A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 52

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273

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But most of all, the beneficial effects and the progress of the new system of education in-

augurated in 1852, are seen in the high schools of the county. We write now more especially of the township high schools, or those located out- side of the two largest centers, Michigan City and LaPorte.

At the present time there are ten township high schools in LaPorte county and a high school in the town of Westville. They are all non-commissioned and all pursue a uniform three years' course, with the exception of Wanatah and Westville, where a complete high school course covering four years is pursued.

In all but one of these schools the high school instruction is done by one person. At. Wanatah two teachers devote all of their time to high school work, and it will probably become a com- missioned high school in the near future, as they have already fulfilled all of the requirements necessary to entitle them to a commission.

At the present time there are 189 pupils en- rolled and doing regular high school work in the eleven non-commissioned high schools. These schools are located at Rolling Prairie, Waterford, Otis, Door Village, Stillwell, Kingsbury, Union Mills, Westville, Wanatah, Hanna and La Crosse.

The development of these schools has been a slow process of evolution covering several de- cades. Twenty-five years ago most of them were graded schools of two or more rooms, doing little or no work beyond the common school branches. Although some of them went by the name of high schools, the work was not organized or system- atized, each pupil being permitted to do such work as he might elect or successive teachers sug- gest.

Mr. C. J. Brown attended one of the old time graded schools, or so called high schools, and re- members that they did good thorough work. Reading, grammar and arithmetic were well taught. The scholars mastered Robinson's Prac- tical Arithmetic and Ray's Higher. Before quit- ting school young Brown had studied five branches beyond the common school as follows : philosophy, German, algebra, elocution and book- keeping.

The love of those old-time pupils for the vil- lage school, as well as the pride taken in them by the citizens, was something beautiful to see. Young men and women would continue in school reviewing the common school branches, taking

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bookkeeping and possibly one or two other high school branches, for three or four years after hav- ing a diploma of graduation from the common school.

Usually, connected with the school was a liter- ary and debating society in the deliberations of which pupils, teachers and citizens participated. Certain it is that the old-time schools succeeded in preparing many worthy and capable young men and women for splendid careers in the battle of life.

The first organized township high school was at Rolling Prairie in 1884, O. L. Galbreth, prin- cipal, the course of study covering a period of two years. Hanna was next to fall in line, in 1889, to be followed by Wanatah, Stillwell, Union Mills and Kingsbury in the order named.

At a meeting of principals held in 1891, a uniform course in all of the township high schools was adopted. It was a two years' course and embraced the following subjects: Algebra, rhetoric, civil government, bookkeeping, physics, plane geometry, general history, physical geog- raphy, literature and botany.

In February, 1900, at a meeting of the princi- . tinued prosperous. In 1896 the second building pals, a three years' course of study was devised which was acceptable to the superintendents of the two city schools, and an arrangement was made by means of which pupils who have com- pleted the prescribed three years' course in the township high schools may be admitted into the senior year of the city high schools.

Latin, zoology, English history, and a more extensive course in English were added to the course at that time.

Graduates of our township high schools are found doing good work in nearly every profes- sion and calling, and many of them are honor- ably fulfilling their duties in places of responsi- bility and trust. Such being the case, we are justified in believing that these schools are do- ing a splendid service for the people.

The secret of their success is not due merely to the fact that the principalships are filled by capable, well educated men but just as much to the fact that they have received the hearty sup- port of the people. So long as these conditions exist, we need have no fears as to the great good that must come from the training received in our township high schools.

Of the above places, Westville, in point of time, takes the precedence. In the spring of 1863 the place had a fine school building in which was taught a graded school. It was divided into three departments, of which Mr. A. H. Harriet had charge of one, Mrs. Harriet of another, and Mrs. Miller of the third. The school gave exhi- bitions, being assisted by Miss Flora Cathcart, the Westville String Band, Messrs. S. Closser, G. D. Wright, and others. This graded school advertised its excellencies, and received acces- sions from other places. One thing which drew them there was the pleasant schoolrooms in which to study and recite.

