USA > Indiana > A History of Indiana from its exploration to 1922 > Part 19
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"The public schools were established about the same time but had not yet become popular. All parents who could afford the tuition en- tered their daughters into the Safford School. The rival school was the parochial school taught by the sisters of the Roman Catholic Church.
"With the tenacity of childhood's memory to retain early impres- sions I can at this late date recall nearly every one of the young misses who received their early training at these Schools. In the Safford school were the three Jones girls-Mary, Julia and Alice, daughters of the Evansville Mayor at that date. Martha Orr, Malvina Shank- lin, destined to become a few years later the wife of a U. S. Supreme Judge. Helen Wilcox, daughter of a leading physician here, the Oakley girls-Eliza, Sue and Judith, Kate, Ann and Hattie Howes, the Hornbrook girls, Carrie, Lou, Julia and Bessie. Julia and Louise were twins so nearly alike we never could tell them apart. Maggie Goslee, Mary Page-the beauty of the school. Lizzie Half, Laura Moore, Lavina Scantlin, Letitia Churchill, Mary Stockwell, afterwards Mrs. Preston, Maggie Allen, Edith Reilly, Jennie Couples, Martha Hop- kins. About this time there appeared in Gleason's Pictorial a poem en- titled "Martha Hopkins in the kitchen making pies." How the girls did tease her about it. There were others, very charming girls whom I cannot recall just now. One incident stands forth with distinctness,
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young C. K. Drew, a handsome Evansville gallant, would drive up in a dashing rig of a sunny afternoon and beg Miss Abbot for one of the two Marys to accompany him riding. She, dear lady, could never refuse. How we small girls did envy them. At a grand May day festival held in Foster's Hall Mary Page was the chosen Queen and Julia Jones the crown bearer, attended by a long line of garland bear- ers, maids of honor, pages, cupids,-a very spectacular affair attended by hundreds and I doubt if Evansville has ever since witnessed a more charming display of youthful beauty.
"My own entrance and introduction into this school was rather pathetic. I now smile at the impression I must have made on these young misses as I was led into the room by my sister and stared round eyed at the sea of faces before me. Dressed in a yellow calico (how I hated it) heavy shoes, long thin hair braided in two pig tails-a little country girl awkward in manner and badly frightened. I must have made a sorry appearance. I didn't become a general favorite nor was I allowed to enter into the plays and pastimes at once, but when they found I could imbibe all their recitations French, Latin and English with facility,-I say imbibed for I was never conscious of applying myself to my books, I was offered a tardy recognition. Another inci- dent stands out in memory of my schooldays there. Lying between the church and school buildings, a plot of land had been laid off into beds. Many of the girls cultivated these garden plots and beautiful flowers bloomed in them. I was passionately fond of flowers and wanted a plot too. Finding a deserted corner I dug up the ground and planted it full of withered roses which I had found. How the girls did laugh at it and called Mr. Safford in to see it. Of course he laughed at my futile efforts and remarked-"Well she's the flower of the school anyway." I don't know whether it was said in derision or sympathy, but the title clung to me and I was unmercifully teased for being "the flower of the school."
"It wasn't long before the Safford School closed its doors and the pupils drifted to other schools, or were sent abroad for the finishing process."
One of the girls, Malvina Shanklin, became the wife of Justice John M. Harlan of the United States Supreme Court, and was well fitted by inheritance and education to grace any circle in Washington, D. C. Martha Orr married Mr. Samuel Bayard, banker of Evansville. Her constructive mind and sympathetic nature made her a trusted leader in church and charity circles through a long life. The gift of Bayard Park to the city perpetuates her memory. At this writing Lou Hornbrook (Mrs. S. G. Evans), Mary Caldwell (Mrs. H. M. Sweet- ser) and Miss Lavinia Scantlin of Evansville, Nellie Allen (Mrs. Armstrong of Rockport), Phebe Whittlesey, (Mrs. Hamlin of Ber- keley, California) are still living.
Although the boys named, have all passed away, many of them have left their mark on the city they faithfully served. James L. Orr was a wise counsellor and generous patron of every civic enterprise. Major A. C. Rosencranz was a philanthropist and pioneer in manual
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education. The two brothers, George and John G. Shanklin, were for years editors of the Evansville Courier, and strong as intellectual giants and as political leaders in Southern Indiana. John G. Shanklin served a term as Secretary of State of Indiana.
