USA > Indiana > Grant County > Centennial history of Grant County, Indiana, 1812 to 1912 : compiled from records of the Grant county historical society, archives of the county, data of personal interviews, and other authentic sources of local information > Part 48
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While centralization has never been necessary in Grant county on account of the distribution of high school centers, and the splendid electric transportation service, combined with the good roads in every township, consolidation has prevailed for several years and sometimes a closed school house is opened again-the required number of children in the community. When B. F. Shields was trustee of Franklin in the nineties, he brought a storm of protest upon himself when he practiced consolidation methods at least a decade before public sentiment had been educated up to it. The West Branch school house was considered un- safe, and he hauled part of the district to Roseburg and part of it to the Shugart school, and when there were not enough scholars at the Mills school, he hauled them to the Babb school over protest of many tax payers, and yet he foresaw what was inevitable and paid the customary penalty of being in advance of the times -- had the censure of many who later indorsed his methods. He did it as a matter of township economy, and at the same time he instituted a high school course at Roseburg, the
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THESE
IIORACE MANN INDUSTRIAL AND MARTIN BOOTS HIGH SCHOOL
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"centralization " point if popular sentiment had indorsed it. There is still some opposition to consolidation, more or less well founded preju- dice against the " kid wagon," but centralization is in vogne, each high school drawing patronage from miles around, and the course of study is being worked out in every community.
Education is comprehensive, and consequently the course of study leading to a liberal education should be extensive, one writer saying: "The main purpose of education is to permit the individual to partici- pate in the conscious knowledge of the race," and another: "The realization of all the possibilities of human growth and development is edneation." It is an incontrovertible statement that the connnon school is the hope of the country, the bulwark of the nation, and with nine high schools and several private educational institutions all doing work in conformity with the requirements of the Indiana board of edu- cation, Grant county is certainly the land of educational opportunity. The commissioned high school must meet the requirements of the state board of education, admitting its graduates to other schools in Indiana. High school students who plan to enter certain higher institutions of learning may map out their course of study in conformity. The certi- fied high school may give part of the required course of study, and credits will be accepted from it.
Conditions have changed since the reconstruction period following the Civil war, but the fathers and mothers remember the eventful days in the seventies. The twentieth century graduate does not know what is meant by a school meeting, when the patrons voted for the teacher, and children then were never sent from home for an education. The molding of character-the making of citizenship, is the prime object of the public school, and while the teachers of the past may have had stronger personalities, and there were line old characters among them, the fact remains that the school was then the social center and the other two recognized educational agencies, the pulpit and the press, did not then contest the ground so closely-did not divide the honors so evenly. Now the metropolitan paper comes into the home, and the fam- ily goes to town to hear a sermon or a lecture, and the school teacher is only an incident in the life of the community. What has the school, the church and the newspaper done for the community ? Amalgamation has changed the forefront of civilization, and unison is the key note of ad- vancement.
The edneator must teach more than the farts set forth in hooks. Edu- cation is a safeguard to civilization when it is rightly used, and the Bible in the public schools is the concern of some Christians. Are there any immoral teachers ? Like saloon keepers, teachers must possess moral characters. Some one has said it is better to be an ignoramus than an educator whose influence is a blight to character. While the chief of police or the county sheriff may not always be estimated morally by the company he keeps, such measure is placed on the teacher, and moral character is part of his stock in trade. The teacher must exhibit the necessary qualifications. It is said that when Joab Wright was conuty school examiner in an early day, Robert G. Patterson was installed as a teacher in a distriet school, began teaching withont credentials, al- though he was "extraordinarily good in the three R's, " and when Mr. Wright visited the school he asked Mr. Patterson if London was the largest city in the world, and, answered in the affirmative, a teacher's certificate was issued to him. Nowadays the teacher must have knowl- edge of many things, must be efficient, and amalgamation has rendered it an impossibility to detect from the manner of speech or the style of apparel whether "she" hails from town or country.
