USA > Indiana > An illustrated history of the state of Indiana: being a full and authentic civil and political history of the state from its first exploration down to 1879 > Part 20
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one unfortunate feature connected with these systems. An unholy alliance had been formed between the State and the church; and while the State was asked to provide the revenue for the education of all the children, the church dropped upon her knees and asked permission to execute the system. The privilege was granted, and hence the schools of those times partook largely of the ecclesiastical. The pure waters of science and literature were muddied with the sediment of a dogmatic and speculative theology. The prevailing desire was to make, not the intelligent thinking man or woman, but a blind devotee to the church. For the true model of a free school we have to look to this side of the Atlantic. IFere the contest lies between Massachusetts and Hartford, in Connecti- cut. As early as in 1647 Massachusetts made it obligatory upon the inhabitants of every township of fifty houscholders to provide for the education of all; but the town of Hartford, six years before, in 1641, had established a town school, sup- ported from the public treasury of the city. The crown of this honor, therefore, must be placed upon the head of the city of Hartford. Other New England States carly fell into line, and by the time we reach the Revolutionary era free public schools are fixtures in all those States. Luther's proposition that it is the right of government as the natural guardian of the young to compel the people to support schools by taxation, had been a steady and growing principle with these colonies from their earliest settlement. To this same principle and to that same Revolutionary period we must look for the origin of the free schools in Indiana.
" In the year 1780, Congress, realizing what must be the barren condition of the national treasury at the close of the war, commenced prospecting for some fruitful sonree of reve- nue. And to whom could the people's representative look but to the States themselves. They possessed no divine wand by the touch of which all turns to gold. Virginia, standing in the front of the battle, her patriotic bosom bare to the leaden storm; her giant arm uplifted to give a powerful blow for inde- pendence, was the owner of large possessions lying north of the Ohio, east of the Mississippi, and stretching north to
19
290
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
Lake Superior, a territory ont of which have since been carved five great States, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wis- consin, containing an arca of 239,522 square miles, 153,294,080 acres of land, and capable of supporting a population of fifty millions of souls.
"Congress ventured to hint to Virginia that a present of these lands for the benefit of the entire family of States would be very acceptable. A hint was all the patriotic heart of Vir- ginia then needed, and on the first day of March, 1784, through her delegates in Congress, Thomas Jefferson, Samnel Hardy, Arthur Lee and James Monroe, she made the solemn, patri- otic and valuable conveyance.
" Does history afford another instance of patriotism like this, a civil State ceding away, in fee simple, so vast an area of the richest country on earth, withont one dollar in compen- sation ? Virginia may have committed errors since, but when I remember that from her the people of Indiana have their homes and firesides, I feel like spreading the cloak of universal amnesty upon my shoulders, walking backward, and covering up those errors.
" Next, the surveyor, with chain and compass, passed over this beautiful land, and marked it off into squares of six miles cach, called congressional townships, and these again were divided into smaller squares of one mile each, called sections, making thirty-six sections in each township. These were numbered, commencing with the section in the north-east cor- ner, connting westward and eastward, as a boy plows rows of corn, the sixteenth falling near the centre. In 1787 a terri- torial government was established over this country, and in the third article of the ordinance of 1787, the Congress declared that 'religion, morality and knowledge being essen- tial to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.' This was the grain of mustard seed planted by patriotic hands. which has grown into our great educational trec.
"On the nineteenth of April, 1816, Congress invited Indi- ana to meet in convention, adopt a constitution, and take her position among the family of republican States, tendering for
291
EDUCATIONAL - PRESENT FACILITIES.
her free acceptance or rejection the following proposition: 'That the section numbered sixteen, in every township, and, when such section has been sold, granted, or disposed of, other lands, equivalent thereto, and most contiguous to the same, shall be granted to the inhabitants of such township for the use of schools.' Indiana 'chose the good part that shall never be taken from her,' and thus fell heir to about five hun- dred and seventy-six thousand acres of land. This became the corner stone of our system of free public schools."
