USA > Indiana > Marshall County > A twentieth century history of Marshall County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 35
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The preamble sets forth that knowledge and learning, generally diffused throughout the community, being essential to a free government, the general assembly was commanded to encourage by all suitable means moral, intel- lectual, scientific and agricultural improvement, and to provide by law for a general and uniform system of common schools wherein tuition should be without charge and equally open to all.
It further provided that the common school fund should consist of the congressional township funds and lands belonging thereto; the bank tax fund, and the fund arising from the 114th section of the charter of the state bank of Indiana; the fund to be derived from the sale of county seminaries, and the monies and property theretofore held for such seminaries ; from the fines assessed for breaches of the penal laws of the state, and from all forfeitures which might accrue ; all lands and other estate which
256
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
might escheat to the state for want of heirs or kindred entitled to inheritance ; all lands belonging to the state, including swamp lands after deducting expenses of draining the same, and taxes that might be assessed by the general assembly for school purposes.
It also provided that the principal of the school fund shall remain a perpetual fund which may be increased but shall never be diminished; and the income thereof shall be inviolably appropriated to the support of the com- mon schools, and to no other purpose whatever.
Under these provisions of the constitution the proper legislation to carry into effect the public school system has been had from time to time. The school fund provided for has accumulated from year to year at the rate of about $100,000 per year, and is now more than $11,000,000, probably the largest school fund of any state in the Union.
The First Schools.
It has been almost impossible to arrive at anything definite in regard to the first schools taught in the county. As stated there were no school- houses, and the schools taught for many years occupied vacated cabins, and in some cases the "sitting room" in the cabin where a family resided. In the winters of 1836 and 1837 there were several attempts at teaching school in various parts of the county where enough children in the sparsely settled neighborhoods could be got together to justify a teacher to spend his time in that way. Among the first of these early schools was one taught by Thomas McDonald, in the winter of 1836, in a log house which had been occupied as a temporary residence on the farm then owned by Vincent Brownlee near Lake Maxinkuckee. Between this time and 1840 a hewed log schoolhouse was built about half a mile east of where this school was taught. It was the first attempt at building a house especially for school purposes in Union township, and possibly in the county. Those who taught in this house at the first were William E. Thompson, H. B. Dickson and Hugh Brownlee. All of these old time "country school masters" are now dead, and, with two or three exceptions, all the boys and girls that went there then and made the woods ring at noontime with their shouts of joy and laughter have passed over to the unknown beyond.
During the winter of 1837 a school was taught about two miles west of Plymouth on the La Porte road by William N. Bailey. About this time, although it may have been a year afterward, a school was taught on or near the farm of Adam Snyder, in North township, by Abraham Johnson. There was also a school taught in the Roberts neighborhood, four miles southeast of Plymouth, and one at the residence of Charles Ousterhaut, on the Michigan road, two miles south of Plymouth, and one about where the town of Argos now stands, about the same time. These were taught by Miss Catharine Logan, afterward Mrs. John B. Dickson, and a man by the name of Erskine. In German township the first school was taught in an old log cabin about one mile north of the present town of Bremen, in the year 1837, by a man by the name of Bemas. The average number of children present was about fifteen.
The first school in Bourbon township was taught in a log cabin which stood on ground owned by John Greer, in the south part of the present town of Bourbon, shortly after a settlement was made there, probably about
257
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
1837-38, by Edward Parks. John Greer also taught school there one or two terms in those early days.
In Tippecanoe township the first school was taught in the summer of 1842, by Esther Jane Birney, at what is now District No. 3, or Summit chapel. She taught three successive terms of three months each for about $9 per month. The schoolhouse was built of logs and had a cabin roof ; two small windows, both on the same side of the house, and a standing board was near the windows. The pupils all went to this board to do their writing, and when they had finished they returned to their seats again. The seats were made of hewed logs. The door was hung with wooden hinges, and had a wooden latch on the inside to which was attached a string, which was passed to the outside through a hole in the door, so that the latch could be raised from the outside by pulling the string; hence the old saying : "The latch string is out." The floor was made of puncheon to fit tightly together ; and the building was further furnished with a mud stick chimney. From this early and small beginning the township has now ten comfortable school buildings, all paid for, and furnished with every convenience for efficient school work.
