USA > Indiana > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Indiana > Part 26
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"Art was introduced in the fall of 1907. "This was under the supervision of Miss Ethel Trout, of Franklin. This department made slow progress the first year, for it was entirely new to the pupils and only thirty minutes per week was devoted to it. Miss Trout taught for two years. She was succeeded by Mrs. Zella Lee Trout. an assistant teacher in the high school. She has continued teaching the art since. Great improvement has been made since that time and we are beginning to see the result of the effort that has been expended.
"More attention was paid to athletics in the fall of 1906, when Mark Webb organized and directed a boys' basketball team. Great interest was taken in this, the boys were successful, considering their lack of experience. In the fall of 1908 they won the pennant which was offered for the team winning the largest numer of games in a league which comprised teams over the county. The members of this team were Noble Wilson, Leslie Tackett, Virgil Covert, Leslie Middleton and Ray List.
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"A girls' basketball team was organized in 1909, consisting of Bessie Cosby, Pansy Norton, Elsa Combs, Mae Middleton, Janet Van Nuys, Marie Covert, Ruth Kerlin and Mary Brown. This team lost only one game to a high school, Franklin, also winning from this team by a similar score.
"Physical culture was introduced in 1910, under the direction of Miss Hazel Abbett; there were two classes organized, consisting of the girls from the seventh and eighth grades and the high school. The work consisted of fancy drills and exercises. This work was carried on successfully and at the close of the year the girls of the seventh and eighth grades gave a drill which showed what they had accomplished.
"Sewing was taken up in the fall of 1909 under direction of Mrs. Zella Lee Trout. The Beardsley system was introduced and carried out as nearly as possible. The girls proved industrious and many pretty articles were made by them. In 1911 a sewing machine was given them. This aided very materially and much better results were obtained.
"Manual training was introduced in 1909 in the school. The work of the first year or at least the first half year was that of the beginner, but from this time forward the various classes have advanced until the more compli- cated models in wood work are performed to an advantage. The purpose of the work is giving expression with the hand to the thoughts of the boy and carrying out his ideas, an appreciation of art, and a development of the art side of his nature.
"The results of the department are sufficient evidence of what interest the work is to the boy. also it is sufficient evidence of what can be done in our country high school by employing only a few minutes per week and utilizing a great deal of time that might otherwise be wasted were it not for this work. The models this year are not devised after or fashioned on mission lines of furniture, but will bear the closest test of scrutiny relative to proportion, symmetry, construction, etc. Its value to this school cannot be overestimated, and we sincerely hope the interest will continue until a greater standard of excellence is reached. The expense of having it installed in the school is small and the benefit is without a doubt large. The interest shows it comes from the desires of the boy, from the natural tendency and with interest. unity, care and supervision the work has succeeded.
"During the summer of 1912 extensive improvements were made to the school building. The old buildings consisted of six rooms above ground and five in the basement. Aside from the fact that the rooms were too few for the increased attendance, they were also too small. and the halls too narrow for
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proper sanitation and lighting. The present building has eleven rooms above ground and eleven small rooms in the basement, which latter serve many ex- cellent purposes. Two of the rooms contain dry closets, which took the place of the unsightly and unsanitary buildings outside. A larger room is used for manual training. Two more are for play rooms, another for the compression tank and acteylene plant, another for lavatory and shower bath, and the re- maining space is used for the heating plant.
"The water supply is furnished to all parts of the building by a large compression tank. This system gives running fountains in the halls and sup- plies hot and cold water for the wash basins and bath. The water is forced into the tank by a gasoline engine .. which does double purpose in also driving the fan in connection with the heating plant. The new heating plant not only heats as much surface as both the old ones, but. with the aid of the motor keeps the air pure and properly distributed.
"Each room is now large enough to accommodate the present attendance, and care for a reasonable increase. Each is equipped with light fixtures connected with an efficient acetylene plant. This makes the whole school of service for social gatherings, as well as for the annual exhibition. The grounds are equipped with play-ground apparatus suited to all ages, and basketball courts for boys and girls are provided. In the adjacent field of Mr. List supervised games are played. A well graveled driveway passes un- der a porte-cochere, which enables pupils to alight from the school wagons under shelter.
