USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72
The early records show that Newton was within what was styled dis- trict No. 3. of Newton township, from 1858 on to the spring of 1863. when it was placed within an independent district. The records show the first officers to be. in this independent district. J. B. Hough, president : Josiah Wright, vice-president: William R. Skiff, treasurer; Jesse Rickman, secre- tary ; Milton Anderson, director.
The first teachers employed were Baxter George, Mrs. Margaret Carss. Mrs. Emily McCord and Rebecca Donnal.
The board resolved that "the teachers and each and every one of the larger scholars be required to sweep the school house by turns," and that the teachers should have pay only for actual time employed.
May 25, 1864, the board contracted with Hugh Rogers for the erection of two school houses, for one thousand four hundred and eighty dollars, twenty-five by thirty feet, one located in Edmundson's addition to Newton. and also one in Pardoe's addition.
In the spring of 1865 a new roof was placed on the brick school house, at the cost of five hundred dollars.
In the summer of 1867 the West End school house was built by Con- nelly & Eastman, for seven hundred and eighty dollars, and the same season a building was erected in the east part of town, by C. L. Connelly, costing the district eight hundred and seventy-eight dollars.
August 10. 1868, a vote was taken on the question of issuing bonds for the purpose of extending the school accommodations of Newton, which election resulted in five majority against the proposition. On the 25th of
122
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
the same month, however, another vote was taken and resulted in favor of the pending proposition, the vote standing one hundred forty-two to one hundred one.
In March, 1870, a ten-mill tax was voted by the people for the con- struction of buildings to be centrally located. In May, 1871, the old school house site, north of the public square, was selected after a close contest. The building (still in use) was erected in 1871. It is three stories high and sixty by eighty feet in size. A high tower encloses the bell. The material is Milwaukee brick. The five thousand dollars which it cost was raised by floating bonds. The redemption fund commenced in 1872, with an eight mill tax. In 1873 four thousand five hundred dollars was levied; in 1874, 1875 and 1876, ten mills each year was levied. In 1878 the building was filled to its entire capacity and the patrons of the schools were again com- mencing to wonder what would be the next school house plans for Newton. In its day, this school house was among the best in Iowa, was well con- structed and is still doing excellent service.
What is known as the West school, it being on West Main street, was erected in 1897, at a cost of ten thousand dollars, including all connected therewith. It is a two-story brick structure of modern architecture.
The next building required was the one in the northeast part of the city, erected in 1901, at a cost of nine thousand eight hundred and seven-five dollars, including furniture.
The pride of the city, however, is the high school building, erected in 1907, just west from Central school building. This beautiful large struc- ture cost the district the sum of seventy-two thousand dollars, all furnished. It is built on the most modern and approved plans for school buildings, even to the items of sanitary drinking fountains.
THE SCHOOL GRADED.
In 1863 Albert Lufkin, Milton Anderson and Josiah Wright were ap- pointed to grade the Newton schools. The following year there were four teachers employed at salaries ranging from twenty-five dollars to forty dol- lars per month. Darius Thomas was "principal teacher" and he held the position to 1864, the end of that school year. E. H. Fenton was employed at twenty-five dollars per month and four other teachers were employed.
In 1865 W. H. Shaw was employed as "principal teacher" at fifty dol- lars per month. During all of these years of national struggle not a word is to be seen in the records about the great Civil war, then in progress, yet no
123
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
one can doubt that Newton was filled with a true and loyal spirit of patriot- ism, from the number of men she sent to the fighting front at the South.
In 1866 the teachers were L. B. Westbrook, Mary Hickey, Emily Fen- ton, Cynthia Lindley, Lavinia Rickman and Lydia S. Clark. The salaries run from forty dollars down to as low as twenty-five.
In 1867 the principal was J. A. Clippinger, who was paid sixty dollars per month for his services. Admission to the highest department of the schools was based on ability "to advance beyond fractions." The man at the head of the schools was not permitted to use his own judgment, but must needs consult the directors about any changes in school affairs.
From 1869 on, the record shows that nine months' school was counted as a "school year." E. S. Everly was elected as principal, but, refusing to teach for less than seventy-five dollars a month, the board re-elected Mr. Clippinger and he was assisted by five other instructors.
In 1868 among the teachers mentioned in the records was Mr. Martin, who received the largest salary.
