USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Dekalb County, Indiana, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families > Part 24
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PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN DEKALB COUNTY.
In 1840 Harrison and Tyler received one hundred and seventy-seven votes, and Martin Van Buren one hundred and sixty-seven.
In 1844 Polk and Dallas received three hundred and twenty-seven votes ; Clay and Frelinghuysen, two hundred and sixty-nine; and James G. Birney, six.
In 1848 Cass and Butler received nine hundred and sixty-eight votes in the county; Taylor and Fillmore, five hundred and seventy-seven; and Van Buren and Adams, three hundred and forty-seven.
In 1852 Pierce and King received seven hundred and eighty votes; Scott and Graham, three hundred and ninety-one; Hale and Julian, one hundred and sixty-four.
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In 1856 James Buchanan received one thousand two hundred and forty- seven votes; John C. Fremont, one thousand ninety-seven; Millard Fillmore, seventy-five.
In 1860 Abraham Lincoln received fifteen hundred votes; Stephen A. Douglas, thirteen hundred ninety-nine; John Bell, twenty-four; and John C. Breckenridge, two.
In 1864 Lincoln received fourteen hundred and eighty-four; George B. McClellan, fourteen hundred seventy-two.
In 1868 U. S. Grant received seventeen hundred and fifty votes; and Horatio Seymour, seventeen hundred twenty-six.
In 1872 U. S. Grant received eighteen hundred and sixty-one votes; Horace Greeley, fifteen hundred forty-four; and Charles O'Conor, ninety- four.
In 1876 Samuel J. Tilden received twenty-five hundred and fifty-three votes; Rutherford B. Hayes, twenty-three hundred and eighty-one; Peter Cooper, thirty-eight.
In 1880 Winfield S. Hancock received twenty-five hundred and eighty- two votes; James A. Garfield, twenty-four hundred and forty-one; James C. Weaver, one hundred and ten.
In 1884 Grover Cleveland received twenty-seven hundred and ninety- nine votes; James G. Blaine, twenty-four hundred fifty-one; Benjamin F. Butler, ninety-five; John P. St. John, fifty-nine.
In 1888 Grover Cleveland received thirty-one hundred and sixty votes; and Benjamin Harrison, twenty-eight hundred seventy-nine.
In 1892 Grover Cleveland, Democrat, received twenty-eight hundred and one votes in DeKalb county; Benjamin Harrison, Republican, twenty- four hundred and ninety-nine; Bidwell, Prohibitionist, one hundred ninety- eight ; and Weaver, Peoples, seven hundred and forty-six.
In 1896 William J. Bryan, Democrat, received thirty-six hundred and seventy-eight votes; William Mckinley, Republican, thirty-one hundred and thirty-seven; Levering, Prohibitionist, thirty-three; Palmer, Gold Democrat, twenty-five; National ticket, fourteen.
In 1900 Bryan received thirty-four hundred and eighty-eight votes; McKinley, thirty-two hundred and eighteen; Woolley, Prohibitionist, two hundred and fifty-nine; the Social Democrats, Union Reform, and Peoples tickets received two, one and seven votes, respectively.
In 1904 Alton B. Parker, Democrat, received two thousand eight hun- dred and twenty-seven votes; Theodore Roosevelt, Republican, three thousand
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four hundred and sixteen; Prohibitionist ticket, three hundred and forty- three; Peoples, sixty-seven; Socialist, one hundred fifty-four; Socialist Labor, twenty-nine.
In 1908 William J. Bryan, Democrat, received three thousand six hun- dred and twenty-four votes; William H. Taft, Republican, two thousand nine hundred and ninety-one; Prohibition, two hundred eighty-seven; Socialist, sixty-three ; Peoples, five; Socialist Labor, two; Independent, eighteen.
In 1912 Woodrow Wilson, Democrat, received two thousand seven hun- dred and sixty-six votes in DeKalb county ; William H. Taft, Republican, one thousand one hundred twenty-five; Theodore Roosevelt, exponent of the new Progressive party, one thousand six hundred twenty-three; Prohibition, two hundred forty-four; Socialist, four hundred thirty-seven.
STATE SENATORS.