The Westville high school began under the wise and able supervision of Mr. J. G. Laird in the fall of 1865. Professor Laird taught till the spring of 1869. Under Mr. Laird's discipline and direction the Westville schools achieved a splen- did reputation, pupils from a distance attending. In 1876 the school building was destroyed by fire, and all records of the preceding years were destroyed to that date. A new and better build- ing was immediately erected and the school con- was burned, together with all records and a li- brary of several hundred volumes and the labora- tory apparatus. The present beautiful brick and stone building was then erected. It is heated by furnace and has a thorough system of ventilation and is equipped with modern furniture, and the schools have done thorough and efficient work. The Westville high school has a four years' course, and its graduates are admitted to the

various state institutions without examination. This building was erected and seated at the very low figure of $7,500. The following are the courses of studies :

First year-Algebra, physiology, physical lg bra · h · r nstc. geometry, English history, Latin (Cæsar), phys- ics, music. Third year-Geometry, general his- tory, Latin (Cicero) zoology, music. Fourth year .- U. S. history and civics, Latin (Virgil's Aeneid), commercial arithmetic, review (elec- tive) music.

The present Board of Education is B. W. Hollenbeck, president, Jacob Herrold, treasurer, C. E. Herrold, clerk,

The present corps of instructors are A. H.

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Yoder, B. A., principal and superintendent, Mrs. Amelia Winneguth, grammar and intermediate grade, Miss Emma Baird, primary.

There are seven township schools in Cass township and the Wanatah high school, making eight schools in Cass township. The condition of schools is very good. There are three hun- dred and sixteen children going to school in Cass township; of these one hundred ninety-three go to Wanatah school. The township schools and teachers are: North Morgan, Eva Shurt; South Morgan, Mary Shurt; Newman, Otto Walt- man ; Johnson, Grover Tilden; Sitx, Roy Tuley ; Thomaston, Mollie Henning. The condition of the high school is good; it consists of four years work and has twelve grades, each teacher teach- ing two grades. The names of rooms and teach- ers are : Principal of Wanatah high school, Mr. F. Farnam; assistant in high school, Florence Ringle ; grammar room, Adaline Lee; intermedi- ate room, Marie Fudenski; second primary room, Alma Stowell; primary room, Ella Sulli- van.

In the fall of 1861 Mr. John E. Selleck opened a select school in the basement of the Christian church at Union Mills. He was a young man, but was highly endorsed as being fully com- petent to teach a good school. But here, as else- where, select and union schools gave place to the high school.

Want of space prevents enlarging upon the high school work of other places. But it is worthy of remark that Rolling Prairie, Water- ford, Otis, Door Village, Stillwell, Union Mills, Westville, Wanatah, Hanna and La Crosse all have good school buildings in which this high school work is accomplished. Some of them are exceedingly fine buildings, and five of them are new. And now comes Kingsbury following in the same course. Indeed, it is said that the pro- ject of erecting a new school building in Kings- bury was what led the people in the southern part of the old Union township to rebel, and ulti-

mately led to the division of the township and the formation of the new township of Washington. On June 26, 1904, Trustee H. H. Long, M. D., let the contract for the erection of the new school- house at Kingsbury to contractor Charles O. Larson, of LaPorte. The structure will cost $10,000 and will be modern in every particular.

In the winter of 1903-4, in the county super- intendent's rooms, at the court house, the county schools displayed their exhibit which afterwards was taken to the World's Fair at St. Louis. The written work was not all in and arranged, but what there was and the other work were excel- lent. The county schools have not taken up man- ual training and drawing as distinctive and re- quired lines of work, but there is a tendency in that direction, and the exhibit showed what could be done, and what was being done. Every township was represented, and a majority of the schools had sent in work along those lines. In most of the schools there will be found a sand table, materials for weaving, paper cutting and folding, sewing, and drawing. This is known in the schools as "Busy Work," and has very great value in cultivating manual dexterity, neatness, accuracy and taste. The township high schools are doing more and more laboratory work, re- cording experiments with both notes and draw- ings. Although this work will not compare favorably with schools that have given this work to competent specialists for a long period of years, yet the work which the schools already do is prophetic of a time when, through manual training and art, all the powers and faculties will be fully cultivated and developed. The exhibit contained photographs of the different school buildings in the county, and the whole contribu- tion has been spoken of very favorably at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

For many years the graduation exercises of the county schools have been an event. They are held in Hall's opera house, the best talent procur- able is secured to give the address, an orchestra is in attendance, and after the exercises the pro- cession, headed by the LaPorte Band, marches to the city park, or to the fair grounds, where the people spend the day in feasting, sports and pastimes.

