Show 0 4 ROMANCE OF THE BELLS cast in spain in the eighth cantu century ry an ancient bell with a romantic history has summoned mckendree mckendre college students to classes tor for nearly a century the bell reposes in the dark belfry of the tower towe 1 of the historic college chapel above a boves which was built soon after the turn of the century IN THESE UNITED STATES students heed aged bells call to class for century features LEBANON ILL oldest chapel bell in the united states Z ates is not the fa famed med liberty bell in philadelphia or an aged bell from long settled st augustine fla but an ancient bell which has rung classes in and out of mcken dree college here for nearly a century this fact Is authenticated by his boncal data meager in spots but fact nevertheless the bell has a re corded history that dates back lor for centuries before founding of the lebanon institution the bell which is located in the clock tower of the historic chapel building on the campus at mcken dree a methodist institution has been used almost hourly to summon students to class ever since the col lege was a mere stripling of 30 years but its sonorous voice was heard centuries before colum coluin bus braved the atlantic to discover america the vibrant toll of the bell first was heard io in spain where historians say it was cast in the eighth century later it was recast in spain and brought to florida sometime in the century there are many unfilled gaps in the story of the bell s turbulent his tory from florida it found its way to the southwest during the history cal era when the west was the last frontier of the country in the a roving band of santa fe traders found the old bell dated as to its arrival in america in a deserted indian mission in new mexico for some reason the heavy inspru ment was brought to st louis then the gateway city to the new coun try historians disagree as to whether or not the bell was recast or repaired in st louis anyway the name saint louis is visible on the bell as well as other symbols and insignia so corroded as to be almost undecipherable following its arrival in st louis the bell was taken to centralia III in 1858 to be exhibited at the IIII 1111 1 nois state fair here it was pur chased tor for mckendree college by a mr cobleigh at that time president of the budding institution the bell was taken to lebanon and hoisted into the bell tower of the new chapel then under construction since then it has reposed in the dark belfry of the tower above the building where the outside world little realizes the romance of its long history just how the bell served during its first century in america is un known mckendree college founded in 1828 is conceded to be one of the oldest colleges in the mississippi basin and one of the buildings known as old main is said to be the oldest assembly hall west of the alleghenies very few people have seen the bell at its resting place high in the lock clock tower of mckendree s chapel for or to reach it a person must climb a i series of ladders that lead upward to 0 o the darkened tower |