USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 47
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
schoolhouse. And in August, 1877, Block 14 of Bull's Addition was deeded by Mrs. Wilcox and Mrs. Pillsbury to the Independent School District of Inde. pendence for a consideration of $4,500, issued in ten bonds at 8 per cent interest. A house and barn were on these lots, the barn was sold but the house was repaired and used for school purposes and the high school and a primary grade were moved to this school. Miss S. L. Angel was employed as principal of the high school and Mrs. J. M. Weart as primary teacher in the Wilcox School. This increased the number of teachers from fourteen to sixteen, al- though three teachers were added with the establishment of a high school. German had been dropped. This block also must have contained a superfluity of sand and timber for the board immediately began operations in retailing these commodities and thus leveling and improving the grounds.
On November 24, 1877, at a meeting of the committee appointed by the directors of Independent District of Independence to confer with the committee appointed from the Washington Township School District in relation to changing the boundaries of the district, it was agreed that the boundaries of the said Independent District of Independence shall embrace the following territory : The southwest quarter of section 26; the south half of section 27; the east half of the west half, and the east half of section 33; all of sections 34 and 35, in township 89, range 9; and the west half of section 2; all of sections 3 and 4, and the east half of section 5, in township 88, north, of range 9; the balance of the territory to belong to the district township. This change to take effect so that the land shali be taxed for the year 1878, as changed.
('linton Wilson, Lyman JJ. Curtis and Milton House were the committee from Washington Township District; Jed Lake, C. M. Durham and E. W. Purdy were the committee from the Independent District of Independence. The second graduating class consisted of four members, Eddie Biggs, Anna Gifford, Mary Holdridge and Walter Stevenson, and upon this occasion a real graduating program was held. Hon. W. G. Donnan was invited to deliver the address and present the diplomas to the graduates. This was the initial graduating exer- cises, so far as we have found in the records.
Mr. Stevenson entered the city schools the fall after his graduation as assistant teacher in the high school.
An average of 80 per cent in studies was required before diplomas were granted. This per cent was reduced to 75, which it has been ever since.
That the school year be reduced from ten to nine months had been under consideration by the board for some time, several times the proposition was voted upon and lost, and finally in May, 1879, they voted to do so, probably as a matter of economy we conclude. But in 1880 the board voted to continue it 91% months.
The course was for three years, as follows: First year-first half, reading with word analysis, English, grammar, algebra, physiology ; second half, reading with word analysis, English, grammar, algebra, completed ; physiology, followed by botany. Second year-first half, English, literature with word analysis, rhetoric, geometry, botany, completed ; second half, general history, rhetoric, geometry, with logic; physics, completed. Third year-first half, intellectual philosophy, trigonometry and surveying, chemistry, zoology, lectures; second half, intellectual philosophy, science of arithmetic, geology, zoology, leetures.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Certainly this was a fine course, giving a broad universal education, more advanced than the high school course today, and with many studies now embraced in college courses. This was the only course offered, so it was compulsory for graduation.
At the annual meeting of the school district the following proposition was submitted to the voters, "Shall any language except English be taught in any of the departments of the public schools of Independence?" and the question was decided in the negative. Questions of this nature are decided by the board nowadays.
The first notice of an oratorical contest was in 1882-between the pupils of the high school. The school board appointed the judges.
Professor Elden, who had been superintendent for five years, failed of re- election and three superintendents were elected for the different buildings. Miss Mary H. Johnson, superintendent of the high school; Mrs. Martha Chapel, superintendent of West Side, and Miss L. C. Parker, superintendent of the East Side School. After seven months' trial this method proved very unsatisfactory, and in March, 1882, G. A. Graves was employed at $100 per month as superin- tendent of the Independence schools, which position he filled for the remainder of the school year. There were only three graduates this year-Bert Smith, Emma Berger, and Will Woodward, and no graduation exercises. Miss Menza C. Rosecrans was elected for the next year at a salary of $1,000 per year.