At this point it may be well to refer to a few of the men whose efforts have contributed to make the work of the county schools a success. One of these was Mr. J. G. Laird. In the fall of 1861 he was teaching school in Rolling Prairie, and was highly esteemed and favorably men- tioned. When Jasper Packard went into the army in 1862, Mr. Laird succeeded him as school inspector. Mr. Laird was an exceedingly strong

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man and wielded a great influence in the county. He emphasized character building on true lines. Both in teachers' institutes and in his day school sessions, he gave frequent talks on the necessary traits of good character. In his reading classes he brought out the deeper meaning of literature better than most teachers; there were few who could equal him in this respect. He was a tall man, angular in his motions, with a build some- thing like that of President Lincoln. He finally drifted out of educational into the school fur- nishing work.

William P. Phelon once taught a select school in LaPorte. As county examiner he was a competent, good man; not so forcible as Mr. Laird, but more forcible than some others.

James O'Brien possessed good executive abil- ity and qualities which were very beneficial to all the business affairs of the county schools.

W. A. Hosmer was a good, substantial man of more than ordinary ability, but with very little show. He was honest in his convictions, and al- ways had the courage of them. Messrs. Gal- breth and Zeigler also did good work as county superintendents.

The present incumbent is E. G. Bunnell. His genealogy is interesting. The family is of French extraction. In the latter part of the eighteenth century two brothers came from France to the United States and settled in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. One was Mr. Bunnell's great-grand- father. Stephen Bunnell, his grandfather, was in the war of 1812 as lieutenant of artillery. He fought at Lundy's Lane and at Chippewa Falls. He fired the last shot at the bombardment of Fort Erie after he had received orders to move, and in a newspaper discussion some time after, it was stated on good authority that that shot blew up the fort. After the war Stephen Bunnell moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania, where, in 1829, the father of our subject, Judson Bunnell, was born, who with his father's family, moved to Indiana in 1841 or 42. He enlisted in the Civil war. First he stood the draft and then, later in the war, enlisted as a substitute for New Durham township. He was present at the siege of Nash- ville and remained in active service until the close of the war. He married Clorinda Black- man, who is still living, the daughter of Hiram Blackman. E. G. Bunnell was born November

29, 1861, in Noble township, where he has lived ever since. He was educated in the township, and in Valparaiso college. He has taught school ever since he was seventeen years old. He mar- ried Miss Etta Line, who was born in Ohio and came from there to Noble township. Of the union there are two sons-Lee and Frank. Mr. Bunnell is a member of the Disciple's church, and is a Democrat in politics, with an element of in- dependence. His family is of good stock on both sides. His grandfather used to exhort, and was the principal one in founding the Door Village Baptist church. Fifty years ago, at Indian Point, in Noble township, there were people of a high type of character, who had very advanced views for those days. They had a very large and pros- perous school, though no school is there now. Many of the people read music readily and there were enjoyable choruses. Judson Bunnell was an authority on the Scriptures. Mrs. George Den- nison, the sister of E. G. Bunnell's mother, the Indian Point Dennisons, the Blackmans, the Bun- nells, the Churches, the Cooks, Mr. Pike, the father of Mrs. Doolittle, the Harsons, the Can- fields, the Englishes, the Lloyds, and many others lived in the neighborhood and though, as in all such cases, there was a disturbing element, it was a remarkable community ; and many to-day, as they look back upon it, feel that those were good old times.