Let us now turn our attention to the present condition of the glorious system of popular schools in Indiana. First, then, as to the means of support. And just here we strike the great key note that makes the heart of every Indianian bound with patriotism. INDIANA HAS A LARGER SCHOOL FUND, BY TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN THE UNION. The following was, in 1872, the Indiana
COMMON SCHOOL FUND:
Non-negotiable bonds $3,591,316 15
Common school fund. 1,666,S24 50
Sinking fund, at 8 per cent. 569,139 94
Congressional township fund
2,281,076 69
Value of unsold congressional township lands. . 94,245 00
Saline fund. 5,727 66
Bank tax fund 1,744 94
Escheated estates 17,S66 55
Sinking fund, last distribution 67,067 .72
Sinking fund, undistributed 100,165 92
Swamp land fund 42,418 40
Total $8,437,593 47
These items are all embedded in the constitution, and form the principal of the common school fund, a perpetual fund which may be increased but never diminished. Let us com- pare this fund with the school fund of the other leading States in the Union:
Indiana, $8,437,593 47 Arkansas 2.000,000 00
292
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
Connecticut 2,809,770 70
Florida 216,335 80
Illinois 6,348,538 32
Iowa. 4,274,581 93
Kansas 750,000 00
Kentucky
1,400,270 01
Maine.
289,991 58
Massachusetts
2,210,864 09
Michigan 2,500,214 91
Minnesota 2,471,199 31
Missouri
2,525,252 52
Nevada
29,263 80
New Hampshire.
336,745 45
New Jersey .
556,4S3 50
New York.
2,880,017 01
North Carolina 968,242 43
Ohio.
6,614,816 50
Rhode Island 412,685 00
West Virginia 216,761 06
Wisconsin 2,237,414 37
We may add to this that the common school fund of Indi- ana is still increasing.
The next grand feature of the educational facilities of Indi- ana is her numerous and commodious school houses. The school house is the unerring sign of civilization; there is no better exponent of the educational progress of a people than the number and kind of their school houses.
Two provisions have been made by the legislature of Indiana for the ercction of these. The first authorizes the school trustees of the townships, incorporated towns and cities, to levy a special tax in their respective corporations, not exceed- ing twenty-five cents on each one hundred dollars' worth of taxable property, and fifty cents on each poll in any one year; the second authorizes the trustees of incorporated towns, and the city councils of incorporated cities to issue bonds to the extent of thirty thousand dollars.
Under the operations of these two provisions of the law, school houses have sprung up in all parts of the State.
293
EDUCATIONAL - PRESENT FACILITIES.
Wherever the traveler passes through the rural districts, the neat frame or substantial brick greets him with a smile of cheerfulness, and as he enters the towns and cities of the State they arise before him in commanding proportions. Among the cities a commendable spirit of rivalry is at work. The following statement will show the progress in the number and cost of the school houses for each of the last nine years pre. ceding 1875:
Ycar.
Stone.
Brick.
Frame.
Log.
Total.
Total valuation.
1865
65
440
5770
1128
7403
$3,827,173 00
1866
78
506
6145
1096
8231
4,515,734 00
1867
71
554
6672
1063
8360
5,078,356 00
1868
74
592
6906
831
8403
5,828,501 00
1869
76
655
7207
723
8661
6,577,258 33
1870
83
725
7436
583
8827
7,282,639 30
1871
125
834
7517
513
8989
7,381,839 73
1872
88
877
7586
547
9080
9,199,480 15
1873
1874
12,000,000 00
The more recent amendments of the school law provides for County Superintendents, and for a high standard of qualifica- tion of teachers.
Having observed some of the general features of the educa- tional facilities of Indiana, we would naturally turn to notice the universities, colleges, normal and high schools, and other special educational agencies. A full history and description of these being included in the history of the town or city in which they are located, and presented in another part of this volume, renders superfluous any mention of them in this con. nection. Readers are referred to the contents and indexes to find special features desired. The following table, however, will show the number and class of special educational institu tions that are noticed at length elsewhere:
Common school fund held by counties, June 1st, 1876. $2,523,988 33
Non-negotiable bonds. 3,901,783 21
Congressional township school funds. 2,442,100 89
Total ..
.88,870,872 43
Increase since 1872.
$133,278 96
EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS.
SCHOOLS.
TEACHERS.
PUPILS.
INCOME -ENDING JUNE 1, 1870.
Classes and Kinds.
Number.
Male.
Female
Male.
Female.
From En- dowment.
From Tax- ation and Public Funds.
From other sources, including tuition
All Classes
9,073
6,678
4,974
237,664
226,813
$50,620
$2,126,502
$322,389
Public
8,871
6,402
4,640
228,189
217,887
2,002,052
61,547
Normal
1
3
3
49
54
High
69
106
123
5,228
4,845
2,002,052
61,547
Grammar, and Graded Common
371
171
558
17,578
18,751
Ungraded, Common
8,430
6,122
3,956
205,334
194,237
Classical, Professional and Technical
50
184
141
4,936
3,401
118,250
197,641
Universities
6
66
7
1,428|
239
50,620 32,800
17,700
17,050
Colleges.
