USA > Iowa > Decatur County > History of Decatur County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 8
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FORTY-EIGHTH IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Mustered July 13, 1864. 100 Days' Service. Company C
Summers, James H., captain. Burrows, James, first lieutenant. Barnes, William H., second lieutenant.
Adair, Jeptha. Adkins, Lewis P. Aikey, Peter. Alexander, Curtis L. Allmon, William H. Arnold, Henry L. Baker, Wesley C. Barnes, Benjamin O., died October 4, 1864, at Rock Island, Ill. Barnes, William H. Bell, Jasper N. Bennett, Hiram. Bover, Leander. Brown, William. Bullard, Albert D. Bunce, George W. Bunton, Albert. Chambers, Austin. Chambers, John W. Chew, Samuel F. Clark, Levi. Day, Daniel R. Dilsaver, Albert. Doug- lass, William H. Downey, Robert T. Endecott, Jacob. Enlow, Benjamin A. Enlow, John D. Fierce, William E. Fletcher, John H. Foreman, Arriley. Gates, Rufus A. Gay, Hiram. Hamilton, Peter J. Hamm, Robert B. Harrison, Benjamin F. Hitchcock, Horace A. Humphries, James. Hutton, Charles A. Kenion, James. Matthews. James. Miller, Francis B. Moore, William. Morris, Nathan. Moss. James. Nigh, George W. Ownby, William H. Oxford, Lilbern H. Oxford, William R. Page, Reuben.
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
Piburn, Thomas B. Power, Andrew. Rector, Jesse. Renfro, John. Robertson, James. Rogers, Edward. Rogers, John. Schaffer, Rob- ert C. Schoonover, Nathan. Seymour, John A. Strong, Solomon P. Summers, James H. Thogmartin, Robert. Thompson, Luther. VanCleve, John. Vanderpool, James. Warnock, William S. Whit- tecar. Jasper N. Whittecar, Wesley A. Williams, James. Wil- liams, John W. Wilson, John.
DECATUR COUNTY SOLDIERS IN TROOPS OF OTHER STATES
Company A, Thirty-seventh Illinois
Gray, William S.
Company D, Fiftieth Illinois
Waller, Alexander.
Company K, Tenth Kansas Volunteer Infantry
Bonowgus, William D. Clibbun, George. Hatfield, Andrew. Keseeker, Andrew. McCoy, Charles B. May, John E. Miller, Franklin. Mory, George W. Pope, Cyrus W. Pope, Virgil. Scott, Allen. Scott. John R. Scott, Peter. Smith, James A. Watson, Greenville. Watson, Thomas. White, James W.
Company A, Thirty-fifth Missouri Infantry Benton, Clark L.
Company E
French, Robert. Gordon, James L. Guire, Jacob, deserter. Miller, Bryson J., deserter. Miller, John R. Miller, Nathan, de- serter. Miller, Reuben. Osborn, Samuel W. Plaintiff, George W. Smith, William S. Vincent, Joseph. Wyon, David. Wyon, Fred- erick. Wyon, Henry.
Company D, Forty-fourth Missouri Infantry
Zimmerman, Jacob.
Missouri State Militia
Company D, Seeond Cavalry: Hukill, John H. Company H, Fifth Cavalry: Cogsdel. Stephen.
Company G. Sixth Cavalry: Banks, Henis; Simpson, Gilliard; Simpson, James; Vanvallinburg, James.
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
Seventh Cavalry
Company I Corrigan, James. Likes, Samuel J. Orr, William H.
