USA > Iowa > Cedar County > A topical history of Cedar County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 13
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
interested in the venture as the future county seat when the time came for its settlement. Sargent, Sheller and Company opened the first store here. How long it continued is not now a matter to be verified, but at last accounts all that re- mained of the store building was an old cellar and fireplace not far from the Muscatine road, and the home of W. M. Port.
SECTION IV.
EDUCATIONAL.
The earliest type of school is described by those who were members of groups where the need was felt, where the facilities were limited, but where a way was found to provide for the need. While they are much alike in the beginning, each has its independent history, in many ways suggestive of the character of those who were concerned in its establishment. The custom of previous experiences comes out in these first forms and the improvements in accommodations does not neces- sarily show an improvement in spirit above that of the early settler. A keen admiration must stir the present generation when it reflects on the experiences, trials and courage of the beginners in school affairs. The name school is given to many things, but there is only one pioneer school, only one that can stir the imagination to a point that makes it wish for the real preservation of a type school. In these pages some of the old kind are described and incidents related which bring the past into view preparatory to connecting it with the present, that there may seem to be no gap in the history of the educational forces in this county. It has taken a long time, much patience, many experiments, many failures, and more successes to produce the present condition. Let us trace the matter from the beginning, let us put in order the events of interest so far as they may be profit- able : "The school house was built of logs with a fire place in one end of it which constituted our heating plant. The seats were long benches running the entire length of the room, with a wide plank next the wall, which served as a desk and when we used all the agility we possessed in changing our positions so that we could face either way-the desk or the center of the room, as our fancies might dictate. There was, of course, a total lack of school apparatus with the exception of a board some two feet wide by four feet long and which by courtesy was called a blackboard, although the paint was soon dimmed by time and use.
Notwithstanding these primitive surroundings we were fortunate in having teachers who somehow inspired us and who required us to learn our lessons. At that time there were no examinations for teachers and the school directors were permitted to employ whomsoever they pleased. Whether those of our district were more competent to decide who were fitted to give instruction than those in other sections of the country I do not know, but I think the work compared quite. favorably with the work done in a majority of the rural districts of today.
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Our main battles were with the three R's, and I am fully persuaded that we were able to read as intelligently, to write as legibly, and to spell better than the average high school graduate of today, while our arithmetics were things to be studied, not guessed at, things to be digested, not picked at. Grammar, composi- tion and literature were not deemed essential and were utterly neglected." The writer of the above goes on to say that "in the second year a new schoolhouse was erected which we thought quite elegant, but which would hardly answer even in the backwoods at this time in our history. For several years there was but one school house in the township and pupils came three or four (and occasionally more) miles to reach the school. With the passage of the law requiring examina- tions of teachers and giving a general supervision of the work the condition of the schools improved. The Tipton Union School (see elsewhere) was an impor- tant factor in preparing teachers for their work in these early days and as other graded schools came into existence the teaching improved greatly.111 Probably the first school in the county was in Rochester Township at the home of Col. Henry Hardman and it is described by a family relation: "The same room which was fitted for preaching services ('37 or '38) was later used for school purposes, a petition was circulated, a teacher secured, Moses B. Church, who was the first clerk of the Commissioners, and the first school consisted of twenty pupils. The number increased so rapidly that a school building was deemed necessary. The first school house was erected by the people of this same neighborhood about one- half mile northwest of the Hardman residence. It was named 'Hebron.' This building stood for a number of years. Now a modern building stands to mark the spot where the first one stood in those pioneer days. A little later a building for school purposes was erected in the village of Rochester." 112
The first school in Iowa Township is said to have been established in 1845 and is known as Pedee. It was located one-half mile north and one-half mile east of its present site ; the school house was on the east side of Pedee creek on the north- east corner of the farm now owned by Mr. Mixell.113 The earliest school in Farmington Township is known now as "Burr Oak." It is located in the south- western part. The first building was about twelve by sixteen feet in dimensions, built of rough boards. John Quincy Tufts, a farmer residing in the neighbor- hood, was the first teacher. The second school in the township was established at Durant. The district was organized in the depot on the evening of June 30, 1856. In '57 a tax of one and a half mills was voted to build a school house. Dur- ing the winter of '57 school was taught in a room in the hotel by Lafayette Parker at three dollars per month tuition. (No free schools then in Iowa .- Ed.) Jan. II, '58, it was voted to erect a building not to exceed $800 in cost. Cook and Sargent gave the fractional block north of the west public square, and a building twenty-six by thirty feet was erected in the spring of '58. In 1869 a new building was erected at a cost of 3,500 dollars. This is described as of two stories, thirty- six by sixty feet, with library, recitation rooms and large hall above. Durant be- came an independent district in 1857. It was then known as the graded school in two departments, primary and grammar. A third building was erected in 1904 at a cost of 15,000 dollars. It has four rooms, a recitation room and a library. It has four departments now instead of two and has added a high school, employ- ing an additional teacher during the winter months. The new school laws of 1856
