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 46

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 46

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A New School Era

The election of James A. Barr, a former pub- lic school teacher, as superintendent, in Octo- ber, 1891, "marked a new era in the public

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schools of Stockton." Mr. Barr declared in his report that for years past the course of study in the schools had been what might· be called a "regulation course" the "course that considers the welfare of only the comparative- ly small number graduating from the grammar and high schools." More attention should be paid to the lower grades as the majority of the pupils leave school before their completion of the grammar grades. Changes were made in accordance with this idea, one of which was to eliminate one year's work in the primary grades and another change was to reverse the names of the grades, making the first the lowest grade and the eighth the highest grade. This was the stepping stone into the high school. In pursuance of his plan to improve the school work Mr. Barr introduced many changes and the teachers were requested to give each change a trial and note its good or bad effect. At the end of the three years the schools had practically been made over. The next step was to balance up the grade work and for this work a committee of twenty teachers were ap- pointed as follows : Mrs. Rosa V. Winterburn, compiler of "The Spanish in the Southwest," Walter J. Kenyon, U. E. Taylor, Alice Small- fied, married and a school trustee, Adelaide Pollock, D. A. Mobley, now a Presbyterian minister, J. H. Wilkinson, Willis Lynch, now a bee propagator, Edward D. Hughes and D. W. Braddock, real estate dealers, Letitia Sum- merville, Emma Snapp, Alma Patterson, Dena Lottman, Wm. H. Murray, Mrs. Cora N. Bay- ley, Jessie M. Stringham, Belle Mitchell and Maude A. Southworth, who are still teaching in the schools. The work was completed in 1900 and published in pamphlet form as the "Outline of Studies." The compilation of this work was a splendid achievement and it brought the schools into much favorable no- tice by the press and the leading educators of the state, and the Journal of Education said it "was a notable contributon to educational lit- erature." In 1904 an exhibition of the Stock- ton school work was made at the St. Louis Ex- position, and so many requests were sent in for literature based upon the exhibit that a new and larger work was compiled. It was put in the hands of an eastern publisher and issued as "The Book of Stockton Methods." Mr. Barr is very proud of this work, and well he may be proud for it is in use in many of the' best schools in the United States. James A. Barr was city superintendent of schools from 1891 until 1912 and he left upon them an im- pression of which any man might well be proud.

Under the authorization of a law passed by the state legislature several years ago, there are now some two or three hundred district 16

union schools in California, eight in San Joaquin County. At the time of the organiza- tion of the Stockton high school in 1869 there were less than a half dozen high schools in the state. Along about that time A. H. Randall conceived the plan of organizing a high school and with the encouragement of the board of education he planned a high school course of study. He asked many of his brightest, most ambitious pupils if they would take up such a course and they all agreed. In January, 1870, the Stockton high school began its forward progressive march with the following high school students, first class, Alice Mills, Lottie and Ewald Grunsky; second class, Elma Car- ter, John H. Wallace, James Littlehale, Stan- ton L. Carter, Wm. Terry, Wilbur T. Wenk, Sarah Randall; third class, Carrie Kalisher, Ben Ely, Leon Cohn, Joseph W. Cavis, Viola Strawbridge, Armenia, Oliver, Carrie Roesch, George Harkness, Samuel Terry, Lewis Noble, Charles Creanor, Martha Holdsworth, Emma Dyer, Etta Tinkham, Mary Keyes and Emma Curry. The public schools closed for the term, Friday afternoon, December 23, and the first class graduating exercises were held in the High school, Lafayette building, A. H. Ran- dall, principal and S. D. Waterman, assistant. At the close the graduating class, Lottie Grun- sky, Alice Mills and Ewald Grunsky, stepping upon the platform, were addressed by the Rev. B. E. S. Ely, and School Trustee H. T. Dor- rance, the latter presenting the class with diplomas and a county teacher's certificate. Two years later Ewald Grunsky went to Ger- many to take a four year course in polytech- nics and he returned to his native city in De- cember, 1877, with the highest honors as a graduate from the University at Stuttgart, Germany. He is now classed with the best civil engineers in the state and has frequently been consulted by the Stockton city officials regard- ing engineering improvements.