16
115
28
2,431
671
48,520
17.700
96,030
Academics
16
26
99
1,305
2,275
1,000
8,050
64,040
Law Schools.
1
2
51
Medical Colleges
1
5
43
2,500
Theological Colleges.
2
3
43
*
Commercial Colleges.
7
15
782
33
24,831
School for the Blind
1
3
4
43
57
32,500
For the Deaf and Dumb
1
8
5
143
129
60,000
Of Art and Music
4
4
5
34
218
8,720
Day and Boarding Schools
124
58
143
2,802
3,494
47,427
Parochial and Charity Schools
28
34
50
1,737
2,031
6,200
15,774
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
* Income included in date of Universities.
294
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
-
*
ON.A.B
DANIEL KIRKWOOD,L.L.D
WALTER.R.HO
UGHT
REV.T.A.WYLIE D.D.
LD
RICHARD OWEN
COL. JAMES THOMPSON.U.S.A.
296
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
Connected with the educational institutions of the State are the libraries, prominent among which are the "township libraries," or common school libraries. In our table which follows, giving the statistics of libraries in the State, we have classed the " township libraries," as' school libraries. These were established under the school law of 1852. By this law each township in the State-nearly one thousand - was sup- plied with a very complete library. The selection of books for each of these libraries contemplates the literary wants of all classes, youth and adult, and is intended to gratify the tastes of every calling and pursuit of life. The merchant and the farmer, the mechanic and the physician, the lawyer and the preacher, all find something to amuse, entertain and instruct in these collections. These libraries furnish rich materials for the discipline of the mental and the culture of the moral powers. They are well calculated to refine the taste, chasten yet gratify the imagination, inculcate virtue, rebuke vice, foster temperance, strengthen patriotism, encour- age enterprise, confirm and establish whatever is lovely and of good report in character and praiseworthy in action. Is it any wonder that, with these splendid libraries, added to the other superior educational facilities of the State the people of Indiana have already attained a high standard of literary, moral and religious culture:
STATISTICS OF LIBRARIES FROM 1S50 TO 1870.
1870.
1860.
1850.
Kinds and classes.
No.
Volumes.
No.
Volumes
No.
Vols.
All classes, public and private Libraries, other than private-
5,301
1,125,553
1,123
467,069 198,490
58
46,238
State libraries.
1
16,147
1
12,000
Town, city, etc
70
47,164
Court and law
92
10,308
School, college, etc.
1,006
323,391
534
10,500
Sabbath school
1,075
204,629
247
203,916 65,456 200
85
11,265
Church
87
24,356
1
1
400
Circulating
20
8,294
Private
2,998
497,659
151
68,403
2,333
647,894
34
297
EDUCATIONAL - PRESENT FACILITIES.
RELIGIOUS.
" Knowledge is power," because wherever education prevails there will always be found a high moral and religious culture. In the State of Indiana, as may be seen by the following sta- tistical table, if compared with a similar showing of other States, there are a larger number of churches, in proportion to the population, than in any other State in the Union with but a single exception- that of Massachusetts. The largest religious denomination in the State is that of the Methodists, which has a membership of considerably more than double that of any other religious society. The Methodists had one thousand and six hundred churches in the State in 1874, as shown by the returns of the compilers of this work, which gives them an increase of over two hundred churches in four years, or fifty churches a year. By referring to the following table it will be seen that the increase has been above this ratio for the last twenty years. The value of Methodist church property in the State in 1874 was nearly four millions of dol- lars, or more than three times as great as that of any other church society in the State.
Next to the Metliodists, in point of numbers and wealth, are the Baptists; third in order, in this regard, are the Chris- tians; and fourth, the Roman Catholics. The following table will be interesting:
STATISTICS OF CHURCHES.
1870.
1S60.
1850.
Churches.
Sittings.
Property.
Churches.
Sittings.
Property.
Churches.
Sittings.
Property.
Baptist, regular
552
135,575
$1,017,625
474
164,710
$ 430,510
428
138,783
$ 212,735
Baptist, other.
68
16,800
89,700
27
9,900
25,350
13
4,050
4,745
Christian
455
122,775
810,875
347
125,600
270,515
187
65,341
89,790
Congregational
18
4,800
119,900
11
5,250
42,600
2
1,400
8,000
Episcopal, Protestant
49
10,300
492,500
29
10,350
117,800
24
7,300
74,000
Evangelical Association
47
10,925
124,600
93
41,330
111,650
89
44,915
60,355
Jewish
5
1,900
113,000
2
450
8,000
Lutheran
195
62,285
619,600
150
46,384
237,000
63
19,050
37,425
Methodist.