A story of Frederick Pentecost, the noted preacher as told by Mrs. Evans, shows one cannot always foretell the pupil who will attain future fame, for Frederick was notoriously lazy and idle, yet always had an answer ready for the teacher's question. One teacher offered an honor to the pupil who would catch Fred studying, but no one was able to qualify.
One pupil, John W. Foster, attained international fame. In the civil war he won the rank of General. In diplomacy he served his country in Mexico, Spain and Russia. He was counsel and special envoy on many international tribunals and finally was appointed Sec- retary of State by President Harrison.
In his reminiscences of early Evansville, solicited by our Presi- dent, Mr. J. E. Iglehart, for the Centennial History of Evansville, General Foster writes thus of Mr. Safford and his school :-
"From the Reminiscences of John W. Foster.
THE SCHOOLS
"At this time, (1850) the public graded school system had not been established. The old brick schoolhouse on a part of the Public Square, built by subscription of the citizens about thirty years before, was still standing but not in use. This building was erected for "father" Chute, a graduate of Dartmouth College, who taught in this building for twenty years, but at that time had retired. One of the most promi- nent schools was that of Mr. J. W. Knight (who later served in the graded public schools) but he taught only the "three Rs" and a singing method of geographical study which I had aready mastered. For a little while I attended the German school held in the basement of the Catholic Church which so long stood on Second Street of which Father Deydier was for many years the respected and honored pastor. I re- ceived my chief inspiration for study from Prof. Myron W. Safford, of Vermont, whose wife was a sister of U. S. Vice-President Morton, who established a private school in the building erected by the Presby- terian church "on the Hill." He encouraged my desire to go to college and prepared me for all the required studies except Greek and Latin, for which he had no classes. I studied Latin under the tutorship of a young law student just from the East, reading law in the office of Con- rad Baker, then the leading lawyer of the town-Thomas E. Garvin, who became one of our most prominent citizens and lived amongst us to a good old age. Greek I had to leave till I entered college, con- ditioned to bring it up during the year. At that time there was only one student in college from Evansville, and he was prepared by his mother who years before had come from New England as a teacher and married one of the leading merchants of the town. This young man, James M. Shanklin, I shall have occasion to refer to again.
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"The city public schools were not established until 1853, and their creation and success were due largely to Horatio Q. Wheeler, who came from Maine in "the forties," was a law partner of John Ingle, and proved one of the most useful of our citizens. It was owing greatly to his indomitable energy and careful training that the Evans- ville public schools became the chief pride of its people."
In another article General Foster says-
"When I first made the trip from Evansville to Bloomington to enter Indiana University, I travelled in a one-horse buggy with my trunk strapped on behind and the journey required four days."
The Church and the State were inseperably linked in the long ago. The teacher was usually a self-denying, zealous home missionary dedi- cated to the culture of the soul as well as the minds. The fear of the Lord was taught as "the beginning of wisdom."
Mr. Safford was such a man, of the deepest religious convictions. On coming to Evansville in 1847 he connected himself immediately with the Little Church on the Hill, the New School branch of the Presbyterian faith, and was soon chosen one of its ruling elders. For two years he was Superintendent of its Sabbath School, and was one of its most active collectors of funds according to old church records.
About the time of his coming to Evansville an act was passed by the State Legislature dated July 25th, 1848, "providing that the voters of the State might cast their votes for or against the enactment of a law by the next legislature for raising by taxation an amount suffi- cient to support the common schools in the State not less than three nor more than six months each year."
This was the first gun fired in the campaign for "free schools." It required, however, three or four years of persistent agitation of "many meetings and much talking" under the ardent leadership of Mr. H. Q. Wheeler, before the people of Evansville were persuaded to establish the present system of public schools, which was finally accomplished in 1853. This action was necessarily disastrous to the academies of that day.
After a year of decreasing patronage, Mr. Safford gave up his school in Evansville and removed to Uniontown, Kentucky. Later he went south to Cornersville Tennessee, where he opened a school, with his wife and niece, Miss Laura Safford, as assistants. At the outbreak of the Civil war, he was forced by the intense feeling in the South to leave Tennessee, and removed with his family to his old home at Mor- ganfield, Kentucky, where he died December 10th, 1862 of typhoid pneumonia.