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While the county board of education is composed of the thirteen township trustees and the president of each town school corporation board, publie sentiment is behind all educational movements, and there were many well-to-do families in the early history of Marion who did not approve of the public school at all. After there were public schools there was a well defined tendency toward private teachers, and the governors and the minister as a tutor were part of early family history. While the public school is the great equalizing agency, the private school remained in favor many years. While there are fifty high school teachers in the county, twenty-four of them are now in Marion, although the first high school course in Grant county was instituted in Jonesboro. While higher educational work in Marion began with private schools having the Princeton university course of study, as elsewhere described, it is true that their excellency delayed the improved methods in public schools. Publie sentiment was divided-public or private schools, and until the coming of Professor Alva Graves with Professor Hamilton S. McRae and Mrs. Emma Mont MeRae to Marion in 1883, there had never been any thought given to increased attendance and the need of more and better school accommodations. The old Seminary buildings (see p. 305 , had answered every requirement.
While the private schools flourished in Marion, there were excellent teachers in the public schools at JJonesboro. Cornelius Shugart, Clark- son Davis, Asa T. Baldwin, William Owens, and Joseph Morrow had all been doing excellent work, and in 1865 W. A. Moore, assisted by A. T. Morrow, with EHis Kirk and Luvenia Jones in the primary depart- ment, launched a high school course in the new schoolhouse standing near the present Big Four railway station. While Mr. Moore taught all the common branches, he also taught high school subjects, and he was followed by Lewis Jones, who afterward distinguished himself in Indianapolis and Cleveland as an educator -- and thus the Quakers pre- cipitated high school in Grant county, W. A. Moore and Lewis Jones both being Friends. While assembling data for this article, the writer talked with Mrs. Lovenia Jones-Harris and a number of students in that origi- nal Grant county high school, although commission was then an unknown term in the annals of the community. J. O. Spurgeon (historian of Pleasant i lived west of Sweetser, but he went to the Jonesboro high school in 1865, because a better course of study was offered there than anywhere else in Grant county.
John Ratliff used the first blackboard in the county in a Jonesboro school, and the Quaker community there recovered sooner from the blight of the Civil war than some localities. Among his enrios Mr. Spurgeon still holds a receipt for six dollars tuition paid to Samuel Jay, Mill township trustee, because of his attendance at this original county high school. Miss Hannah Bond. who lived outside of the town, remembers that when she studied philosophy and algebra, she paid $71g tuition. Among the schoolmates of Mr. Spurgeon and Miss Bond were: Harvey J. Hutchins, David Jay, M. L. Barnard, Ann Eliza Johnson, Robert Craw, Mary Smith, B. C. Harris, Thomas Harris, Eliza- beth Harris, Sallie Harris, C. L. Shugart, Abel Knight. Robert, Rebekah and Elizabeth Carreins, Jennie Roberts, Ahna M. Thompson, Ann Eliza Whitman, Aaron Winslow, Rebekah and Rachel Oren, Mary Harris, H. M. Shugart, Sarah Coggeshall, William Baldwin, Lney Baldwin, Mantie Ruley, Robert Jay-"and when his train whistled," Mr. Spur- geon said he could name at least a hundred of them.
They used to sing geography in the public schools, but after "Billy" Moore came to Jonesboro the method of teaching changed -Quakers did not sing, but long before there was a commissioned high school in Jones-
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boro there were more teachers went out from there than from any other place in Grant county. The first graded schools in Marion followed soon after the Jonesboro attempt at high school : A. Il. Harritt, T. D. Tharp, William Russell, Mrs. Sabina Russell, W. C. MeCord, Miss Frone A. Case. Professor Wood, Miss Nannie Mooney, I. W. Legg, W. R. Melntire, G. A. Oshorn, but in 1879 Mr. Osborn dropped out to become county superintendent of schools; 1. W. Barnhart, Frank R. Osborn, Phariba White. Mary Lomax. With the coming of A. II. Hastings from Michi- gan in 1882, Marion adopted a prescribed course of study and one elass of seven young women was graduated in June, 1883. before Professor Graves, who entered the school in September as its one assistant high school teacher became identified with the Marion school. and after a full generation he is its principal with twenty-three assistant high school teachers-some indication of the growth of the community in thirty years. l'util Miss Lomax, now Mrs. J. M. Ballard, was added to the Marion high school faculty, one assistant had served the purpose. Mr. Graves was that one assistant, and thirty years is a record for any teacher in any given community.