The high school work was divided into three classes then known as the junior, middle and senior classes in a three-year course. The studies included, chemistry, physics, rhetoric, mental philosophy, algebra, geometry, geol- ogy, botany and Latin, if the students so de- sired. One scholar only took up Latin. Dur- ing the first ten years only seventy scholars graduated as follows: Class of '71, J. Herbert Wallace, Stanton L. Carter, James M. Little- hale, Eveline H. Woodbridge, Elma J. Carter, Sarah A. Randall; '73, George Harkness, Wil- bur Wenk, Harry T. Compton, Carrie Kalisher, Armenia Oliver, Mary Keyes, Emma Curry, Carrie Roesch, Martha Holdsworth; '74, Frank Clowes, Kitty Crofton ; '75, Mary Garvin, Min- nie Harkness, Mary Inglis, Frank Kelsey, Mary Langworthy and Henrietta Hart. Dur-

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ing the closing exercises the class of '74 gave the following program: Chorus by class, "Heavy Billows" .; declamation, "McCandliss Child," Frank Clowes; composition, "John Milton," Mary Inglis; select reading, "The Pipes of Lucknow." Carrie Cory; solo, "Sil- ver Hair That Once Was Gold," Clara Stier ; composition, "Life," Kitty Crofton; solo, "The Moon O'er the Mountain," Lou Elliot; dec- lamation on "Blennerhassett," William West- bay; solo, "Sweet Sunshine," Lula Hogan; "Valedictory," Minnie Harkness; awarding diplomas, Superintendent George Ladd. Class of '76, Walter Boggs, Willam Bours, William Holden, Ada Boschen, Lulu Hogan, Nettie Hunt, Louis Elliot, Lincoln Ruggles, Will Smith, Clara Stier, Reel Terry, William W. Westbay, Hattie West, and Mary Wood- bridge. The motto of the class was the mystic letters M. F. C .- Mysterious Fantastic Class, and at a reunion of the class in '78 at the resi- dence of Dr. E. S. Holden the motto was wrought in red, white and blue colors and hung upon the wall. The beautiful garden was hung with Chinese lanterns, and the evening was enjoyed, concluding with a banquet. The graduating class of '77 comprised Andrew Hoisholt, who later became one of the best in- sanity experts in the state, Carrie Brandt, James Garvin, Alma Clapp, Ida Bennett, Kate Garvin, Amy Kelsey, and Georgie Kelsey, Jo- sephine Jacobson, Helen Myers, Nellie Smith, Edward Sedwich, and Emma Wallace. Class of '79, Carrie Berdine, Walter Bidwell, George Catts, later Mayor, Mary Elliott, John. Gar- wood, Carrie Hart, Kate and Anna Russell, Nellie Smith, Lillian Tinkham, Fannie and Hattie Marks, and Frank West. Class of '80, Gertrude Elliott, Eugene Grunsky, Mamie Huggins, Cora Ralph and Jennie Winter. The largest class up to this time was that of '77, thirteen in number. The class of '85 was sev- enteen in number as follows: Elbert Smith, Maude H. Wiggin, Nellie L. Campbell, Frank Viebrock, Celia Crawford, Francis Cutting, Julia Gallup, Rachel Arndt, Abbie Bigger, Lizzie Doan, Fred P. Clark, Fred Wolner, Nel- lie Smith, Harry Lane, Lena Hilke, Helen M. Boschen and Ida L. Weller.

Several of the teachers were high school graduates, for Superintendent Ladd insisted in giving them an opportunity. They taught in the schools for many years on their merits alone, and today, one of them, Lottie Grunsky, has been honored by having a school building named for her. They were as follows : Washing- ton high school-A. H. Randall, S. D. Water- man, Mrs. E. J. Betts, Mary C. Russell, Lottie F. Grunsky, and Mrs. Sarah C. Harry. Lafay- ette-S. G. Dunbar, principal, Mrs. S. G. Hodgdon, assistant, Sarah Mills, Mrs. L. E. Benedict, Levenia M. Westbay, and Mrs.

Celia Gray. Franklin-R. E. Glidden, prin- cipal, Mary V. McPhee, Elmer Carter, Mae Hennion, Josie Jacobson and Amy Russell. Jefferson-V. P. Prichard, principal, Harriet McConnell, May Esterbrook, Letitia Summer- ville, and Clara Stier. Weber-George Good- ell, principal, Minnie Harkness, Isabel M. Paine, Jennie Hogan and Lillian Tinkham.

