History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 43

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660

USA > California > San Joaquin County > History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 43

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Bishop giving a scholarly address on the Cath- olic view of the school question. Some years ago the old Catholic Church was torn down to make room for a two-story brick building. It was erected on the church property facing San Joaquin Street and the building is used as a boys' school, with Weber hall in the north end of the second story. Eight years previous to the establishing of the Brother's school, Father O'Connor planned the establishing of a girls' academy, with Sisters of Charity in charge. Captain Weber was approached upon the subject and as he was then tearing down the old Corinthian building all the available lumber was hauled to the proposed site of the new academy building. A number of the Sis- ters were sent to Stockton, and they collected the necessary building fund, $20,000. The building was finished in due time and St. Agnes Academy was dedicated and conse- crated March 17, 1876. In the morning there was high mass, the Stockton cornet band tak- ing part in the musical service. Immediately after mass a procession was formed and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, led by the band, marched to the building near the Santa Fe depot. The building was consecrated by Bishop Alemany. The location of the school on the corner of San Joaquin and Taylor streets was quite satisfactory until 1896. Then came the Santa Fe Railroad, and the constant din of ringing bells and the blowing of whistles made it a very undesirable place either for a schoolroom or a place of residence for the Sisters. In 1913 a quarter of a block of land was purchased on the corner of San Joaquin and Park streets and a handsome school build- ing was erected at a cost of $60,000. Some two or three years ago an adjoining building was erected, adjoining the school on the south as a residence for the Dominican Sisters, who have charge of the academy.

State Public School Law

The constitutional convention of 1849 pro- vided for the establishment of a system of public schools by the legislature by which a school should be kept open at least three months in each year in each district. It also provided for a revenue from the sale of school lands. School lands at that time were of no value and none were sold, and John G. Marvin, state superintendent, said in his report, "The legislature of 1851 made no provisions for the support of schools. The following legislature, that of 1852, made a provision in the revenue law that five cents of the thirty cents tax im- posed on each $100 of property should be set aside for the benefit of the public schools." The law also declared that in incorporated cities, the public schools should have a continuous session of at least three months before receiv-

ing state assistance. San Francisco and Sac- ramento at once took the benefit of the act and established public schools.

Organization of Public Schools

The movement for a system of public schools in Stockton was started in October, 1852, by V. M. Peyton, who may justly be hailed as the Father of the Stockton schools. The city charter provided that the city council should have charge of the public school affairs and they conducted the schools, through a board of education appointed by them for several years. The board of education now are elected by the votes of the people and they have full control over all school affairs. V. M. Peyton, who at that time was a member of the Council, was very enthusiastic over the question of schools, and he endeavored to persuade his fellow- councilmen to establish public schools. They were unfavorable to such actions because there was no money in the treasury for school pur- poses, and the school law required that a school must be maintained for three months before it could receive state assistance. Finally Mr. Peyton put his hand in his own pocket and drew forth a slug and throwing it upon the table he exclaimed, "There is $50 to start this thing." His fellow-councilmen, not to be out- done in generosity, each contributed a like amount and $500 was the result. They ap- pointed a committee to obtain contributions from the citizens and another $500 was soon obtained. The next question was "Where will we get teachers?" After considerable persua- sion, Rev. W. G. Canders agreed to take charge of the boys' school and Mrs. Isaac Woods, agreed to give up her private school and take charge of the girls. All arrangements were completed and February 26, 1853, the following notice appeared, "The Stockton City free schools will commence their first session Monday, February 28. The male department at the Stockton Academy in the Presbyterian Church under the charge of the Rev. W. G. Canders. The female department will be in charge of Mrs. Isaac (Clara F.) Woods in a room near the second Main Street bridge." This room was in the second story of a wooden building where now stands the Wil- hoit building on Main Street. For some rea- son, probably for want of teachers, the schools were not opened until Tuesday, March 1, 1853. The schools were established under an ordi- nance drawn up by V. M. Peyton, which pro- vided for the appointment of a census marshal to report November 1, and the appointment also of a board of school commissioners to have charge of the schools, selecting teachers, providing schoolrooms, and other matters. The council appointed the Rev. J. W. Kelly, pastor