When A. II. Hastings came from Michigan in 1882 he brought Mich- igan teachers with him, and while he is father of the Marion high school, having complied with the requirements of the state board of edu- cation, one year was the length of his service. Mr. Hastings was suc- ereded as superintendent of the Marion schools by Prof. IL. S. MeRac, who died while holding the position, and with him was his wife, Mrs. Emma Mont MeRac, who was one of the strongest educators ever in Indiana. After five years she went to Purdue University, at the head of the department of English, where she remained twenty-five years and was pensioned by the institution. No high school principal is r exerted a greater influence in Marion than Mrs. MeRae. Aside From seven graduates before he came, Professor Graves has remained to see about nine hundred graduates go out from the Marion high school, and he has always engendered a splendid high school spirit in the cout- munity. Like Tennyson's Babbling Brook, his relation with the high school seems to go on forever. He has always encouraged the athletic spirit, and there are foot ball and basket ball contests frequently.
In the main, what is true of one high school is true of another, and there has always been local sentiment against it because so few take advantage of it. Recently, however, the per cent of freshmen who complete the high school course is much larger than a few years ago. A high school diploma admits its holder to college without the entrance examinations. A high school credit represents the completion of the work of one term of eighteen weeks in any study. Thirty-two regular credits are required for graduation. The regular work of a high school pupil is four daily recitations. Some of the high schools are giving commercial training, while manual training and domestic science is continued from the grades -- complete industrial training. Marion high school freshmen must choose between Latin and German -- between physical geography and manual arts. There are five times as many students who eleet the German rather than the Latin course, a strong sentiment against Latin having been created by a Marion newspaper which opposed high school in a general way and Latin in a particular way because it did not benefit all -the high school for the few -- but there is ehange of sentiment again about it. To a degree the honor system is used in high school government, and no complex system of rules is necessary. Trnaney is an offense, and the cardinal virtues -- honesty, industry, and respect for the rights and property of others -- are part of the system. Gentlemanly and Jadylike conduet is required
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at all times, and violation of such principles is sufficient to exelnde any pupil from the high school community.
The Marion high school has had a nomadic experience, and since its commission was received in August, 1882, its superintendents have been : Hasting, MeRac, J. K. Waltz, W. D. Weaver, B. F. Moore, J. T. Giles and A. E. Ilighley. The first expansion in the Marion public schools came in 1882, when T. D. Tharp, J. H. Wigger and J. W. Miles constituted the school board, and the sum of $12,000 was placed at their disposal when the Washington and Columbian schools-north and south -were built, and the Horace Mann, Central, Morton, Sweetser, Lin- coln, Franklin and Emerson schools, in addition to the "should be Martin Boots" high school, house the school population. The Marion high school has been in the old Presbyterian church. now a dye house, the Tharp. now Manitau block, Charles Block and its present location since leaving the old Seminary, for so many years an educational center.
In 1913 the public school population-the entire enumeration in Grant county was 14.682, with an actual enrolhuent of 11,000, and of that number the entire high school enrollment, not including those tak- ing high school work in private institutions. was 1,300, pretty well dis- tributed throughout the high schools of the county. The money paid as salaries to all public school teachers in 1913 amounted to $174,144.30, and $36,529.75 of that amount was paid to the fifty high school teach- ers in the county. The special high school equipment for 1913 cost $8,452.71, bringing the cost of the nine high schools up to $44.982.46, and yet the taxpayers are satisfied as long as results are secured from the investment. While some have a more accurate inventory of live- stock and business interests than educational affairs, none want to sacrifice the common school on the altar of greed.
The three township commissioned high schools are: Van Buren, Matthews and Sweetser, and there is a two years high school course at Mier, and high school work has been given at some other points. While high school work was given in Jonesboro in 1865, the commission was issued to the present high school there in 1897, a three years course, and in 1900 changed to the regulation four years required by the state board of education. The location of the Jonesboro school was changed in 1894, and the Hon. Will Cumback delivered a masterly address there at the dedication of the new building, but, like the Marion high school, it suffered from fire in 1903, and much praise is due the school board for piloting the financial affairs, rebuilding and continuing the high standard of the school. Dr. E. M. Whitson, Adam 11. Cline and C. Il. Rothinghouse constituted the board in its first building venture. but the duty of rebuilding after the fire devolved upon Mr. Rothinghouse, Frank M. King and Dr. J. C. Knight. The first class to graduate from the commissioned high school numbered Norman J. Coppock, Elroy Gil- christ, Mary James and Maude Adams. The Jonesboro alumni now numbers many young people of the town and surrounding country.
