USA > Indiana > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Indiana > Part 28
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1906-President, C. A. Overstreet ; secretary, Dr. Clarence Province ; Treasurer, R. C. Wood ; superintendent. H. B. Wilson : principal. B. D. Remy.
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1907-President, Clarence Province; secretary, W. W. Aikens; treas- urer, C. A. Overstreet; superintendent, Alva O. Neal; principal, B. D. Remy. 1908-President, W. W. Aikens; secretary, H. C. Barnett; treasurer, Clarence Province; superintendent, Alva O. Neal; Principal.
1909-President, H. C. Barnett; secretary, Clarence Province; treasurer, W. W. Aikens; superintendent, Alva O. Neal; principal, Paul Van Riper.
1910 -- President, Clarence Province; secretary, Chas. B. Henderson; treasurer, H. C. Barnett ; superintendent, Paul Van Riper ; principal, Simon Roache.
1911-President, Chas. B. Henderson; secretary, Hugh A. Payne; treasurer, Arthur A. Alexander; superintendent, Paul Van Riper; principal, Simon Roache.
1912-President, Chas. B. Henderson; secretary, Hugh A. Payne; treas- urer, Arthur A. Alexander ; superintendent, Paul Van Riper ; principal, John Stanley Williams.
1913-President, Hugh A. Payne; secretary, Arthur A. Alexander ; treasurer, Chas. B. Henderson; superintendent, Paul Van Riper; principal, John Stanley Williams.
SALARIES FOR 1912.
High School.
Paul Van Riper-Superintendent, per year.
$1,700.00
John Williams-Principal and History, per year. 1,000.00
Nettie Craft-Vice-principal and Science, per month. 1 1
Leta Hall-Latin, per month 75.00 1 1
90.00
Edwin Deming-Commercial, per month 85.00
Maude Johnson-English, per month 70.00 I 1 1
Virgil Smiley-Science, per month 70.00 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Susie Wohrer-English, per month. 80.00 1 1 1 I 1
Cora Wedeking-German, per month 80.00 I 1 1 1 ! 1 1
Ida Middleton -- History, per month 80.00 I 1 1
Anton Wegener-Mathematics, per month. 80.00
Doris Linton-Latin, per recitation
10.00
Grades.
I. W. Linton-8A, per month.
$80.00
Milas Drake-7B, per month 75.00
Kate Graves-7A, per month 68.00
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Mira Sutton-8B, per month
68.60
W. A. Hutching-Principal, per month
70.00
Clara Byers-6B, per month
1 68.95
Katherine Hanchan-5A, per month 69.26 I I 1
I Mable Behymer-5B, per month 69.00
1 Laura Walden-4A, per month 69.30 . 1 1 1 1
Grace White-4B, per month
65.00
Hazel Stout-3A, per month
64.36
Jennie Dunlat-3B, per month
68.00
Nelle Graves-2A, per month 1
69.30
Lula Freeman-2B, per month
68.50
Viola White-1A, per month
69.00
Amber Dungan-1B, per month
69.44
Bertha Rose-1B, per month
68.88
Colored School.
H. C. Williams, per month
$67.90
Bessie Evans, per month
78.66
Supervisors.
Rose Meredith -- Music and Sewing, per month
$60.00
Edith Palmer-Drawing and Handwork, per month
70.00
Ethelyn Lagrange-Office Work, per month
1 1 20.00
Ethelyn Lagrange-Domestic .Science, per class.
10.00
Janitors, five, wages, per month
$200.00
1
FRANKLIN COLLEGE.
The best account of the history of the college in its earlier days is given in a paper read by the Hon. William C. Thompson, prepared for the "Jubilee" exercises held at the college in commencement week of 1884, celebrating the close of the first half century of Franklin College. It was entitled a "History of the Board of Directors," and found a place in a small volume printed by the Journal and Messenger in 1884, and is herewith reprinted in full :
"The history of the several boards of directors of Franklin College may naturally be divided into two periods. The first period includes the time from the earliest beginnings of the college, in 1834, to the suspension, in 1872, during which time Franklin College was under the control of the Indiana Bap-
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tist Education Society. The second period embraces the time from 1872 to the present (1884), during which time the college has been managed by a joint-stock association styled the 'Franklin College Association.' The Educa- tion Society was composed of delegates from Baptist churches, associations, and auxiliary church societies, the number of delegates being in proportion to the amount of money contributed by each organization to the treasury of the Education Society. Individuals of whatever religious faith were allowed to become either annual or life members on the payment of a small sum.