Following is the list of senators who have served in the state Legislature from DeKalb county : Elias Baker, 1839-41 ; David B. Herriman, 1841-3; David B. Herriman, 1843-6; Madison Marsh, 1846-9; Reuben J. Dawson, 1849-50; Robert Work, 1850-2; George W. McConnell, 1852-6; Miles Water- man, 1856-1860; Timothy R. Dickinson, 1860-2; William H. Dills, 1862-4; Enos B. Noyes, 1864-8; George A. Milnes, 1868-1872; William G. Croxton, 1872-76; Samuel S. Shutt, 1876-1880; Jesse H. Carpenter, 1880-1884; La- fayette J. Miller, 1884-1888; - Jackson, 1888-1892; James E. Mc- Donald, 1892-96; W. H. Nusbaum, 1896-1900; Charles H. Bruce, 1900-4; Cyrus E. Gallatin, 1904-8; Stephen A. Powers, 1908-1912; Glenn Van Auken, 1912-1916.
STATE REPRESENTATIVES.
The following list comprises the representatives who have served in the state Legislature from DeKalb county, or such territory as the county has been identified with: Asa Brown, 1839-41 ; Madison Marsh, 1841-3; Jacob Hel- wig, 1843-4; Jacob Helwig, 1844-6; David B. Wheeler, 1846-8; Reuben J. Dawson, 1848-9; Edward R. May, 1849-50; Edward R. May, 1850-1; Gil- man C. Mudget, 1851-2 ; E. F. Hammond, 1852-3; Robert Work, 1852-3; A. P. Clark and James Hadsell, 1853-6; Bushrod Catlin and W. I. Howard, 1856-8; Miles Waterman, 1858-60; Henry Feagler, 1860-2; Miles Waterman, 1862-4; Robert M. Lockhart, 1864-6; Ezra D. Hartman, 1866-8; Lewis D. Britton, 1868-70; Lewis D. Britton, 1870-2; Samuel S. Shutt, 1872-4; Miles
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Waterman, 1874-6; William H. Madden, 1876-8; Samuel S. Shutt, 1878- 1880; Samuel S. Shutt, (joint) and Daniel D. Moody, 1880-2; Eli B. Garber (joint) and Daniel D. Moody, 1882-4; William Barney (joint) and Daniel D. Moody, 1884-6; J. D. Leighty and William M. Barney, 1886-88; Jackson (joint) and Freeman Kelley, 1888-1890; Norman Teal (joint) and Freeman Kelley, 1890-92; Marion F. Franks, 1892-4; Frank A. Willis, 1894- 6; Norman Teal (joint) and C. M. Brown, 1896-8; Charles M. Brown, 1898- 1900; Jefferson W. Jackman, 1900-2; Russell S. Hull, 1902-4; Howard W. Mount, 1904-6; Luther W. Knisely, 1906-8; Edward M. McKennan, 1908- IO; Edward M. McKennan, 1910-12; Edward M. McKennan, 1912-14.
COUNTY SHERIFFS.
From the year 1837 to 1850 Wesley Park, Thomas J. Freeman, Jonathan Puffenbarger and S. W. Ralston successively held the office of sheriff. Since 1850 the following have held the office in DeKalb county: W. K. Straight. 1850-4; Isaac Brandt, 1854-6; S. W. Ralston, 1856-1860; J. N. Chamberlain, 1860-2; J. N. Miller, 1862-4; H. Willis, 1864-8; J. Plum, 1868-1872; W. L. Meese, 1872-6; John St. Clair, 1876-8; A. S. Leas, 1878-1882; John W. Boyle, 1882-6; K. Garrison, 1886-88; J. Plum, 1888-90; Philip Plum, 1890- 2; George C. Ralston, 1892-4; Henry P. Stroh, 1894-6-8; John Hathaway, 1898-1902: George W. Bleeks, 1902-4: James W. Reed, 1904-6-8; R. L. Thomas. 1908-10-12; John P. Hoff, 1912-14.
COUNTY CLERKS.
John F. Coburn, 1837-1841; S. W. Sprott, 1841-1851; J. P. Widney, 1851-5; S. W. Sprott, 1855-9; John Ralston, 1859-1867; J. R. Lanning, 1867-1875; G. H. K. Moss, 1875-1880; John W. Baxter, 1880-4; D. Y. Hus- selman, 1884-6; George A. Bishop, 1886-98; George O. Denison, 1898-1904; Charles A. Jenkins, 1904-1908; Warren A. Austin, 1908-1912; John Hebel, 1912-14.
COUNTY AUDITORS.
