USA > Indiana > Marshall County > History of Indiana : containing a history of Indiana and biographical sketches of governors and other leading men. Also a statement of the growth and prosperity of Marshall County, together with a personal and family histry of many of its citizens, Vol. I > Part 19
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To instruct the people in the new law and set the educational machinery going, a pamphlet of over 60 pages, embracing the law, with notes and explanations, was issued from the office of a super- intendent of public instruction, and distributed freely throughout the State. The first duty of the Board of Trustees was to establish and conveniently locate a sufficient number of schools for the edu- cation of all the children of their township. But where were the school-houses, and what were they? Previously they had been erected by single districts, but under this law districts were abol- ished, their lines obliterated, and houses previously built by dis- tricts became the property of the township, and all the houses were to be built at the expense of the township by an appropriation of township funds by the trustees. In some townships there was not a single school-house of any kind, and in others there were a few old, leaky, dilapidated log cabins, wholly unfit for use even in sum- mer, and in " winter worse than nothing." Before the people could be tolerably accommodated with schools at least 3,500 school-houses had to be erected in the State.
By a general law, enacted in conformity to the constitution of 1852, each township was made a municipal corporation, and every voter in the township a member of the corporation; the Board of Trustees constituted the township legislature as well as the execu- tive body, the whole body of voters, however, exercising direct con- trol through frequent meetings called by the trustees. Special taxes and every other matter of importance were directly voted upon.
Some tax-payers, who were opposed to special townships' taxes, retarded the progress of schools by refusing to pay their assess- ment. Contracts for building school-houses were given up, houses
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IIISTORY OF INDIANA.
half finished were abandoned, and in many townships all school operations were suspended. In some of them, indeed, a rumor was circulated by the enemies of the law that the entire school law from beginning to end had been declared by the Supreme Court uncon- stitutional and void; and the Trustees, believing this, actually dis- missed their schools and considered themselves out of office. Hon. W. C. Larrabee, the (first) Superintendent of Public Instruction, corrected this error as soon as possible.
But while the voting of special taxes was doubted on a constitu- tional point, it became evident that it was weak in a practical point; for in many townships the opponents of the system voted down every proposition for the erection of school-houses.
Another serious obstacle was the great deficiency in the number of qualified teachers. To meet the newly created want, the law authorized the appointment of deputies in each county to examine and license persons to teach, leaving it in their judgment to lower the standard of qualification sufficiently to enable them to license as many as were needed to supply all the schools. It was therefore found necessary to employ many " unqualified " teachers, especially in the remote rural districts. But the progress of the times enabled the Legislature of 1853 to erect a standard of qualifica- tion and give to the county commissioners the authority to license teachers; and in order to supply every school with a teacher, while there might not be a sufficient number of properly qualified teach- ers, the commissioners were authorized to grant temporary licenses to take charge of particular schools not needing a high grade of teachers.
In 1854 the available common-school fund consisted of the con- gressional township fund, the surplus revenue fund, the saline fund, the bank tax fund and miscellaneous fund, amounting in all to $2,460,600. This amount, from many sources, was subsequently increased to a very great extent. The common-school fund was intrusted to the several counties of the State, which were held responsible for the preservation thereof and for the payment of the annual interest thereon. The fund was managed by the auditors and treasurers of the several counties, for which these officers were allowed one-tenth of the income. It was loaned out to the citizens of the county in sums not exceeding $300, on real estate security. The common-school fund was thus consolidated and the proceeds equally distributed each year to all the townships, cities and towns
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
of the State, in proportion to the number of children. This phase of the law met with considerable opposition in 1854.
The provisions of the law for the establishment of township libraries was promptly carried into effect, and much time, labor and thought were devoted to the selection of books, special atten- tion being paid to historical works.
The greatest need in 1854 was for qualified teachers; but never- theless the progress of public education during this and following years was very great. School-houses were erected, many of them being fine structures, well furnished, and the libraries were consid- erably enlarged.
