USA > Indiana > Lake County > A standard history of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet region, Volume I > Part 21
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buried in oblivion. From its platform we have also often heard our own home talent-Rev. Mr. Ball, Judge Field, and many others.
"We regret that our first pride, Cheshire Hall, is a thing of the past ; though we think it devoted to every good use, being the 'abode of jour- nalism,' we would have been glad could its doors have been kept open to the Lake County public as long as time would let its portals stand, and the name of its projector be kept green in the memories of the coming generations."
SCHOOL EXAMINERS OF THE COUNTY
After the adoption of the state constitution of 1861 and while the chief educational official of the county was the examiner, the following incumbents have served : David K. Pettibone, appointed June 6, 1861, held office three years; William W. Cheshire, June 7, 1864, nine months ; Zerah F. Summers, May 11, 1865, nine months; William W. Cheshire, December 6. 1865, two years and six months : James H. Ball, June 4, 1868, five years.
FIRST NORMAL SCHOOL
The first Normal school work in Lake County was an outgrowth of the teachers' institutes. On August 19, 1872, after the close of the Crown Point Institute, T. H. Ball opened a Normal school. The first class was small and the session continued thirteen weeks. At the opening of the course three objects were proposed to the young teachers: To increase the amount of their knowledge; to increase the amount of their culture ; to give instruction in regard to methods and ways of teaching. In carry- ing out this course, besides the special instruction in physiology and Eng- lish analysis, the special notes on orthography and the writing of a thou- sand carefully selected words, with some little text-book recitation, an outline was given and written out of United States history, and thirty short sentences were dictated, written and, to quite an extent, committed to memory. These lectures included the different departments of geog- raphy, physical geography, geology, botany, zoology, philosophy, lan- guage, reading, chemistry, mythology, meteorology and school govern- ment.
As indicating still more the design of this first Normal school course in Lake County, the following extracts are given from Mr. Ball's open- ing address : "In doing this"-referring to the culture to be sought with the increase of knowledge-"in some of the thirty lectures proposed in this course, I may give you some ideas concerning the whole range of
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the sciences, some knowledge of all the liberal arts, some divisions and brief outlines of universal history, something concerning the rhetoric and logic, as well as the grammar of language, some account of the Roman and Grecian mythology, allusions to which are so common in some of the fine arts, and general literature."
One other sentence quoted from this address: "You are aware that in a school room a thing may be done negligently or carefully, awkwardly or gracefully, blunderingly or accurately, in a way which betrays ignor- ance or in a manner which is called scholarly."
LAKE COUNTY GYMNASIUM AND NORMAL SCHOOL
Other terms followed this initial session, year by year, the school, for a time, taking the name Lake County Gymnasium and Normal School, in which, besides the special training of teachers, boys and young men were fitted for business pursuits. This school closed in 1879. In the seven years of its existence, none of the classes were large, but quite a number who afterward became prosperous business men, and many who held the equally responsible positions of efficient wives and mothers, received in the Lake County Gymnasium (in the German sense) and Normal School a portion of their training.
NORMAL SCHOOLS CONDUCTED BY COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS
The next Normal schools were held by the county superintendents, the first being conducted by James McAffee in 1876. His term com- menced July 17th, of that year, and continued six weeks. The number enrolled was fifty-six; average attendance, forty ; tuition, one dollar per week.
The Normal schools, like the teachers' institutes, have increased in interest and attendance from year to year, and have done much to pro- pose needful and advanced legislation looking toward the improvement of the public system. They strongly recommended the uniformity of text-books for many years previous to 1889, when the State Legislature finally passed the law to that end.
Although since that year there have been improvements in a multi- tude of details, that is the most radical reform and improvement in the system of public education, as it directly affects the county, which has been made for the past twenty-five years. It was followed by an all- around progress in teaching methods, advancement of scholarly acquire- ments and increase in enrollment.
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SCHOOL AND TOTAL POPULATION
That the reader may follow the increase in the enrollment of scholars in the Lake County schools, in comparison with the advance in popula- tion, the following figures are presented, commencing with 1880, before the uniformity of text-books had been enforced :
1880. 1890.
1900.
School population
5,360
6,753
11,115
Total population
15,091
23,886
38,902
In Ball's "Northwestern Indiana" similar figures are given cover- ing the several counties which the author includes in that territorial division. His conclusions, which we quote, seem most to the point: "It appears from the above figures that the school children in Lake County have more than doubled in number in the last twenty years. The popu- lation of Lake County has almost more than doubled. This increase has been largely in North Township, where the population in 1880 was 2,540. Hammond had then a population of 699, Whiting of 115 and East Chi- cago was not. Now (1900) the school children of Hammond number 3,621, of East Chicago 876, and of Whiting 640. Of Crown Point they number 700.