Several attempts in the past have been made to gather the facts in regard to the early schools of Plymouth, but with indifferent success. In 1836 there were very few residents of Plymouth, and there were not enough children to support a school, and so far as has been ascertained no school was taught here that year. The first school in Plymouth is said to have been taught by Oscar F. Norton, in the winter of 1837. Whether he taught more than that term is not known. The building used for this school was the first courthouse, which was built by the original proprietors of the town, and stood on the west side of Michigan street, corner of Adams. A few years ago the writer was informed by Mrs. Sarah A. Smith, formerly Miss Sarah A. Bannon, that she was a pupil under the tutelage of a teacher by the name of G. Parsons in the old courthouse during the winters of 1840 and 1841. She exhibited a reward of merit given to her by him, a copy of which is as follows:
Reward of Merit to Miss Sarah A. Bannon for Good Behavior in School. G. Parsons, Inst. Plymouth, June 17, 1841.
Mrs. Smith says Mr. Parsons was from New York state; was a short, heavy built man, and during his stay here boarded at the house of her father, who then lived on the south side of Yellow river, in a building known as the "American House." She said the only peculiarity she could remember about him was that he was very fond of soup! Her father, James Bannon, was the first shoemaker here, and was postmaster of Plymouth under the administration of James K. Polk.
Our free school system had not then been established, and those who went to school paid for their own tuition. According to the census of 1840 there were but forty children of school age in Marshall county, not more than fifteen of whom resided in Plymouth and not more than half of these,
258
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
Mrs. Smith thought, attended the school taught by Mr. Parsons in 1841. The census of 1840 also stated that there were but three schoolhouses in the county. Mrs. Erskine is said to have erected a schoolhouse on Center street, on the second block north of the courthouse, in which she taught school a few years-how long is not known. Rev. Austin Fuller, Mrs. Smith said, taught school several terms in the old courthouse between 1841 and 1846, in addition to marrying people and preaching the gospel as occasion required.
A frame school building was erected about 1846-47-48 on the corner of the lot west of the Lutheran church building on Adams street. A young man by the name of Clark taught school there about 1850. He was fol- lowed by. Willoughby M. McCormick in 1851 and 1852. He was not much of a teacher, but he made the most out of the material he had to work upon, among his pupils being such unruly boys as Jim Westervelt, Abe Crum, Jack Bannon, Lloyd Hard, Sherm Wheeler, Jim Bannon, Hank Cougle and the writer of this sketch. Mr. McCormick went from Plymouth to Knox about 1853, where a few years later he was elected clerk of the court of Stark county, and was serving as such at the time of his death.
Our schoolhouses of nearly three-quarters of a century ago did not possess great attractions externally or internally. They were almost invari- ably small log buildings, cold and very deficient in regard to windows; a fireplace at one end, and a few rough benches without backs for seats, and a board or two which served for writing desks, were the sum total of the internal arrangements of the building. During those days pupils who occupied seats at the back part of the house would often suffer with the cold, while those who were near the fire would suffer as much from the other extreme. Not unfrequently the smoke would drive both pupils and teacher out of the building for pure air. But pupils of studious habits would make rapid progress, even under these disadvantages. Many graduates of these unsightly and uncomfortable schoolhouses now sustain excellent reputations as teachers and business men and women in other walks of life.
The first genuine agitation of the school question in Plymouth was in 1853. April 16th, a meeting was called to consider the propriety of employ- ing Mr. and Mrs. Etter, of Rochester, who were mentioned as being teachers of a different grade from that with which the citizens had been afflicted thus far. At the same meeting the advisability of building a schoolhouse was dis- cussed. The population of Plymouth was given as 670.