The city school system of Indiana received a heavy set-back in 1858, by a decision of the Supreme Court of the State, that the law authorizing cities and townships to levy a tax additional to the State tax was not in conformity with that clanse in the Constitu- tion which required uniformity in taxation. The schools were stopped for want of adequate funds. For a few weeks in each year thereafter the feeble " uniform " supply from the State fund en- abled the people to open the schools, but considering the returns the public realizes for so small an ontlay in educational matters, this proved more expensive than ever. Private schools increased, but the attendance was small. Thus the interests of popular edu- cation languished for years. But since the revival of the free schools, the State fund has grown to vast proportions, and the schools of this intelligent and enterprising commonwealth compare favorably with those of any other portion of the United States.
There is no occasion to present all the statistics of school prog- ress in this State from the first to the present time, but some interest will be taken in the latest statistics, which we take from the 9th Biennial Report (for 1877-'8) by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Hon. James H. Smart. This report, by the way, is a volume of 480 octavo pages, and is free to all who desire a copy.
The rapid, substantial and permanent increase which Indiana enjoys in her school interests is thus set forth in the above report.
Year.
Length of School in Days.
No of Teachers.
Attendance at School. 206,994 -
School Enumeration. 445,791
Total Am't Paid Teachers. $ 239,924
1855
61
4,016
1860
65
7,649
303,744
495.019
481,020
1865
66
9,493
402,812
557,092
1,020.440
1870
97
11,826
462,527
619,627
1,810,866
1875
130
13,133
502,362
667,736
2,830,747
1878
129
13,676
512,535
699,153
3,065,968
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
The increase of school population during the past ten years has been as follows:
Total in 1868, 592,865.
Increase for year ending
Increase for year ending
Sept. 1, 1869
17,699
May 1, 1874.
13,992
1, 1870.
9,063
1, 1875.
13,372
1, 1871
3,101
1, 1876
11,494
1, 1872.
8,811
1,1877
15,476
May 1, 1873 (8 months)
8,903
1,1878
4,447
Total, 1878.
.699,153
No. of white males
354,271; females
.333,033
687,304
" colored "
5,937;
5,912 11,849
699,153
Twenty-nine per cent. of the above are in the 49 cities and 212 incorporated towns, and 71 per cent. in the 1,011 townships.
The number of white males enrolled in the schools in 1878 was 267,315, and of white females, 237,739; total, 505,054; of colored males, 3,794; females, 3,687; total, 7,481; grand total, 512,535.
The average number enrolled in each district varies from 51 to 56, and the average daily attendance from 32 to 35; but many children reported as absent attend parochial or private schools. Seventy. three per cent. of the white children and 63 per cent. of the colored, in the State, are enrolled in the schools.
The number of days taught vary materially in the different town- ships, and on this point State Superintendent Smart iterates: " As long as the schools of some of our townships are kept open but 60 days and others 220 days, we do not have a uniform system,-such as was contemplated by the constitution. The school law requires the trustee of a township to maintain each of the schools in his corporation an equal length of time. This provision cannot be so easily applied to the various counties of the State, for the reason that there is a variation in the density of the population, in the wealth of the people, and the amount of the township funds. I think, however, there is scarcely a township trustee in the State who cannot, under the present law, if he chooses to do so, bring his schools up to an average of six months. I think it would be wise to require each township trustee to levy a sufficient local tax to maintain the schools at least six months of the year, provided this can be done without increasing the local tax beyond the amount now permitted by law. This would tend to bring the poorer schools up to the standard of the best, and would thus unify the system, and make it indeed a common-school system."
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
The State, however, averages six and a half months school per year to each district.
The number of school districts in the State in 1878 was 9,380, in all bnt 34 of which school was taught during that year. There are 396 district and 151 township graded schools. Number of white male teachers, 7,977, and of female, 5,699; colored, male, 62, and female, 43; grand total, 13,781. For the ten years ending with 1878 there was an increase of 409 male teachers and 811 female teachers. All these teachers, except about 200, attend normal institutes,-a showing which probably surpasses that of any other State in this respect.
The average daily compensation of teachers throughout the State in 1878 was as follows: In townships, males, $1.90; females, $1.70: in towns, males, $3.09; females, $1.81; in cities, males, $4.06; females, $2.29.