Company K
Clark, Isaac N. Collyer, Thomas. Combs, Washington F. Con- quest, John. Crookshank, Peter. Deck, Isaac. Gardner, Baylis D. Gardner, John L. Gardner, Joshua A. Gilbert, Samuel R. Gray, John R. Gray, John W. S. Hall, John W. Hall, Samuel L. Hatfield, Andrews. Hatfield, James. Hatfield, John M. Hat- field, Riley. Hines, Alexander. Horn, Elisha. Johnson, Farmer A. Kelly, George B. Kelly, Robert. Kemp, John M. Kemp, Phillip. Kentch, Lewis F. Kirk, Josiah. Leech, John C. Long, William L. McDonald, Barnett. McDowell, Samuel. McKern, Thomas H. Nixson, Thomas. Oney, Joseph A. Oney, Marion. Oney, Thomas B. Payne, William T. Piercy, James T. Piercy, John H. Pitman, Ed K. Pitman, John H. Price, Harrison H. Smith, Benjamin F. Spellman, Hiram. Stanley, Calvin. Still, Hiram. Still. Jesse. Tash, William R. Waldrip, Byron F. Wescoat, Cyrus K. Wheeler, William F. Wickoff, N. S. Wicuff, John T. Wilson, William D. Wisdom, Francis F.
SOUTHERN BORDER BRIGADE (IOWA) Third Battalion Company A
Summers, James H., captain. Bridges, C. G., lieutenant. Alfrey, J. P. Alfrey, J. W. Allen, Jacob. Arnold, Alonzo. Arnold, Daniel J. Ayers, Alfred. Barickman, C. J. Beck, T. L. Blades, W. J. Bomer, William. Boyd, Henry. Boyd, John. Branscom, Henry. Bridges, C. G. Brown, James. Brown, Volney. Campbell, J. W. Campbell, Robert. Carlton, S. O. Chance, John. Chew, S. F. Cleaver, J. P. Cook, Henderson. Cook, Wilkinson. Covington, Smith C. Craft, John. Day, G. S. Dilley, James V. Dreese, Reuben. Fierce, E. W. Foland, Michael. Gardner, J. A. Gatlin, Cornelius. Gibson, Jasper. Gibson, William B. Gordon, J. M. Harnor, John S. Hazen, Joseph S. Higby, Hiram. Hisey, James. Hisey, John. Hoover, George. Houston. Robert L. Hou- derscheldt, Wesley. Jackson, Jesse L. Kingen, James. Kromer, O.
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
W. Kumley, Lewis. Lane, George. Lee, Clarence. Lennox, Rich- ard. Loyd, Jesse. McCroskey, Samuel. McGuire, Michael. Mc-
Kee, Clark. McKee, William L. MeMurtney, Mans- field, R. G. Mercer, James A. Millsaps, Robert. Millsaps, Samuel A. Notson, R. P. S. Page, Samuel. Parmer, Samuel. Paschal, William. Pierce, Ess. Robbins, William S. Roberts, Jesse. Roop, Wilkinson. Rowell, Columbus B. Rumley, William. Scott, John. Sheets, Christian. Smith, Robert. Snavely, Abraham Y. Snook, William. Stanley, John. Stanley, Benjamin. Stanley, Matchet. Stanley, O. L. Stephenson, Craig. Strong, John D. Strong, Lineus. Strong, Solomon. Summers, James H. Lapscott, John K. Thompson, F. M. Turpon, Brison. Utterback, Willis. Vandever, Edward. Vaughn, Hiram S. Vaughn, J. D. Vaughn, J. S. Wal- dron, Enoch. Walters, Madison. Welmon, James H. West, Wil- liam. Whitecar, Diamond. Whitecar, G. W. Whitecar, Josiah. Whitecar, William. Whittecar, James. Whittecar, Wesley. Wian, Jacob. Wian, John. Williams, J. T. Williams, J. W. Williams, Walker. Witter, David F. Witter, William L. Woodard, E. P. Wurtenbee, John. Zin, Abraham.
CHAPTER VIII
PROGRESS OF EDUCATION IN DECATUR COUNTY
The prosperity, the progress, the spirit and the character of a county is largely measured by the condition of its schools. The intel- lectual qualities of the people, their culture and regard of life may also be summed up by this means. Decatur County began her life under the usual hardships, privations and sacrifices and her first schools were consequently crude and inefficient, but through the years of upbuilding in other lines, the county has perfected a com- mendable school system, one that will possibly bear more improve- ment, such as school consolidation, but nevertheless one which deserves credit. Competent teachers are employed and the schools, so far as possible, are equipped as the modern school should be. Every pupil has the opportunity to receive a splendid education in Decatur County and has entrance to just as many courses and as great a variety of subjects as can be had in any county in the state.