The initial movement to organize a high school in Gas City began in 1894, classes reciting in the annex to the Mississinewa Hotel. The present high school building was completed in 1895, and a commission for a three year course of study was granted in 1896, but in 1900 the course of study was adjusted to the four year requirements, and a new commission secured. Members of the first freshmen class were: Chad Carter, Howell D. Thompson, George Tribbey, Agnes Stine, May Ward, Grace Kearns, Pearl Lecklider, and Stella Smith. W. O. Warwick and Harriet Hilligoss were the teachers. The first high school commence- ment was held in 1897, with the following graduates: Miss Kearns, Mr. Thompson, Miss Ward, Miss Stine and Miss Smith of the original
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class, and Pereival d. Holbrook and Ina Hatcher. There has been a remarkable growth in the Gas City high school, and it maintains a course in all vocational suhjeets. The new Carnegie library in Gas City is due to the effort of the school board and Professor Isaac Cripes who opened the special correspondence about it. The article on libraries in another chapter was on file with the publisher before this Gas City library was in prospect, and it is mentioned in connection with the high school there. A bequest of $8,000 was at first promised, but later, when Mill township co-operated, the amount was increased to $12,500 and the library board composed of J. L. Thompson, president of the school board. George Hammore, trustee of Mill township and Prof. Cripes, arranged for an ammity of $1,250 for running expenses and stocking the library. It is a handsome brick structure located in the city park along Main street, and the nucleus of books from the high school library, with donations from private individuals and a "shower," were placed in temporary quarters with Miss Mande Fields acting as librarian. While all residents of Grant county outside of Marion may use the Marion Carnegie library by paying a membership fee of $1, this Gas City library is meant specially for Mill township Families. It maintains a reading room and loan books from the temporary library building.
While the Fairmount high school was not commissioned until 1900, there was a class of nine members graduated then, R. W. Himelick hav- ing begun high school work there four years carlier, although C. H. Copeland, who came in 1897 and remained fourteen years, is spoken of in competion with the commission. The original high school was in the old academy building, but it now has a modern edifice and more than 200 graduates are to its credit. The 1913 high school enrollment was ninety-seven, and there is a splendid high school spirit in the town, the high school rivaling the Fairmount academy, and there are many rivalry contests between the two institutions. There is a good high school working library, and some attention is given to vocational sub- jects. While Mr. Himelick had agitated the question of high school organization, it came later and many regard him as the "father of the high school movement." The board of education when the high school was established was: John Flanagan, Dr. J. W. Patterson and N. W Edwards.
While A. R. Stout, A. B. Thompson and A. L. Clawson had all worked for a commission at Upland, and high school work was instituted there in 1897, the commission came in 1900, after the first class-Wade Teeter, Von Teeter, Horton Kline and Miss Mta Wilbehn, had com- pleted the course of study required from a commissioned school. W. W. Holliday was at the head of the Epland public school when the commission was granted, and those who have succeeded him are: C. C. Whiteman, A. L. MeCarty, Walter Painter, Miss Luna Dickerson, and "the Ella Flagg Young of Upland," the only woman school superin- tendent to date in Grant county. Although she went to the Philippine Islands as a teacher, Miss Dickerson was again tendered the position. Since Miss Dickerson came Walter Baker, C. W. Ross and E. E. Botts. There are eighteen pupils in the senior class, and there is excellent high school patronage from the surrounding country.
The Matthews high school commission was granted while Daniel Marine was at the head of Jefferson township school affairs and Morton Kline was the teacher. When New Cumberland became Matthews, Mr. Marine built one half of the present public school building, and in 1902 he doubled its capacity and the commission was secured then. Wilbur Jadden, E. J. Ashhangh and Walter Brumfield have since been at the head of the township high school there, and W. P. Shaw and
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L. L. Needler have served the township as trustees since Mr. Marine erected the high school building in Matthews. There are now four high school teachers and there is splendid laboratory equipment.