S. W. Sprott, 1841-2; Aaron Hague, 1842-9; Miles Waterman, 1849-55; M. F. Pierce, 1855-60; A. J. Hunt, 1860-2 ; George Kuhlman, 1862-6; W. W. Griswold, 1866-70; W. McIntyre, 1870-4; Isaac Hague, 1874-8; Albert Rob- bins, 1878-82; Thomas H. Tomlinson, 1882-6; Cyrus C. Walter, 1886-90;
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Herman N. Coffinberry, 1890-4; Frank A. Borst, 1894-8; Frank P. Seiler, 1898-1902 ; Herman D. Boozer, 1902-6; Emery A. Shook, 1906-10; A. W. Madden, 1910-1914.
COUNTY RECORDERS.
The office of recorder was combined with that of clerk for the first four- teen years of the county's existence. The incumbents of the office since it was created have been: John McCune, 1851-5; W. W. Griswold, 1855-9; S. W. Widney, 1859-64; G. R. Hoffman, 1864-8; D. Z. Hoffman, 1868-76; M. Boland, 1876-84; John Butt, 1884-6; George M. Crane, 1886-90; Samuel Williams, 1890-4; Milton C. Jones, 1894-8; Daniel Herrick, 1898-1904; John W. Henderson, 1904-8; Samuel G. Haverstock, 1908-12; William Mc- Nabb, 1912-(deceased) ; Harvey O. Williams appointed to fill out unexpired term.
COUNTY TREASURERS.
Wesley Park, 1837-51; S. W. Ralston, 1851-3; J. E. Hendricks, 1853-5; E. W. Fosdick, 1855-7; Jacob Helwig, 1857-9; R. B. Catlin, 1859-61 ; George Barney, 1861-5; L. J. Blair, 1865-7; F. D. Ryan, 1867-72; Nicholas Ensley, 1872-6; Daniel Gonser, 1876-80; L. J. Miller, 1880-4; Brandon, 1884-6; John L. Davis, 1886-8; George W. Probst, 1888-90; Reu- ben Sawvel, 1890-2-4; David W. Fair, 1894-6; Henry Hines, 1896-8; Francis M. Hines, 1898-1900-2; George W. Probst, 1902-4-6; H. H. Slaybaugh, 1906-8-10; John J. Oberlin, 1910-12.
COUNTY SURVEYORS.
Joseph Nodine, 1852-4; Joseph Nodine, 1854-6; Daniel W. Altenburg, 1856-8; Daniel W. Altenburg, 1858-60; Marius Buchanan, 1860-2; Daniel W. Altenburg, 1862-4; Henry M. Stoner, 1864-5; George W. Weeks, 1865-7; Joseph W. McCasslin, 1867-70; Isaac K. Shaffer, 1870-2 ; Chauncey C. Clark, 1872-4; Winfield S. Bangs, 1874-6; Jay J. Van Auken, 1876-8; J. J. Van Auken, 1878-1880; Azam P. Foltz, 1880-2; J. J. Van Auken, 1882-4; J. J. Van Auken, 1884-6; I. F. McDowell, 1886-8; Jacob M. Hook, 1888-90-2; Calvin E. Van Auken, 1892-4-6; J. H. W. Krontz, 1896-8-1900; Commodore P. Hamman, 1900-2-4; John Eakright, 1904-6-8; Charles L. Wagoner, 1908- 10-12; A. L. Link, 1912-14.
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COUNTY CORONERS.
Robert Work, 1838-9; Byron Bunnell, 1839-40; Wesley Park, 1840-1; John O. P. Sherlock, 1841-2; James Goetschius, 1842-3; O. A. Parsons, 1843-5: David Weaver, 1845-6; Daxid Weaver, 1846-7; Joseph Nodine, 1847-8; John McClellan, 1848-9; Charles C. Knapp, 1849-51; Lyman Chid- sey, 1851-2-4; Lyman H. Coe, 1854-6; Jeremiah Plum, 1856-8-60; Henry Willis, 1860-2; Jeremiah Plum, 1862-4; George W. A. Smith, 1864-6; Henry Feagler, 1866-8; George Metcalf, 1868-70-2; James J. Latson, 1872-4-6- 8-80-82-84; Francis Picker, 1884-6; J. B. Casebeer, 1886-8; - Wood, 1888-90; Lafayette D. Miser, 1890-2-4; Vincent C. Bronson, 1894-6; J. W. Hughes, 1896-8; Emlin G. Campbell, 1898-1900; Charles Comesky, 1900-2; William H. Ettinger, 1902-4; John C. Baxter, 1904-6; Frank Broughton and Fred Briggs, 1906-8; Fred Briggs, 1908-10-12; E. Treesh, 1912-14.