In 1870 nine teachers were employed, G. M. Doud receiving sixty dol- lars per month. W. G. Work remained superintendent.
In 1871 O. M. Schee was superintendent, at one hundred dollars per month, an innovation in wages. W. W. Wallace was hired to teach music at fifty dollars per month. Nine other instructors were engaged at that time.
In 1872 Albert Loughridge was superintendent at a salary of one thousand dollars per year. He had ten assistants.
In 1873 and on to 1876, William Hog was the superintendent. In November, 1874, a new course of study was adopted and the first class graduated in March, 1875, and was as follows: Emerson Hough, Bertha Fehleisen and George Fehleisen.
From 1880 to 1883 R. G. Young was employed. In this connection it should be said that in 1882 a high school course was first adopted that met with the general approval of educators in this section of Iowa, generally, and was looked upon as advanced ground in the matter of better educational facilities. Again in 1887 another change was effected in grading the high school of Newton.
Prof. E. J. H. Beard, the present capable instructor, was employed at Newton in 1892, as the superintendent of the public schools. Since then three school houses have been erected. When he commenced his work here he had fourteen assistants and now the work has advanced to that degree that more than twenty are required to do the work of instruction. Within the
124
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
past ten years the colleges of the land have increased their requirements, by the addition of several branches, but the fact that up to 1903 no pupil had graduated who was not prepared to enter the freshman classes of accredited colleges speaks much for the work of the Newton school.
Seventeen classes, numbering in all one hundred and eighty-six pupil's, graduated during the employment of other superintendents, while under Professor Beard's administration nineteen classes have graduated, and these have a total of four hundred and twenty-eight pupils.
In February, 1910, Professor Beard, superintendent of the city schools, said :
"It is frequently said that the studies of the high school courses lead boys to choose professional careers and do not promote the choice of pro- ductive industries or ordinary business pursuits. In the past seventeen years one hundred and thirty-five boys have graduated from the Newton high school. So far as I am able to ascertain the following occupations and the number of students in each is here indicated :
Lawyers or students of law 4
Proprietors or partners in mercantile business. 7
Clerks in various establishments. 8
Farmers 18, students of agriculture so far as known 7. 25
In banks 4
Grain dealer
I
Railroading I
Architects
3
Agents for manufacturing and mercantile houses.
6
Electrical engineers or student of electrical engineering . 8
Civil engineers or students of civil engineering 7 4
Professors of colleges
Veterinary students
3
Real estate dealer
I
Justice of the peace
I
Editor or printer
2
Evangelist
I
Dentists
4 5
Dead
Lumberman I
Doctors or medical students 3
Professor of music I
125
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
In factories as proprietor or workmen 15 In college, courses not known. I4
Students concerning whom I have no data 4
I35
"It will be seen from the foregoing that the frequently repeated asser- tion that the modern high school courses prepare students for the so-called 'learned professions' only, is not true and has not been true so far as the Newton high school history for the past seventeen years goes."
JASPER COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 1870-76.
From Superintendent S. J. Moyer's report in 1870, we extract the fol- lowing: "The state of Iowa boasts of her neat school houses, that dot her beautiful prairies, and Jasper county has a respectable share of these to claim as her own. Within the past two years it has been the desire of all unimproved to accommodate themselves with accessible and convenient school houses, and by an examination of the tax abstract for the coming year we are assured the desire increases and ripens into execution as Jasper county enters upon the new year with an increased school house tax. The statistics show that during the last year ( 1869-70) there have been erected twenty-eight new school houses."
The official reports for 1877 show that the county then contained 17 district townships: 28 independent districts; 145 sub-districts ; ungraded schools. 165: graded schools, 8; school year, seven months and one week, average : number of male teachers, 123: number of female teachers, 244; average male wages, $35.95; female. $29.64; total enrollment, 8.198: aver- age attendance, 4,598; average cost of tuition, per scholar, $1.61 : number of frame school houses. 170: brick school houses. 4: log school houses, none. The value of all school houses in the county, at that date, was $170,405. Cash on hand in school house fund, $6,380; contingent fund, $6.541 ; teacher's fund, $20.446.
A MODEL SCHOOL IIOUSE.
Be it said to the credit of the patrons of the Monroe public schools that in 1870 the following was truthfully recorded by the county superin- tendent of schools of this county :
126
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
"Those who contemplate building for graded schools and independent districts are respectfully invited to examine the new and beautiful school building lately erected in Monroe, which is far superior to any other in the county in its design and structure and reflects much credit upon the city, the citizens and board that controlled its erection, and upon the community around."