1,403
346,125
3,291,427
1,256
432,160
1,345,935
778
266,372
492,560
Miscellaneous
2
472
730
Moravian
2
650
5,000
1
400
3,500
57
18,250
21,600
Mormon
New Jerusalem.
1
100
4,000
275
104,195
266,435
282
105,582
326,520
Presbyterian, other
42
12,400
71,500
53
21,070
72,850
3
1,300
1,650
Dutch Reformed.
2
500
8,200
6
1,500
7,850
5
1,275
1,800
German Reformed
34
8,880
97,300
9
3,800
26,600
5
1,150
3,500
Roman Catholic
204
86,830
2,511,700
127
57,960
665,025
03
25,115
167,725
Shaker
-
-
1
Unitarian
1
250
600
United Brethren in Christ
184
33,975
188,000
Universalist
18
6,300
73,400
28
9,130
37,850
15
5,050
17,800
Unknown, local missions
-
4
1,200
3,000
44
13,022
35,804
15
4,000
8,050
1
I
1
.
I
Second Advent
-
298
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
I
I
1
Friends
81
29,500
263,800
Presbyterian, regular.
833
116,560
2,006,550
Spiritualist
1
Unknown, Union_
CHAPTER XXXIV.
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
T THERE is no State in the Union, not even Old Massachu- setts, which can boast a better or more humane system of benevolent institutions. Indiana has ever been mindful of the poor, the blind, the deaf and dumb, the friendless, the orphan, and the fallen. . All have their institutions. These have ever been well supported by charitable donations from individuals, and by liberal appropriations from the State.
The Benevolent Society of Indianapolis was organized in 1843. This organization was a pioneer benevolent institution, and, although at first its field of work was small, it has grown into great usefulness, and has now a long history of good deeds.
During the session of 1842-3, the legislature adopted mea- sures providing for a State Hospital for the Insane. "As early as 1839," says Mr. "Halloway's Indianapolis," "atten- tion had been directed to the subject, but the State was in no very good condition to undertake new enterprises, and an appeal was made to Congress for a grant." This appeal had no good results, and the State was left to its own resources. Subsequently the County Assessors were ordered to make a return of the deaf mutes in their respective counties, in order that public sympathy for these unfortunates might be awak- ened. During the year 1842, the Governor, acting under the direction of the Legislature, procured considerable informa- tion in regard to hospitals for the insane in other States; and in 1843, Dr. John Evans lectured before the Legislature on the subject of Insanity and its Treatment. The result of this double effort was a determination to take some active steps in establishing a Hospital for the Insane in the State. On the
299
300
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
thirteenth of February, 1843, the Governor was directed to obtain plans and suggestions from the Superintendents of Hospitals in other States, for submission to the Legislature at the next session. This he faithfully performed, and at the session of the Legislature in 1844, this information was exam- ined, a mode of operation determined, and a tax of one cent on the hundred dollars levied to carry it out. In the follow- ing year a commission was appointed to obtain a site, not to exceed two hundred acres, consisting of Dr. John Evans, Dr. L. Dunlap, and James Blake. Mount Jackson was selected --- then the residence of Nathaniel Bolton. This site, with speci- fications for building, was reported to the Legislature at the next session, and in 1846 the Commissioners were ordered to proceed with the work of building. Means were placed at the disposal of the commission, and in 1847 the central build- ing was completed, at a cost of $75,000. It has since been enlarged by wings, some of which are larger than the old cen- tral building, until it has become an immense structure, having cost over half a million of dollars. It is supplied with water by its own water works, from Eagle creek, and is in every respect a complete, well-regulated hospital.
But while the State was providing for the insane, the deaf and dumb were not forgotten. In the same year that the Governor was instructed to obtain plans from Insane Hos- pitals, a tax was levied to provide for the mutes. The first one to agitate the subject, was William Willard, who was himself a mute. He visited Indiana in 1843, and opened a school for mutes on his own account, with sixteen pupils; and in 1844 the Legislature adopted his school as a State Institu- tion, and appointed a Board of Trustees for its management, consisting of the Governor, and Secretary of State, ex officio, and Revs. Henry Ward Beecher, Phineas D. Gurley, L. H. Jameson, Dr. Dunlap, Hon. James Morrison, and Rev. Mat- thew Simpson. They rented the large building standing on the southeast corner of Illinois and Maryland streets, and opened the first State Asylum there, in 1844. In 1846, a site for a permanent building was selected, consisting, first of thirty acres, but afterwards of a hundred and thirty acres, just
301
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
east of the city of Indianapolis. A building was begun on this site in 1849, and was completed in the fall of 1850, at a cost of $30,000. The school was transferred to the new build- ing in October, 1850, where it is still flourishing, with enlarged buildings, and ample facilities for instruction in agriculture.