PROSECUTORS.
Reuben J. Dawson, 1843-5; John W. Dawson, 1845-7 ; Reuben J. Daw- son, 1847-9: Timothy R. Dickinson, 1849-50; Egbert B. Mott, 1850-2; J. M. McConnell, 1852-4; John W. Dawson, 1854-6; Sanford J. Stoughton, 1856-8; James M. Schell, 1858-9; George D. Copeland, 1859-60; Augustus A. Chapin, 1860-2; James H. Schell, 1862-4; Joseph W. Cunningham, 1864-6; Thomas Wilson, 1866-7; Thomas J. Smith, 1867-70; Thomas Wilson, 1870-2; Leigh H. Haymond, 1872-4; William B. McConnell, 1874-6; Daniel H. Moody, 1876-8; George B. Adams, 1878-80; George B. Adams, 1880-2; Harry Rey- nolds, 1882-4; Francis M. Powers, 1884-6; E. A. Bratton, 1886-8; H. Leas, 1888-92; Joseph Butler, 1892-6-8; Cyrus B. Jackson, 1898-1900; Joseph Butler, 1900-2; Alphonso Wood, 1902-4; Charles S. Smith, 1904-6; J. Delano Brinkerhoff, 1906-8; Joseph Butler, 1908-10; William H. Leas, 1910-12; James R. Nyce, 1912-1914.
COMMON PLEAS PROSECUTORS.
W. W. Griswold, 1852-4; Asa M. Tinker, 1854-6; Leland H. Stocker, 1856-8; Abner Pinchin, 1858-60; Joseph W. Cummings, 1860-2; Alexan- der B. Kennedy, 1862-4; Asa M. Tinker, 1864-6; Joseph D. Ferrall, 1866-8; William G. Croxton, 1868-70-2; Daniel Y. Husselman, 1872-4. The office was then abolished and the business turned over to the circuit court.
(17)
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JUDGES.
In the chapter, "Bench and Bar," is given a full list of the judges (com- mon pleas, associate, and circuit) who have served DeKalb county or terri- tories comprising the county.
CHAPTER XIII.
HISTORY OF EDUCATION,
-N
THE EARLY SCHOOL.
The following is from the manuscript of J. E. Rose, being part of an address delivered before the Old Settlers' Association on June 15, 1882 :
"The first schoolhouse built in the county was, I think, in the Handy settlement, three miles south of the place where the town of Butler now is. It would be a curiosity now. Permit me to describe it today as it stood more than forty years ago. It was built of round logs, that is of unhewn logs, and sixteen feet wide and twenty-four long, with a puncheon floor and a sled- runner chimney; a fireplace extending across one end of the building, and a door near the corner in the side. The chimney was made of mud and sticks, and was so large at the top that much of the light that illuminated the literary path of the students during the weeks, or the spiritual path of the churchgoers on Sunday. came down the chimney through the smoke. At the end of the room opposite the fireplace, was the window which consisted of a row of 'seven by nine' glass, occupying the place of a log that had been left out when the building was raised. The window was nine inches high and sixteen feet long, and when a snowball passing through the air without the aid of human agency ( for no boy ever threw a snowball that hit a window ), and a pane of glass was broken, its place was supplied by a piece of oiled paper.
"These were usually supplanted with glass at the commencement of a term; the number of accidents of that mysterious nature that transpired dur- ing the term could be determined by the number of greased papers in the window, and as these unprovided panes of glass became numerous in the window and were not exceedingly translucent during cold, cloudy days, when the door must be kept shut, the whole school literally groped in darkness. The writing desk was a hewn puncheon placed against the wall, at an angle of forty-five degrees, in front of the window, and a seat at the writing desk was
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a post of honor enjoyed only by the large scholars, and those who occupied it were envied as bitterly by the balance of the school as the senior class in col- lege is by the freshmen. The cracks between the logs were chinked with pieces of wood and daubed with mud outside and in. The ceiling was made of round poles extending from one side of the room to the other, the ends resting in cracks made large for that purpose on each side.
