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. All seemed to be going well
with the medical school until one student, John Rood of Maple
Park, made the mistake of robbing the grave of a local young
woman. Rood, a student who was attempting to complete his
education in 1849, heard of the death of Mrs. George Kenyon.
With the help of George Richards, the son of the school's
founder, Rood took the young woman's remains from their resting
place in Sycamore. Though they hid her body in the