"The new grade rooms are each twenty-eight by thirty feet and are lighted from one side only. The walls are tinted in light green. the wood- work stained to match. The assembly room is thirty by fifty-eight, and will accommodate three hundred and fifty pupils. The room is used daily for opening exercises and for the physical exercises. The old assembly room is converted into a study hall. Three recitation rooms are used by high school students. The library has a separate room. On the shelves are more than five hundred well selected books, and since September, 1912, it has been identified with the Franklin Public Library, which has extended all its privi- leges to the Hopewell schools.
"The rooms for the lower grades are equipped with maps, charts, sand tables, looms, and many other conveniences for hand work. For the fifth grade manual training in pottery, sewing and other lines is provided. The high school is equipped with Crowell apparatus for physics. sewing machines, a microscope and botanical apparatus. . \ complete set of Indian clubs, wands
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and dumb-bells for physical culture is included, and the manual training room is fully equipped with carpenter's benches and wood-working tools.
"The regular course prescribed by the state board of education for com- missioned high schools is followed. Required work in music and art is offered under the instruction of regular supervisors. A course in mechanical drawing is offered to the boys, and one in clay modeling to the girls. Special attention is given to a study of agriculture. Corn clubs and domestic science clubs have done much good work in connection with the schools."
TEACHERS OF HOPEWELL HIGH SCHOOL.
First, David G. Fenton, term one year ; second, J. Edward Wiley, term one year; third, Charles Flinn, term one year; fourth, Will Hutchinson, term one-half year ; fifth, Edward Remy, term, two and one-half years; sixth, Paul Monroe, term, one year; seventh, James Deer, term, seven years; eighth, Charles Carson, term, four years; ninth, Charles Deibler, term, one year; tenth, John Terman, term, one year; eleventh, M. J. Fleming, term, two years; assistant, M. D. Webb, term, two years; twelfth, James Moore, term, one year ; first assistant, one-half year each, M. D. Webb and Grace Carney ; thirteenth, Arthur Moore, term, one year; assistant, Grace Carney; four- teenth, M. J. Abbett, term, three years; first assistants, Bertha Lagrange, one year; Bertha Lagrange and Zella B. Lee, one year ; Bertha Lagrange and Hazel Abbett, one year; fifteenth, Arnold V. Doub, term, one year; assist- ants, Hazel Abbett, Noble Wilson, Zella Lee, Mrs. Rose Meredith; sixteenth (1912-1913), Merle J. Abbett, superintendent ; Hazel Abbett, principal; Zella Lee. art, and Mrs. Rose Meredith, music.
GRADUATES OF HOPEWELL HIGH SCHOOL.
. 1888-Ada Pugh, Belle McCaslin, Maude Combs Carroll.
1889-Victor Bergen, James Covert, George Jeffrey.
1890-Paul Covert, Hattie Jeffrey Covert, Bertha Combs Winters, Emma Bergen.
1891-Charles B. Henderson, Ezra McCaslin, Ira McQuiston, John A. McCaslin.
1892-John Hoffman.
1893-Estella Jones Webb, Emma Covert Henderson, Henry Huffman. Mamie Bergen.
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1894-Alice VanNuys Oliver, Will Banta, Vassie Voorhees Henderson, James Handley, Kate Voorhees VanNuys, Lelia Covert McCaslin.
1895-Ophelia Henderson Dunlap, Gertrude Oliver Shufflebarger, Claud Helms.
1896-Ezra VanNuys, Watson VanNuys.
1897-Gilbert Voorhees, Gertrude Voorhies Demaree, Edna VanNuys Voorhies, Will Jeffrey.
1898-Bruce Voorhies, Mary Handley Forney, Hester Deere Balser, Gilbert Deere, Omer Henderson.
1899 Jessie Byers Henderson.
1900-Homer Luyster, Mabel Riggs Haymaker, Wheat Voorhies, Leta Voorhies, Edward Dollins, Chester Clore.
1901-Minnie Graham Meganhoffer, Mabel Kinnear LeMasters, Drusy Murphy, Mary Brewer Fisher.
1902-No graduates.
1903-Florence Voris, Cecil Byers Clore.
1904-Nelle Jones Henderson, Carrie Graham Banta, Earl Byers, Neva Henderson.
1905-No graduates.
1906-Fern Hamilton, Herbert Kinnear, Clarence Stimson, Hazel Har- per Canary.
1907-Mary Demaree, Earl List. Cort Ditmars, Forest Graham.