It was decided by the board to remove the third story of the West Side School buikling and make it a two-story building and to build on additional rooms. Work was begun in the summer of 1882. A two-story addition 32 feet wide and 40 feet long was built on the east side of the old main building.
The board were not through with the worry and expense of building the West Side Schoolhouse before more trouble assailed them. On the afternoon of the 22d of January, 1883, the East Side Schoolhouse burned to the ground and was a total loss. Rooms were secured and school resumed as soon as possible. The grammar grade held sessions in the Methodist Church. First and second primary grades held sessions in the Congregational Church, first intermediate at Scar- cliff's store building and the second intermediate at the German Presbyterian Church.
The next spring the walls of the old building, which were left standing after the fire, were torn down to the foundation and work on the new building began that summer. It was voted to ereet a building on the south side of the old foundation, just the same size as the old building, with a wide hall between large enough for stairways and wardrobes-this building is the Lincoln School of today. J. A. Phillips and 11. Burlingham secured the contract by submitting the lowest bid, which was $17,000, and to complete it by December 1, 1883. It was to be built of briek, have hot air furnaces and a good bell. Before the build- ing coukl be erected, it was necessary to buy another lot in that block, so ar- rangements were made with N. J. Peek, owner of same, for $700, and lot 4, block 8, of Scarcliff's Addition, became the property of the Independence School Dis- triet. II. A. Hall was employed to superintend the construction. Superintendent Rosecrans at the end of the school year reported 865 pupils enrolled, with an average attendance of 610, and 16 teachers employed, with 91/2 months of school.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
The old saying that "the harvest is plenty but the laborers few" was re- versed in those days, and the supply far exceeded the demand, especially for school positions, as shown in the great number of applications for every position. The board received seventeen applications for the superintendent's place this year (1883) and twenty the next year. And although there were so many appli- eants, vacancies were always occurring. Every school year there were numerous resignations by the teachers, often in the course of a term.
A. L. Free was employed as superintendent of schools for the school year be- ginning in September, 1883, but only continued in the position three months when he resigned. Miss Mattie Barnett was tendered the position at $85 per month for the next term and was retained for the balance of that school year at $100 a month and employed the next at a salary of $1,000 a year. A normal music school was conducted by Mr. A. J. Goodrich in the West Side building in the summer of 1884. The teachers of the early days were fully as busy, if not more so, than they are at present. The board proenred lamps for the new East Side building, so that the teachers' meetings could be held in the evening, their days were so employed.
Written examinations were conducted very often, as shown by the faet that the board in 1884 cut them down to two a term. These examinations were some- what different than the written tests of today, as they eounted more in the gen- eral average and the per cent of a passing grade was higher than at present.
Another oratorical contest was held in March, 1885. Frank Jennings, R. M. Campbell, and Mrs. (Doctor) Hill were appointed judges, and Stephen Tabor referee. The first scholarship and a certificate of honor of which we have record was offered by the president of Adrian College, Michigan, in 1885. for the pupil graduating with the most distinction, and was accepted by our board. Who the recipient of the scholarship was the school records do not state.
Graduation exercises were hold that year in King's Opera House. There were twelve graduates and also an industrial exhibition of all the grades of the publie school at the elose of the year. This was the only thing of the kind ever given here-the Patron's Day and the exhibits at the county fair taking the place of it. This exhibition in 1885 was a grand success. The exhibits entirely filled the large main floor of King's old opera house (now occupied by H. R. Keagy of the People's Supply Company). The work exhibited embraced all kinds of work done by children, possibly as great a variety as we now see in school exhibits, but this work was not necessarily done in school, in fact most of it was done outside. Ribbon or rag prizes were awarded.
Miss Mattie Barnett as superintendent and Miss Lydia MeDougal, who had been principal of the high school, both declined reappointment.
L. W. Parish of Des Moines was elected to the position of superintendent for the following two years at a salary of $1,400 for the first year and $1,500 for the second year.