In 1878 there were 89 stone school-houses, 1,724 brick, 7,608 frame, and 124 log; total, 9,545, valued at $11,536,647.39.
And lastly, and best of all, we are happy to state that Indiana has a larger school fund than any other State in the Union. In 1872, according to the statistics before us, it was larger than that of any other State by $2,000,000! the figures being as follows:
Indiana $8,437,593.47
Michigan. $2,500,214.91
Ohio.
6,614,816.50
Missouri.
2,525,253.52
Illinois.
6,348,538.32
Minnesota.
2,471,199.31
New York.
2,880,017.01 Wisconsin 2,237,414.37
Connecticut ..
3,809,770.70
Massachusetts. 2,210,864.09
Iowa
4,274,581.93
Arkansas. 2,000,000.00
Nearly all the rest of the States have less than a million dollars in their school fund.
In 1872 the common-school fund of Indiana consisted of the following:
Non-negotiable bonds .. .. $3,591,316.15
Escheated estates.
17.866.55
Common-school fund,. 1,666,824.50
Sinking fund, last distrib-
Sinking fund, at 8 per cent 569,139.94
ution .. 67,068.72
Congressional township
Sinking fund undistrib- uted .. 100,165.92
fund .. 2,281,076.69
Value of unsold Congres-
sional township lands .. 94,245.00
Saline fund .. 5,727.66
Bank tax fund. 1,744.94
Swamp land fund 42,418.40
$8,437,593 47
In 1878 the grand total was $8,974,455.55.
The origin of the respective school funds of Indiana is as follows: 1. The "Congressional township" fund is derived from the proceeds of the 16th sections of the townships. Almost all of these
221
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
have been sold and the money put out at interest. The amount of this fund in 1877 was $2,452,936.82.
2. The "saline" fund consists of the proceeds of the sale of salt springs, and the land adjoining necessary for working them to the amount of 36 entire sections, authorized by the original act of Congress. By authority of the same act the Legislature has made these proceeds a part of the permanent school fund.
3. The " surplus revenue " fund. Under the administration of President Jackson, the national debt, contracted by the Revolutionary war and the purchase of Louisiana, was entirely discharged, and a large surplus remained in the treasury. In June, 1836, Congress distributed this money among the States in the ratio of their repre- sentation in Congress, subject to recall, and Indiana's share was $860,254. The Legislature subsequently set apart $573.502.96 of this amount to be a part of the school fund. It is not probable that the general Government will ever recall this money. .
4. "Bank tax " fund. The Legislature of 1834 chartered a State Bank, of which a part of the stock was owned by the State and a part by individuals. Section 15 of the charter required an annual deduction from the dividends, equal to 122 cents on each share not held by the State, to be set apart for common-school education. This tax finally amounted to $80,000, which now bears interest in favor of education.
5. "Sinking " fund. In order to set the State bank under good headway, the State at first borrowed $1,300,000, and out of the unapplied balances a fund was created, increased by unapplied balances also of the principal, interest and dividends of the amount lent to the individual holders of stock, for the purpose of sinking the debt of the bank; hence the name sinking fund. The 114th section of the charter provided that after the full payment of the bank's indebtedness, principal, interest and incidental expenses, the residue of said fund should be a permanent fund, appropriated to the cause of education. As the charter extended through a period of 25 years, this fund ultimately reached the handsome amount of $5,000,000.
The foregoing are all interest-bearing funds; the following are additional school funds, but not productive:
6. "Seminary " fund. By order of the Legislature in 1852, all county seminaries were sold, and the net proceeds placed in the common-school fund.
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IIISTORY OF INDIANA.
7. All fines for the violation of the penal laws of the State are placed to the credit of the common-school fund
8. All recognizances of witnesses and parties indicted for crime, when forfeited, are collectible by law and made a part of the school fund. These are reported to the office of the State Superin- tendent of Public Instruction annually. For the five years ending with 1872, they averaged about $34,000 a year.