The board of education of the high school. in using their best judgment in making the school more efficient and serviceable, have changed the course of study several times and added several special studies, which required the engagement of special teachers. This re- quired a considerable outlay of money, and for the past twenty-five years there has been much complaint about the high school taxes .- Today there are 75 teachers in the high school. expenses being in the neighborhood of $244,- 700 per year. This question of school tax was brought up in the city new charter committee in 1902 and one of the committee, and ex- mayor of the city, said: "There are too many isms' and I refer especially to the high school. If they received less money there would be less 'isms' and more good schooling." The difficulty was to adjust the school studies to fit those scholars who wished to go to the university and at the same time have a course of study that would lead to business or voca- tional pursuits. At the time of the ex-mayor's criticism, the school board had adopted what was known as a literary or scientific course. and industrial course. The course last named included commercial arithmetic, bookkeeping. stenography, typewriting, and manual train- ing, all of which required special teachers. There was more complaint of the manual training and the pre-vocational work lately in- troduced, and yet the latter has been endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Men's Club, the Advertising Club, the Mer- chants' Club, the Lions Club and Rotary Club, and they have appointed an advisory board to report the progress of this work. Another "fad," as many called it, was physical culture. It taught the pupils grace and motion and a love of the things beautiful. Is that a waste of money? The physical training class gave an exhibition of their work at the close of each school year, and it was a delight to hun- dreds of relatives and friends.

The increased attendance of high school scholars compelled the planning of additional rooms, and to meet this want in 1891 the board erected a third story to the Washington school building. It comprised five rooms, the entire story being occupied by the high school classes. Ten years later they were again cramped for room, with 337 pupils enrolled. Fortunately at this time the state legislature passed a law creating what was known as

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"Union school districts" and providing annu- ally a certain amount of money for each dis- trict. This enabled the Stockton High School board to see their way clear for the building of a high school. The first step towards the erec- tion of a new building was a suitable high school site and the board of education, E. W. S. Woods, J. M. Kile, George Schuler, Ed. E. Tretheway and Mrs. L. Clare Davis, adver- tised for school sites. Then the real estate men got busy in looking for good fat commis- sions, and sixteen sites were offered. They varied in size from a half block to ten acres, and in price from $6,000 to $55,000. The board examined carefully all of these sites and their location for school purposes and it finally simmered down to two sites, the Collins sem- inary block, where now stands the Congrega- tional Church and the ten acres belonging to Miss Julia Weber, where now stands the high . school, which was then an orchard. The Col- lins block was offered for $30,000, although it was assessed for only $13,000, and the south quarter was low land flooded every winter. The Weber four blocks were offered by Miss Weber's agent, Robert Oullahan, for the same price as the Collins block and was four times the size and all high land. For some reason which is easily understood two of the board insisted on the purchase of the single block and the lady trustee entertained quite a num- ber of "honorable" citizens one evening, they trying to induce her to vote for their friends' $30,000 graft. A poet says, "He is a fool who thinks by force or skill to turn the cur- rent of a woman's will." Fortunately for Stockton Mrs. Davis had carefully considered the future needs and growth of the high school, and friendship cutting no figure, she, E. E. Tretheway and George Schuler voted for the four-block site. It was a fine location only marred by a large residence on the southwest quarter of the block owned by the Rossi fam- ily, who refused to sell at any price.

The next move was for the coin to erect the building. It appeared to be a hard job to tackle, for many persons disapproved of the proposition to build a large and expensive high school, but Superintendent James A. Barr said in answer, "I have heard some little complaint because we propose to build for the future. In answer to that let me say we pro- pose to build for the future." The board then requested permission of the citizens to issue bonds for $150,000 for the building of a high school and other expenses, the bonds to run

for twenty years. A movement for victory was splendidly worked up. The Chamber of Com- merce had endorsed the movement with a promise to get behind it and boost, and the high school alumni association were in high glee over their proposed victory. A meeting was held in the city hall on the evening of April 24, 1901, presided over by Fred W. West, president of the Chamber of Commerce. Speeches were made favoring the bonds by Harry T. Compton, high school graduate of '73, Mrs. P. B. Fraser, '74, Mrs. John J. Nunan, '75. William W. Westbay, '76, Dr. A. W. Hoisholt, '77, Louise Hilke, '73, J. M. Kile, '83, C. F. Hilman, '97. C. A. Farnsworth, '98, Joseph Binelli, '99, Byron Bearce, '01. The election was held April 29 at the Washington school with H. C. Holman as inspector and Fred Arnold and C. B. Wood as judges, and long before the polls closed victory was as- sured.