In the year 1885 quarters were very cramped again, especially at the high school, so an addition one story high and about the size of the old building, was added until a better one could be built. All sorts of methods whereby the classes eonld he condensed and the room expanded were employed. Extra desks were put in the recitation rooms and permanent grades with teachers were established in them, three classes were put in each room: where a small number
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of pupils attended the same grade, the East and West Side classes were con- solidated, or if they persisted in attending school on their own side, they were compelled to drop back a half year in their work. Even the dressing rooms had to be used for elass rooms and the high school held but one session a day from 8:30 A. M. till 1 o'clock P. M. The time of promotion of grades was changed from the third to the first week in January.
And this congested condition continued and increased, but the school board for some reason did not submit the building proposition to the voters, although they passed several motions to that effect, and one in regard to a county school building which evidently did not meet the approval of the supervisors. Seven- teen teachers were now employed, three at the high school-a principal and assistant and a primary teacher-eight in the East Side and six in the West Side billing. The superintendent also assisted with the high school classes.
That fall the board decided to increase the high school course from three to four years, but not to affect the prospective graduates of that school year. Trigonometry was dropped from the course and solid geometry substituted. The board also allowed the superintendent the use of tuition money to purchase school supplies. The greater portion of this money was expended to buy books for the school library. This year a business conrse was added to be optional in lieu of the course then in use. One typewriter was bought and this study introduced in the fall of 1887. Miss Alice Blood was employed to teach typewriting and shorthand. Five dollars per month was the generous salary.
Superintendent Parish gave notice to the board, after the expiration of this year, that he would not be a candidate for re-election, but at an increased salary was induced to sign a contract for three years at a salary of $1,700 a year. Musie was first introdneed into the public schools as a study in the fall of 1887 and Lonise M. Udall was the first instructor.
Another custom which was adhered to by the school board for years was to have the receipts and disbursements of the school district printed in all the city papers every year, at a considerable expense to the district. The school printing bills were a constant source of revenue for the papers.
Not until 1888 was anything done about building a new schoolhouse. When the proposition was submitted to the voters at the regular election in March, to bond the district in the sum of $10,000 for the purpose of ereeting, heating and furnishing an additional building for the accommodation of the schools of the city upon the present high school lots, the proposition carried and H. A. IIall was employed as architect to draw plans and specifications. The building was to be let in three contracts as follows: Excavation and basement, brick and car- penter work, and third, painting. George Neteott, Sr., secured the excavation and basement contract to be completed July 1, 1888, and later the other contraets for the sum of $7,225, to be completed by October 1. 1888, with a forfeiture of $10 per day (Sunday excepted) for the time thereafter before completion and a premium of $5 per day (Sunday excepted) for all the time completed before October 1st. The old high school building was sold for $124. E. W. Purdy was employed as superintendent of construction.
While the building was in the process of completion, school was held in County Superintendent Parker's rooms at the courthouse for high school grades, and at the Methodist Church basement for the primary grade.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
By the last of October. 1888, the building was completed and ready for ocen- pancy. O. P. Sprague was the first janitor and continued his position there. Nineteen teachers, with the music teacher and a superintendent, were employed, and two more had to be employed for overflow grades in 1891.
In 1889 the question "Shall Latin and German be tanght in this school dis- trict as optional studies ?" was again submitted to the voters with an affirmative result. Rev. E. Schuette was employed to teach German for $200 a year for 11% hours per day of recitation work.
It was voted by the board to grant diplomas to Will M. Woodward and Robert Leach who had graduated some years previous.
Superintendent Parish refused to accept re-election by the board for one or more years and S. G. Burkhead was seenred for three years.
Rules governing pupils with contagions diseases were made by the school board.
In June, 1891, the graduating exercises were held for the first time at the Gedney Opera House and an admission of 10 cents was charged to defray ex- penses. This was the first charge ever made for these performances. Nine hnu- dred and sixty-nine people paid admissions.
At one time the school board adopted the waterworks whistle as correct time for school time, but some months later adopted Herrick's and Jones' as standard time. Rather strange procedure.
Physical enlture was introduced into the public schools in December, 1891. The first woman school director was Miss S. E. Homans, elected in March, 1892.
