USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 18
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TEACHERS, COURSE OF STUDY. ETC.
The first qualification of a teacher to be considered and inquired into was his disciplinary power. which meant his ability to wield the birch and hold his own against the larger boys of the school. If he could do this the first and greatest point was settled in his favor.
Under the law the district trustees had the power to direct what sub- jects should be taught in their school. As a matter of fact. however. it was more often determined by what a teacher was able to teach. Reading. writ- ing and arithmetic contained the fundamentals, and the school that procured
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a teacher who knew arithmetic to the "rule of three." and whose discip- linary powers were up to the standard, was ready to take a forward step. If a teacher knew a little history or gcography, or perhaps grammar, those subjects were added to the curriculum for the term. The subjects that the teacher did not know were, of course, omitted. Later on, in the fifties and early sixties, grammar, geography and history were frequently added and even such subjects as algebra, trigonometry, natural philosophy and chem- istry appear upon the teachers' reports. That some of these higher subjects were intensely interesting and helpful is beyond question.
Following is a report made by a teacher in the county at the close of a three-months term in 1854, giving the names of his pupils, their ages and the subjects taken by cach :
Thomas Moore, 13-Orthography, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic.
Elias S. Marsh, 7-Orthography, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic.
Eliza J. John, 10-Orthography, Reading.
Martha R. Iliff. 9-Orthography, Reading.
Rebecca J. Hendricks, 7-Orthography, Reading, Writing. Arithmetic.
Lucinda A. Cannon, 8-Orthography, Reading. Mary Jane Cannon, 7-Orthography.
Margaret E. Marsh, 7-Orthography, Reading.
Nathan Catt, II-Orthography, Reading, Arithmetic.
Benjamin Catt, 9-Orthography.
Silas Moore, 8-Orthography, Reading.
Eli Catt. 7-Orthography.
Martha Elsbury, 11-Orthography, Reading, Arithmetic.
Margaret Elsbury, 4-Orthography.
Calvin Elsbury, 9-Orthography.
William A. Sleeth, 11-Orthography, Reading.
James M. Sleeth, 7-Orthography, Reading.
Eliza C. Sleeth, 9-Orthography, Reading.
Sarah J. Marsh, 6-Orthography.
Margaret Heavenridge, 14-Orthography, Reading. Arithmetic. John Heavenridge, 9-Orthography.
Christopher C. Marsh, 9-Orthography, Reading.
Aaron A. Sleeth, 13-Orthography, Reading.
Margaret John 14-Orthography, Reading, Writing.
Margaret Mclaughlin, 11-Orthography, Reading.
Louisa J. Cartwright, 10-Orthography, Reading, Arithmetic.
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Mary E. Moore. 3 -- Orthography.
John B. Anderson, IC-Orthography. Reading.
Cynthia .\. Sebastian, 19-Orthography, Reading.
Sarah E. John. 16-Orthography. Reading. Joseph L. Cartwright. 9-Orthography.
Hannah M. Cannon, 4-Orthography.
James M. Price, &-Orthography. Reading. Mary Price, 6-Orthography.
Mary Heavenridge. 3-Orthography.
Mary Jane Marsh, 13-Orthography, Reading.
Eli Galbreath. 8-Orthography. Reading. Lucretia Galbreath, 6-Orthography.
Elizabeth Galbreath, 15-Orthography, Reading, Writing. Arithmetic. George W. New. 10-Orthography.
John Price. 6-Orthography.
Sarah E. New. 10-Orthography.
Caroline Phillips. 13-Orthography. Reading, Writing
It will be observed from the report that in this school the younger pupils studied nothing but orthography. Those a little older also studied reading. while those farthest advanced took the full curriculum, reading, writing and arithmetic. Between the lines of that report also appear the teacher's lim- itations. Following is a report of another teacher made at the close of a three-months term in the same year :
Mary C. Rawls, 15-Grammar. Arithmetic, Geography, Physiology.
Maranda W. Rawls, 14-Grammar. Arithmetic. Geography. Reading. Spelling, Writing.
Tabitha J. Rawls, 8-Reading, Writing. Spelling. AArithmetic.
Mary Brown, 8-Reading, Writing. Spelling. Arithmetic.
Mary J. Bundy. 9-Reading, Writing, Spelling. Arithmetic.
Ruth .A. Bundy. 7-Reading, Spelling. Arithmetic.