The government has, almost without exception, been in the hands of capable educators. The money of the county has been extended freely upon request for the betterment of the schools, and it is safe to predict that within the next decade the advance will be even greater than it has been in the last decade.
The following paragraphs deal largely with the early history of the schools in the county and many of them are written by men and women who attended the classes in the log houses and who firmly be- lieve that they acquired as good or better education than the pupils who sit in steam-heated, ventilated rooms, with the maximum of light.
EARLY LEON SCHOOL DAYS
A former Decatur County woman wrote the following of her girl- hood days in the schools of Leon:
"In a room upstairs on Main Street possibly, the old, old court room, Howard Shackleford and I stood beside Miss Jones' knee and
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
learned our A B C's. To me she seemed queenly as she was tall, stately and grand.
"My next remembrance is of attending school in the old Meth- odist Church ere it was finished inside, being seated with rough boards. There were three teachers, I. P. Martin, Sarah Kirkpatrick and Elizabeth Simmons, of Garden Grove, each reigning over a corner of the room, a most trying time for both teachers and pupils. Two incidents were vividly impressed on my mind, one being when Mr. A. Gillham's large yellow dog was loosed one morning and came to the church, causing us children to scamper into the room with fear and trembling. Miss Simmons thought to teach us a lesson in kindness to animals and put out her lily white hand to pat the dog, saying, as she did so, 'O, the poor dog won't hurt you,' whereupon he snapped her hand, biting it quite severely. With tears and sobs she informed us that she had a friend (?) in Garden Grove who would avenge her in- jury. The other was how chagrined we were when Mr. Martin had several of us distributed around the platform to learn the eights in multiplication, and County Superintendent Wainwright came to visit the school.
"Afterwards came L. M. Hastings, who remained with us more than three years, moving with us to the first brick school building on the site of the present north building. It contained four rooms, halls, bell, home-made seats, desks and recitation seats, and a good long blackboard. For the first time we began to call the teacher 'Pro- fessor,' and he could not have been happier had he owned the whole building, as he sang, 'There's Music in the Air' with far more fervor than usual, and bade us 'goodby' and 'good morning or afternoon' every time he left the room or entered for several days. A few of us, Myra Gardner, Hila Fishburn, Emma Dawson and, I believe, Lily Berger were not eligible to the high room, but he graciously took us, saying that he had us started his way of teaching and wanted to keep us. The thorough mental arithmetic drill he gave us has ever been beneficial to me, although our parents thought him severe because we 'talked it in our sleep.'
"Politics raged high in school during the Civil war and fights, of words and fists, with an occasional hair-pulling, were not uncommon. 'Rebel,' 'Secesh,' 'Copperhead,' 'Abolitionist' and 'A nigger is as good as you are,' were epithets hurled back and forth. The ardor of the republican girls was dampened by the other girls saying, 'You are glad to get a democrat for a beau,' as there were more boys of that party than the other.
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
"Soon came A. J. Abbott, a nice man, and Professor Newcomb, who was awfully in love, spending most of his time walking the floor, planning how he could get to Humeston and back from Friday even- ing until Monday morning. Mr. Tip Dilsaver, that prince of good fellows, taught us to sing 'The Poor Swiss Girl of Lucerne,' and seated the boys and girls together. Cal Hoffman was my seatmate and I remember how shy he was, clad in brown overalls and occupying the few inches on the farthest end of the seat from me.
"The school was graded about the year 1867, beginning in the fall of 1868 to have a three-year high school course of nine months each. How eager we were to finish that course. Comparing it now with the course pursued in small towns of today I find the latter only excel it in more difficult texts and the addition of Latin and German.