JASPER COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 1910.
According to the official report made by the school superintendent in 1910, the following was the statistical condition of the public schools in this county :
SCHOOL TOWNSHIPS.
Buena Vista township, number of pupils enrolled, 246; male teachers, one ; female teachers, thirteen ; number of sub-districts, nine.
Des Moines township, number enrolled. 180; male teachers, two; fe- male teachers, sixteen : number of sub-districts, eleven.
Hickory Grove township, number enrolled, 119: male teachers, one; female teachers, thirteen; number sub-districts, nine.
Independence township, pupils enrolled. 185: male teachers, one; fe- inale teachers, twelve ; number of sub-districts, nine.
Kellogg township, pupils enrolled, 154: male teachers, one: female teachers, fifteen ; number of sub-districts, eight.
Lynn Grove township, pupils enrolled, 207: female teachers, twenty- two: number sub-districts, twelve.
Malaka township, pupils enrolled, 140: female teachers, fifteen; num- ber of sub-districts, nine.
Mariposa township, pupils enrolled, 172; female teachers, seventeen ; number of sub-districts, nine.
Mound Prairie township, pupils enrolled, 249; male teachers, two; fe- male teachers, fourteen : number of sub-districts, nine.
Newton township, pupils enrolled, 136: female teachers, ten; number of sub-districts, nine.
Palo Alto township, pupils enrolled. 209: female teachers, fifteen; num- ber of sub-districts, eleven.
Poweshiek township, pupils enrolled. 244: female teachers, eighteen ; number of sub-districts, eight.
Richland township, pupils enrolled, 188; male teachers, one; female teachers, sixteen : number of sub-districts, nine.
127
JASPER COUNTY, IOW.1.
Rock Creek township, pupils enrolled, 204: male teachers, five; female teachers, fourteen ; number of sub-districts, eight.
Sherman township, pupils enrolled, 117; female teachers, fourteen; number sub-districts, nine.
Washington township, pupils enrolled, 131; female teachers, eleven; number sub-districts, nine.
INDEPENDENT VILLAGE, TOWN AND CITY CORPORATIONS.
Baxter had five rooms of graded school: one male and fourteen female teachers ; enrollment of 140.
Colfax had fourteen rooms of graded school; one male and fourteen female teachers, with an enrollment of 706.
Galesburg had two rooms graded; one male and three female teachers, and an enrollment of 49 pupils.
Greencastle had two graded rooms; two female teachers, and an en- rollment of 59 pupils.
Kellogg had five graded rooms; one male and four female teachers, with an enrollment of 156 pupils.
Monroe had seven graded rooms ; one male and four female teachers. with an enrollment of 226 pupils.
Newton had twenty-eight graded rooms; two male and twenty-six fe- male teachers, with an enrollment of 1,056 pupils.
Prairie City had six graded rooms ; one male and seven female teachers, with an enrollment of 233 pupils.
Reasoner had two graded rooms, two female teachers and an enroll- ment of thirty-five pupils.
Sully had two graded rooms ; one male and one female teacher, with an enrollment of 98 pupils.
Vandalia had two rural schools; three female teachers, and an enroll- ment of 49 pupils.
RURAL INDEPENDENT CORPORATIONS.
No. I, one male and two female teachers, with an enrollment of 36.
No. 2, Harsh, two female teachers, and 44 enrollment.
No. 3. two female teachers and an enrollment of 19 pupils.
No. 4. one female teacher and an enrollment of 15 pupils.
No. 5. Ashton, three female teachers ; 21 pupils enrolled.
128
JASPER COUNTY, IOW.1.
No. 6, Oak Grove, three female teachers, and an enrollment of 21 pupils.
No. 7, Valley, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 26 pupils.
No. 8, Indian Creek, three female teachers ; 23 pupils enrolled.
No. 9, Green Valley, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 28 pupils. Andreas. two female teachers, and an enrollment of 15 pupils.
Brown, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 18 pupils. Dairy Grove, two female teachers, and an enrollment of 17 pupils.
Mckinney, one female teacher and eighteen pupils enrolled.
Pleasant View, two females as teachers, and an enrollment of 13 pupils.