"The proportion which the children of school age bear to the entire population is quite different in the different counties. Let us take the year 1880. Three times the number of school children in Lake, 16,080, give nearly a thousand more than the population. In Porter that same will give nearly two thousand less. The same in Laporte County, 33,324, exceeds the population by two and a third thousand. In Starke the same ratio exceeds the population by five hundred. In Pulaski the excess is a thousand. In White, which is like Porter County in regard to children, three times the school children, 12,342, will give fourteen hun- dred less than the population. In Jasper an excess appears of seven hundred more than the real population. In Newton County alone the proportion of one to three nearly holds good. Three times 2,743, 8,229, slightly exceeds the population, which is 8,167.
"But taking the year 1890 as a criterion of the real proportion which the school children bear to the entire population, and the follow- ing results appear : Excess of population in Lake County, above three times the enumeration, 3,627. In Porter, excess only 331; and in 1880 the excess was 1,849. In Laporte, three times the enumeration in 1890 exceeds the population by 208, instead of, as in 1880, by 2.339. In Starke, three times the enumeration exceeds the population by 824. In Pulaski, the same exceeds the population by 1,370. In White, the same is less than the population by 125. In Jasper, the excess above the population
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is 710, and in Newton the same is 436 less than the population. It appears, then, that the population is sometimes much more and some- times much less than three times the number of school children.
"In an ordinary agricultural community three and a half times the number of children will usually exceed the population.
"From all the foregoing it is quite evident that in several particulars Lake County, in the coming century, will take the lead of all these north- western counties; and it becomes its inhabitants, as well as those of the other counties, to see that between the manufacturing interests of the lake shore towns and the agricultural interests of the central and south- ern parts of these shall come no clashing and arise no strife. From the fertile lands of the Kankakee Valley and from the rich farms north of the 'shore line' and south of the large valley, much of the true wealth of this region is to be produced; and well will it be if all the thousands in the towns and on the farms will work together for the common good."
Especially within the past twenty years, the county superintendent of schools has devoted his time, energy and talents to the upbuilding of the country schools and those of the smaller communities; and it is just as important a work, in the advancement of the general cause of education, as that which is being accomplished through the more power- ful agencies and the more abundant means of the metropolitan superin- tendents and boards of education connected with such corporations as Hammond, Gary, East Chicago and Whiting.
PRESENT-DAY FIELD OF COUNTY EDUCATION
It would be useless to attempt to give a clearer idea of up-to-date efforts, present-day thought and actual improvements, in the field of county education, than to present the following extracts from the last printed report of Superintendent Frank F. Heighway :
"The interest at stake in school improvement is the growth of the school idea-the realization of the part the school plays in our civiliza- tion and in the training of our youth for life. As the style of living improves the school must keep pace with the onward march or cease to be one of the agencies in the world's progress. What was good enough for the father is not good enough for the children. The equipment and sur- roundings of the school plant must be in harmony with our other insti- tutions in the community. In many instances the schools have not re- ceived the attention they merit and it is incumbent on all good citizens everywhere to help forward the rural school improvement and make the country school a still greater force in the enrichment of the child and thus help to solve the problem of country life.
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"The modern trend in educational advancement is that the school should reflect some of the principal elements of the civilization in which it is placed. Therefore the country school should teach some of the prin- cipal elements of agriculture and domestic science. The General Assem- bly of Indiana has just passed the industrial education act which sets an advanced step for Indiana, yet we feel that Lake County teachers will not be found wanting in making the necessary preparation. Trained teachers will come whenever farmers make the demand and pay the sal-
FRANK F. HEIGHWAY, COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
ary that skilled service demands, but we must first have better buildings, with modern equipment. This will all help toward securing better trained teachers, who will prove an inspiration to children and a great force in the social life of the community.
"This report shows some of the lines of improvement for which we are striving, and your attention is especially called to the following :
"1. Outdoor improvement for the country school.
"2. Indoor improvement of the country school.
"3. Agriculture, domestic science and school gardens.
"4. Consolidation of rural schools.
"5. Improvement of libraries and supplementary reading.
"6. Play and playgrounds.
“7. Improvement of teaching force through closer supervision."
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
OUTDOOR IMPROVEMENT OF COUNTRY SCHOOLS
In the body of his report Mr. Heighway discusses these "lines of im- provement" in detail, and we shall again draw upon his expositions. "One of the chief aims of modern education," he says, "is to make the child familiar with his surroundings and master them. As Dr. Stanley Hall has said: 'To know nature and man is the sum of all earthly knowl- edge.'
"Nature study has among its chief aims the inculcation in the mind of the pupil of an appreciation and love of the beautiful; to train the child in acuteness of observation ; to develop his reasoning powers by the application of these observations; and the improvement of his powers of expression.
