USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 30
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The innovation of the free schools apparently was for some time the object of mistrust among those who de- sired for their children something more in the way of educational facilities than they believed possible under the new system and the "seminary" idea persisted. The people in the neighborhood of Milroy apparently were thus mistrustful, for there is on record in the office of the county recorder a copy of the articles of association of the Anderson Township Educational Society, received for record on January 2, 1860, as follows: "It is pro- posed that the citizens of Anderson township and vicinity build the second story on the township school to be built in Milroy, Rush county. Ind., the association to be called the Anderson Township Educational Society ; twenty-five dollars will constitute one share of stock, and entitle the person paying said twenty-five dollars to vote in the man- agement of the business of the institution. A constitu- tion, by-laws and rules for the government of the same to be located and adopted at a regular meeting called by the subscribers to this instrument. Therefore, we are re- solved and firmly obligated to pay the amount opposite our names, one-half April 1, 1860, the other half Decem- ber 25, 1860, for the purpose above specified; provided the amount of twelve hundred dollars is subscribed. Milroy, Ind. [month missing], 1859." These articles of association were signed by Deliscus Lingenfelter and forty-one others. Something more than two years later there was entered for record a mechanic's lien in favor of Henry Long against "the trustees of the corporation known as the Anderson Township Educational Society," giving notice "that I intend to hold a lien on the lot of ground in which said building stands and also the build-
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ing thereon for the sum of $80.78. due me this day from you for labor done and performed therefore by me at your request, towit, for plastering said ceminary (sic) belonging to said corporation." etc. Trouble in the mat- ter of collecting subscriptions evidently had been en- countered somewhere along the line.
WILLIAM S. HALL AND THE CENTRALIZED SCHOOL
Mention previously has been made of the fact that the idea of centralized township schools originated in Rush county, and was first put into practice by William S. Hall. while serving as trustee of Washington town- ship. Concerning this interesting historic fact. John L. Shauck. former county superintendent of schools, in a historical sketch of the schools of Rush county, written by him in 1907, stated that " William S. Hall is the first school official of the United States who, while trustee of Washington township, saw the benefits of consolida- ting weak schools, and who put into execution plans for bringing it about. He abandoned five school houses and erected at the center of the township at Raleigh a graded school building, which was opened in 1877." J. T. Kitchen was the first principal of this historic school, and he was followed by John L. Shauck and he in turn by Will S. Meredith and so on down through an honorable succession of principals and teachers to the present day.
In an appreciation of William S. Hall written after his death in the spring of 1905. he then being past ninety- one years of age, Mrs. Ida M. Shepler observed that Mr. Hall "was a remarkable man-remarkable for his stanch integrity, his firm convictions, his hatred of corruption in high places, a man with remarkable force of character and will power .. . . . He kept up his interest in life until the very last day of it, thoughtful always for the comfort of others, and fearful of giving trouble .. Mr. Hall from youth to old age was strongly interested in the polit- ical and educational institutions of our land. From the
EARLY SCHOOL AT MAYS BUILT ABOUT 1856
ELLECE
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL, RALEIGH
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day of his young manhood until past middle age he held many positions of trust and no man was guardian for more children than himself. He was elected township trustee in 1853, which position he held, with the excep- tion of the years he was in the state legislature, until the year 1878. His interest in the country schools and the study of how to better them to the better educating of the youth, amounted almost to a passion with him. Feeling that the country child, even to a few years back, was yet hampered as he had been in his chance for a good educa- tion, with prophetic foresight, he early dreamed of creat- ing a township centralized school that would, without private outlay, give it an education the equal of an academy or high school in the city. He was the pioneer of the centralized country school system and holds the honor of having established the first school of that kind in the United States, and at the little town of Raleigh."