In 1892 the teachers employed numbered twenty-one and the rooms were all so crowded that two over-flow rooms were conducted. So steps were taken toward building a two-room addition to the West Side building and a new four-room building on the East High School lots.
The proposition to bond the district in the sum of $12,000 submitted to the voters passed, and George Neteott secured contracts for both buildings. The West Side addition was to be completed for the fall term and the new building by January 1, 1893, but was not completed until August, 1893.
The first piano purchased for the schools was for the high school in Decem- ber, 1892, the money having been raised by the pupils with concerts and enter- tainments. Money to buy a piano for the grammar grades was raised in the same way.
Kindergarten classes were established in the schools in 1894.
In March, 1893, Superintendent Burkhead was again tendered the office and a contract made with him for five years at $1,500 per year.
Not until January, 1895, were text-books in arithmetic used in grades below the sixth ; lessons were put on the board. Teachers and janitors used to be hired by the term but this was done away with and contracts for a year were made.
In January, 1896, Mr. E. W. Purdy, an honored and capable member of the school board for twenty-four years, died while yet in office. A special session of the board was held whereat resolutions of respect, homage, and lament were adopted and placed on file and a copy sent the bereaved family. And as a further mark of respect, it was ordered that the flags on all the school buildings be kept at half mast until after the funeral and the schools were elosed for the afternoon of the obsequies.
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Not until about this year were bids for furnishing fuel and school supplies asked and this simplified matters to a great extent.
In October, 1891, Superintendent Burkhead complained to the board that Miss Kate Lalor, teacher of the fifth room, East Side, had been insubordinate. Ilis complaint covered five charges of insubordination. Miss Lalor sned the dis- triet for the salary which would averne to her in fulfillment of her contract. The board gave her a hearing and finding her guilty of the charges preferred, dis- charged her. She appealed her case and lost again. But the general sympathy of the public seemed to be with Miss Lalor and in 1897 a petition of the citizens asking for favorable consideration of the application of Miss Lator was presented to the hoard.
Some dissatisfaction with the ineumbent, Superintendent Burkbead, who held a contract for five years, was entertained and the position was declared null and void. Of nearly forty applicants for the position, Superintendent Buechele was the choice of the board. Supt. S. G. Burkhead sued the Independent District first for $999.97 for six months' salary, then for $3,000 two years' salary, in default of his contract which would not have expired until March, 1898. Charles E. Ransier was retained as attorney for the district and the verdict rendered was in favor of the district. This was a test case, to determine whether the action of the previous board in making a contract with a superintendent for more than one year was legal. The state attorney-general was the board's au- thority that it was not legal, so they proceeded to act on that advice.
Early in March the graduating class of 1897 "took the bull by the horns," so to speak, and sent a delegation to interview the board in person, and petitioned that the usual graduating orations be omitted and a lecture delivered by a prom- inent speaker substituted. Previously, no matter how large the class, each gradu- ate was required to give an oration, which proved a very tiresome and unprofit- able entertainment. This was a decided innovation then, but later graduating classes followed their initiative and many fine plays and other entertainments were the outcome, so the usual graduating exercises were dispensed with.
Superintendent Buechele was re-elected for the next year at $1,300, and the following year for $1,400.
To President Jennings of the board belongs the honor of first suggesting that the schools should be named. A committee from the board was appointed to recommend names to the schools and the scholars voted for the choice, which resulted in the West Side building being named the "Hawthorne." the East Side "Lincoln," the new northeast building "Emerson, " and the building on the west lots of that block was the high school, but since the new high school was built it is known as the Grammar School.
E. C. Lillie, an efficient director of the board, elected to the office in March, 1896, was appointed county superintendent in February, 1897, and resigned his office to make the change. Some years after he served again as director.
The board made a resolution in March, 1898, not to employ teachers who had not had experience in teaching. Before that, this was not necessary and gradu- ates of the high school had been elected to positions.