1908 Hugh Hamilton, Mary Sullivan LaGrange.
1909-Noble Wilson, Ora Henderson, Leslie Middleton, Verna List, Ray List.
1910-Mary Brown, Janet VanNuys, Georgia Weddle, Pansy Norton, Ruba Harper, Leslie Tackett, Russell Voris.
1911-Besse 'Crosby, Ruth Terrill, Everett T. Henderson, Elsie Combs, Russell Hamilton.
HENSLEY TOWNSHIP GRADED SCHOOL.
The Hensley township graded high school building was erected in the year 1879 by Trustee William H. Jeffries, in the face of much opposition. The schools had for many years been under the control of Trustee Mussel- man, who, though a successful politician and a likeable man, was not in sym- pathy with "new fangled notions" as to education. The building was of four rooms and located on the west side of the town. In this building Principal
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John W. Roseberry taught the more advanced work in the first two years. His assistant, C. E. Hodgin, succeeded him in 1881 and 1882, but it is not known that any regular high school work was attempted by either of these "principals."
John W. Woolfington succeeded Hodgin in 1882, and introduced normal school methods, giving especial attention to training for teachers of the dis- trict schools. Principal Harvey D. Vories, afterward county superintendent and still later state superintendent of public instruction, came to the Trafal- gar school in 1883 for two years' work. Professor Vories gave the first defi- nite organization of the school work and conducted the first common school commencement held in the township. The class consisted of Dr. R. W. Ter- hune, Joseph Alexander, John McNutt and Ella Pitcher. In 1885 he gave certificates of graduation to the first alumni of the Trafalgar high school, Lillie Ream Lochry and Alva Richardson.
Ben F. Kennedy followed Superintendent Vories and had classes in many high school subjects. Prof. T. D. Aker was at the head of the schools in 1886-87 and 1887-88. Aker was a fine teacher, but excelled in teaching the common school branches. He gave the first instruction in Latin to pupils of the Trafalgar high school, and during his first year Claude Moore grad- uated from the high school. Principal H. T. Guthridge succeeed Mr. Aker for the year 1888-89. He had a "freshman class" in high school work of about ten pupils, but no higher classes. J. T. C. Noe, fresh from a course in Franklin College, became principal of the school in 1889, and was quite suc- cessful as a teacher. He was followed by J. B. Lemasters, a veteran teacher of the county and a capable instructor. He had been the first teacher in high school subjects in the district schools of Union township. Will A. Burton, now treasurer of Franklin College, was an alumnus of the school under Prin- cipal Lemasters.
O. V. Eaton succeeded to the principalship for the years 1891 and 1892, and he was followed by Elba L. Branigin for the three years, 1893, 1894 and 1895. The writer remembers with peculiar pleasure his three years' exper- ience as a teacher in the Trafalgar high school. The average enrollment in the high school work was thirty, the regular course of study for certified high schools was followed, and while only a six months' term was held, the interest and application of the pupils was such that the school work was com- pleted with thoroughness. In 1895 Oren E. Burton, now holding an import- ant position with Swift & Company at Atlanta, Georgia : George T. Rags- dale. recently a teacher in the Louisville high schools; Bert E. Tapp, now
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principal of the Union township high school, and Dr. Jesse Deer, of Thorn- town, all received diplomas for four years of high school work.
Principal J. U. Jones, another alumnus of Franklin College, came to Trafalgar for four years, beginning in September, 1896. Jones was a fine disciplinarian and a scholarly instructor. In the year 1898 he graduated Chester Forsyth and Ernest Linton, both of whom are in good school posi- tions; Beverly Bridges (deceased) and Lora Pickerel; and in the following year Simon Roache, later principal of the Franklin high school and now of the faculty of Shortridge high school at Indianapolis, Warren Sparks and Stella Thompson. The last named alumna was so much to the principal's liking that he adopted her as a permanent part of his domestic staff. and he and his estimable wife now reside at Hammond, Indiana.
George T. Ragsdale in 1900 came back to his "alma mater" to teach the high school work for one year, and proved a popular and efficient pedagogue. He was followed by J. A. Moore for a four-year term, and the latter by Simon Roache for one year. In 1906 Augustus Summers was principal, and in 1907 J. V. Masters headed the school. Warren Yount became principal in 1908, and taught the last school in the old high school room. Before the end of the school year the building was condemned and the trustee took steps toward the purchase of another site.