Richland, one male and two female teachers ; number pupils enrolled. 14.
Rose Hill, one female teacher : number pupils enrolled, 26.
Sand Point, one female teacher : 18 pupils enrolled.
Bellevue, two female teachers : 20 pupils enrolled.
Capitol Prairie, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 15 pupils.
Cottage Grove, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 35 pupils. Enterprise. one female teacher, and 16 pupils enrolled.
Excelsior, one female teacher, and 16 pupils enrolled.
Fair View, one female teacher, and 16 pupils enrolled.
McCosky, two female teachers, and an enrollment of 16 pupils.
Oak Grove, two female teachers, and an enrollment of 28 pupils.
Pleasant Hill had no school in 1910.
Sunny Point, one female teacher, and 17 pupils enrolled.
Union, one female teacher, and an enrollment of 26 pupils.
Warren Grove, two female teachers, and 17 pupils enrolled.
The average tuition cost of pupils per month in 1910 was $2.55.
OTHER FIGURES.
As seen by the county school superintendent's report to the state. bear- ing the date of June 30. 1910. the following was the standing of schools in the county at that time :
Average number of months taught. 812; rural independent districts, 29; independent city, town and village incorporations in the county, II; school townships, 16; sub-districts, 147: teachers employed-males, 28; fe- males, 348; average compensation per month. for male teachers, $69.13 ; . for females, $43.60; total enrollment in the county, 6,411 : total average attendance, 4.490; average tuition per month. $2.55: number of school houses, 191 : value of school houses, $336.740; value of all apparatus.
129
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
$11, 105 ; number of volumes in all school libraries, 9,230; rooms in which the effects of stimulants and narcotics are taught, 244.
On June 30. 1910, there was on hand in the school fund of Jasper county, the sum of $61,829. The school-house fund had on hand at the date just named, $8,845. On the same date there were bonds and interest- bearing warrants outstanding in the county, $53.181.
TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.
Hardin county had the first teachers' institute in Iowa, under the law which was created in the winter of 1857-8. Jasper was not far behind, for the record shows that on November 1. 1858, an institute was commenced at Newton, lasting for six days. Reduced hotel rates were arranged for at the Phelps House, City Hotel and old Ohio House. Teachers were expected to bring with them a McGuffey's fourth reader, a geography and atlas, an arithmetic and grammar.
The second institute was held in September, 1859. and organized by Albert Lufkin, president; A. W. Drew, vice-president; A. L. Swallow, secretary. This session continued for two full weeks and numerous lectures were given, including those delivered by Messrs. Shays, Rev. Joshua Swal- low. Rev. T. Merrill, J. R. Mershon. S. F. Cooper, S. N. Lindley and W. D. Moore.
This was the beginning of institutes that have been kept up ever since, with much interest and educational profit. The institute has come to be an occasion which all reputable teachers long for, and the teacher is now compelled to attend at least a part of the session each year. It is one of the needed auxiliaries to teaching and no up-to-date teacher cares to miss the annual session.
WITTEMBERG MANUAL LABOR COLLEGE. By Hen. W. O. McElroy.
Advancement in civilization is largely due to the triumph of principles for which men and women, living in advance of their times, contended for years without apparent success. To such persons, the writer of contempo- raneous history is not always just. He who writes regarding his own times may accurately record current events, but a later generation can, better than he. understand and appreciate their historical value. It is the duty of the historian not only to present the facts, but to mark their significance.
:(9)
I30
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA1.
judging men and measures impartially and giving credit to whomsoever it may be due. The reason for the foregoing remark will appear as we proceed.
In the early fifties a dozen or more families settled upon the prairie north of Newton, forming what was afterwards known as the "College Farm" neighborhood. Their number included some exceptionally thoughtful and earnest men and women. On the 18th day of December, 1855, some of the more prominent ones assembled at the home of John Carey and there adopted articles of incorporation of the Wittemberg Manual Labor College. At that time negro slavery was strongly intrenched in the United States under constitutional protection ; women were generally barred from college and university, from taking part in public affairs, rarely being permitted even "to speak in church," and were not generally accepted as teachers in public schools; technical education of the industrial classes, schools of agri- culture and mechanical arts, and public instruction in manual training and domestic science. were practically unknown: and the general trend of all education was away from manual labor and everything pertaining thereto. It is interesting to notice, in the light of conditions then existing, the dis- tinetive principles of the institution thus founded and the spirit of its founders, as indicated in its articles of incorporation, four of which were as follows :
"Article 3d. We will endeavor to maintain a school in which a pure morality and evangelical religion shall be taught, guarding against the in- troduction of both sectarian teaching and sectional influence.