THE SECOND SCHOOLHOUSE IN TIPTON
"OLD UNION SCHOOL" AND FORMER PUPILS AND TEACHERS. THE FIRST GRADED SCHOOL IN IOWA
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
were adopted by this independent district in 1857. The first trustees were Lewis Knowles, E. B. Bills and John S. Whittlesey.114 About 1854 the first schools were established in Springdale Township. The first one mentioned was located in the extreme corner of the township on the farm now known as the Henry Negus property. The building was intended for a dwelling, but since no house for school purposes was in existence this was used temporarily. Deborah Harri- son was the teacher. About this time Highland school was erected. Ellen Wil- liamson was the first teacher here. A year or two later the Friends conceived the idea of erecting a building for a select school, which was done, and it was located about three-fourths of a mile northeast of Springdale. Joel Bean was one of the first instructors. The land near the school building was laid out in lots and sold. For a time it seemed as if a village might grow up here. However the property was sold in '56 and a gravel building was constructed about half a mile west, near the cemetery. This was also conducted by the Friends. About the time the first, a brick building, was erected, a school house was built on what is now the Arthur Milnes place, one-half mile west of Springdale. This was a district school. About 1860 a school was formed at Centerdale. At the same time a private school was conducted by Joel Bean and wife on the Elwood Tatum farm east of West Branch. But these schools did not completely satisfy the needs of the time as felt by these people. What they wanted was a school for the higher branches where their chil- dren could pursue those subjects without going so far from home to complete their education. When the present school of Springdale was completed in 1867 and tried, it seemed to satisfy the need and the Friends schools were discontinued. Among the later schools Peat Vale is one, the building having been erected in 1873. School began there that fall with an enrollment of twenty-one.115
Lawrie Tatum has written so fully of the Springdale school that his article is quoted largely below.
The original settlers of Springdale neighborhood were principally Friends, the first of whom located there in 1844. In a few years a church organization was effected, and some years later district schools were organized. A school of higher grade was demanded and in about 1860 Friends erected a brick school house in which school was commenced in 1861. It was controlled by Friends, but open also for non-members.
Two hindrances to the school were soon encountered. While it was a benefit to those who attended, it was an injury to No. 6 district in Iowa Township and No. I district in Springdale Township, in reducing the size of those schools by with- drawing from them the more advanced and energetic students. It was also a heavy expense on the patrons to financially sustain the school in addition to the legal tax for the support of the district schools. To obviate the injurious effect on the two district schools and to have a school of as high a grade and more general in its character, it was decided by the Friends and the two districts for the Friends' school to be discontinued, and combine the small district No. 6 in Iowa Township with Springdale district No. I and enlarge the boundaries to about three miles square, including territory in Springdale, Iowa, and Gower Townships, and or- ganize "an Independent School District" and have a school of high grade.
The records of the district state, "At a meeting of legal voters of the proposed Independent District of Springdale, held Ioth month, 10th, 1866, nineteen votes
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
were polled for the organization of said district and three against it." In a mat- ter of so much importance it is reasonable to suppose that every voter would wish to cast a ballot on that occasion. If that was the fact, and there were but twenty- two voters in the district, it certainly showed a great deal of energy for so few to shoulder so important an enterprise.
The Independent District of Springdale was organized Oct. 19, 1866, by elect- ing the following named officers : President, Dr. H. C. Gill; Vice President, El- wood Macy ; Secretary, Emma Rood ; Treasurer, Peter Thomas ; Directors, Elisha Negus for three years, John F. Carson for two years, Townsend Thomas for one year. In December, 1866, a lot was purchased, containing three and a half acres, for four hundred and twenty-five dollars, upon which to build the house, which was 46x48 feet, two stories high, with two school rooms on each floor. The par- tition between the rooms on the second floor was made to be raised so as to throw the two rooms together when necessary. The house also contained ample halls and cloak rooms.
D. B. Morrison, who lived in the district, was employed to build the house, which cost $8,054.09, including stoves, double desks and well. The following spring shade and ornamental trees were planted on the lot by voluntary help.
The writer was elected president of the board at the second election and re- elected for several years. The school board took the position that the course of study should be such as to qualify a student to enter the freshman class in the University or any of the colleges of the state. As no catalogues have been found for the first eleven years, and to be positive that the memory of the writer is cor- rect, the oldest inhabitants have been appealed to in order to ascertain what they recollected of the high standard of the school in the early days.