And there were others who exerted a strong and no- ble personal influence in behalf of the schools here in a day when it required much more to arouse an interest in the public schools than it does now. As Mr. Shauck in his sketch of the schools of Rush county above alluded to says: "There were many excellent teachers among these pioneers. As long as the hearts of men are grateful and true worth recognized the names of Benjamin F. Reeve and Elijah Hackleman will be spoken reverently. Mr. Reeve was a teacher in Noble township. He came from Kentucky to Indiana when the work which he was able to do for the young people could be more lasting and beneficial. Peculiarly endowed by nature it seems now that no man better fitted for his task was ever sent among a people in a new country. He began teaching in Noble township in the fall of 1833. The primitive structure in which he taught had neither chimney nor fireplace. There was a sort of a platform of rock and mud on the ground, on which coals were piled. I cannot dwell upon a theme so fertile as the work of Benjamin F. Reeve
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among the people of his day. In the language of Elijah Hackleman in a note to me some years ago, 'I need not attempt to tell you of Mr. Reeve's career in Rush county, for a history of him would be a history of the county dur- ing the period of his residence as one of its citizens.' Hon. E. H. M. Berry, of blessed memory, once said to me : 'Benjamin F. Reeve and Elijah Hackleman tower above all others who were their contemporaries in their efforts to enlighten the minds of the young, both as to scholastic and moral attainments.' "
A GOOD WORD FOR THE OLD DISTRICT SCHOOL
It may not be foreign to a work of this kind to say that there is still some doubt as to the real benefits ob- tained by consolidation of schools. The district school was a community center, at which for years spelling con- tests, literary and debating societies, and not infrequently religious services were held.
The spelling contests made the past generation adepts in the art of spelling. Very few terms of school were held without at least one such contest. Frequently one district would challenge a neighboring district, in which practically all of the parties attending took part, and as one contestant missed a word he would be seated and the last remaining standing was called the champion for that evening. It was not always the most difficult word that was missed. In one such contest the word "Betsey" caused the downfall of a supposed champion, he having spelled it "B-e-t-s-y." Some years ago a county spelling contest was held in which the winner in the different townships met in a county contest, at the old court house. The winner on that occasion was Itha- mer P. Root, of Milroy, and he was given a copy of Web- ster's unabridged dictionary for a prize. The fatal word on that occasion was "coffee," in which one "f" was omitted and Mr. Root spelled it correctly. These spell- ing contests in addition to the educational value, had a
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social value. It gave the people in the rural communities entertainment and frequently brought together people residing in different neighborhoods, who would not other- wise get acquainted. In such communities there was no desire nor need to hunt the "white lights" of larger cities, nor the "dimmer lights" of the villages.
In these country school houses were frequently held literary clubs and debating societies, the latter deciding a large number of important questions, such as "Re- solved, that Lincoln, the saviour of his country, was a greater man than Washington, the father of his coun- try;" "Resolved, that fire is more destructive than water;" "Resolved, that the South was constitutionally right in the Civil war controversy;" also a number of other burning questions were settled for a time at least, such as the question of baptism, predestination, foreordi- nation, free will, local option and prohibition, moral suasion, legal suasion, etc. And a number of other im- portant questions were discussed. While the questions in a large number of cases were not important, yet the training obtained by the various speakers assisted them materially in taking part in public gatherings, such as conventions, old settlers' meetings and church affairs.
An additional entertainment held in the district school was the school "celebration," consisting of dia- logues, speeches and debates, usually held the last day of school or the night following the last day of school. The dialogue has lost its name at present and has become a "play," but in the earlier time there was great doubt about the morality of a "play" as it sounded too much like a "theater," but the dialogue could give the same performance without criticism. On one such occasion, a celebration was held at the Beaver Meadow school house in Posey township, which caused a controversy contin- uing for a number of weeks in the newspapers, because some of the pupils taking part in the dialogue had their faces blacked to represent negroes, and the weekly news-
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papers for some weeks carried the articles by prominent people. discussing the merits of such an entertainment, under the title of "Beaver Meadow and Burnt Cork Negroes."
Not infrequently traveling shows gave entertain- ments in these school houses, which were perhaps the only shows the children in that community could attend. or had opportunity to attend. until they were sufficiently large to get to the county seat where they frequently gained admission to a cirens by carrying water to the elephant. It was not unusual for religions societies to hold a series of meetings in these district schools, and in a number of cases these meetings resulted in the estab- lishment of a church in the community.
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS
Reference has been made to the law of 1824. under which teachers were "examined" by the three trustees elected in each school district and the manner in which such a system worked out. This ineffective law stood until 1838, when the legislature enacted a law providing for school examiners, three of them in each county, and this provision stood until 1861. when it was decided that one examiner would serve probably more effectively and in the early '70s the office of "examiner" was changed to that of county superintendent of schools, the functions of this office being, with modifications necessitated by changing conditions, practically that of the same office today. The county superintendent of schools is elected by the township trustees, constituting the county board of education, on the first Monday in June for a term of four years, beginning Angust 16, following his election. The county auditor is clerk of the election and in case of a tie casts the decisive vote. To be eligible for the office of county superintendent, a candidate must have been actively engaged in school work for two years out of the ten years preceding his election. and must have a three
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years' state license, or a life or professional license, The county superintendent has general supervision of the schools of the county ; he is a member of the county board of education, attends the township teachers' institutes, conducts teachers' institutes and associations, visits the schools of the county, examines applicants for grad- uation and teachers' licenses, attends school commence- ments, reports the enumeration of school children and other school statistics to the state superintendent of pub- lic instruction, decides local controversies in the school law and carries out the orders of the state superintend- ent of public instruction.