A long and bitter fight ensued between the school officials and a land- owner whose lands were condemned for the new school property. The courts sustained the school authorities, and at last, in 1912, a contract was let for a new building which is at this writing nearing completion. The new building is a fine structure, equipped fully for school work. with the latest and best ideas in school architecture and will be a credit to the township and the town of Trafalgar in which it is located.
UNION TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL.
High school work was first attempted in connection with the schools of Union township in September, 1888. From a class of thirteen common school graduates in the township the previous year came a demand for in- struction in the higher branches. Jefferson Vandivier, trustee, responded and engaged J. B. Lemasters to give such instruction at district No. 6, known as the Dollins school. When school opened only three presented themselves for the new work: Otis M. Vandivier (the present trustee), Henry R. Van- divier and Isaac B. Ennis. and work was begun along with other classes in the district school.
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But a beginning was made and the next year the class followed Le- masters to district No. 8 (the Vandivier school), and to their number were added Livy A. Young and Orion Deer; the first year work in the same school being taken by Gussie Shuck, John Hall and E. C. Taylor. Lemasters must have had his hands full, as at the same time every grade of common school work was taught and the enrollment reached forty seven.
In the autumn of 1890 the new district building of two rooms at Provi- dence was completed, the one being intended for common school, the other for high school. High school classes were not organized, however, until the succeeding year, when Mr. Lemasters was again instructor, and since that date high school work of some character or other has continued to be taught. In the Providence "high school" the following have been teachers of high school subjects : 1892, W. P. Garshwiler, now a prominent physician of Indianapolis; 1893, Edgar W. Abbott, alumnus of Franklin College, class of 93; 1894, C. E. White; 1895, Mr. Lemasters again; 1896. John George; 1897, Oren A. Province, now a successful physician of Franklin : 1898-02, W. B. Owens ; 1902-04, Henry E. White; 1904, Everett Wiley.
In the year 1905 the Providence school house was condemned and plans were at once formulated for a commodious graded high school building. After a legal contest over the question of its location the site now occupied (one mile south of Providence ) was chosen. During the period of construc- tion work on the new building, the high school work was taught in the aban- doned school house at "Turkey Hill," in district No. 9. which district com- bined with district No. 5, Friendship, to form the graded school work at the new school house.
The new graded high school was begun by Trustee James W. Brown in 1905 and completed in the summer of 1906, at a cost of about thirteen thou- sand dollars. It is a substantial building, of good appearance, and of ade- quate size, and Union township has in this building the best results for the money expended of any township in the county. In the high school work, by this date fully organized. the following principals have had charge: 1906, Everett Wiley ; 1907. J. B. Lemasters ; 1908, Augustus Summers; 1909, M. J. Fleming : and from 1910 to the present time, Bert E. Tapp. The character of the work done is evidenced by the fact that the school was certified by the state board of education in 1909, and has now the requisite equipment to entitle it to a commission at the end of the present school year.
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CLARK TOWNSHIP GRADED HIGH SCHOOL.
After the legal fight with Trustee James Williams over the vexed ques- tion of high school work elsewhere mentioned, no organized work of that character was attempted until 1897, when Ralph Jones taught some classes in advanced grade at a farm house in the township. In the succeeding year Trustee H. G. Williams built a two-room building at "No. 9," one room of which was intended for the high school. This was used as such until 1911, when the present trustee, John T. Overstreet, erected a fine, modern structure, fully equipped, at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. The building consists of seven rooms, with basement, in which is installed the best type of heating plant and an electric lighting plant. During the fifteen years of high school work in the township seventy-seven have been graduated, an ample justifica- tion of this type of school in the rural districts. These students have all come from the farm and the country district school. In this, as in the other township high schools of the county, the principals in charge of the advanced work have been teachers of college training, able to do work equal to that done in the best city schools.
Mr. Overstreet is building this year a new district school of the most approved type, and, while consolidation of schools has not been popular in the township, the eight district schools will, the trustee believes, soon take steps in that direction.
The principals of the Clark township high school to this date are : Ralph Jones, 1897; C. P. Melton, 1898; Arthur Banta, 1899-01 ; Jesse C. Webb, 1901 ; Omer Hougham, 1902; William Smith, 1903; Guilford Wiley, 1904- 06; John Williams, 1906-10; Anna Byers, 1910; Agnes Tilson, 1911-13; Guilford Wiley, 1913.
WHITE RIVER TOWNSHIP GRADED SCHOOL.