The architects quickly responded to the call of the board for building plans, and fourteen sets were sent in by California and eastern architects. After considerable examination of the best plans, the three prizes, five per cent of the construction price, $500 and $200, were awarded to George Rushford, Stone, and Wright of San Francisco and Charles Beas- ley & Sons. The first and last named were located in this city. In accepting Rushford's plans it was agreed that if no contractor bid $100,000 or less the architect would give a bond for the construction of the building: There was not a bid below the stated amount and Rushforth constructed the building and lost money. Louis S. Stone's plans for the interior of the building were adopted, and dur- ing the past ten years he has been the architect for several of the new school buildings. Then came the proudest event in the history of the high school body, the laying of the corner- stone, April 18, 1903, in the northeast corner of the building. The board of education re- quested the Masons to lay the cornerstone and they cheerfully accepted the honor. The build- ing was erected at a cost of $154,989 and com- pleted in September, 1904; a fine reception was held on the evening of September 12, Dr. Da- vid Starr Jordan delivering an address in the fine large assembly hall. Only a few years ago a second school building was erected, and twice the school added during the past year. Now there is being erected at a cost of $80,000 a splendid large auditorium with a seating ca- pacity of 2,400 persons.

CHAPTER XX THE BUILDING OF RAILROADS

The invention of the steam locomotive rev- olutionized the transportation traffic of the civilized world. Many of Stockton's progres- sive citizens of early days believed this true, agreeing with the editor of the Independent, Samuel Seabough, that "railroads are the great civilizers of the age, and exert more influence than any other agency in developing the re- sources of the country through which they pass." There was another class, however, who declared that they were an injury to the coun- try, as they displaced the pack mule and put teamsters out of business, thus hurting the farmer in his sale of hay; killed the stage and the steamboat business; cut up the country and frightened away all the game, deer, bear, elk, etc. In this class were the migratory pio- neers, men who in all their lives had never seen a locomotive or a steamboat. They wanted their nearest neighbors to be at last ten miles distant, so they could have breathing room, and early in the '60's they removed from Stockton down the valley, for this town, with its 6,000 inhabitants, was too thickly settled for them.

As early as 1852 a railroad was projected from Stockton to Sonora, and in 1856 a com- pany was organized to construct a road from Stockton to San Francisco. Stockton was then completely cut off from the outside world except by stage or steamboat. By stage it was a hot, dusty, all-day ride to Sacramento, the same to Sonora, and a long tiresome two days' trip to Mariposa. The fare to Mariposa was $20. In winter the journey was fearful; often the passengers were obliged to get out and walk, and at times were compelled to assist in starting the stage when it had stuck in the mud. The hauling of freight to the mountains, especially in winter, was very difficult. The freight rates then were very high, something like 3 or 4 cents a pound, and the mountain merchants were obliged to order their goods several months ahead of time. What has caused this great change; this saving of time and money, this ease and comfort of travel ; this great expansion of commerce and trade. settling up the vast desert lands, to the south? The railroad, and behind it four railroad kings -Stanford, Huntington, Crocker and Hopkins. Stockton at first assisted and then fought the progress of the great work, and in later years, realizing the great value of railroads to any community, gave liberally to the Valley Road and later welcomed the Western Pacific.

First Railroad Convention

The great overland railroad, the Central Pacific, was conceived by that splendid engi- neer, Theodore Judah. With the foresight of but few men, he knew that some day a rail- road would be built across the continent and from actual surveys he knew that such a road could be carried across the Sierras over what is now known as the Central route. With faith and courage scarcely equaled, he began his work of organization and induced the Legislature of 1859 to call a state railroad con- vention to assemble at San Francisco in Sep- tember for the purpose of discussing the best plan for securing an overland railroad. No plan of procedure was adopted and Secretary of State Ferris Forman, afterwards the father- in-law of J. D. Peters of this city, requested all sheriffs to call an election for delegates to the convention. In accordance with this request Sheriff John W. O'Neal called a San Joaquin convention. They met in the city hall, and selected A. C. Bradford chairman, and A. G. Brown secretary of the meeting. This conven- tion elected Mayor Holden, Maj. R. P. Ham- mond and William Garrard as delegates to the State convention. The latter body met Sep- tember 20 and chose John Bidwell as president and E. S. Holden as vice-president. This con- vention passed resolutions recommending that the state issue $15,000,000 in bonds for the building of an overland railroad and favored the Central route.

Congress Takes Action

Congress had been discussing this question since 1854, when Senator Gwinn of California introduced his first bill, but there was a disa- greement about a route. The northern men wanted a northern or central route, and the Southerners wanted the present southern route. The secession of the Southern mem- bers settled the question, and Congress passed a bill for a railroad over the central route, which became a law July 1, 1862. The news reached Stockton July 4th, just as the proces- sion was about to march, and for over an hour the old fire bell proclaimed the joyful news. "The construction of this road is the only sal- vation of our State," was the general declara- tion. "We must have a market, a far better one than the inhabitants of the state can af- ford us, and a market to which access is easy."