From the records it is noted that Stephen Sims was appointed first commissioner of schools for Rush county in 1829. In 1834 he was succeeded by Alanson Thomas, who in turn was succeeded by Adam S. Lakin in 1836, the next incumbent being Claborn L. Donaldson, who served from 1848 to 1851, and was succeeded by Richard S. Poundstone, who was holding the office when in 1853 the board of school examiners was created, and he turned over to the board of county commissioners the records of the office to be delivered to the new board of school exam- iners, the commissioners appointing to this post D. M. Stewart, of Rushville; Joseph Young, of Carthage, and E. H. M. Berry, of Milroy, all to serve until March, 1854. The succeeding boards of examiners were as follows: Joseph Young, Lewis H. Thomas and John B. Wallace, 1854-55; D. M. Stewart, Gabriel F. Sutton, A. S. Mont- gomery, 1857; D. M. Stewart, G. F. Sutton, H. H. Cam- bern, 1858; D. M. Stewart, G. F. Sutton, John McKee, 1859; Josiah Gamble succeeding McKee in 1860; E. H. M. Berry succeeding Gamble in 1861; Stewart and Sutton continuing to serve. In 1861 the system of having but one examiner became effective, and the first to hold this office was D. M. Stewart. whom the county commission- ers appointed in June of that year to serve for a term of three years. William Cassady was appointed in 1864 to
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succeed Mr. Stewart and he was succeeded by George Campbell (1865-68), the last year of Mr. Campbell's term being filed by his son. A. B. Campbell, who in 1868 was succeeded by J. M. Hodson, who retired a year afterward and was succeeded by Walter Smith, who resigned in 1870, and was succeeded by David Graham, who served for three years or until in 1873, when the county super- intendent law necessitated another revision in the man- ner of conducting the schools. The county board of ed- ucation, consisting of the trustees of the several town- ships, elected W. T. Moffitt to this position for a term of two years, and in 1875 he was succeeded by the Rev. A. E. Thomas, a Presbyterian clergyman, who in 1877 was suc- ceeded by the Rev. J. B. Blount, a clergyman of the Christian church. In June, 1881. the county board of education elected a teacher, John L. Shauck, to the office of county superintendent and since then teachers very properly have held the office, Mr. Shauck having been succeeded by William S. Meredith and he in turn by Robert F. Conover, I. O. Harrison and A. L. Gary, the latter of whom served from 1897 to 1902 when he resigned W. S. Stockinger being appointed to fill out the unex- pired term. Mr. Stockinger was succeeded in 1903 by W. O. Headlee, who served for six years or until com- pelled to resign, by reason of ill health. He was suc- ceeded by Orlando Randall, who served but a year of his term when he also was compelled to retire on account of the state of his health, and in 1910 C. M. George, the pres- ent (1921) incumbent, was appointed to fill the vacancy. Mr. George has been retained in office by successive re- elections and has thus held this office for a longer period than any other incumbent. On June 6, 1921, Angus Wagoner was elected to succeed Mr. George in the follow- ing Angust.
:It manifestly would be impossible to carry in this connection a complete roster of the teachers who have served the people of Rush county during the hundred
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years the work of the school has been carried on here, but it will be well for historical purposes to mention a few of the pioneers in the local field of education. With ac- knowledgments to Mr. Shauck's historical sketch of the schools of the county heretofore referred to, the names of the following early teachers should be mentioned: In Anderson township, John W. Tompkins, Lot Green, Nathan Tompkins, Milton Wagner, William Wheeler, Barker Brown, Sallie Bartlett, Celia Hunt Winship, E. H. M. Berry, Harvey Hedrick, I. P. Root, Dr. O. F. Fitch, Mrs. S. C. Thomas. It is a matter of note that Doctor Woodburn, head of the department of history in the Indiana State University, taught his first school in Richland township. Other teachers there during the early days were Alexander Fisher, W. P. Andrews, James NcConnahay, William J. Brown, Samuel Tarr and Har- riet Posey Flynn. Some of the old-time teachers in Orange township were Lloyd Bishop, John Allison, Alvin Cass, James McDuffy, Hiram Kelly, Harriet Keller, William Richey and Nathan Thomas. Among those men- tioned as having taught in Posey township during pioneer days were Elder Gabriel McDuffee, John W. Whitesides, William Brunt, Elder Drury Holt, Richard M. Clark and John Wood. In Jackson township among the early teachers were William Moffett, John Lewark, Larkin Kendall, Ezekiel Hinton and Stephen Wilson. In Walker township there were Reuben Hefflin, Ross Davis, Judge Blair, Eleanor J. Kerrick Mull, Elias Baker, James Remington, John W. Macy, A. G. Mauzy, Ephraim Wright, Harvey Stewart and Roland Haywood. In Ripley township there were besides those heretofore men- tioned in connection with the old Carthage Academy, Joshua Pool and Judith Henley, the latter of whom is said to have organized what probably was the first Sunday school held in Rush county.