"A. F. Woodruff was about two days smarter than the rest of the class and was proud, timid and wreaked under criticism. He was standing at the blackboard one morning, arm extended from the shoul- der, drawing a perfect circle, a feat we all envied, and as usual I was making merry with a group in the rear of the room, but he thought that I was making fun of his lavender pants, which were shrunken from much washing. So, with darkened visage, knitted brow and gritted teeth, he dashed off the following and passed it to me:
" 'In Pluto's dark domain below Where some are forced to go They wear petticoats and switches; But while on earth's domain we dwell, Some must be content as well, To wear short breeches.'
"Being so verdant as not to know whether 'pegged topped' or 'tight,' long or short trousers were the latest, I had to seek an inter- preter. Again, though not provoked to it, he wrote:
" 'Of all the men who wisely wrote, Be he saint or cuss, The one who wrote most strangely, Was this Anonymous.'
"Besides several longer poems, 'The Rabbi's Daughter,' and 'My Former Lover.'
"One of the text-books pursued was one, Moral Science, contain- ing a chapter on marriage laws. Belle Thompson was reciting and ventured the suggestion that people should marry on six months' pro-
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
bation, and if contracting parties were not congenial said contract to be null and void. A suppressed giggle passed through the audience and she was excused from further recitation.
"T. W. Silvers was fluent and logical, mapping out a career, fol- lowing it closely and, of course, attaining success.
"S. A. Gates, always amiable, had little use for monosyllables in his vocabulary. He did not 'fall' out of the hay mow, but 'was pre- cipitated.' Belle Bobbitt used that for 'a saying' until Josephine Kel- logg, when secretary of the institute, wrote:
" "The multiplicity of matters to be attended to at the beginning of the term precluded the possibility of a carefully prepared literary program.'
"I frequently contrast the commencements then and now. Now we have showers and flowers and bowers, decorations, ovations and collations; but we marched in two by two, Woodruff, with his bor- rowed clothes, which we knew not of until his days of prosperity; Gates, with his whiskers; Silvers, with his boyish appearance, and I, with my white dimity dress trimmed in a yard of val lace, and deliv- ered our essays and orations, replete with figures of speech and flights of oratory, we thought. We had neither flowers, motto nor decora- tions. The subjects were heavy enough, mine being 'Lights and Shadows of Life.' It makes me want to shrink out of existence to think of it. I opine I might do better on both the lights and shadows but on the mystery of life not any."
ANOTHER SCHOOL REMINISCENCE
The following paragraphs are written by another woman, whose memories of the early schools include the years from 1856 to 1877:
"The first school ever held in Leon was in the courthouse and the teacher, George T. Young, forever endeared himself to all parents, by saving the lives of his pupils at the risk of his own in a cyclone that blew the building down behind him as he carried out the last two tots. This was in June or July, 1855.
"When a wee girl I went to school with my big brother Lemuel, to J. C. Porter (a better preacher than teacher). in the first school- house Leon ever owned, a little frame building out in the east part of town, where long recesses, carrying and passing the water, singing the states and capitals and the multiplication tables were the main attractions. On Friday afternoon the speakin' was great. John S.
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
Gardner 'Timber'-Aunt Ann's, Al (there was a 'Prairie' Aunt Ann's, Al also) and Hattie Raiff were the prize speakers, and when Al Gardner started out once a month on 'Rienzi's Address to the Romans' we sat with bated breath until he resonantly closed the declamation. Lou Weldon taught us little girls to knit at recess. John Bowman gave us riddles to guess. Later another preacher, George Adams, taught school over a store, being succeeded in turn by Samuel Sears, Carr Porter, Sarah Patterson, Mr. Judd, Emily Higbee and others. The new Methodist Episcopal Church was used by Professor Lewis, J. C. Porter and later by that fiery tempered, but best educator Leon ever had up to that time, L. M. Hastings, a man who was a genera- tion ahead of his day, who really sowed ambition's earnest seed in student minds and gave the new schools a new impetus.