. Emily Brown, 12-Reading. Writing. Spelling. Arithmetic. Selah Brown, 8-Reading, Writing, Spelling.
Elmina Coffin, 8-Reading, Writing. Spelling.
Emily Coffin, 5-Spelling.
Sarah .\. Myers, 10-Reading, Writing. Spelling.
Eliza Bundy. 5-Spelling. Almira Galbreath. 5-Spelling.
Sarah E. New. 10-Spelling.
Delphina C. Davis. 15-Reading, Writing. Arithmetic. Geography.
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Matilda Newby, 11-Reading, Writing, Arithmetic. Spelling.
Joseph O. Binford, 11-Reading, Writing. Arithmetic, Geography. Spelling.
James L .. Binford, 8-Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Spelling. Micajah Butler. 8-Reading, Writing. Arithmetic, Spelling.
Oliver Brown, 10-Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Spelling. Milton C. Brown, 11-Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Spelling. Eli Galbreath. 8-Spelling.
George W. New. 6-Spelling.
Albert Binford. 5-Spelling. Sylvester E. Hamilton. 8-Spelling.
Even a casual comparison of the two reports will most likely disclose a difference in the wealth of what was offered to the above schools.
Still another report, made in March, 1855, at the close of a three-months term, shows that the following branches were taught : Spelling, reading, writ- ing. arithmetic. English, grammar, philosophy, algebra and geometry. The report also shows the number of pupils taking the different subjects. as follows: Spelling. 59: reading, 56; writing. 50; physiology. 6: arithmetic. 51: English grammar, 14: philosophy, 7: algebra, 5: geometry. 3.
If one may judge from the report alone, the pupils of this school had cause to be congratulated for having a teacher who was able to offer them something worth while and to lead them into richer fields of learning. The above reports also form a concrete illustration of the fact that the curriculum of any school was determined by what the teacher was able to teach. The same truth is even more forcibly illustrated by an enumeration of the sub- jects taught and text books used in the schools of the county before the Civil War. At the close of each term of school during those years the teacher reported among other things the subjects taught and the text books used. An examination of a number of these reports shows that in the district schools of Hancock county prior to the Civil War, different teachers taught some of other of the following subjects, and that all of the text books enumerated below were at some time used :
Spellers-McGuffey's, Webster's. Murray's.
Readers-McGuffey's, Bronson's Elocution, Murray's, Indiana Series. Writing-Spencerian.
Arithmetic-Ray, Ray and Talbot. Davis, Ray and Stoddard. Stoddard. Geography-Mitchell, Smith, Olney, Patton, Smith and Montieth, Cotton. History-Home's History of England.
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Physiology-Cutter, Taylor.
Grammar-Brown. Pinne's, Green, Smith, Kirkam.
Philosophy-Omstead, Parker.
Algebra-Ray, Davies.
Geometry-Davies.
Trigonometry and Conic Sections-Legendre, Davies, Lewis.
Surveying-Lewis.
Chemistry-Youngman.
Geology-Hitchcock. Physical Geography-Fisk.
Astronomy-Mattison. Botany-Woods.
Although a number of these advanced subjects as they were taught in the district schools would no doubt have failed to stand the present day test, they undoubtedly evoked great enthusiasm and were the life of the school for the young men and women then in attendance.
Some of these very early schools of the county. too, were conducted as "loud schools." or schools in which each pupil studied his lesson aloud. Oscar F. Meek, deceased, late of this county, used to grow eloquent in relat- ing his experiences as a pupil in the "loud school." Jared Meek and John Harden Scott, octogenarians, the latter of whom is still with us, were also pupils in these schools. Although very few now among us have ever attended, or heard, the "loud school." we are yet many who learned our geography in songs, and who can still hear distinctly in memory's ear the measures of :
"Maine, Augusta, on the Kennebec River, Maine, Augusta." etc., etc., etc.
The capitals of the states were Icarned in songs in some of the schools of the county as late as 1885.
TEACHERS' REMUNERATION.