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The old graded school building at "Center Grove" was built in 1884 by Trustee Gradner Wilkes. It was a small two-story structure, consisting of three school rooms and one recitation room. The first high school teacher was William V. King. At that time, and for several years afterward, part of the grade work and the high school work was taught in the same room by the same teacher. Later the work was arranged so that the grades were ' separated from the high school, and one teacher gave his entire time to the latter.
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Trustee J. Wesley Richardson built the present fine structure, in the years 1907-1908, and with this school as the center. the works of consolidation of the schools of the township was begun. The new building consists of five rooms for the grades. a large assembly and recitation room for the high school, a library, and spacious rooms in the basement for manual training and the gymnasium. The building is steam heated, and ventilated according to the best modern ideas, and is surrounded by ample playgrounds.
In 1908, the first year of consolidation, there were enrolled about three hundred pupils, including the high school, and six of the twelve district schools were combined in this, the pupils being hauled in wagons. Four grade teachers were then employed, and two were engaged in the high school, and for the first time, music and drawing were placed in the curriculum. The attendance increasing, in 1909 two additional teachers were employed, one in the grades and one in the high school. The work now doing will entitle the high school to a commission in two more years.
At present, two hundred pupils are enrolled and the work is equal to the best country high school. In 1911 the school graduated thirteen and in 1912 fifteen, all having completed the regular four-year high school course. The present corps of teachers is: H. M. Nickels, superintendent; Jane Grace Dorsey, principal; Helen Beers, assistant principal and instructor in art; Grace Fulmer, seventh and eighth grades; Hazel Clary. fifth and sixth grades; Blanche Berryman, third and fourth grades : Vinnie Kegley, first and second grades.
Since the town of New Bargersville sprang up about seven years ago that village has grown amazingly, it now having a population of about four hundred. As this point is not conveniently located for transportation of children to Center Grove, Trustee J. J. Clary in 1912 began the construction of a modern four-room graded school on a three-acre tract of land, con- veniently located for the village school children. The building was completed in time for the opening of school on September 22, 1913. The enrollment for the first day was one hundred and forty-nine, which was increased in three weeks to one hundred and sixty-two. T. C. Wyrick is principal, and Lora Fulmer. Iva Johnson and Miss Boulby are other teachers. Miss Helen Beers has charge of the art and music work.
FRANKLIN SCHOOLS.
Of the first schools in the town of Franklin no record remains and little is remembered. Judge Banta says: "Coming to Franklin township we find that the first schools were held in the log court house. A cloud of uncer-
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tainty hangs over them. Dr. Pierson Murphy is known to have taught at an early period in the history of the town, but whether he was the first may be doubted. Aaron Lagrange attended his school seventeen days, which, he says, must have been about 1825. 'I used Pike's arithmetic. Our other books were anything we could get. I remember we had Dilworth's speiling book.' In the winter of 1829-30, Thomas Graham is known to have taught in the log court house. John Tracy attended, walking from his father's house, a dis- tance of five or six miles. Gilderoy Hicks, who moved to the town in 1834 and began the practice of law, which he successfully pursued for over twenty years, turned aside occasionally during the first years and taught school. An- other who is remembered to have taught in the town school during the earlier years was William G. Shellady."
Prior to 1860 school was also taught in "district schools" scattered about the town. The earliest of these stood at the northeast intersection of Jack- son and Jefferson streets, but no person now living and within reach of the author remembers any of the teachers at that house. One square north, at the northwest corner of Jackson and Madison, stood another school house, which James Sloan attended in 1850 and 1851. Cyrus Wick, a son of Judge W. W. Wick, and Benjamin Davis taught school here in those years and later William Fitzpatrick was a teacher in this room. Still another school house was found at the alley on Home avenue, just north of Jefferson street, at the rear of Dr. Payne's lot. This was a large building of framed timbers and here a Mr. Hatch and a Mr. Smith kept a school, but later and better re- membered was the Rev. Mr. Brownlee's wife, who taught in this building after the academy was founded. Another school house stood on Yandes street where County Treasurer Bridges now lives, but nothing can be learned of the school taught there. While, without doubt, all these school houses were erected by the pioneer settlers for a public use, no record is found that the title to the real estate on which they stood ever vested in the "inhabitants" of any school district. It is equally certain that all the schools conducted in them were subscription schools, and not supported from public funds.
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