"Art. 4th. As the name of the corporation implies, labor shall be combined with study, invariably, in such manner as the trustees may direct, so that not less than two hours of manual labor each day be required of every teacher and student. unless prevented by sickness or other bodily in- firmity.
"Art. 6th. No person of good moral character who is not a slave- holder in practice or principle, shall be denied the privilege of being a shareholder in this institution. None shall be rendered ineligible to office or refused admittance as a student on terms of perfect equality, on account of caste, color or sex.
"Art. 12th. The trustees shall be chosen by ballot at each annual meet-
ing * * * at which time this constitution may be amended * ex- cept so much of the second, third and fourth articles as embrace the dis- tinctive principles of our organization. to-wit: Pure morality and religion, without sectarianism; manual labor: freedom from distinction on account of caste, color or sex; these features shall remain unalterable."
131
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
The first officers of the institution were: Richard Sherer, president ; John Carey and John A. Work, vice-presidents; Andrew Failor, secretary : James R. Crawford, treasurer: Rev. Thomas Merrill, general agent ; all of whom, with Mrs. Elizabeth Merrill, Mrs. Mary Carey, James Mclaughlin, S. A. Thornton, J. P. Beatty and Thomas Vanatta, constituted the board of trustees. A tract of land including the east half of section 3, township So, range 19. and adjacent lands, comprising more than four hundred acres in all, was purchased and subsequently platted. Ten acres in the center was reserved for college building, ornamental grounds, etc. Four rectangular tracts, each comprising about sixty acres, were reserved for the purpose of pro- viding thereon the manual labor in agriculture to be performed by students and members of the faculty. Outlying parts of the land platted were di- vided into residence lots which were afterwards appraised and sold in order to obtain funds for the erection of a building.
The records of the board of trustees throughout the sixteen or more years of the existence of the institution lie before us as we write. Insuf- ficient support funds, general low prices and low wages, high rates of in- terest, financial panic, and the disorganizing influence of the Civil war, made the struggle for the maintenance of the school throughout those years very hard. Every meeting of the board was opened with prayer.
On Christmas day, 1855. the board fixed the rates of tuition for a term of twelve weeks, as follows: Three dollars for primary department, four dollars for common English branches and five dollars for the advanced English branches and the languages. At the same time Mr. and Mrs. Merrill were employed as teachers.
In February, 1856, the property owned by the institution was valued at $6,781.75. One thousand copies of a circular setting forth the advantages offered by the school and its course of study were ordered printed and dis- tributed. Provisions were made for boarding students. Scholarships were ordered sold. the consideration therefor to be paid in installments. The board adopted a plan for a two-story central building fifty-two feet long and forty feet wide, with end or wing buildings, each thirty feet by forty feet. The building committee was authorized to borrow five thousand dollars for the erection of the building. Those were times of low prices and exorbitantly high rates of interest, and the committee subsequently re- ported that it could borrow only one thousand dollars.
In November. 1856, the board purchased eight acres of timber from Jesse Hammer, paying thirty-three dollars per acre therefor, to provide lumber for the building. The plan of the building was subsequently altered
132
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
considerably, the wing buildings being omitted. The building finally erected was a large two-story frame building constructed principally of native wood, . finished inside with black walnut, the weather-boarding also being of walnut. The floors were oak. The foundation was stone. Its exact cost can not now- be ascertained. but it was probably between six thousand and ten thousand dollars. Prior to its occupancy for educational purposes, the school occu- pied temporary buildings, one of which was, on and after December 7. 1857, rented to the board of directors of the school district for school purposes, at the rental of two dollars and fifty cents per month. The building was afterwards sold to the district.
On November 24. 1856, a death having occurred in the neighborhood. a burial ground was located upon the lands of the college by a committee of the board of trustees "in view of locating the present grave," and the board adopted a resolution that the grounds be free to all as a place of burial. The burial thus located is within the present Wittemberg cemetery, comprising two acres. On October 20, 1858, the board of trustees adopted a resolution for the transfer of the burying ground to the trustees of the Free Presbyterian church of Wittemberg.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.