"The school grounds should be as attractive as those of the best country home in the district. The time is past when the school where the young are initiated into those virtues which make life beautiful be divorced from taste or devoid of comfort. Why then should the build- ings not be erected in fine airy situations overshadowed with trees and embellished with flowers and shrubbery ?
"The first step in this socializing movement is to have a definite, well- formed plan as to what should be planted and where. Some idea of the shrubs and how to mass them on the grounds.
"Let us utilize home material first ; we can secure for effective mass- ing such common shrubs as the lilac, snowball, syringa, hardy hydrangea and the common sumac. This beautiful shrub is not to be despised be- cause it is common, for during the autumn one of the most beautiful sights is a country road bordered with sumac dressed in their wonder- ful crimsons and browns.
"If we cannot plant what we want to, let us want to plant what we can.
"Shrubs should be selected not alone from the standpoint of size, color and profusion of their bloom, but the time of leafing should be noted. The color of the leaf during summer as well as autumn is also important. Some shrubs retain their foliage well on into winter; the hardy hydrangea is a fall-blooming plant, its beauty being enhanced by the frost. Some of the barberries retain their foliage and their bright berries all winter.
"Barren ugliness, scars of abuse, and unsightly outbuildings have been universal until recently. Now with our new consolidated schools it is our province to make the desert blossom and with that blossoming to bring opportunity for developing character by contact with green, grow- ing things; the actual beautifying of property and the fostering of a wholesome respect for the same. The crusade for righteousness has
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
furnished also a delightful setting for childhood activities, and direct lessons in the science of agriculture and horticulture.
"In planting let us not forget our native vines-bitter sweet, wild grape vine and the Virginia creeper, which possesses all the advantages of the English ivy, save that it is not an evergreen. But its autumnal attraction of scarlet and crimson makes up for that defect. It needs the broad eye of day, and prospers well as a drapery for out-buildings and fences. Now, while we are waiting for our perennials, let us plant some annuals for quiek results; the morning glory and the moon flower are desirable. The perennial vines may be set out along fences, and by the use of cedar posts and woven wire stretehed from post to post, one may have a fine screen for outbuildings."
Other details which are even more practical than the foregoing are given. Lists of annuals and perennials, vines and shrubs, suitable for school grounds, are given, with minute instructions of how to plant them and eare for them. Along these lines, also, the children are taught, thus acquiring a practical knowledge of botany and the successful cultivation of plant life, as well as imbibing such a love of nature as must deeply affeet the present and the future of their lives.
INDOOR IMPROVEMENT
The indoor improvement of country schools includes more attention to pictures, better color schemes for interior furnishings, as well as attrac- tive furnishings. The effect of pleasant and restful surroundings upon the mind, bringing strength and contentment to it, is recognized in modern schools as in all other institutions conducted by thoughtful and sympathetic people. In the country schools, the means of which are more limited than those available by the large eity institutions, eon- siderable money is being raised for interior improvements through va- rious entertainments and "socials."
A good idea of the work in this field may be obtained from a simple statement of what was accomplished (money raised) in the school year 1912 by the various schools of the townships under the supervision of the county superintendent.
Calumet Township: Wallace School-$200 for piano and lighting system.
Cedar Creek Township : Robinson Prairie School-$40 for organ and library ; Shelby School-$84 for piano.
Eagle Creek Township: Center School-$56.40 for book case, pic- tures, books.
Hanover Township: Cedar Lake School-$67 for piano; Seehausen
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
School-$71.90 for pictures, elock, lamps, encyclopedia, etc .; Klassville School-$12.40 for pictures, clock; Brand School-$32 will be spent for organ.
North Township: Saxony School-$42.15 for playground apparatus.
Ross Township : Merrillville School-$43.39 for pictures, books, etc .; Deep River School-$8.75 for base ball, bat and books; Witherell School -$17.20 for pictures, clock, etc .; Brown's Point School-$23.50 for bas- ketball outfit, pictures and chairs.
West Creek Township: Pine Grove School-$91 for library books, organ, clock ; Buncome School-$45.40 for library books, pictures, etc.
Winfield Township: Deer Creek School-$17.20 for sectional book case, books ; Palmer School-$20.10 for library books; LeRoy School-$46 to be expended upon school grounds; Winfield School-$21.35 for books and supplies.
East Gary School : $10.20 for payment on piano.
Griffith School : $15 for piano fund.
Munster School: $37.50 for supplementary readers, pictures, and ex- pense connected with entertainment.
TEACHING CHILDREN HOW TO PLAY
Those who have thoroughly investigated the subject have come to the conclusion that "Country children do not play enough. Their repertoire of games is surprisingly small and inadequate, except where special efforts have been made to teach them. Moreover, their few games are strongly individualistic, training them for isolated effort rather than cooperation." In the olden days, to teach children how to play would have been considered by educators as far outside the sensible and prac- tical field. It is now considered very important, as a means of mental training and stimulation, to teach the children of the country schools how to "play together."