Guerrilla warfare was rife in the vicinity of Morganfield and some of Mr. Safford's former pupils were active guerrillas. Mr. Safford on this account felt safe but his wife was very fearful, especially when he was out late at night. Col. John W. Foster, who had been a pupil of his Evansville Academy, was sent over the border to quell the guer- rilla warfare. Mr. Safford's daughter, Mrs. G. W. Stewart, then a young girl of fourteen, remembers distinctly the Union cavalry rush- ing through the streets of Morganfield standing in their stirrups, with
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pistol in hand, and Col. Foster calling out as they passed the Safford home, "If any one touches a hair of Mr. Safford's head, I'll raze the town to the ground."
Mrs. Safford and her two children settled in Philadelphia. The son died in early manhood but the daughter Laura, born in Evansville, developed into a beautiful and brilliant young woman, and is still living in New York City. As Mrs. John Wood Stewart, she is known na- tionally, indeed internationally, as the organizer of three great soci- eties. She inherited directly from her father unusual organizing abil- ity and an enthusiastic love of nature. In speaking of him she says- "He left me no fort of land but acres of sky." This idealism has ma- terialized in the Needlework Guild of America, with its thousands of women pledged to give two new garments a year to the poor. Her love of nature made her a gardener and sympathy bade her share her flow- ers with sick and sorrowing. so the Plant, Flower and Fruit Guild was born, and now has branches in every State of the Union. One of its objects being the establishment of school gardens in cities. Mrs. Stew- art takes great pride in the fact that her father was a pioneer in this modern movement. In memory of her husband recently deceased, she has established and endowed a Foundation called the "League of the Friendly Service," with its trained and volunteer ministry to helpless and despondent "shut ins."
Mrs. Stewart made a pilgrimage to Evansville several years ago, because it had been her birthplace and her father had here spent the happiest years of his life.
Having become interested in recent years in Evansville College, she came again this spring to plan the planting of a plot of ground on the college campus in memory of her father. The stone memorial seat, with name and dates, is also to bear these inscriptions, --
"Pioneer of Higher Education, Pioneer of School Gardens, Lover of God, Lover of Nature, Lover of Humanity"
Mr. Safford, though dead, will yet speak to the students of this College in the motto of the sundial, there erected-"Think often of birds and flowers and your Heavenly Father."
Referring to the development of Evansville College in a letter re- cently she writes,
"The first thought was of my father's passion for study and teach- ing, his love for youth and I recalled Secretary Foster and his remark to me one day in Washington-'Your father did more for my develop- ment intellectually and spiritually than any other human being.' After we left Evansville he was always to his last illness devoted to young people, and their development, mentally, and spiritually, and I hope he sees from Heaven or in his earthly ministry to us all, this evolution of the spirit of broad education in Evansville."
I have tried to rescue from oblivion this story of the rise and fall of classical schools in our city. They waxed and waned and perished, even those intended to be permanent. Was the effort then in vain, and the endeavors of faithful teachers a failure? Their biographies are never found in the commercial histories of the "Builders of the City."
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.
Surely they who taught its children, to see clearly, to know surely, and to act wisely, were public benefactors. The good they did is not "in- terred with their bones" but lives on in blessing, and now in this gen- eration has blossomed into the glorious fruit of a standard college, which in turn shall be the goodly heritage of generations yet unborn.
Prof. Palmer of Harvard University lamented one day that his talented wife, Alice Freeman, once President of Wellesley .College, would leave no permanent monument behind her in a book of lasting importance, which she was by nature and by education so well qualified to write. Instead her time was taken up with endless discussions and tiresome interviews with former pupils. She replied "Books are dead things. It is people who count, you must put yourself into people, they touch other people, these others still, and so you go on working forever."
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE 1917 CENTENNIAL OF EVANSVILLE By Edith Reilly.
My acquaintance with Evansville schools began when I was a small child and attended a private school in a two-story frame building on Second Street where Strouse's store now stands. The teacher was Miss Rebecca Sophia Clarke, a sister of Mr. H. Q. Wheeler's wife. She was afterwards, under the name of "Sophie May," the author of a series of children's stories, the "Prudie Books." I suppose even then she was dreaming over the stories she was going to write, for we used to jump out of the window and, after playing a game of marble, jump back, without her having missed us from the schoolroom.