9. Escheats. These amount to $17,865.55, which was still in the State treasury in 1872 and unapplied.
10. The "swamp-land " fund arises from the sale of certain Congressional land grants, not devoted to any particular purpose by the terms of the grant. In 1872 there was $42,418.40 of this money, subject to eall by the school interests.
11. Taxes on corporations are to some extent devoted by the Constitution to school purposes, but the clause on this subject is somewhat obscure, and no funds as yet have been realized from this source. It is supposed that several large sums of money are due the common-school fund from the corporations.
Constitutionally, any of the above funds may be increased, but never diminished.
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
So early as 1802 the U. S. Congress granted lands and a charter to the people of that portion of the Northwestern Territory resid- ing at Vincennes, for the erection and maintenance of a seminary of learning in that early settled district; and five years afterward an act incorporating the Vincennes University asked the Legisla- ture to appoint a Board of Trustees for the institution and order the sale of a single township in Gibson county, granted by Congress in 1802, so that the proceeds might be at once devoted to the objects of education. On this Board the following gentlemen were ap- pointed to act in the interests of the institution: William H. Har- rison, John Gibson, Thomas H. Davis, Henry Vanderburgh, Wal- ler Taylor. Benjamin Parke, Peter Jones, James Johnson, John Rice Jones, George Wallace, William Bullitt, Ehas McNamee, John Badolett, Henry Hurst, Gen. W. Johnston, Francis Vigo, Jacob Kuykendall, Samuel McKee, Nathaniel Ewing, George Leech, Luke Decker, Samuel Gwathmey and John Johnson.
The sale of this land was slow and the proceeds small. The members of the Board, too, were apathetic, and failing to meet, the institution fell out of existence and out of memory.
223
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
In 1816 Congress granted another township in Monroe county, located within its present limits, and the foundation of a university was laid. Four years later, and after Indiana was erected into a State, an act of the local Legislature appointing another Board of Trustees and authorizing them to select a location for a university and to enter into contracts for its construction, was passed. The new Board met at Bloomington and selected a site at that place for the location of the present building, entered into a contract for the erection of the same in 1822, and in 1825 had the satisfaction of being present at the inauguration of the university. The first session was commenced under the Rev. Baynard R. Hall, with 20 students, and when the learned professor could only boast of a salary of $150 a year; yet, on this very limited sum the gentleman worked with energy and soon brought the enterprise through all its elementary stages to the position of an academic institution. Dividing the year into two sessions of five months each. the Board acting under his advice, changed the name to the "Indiana Academy," under which title it was duly chartered. In 1827 Prof. John H. Harney was raised to the chairs of mathematics, natural philosophy and astronomy, at a salary of $300 a year; and the salary of Mr. Hall raised to $400 a year. In 1828 the name was again changed by the Legislature to the " Indiana College," and the following professors appointed over the different departments: Rev. Andrew Wylie, D. D., Prof. of mental and moral philosophy and belles lettres; John H. Harney, Prof. of mathematics and natural philosophy; and Rev. Bayard R. Hall, Prof. of ancient languages. This year, also, dispositions were made for the sale of Gibson county lands and for the erection of a new college building. This action was opposed by some legal difficulties, which after a time were overcome, and the new college building was put under construction, and continued to prosper until 1854, when it was destroyed by fire, and 9,000 volumes, with all the apparatus, were consumed The curriculum was then carried out in a temporary building, while a new struct. ure was going up.
In 1873 the new college, with its additions, was completed, and the routine of studies continued. A museum of natural history, a laboratory and the Owen cabinet added, and the standard of the studies and morale generally increased in excellence and in strict- ness.
Bloomington is a fine, healthful locality, on the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago railway. The University buildings are in the
224
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
collegiate Gothic style, simply and truly carried out. The building, fronting College avenue is 145 feet in front. It consists of a central building 60 feet by 53, with wings each 38 feet by 26, and the whole, three stories high. The new building, fronting the west, is 130 feet by 50. Buildings lighted by gas.
The faculty numbers thirteen. Number of students in the col- legiate department in 1879-'80, 183; in preparatory, 169; total, 349, allowing for three counted twice.