May 26th an election was held upon the proposition to levy taxes for the support of schools, at which the vote stood five in favor of and eight against such tax. June 23d a township election was held for the same purpose, at which the vote stood thirteen opposed to seven in favor. About this time Mr. and Mrs. Etter, Mr. James Thrawls, James M. Wickizer and others taught private schools.
In March, 1854, the lot donated to the county for seminary purposes was sold to the town for the nominal sum of $100, and on the thirtieth of the same month, contract for building a schoolhouse was entered into with Silas Morgan. This building was completed in December of the same year. It contained three school rooms and one recitation room, and was a credit to the town. When the present building was erected it was sold to Joseph Westervelt, and by him removed to the river bank on the east end of Wash-
259
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
ington street, where it was overhauled and made into a flouring mill, known as "The Eureka Mills." It was used as such for several years, when one morning it caught fire and was entirely destroyed. William J. Moir, who had then just retired as cashier of the Marshall County bank, was chosen principal of the schools, and had as assistants the first term Mrs. E. Crum and Miss E. Adams. The attendance was at first about 150. The text- books used were Sanders' spellers, Parker's readers, Davies' arithmetic, Mitchell's geography and Clark's grammar.
Of all the teachers of former times Mr. Moir has left behind him the most pleasant recollections. He is uniformly mentioned with great respect by those who were his pupils, and there can be no doubt that he inaugurated a new era in school matters.
Mr. Moir was succeeded by C. H. Blair, who was principal but part of one year, when he was followed by Hiram C. Burlingame, who had for- merly resided in La Porte county. He retired from the management of the schools in 1861, concluding that he had done his share of missionary work, and that he would seek some less "promising" but more lucrative employment.
Mark Cummings, who was for many years county school examiner, then took charge of the schools. Mr. Cummings was succeeded by D. D. Luke, who remained as principal until August, 1870, when he was elected superintendent of the Goshen schools. Upon his retirement Rosco A. Chase was chosen superintendent, and served as such continuously until 1903, a period of thirty-three years. He at once set about reorganizing the schools on a business and educational basis, introducing many changes in the admin- istration of the schools. A 'systematic course of study was adopted; the schools were graded; a more exact discipline was introduced, and from a state of comparative confusion, as regards any settled policy of action, the business of the schools was as completely systematised as any business firm in town.
In 1874 a new school building of brick, two stories, with a basement story divided into school rooms, was built. About 1890 an addition to the main building was erected, with an auditorium having a seating capacity of 600, with other conveniences for the proper management of the schools
What was known as the "Ward School Building" was erected on the south side in 1868. It was a two-story frame structure, and was used for the accommodation of first-grade pupils for several years. With the growth of the town the need of better facilities made it necessary to erect a more commodious building, which was done in the 'gos, and now there is ample roon and every facility for the education of the entire school population of the town. The high school was organized in 1874, and the first graduating class was in 1876.
Mr. Chase was succeeded as superintendent by R. A. Randall, of Goshen, in 1903. Some changes have been made since Mr. Randall took charge of the schools, which were deemed necessary for the advancement of our school interests.
The following statistics for the school year 1907 will afford some idea of the height to which the schools of Plymouth have attained :
Number of school rooms in use, 21 ; total number of teachers and prin- cipals, 23; number of pupils enrolled, 973; per cent of attendance, high
260
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
school, 97.5 ; grades, 96.8 ; promoted to high school, 51 ; graduates from high school, 38.
St. Michael's Academy.
This is the name of a Catholic institution of learning established in Plymouth in 1870. The building stands on Center street near the court- house square, is of brick, substantially built, well arranged for the purposes for which it is used, and cost about $12,000. The management of the school is under the immediate supervision of the Sisters of The Holy Cross, from St. Mary's, St. Joseph county, who have spared no efforts during the past thirty-seven years of its existence to make it what it is, a first-class academy of learning, an honor to the town and the denomination through whose liberality it was founded.
TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
NUMBER OF SCHOOLHOUSES IN THE COUNTY.
Brick.
Frame.
Total.
Bourbon township
15
15
Center township
3
13
19
German township.