"Over the poles mud was spread in copious profusion, which, when dried, formed a ceiling that bid defiance alike to piercing winds of winter and the scorching heat of the summer sun. The roof was made of clapboards held to their place by logs laid on top of them, called weight-poles. The seats were inade of sassafras poles about six inches in diameter, split in two, the heart side up, and wooden pins or legs in the bottom or oval sides. These were made to suit the comfort of full grown men, and hence were so high from the floor that the aid of the teacher was necessary to place the small scholars on their seats; and when there no little care was required on their part of avoid falling off.
EARLY TEXT BOOKS.
"The text books used were the Western spelling book, the New Testa- ment, and for advanced scholars, the old English reader. The scholars who ciphered used such arithmetics as they could procure, but Dabold's predoin- inated ; and when an industrious and studious scholar had reached the 'rule of three,' the teacher, to avoid an exposition of his ignorance of the mysteries beyond, prudently required a review, and the mathematical ardor of the am- bitious youth was cooled by being turned back to notation and compelled to memorize the fine print and foot notes. As there was not a uniformity of books, there were no classes except spelling and reading classes, and each stu- dent studied arithmetic 'on his own hook.' The advent of such a man as my friend Houser or Keeran into the neighborhood at that time, with their sample desks and ink wells, slate blackboards and crayon pencils, terrestial and celestial globes, Spencerian copy books, and a trunk full of eclectic spellers, readers, mental and practical arithmetics, grammars, geographies, histories, steel pens and pointers, would have attracted more attention and created more excitement among the pioneers than did the Rev. Lewis Hickman, lecturing on Millerism, with his illustrated map, as large as a bed blanket, on which were pictures of the great dragon that John the revelator saw, with its crowned heads and ten horns; with its glowing mouth and red hot fangs through which blue, sickening and sulphurous flames seethingly issued; with its ser-
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pentine caudal appendage drawing in its train one-third of the stars of heaven.
"None of the modern improvements and discoveries to aid in the cause of a practical education was then known in this county. No graded reading books or spellers, no blackboards, steel pens or mathematical frames, no globes or varnished pointers. Then, we had pointers, fresh hickories cut from the adjacent thicket with the jackknife of the teacher. They were applied to the backs of the wayward youth to demonstrate the propriety of searching for the most direct route to obedience."
EDUCATION IN THE TOWNSHIPS.
In Franklin township the first school house was built on section twelve, the present site of section one, and was known in 1840 as the Houlton school house. The first teacher was Lucy Orton, of Angola, Steuben.
The first school in Jackson township was taught in a log cabin on section twenty-three by James P. Plummer in 1845.
The first school house in Newville township was built of round bass- wood logs, about sixteen by twenty feet, with a "shake" roof held in place by weight poles. The house otherwise was similar to the other log houses, and was built in the spring of 1839, and the following fall the school was taught by Marietta E. Robinson for a dollar and a half a week. A new frame school house was built about 1843, afterward the site of the United Brethren par- sonage, and in 1850 a church and school building was erected under the lead of R. Faurot. In 1852 a select school was opened by Faurot, which was main- tained until 1861. After Faurot, the principals were: J. E. Hendrix, A Hartness, L. Barr and others. In 1861 it became a township school. The first school in the township, however, and also the first in DeKalb county, was taught in 1837, by Eunice Strong. The house was a frame, sided up with shaved clapboards, or whip shingles. It was the first frame house built in the county. It stood on section seven.
In Richland township the first school house was erected at Green's Cor- ners prior to 1841. In 1849 a frame was put up by Charles Knapp on the old site. A year or two later L. D. Britton was a teacher in this building. In 1842 a log school house was built a half mile northeast of Calkin's Corners; Loretta Dawson was the teacher, and she had fifteen pupils. Harvey Smith was the first male teacher.
In Smithfield township Isaac B. Smith and Reuben J. Daniels put up a log school house on the corner of the farm of the latter during the year 1839.
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Miss Murray was the first teacher, and Laura Phelps the second. The better financial condition of the farmers in later years was apparent in the erection of several frame schoolhouses at nearly the same date. Albert Blake, George Duncan and Peter Colgrove were a few of the early teachers.
The first school house in Stafford township stood in the Wanamaker settlement.
In Wilmington township the primitive log school house was supplanted by a frame structure in 1855, among the teachers in this being Hamlin Fay, Mrs. Wood, Miss Stroy, Mrs. Butler and J. A. Campbell. A three-story brick building was erected in 1867, at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. The first teacher in it was Deck. Thomas. The first regular school was opened by Rev. G. W. Bowersox. William H. McIntosh, L. L. Hamlin, James Burrier, Leavitt, J. P. Rouse, D. D. Luke, C. A. Fyke, O. Z. Hubbell and T. J. San- ders were other principals of this school.