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of the South Methodist Church ; V. M. Peyton, a merchant, and Dr. George A. Shurtleff, as school commissioners, and Dr. E. B. Bateman as city school superintendent. In September the board of commissioners reported to the common council as follows: "The first quarter has expired under the most favorable auspices, the male department, under the direction of Dr. Canders, and the female department, dur- ing the first quarter under the direction of Mrs. Clara Woods and for the second under the direction of Miss Kerr. The average attend- ance in each school has been from thirty-five to forty, making in the aggregate about eighty scholars who are attending school." The teach- ers at that time taught school more from a philanthropic rather than a money standpoint. In the girls' school the principal received $150 and the second teacher $100 per month. Dr. Canders also received $100 per month, "but the teachers of both schools," said the superin- tendent, "have agreed with the board to wait until the expiration of the present year for their salaries. At that time they will be en- titled to the pay of two quarters." There was at that time in the school treasury $37.90 in coin and $350 in scrip worth about 50 cents on the dollar. They owed $166.50 for salary and schoolroom rent. The council, meeting in the city hall for the first time January 3, 1854, re- ceived a report from the state superintendent that there was in the state treasury $1,677.99 to their credit from the school fund.

The individual who has no standard from which to judge the improved conditions in which he may be living cannot fully appreciate the comforts and conveniences he may enjoy. So with the school children of today, who are instructed in handsome architectural designed buildings in large well-lighted and well-venti- lated schoolrooms, and with every modern „convenience, they cannot have any conception of the school buildings in which their parents and friends were taught their A, B, C's. The Stockton Academy, noted in previous pages, stood on Market and San Joaquin streets, later the site of the Lafayette school. It was a one- story cloth and paper building, suffocating in summer and cold in winter. There was not a shrub tree or blade of grass about the place, not even a fence to keep out the dogs, cattle and hogs that then roamed over the city. The conditions were somewhat improved in July, 1854, by the council ordering that a board fence be constructed around the school grounds. At this time the school was occu- pied by the boys' department, the girls' school being in a little room on Main Street in the second story of a dwelling house. The city was rapidly growing and the number of chil- dren increased so fast that it became necessary to obtain more room for the girls' department.

The council committee on schools reported : "That they had visited the school and found the room now occupied by the female depart- ment entirely inadequate to the purpose and that the building being occupied by the male department being situated on the street is sub- ject to many inconveniences, but think it may be removed to answer." As the result of this report the girl's school was removed to the academy building and a new schoolroom rented for the boys. The cheaply constructed building soon became unfit for use and Mrs. Jessie Ryan Hollenbeak, in describing it in her "History of the Public Schools of Stockton," said: "The building was of the '49 order of architecture, a flimsy structure containing two rooms separated by cloth partitions, through which noise of one classroom passed to the next, and which were the source of much amusement to the pupils because they could thrust pins through into the next room." Mayor Bours, in his farewell address, 1859, said: "During the past year a beautiful and commodious school house has been erected for the boys. It is to be hoped that a similar or better building will soon follow for the girls." The board of education in March, 1863, re- ported to the council that the building occu- pied by the intermediate schools, corner of Market and San Joaquin streets, was totally unfit for the accommodation of the children, "as the roof leaked in several places and the rooms are small, unhealthy and overcrowded, 140 children being taught in two rooms. The primary school, corner Weber- Avenue and San Joaquin Street, is even worse crowded, as in a room 18 by 20 feet seventy-five pupils are huddled." The old building remained in use as a school until 1864, then some public- spirited individual set fire to the old rat trap and it was destroyed.