In his work as county superintendent Mr. Bunnell has suggested the course of the state board, as nearly as circumstances and local con- ditions admit of following it. He keeps the schools in the front rank of methods as under- stood in Indiana. When he came into office the children in the schools would jump up and run out at recess or when dismissed, but all that has been remedied, the scholars now marching out. Mr. Bunnell has introduced many little things of that sort. He insists on good reading, writing and spelling, especially in the lower grades, as he believes that is the only means to what is higher. He is not strenuous with number work until the scholars are older. Mr. Bunnell does not show off, nor have to be discounted.

One of the teachers who has done as much as, perhaps more than, any one to make the county schools a success is Mr. Charles J. Brown, now living at Union Mills. He began teaching in the

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fall of 1867, at Curran school, two and a half miles south of Michigan City in Cool Spring township. Daniel Low was the school trustee. There Mr. Brown introduced Webb's word method in place of the "a b abs," the first instance in the county. J. G. Laird was the county ex- aminer, through whose influence Mr. Low was induced to secure the services of Mr. Brown as teacher. From 1877 to 1880 there was a ten- dency, perhaps it may be called a movement, in the county to make every thing easy for the schools. For the time the necessity of effort against obstacles was lost sight of. There were also those who were fond of discussing what they termed the injustice of free schools. It would be easy to give names but it might not be best, as some of the persons may be living now and in the light of advancing intelligence have thought better of the position which they took then. Nevertheless it is a fact that bachelors who had no children to educate-or at least who ought not to have any-and also people who had reared their families and had no more children to edu- cate-these and others argued against taxing the people to support free schools. They wanted our county educational affairs to be as they were in the south, where every man was left free to edu- cate his own. . This of course hindered the school work. In Mr. Brown's experience a racial war would sometimes enter the school, and the chil- dren of foreigners would refuse to learn English ; but by great tact and perseverance he over- came all difficulties. Mrs. Brown had taught in the Curran district, her parents resided there, and he was a success in the neighborhood; though there as in many other districts there were some serious troubles, some times between the parents and teacher, and at other times between the larger boys and the teacher. Mr. Brown next taught in Union township in the "Billy Travis school," then called the "Polly Winchel school," where E. M. Burns had taught the year before. Many, many incidents might be related of these district schools-incidents where the teacher was whipped, where the teacher suddenly found him- self taken out of school and deposited in a snow drift, his watch ground to powder under offend- ing boot heels, or where an irate parent threat- ened to whip the teacher, etc., etc. Brown taught in those districts and often had a hard school, but he had smelled powder in the Civil war and

been in many a scrape requiring nerve ; and often by pluck, but generally by kindness, he won the respect of the district, and the obedience of the scholars. In both district and high schools he has done a grand work.

Before closing this chapter we mention one other teacher who has contributed much to the progress of the LaPorte county schools, and that is Warren C .- Ransburg, Esq. He was born in Steuben county, Indiana, July 16, 1855, of Ger- man stock, and reared on a farm. After the death of his father he worked out by the month and attended school until he was eighteen years of age, when he became a Hoosier schoolmaster. At the age of twenty-two he entered the senior class of the Northern Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso, and was graduated a B. S. in 1878. Then he became principal of the high school at Hanna, and then of the high school at Westville. At this time he was a close student of natural history and the mound builders, preparing sev- eral valuable cabinets of specimens. He was a power in the educational affairs of LaPorte county, especially in institute work ; a teachers' institute was not considered complete without his presence, and his entrance into the room always gave a degree of courage and confidence. Fol- lowing this, he became associate editor of the Northern Indiana School Journal. Later, he pub- lished the American, which was devoted to more general educational matters. Then he was prin- cipal and superintendent, for two years, of the schools in Quincy, Michigan, after which he opened a law office in LaPorte, where as an at- torney he still remains.

LaPorte county, according to the Indiana Statistical Report of 1902, had nine township high schools. Only fifteen of the ninety-two counties had more. The enrollments in those schools were seven hundred and ninety-two; four hundred and thirty-two more than any other county. Putnam county had three hundred and sixty, Hamilton three hundred and forty, Marion three hundred and twenty-six, and next come Allen and Gibson with two hundred and fifty each. Comment is unnecessary. There are facts in this chapter which show that in point of Amer- icanism Indiana is forging ahead of other states, and in point of education LaPorte county is forg- ing ahead of other counties.