Although the Swayzee high school was organized ju 1899, with eight freshmen and five sophomore students, it did not receive its comis- sion Uuntil 1902, after Earl Eikenberry and Alpha Peters had been grad- uated from it. O. D. Clawson was superintendent and T. B. Loer, principal, when Swayze became a commissioned high school. The school board was: Wells Watkins, U. S. G. Curless and D. P. Long. There is good school property in Swayzee, and the Sims township grad- uates nearly all enter Swayzee high school, the growth having been gradual, the 1913 enrollment being 116, and there is a splendid high school spirit. Like other schools Swayzee has the athletic spirit, owns its own gymnasium and carries the complete vocational course of study.
The Van Buren high school was commissioned in 1903, while S. W. Convoy was superintendent. A. M. Bloss, a member of the state board
VAN BUREN TOWNSIDP Than SCHOOL
of education, visited Van Buren and granted the commission. In 1910 the school corporation of Van Buren was vacated, and the school prop- erty was conveyed back to the township trustee. William Doyle. The town of Van Buren did not feel equal to the emergency -- the style of high school building required, and while housed in rented property the high school still retained its connmission. When a member of the state board of education again visited Van Buren, he assured Mr. Doyle there would be no trouble about holding a commission with the splendid equipment-one of the most commodious high schools in Grant county. The four high school teachers are all college graduates. School super- intendents following Mr. Convoy have been -- Blue, JJ. L. Hen- derson, and 11. HI. Seott. While all the grades are under the same roof, all eighth grade graduates from the town and township are eligible 10 high school privileges, and there is patronage From Washington and Monroe townships, and from Huntington and Wells counties. It is the nearest approach to centralization in the county, as the other township high schools are not so centrally located. No other school corporation has been vacated in order to secure a township high school building, Matthews and Sweetser not being incorporated towns.
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High school work was first given the Sweetser school in 1892, when J. O. Spurgeon was the teacher. Mr. Spurgeon continued in that posi- tion twelve years, with Charles Grindle, James W. Anthony and A. F. Wharton as successive trustees of Pleasant township. In 1906 Sweet- ser became a certified high school and remained so until 1910, when it was commissioned with George E. Carter as superintendent, and Nelson L. Shockey in charge of township affairs. Miss Talitha Line was the first graduate from the Sweetser high school, receiving her diploma with the 1910 class from the township schools at Mount Olive, Mr. Carter then entering a vigorous plea to the township graduates that they sup- port the high school in Sweetser. Many who had high school work under Mr. Spurgeon in Sweetser became teachers in the county. It seems that the commission was granted December 10, 1909, and that Miss Line graduated at the first opportunity. Mr. Spurgeon was fol- lowed by Otho Winger and Mr. Carter before the commission was granted and Harry O. Lanning has since been at the head of the Sweet- schools. N. L. Shockey regrets the publication of the Centennial History before the splendid new high school building promised Sweet- ser is a reality. The township patronage has been excellent, the 1913- 1I senior class including: Lolita Baker, Edith Buroker, Paul Buroker, Charles Campbell, Joseph Guenin, Paul Lanning, Margaret MeGran, Helen Neff. Joseph Nett, Lorabe Shin, Jennie Smith, Jesse Winger, Lewis Winger and Sweetser graduates from Miss Line are: Sarah J. Lang, Clarence Mang, Zora Small, Mabel Stephens, Earl Aneil, Mabel Bragg, Lester Veach, Clifford Blackman, Frank T. Brown, Ora R. Goff, Charles Simmons, Ernest Simons, Donald Stephens, Edgar E. Stephens, Harvey Stevens, Virgil Stevens, Opal Smith, William Tinkle, Claud Aneil, Madge Bechtol, Oris Cary, Marie Cary, Marie Jester, Clay Kearns, Carl Masterson, Vella Masterson, Mary Malott, Dudley Small, Estelle Stevens, Rosella Stephens and Roger Winger.
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