1
14
15
Green township
1
9
10
North township.
11
13
Polk township
6
5
11
Tippecanoe township
1
10
11
Union township
4
5
9
Walnut township
3
7
10
West township
4
8
12
Total
40
82
132
NUMBER OF TEACHERS.
Male,
Female.
Total.
Bourbon township
9
5
14
Center township
5
14
19
German township
5
8
13
Green township
5
5
10
North township
8
8
16
Polk township
9
6
15
Tippecanoe township
6
5
11
Union township
2
9
11
Walnut township
7
4
11
West township
5
8
13
Total
61
72
133
NUMBER OF TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOLS.
Center township.
Inwood
North township.
La Paz
Polk township.
Tyner
Tippecanoe township.
.Tippecanoe
West township.
West
Walnut township.
.Walnut
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUPILS ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR 1906-07.
Male.
Female.
Total.
Township
schools
1,951
1,889
3,840
Towns,
634
718
1,352
City
382
415
797
Total
2,967
3,022
5,989
261
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
When the first settlers came to Marshall county, Indiana had no school system, and such schools as were taught were conducted, according to the will and pleasure of the school master, who was employed by those of the neighborhood having children to send to him. There were no county school superintendents then; no school officers; no schoolhouses, and no public school funds. There was then, as there are now, a large proportion of the population that believed in education, and it was this element of the early pioneers whose labors and influence have been the means of giving us our present unexcelled public school system. There were others, as there are some now, who believed with Dogberry, that "education should cum by nature!" They are of that class who believe with one of Shakespeare's characters when he said to an educator of the olden time :
"Thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm in erect- ing a grammar school, and, whereas before, our forefathers had no other books but the score and tally, thou hast caused printing to be used; and, contrary to the king, his crown and dignity thou hast built a paper mill. It will be proved to thy face that thou hast men about thee that usually talk of a noun, and a verb, and such abominable words as no Christian ear can endure to hear !"
It was thought by these men that to learn to read and write and "cipher" was the chief end of man. When there were in a neighborhood a sufficient number of children large enough to find their way through the woods to the schoolhouse, preparations were made for the winter's term. The building of a schoolhouse was the first thing in order. The neighbors got together and selected a suitable location, as convenient as possible for all concerned. A plan was drawn for the building, and everybody interested agreed to meet on the grounds at the time designated for the work to be begun. Chopping axes to fell the trees, broad axes with which to hew the logs, yokes of oxen to haul the timber to the place where the building was to be erected, inch augers to bore holes where needed to pin together joists and rafters, and such other tools as were necessary and could be secured were provided. It didn't take long for the "horny-handed sons of toil" of the neighborhood to get out the material and erect a building twenty by thirty feet, and complete it for occupancy. The school building of which we speak was of the dimensions named, and was erected on a high rise of ground on the farm then owned by Vincent Brownlee, half a mile east of where he and his family resided, a mile or so from Lake Maxinkuckee. It was provided with a "puncheon" floor, and a clapboard roof. A chimney of "nigger-heads" and oak slats daubed with mud, was built on the outside of one end, and a puncheon door hewn out of poplar timber, fastened together with wooden pins and hung on leather hinges, was placed in the other end of the building. The latch was made of wood, fastened on the inside of the door, to which was attached a leather string which was passed through a small hole an inch or so above, so that when the string was pulled from the outside the latch would be raised up out of the slot on the cheek of the door, the door would open and the pupil would walk in. These were the door fastenings in universal use at that time. And this is how originated the saying "come and see us; you will find the latch string out." The latch string hanging through a hole on the outside was an emblem of hos- pitality, such as only the pioneers of those days knew so well how to dispense.
262
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
There were no locks and keys on the doors in those days. The latch string was always out. All you had to do was to pull it, walk right in and make yourself at home.