The blind were not provided for at this time; probably on account of the pressure of the wants of the insane, and the deaf and dumb, as also from the fact that their number had, at this time, not become very large. But the blind were not forgotten. The first effort, on their behalf, "was instigated and directed by James M. Ray, to whom the Indiana Institute for the Blind is more indebted than it is to any other man living." It was through his efforts that William H. Church- man was induced to come to Indianapolis from Kentucky, and give exhibitions, in Mr. Beecher's church, with blind pupils from his State. These entertainments were attended by mem- bers of the legislature, for whom they were especially intended ; and the effect upon them was so good that before the adjourn- ment of the session measures to establish a blind asylum were adopted. A commission was appointed to carry out the measure, consisting of James M. Ray, Geo. W. Mears and the Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor of the State. They engaged Mr. Churchman to make a lecturing tour through the State, and to collect statistics of the blind population.
The Institute for the Education of the Blind was founded by an act of the general assembly in 1847; and was first opened, says Mr. Halloway, in a rented building, on the first of October of that year. The permanent buildings were first opened and occupied in the month of February, 1853. The original cost of the buildings and ground was $110,000. A more full description will be found in the history of Marion County in this work.
Aside from the three institutions already mentioned, the State early provided handsomely other needed charities. Among these are the Indiana Female Prison and Reformatory, infir- maries, hospitals, homes for friendless womer, homes for n-phans, asylums for friendless colored children, societies for the relief of the poor, and many other benevolent institutions,
302
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
all of which are fully noticed in this volume, in the history of the county in which they are located.
Following are some statistics of the blind, deaf and dumb, nsane, and idiotic, in the State:
STATISTICS OF TIIE BLIND, DEAF AND DUMB, INSANE, AND
IDIOTIC- 1870.
Blind.
Deaf and Dumb.
Insanc.
Idiotic.
Race and Bex.
Male. ..
Female.
Malc. ..
-
Female.
Malc. ..
Femalc.
Malc. ..
Female.
White
541 521
450 441
467 462
405 403
748 739
756 747
790 787
570 561
Colored
15
2
6
4
2
5
Mulatto
5
2
2
2
3
5
3
4
Indian
1
1
As before mentioned, the Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb was founded by the State, in 1844. In 1860 it contained about one hundred and fifty pupils. During this year the sum of $15,000 was appropriated by the State to construct a complete steam heating apparatns in the Insti- tution. During the year 1870 the attendance was nearly two hundred, and it lias since been constantly increasing. The school is conducted in the best possible manner, while the industrial interests are growing yearly.
At the Insane Hospital, in 1860, there were about five hundred and twenty patients. The number of applications . that year for admission, was two hundred and sixty, many being refused for want of room. In reference to this matter, the Superintendent of the hospital, in the same year, reported that there was not room enough in the institution to accom- modate all who were pronounced unsafe in the community. He added: "The constitution contemplates provision for every insane person in the State, and humanity demands that each one should have an equal right to the benefits of treatment."
It was not long until complete arrangements were made for the accommodation of all the insane within the State. As
303
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
soon as the War for the Union was ended, the north wing of the Insane Hospital was erected. This greatly improved the institution, giving the required room, improving the venti.
SCUP & WEST. PHIL A
Scc page 21.
lation, and bringing the hospital up to a standard equal to the demand upon it. During the year 1870 there were seven hundred and ninety-two patients treated in this institution,
-
304
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
with good results. Following are statistics of pauperism and crime. Full descriptions of the penal institutions will be given in the history of the counties in which they are located:
STATISTICS OF POPULATION - PAUPERISM AND CRIME.
1870.
1S60.
1850.
Population of the State
1,680,637
1,350,428
98S,416
White population
1,653,837
1,338,710
977,154
Colored
do
24,560
11,42S
11,262
Native do
1,539,163
1,232,144
930,458
Foreign do
141,474
118,284
55,572
Number of poor supported ...
4,657
3,565
1,182
Cost of supporting them.
$403,521
$151,851
$57,560
Receiving support June 1. ...
3,652
1,589
583
Native do
do
2,790
1,120
446
White do
do
2,583
. ...
....
Colored do
do
207
Foreign do
do
862
469
137
Persons convicted.
1,374
1,184
175
Native do
do
755
129
41
White do do
691
... .
. . ..
Colored do
do
64
ยท . .
. .
Foreign do
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