When the Spanish-American war broke out several of the high school boys went to the front as soldiers, among them Frank Romig, who was a member of the senior class, so the board to show appreciation for his patriotic sacrifice,
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passed a resolution that he be allowed to graduate, the same as if he had com- pleted his course and that he be given a diploma accordingly. This was certainly a magnanimous act on the part of the board.
The fall term of 1898 found the high school so crowded that extra teachers had to be employed and a special drawing teacher was also employed that year, making twenty-four regular teachers beside the music teacher. The highest salary paid was $800 per year to Miss Clara Travis, principal of the high school, and the lowest was $25 per month. but this was only for half day's service. The average salary was $46. In 1901, the number of teachers had increased to twenty- seven, with a special writing and music teacher.
In September, 1898, Mr. Jennings, president of the board, died and Mr. M. W. Harmon was elected to the office.
In November, 1899, the board passed the following resolutions: that teachers be prohibited from accepting any presents from their pupils while in the employ of the board and from presenting any gifts or prizes to their pupils; and the pupils be forbidden to make any collections for the purchase of presents for teachers. This did away with the usual Christmas giving and was a wise move.
In March. 1900, the board bought a fine new physies apparatus for the high school that cost $350: this was the first one of any value that the school had possessed.
On the night of September 25, 1900, the high school mysteriously took fire, doing considerable damage. It was thought to be the work of malicious incen- diaries-the mutilated books, piano, and other school furniture testified to this fact.
Arrangements were made to have classes outside until the damage was re- paired-two rooms at the courthouse and the Munson Building were secured for the purpose. In May, 1902. pianos were first put in the grammar rooms on both sides of the river.
In August, 1902, the city council conferred with the school board in regard to vaccination, and it was concluded the board of health recommend it, there was so much sickness prevalent. In February, 1903. the schools were closed for two weeks on account of so many cases of scarlet fever in the schools.
The board first appointed a truant officer in 1902.
In the spring of that year there was talk of building an addition on the high school and remodeling the interior of the old building to accommodate the steadily increasing classes. Neteott and Donnan, architects, were employed to make plans and estimates. The cost of the addition was estimated at $15,750 exclusive of plumbing, heating and blackboards. A special election was called for May 18. 1903, for the purpose of voting upon the following question, "Shall the Inde- pendent District of Independence. Iowa, borrow the sum of $20,000 for the pur- pose of building an addition, and taking such an active interest in the better facil- ities of the schools, to the high school building?" This proposition carried by a vote of 443 for and 394 against-of which total (837 votes) the women cast 322 ballots-189 for and 133 against-the men east 515 votes-254 for and 261 against-which figures prove that the women's vote carried the proposition. Then the citizens. taking this matter under more mature deliberation, were not satis- fied with this proposition and largely through the instrumentality of Mr. R. E. Leach, a petition signed by 170 residents and voters was presented to the board
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as follows: "Shall the Independent District of Independence instead of borrow- ing the sum of $20,000 for the purpose of building an addition to the high school building, borrow and bond the district for the sum of $43,000 for the purpose of purchasing a site for and erreting a new high school building, more centrally located than the present one, and further request that in case our petition be granted the polls for election be kept open from 1 P. M. to 7 P. M .? "
The second election was called for June 22, 1903, and the proposition to rescind the former action of the election and build a new high school submitted to the voters was substantially the same as the petition. A great deal of opposi- tion to this proposition was entertained, and Messrs. Lake and Bemis, on their own initiative, got out a ballot with the proposition of the school board divided into two separate questions. The first to rescind the proposition to borrow $20,000 to build an addition to the high school, and the second to bond the district for $43,000 to build a new high school. These ballots were lavishly distributed to the voters and great excitement and intense feeling was manifest in this election. The women turned out en masse and were even more interested and did more real electioneering than the men. Needless to say an exceptionally large vote was east, as follows: Total vote 959, of which 563 were east by men, 396 by women. Men voted 209 yes and 90 no. Women voted 185 yes and 76 no, and there were 398 Lake and Bemis ballots cast, of which 382 had both yes and no written thereon, and sixteen had a variety of answers.
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