The university may now be considered on a fixed foundation, car- rying out the intention of the President, who aimed at scholarship rather than numbers, and demands the attention of eleven pro- fessors, together with the State Geologist, who is ex-officio member of the faculty, and required to lecture at intervals and look after the geological and mineralogical interests of the institution. The faculty of medicine is represented by eleven leading physicians of the neighborhood. The faculty of law requires two resident professors, and the other chairs remarkably well represented.
The university received from the State annually about $15,000, and promises with the aid of other public grants and private dona- tions to vie with any other State university within the Republic.
PURDUE UNIVERSITY.
This is a " college for the benefit of agricultural and the mechanic arts," as provided for by act of Congress, July 2, 1862, donating lands for this purpose to the extent of 30,000 acres of the public domain to each Senator and Representative in the Federal assem- bly. Indiana having in Congress at that time thirteen members, became entitled to 390,000 acres; but as there was no Congress land in the State at this time, scrip had to be taken, and it was upon the following condition (we quote the act):
"SECTION 4. That all moneys derived from the sale of land scrip shall be invested in the stocks of the United States, or of some other safe stocks, yielding no less than five per centum upon the par value of said stocks; and that the moneys so invested shall constitute a perpetual fund, the capital of which shall remain undi- minished, except so far as may be provided in section 5 of this act, and the interest of which shall be inviolably appropriated by each State, which may take and claim the benefit of this act, to the endowment, support and maintenance of at least one college, where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and
225
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such a manner as the Legislatures of the States may re- spectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and pro- fessions of life.
"SEc. 5. That the grant of land and land scrip hereby author- ized shall be made on the following conditions, to which, as well as the provision hereinbefore contained, the previous assent of the several States shall be signified by Legislative act:
"First. If any portion of the funds invested as provided by the foregoing section, or any portion of the interest thereon, shall by any action or contingency be diminished or lost, it shall be replaced by the State to which it belongs, so that the capital of the fund shall remain forever undiminished, and the annual interest shall be regularly applied, without diminution, to the purposes mentioned in the fourth section of this act, except that a sum not exceeding ten per centum upon the amount received by any State under the pro- visions of this act may be expended for the purchase of lands for sites or experimental farms, whenever authorized by the respective Legislatures of said States.
"Second. No portion of said fund, nor interest thereon, shall be applied, directly or indirectly, under any pretence whatever, to the purchase, erection, preservation or repair of any building or buildings.
" Third. Any State which may take and claim the benefit of the provisions of this act, shall provide, within five years at least, not less than one college, as provided in the fourth section of this act, or the grant to such State shall cease and said State be bound to pay the United States the amount received of any lands pre- viously sold, and that the title to purchase under the States shall be valid.
"Fourth. An annual report shall be made regarding the prog- ress of each college, recording any improvements and experiments made. with their cost and result, and such other matter, including State industrial and economical statistics, as may be supposed use- ful, one copy of which shall be transmitted by mail free, by each, to all other colleges which may be endowed under the provisions of this act, and also one copy to the Secretary of the Interior.
"Fifth. When lands snail be selected from those which have been raised to double the minimum price in consequence of railroad
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
grants, that they shall be computed to the States at the maximum price, and the number of acres proportionately diminished.
"Sixth. No State, while in a condition of rebellion or insur- rection against the Government of the United States, shall be entitled to the benefits of this act.
"Seventh. No State shall be entitled to the benefits of this act unless it shall express its acceptance thereof by its Legislature within two years from the date of its approval by the President."
The foregoing act was approved by the President, July 2, 1862. It seemed that this law, amid the din of arms with the great Rebel- lion, was about to pass altogether unnoticed by the next General Assembly, January, 1863, had not Gov. Morton's attention been called to it by a delegation of citizens from Tippecanoe county, who visited him in the interest of Battle Ground. He thereupon sent a special message to the Legislature, upon the subject, and then public attention was excited to it everywhere, and several localities competed for the institution; indeed, the rivalry was so great that this session failed to act in the matter at all, and would have failed to accept of the grant within the two years prescribed in the last clause quoted above, had not Congress, by a supplementary act, extended the time two years longer.
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