Dakota Interior Academy of Northern Illinois

Interior Academy of Northern Illinois

Dakota, Illinois – picture from 1970 History of Stephenson County

The History of Interior Academy, Dakota

Dakota, Illinois (population 499) is located 10 miles northeast of Freeport along Illinois Route 75 in northeast Stevenson County in Northern Illinois. It is about 25 miles northwest of Rockford along Trask Bridge/Cedarville Road. Dakota currently has a public high school, but once had a private academy for high school-aged students called the Interior Academy.

Interior Academy was first formed as the College of Northern Illinois in 1882, under the leadership of local pastor Frank Werzel. That closed in 1897 and became a high school called the Interior Academy of Northern Illinois. At that time, Dakota High School had not been established. The Academy was known for its challenging education. It is cited in the 1970 history of Stevenson County that ” … many students went to the academy for a year or two, but few ramined to graduate.”

Rising costs and enrollment decline forced the school to cease high school curriculum operations in 1913, but was used as a K-8 boarding school until the 1963-64 school year.

The building’s fate was soon realized after the closure. It was left for neglect and was torn down in 1965.

Dakota Interior Academy “Quick Facts”: Year school organized:                                   1882 Year high school program began:                   1897 Year high school program ceased:                 1912 Year closed:                                                    1964 Building Status:                                              Razed School Colors:                                                Unknown if existant School Mascot:                                               Unknown if existant School Song:                                                  Unknown if existant