The year before this Leland Stanford had been elected Governor of California. The

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railroad then was no party question. A11 three conventions favored it, and so universal was the demand for an overland highway, that Milton S. Latham in Congress declared : "There is but one thing that can alienate the affections of the people of the Pacific from the Union, and that is a failure to give them a Pacific railroad. Stanford, as governor of this state, supported as he was by a pro-rail- road legislature, now found himself in a posi- tion to hasten the building of the proposed road, and in the presence of a large crowd, January 8, 1862, at the corner of Front and & K Streets in Sacramento, he dug the first shovelful of earth. Speeches were made by the Governor, Charles Crocker, Senator J. R. Warwick, Walter Van Dyke, Newton Booth and Niles Searles. The work was pushed ahead and in November, 1867, cars were run- ning to the summit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This was not the first railroad, for in 1856 a road was built from Sacramento to Folsom. The Stockton city council were invited to attend the celebration, but the mud was so deep they could not make the journey.

In November, 1867, Governor Stanford and Charles Crocker came over from Sacramento to Stockton to ask the right-of-way through the city, as they wished to connect their road with the Western Pacific purchased by them. This Western Pacific road is another story and because of it the council were very wary of railroad projects. The council comprised at this time, Wm. Dennis, Capt. Joseph Ham- mand and George C. Devoll from the first ward; Andrew Simpson, Joseph Adams, H. M. Fanning and John Nichols from the sec- ond ward; and Charles G. Hubner, Charles Ivory, and Thomas K. Hook from the third ward. It was planned that Dr. E. S. Holden, a very enthusiastic railroad man, should pre- sent the petition for the Central Pacific right- of-way "across and along Sutter Street, or any street lying east of said Sutter Street ex- cepting California Street, with the privileges of erecting a depot and warehouse." Stanford, on his arrival in the council chamber, immedi- ately noticed antagonistic feeling among the members and he advised Holden not to pre- sent the ordinance, but the latter believed he could talk it through. As soon as the ordi- nance was read, Dennis moved that it be laid on the table until the property owners could be heard from. As they had been talking of the road for three years, this motion made Holden angry and he attempted to withdraw the ordinance. Nichols moved to allow him to withdraw it and the matter was laid over until a December meeting. When the council met again, Dennis offered the following reso- lution, which was unanimously adopted: "We freely admit that a railroad is highly neces-

sary and we desire to see one built speedily. We are not opposed to railroads, even through the city, but we are strongly opposed to being humbugged, as we have been in the past-not by the Central Pacific, it is true, but by the Western Pacific. As we have suffered to the tune of $250,000, or nearly so, and must pay taxes on the swindle for years to come, it ought not seem strange if we observe the proper care in dealing with others. The Cen- tral Pacific may carry out all they may prom- ise in running their road through one of the principal streets of the city; still the council cannot grant what they request or permit many other things asked for. The ordinance is too general in its demands in one sense and too indefinite in another. We must not grant a franchise for an indefinite period, without some written guarantee stating what the city and railroad are willing to do as to grades, ob- structions, crossings, etc. We want the road, but we also want all concerned to act in good faith."

The council approved of this remarkable statement and appointed a committee of three councilmen-Dennis. Hook and Nichols-to confer with the directors of the Central Pa- cific regarding the right-of-way. Six weeks passed and as they made no move in the mat- ter it called forth the following stinger from the press: "The whole transaction is strictly in keeping with the slow-coach, muddled and befogged process which has left its brand on every matter of public enterprise." Two days later the council met and when the ordinance was called up there was a wrangle regarding the choice of street. Joseph Adams was op- posed to a right-of-way on Sutter Street, as he had built a house on that street. "Put it on San Joaquin Street," he said. "No, that won't do," replied Hickman. "The school- house is on that street." "Put it on El Dorado near the water-front," said Keys. "That won't do," answered Hook, "The business is moving eastward." Finally by a vote of 7 to 1 they gave a right-of-way on El Dorado Street, and Captain Weber, Andrew Simpson and John Nichols were appointed a committee to wait upon the Central Pacific and inform them of the action of the Council. It was a waste of time only. The engineers laid their cross section stakes, and early in April they were grading along the county road, now Sac- ramento Street, then 200 yards outside of the city limit.

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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 46

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