My next teacher was Miss Caroline Abbott, who afterward mar- ried Dr. Blunt of Mt. Vernon, Ind. She was a lovely woman and a fine teacher. A Mrs. Tompkins came next. We thought her a very cross teacher, but I now know she was in bad health.
In 1853-4 the public school system was founded by H. Q. Wheeler, Miss Fanny Fisher and Miss Laura A. Dean being the first teachers of the grammar grade. At first there were only the primary, intermediate and grammar grades. The first school was opened in the old medical college which stood on the corner of First and Walnut Sts., where Dr. Brose's residence now stands.
In 1854 this so called Wheeler High School was founded, its first sessions being held in the second story of the little building where the private schools I have mentioned were kept. The first principal was a Mr. E. P. Cole who was succeeded by a Mr. Green. Then the new Canal St. Building, now Mulberry St. having been finished, the High School was removed to the Third story of that building. By that time the school had grown so large that an assistant had to be employed, a Miss Mary Clarke, sister of Miss Rebecca Clarke, my first teacher. The school then occupied one large assembly room and one class room.
A succession of principals followed, most prominent among whom was Benjamin Poore Snow, who, one of my schoolmates said she used to think knew as much as God did; Mr. Chase P. Parson, who mar- ried one of his students, Miss Hattie Howes, a sister of Mrs. James
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L. Orr; Mr. Samuel K. Leavitt afterward pastor of the Ninth St. Baptist Church of Cincinnati, and Mr. Charles H. Butterfield, after- ward Supt. of Schools and Judge of the Circuit Court.
My connection with Evansville schools as a student ended in 1860 and I began teaching in September of that year as assistant to Miss Caroline Rathbone, founder of the Rathbone Home in later years. This was in the intermediate grade.
The next year I assisted Miss Fanny Fisher in the grammar grade, and after her marriage to a Mr. Sawyer of Cincinnati, her sister Abbot Fisher, who afterward married Mr. S. K. Leavitt, former principal of the High School. "The third year I was promoted to the principalship of a primary school, with Miss Martha Bell, afterwards Mrs. Canter, as my assistant, which was held in the old Cumberland Church on the corner of Second and Chestnut, opposite the building now occupied by the Scottish Rite Cathedral.
On account of ill health I was obliged to quit teaching in June 1863 for several years, in fact did not resume teaching in the city schools until 1880. After one year in the fourth grade under Miss Stebridge as principal I was given a position in the High School which I held until June 1913.
REMINISCENCES OF EARLY SCHOOL LIFE IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
By Mrs. Lorraine M. Cutler.
After being repeatedly urged to record reminiscences of early days in the Public Schools of Evansville; especially in regard to the work of Horatio Q. Wheeler, I have given my consent to do so, although what I may say must necessarily be fragmentary ; as I have already given information to several others, engaged in this same duty to posterity.
H. Q. Wheeler as he was usually called, graduated from Bowdoin College; then read law in the office of John S. Abbott and John Tenny in Maine. He came to Evansville in 1846 like many other young man, to seek his fortune in the then far west. After carefully considering conditions here resolved to make this his future home. Going back to his native town Chesterville, Maine, he married Miss Harriet Clark, coming with his bride to Evansville. On arrival, Judge Matthew and Mrs. Foster, father and mother of our late lamented Hon. John W. Foster, took this young couple into their home until they could establish themselves as residents.