"The boys of those old school days were Jack and Reuben Wel- don, Bob and Billy Boone, Bill Kirkpatrick and several others that I do not recall at present. My school attendance closed here for Mr. Hastings being county superintendent, as well as teacher, issucd to four conceited pert little girls of fifteen to seventeen years, a teacher's certificate each, as special rewards of merit for greatest scholastic attainments in briefest time. They were Ella Adams, Martha Jor- dan, Fannie Raiff and the writer. At once we secured schools and launched into careers poorly prepared, but bravely determined.
"How well I remember that sketch of Henry Lunbeck's on the blackboard of the old north end brick, where Mary Miles, Emma Dawson, Mary Hutchinson and yours truly assisted Aaron Frazier in his school work. The three Belles (Bobbitt, Thompson and Burns) made his life something wretched to carry, and he in turn took it out of his under teachers. My school days in 1861 to 1865 are eventful ones. When Ann Wharton and Martha Jordan tore a Lincoln and Hamlin button off my dress, political excitement, even among the children was high; I got Mary Knapp and we promptly relieved those two girls of Douglas badges. The war was carried further next day by the democrat girls annexing to their ranks, Mary and Edith Pat- terson, Sarah Kirkpatrick and Nancy Sales; on our side we had Hat- tie Raiff, Nancy Freeman, Minerva Bobbitt and all our little sis- ters. While the war waged it was earnest. When we went home for repairs most of us had a threshing thrown in, though our parents all were in secret sympathy with the children's way of settling matters of national importance while our big brothers were 'in the war.'" Vol. 1- 6
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
DECATUR SCHOOLS
The following article on the schools of the county was prepared in the schools of Leon by a pupil and contains an interesting and instructive story of the progress of education in this locality.
The first school in Leon, Ia., was conducted in 1854 by H. V. Waignright in a log schoolhouse located on Gospel Ridge and East Leon. He taught one term and was succeeded by Satah Patterson Bashaw, who conducted a school in the same schoolhouse for two terms.
When the time for the next term of school came the old log school- house was too small to accommodate the number of pupils, so that the lower floor of a two-story building, used as a courthouse, and standing where the Varga residence now is, was pressed into service and George T. Young hired as teacher. While Mr. Young was teach- ing in the year 1857 a storm occurred which blew down the building, from which, fortunately, all escaped with their lives.
The courthouse having been blown down, a couple of buildings, one back of where the Kraft, Grimes & Co.'s clothing store now stands and the other across the street east of the present town square, were used for school purposes. About 1864 school was held in the old Methodist Church, which stood where the Carnegie Library is now located.
J. C. Porter, Sarah Kirkpatrick, Professor Hastings, C. S. Porter and Mr. Caldwell were some of the teachers between 1860 and 1868, when the first building was constructed for school purposes. This building, which stood on the site now occupied by the North school building and premises, was a four-roomed brick building. The first teacher in the new building was Aaron Frazier, who initiated a course of study requiring twelve years to complete. Under him the first graduating exercises ever held in Leon were given in 1871 by the class composed of A. F. Woodruff, Matilda Jordan, S. A. Gates, T. W. Silvers.
Professor Frazier taught until 1876, when a second brick building of eight rooms was erected on the present site at a cost of $11,000, the first brick building being retained for several years as a janitor's residence.
In the '80s Profs. A. B. Cornell, B. F. Miller, and S. M. Mowatt, who had charge of the school for seven years. Next came Professors Lyon and V. R. McGinnis, who served for two years each, followed by Samuel L. Darrah, who was principal of the school for
CARNEGIE LIBRARY, LEON
-
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, LEON
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
four years. During this time, in the summer of 1895, the present South school building was erected, S. H. Lorey being the contractor.
Professors Drake, Pierce, Volker and Gass followed. During the year 1903 the building which was erected in 1876 was torn down and a new one built in its place, which, with the addition annexed in 1913, forms the present modern and commodious North school building.
There is now the normal training course, with domestic science, a corp of nineteen teachers and an enrollment in 1913 of 610 scholars.