The cracks between the logs were chinked and pinned and filled up with mud to keep the cold out. A log on each side of the schoolhouse and at the end opposite the fireplace at the proper height, was cut out a short distance from the corners and served as windows to furnish light for the room. There was little or no glass in this part of the country at that time, and, whether there was or not, it was too expensive and money was too scarce to think of indulging in such a modern invention as that ; and so a sort of rough wooden frame was put in with slats upright to which were pasted old newspapers, after which they were greased so as to make them as transparent as possible. In front of these windows, on the inside, were placed long "puncheon" (there was no lumber then) writing desks, in front of which were high seats for the accommodation of such as might be advanced to the writing grade. There were rough benches without backs for the children to sit upon ; and how the little fellows' spinal columns did ache before school was "let out" for the day no one who has never gone through such an experience will ever know.
Auger holes were bored in the logs in convenient places and wooden pins driven in on which to hang hats, bonnets and clothing.
The grounds about the building were nicely cleared up, the logs and brush burned, and the play-ground for jumping, foot-races, wrestling matches, bull pen, and town ball was properly laid out, and a good big pile of wood cut and piled up a convenient distance from the door to last during the winter term.
A well was dug and curbed up with red oak boards, a "well sweep" was added to which was attached at the lower end of a long hickory pole which was fastened to the top end of the "sweep," and old-fashioned wooden bucket.
How that well and the sweep "and e'en the rude bucket which hung in the well" is remembered; and how vividly comes back the memory of that good old song :
How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood When fond recollection presents to my view The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled wild-wood, And every loved spot which my infancy knew. The wide spreading pond and the mill that stood by it, The bridge and the rock where the cataract fell; The cot of my father, the dairy house nigh it, And e'en the rude bucket which hung in the well, The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, The moss-covered bucket which hung in the well.
The buildings and grounds and other necessary conveniences having been provided, the next thing in order was to "blaze" the way to the school- house from the homes of the parents having children to send to school. At that time there were no roads except "trails" made by the Indians, of whom there were still quite a number in the county. These "trails" were by-paths through the woods leading from one Indian village to another, and to the various lakes and rivers in the northern part of the state. Indians, you must know, always went "tandem," that is one after the other, and in this way
263
HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
the trail was sometimes worn down several inches. They wound around through the woods, avoiding swamps, hills and fallen timber as much as possible. Some of these trails are still in existence-one through a section of unimproved land near Twin lakes, that we have seen, and there are doubtless others about Maxinkuckee lake, and in the vicinity of Tippecanoe river, both of which were favorite resorts for the noble red man, from whom the lands here were stolen, after which he was driven by the government out west to grow up with the country. The nearest route to the schoolhouse was selected, when the trees at convenient places were "blazed," that is, a man with an axe chipped the bark off about as high as his head on both sides of the tree so it could be seen both going and coming. Logs and brush were removed, and by following these blazed trees the young "scholar," as he was called, had no difficulty in finding his way to the seat of learning.
The schoolhouse and grounds having been duly and truly prepared, the next step was for those having children to send to school to select by common consent, a "master" to take charge of the children who were to compose the school. There were no "professors" or super- intendents of schools, or instructors or teachers then. Those early educators were always known as "schoolmasters" until Edward Eggle- ston changed the name to "Hoosier Schoolmaster" in his charming story of that name, written in the early history of the state. There were no professional schoolmasters then. Those who taught school simply did so to pass away the long winter months when there was very little work on the farm to do. He was generally a resident of the neighborhood who was supposed to have attained to a higher grade of educational knowledge thian his neighbors, and whose skill in manipulating the birch rod was known to be all that the most enthusiastic advocate of corporal punishment could desire. It was also deemed necessary that he should be provided with a pen-knife and that he should be able to make a quill pen, for, be it known, at that time steel and gold pens had not found their way into this part of the country, and it is possible that pens made of metals had not then been invented ; at any rate, all the records in the various offices in this county, all the bookkeeping in commercial transactions, and all the letters, both of a business and social nature, at that time were written with a quill pen, and it was considered quite an accomplishment to be able to make, out of a goose quill, a pen that would enable the writer to do his work in a satisfactory manner.
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