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THE COUNTY'S SCHOOLS TWENTY YEARS AGO
As a matter of historical comparison a reference to the condition of the county's schools twenty years and more ago will be interesting. A. L. Gary was at that time county superintendent of schools and there were within the county eighty-seven school houses, and accord- ing to the school enumeration of that period the attend- ance of pupils was about 4.000. According to a review of the schools printed in 1899 Rushville had two graded schools, the First and Third Ward schools, and the city school board was composed of S. L. Innis, John Megee and Theodore H. Reed. Samuel Abercrombie, who had then been serving for years as superintendent of city schools, was in charge; W. C. Barnhart was principal and A. F. Stewart and Jay Mertz, assistants, with the follow- ing corps of teachers: Charlotte Sleeth, Maggie Cassady, Pet Meredith, Mabel Bonnell, Maggie Shawhan, Anna Fisher, Jessie Spann, Helen Finkbine, Ellen Madden, Alma Odear, Anna Cunningham, Belle Gregg, Cora Vance, May Meredith, Maggie Fleehart, Celia Campbell, Anda Schmid.
The township teachers were:
Center Township-L. A. Hufferd, principal: Lizzie Ernay, Elbert Atkins, Charles Griffin, Charles Thomp- son, Delle Randall, Josie Clawson, Fred Rhodes.
Carthage Schools-J. Edwin Jay, superintendent ; J. F. Evans, principal high school; Sarah Hathaway, assistant high school; Mrs. Helen Hughes, Pearl Mere- dith. Roberta Harris, Jesse Fry, Addie Coffin.
Jackson Township-T. M. Greenlee, Grace Downey, Frank Billings, Mrs. Marcia Oneal, Orlando Randall, A. T. Lowark.
Ripley Township-J. M. Binford, principal; Wal- nut Ridge ; Nina Newsom, Walnut Ridge; Myrtle Bundy, Pauline Bundy, Emma Ernest, Mrs. Lizzie Cox, Mrs. Avery Rawls, Louisa Wadkins.
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Orange Township-W. E. Major, principal; Solon Tevis, Clarence Tevis, Frank Stevens, Linna Waggoner, Mrs. Nettie Piper, Harry Alter, George Hardesty, Char- ley Honey.
Noble Township- M. Effie Coleman, principal ; Georgia Morris, Mrs. May Wellman, Lucy Guffin, J. R. Hargitt, Charles Brooks, Maggie McKee, Owen E. Long.
Washington Township-O. Staley, principal; E. L. Culbertson, Jessie Larimore, Bertha Bunker, Eliza Miles, Allie Greenwood, Alfred Hall.
Union Township-A. M. Taylor, principal at Glen- wood; James Sheedy, principal at Gings; Walter Car- son, Lida McMillin, Hortense Crago, Angeline Coleman, G. M. Logan, Olive Ochiltree, Bert Davis, Haddie Mc- Corkle.
Anderson Township-J. L. Shauck, principal ; Della McKee, Lizzie Booth, Joseph Stevens, Flora Boling, D. F. Jackman, Laura Boling, Will Newbold, Mattie Harri- son, Zella White, Erma Nordmeyer.
Rushville Township-Minnie Murphy, Nina Ford, John F. Peck, Edgar VanHook, D. O. Louden, H. E. Jones, Delphia Dawson, Maggie Hiner, Greely McCarty, Thomas Coleman.
Posey Township-M. G. Benjamin, principal ; Mrs. Emma Benjamin, Laura Alexander, Nelle Cassady, George Moore, Eugene Macy, Lee Macy, E. B. Collins, S. H. Craig, Rebecca Dora, Ed N. Williams, William Marshall.