The first teachers in the county depended for their remuneration upon subscription lists. The term of school was usually about twelve or thirteen weeks in length, and the teacher received from one dollar and fifty cents to two dollars per pupil for the term. The teacher frequently appended to this contract the condition, that if a child missed any days. the parents might send another child for the number of days missed, without extra charge. This enabled the teacher to collect for full time. Either cash, or
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anything convertible into cash, was taken in payment for services. This was the time, too, when teachers "boarded round" among the patrons of the schools as part compensation. Later, however, when more money was raised by taxation and school fund money became available, the teachers were paid in cash. During the decade preceding the Civil War teachers were paid on an average of about fifteen dollars per month. During the Civil War period teachers' salaries rose to a little more than one dollar per day. Ladies received from fifteen to thirty cents less than the men. The follow- ing contract, made when he was nineteen years of age, by our highly re- spected and honored fellow citizen, lately deceased, is typical of the teachers' contracts of that time :
"Blue River Township, Hancock Co., Ind.
"Article of agreement this day made and entered into between John H. Binford, a School teacher of the one part, and James P. New, Trustee of the other part. Witnesseth, that the said John H. Binford agrees to teach school in District No. 4 in Blue River Township, Hancock County. Indiana, for the sum of one dollar and 15-100 per day. Said school to commence on the Ist day of January, 1864, and continue for forty-eight days. And for said services properly rendered said James P. New, Trustee of said Township, agrees to pay the full amount of wages due said teacher as ascertained by this Article of Agreement.
"Witness our hands this November 26, 1863.
"JAMES P. NEW, Trustee, "JOHN H. BINFORD, Teacher."
Experienced teachers with established reputations were paid a little more than the above amount per day. A few contracts can be found show- ing that district teachers, and practically all of the schools in the county were district schools at that time, received as much as one dollar and sixty- five cents per day. Even at that time, however, some people of the county began to realize that the schools could never be lifted to a very high state of efficiency unless the teachers were better paid. It is interesting to find among the old records of Blue River township the following letter addressed to the township trustee in which expression is given to this fact :
"7th March, 186.4.
"Friend Lemuel Hackleman, Trustee :
"We have a glimmering prospect of hiring a teacher for our winter school at about $50.00 per mo. and we think our neighborhood demands such
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a teacher and I wish to know whether thee would approve our action at the price mentioned. We have not been extravagant heretofore and for my own part I believe a great deal depends upon improving the class of teachers for our common schools. Please give an answer through the bearer. Also about how many days we will be entitled to.
"Respectfully,
"SAMUEL B. HILL."
The record, however, fails to show that the trustee entered into such a contract with any teacher.
The compensation of the teachers became a little better after the Civil War. A report made by the county examiner in 1865 shows that men were paid on an average of about one dollar and seventy-five cents per day, and ladies about one dollar and fifty cents per day. A report made by Superin- tendent John II. Binford in 1873, shows the average daily wages of men were two dollars and thirty-five cents per day, and of ladies, one dollar and sixty- five cents. . At the September meeting of the county board of education the following resolution was adopted for the payment of teachers: "Resolved. that for the present school year we will pay all teachers in our employ, except those engaged in graded schools, according to the following equitable plan. viz. : Two cents per day multiplied by the general average of the license, added to two and one-half cents per day multiplied by the average attendance of the school." But at the May meeting of the county board of education, in 1878, the following resolution relative to teachers' wages was adopted : "Resolved, that we are not in favor of paying teachers more than one dollar and seventy-five cents per day for the fall and winter term of 1879."
In the last decade of the century just past, beginning teachers were usually paid one dollar and seventy-five cents per day, and the older and experienced teachers were paid from two dollars and twenty-five cents to two dollars and fifty cents in the districts, and the principals of small town schools from two dollars and fifty cents to three dollars per day. When the town- ship high schools were organized the teachers were at first usually paid three dollars to three dollars and twenty-five cents per day. From 1903 to 1907 the salaries of high school teachers rose on an average to four dollars and four dollars and fifty cents per day. During the next three or four years nearly all the principalships were raised to five dollars per day. and during the last year or two the principalships of Westland. Charlottesville. Wilkinson, MeCordsville and New Palestine have been paying six dollars per day. Grade teachers, since the passage of the teachers' wage law of
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1907, have generally received such compensation as they were entitled to by virtue of their licenses.
SCHOOL HOUSES.