The first school in Decatur County was taught in Garden Grove in the year 1849 by Mrs. Enos Davis, a relative of Susan B. Anthony, school being conducted in her home, as there was no building. Her house was known as the Old California House and so named by gold seekers on their way to California.
About 1853 a frame school building was erected and Reverend Carey, a Methodist preacher, was hired to teach in the new building, but it burned on the first day of school. In 1856 a brick school build- ing was erected of octagon shape, which was the best in Southern Iowa, and Professor Hastings hired to teach the first class. In 1864 the school began rising in prominence under the supervision of R. A. Harkness, of Delaware County, N. Y. During the sixteen years that he taught the school was called the Athens of Iowa. Since then the octagonal brick has been torn down and a frame building erected, which lasted for several years, but it was recently razed and the pres- ent handsome structure erected.
The school at the present time, with its normal, domestic science and manual training, is considered one of the best in the county. They have an enrollment of about two hundred and fifty students and employ about ten school teachers.
In the year 1879, when the Humeston, Shenandoah Railroad was extended westward, the little Village of Weldon sprang up and grew with great rapidity. In the fall of 1880 Emma De Selm taught a subscription school in the I. O. O. F. Hall. The next spring the chil- dren were sent to a country school located one mile south of town. That fall William Morren was hired to teach in town, the expenses of this school being paid from the township school funds. October 1, 1882, the town was set off as an independent school district and W. C. Whitmarsh employed to teach the school, which was conducted on the second floor of the town hall. The members of the first school board were Geo. E. Mitchell, S. M. Prowell and L. T. Greenlee. Dr. Enos Mitchell was hired to teach the school during the months of May and
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
June, 1883, at a salary of $25 per month. He was often obliged to leave the school in charge of one of the older pupils while he attended his practice.
The next fall Mrs. M. A. Critchfield took charge of the school. She had an enrollment of about seventy pupils. The next year she hired Miss Millie Grimes to assist her for a few months. In 1885 the first schoolhouse was erected at a cost of $2,000, grounds included. Joseph Coffee was the contractor.
The first year in the new building Mrs. Critchfield was assisted in the primary department by Miss Nora Brown.
In 1886-87, J. H. Jamison, now known as ex-Senator Jamison, was principal, preceding I. S. Condit, now professor of mathematics in the Iowa State Teachers' College. Next came A. A. Roy, who took the first steps in arranging a graded system. Next came J. C. Wingett, Charles Fisher, and J. W. Cozad, who held the first gradu- ating exercises in the spring of 1893. The members of this class were Maitland Maxwell, Joe Lane, Frank Durnal, Jessie Marshall, Anna Kline and Ella Tallman.
The school having outgrown the building the grades were continued in the building while the high school was moved to the opera house until the new building was completed early in the year 1895. Since then an addition has been added to the building, now valued at $6,000. The school has continued to grow. They now have five teachers be- sides the music teacher, and last year's report gave an enrollment of 130 pupils. Among the later principals were A. N. Smith, J. A. McIntosh, J. M. Howell and H. J. O'Neil.
When sub-district No. 5 of Richland Township was made an independent district in 1874, a school building was erected in the Town of Grand River, Ia. Here Nora Gassett-Eiker, Ellen Gan- mon-Long and Hannah Hutchinson were employed as teachers for the first terms in this building. By 1886 this building became inade- qnate and a new building 28 by 40 was erected and a short distance from the first one, and for a time school was carried on in both build- ings. Afterwards both buildings were sold; one is now used for a residence and the other for a church. Chas. Matsler and Bert Emer- son were among the first teachers. Following Emerson came V. R. MeGinnis.
In 1890 John Waterman made the first attempt toward a graded school. He formulated a course of study from which there was prac- tically no change from 1890 to 1896. He held the first graduating exercises in the year 1895, the class being composed of Frank Bone,
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
Robert Snyder, John Burkhart, Nora Boyd, Nora Overholtzer and Nellie Brennaman.
In 1897 the present school building was erected. It consists of four rooms, including the recitation room and library. Four teachers are employed to teach the eleven grades.
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