Walker Township-V. E. Lewark, principal; Eva Hinchman, I. B. Gruell, Mrs. Mary Gruell, Flora Farlow, Anna Burch, E. E. Worth, Edgar Stires, Mrs. Ida Plum- mer, J. W. Arbuckle, L. B. Mather, Pearl Hungerford.
Richland Township -- Frank I. Walker, Mary Hen- derson, Emma Terhune, May Ralston, Lula Harry, Esther Ralston, Mary McLaughlin.
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THE COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 1920-21
The roster of the officers and teachers of the Rush county schools during the school year 1920-21 will be interesting for historical comparison twenty years hence. even as the roster just preceding this is interesting now. As noted above, Chester M. George is superintendent of schools and the county board of education consists of the trustees of the several townships, as follows: Frank McCorkle, Anderson township: John F. Cohee, Center; Alva Newhouse, Jackson : E. R. Titsworth, Noble : Wilbur C. Brown, Orange; T. R. Lee, Posey; Fred Goddard, Richland : Jesse Henley, Ripley : James V. Young, Rush- ville: John F. Mapes. Union: Lew Lewis. Walker. and Edward V. Jackson, Washington. The county attend- ance officer is James G. Miller.
The schools of Anderson township are centered in the consolidated school at Milroy, of which George J. Bugbee is the principal, the teachers being Harold Mccullough, Florence Doan, Mary Henderson, Frances Robins, Elva Blaydes, Elizabeth Stewart, Mary Stewart. Elsie Blaydes, Clandine Ballard, Emma Terhune and Hope Brillhart.
The schools of Center township are as follows: Cen- ter school-John E. Goode, principal; JJessie Applegate. Zella Hungerford, Clara Eliot and Nellie Walker. . Mays school-Ethel Owen and Nellie Myers. Shiveley's Corner-Mrs. Norma Martin.
There are two schools in Jackson township, the Osborne school, with Mande Jones and Zatha Alford as teachers, and the Henderson school, Mary J. Anderson.
There is but one district school in Noble township, the Applegate school, with Helen Jinks as teacher, the others being centered at New Salem, with Mrs. Margaret E. Morton, principal: Nommal V. Patterson, Dorothy Frazee, Mrs. Mina C. Reeves, Minnie O. Miller, Norma Headlee and Dorothy Anderson.
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In Orange township there also is but one district school, the Gahimer school, with Vida L. Frow in charge, the other schools being centered at Moscow with Rollin H. Glenn, principal; Edith G. Blaydes, Rachel Eddelman, William Ward, Ruth Owen, Leonard Barlow and Mrs. Ethel S. Bugbee.
There are two centralized schools in Walker town- ship, the one at Manilla and the one at Homer. Floyd H. Miner is principal of the Manilla school, with the follow- ing corps of teachers: Martha J. Kirkpatrick, Cather- ine Farr, Mae Galloway, Carl Miller, Mandus Chance, Marjorie Retherford, Opal Martin Inlow and Ruth Wit- tenberger. Homer-Zoe Barbre, principal; Mae Gallo- way, Lafayette Jackson, Mary Parish, Nancy Jane Miller and Hazel Ratliff.
The Washington township schools are centered at Raleigh (the home of the first centralized school in the United States), with Flem L. Maddy, principal ; George I. Poince, Lucile Bowen, Christine Auxier, C. H. Mitchell, Mille F. Draper, Avanell Poer and Marguerite Plummer.
In Posey township there still are two district schools. the Sumner school with Lowell DeMoss in charge and the Gary school with Sue Woods in charge, the others being centralized at Arlington with W. E. Wagoner as principal and Hazel F. Meloy, C. M. DeMunbrun, Jean Carr, Mary Foster, Opal Scraper, Mary Metsker, Mrs. Lettie Woods, Mrs. Flossie Irvine and Mary Johnston as teachers.
In Richland township there are three schools, the school at Richland, in charge of Jesse W. Alles and Dora Mckay; the Freeman school, Mary Louise Miller, and Neffs Corner, Charles W. Myers. Richland is the only township that has no centralized school and a project is even now on foot to relieve it of its present schools, cen- tralizing the same at the three adjacent central schools.
Ripley township has three schools, the Booker T. Washington school, Irene Fisher, teacher, for colored
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children : Walnut Ridge, Naomi Hobbs, and the Carthage central school, L. E. Dyer, principal, and R. P. Chambers, R. L. Power, Mildred Henley, Alta G. Hiatt, Mary R. Stewart, Ruby E. Dyer, Pearl Young, Ruth Mitchell, Dova Mitehell and Ada Chappell, teachers.
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