The first school house erected in the county was built in Blue River township in 1823. In 1824 a building was erected on the present site of Greenfield, and from 1830 to 1836 houses were erected in Jackson, Sugar Creek, Green and Brown. Buck Creek and Vernon townships, now among our banner townships for fertility of soil and natural wealth, were at that time swampy and were not populated as early and as rapidly as some of the other townships, and consequently their schools were not established until a little later. Many of the first buildings were small log houses, not to exceed twenty feet square, though many were built later about twenty-six feet by thirty feet. They were covered with clapboards and had oiled-paper windows. A huge fireplace was built at one side or one end of the building which enabled the children to keep warm on the side next to the fire. All had puncheon floors: that is, floors made of slabs or logs split or hewn instead of being sawed. The seats were made of split saplings or mill slabs from twelve to fifteen feet in length. Usually seats were placed on either side and extended back from the fireplace. Another was placed across the front of the fireplace. To the rear of these seats a table, possibly three feet wide and twelve or fifteen feet long, extended across the room, and on either side of the table were placed split pole or mill slab seats, each of the length of the table. At this table or desk the children faced each other and were enabled to work with some degree of comfort. Those occupying the other seats had to hold their slates and books on their laps. Frequently, and in fact very commonly, another desk was made along one or two sides of the house by driving pegs into the logs and laying a wide board on them. This was called the "writing desk." In some of the very early school houses there were no blackboards at all. In others a wide board was hung on pegs driven into the logs. In many buildings there were two additional pegs driven into the wall near or over the teacher's desk. Across them might have been seen a bundle of sticks several feet in length. The teachers of those days believed that there was great virtue in their presence in the school room1.
Of course, the "furniture" and the rooms were not arranged alike in all schools, but the room and equipment above described are rather typical of that very early day. The log schools were retained until about the time of the Civil War or a little later, when they were replaced by frame buildings.
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
In the latter eighties and during the nineties those frame buildings were replaced by the one-room brick schools of which a number are still standing. In the towns larger buildings were constructed, and during the last few years the best types of sanitary buildings have been constructed for the consolidated and grade schools. For many years none of the old frame buildings have been in use anywhere in the county except in Brandywine township. There practically all of them are still retained.
IMPROVEMENT OF SCHOOL SYSTEM.
When the first settlers built their cabins in the wilderness of Hancock county, from 1818 to 1835, and even later, actual conditions imposed upon them other duties than the perfecting of school organizations. Teachers, men and women, fresh from the colleges, found more lucrative and more desirable fields for the practice of their profession than in the wilderness. Hence the first teachers of the county were generally such persons as were able to read, write and cipher a little, and who for the time had nothing else to do.
Under the first laws of the state the circuit courts appointed three per- sons to examine the teachers of the respective counties. At the February term, 1842, of the Hancock circuit court, for instance, the following entry was made :
"The Judge. the Associate Judges being present, appoints Thomas D. Walpole, Morris Pierson, and Anderson M. -, examiners of school teachers in Hancock County."
At the March term. 1850, a similar entry was made, by which Reu- ben A. Riley, Meredith Gosney and William E. Hatfield were appointed.
The first step taken toward an improvement of these conditions was the passage of a law providing for the appointment of "three suitable persons in each township as examiners of common school teachers. who shall con- tinue in office until others are appointed in their place. Such examiners shall examine such persons as may apply for that purpose, and certify what branches they are qualified to teach. No teacher shall be employed unless he is a person of good moral character, nor shall any teacher be paid as a teacher of a district school without having procured a certificate of qualifi- cation as provided in the next preceding section."
This law was enacted in 1843. . At the December term, 1845. the board of commissioners appointed the following school examiners for the county: Buck Creek, Barzillia G. Jay, John Collins ; Harrison, Isaac Barrett. William H. Curry ; Center. Harry Pierson, D. M. C. Lane ; Vernon, William Cald-
.
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well, Elias McCord; Union, George Pherson, William Shaffer; Green, An- drew Hatfield, George Henry; Brown, Mr. Reeves, William Denwiddie; Blue River, Orlando Crane, George Hatfield ; Brandywine, Hiram Comstock, Eleazer Snodgrass; Sugar Creek, Samuel Valentine, George Leechman ; Jones, Charles Atherton, H. H. Hall; Jackson, Robert McCorkhill. James P. Foley.
In 1853 provision was made for a county examiner. By virtue of an act approved March 5, 1855, provision was made for the appointment by the board of county commissioners of at least one and not more than three school examiners for each county whose terms were to expire on the first Monday of March of each year. The county examiner examined all teachers and licensed them "for any time not to exceed two years, at the discretion of the examiner." The license had to specify the branches the applicant was able to teach, and the examiner was entitled to a fee of fifty cents in advance from every person taking the examination. Every applicant had to have a knowledge of orthography, reading, writing, arithmetic. geography and English grammar.