To thus encourage them, Superintendent Heighway makes the follow- ing suggestions : "As a minimum equipment for the average playground we would suggest one swing ten or twelve feet high, one about fourteen or sixteen feet high, one teeter, one slide and one giant stride. Some other things that may be of service on the playground are baskets for basketball, a tennis court, a vaulting pole and cross bar, etc. The ap- paratus which should be on any particular school ground depends largely upon local conditions as to room for playground, number, size and sex of pupils, and money at the command of the teacher for this purpose. However, the money is usually forthcoming to the teacher who is alive to the possibilities of the playground for good or evil.
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
" When such apparatus is installed on a playground, there should be captains selected whose duty it is to see that each pupil has his turn and fair play. These captains can often be the ones who themselves are in- clined to be the most troublesome on the playground. This position often brings them to a realization of their responsibility and they make good captains and better people of themselves.
"The installing of playground apparatus brings added responsibility to the teacher. It now becomes almost imperative that he be on the playground at recesses and noons. He cannot, at least he should not, delegate all the responsibility to the captains of the playground; the teacher must be in all and over all. ITis influence must pervade all the play, that it may be fair.
"In the past it was thought that if the children had one-quarter of an aere for playground, and that too in the poorest and lowest part of a section, that the trustee had fulfilled his part in his educational duties. We find many such lots scattered over Lake County today, but our trustees are now beginning to awaken to their educational opportunity and our new sites for our consolidated schools contain at least two acres of ground, and for a consolidated school of four or more rooms the site should be at least three aeres."
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
Lake County has had the enterprise and foresight to enthusiastically promote the education of the pupils in the township schools with a view of showing them the breadth of rural occupations and activities when considered by well-informed minds. It is a preparatory step toward a realization of the deep interest and the unqualified advantage attached to scientific farming, as demonstrated by the work and the graduates of the various agricultural colleges. On this point is the following from the county superintendent's report: "Taking into account that the dominant interest of the greater part of Lake County is agriculture, and realizing that the greatest mission of the schools is to prepare the pupils for life; that there is an erroneous idea among some farmers that farm- ers do not need much education to farm, we have introduced agriculture into our two-room and township high schools.
"We have moved slowly and the work for the most part has been correlating the work in agriculture with the other sehool subjects. School English is made more interesting by having pupils read and write and speak on those themes which are close to their environment. Language comes forth spontaneously when the pupils have something real to tell or to write about.
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"Much of the arithmetic work of the school is founded on agriculture or enriched by it.
"Local geography is emphasized, and much attention is given to the different soils of the county. Trips are taken by classes to near-by places where examples of erosion are shown. All this is done not solely for the sake of agriculture, but for the sake of more interest in other subjects when the agricultural matter is introduced.
"The instruction in the class room is supplemented by simple experi- ments with soils, plants and animals both at school and at home. Every effort is made to connect the instruction with the home life of the pupil. As an aid to the accomplishment of this aim the teachers are urged to make occasional excursions to neighboring farms to see improved live stock, fruits, grains and take notes on methods of cropping and cultivat- ing. All these things tend to create an interest in farm life, and en- courage parents to make the farm more attractive to the children.
"As a result of the excellent work of Prof. Geo. L. Roberts of Purdue University in the Lake County Teachers' Institute last year, many of our school rooms are now provided with illustrative material for conducting experiments in agriculture. Our school libraries are being supplied with a few books on the different divisions of agriculture and bulletins from Purdue experiment station."
WIDE USEFULNESS OF CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS
The passing of the "little red schoolhouse" and the general intro- duction of the consolidated school, in place of the scattered and loosely- jointed district schools, have been of great benefit to the rural communi- ties. It has meant the abandonment of many small, inefficient schools and the maintenance of a few strong, well-graded institutions.
Lake County has made a good start in this important work, and twenty consolidated schools, maintaining a nine months' term, are now in successful operation. Every township except Eagle Creek has estab- lished such schools. The general movement toward the consolidation of the schools has so enabled the trustees and the teachers to concentrate their efforts that the other reforms along the lines of exterior and interior improvements, and the introduction of special studies which require spe- cial equipment and special teachers-such as agriculture, home economics, manual training and music-have been materially promoted. In fact, without the consolidated schools, many of the acquired advantages would have been unattainable. "These centrally located country life schools, too, form convenient social centers for communities; local interests and activities affiliate with the schools, so that public use is frequently made
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LAKE COUNTY AND THE CALUMET REGION
of their commodious class rooms or auditoriums. Encouragement is given to the growth of literary and debating societies, social and agri- cultural clubs, reading cireles, athletic and other competitions among pupils, and entertainment of various kinds.
"In the consolidated rural schools all children from the entire town- ship or district meet, mingle, compete, strive, make friendships, and learn how to work together. The school is free and accessible to all chil-
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