The Husselman school in Union township, in what is now Grant town- ship, was originated in 1844 and 1845, and Mary Maxwell was the teacher. Of the thirteen pupils, six of them belonged to the Husselman family. The school house of that day was a little log house built in the woods. Jacob McEntarfer was the builder. It had two windows, one door, mud in the walls, clapboard roof, with weights to hold it on, no nails being used. Hunches were used, being six feet long, with hewed slabs and legs without backs, to sit on. Boards were placed on pins in the walls to write on. Goose quill pens were used, and the ink was made by boiling maple bark in copperas. The blackboard was two by three feet. A fireplace supplied the heat. The study course was English readers, Cobb's speller, arithmetic, writing, and school was taught by saying "books." Sessions were from eight until half-past four, with three quarters of an hour for noon, and no other recess. The school house burned to the ground after being used for about four years, and other houses have been erected since, the present one being the fifth. The school term was three months in duration, and the teacher received fifty cents per day, with the privilege of boarding around. Pupils wore home-made clothes, and were guided through the woods on their way to school by blazed trees. From the school house, remains of Indian camps could be seen; deer would come up to the school, wild turkeys were in the woods, black, red and gray squirrels were plentiful. The latter were so numerous that the lads would chase a drove of eight or ten up a tree at one time. In the swamp lands sur- rounding, many snakes, birds, cranes, foxes, wolves and bears were seen. Venison, turkey, corn cake, etc., were the supplies carried to school by the children.
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SCHOOL HISTORY OF AUBURN.
In 1840, Mr. Sherlock, trustee, realized a necessity of teaching the chil- dren, so he went in search of a teacher, and found Miss Jane Bailey, who was engaged to teach a subscription school for the summer term. The school was held in a deserted, partly unfinished building, which was also used for meetings.
In 1849, William Clark and Joel Hendricks are remembered as teachers in Auburn. Clark, famed for his instruction of elocution, taught in an humble frame school house that stood on a lot afterward owned and occupied by Mrs. Regina Weaver. Mr. Hendricks, a famous mathematician, opened and con- tinued a school through the winter of 1849 and 1850, his school room being the northeast room of the second story of the then court house. The district schools in the winter of 1849 were kept by Paul A. McMynn, Michael and Cyrus Seiler, and Calvin P. Houser. Another teacher of the '49 period was William Reynolds, who died near the end of the year of typhoid fever. In the spring of 1849 a short term of school was taught by Sophia Merrill. In the autumn of 1850, John B. Clark came from Lagrange county and opened a select school. He was one of the most severe teachers ever in the county, although he was kindly. He followed strict rules of discipline, and conse- quently his pupils learned their lessons well. At one time he suddenly asked of his pupils : "If I call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs has a sheep?" "Five," responded the eager pupils. After a moment, Clark added, "Does calling a sheep's tail a leg make it one?" This was a lesson direct.
ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFORM SCHOOLS.
The inauguration of the general and uniform system of schools in Auburn and DeKalb county was under the provision of the act passed June 14, 1852. The school law was in force in August of that year, at which date its provisions were circulated in pamphlet form in the different counties of the state by authority, but it did not become practically operative until the first Monday in April, 1853, when township trustees for school purposes were elected in the townships of the counties. The first duties of the trustees were to establish and locate a sufficient number of schools for the education of all the children within respective limits.
Before this time, shabby rooms had been employed for school purposes. Mr. Hendricks once used a room in the court house. Here and there in
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DeKalb county, the people had erected houses. On June 14, 1853, there was formed in Butler township, at the farm house of Orrin C. Clark, an organization known as the Union School House Educational Society. Three trustees were elected, namely: Henry Clark, Harris and Jacob Dahman.
In some townships and counties in the state in 1853, there was not a single school house of any kind to be found. In other localities, the log houses, dilapidated and poorly equipped, were worse than nothing. It was thought that fully thirty-five hundred schools should be built in the state.
By provisions of the new constitution, each township was made a munici- pal corporation of which every voter was a member. The state had provided a system of public instruction and now intrusted its execution to its cities, towns and townships. No authority had been given to levy a special school tax without the consent of the voters, to be given at a general or special meet- ing. This restricted the development, for, in some places, no meetings were held, and, in others, the vote was adverse.
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