Cyrus Lindley, the first principal, who taught the winter term of 1867-8, writes from Whittier, Cal .: "Yes, it was the intention to prepare pupils for the freshman year." Hon. Elwood Macy writes: "If my memory serves me right, when Cyrus Lindley was principal, an effort was made to prepare a course of study, the com- pletion of which would admit a student into the University or any of the colleges of the state." So high were the literary aspirations of some of the pupils that the elective branches of German and Greek were taught. Several studied German. Wm. Worrell writes that Kinsey Wilson and he studied Greek under E. U. Cook. Other elective branches were geology, logic, political economy and book-keeping.
Elwood Tatum went through the course except botany and, wishing to enter the State University in 1870, took a catalogue to the president, who looked over the course and told him if he had gone through it he could enter the freshman class, which he did without examination, and made up the botany. After attend- ing the University a term he went to Penn college, from which he was graduated. His entering the University as he did conclusively shows that the course of study was up to the point that the directors intended to have it, i. e., to prepare the students to enter the freshman year of the colleges of Iowa. He was probably the first student admitted into the freshman year of the University without an exam- ination on the merits of going through the course of study of any public school in the state of Iowa. The school that prepared him was Springdale Seminary.
During the time that H. H. Hiatt was principal, which was from 1875 to 1878, the school board wrote to the president of the University, and to the presidents
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
of Penn, Cornell and Iowa colleges, to procure their assistance in preparing the course of study for Springdale Seminary, so that a student completing its course could enter the freshman class without examination, with the intention of discon- tinuing the teaching of some of the sciences which were unnecessary for entering college, and add some if thought best. The assistance asked for was kindly ren- dered and there were dropped out of the course trigonometry, English literature, surveying, moral philosophy and evidence of christianity. There were added Roman history, civil government, school government and descriptive astronomy. Previous to the change it is stated in the catalogue: "Care has been taken to ar- range a course of study that will meet the wants of those who wish to prepare for college, and also those who do not desire more than an academical course." Changes have since been made to meet the requirements of the time in which we are living. For some years there has been an English course of study as well as a Latin course of study. The former is designed to prepare students for general business and teaching public schools.
Hon. Elwood Macy, of Mt. Vernon, who for many years was an officer of Springdale Seminary, writes that in 1878, while he was a member of the legis- lature from this county : "I was told by President Schaeffer (then acting pres- ident of the State University) that the Springdale school was the first to prepare its course so that its graduates would be admitted into the State University with- out examination and there was only one other school outside the colleges in the state that their graduates would be so treated."
In building the State of Iowa, it seems that the small unincorporated village of Springdale, with the farming district of near three miles square, had the first public school in the state that prepared its students for entering college. At that time there were cities in the state whose children of school age (5 to 21 years) numbered some thousands, while the Independent School District of Springdale had about one hundred and twenty. At this writing the school is unique in being the only district school in Iowa, outside of a town or city corporation, that qual- ifies its students for entering college.
To pay for the school house funds were borrowed at ten per cent interest. A classical scholar was employed as principal, to whom a good salary was paid. Three other teachers were also employed. To meet the expenses there was a school house tax levied of ten mills on the dollar ; for teachers' fund five mills, and a small contingent fund. These aggregated a much heavier tax for school purposes than the citizens had been accustomed to paying. Several who were living on the bor- der of the district petitioned to be set off to other districts where the school houses were nearer. Under such circumstances it requires much patriotism to wish to help financially to build up and sustain the important enterprise of a superior school. The petitions were not granted.
At various times since then there have been petitions to be set off to other districts. At one time several united in such a petition, and, as it was not granted, the petitioning parties appealed to the County Superintendent of Schools, and from him to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, before whom the case was fully presented by both parties and he rendered a decision in favor of the district, which is final.
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In 1891 a hot air furnace was put in the building which has given good satisfaction in warming the rooms and in economy of fuel. In 1893 the double desks were removed from the school and they were seated with single ones. The principals (except one who was employed for a short time to fill a vacancy) and nearly all the subordinate teachers have been professing chris- tians.
Forty-four per cent of the graduates have attended college or the State University. Wm. B. Worrall was the first graduate in 1876. He has since been employed by the C. R. I. & P. R. R. Co. as civil engineer in surveying and constructing new railroad lines through northern Kansas and Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) into Texas. All of the school instruction in surveying he received in Springdale Seminary.
Students attend from other districts and sometimes from other counties. This school year, 1896-7, there are thirty scholars who reside outside the dis- trict, many of whom ride to the village and put their teams in stables during the day. Whole number of students who have attended school during the year, 158; number in the graduating class, 14.