"The object of the Education Society was to promote intelligence and learning among the Baptists of Indiana, and the society was managed by a board of directors, and the members of this board, or enough to constitute a majority, were required to be members of Baptist churches. . The purposes of the Education Society were vast and far-reaching. Its board of directors was granted power to establish one or more literary or theological seminaries, and to appoint trustees for the government of the same, to be chosen annually. The trustees thus chosen were required to report annually to the board of the Education Society.
"With the founding and progress of the Education Society, it is not the purpose of this paper specially to deal. Some facts must be stated, however, to make what follows intelligible. The first meeting of the Baptist friends of education was held June 5, 1834, at the Baptist meeting house in Indi- anapolis. William Rees was chosen chairman, and Ezra Fisher, clerk. The meeting passed resolutions and discussed the educational needs of the state; appointed a committee on correspondence, and to draft a permanent constitu- tion ; also to examine proposed sites for the future institution of learning.
"The next meeting was held at Franklin, October 2-4, 1834. when several brethren were appointed to write for the press and arouse the Baptists of Indiana on the subject of education, and a committee was appointed to draft a constitution for the new institution of learning. The Educational Society next met at Indianapolis, January 14-15. 1835. and completed its organization by adopting a constitution and electing officers. A constitution was also adopted for the Indiana Baptist Institution, as it was then called, and sub- scription papers for the location of the college were issued for four different places, Indianapolis, Franklin, St. Omer and Mr. J. M. Robinson's place, the last two places both being situated in Decatur county, near the present town of Adams. These subscription papers were to be returned at the meeting of the board of the Education Society at Indianapolis in June following. Accord- ingly, June 3, 1835. the subscription paper of J. M. Robinson, and that of Samuel Harding, on behalf of Franklin, were presented and referred to a
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FRANKLIN COLLEGE, FIRST BUILDING
FRANKLIN COLLEGE, PRESENT BUILDINGS
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ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS R
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committee consisting of Ezra Fisher, Eliphalet Williams and Lewis Morgan, to examine the proposed sites and report as soon as possible. The board of the Education Society again met June 24, 11835, and heard the report of the committee on location, and it was agreed 'by a unanimous vote of all present to locate the institution known as the Indiana Baptist Manual Labor Institute at Franklin, Johnson county, Indiana, on the site east of town.'
"The record does not reveal just what inducements were offered by the different places. Indianapolis and St. Omer seem to have dropped out of the contest, and the location of the institution at Franklin is without doubt due to the tact and energy of Samuel Harding and Lewis Morgan. Of the three members of the committee on location, Ezra Fisher and Lewis Morgan favored Franklin, and Williams favored either Indianapolis or St. Omer.
"At the same meeting, June 24, 1835, the Education Society appointed thirty-five men a board of directors of the Indiana Baptist Manual Labor Institute. The list is as follows: Lewis Morgan, Samuel Harding, Jeffer- son D. Jones, Samuel Herriott, John Foster, Dr. Pierson Murphy. Nicholas Shaffer, Robert Gillcrees, George King, Milton Stapp, Jesse L. Holman, George Matthews, John McCoy, Seth Woodruff. Joseph Chamberlain, Silas Jones. William B. Ewing, H. J. Hall, J. L. Richmond, Henry Bradley, Samuel Merrill, N. B. Palmer, Ezra Fisher, Robert Thomson, George Hunt, John Walker, William Phelps, William Rees. James V. A. Woods, Eliphalet Williams, John Hawkins, D. Thomas, Wmy Polk, Byrum Lawrence, and Wm. Stansil. Of this first board of directors. three are still living ( 1884), Eliphalet Williams, at Lebanon, Indiana : William Stansil, at Sullivan, Indi- ana, and Nicholas Shaffer in Oregon.
"The new board of directors. in accordance with the instructions of the Education Society, met July 18, 1835, and perfected an organization by elect- ing Samuel Harding. president : Jesse L. Holman and Samuel Merrill, vice-presidents : Samuel Herriott, secretary ; and Nicholas Shaffer, treasurer. Committees were appointed to prepare by-laws for the regulation of the board: also to superintend the surveying and platting of lots of land donated to the college. The treasurer was required to give bond in the sum of twenty- five thousand dollars, an amount supposed to be commensurate with the responsibilities of the position. The board also took steps toward securing the temporary use of the public school house in Franklin.