Stockton's First Public School Building

The girls occupying the Academy Building, two rooms were rented for the boys in the Mc- Nish Building, corner of Hunter and Channel streets. This building had previously been used as a courthouse, lawyers' office, a printing office and a jail. It was not a very suitable place for a school, as adjoining the building the forty or fifty hogs and pigs belonging to the Magnolia Hotel, fighting and squealing, constantly disturbed the recitations of the scholars. The location was so unpleasant and unsanitary that the matter was referred to a council committee who reported : "The present location of the schools is a disgrace to the city, an outrage on the community. We recommend that the council abolish the entire system or provide at once a suitable building for the comfort and health of both teachers and schol- ars." This severe criticism was unjust for as

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a matter of fact the city at that time had no money to build school buildings. The boys' school was then removed to a two-story build- ing, corner of Market and Sutter streets, now the site of the Masonic Temple. The building had been used as a lodging house overhead and a blacksmith shop on the first floor. To reach the second story of the schoolroom the scholars were compelled to climb rickety stairs outside of the building. In cold weather it was almost impossible to keep warm, so many were the cracks and crevices. The boys' grades were taught in this building about a year, when they were removed to a building at the corner of Main and Sutter streets, which had formerly contained a butcher shop in the first story and a lodging house in the second story. This build- ing also was condemned by the general public. "For a long time the board of education dis- cussed the building of a schoolhouse and in August, 1858, they concluded that they had sufficient money and by a vote they selected a lot on Center and Washington streets as the location, and October 14 work was com- menced. The building then constructed still stands on the Franklin school lot, having been in constant use up to 1900. It was a substan- tial building of brick, two stories high and con- taining two large rooms as well as cloak rooms, a model building for that time. With the completion of the building, the public schools were housed beneath a roof of their own. The joy of the event was considered worthy of a public demonstration. On February 25, 1859, the change to the new building was made. amid much rejoicing, the boys to whom the good fortune fell of occupying the new build- ing, marched to their new home headed by the Stockton Cornet Band, which had volunteered their services for the occasion. At the school, the boys were received by the board of educa- tion and appropriate exercises followed, in which the president of the board and the mayor of the city made addresses.

The first boards of school commissioners were compelled to employ as teachers such persons as would accept the positions, regard- less of their qualifications. Dr. W. G. Canders, a Christian minister, was a bachelor, and lived in the rear of the church, cooked his own meals, taught school five days in the week and preached on Sunday. He was a sick man and in August, 1856, he died of consumption. His associate, who taught the boys' primary school at the same time, was L. C. Van Allen. He resigned, bought out a book store, years later owned by Sidney Newell, and in 1859 was elected county superintendent of schools. In '54 the school commissioners called for pro- posals for teaching the public schools from February 1, evidently seeking any teachers at the lowest price. One of the best teachers of

the boys' grammar school was Levi P. Felton, graduate of Massachusetts College. He taught school during the day and then remained up late at night posting up the books of the Bald- win & Sperry Flour Company. He finally re- signed his position as teacher, and was suc- ceeded by J. C. Carleton. In a newspaper arti- cle Carleton lampooned some of the higher ups of the town, calling them "stiff necks" and then he was called upon to resign. He was an excellent Spanish scholar and gave lessons in Spanish after school hours. In order to fill his place the board advertised for a teacher and the successful applicant was M. J. Ryan of Woodbridge, a graduate of Georgetown College, Washington, D. C. At that time there came an improved condition in the schools, caused by an election of a Republican council. They appointed as school commissioners men of ability, Charles Belding, George W. Tyler and Henry S. Sargent. They required all teachers applying for positions, in the schools to pass an examination, and M. J. Ryan passed a rigid examination in all of the branches. Ryan "queered" himself in less than a year by kissing one of his pupils in the schoolroom during recess. He immediately tendered his resignation. It was accepted and a Mr. Holden appointed in his place. One of the teachers before this time was W. T. A. Gibson. He was a shiftless person with no education, and fre- quently would go to sleep, but the boys who woke him up would get a good strapping.