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CHAPTER XXX.

EDUCATION-MICHIGAN CITY AND LAPORTE.

"For noble youth, there is nothing so meet As learning is, to know the good from ill; To know the tongues, and perfectly indite, And of the laws to have a perfect skill, Things to reform as right and justice will; For honor is ordained for no cause, But to see right maintained by the laws." -- CAVIL in the Mirror for Magistratus.

We come now to the two largest centers, each of whose educational data would make a book. Packard's History says that the first teacher in Michigan City was probably a Mr. McCoy, who taught in a schoolhouse erected by Thompson Francis, architect and builder, in 1834. At this statement the question which naturally arises is, whether this was not the Rev. Isaac McCoy, of the Carey Mission, to whom we have before al- luded. The building in which the teaching was done was used also as a place for religious meet- ings, for as yet no building exclusively for church purposes had been erected. At that time preach- ers frequently stopped over Sunday in Michigan City, not desiring to travel on the Sabbath, and when they did so they were pressed into service, and preached to an extemporized congregation. Knowing the zeal of Mr. McCoy, that he should tarry for a time and teach in that first school building, is just what we would expect of him. He had already come as far as Hudson and estab- lished a school there, and had preached in the county. In such a sparse population is it prob- able that it was any other Mr. McCoy who was the first teacher who taught in Michigan City? As early as 1835 two schools had already been commenced there, and arrangements were in course for a high school.

From 1838 to 1840 and perhaps '42 or '43, there was a literary institution in Michigan City which occupied a building three stories in height. It was called the Michigan City Institute, and its principal was the Rev. James Towner, a man of deep learning and piety. He was assisted by Miss Clarissa Ward, afterward Mrs. Wyllis Peck, and by Miss Abigail Coit. The Institute was built in 1837 on the ground now occupied by William Millers' meat market, on the corner of Tenth and Franklin streets. Male students were furnished with board and rooms in the building, but young ladies found board in private families near the school. Mr. Charles G. Powell, editor of the LaPorte Republican, says that in 1842 or '43 quite a colony from Clinton township, where he then lived, attended this institute, and that their names were Wolcott B. and Amelia Will- iams, Edward and Amelia Bigelow, cousins of the first named couple, Samuel and Emily Will- iams, Eldridge T. and Eliza Harding, Darwin and Seth Patterson, Frank G. and Lucy Scar- borough, and possibly a few others, and that as a rule they boarded themselves and had a good time. Probably these are all gone now.

Mr. Powell is undoubtedly right in his mem- ory of the foregoing. He came with his parents to Clinton township in 1840. The Michigan City

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ELSTON SCHOOL.

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Institute was certainly in operation in 1841. It began its fall term on the first Monday in Sep- tember of that year, with school open to both sexes. Students were accommodated with board and rooms furnished, with the exception of beds and bedding, in the Institute buildings. Rooms were furnished to students who wished to board themselves. The terms of tuition, per quarter, were : common branches, $3.50; Greek and Latin languages, $6.00; other branches, $5.00; room rent. from $2.00 to $3.00; use of globes, 50c. These terms were payable one half in advance and the remainder at the end of each quarter. The board was $1.50 per week. No scholar was re- ceived for less than half a quarter, and no deduc- tion was made for absence except in case of sick- ness. For a time this school was quite success- ful, but it was finally given up and the building was moved down upon the lot at the corner of Second and Franklin streets and converted into a hotel so well known by old residents as the Lake House, and later was destroyed by fire.

One of the earliest patrons of the public schools in Michigan City was Mr. George Ames, now deceased. Among the earliest recollections which some have of him are his expressions fa- voring a higher standard of public schools and the better education of the young. Everything per- taining to the welfare and prosperity of Michi- gan City he held very much at heart. We will now quote verbatim from Mrs. H. J. Willits, of Michigan City :-

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A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 52

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1273

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273