"Up to this time, the institution had received donations of land from George King and Harvey McCaslin .* Mr. King's donation consisted of a
*The deed of George King bears date March 24, 1838; that of Harvey McCaslin is dated April 2, 1838. It may be, however, that the board was in possession of these lands as early as Mr. Thompson asserts -Author.
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three-acre strip of land running east and west through what is now the cen- tral part of the college campus. Mr. McCaslin's donation consisted of five acres, which now forms the south side of the campus, and the north side of Joseph A. Dunlap's land. The institution had also bought from Austin Shipp an eighty-acre tract of land lying just east of the five-acres donated by McCaslin. The institution had no money and but few subscriptions ; yet the treasurer was ordered to collect money for making the first payments on the land bought of Mr. Shipp. At its second meeting, August 6, 1835, the board adopted by-laws, appointed Lewis Morgan, Henry Bradley and Samuel Harding a committee to divide the state into four agency districts, and tried either to rent or to purchase the house of Mr. Doan for school purposes, the house being situated on what is now the east side of the college campus.
"On October 8, 1835, Samuel Merrill, N. B. Palmer, Henry Bradley, Lewis Morgan and J. L. Richmond were appointed to procure a charter from the Legislature, and were afterward instructed to procure the charter with full collegiate powers. The first action of the board toward the erec- tion of a building was taken at this same meeting, and Jefferson D. Jones, Robert Gillcrees and Pierson Murphy were appointed a building committee, to submit plans and estimates. In December, 1835, Ezra Fisher was ap- pointed superintending agent, but declined, and the following January Lewis Morgan was appointed in his stead, and Harding, Fisher and Bradley were appointed to prepare instructions for the agents. With the exception of some local agency work done by Samuel Harding, Lewis Morgan was therefore the first college agent. At the same meeting, Merrill, Harding and Morgan were made a committee to recommend a suitable teacher; the building com- mittee was ordered to erect a frame building, twenty-six by thirty-eight feet. to be finished by May 1, 1836, and an order of fifty dollars was granted the building committee, the first order was issued by the college. On February 16, 1836, the building committee reported a contract with James K. Gwinn, a carpenter of Franklin, for the erection of a 'seminary,' as it was called, and the building was finished the following summer, at a cost of about three hun- dred and fifty dollars, not including the cost of seats. The building was ordered to be painted white, and was located a little to the west and south of the present south college building.
"On July 6, 1836, J. L. Richmond, James V. A. Woods and Lewis Mor- gan were appointed to draft regulations for the seminary, and to procure a suitable teacher, and the agent, Lewis Morgan, was authorized to rent the seminary building for a school room until the next meeting of the board .*
*Prof. John S. Hougham adds that at this meeting the first report of Agent Morgan
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Thus ended the first year's work of the first board of directors of Franklin College, and looking back now at the means and resources with which it worked, it must be said that there had been material progress. A building had been erected and partly paid for, and the college lands had been partially cleared. What was most needed was a competent teacher. On this matter of a teacher, the board took somewhat decisive action October 5, 1836. The committee formerly appointed to recommend a teacher was discharged and the board itself elected as principal of the seminary, Prof. John Stevens, of Cincinnati, afterward, for many years, a professor in Denison University. Professor Stevens, however, declined and on January 4, 1837, the board voted 'that the Hon. Jesse L. Holman be respectfully invited to accept the office of principal of the Indiana Baptist Manual Labor Institute, and that he devote so much of his time and attention to this institute as will not ma- terially interfere with the duties of the office of judge of the United States district court.' As the judge's district included the entire state of Indiana, we are not surprised to learn that he declined the offer, 'believing that it would interfere with his judicial duties.' The board was still, in April, 1837, in want of a teacher, and Lewis Morgan was again appointed to procure a 'suitable person.' That suitable person seems to have been the Rev. A. R. Hinckley, then, or soon afterwards, pastor of the Baptist church at Franklin, who taught for a short time in the summer and early fall of 1837 .*
"Meanwhile, the board had secured the services of the Rev. A. F. Tilton, of Maine. a graduate of Waterville College, now Colby University. Professor Tilton entered upon the duties of his office about the Ist of October. 1837, and continued to hold the position for three years. Professor Tilton and the board seriously misunderstood one another from the beginning, owing to the tardiness with which the Professor's salary was paid, and the fact that no adequate assistance was furnished him in teaching. At one time, the board voted to employ assistance as soon as the number of students reached forty. But serious obstacles were in the way in employing competent teachers and agents. At different times, Moses Burbank, of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the Rev. F. A. Williams, of Newton, Massachusetts, and the Rev. J. W. Haynes, of Tennessee, were elected agents, but Mr. Haynes was the only one who served.
was received, showing total subscriptions received by him of $665, of which $77 was in cash, with collections of $122.50 on old subscriptions, making the total cash resources, counting a former balance of $11.50, in the sum of $211. The agent and his assistant were allowed for their services $198.50, just one dollar less than the total cash by them collected .- Author.