Dr. Canders punished the disobedient schol- ars by tapping them over the knuckles with his cane. Van Allen used a strap, slapping the hand. Felton had a thick piece of leather about eighteen inches in length and two inches in width, and taking them into the side room- he was a young giant in strength-he would take the boy across his knee and use the strap good and plenty. One dose was usually enough for a pupil-I got two. How that boy would yell, and what a thrill it would send amongst the pupils in the room. For poor recitations, Mr. Felton compelled the pupils to remain after school and study the lesson or to recite it the following day. A very conscientious teacher, he would often punish himself by re- maining from one to two hours after school to hear recitations. On the other hand the studious pupil with perfect lesson would be dismissed a half hour before the close of school. Dr. Kirkland, another pioneer teacher of the boys, was an eccentric Scotch clergy- man. Short and heavy built, he would walk along the streets, wearing his tall beaver hat, with the swing and stride of a prize fighter. In school he would stride quietly along the aisles during study hours, and finding any boy in mischief he would slip up and snap his ear. As time rolled on, there was a large increase

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of children and teachers. The strap or ferrule was still in use as a means of punishment and some teachers used no judgment in punishing their pupils. The board of education passed a law that no pupil should be punished except in the presence of another teacher. Then the law was changed and the principal punished the disobedient scholar. Sometimes the parents very unwisely carried the case into court when they thought their child had been overly pun- ished. One of such cases occurred at Linden. A teacher named Hammond was charged with having whipped Frank Wasley, one of his pupils so severely with a long leather strap as to bruise and blacken the flesh. The father, Thomas Wasley, complained to the trustees- A. A. Smith, Dr. Hall and Mr. Thomas-and requested that the teacher be discharged, but two of the trustees refused to act. Wasley then had Hammond arrested for assault and battery and tried before Justice Frank T. Bald- win. He was found guilty and fined $20 and and costs, $100. He refused to pay the fine, and, his lawyer carrying the case to the county court on habeas corpus proceedings, he was discharged by Judge H. B. Underhill. On October 7, 1878, Charles M. Kenniston, princi- pal of the Franklin school, was tried in the police court on the charge preferred by Mrs. Arrivey. The battery consisted in whipping her son, Frank, for striking another pupil with a glass bottle. Mr. Kenniston was immedi- ately acquitted by the jury. In the '70s there was a pretty tough set of boys attending the Jefferson School on Weber Avenue and an- other set loafing around the building. They were not as tough as the Center Street school- boys in the '50s, for two of them carried re- volvers and some of them carried bowie knives. The Board of Education held a special meet- ing one evening to adopt or reject a petition signed by fifteen parents, whose children at- tended the Jefferson School. They requested that J. P. Lillie, a former principal, be rein- stated, "as he is the right man in the right place, being the only one for years past who has shown the ability to control the unruly element in that neighborhood." By a vote of 4 to 2 they refused the prayer of the petition- ers (December 12, 1876). Later Hugh Mc- Noble, the attorney, was placed in charge of the school and by a little judicious handling he soon quieted affairs.

Mr. Felton's hobby was Colburn's arithmetic and a thorough recital of the multiplication table to 13s. He required us to repeat the tables forward and backward by the watch and answer as quick as he could call the number. It was a splendid drill, and today the writer will repeat any table as fast as he can talk. He was also very thorough in the study of geog- raphy, and every pupil was expected to answer

any question in the book as to states and capi- tals, principal towns, locations, productions, boundaries, etc. Kirkland, who was a fine Latin and Greek scholar, insisted above all things the proper use of verbs. A pupil, hold- ing up his hand, would ask Mr. Kirkland, "Can I go out?" With the emphasis on "can" he would answer, "You can go out, but you may not." In a very few lessons the pupils got that auxiliary verb correct. A. H. Rand- all's hobby was the "reason why" in mathe- matics, and made the pupil demonstrate by proof regardless of the rule that his answer was correct. Mr. Randall's education, when he took charge of the grammar school, was quite limited and, says George Ladd, he studied the lessons ahead of his classes. Mr. Randall was elected to his position early in 1867. The board of education met in the grammar school, Lafayette Building, one even- ing, and the secretary, Sidney Newell, read the names of applicants for teachers' positions, among them that of A. H. Randall, who had been teaching at French Camp. Mr. Charles Belding moved that the board proceed to elect a teacher for grammar school, remarking: "We can throw him out if he doesn't fit the bill." He then placed in nomination Mr. A. H. Ran- dall, and he received the unanimous vote of the board, taking his position March 11, 1867. Mr. M. J. Ryan's hobby was system, and he was the first teacher to systemize his class work.' The following schedule shows the studies and the time of recitations in his schoolroom in 1862. The method was soon adopted in all of the schools. Fourth reader, 9 to 9:20; history to 9:40; mental arithmetic to 10; spelling to 10:15; writing to 10:30; re- cess to 10:45; English grammar, 10:45 to 11:05; Monday and Wednesday, algebra to 11:35 ; geography to 12. Afternoon, first arith- metic, 1 to 1:30; second arithmetic, 1:30 to 2; English grammar to 2:15; recess to 2:30; singing lessons Monday and Wednesday, 2:30 to 3:30. Natural philosophy, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30 to 2:50; rhetoric, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:50 to 3:10; philosophy, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:10 to 3:30. Latin and geometry recitation after the close of school. That Stockton has ever had the best of teachers is evident from the fact that many resigned to accept higher positions at a higher salary in other county schools. S. G. S. Dunbar, who for eighteen years had been teaching in the public schools, resigned to ac- cept a position in the Durant school, Oakland, and he is still teaching in the Oakland schools. Two other Stockton teachers followed him- S. D. Waterman and S. P. Crawford-and they also engaged in school work until pensioned from old age. "The board of school directors of the State Normal School offered Prof. A. H.