After the legislature abolished the preparatory department in the Univer- sity, the attention of the authorities was turned towards affiliation with schools prepared to give proper fitting to enter the University. A list of schools was prepared after examining the course of study, and in the catalogue of 1880 announcement was made of the schools from which students would be re- ceived without examination. Springdale Seminary and Tipton High School were the Cedar County schools on this list.116
At a reunion of the teachers and students of this school the historical article above was read and an address given by Prof. Jesse Macy of Iowa College, Grinnell. Prof. Macy taught in this place in 1869 and since then has become known not only in our country but in England as well through his study of English constitutional history and published work on that subject. He is a personal friend of Ambassador Bryce.
Here on September 28, 1901, more than five hundred, old and young, gathered, enjoying the review of the past and the good things of the present when the noon hour arrived. Great numbers of those who had been students here returned to honor the occasion and it is not possible to include in a brief summary all the events of that day.
When the recent new building in West Branch was dedicated the exercises were more than local, giving a general review of the educational history. Some ex- tracts here seem suitable: "J. C. Crew, president of the board, presented the building to the people of the district and Dr. L. J. Leech responded on behalf of the people. C. H. Wickersham gave the history of the school from the first in 1853 from the one district school to the present time. The first was built by subscription. As it was almost wholly paid for by the society of Friends, it was used also as a meeting house until they built the first church building in 1856. Mary Mills was the first teacher. In 1867 a two-story building was erected where, as mentioned before in this chapter, Joel and Hannah Bean taught. This was on the site of the present building. In 1870 the old house was moved to the north of the new one and Mary Townsend taught here.
Mechanicsville Public School
Lowden Public School
Rochester Schoolhouse After Rebuilding
Bennett Schoolhouse
Stanwood High School
Scattergood Seminary
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
In 1877 the little old school house was moved away and a two-story wing was erected. At this time a carefully graded school system was adopted, a library was added and provision made for a laboratory. Additions were made to the library by several means-students and patrons working together. In November, 1892, this building was destroyed by fire through some defect in the heating system, but good fortune favored the district, as it occurred just before the morning opening. A temporary building was immediately put up and within two weeks work was continued.
In 1893 a six-room building was erected with modern equipment and a different heating system. A new library was begun and had more than six hundred volumes. Valuable physical apparatus was supplied. Then came a bolt of lightning and the second fire laid waste the work of years. But the good red blood of the pioneer parents still courses in the veins of the chil- dren, and the present building was put up on the hill overlooking the town, and is a credit to those who managed the expenditure of twenty thousand dollars. The building was dedicated to the cause of education in the name and memory of the pioneers who stinted themselves and gave of their limited means that their children might have the privilege of a liberal education.
This thought is added by the writer of the history for the dedication: "It is not enough for man to have a splendid physique. This is not the real man. His heart must be right and his thoughts must be clean. Then he will not shame his fine figure nor the God who made him. This splendid building is not enough. It must be filled with pupils who are in earnest and with teachers able to show them the way."117
In the winter of '58-9 V. R. Cornwall taught in the Fowler building in Downey. In 1860 it was held in the Crozier house. The first school building was erected in 1863 and in March, 1863, a tax of five mills was levied for a building fund. In 1871 the house was rebuilt at a cost of ten thousand dol- lars. At that time there were thirty-five pupils. At present a new building of four rooms is occupied with an enrollment of sixty. The Friends boarding school is located southeast of West Branch. It was formerly known as Scat- tergood Seminary. It was established in 1890 and has an enrollment of thirty or more at this time.
About 1845 J. H. and Robert Gower, for whom Gower Township was named, hired a Mr. Lambert to teach in a log cabin on the west side of the river on the Kester place. School was continued there every winter until the house was built on the Gunsolus place. This was before Gower Township was formed.118
The first school in Cass Township was organized about 1842 near a place called at that time Dutchtown, not far from the present town of Buchanan. There was no district meeting, as one would expect now, but a gathering of the neighbors to build a log house with an extra large fire place in one end, a row of small window panes on two sides and other furnishings described in the beginning of this chapter. George Smith, a graduate of some eastern college, was the first teacher. He was a very competent man. Gower's sons (see elsewhere) were taking work of college grade under him. He was a strict man, as all the early teachers were, for they had pupils, often, who were
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men of twenty-one or older. This did not prevent him from administering the lash when considered necessary. On arrival in the morning a bright fire was found burning in the big fire place, the master was setting copies for us made from scriptural verses or maxims; or he might be making pens from goose quills, as was the custom then, the present steel pen of such great variety not being in use. The old quill produced some beautiful penmen, as the old county records can testify.
The teacher was paid two dollars a term for each pupil and he "boarded round." On such visits the best was always brought out by each family. The length of his stay was in proportion to the number of pupils in the family.
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