In the course of time the Wheeler family consisted of three child- ren, two daughters and a son; the late Dr. Will Wheeler, who after several years service as surgeon in the army returned to the place of his birth and was associated in the practice of medicine, with Dr. Bray of well known reputation, later going to Portland, Maine, where he married and died in 1912. The younger daughter died in early girlhood, the elder, Mary married and went to California. As Mr. Wheeler saw his little ones, growing up around him, he became greatly interested in the school question ; there having been a new law enacted
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permitting "Free Schools" to be established in the state of Indiana. His legal mind led him to agitate the subject. Just then the most prominent school was a private one, for boys taught by Mr. Myron W. Safford, and a school for girls, superintended by him, which after hav- ing had several teachers, was then in the hands of Miss Abbott from Maine and a young lady from Vermont. After the gathering about him many friends, whom he interested in the problem and many meet- ings having been held, it was decided to organize the "Free School" system, which caused the disbanding, of the so called Safford private schools. At this juncture Mr. Wheeler took Miss Abbott into his own home where she passed through a serious illness. In the meantime, there came to visit her a young Dr. Blunt from Maine and they were married before her recovery; he going to Mt. Vernon, Indiana to lo- cate and practice his profession, later taking her there; where they reared a family of several children, and where they died. leaving some of them as residents of that place. Receiving and caring for this young lady, under the circumstances, showed conclusively some of the noble characteristics of the man, who so laboriously and self sacrificingly won the title of "Father of the Free Schools of Evansville." Plans progressed for opening schools in 1853, which I think the present day teachers, would hardly regard as adequate to the business in hand. Through Mr. Wheeler's influence Misses Rebecca and Mary Clark, sisters of his wife, became connected with the band of teachers and made their home with them, the former becoming a writer of the "Prudy Books" and other stories interesting to adults as well as child- ren ; the latter married in after years.
Through him also came Misses Fanny and Abbis Fisher from Maine as teachers. Afterwards Miss Fanny became Mrs. Sawyer and settled in California. Miss Abbie married Mr. Leavitt a former prin- cipal of the High School. The Vermont young woman, from the Saf- ford school, began work with them under Mr. Wheeler as superin- tendent. Soon it was thought best to open a school in what was then caled Lamasco, in the old Baptist Church, corner of Second and Clark Streets. This building was put in charge of the Vermont teacher and her sister a later arrival, which eventuated in the Carpenter Street school of the present time. Mr. Wheeler had associated with him, the strongest characters and the finest men of the town. Among the first trustees were William Hughes, father of Reuben P. Hughes and the two fine women, we know as the Misses Mary and Louise Hughes and Christian Decker one of several brothers who left large families many of whose descendants are still our citizens. It is the testimony of the teachers that when these gentlemen visited the schools, it was to leave with them the impression that friends had called. Such sym- pathetic interest and dignified commendation was offered as to pre- clude all unrest in their minds and they could go on with their work, in a spirit of gladness.
Mr. Wheeler's kindness of heart was ever manifested by a thought- fulness for those who were strangers in the town, especially those con- nected with the schools and they always found a warm welcome await-
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ing them at the Wheeler home. Not alone to outsiders, did he show his benevolent disposition. His wife had always with her, some of her immediate family, father, mother and sisters and she usually went to Maine for the summer months. There came to the city Mr. and Mrs. Barnabus Perkins from Buffalo New York, and through them another member was added to the coterie of teachers. Miss Christine Hooker also from Buffalo, a person of large experience in teaching and social qualities which rendered her a great favorite among them. Years after she opened a private school and together with Miss Rebecca Hough a half sister carried it on so successfully, that it became her life work. Doubtless there are many men and women living among us, who were trained under her supervision. She died April 25th, 1897 and was buried here.
Mr. and Mrs. Perkins, mentioned above, decided to keep a board- ing house for teachers especially, although young business men, were often members of the family. To these people was given a daughter, whom they named Minnie. At the age of five years, she determined to go to school, although children were not admitted until six years of age ; she importuned her mother so much, that she said "Minnie you must ask Mr. Wheeler." The little girl without mentioning it to her mother again, told a little boy friend about her age, that they must go to Mr. Wheeler if they wanted to get into school. Hand in hand the little folks went to the business part of town, and after diligent search, found the office and presented their request. Mr. Wheeler wrote a permit for each of them saying, "If they were smart enough to find me, they shall not be denied their wish." Minnie proved unusual, even in early girlhood, became a fine teacher, and held a position in the schools for several years ; then went with her family to Brownwood, Texas, where she taught until her death. Mr. Wheeler was so genial in his manner that it was a pleasure to the teachers to see his bright face and laughing eyes enter the school room. None seemed to fear him, but all held him in profound respect. Nothing seemed to please him more, than for teachers to congregate at his home, for an evening of recreation and exchange of opinions on popular subjects.
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