools for Iowa.[9][19][20][21] She finished third among five candidates, with 1.6% of the votes cast.[23] James Bellangee also sought statewide office in 1893 on the People's Party ticket, running third (among four candidates) with 8% of the votes cast.[24]

References

1. A. T. Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1882), 1078.

2. McKinley (sic) High School, HABS No. 35-2, “Written Historical & Descriptive Data,” (Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey). Accessed July 25, 2013. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/NE0026/

3. Paul Kruty, “Nathan Clifford Ricker: Establishing Architecture at the University of Illinois,” in Lillian Hoddeson, ed. No Boundaries: University of Illinois Vignettes (Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004), 5, Html version accessed July 25, 2013, http://www.arch.illinois.edu/about/history/ricker/ Original link no longer active; see the version saved September 29, 2011 by the Internet Archive, https://web.archive.org/web/20110929114742/http://www.arch.uiuc.edu/about/history/ricker/ (accessed January 10, 2016).

4. “History of Architecture at Illinois,” School of Architecture website, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, accessed July 25, 2013, http://www.arch.illinois.edu/about/history/ Original link no longer active; see the version saved September 7, 2013 by the Internet Archive, https://web.archive.org/web/20130907093003/http://www.arch.illinois.edu/about/history (accessed January 10, 2016). Also see Norbert Schoenauer, “History [of the School of Architecture],” McGill University School of Architecture website. Accessed September 1, 2011. http://www.mcgill.ca/architecture/introduction/history/

5. Roula Geraniotis, "The University of Illinois and German Architectural Education," Journal of Architectural Education, 38:4 (Summer 1985), 15.

6. Nebraska Advertiser (August 29, 1872), 3; and (August 28, 1873), 2.

7. "History of Fairhope and the Single Tax Corporation," in Fairhope Single Tax Corporation. Accessed January 9, 2016. http://www.fairhopesingletax.com/fairhope-history/

8. The (Lincoln, Nebraska) Commoner, (September 2, 1910), 7.

9. Fairhope Colony Cemetery, Fairhope, Alabama. Bellangee's stone is inscribed "One of Fairhope's Founders." Accessed January 9, 2016. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=120645573&PIpi=93071850

10. A. T. Andreas, "History of the State of Nebraska," “Nemaha County, Part 11: Peru” (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1882). Accessed January 9, 2016. http://www.kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/nemaha/nemaha-p11.html#educate

11. “The Single Taxites. They Work Up Enthusiasm and Some Ill Feeling,” St. Paul (Minnesota) daily globe, (July 4, 1892), 1 [Dateline: Omaha, July 3]. Accessed January 9, 2016. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90059522/1892-07-04/ed-1/seq-1/#

12. “Seeks Recruits for Single Tax Colony. James Bellangee, of Fairhope, Ala., in the City,” The Washington Times (March 18, 1903), 1. Accessed January 9, 2016. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1903-03-18/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1836&index=8&rows=20&words=Bellangee+James&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=james+bellangee&y=13&x=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

13. Evening Times-Republican (Marshalltown, Iowa, December 22, 1903), 1. Accessed January 9, 2016. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85049554/1903-12-22/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1836&index=9&rows=20&words=Bella.ngee+James&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=james+bellangee&y=13&x=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

The article was reprinted in The Minneapolis Journal (November 25, 1904), 9. Accessed January 9, 2016. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045366/1904-11-25/ed-1/seq-10/#

14. “The Single Tax Colony--The Progress of Fairhope, Ala., proves to be highly satisfactory. Four hundred people reside in the village which is now metropolis of County,” Evening (Walla Walla, Washington) statesman (December 1, 1904), 6, dateline, Denver, December 1. Accessed January 9, 2016. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085421/1904-12-01/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1836&index=1&rows=20&words=Bellangee+James&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=james+bellangee&y=13&x=20&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 .

15. William E. Curtis, “Showing Their Faith: Progress of the Single Tax Colony of Fair Hope. Location is Delightful. Residents Endeavoring to Prove the Theories of Henry George. Made up of the Cultured,” Evening Star (Washington, D. C., April l9, 1909), 16. [Dateline Mobile, Alabama, April 6, 1909] Accessed January 9, 2016. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1909-04-09/ed-1/seq-16/#

16. “Beautiful and Picturesque Fairhope, Alabama,” The Pensacola Journal (October 5, 1913), 30, [Illustrated]. Accessed January 9, 2016. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87062268/1913-10-05/ed-1/seq-30/#date1=1836&index=6&rows=20&words=Alabama+Fairhope&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=fairhope+alabama&y=17&x=13&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

17. A. B. Hayes and Sam. D. Cox, History of the City of Lincoln, Nebraska with brief historical sketches of the state and of Lancaster County (Lincoln: State Journal Company, 1889), 222-229.

18. Marriage in Des Moines, Iowa, March 1896, of Anna L. Bellangee, 23, daughter of James Ballangee and Harriett Jameson, b. Peru, NE, 1873, to William R. F. Call, 24. Ancestry.com. Iowa, Select Marriages Index, 1809-1992 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2014.

19. Iowa State Census, Polk County, Des Moines, 1885, 1889, 1895. Ancestry.com. Iowa, State Census Collection, 1836-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

20. “A Union Labor Ticket,” Los Angeles Daily Herald (September 5, 1889), 4, [Dateline Des Moines, Iowa, September 4].

21. "Death of Jas. Bellangee. Pioneer Fairhoper dies as result of burns received in cleaning park," The Fairhope Courier (August 13, 1915), 1. Courtesy of Fairhope Public Library.

22. Record Books, Peru Normal School. Nebraska State Historical Society, RG0029, Peru State College, S.1, V.01 (1865-1871).

23. Iowa Official Register, 1890 ("The Red Book"), 109, 113. Accessed January 14, 2016. https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/shelves/redbooks/Redbook-1890%20(23GA).pdf

24. Iowa Official Register, 1893 ("The Red Book"), 102, 184. Accessed January 14, 2016. https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/shelves/redbooks/Redbook-1895%20(25GA).pdf

Page Citation

D. Murphy and E. F. Zimmer, “James W. Bellangee (1844-1915), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, January 15, 2016. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, June 22, 2025.

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