On March 6. 1865, an act was approved providing for a general system of common schools and matter properly connected therewith, etc., which gave the county examiner many of the powers and duties now exercised by the county superintendent of schools. Among other things this act con- tained the following provision : "Said school examiner shall examine all applicants for license as teachers of the common schools of the state, by a series of written or printed questions, requiring answers in writing, if he wishes to do so, and in addition to the said questions and answers in writ- ing, questions may be asked and answered orally." Examinations were held each month in the year. "For each person examined he shall be entitled to a fee of one dollar, which fee shall constitute the only compensation he shall receive for services rendered in examining teachers."
Under the township examiners the examinations generally consisted merely of conversations with the applicants and inquiries touching the extent of their knowledge, etc. Even under the first county examiners the exam- inations were principally oral and could hardly be said to involve a test of fitness at all. Many stories are still told by the teachers of those days of the examinations they took following the wagon while the examiner gathered corn, etc.
The men who served the county as county examiners were : James Ruth- erford, from June, 1853, to March. 1856: Reuben A. Riley, March. 1856. to March, 1857: James L. Mason, March. 1857, to March. 1859: William R.
.
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
Hough, James L. Mason and David Vanlaningham, March, 1859, to March, 1860: James McKan. A. V. B. Sample and William R. Hough, March, 1860. to March, 1861 : Jonathan Tague, Asa Sample and George W. Stanley, March. 1861. to June. 1861 ; William S. Fries, June, 1861, to June, 1864; Mansfield C. Foley. June, 1864, to June. 1868: A. V. B. Sample. June. 1868, to June. 1871 : James A. New. June. 1871, to June, 1873.
During the regime of the county examiners the following notice appeared for a number of years in every issue of the Hancock Democrat, beginning in the early sixties :
"NOTICE TO TEACHERS.
"I will examine teachers at the Masonic Hall ( late at the School House) in Greenfield on the first Saturday of each month and at no other times. Ali examinations will be public, commencing punctually at 10 a. m. of each day. Applicants must be present at the commencement, or they will not be exam- ined for one month.
"In addition to the ordinary branches, teachers are expected to pass an examination in Physiology and History of the United States.
"When not personally acquainted with the examiner, applicants must produce the testimonial of good moral character.
"Licenses will be revoked on proof being made to the examiner of in- competency, immorality, cruelty or general neglect of the school."
(Signed by) "WILLIAM S. FRIES, M. C. FOLEY, .I. V. B. SAMPLE, ET AL, "County Examiners."
In 1873 an amendment to the act of March 6, 1865, was approved, by which the county superintendent's office and the county board of education were created. This amendment gave to the county superintendent the gen- eral supervision of the schools of the county and lodged in him the power of final determination of all local questions pertaining to the schools. Under this act and the acts amendatory thereof. the following men have been elected to the office of county superintendent of schools of Hancock county: John II. Binford, 1873: William P. Smith, 1875: Aaron Pope, 1879: Robert .1. Smith, 1881: Will H. Glascock, 1885: Quitman Jackson, 1889; Lee O. Har- ris. 1897: George J. Richman, 1903: Frank Larrabee, 1907: Geoge J. Rich- man, IQII.
It was fortunate for the county that a man of Mr. Binford's organizing ability was elected as the first county superintendent of schools. He organ- ized in every department. possibly to a fault. There were regular dates for
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township institutes, others for joint or combined township institutes, and still others for regular meetings of all the teachers in the county. Though so much organization grew burdensome to the teachers, it introduced order and system into the educational work of the county, which has not been lost to this day. In time many features of the organization were abandoned, but the teaching profession has always retained organizations in smaller units as well as in the county as a whole. It would be difficult to say now to just what degree the educational standing of the county during the past years has been due to Mr. Binford's vigorous and aggressive methods.
Of the men above named. Aaron Pope died while in office. He had endeared himself to his co-workers, and today there stands at a short dis- tance to the southwest of the mound in Park cemetery at Greenfield a white marble shaft with the following inscription :
To the Memory of AARON POPE Born September 16, 1844 Died July 21, 1881 This monument is erected by the teachers of Hancock County as a tribute of re- spect for him as a man, and of honor to him as a faithful and efficient worker in the schools over which he presided as County Superintendent from March, 1879. until the time of his death.
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