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Randall $3,000 a year to become principal of the State Normal School. Mr. Randall was the first principal of the Stockton High School, and he always has been highly esteemed as a man and an educator" (June 2, 1892). The salary was high at that time and Mr. Randall accepted the position and was principal for several years. Now, waiving time, Mrs. Edna Orr James, a proficient teacher in the Stock- ton school, is now in the Fresno Normal. F. C. Meyers and W. S. Rise, teachers of drawing, both left the city schools to accept positions in the State University. John F. Cooper, from the high school, went to a prominent position in the Berkeley schools. Mrs. Rose V. Win- terburn went from the city schools to the Los Angeles Normal, and others might be nam.ed who left the Stockton schools for higher posi- tions in other cities.

At the end of each school term public exam- inations would be held and the parents and friends invited to attend. The teacher would examine the classes in arithmetic, geography and other studies and then invite those present to ask any questions of the pupils regarding their work during the term. In some of these examinations an evening entertainment was given at the close and at an entertainment given in the city hall by L. C. Van Allen's primary grade one youngster created the sen- sation of the evening. His lisping of the word Demosthenes in the lines beginning, "You'd scarce expect one of my age," so pleased the audience that the men stamped their cowhide boots upon the uncarpeted floor and yelled. Thunder was no comparison, and the orator, screaming with fright, was taken from the platform. It was his first and last appearance upon the stage. The hall was crowded with men, principally, many of them in red shirts with their trousers inside their boots and with- out coats or vests. On the front seats sat the parents of the little actors. I give the full pro- gram, for some of these children are still living in this country-grandfathers and grand- mothers: Song by the children. Oration, "America," Sam Norton. Speech, "The Wide West," Samuel Zacariah. "What an Excel- lent Thing Is Knowledge," Thomas Dillon. "Storm Zephyrs," Charles Ford. "Contrast," John Minges. "California," Ed Curry. "Rolla's Address to Pizarro," Joe Scott. "Water As a Beverage," Alfred Parker. "Creation," Louis Miller. "What I Hate to - See," George Wadsworth. Invitations were given to the press by the Board of Education and in November, 1857, the editor of the Re- publican said, "We attended the examination of the female 'school under Miss Thomas. They were examined in natural philosophy, arithmetic, music, etc., and she was presented by her pupils with a rug by Mary Blackman,

an embroidered coat by Mary Bromeisler and a pair of china vases by Amelia Mersfelder. In 1859 the same editor reported that "there was a pleasant time among the scholars of the public schools yesterday. In the morning Messrs. Gibson and Thaxton gathered their flock together and providing a good supply of fruits they let the youngsters loose upon them to eat their fill." This was in July and fruits were not plentiful as now. The girls and boys were taught in separate schools at this time, and "the girls assembled in the afternoon and with their teacher entertained their pa- rents and friends with an excellent program and a collation. Mr. Peyton, in behalf of the scholars, presented the teacher, Miss Lucy Groves, with a handsome ring."

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History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 43

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849 Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1660

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660