*Rev. Mr. Hinckley was the first teacher under direction of the trustees. He re- ceived forty dollars for his services .- Author.
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"While Professor Tilton was teaching in the bare unfurnished little semi- nary, Lewis Morgan was platting and selling lots of the college grounds, what is now known as Morgan's plat of East Franklin. Financial relief came but slowly in this way, as real estate was too abundant to command a high price, and all sales had to be made on time. The agency work met with many dis- couragements, as up to November 25, 1841, more than a year after Professor Tilton's resignation, the total subscriptions amounted to but $2,900 and a large part of this amount was uncollected .*
"To meet payments on the land bought from Mr. Shipp, a loan had to be negotiated from the surplus revenue fund, which was afterward repaid by funds collected by the agents. At one time, the board bargained for a sale of about twenty-five acres of the college lands at a very fair price, but the land afterward depreciating in value, the purchaser refused to consummate the contract and the board compromised with him, instead of standing upon its rights Yet. there was progress under Professor Tilton. On the subject of 'philosophical apparatus,' the board went so far as to pass a resolution and appoint a committee in January, 1838. The first examining committee was appointed at the same time. They were A. R. Hinckley, David Monfort and Lewis Morgan, and the records show the committee did its work. A cooper shop was built under the supervision of Jefferson D. Jones, and James Frary did the work in the spring of 1838. The first exhibition was given in the summer of 1838. Professor Tilton, A. R. Hinckley, and Nicholas Shaffer prepared the 'schemes,' as the programs were then called. and Travis Burnett built the stage. A 'scheme' of that exhibition would now be sought after .**
'With a liberality beyond its means, the board, on July 4, 1838, voted to appropriate one hundred dollars for philosophical apparatus and a bell. The apparatus was not soon forthcoming, and the bell did not arrive until the fall of 1839. On Christmas day of that year, Jefferson D. Jones was author- ized 'to obtain a handle to the bell of sufficient strength to ring it, and to erect a frame on which to place the bell as economically and substantially as he can.' The bell was skillfully hung in the forks of a tree, but it either gave forth an uncertain and unmusical sound, or else the mischievous students of
*Professor Hougham says: "Mr. Tilton entered upon his duties at a salary of six hundred dollars, and the impression made by the new professor was favorable. The price fixed for tuition was twelve dollars a year for reading, writing, arithmetic .. Eng- lish grammar, and geography: and for the higher branches of English and the ancient languages, sixteen dollars, which last were subsequently raised to twenty dollars a year .- Author.
** Professor Hougham recalled that William S. Holman. a son of Jesse L. Holman, member of the board, was the most prominent student in the exercises of the day .- Author.
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the little seminary in the woods must have cracked it in their midnight pranks, for, some three years later, we find that Professor Robinson is ordered to get the bell cast over. At the exhibition of 1839. Judge William W. Wick delivered an address, which was afterward published. This was the first public address delivered on behalf of the college on such an occasion.
"After Professor Tilton's resignation in the fall of 1840,* William M. Pratt was chosen principal, but never assumed the duties of the position, and T. J. Cottingham occupied the seminary for a private school for some time at a rental of two dollars a month. In May, 1841, William M. Pratt. F. M. Finch, A. R. Hinckley and Henry Bradley were appointed a committee to recommend a plan for a suitable building, and the executive committe was in- structed to advertise for sealed proposals for its construction, but owing to the low state of the college finances, the bids were returned unopened. The year 1841 was a particularly gloomy one for the college, and when the Gen- eral Association met at Aurora, in the fall of that year, the friends of the college were ready to despair. After long and deliberate consultation, which lasted nearly all night, the following resolution was adopted : 'Resolved, that we who are present solemnly pledge to attend the next meeting of the board, except the providence of God prevents, and do all in our power to build up and sustain the institution.'
"This resolution was signed by J. L. Holman, Robert Tisdale, Henry Bradley, A. F. Tilton, J. Currier, George C. Chandler, E. D. Owen, Simon G. Minor and William M. Pratt. The board met at Franklin, November 25th following, and, true to their pledge, almost all who had signed the resolution were present. Joshua Currier was appointed principal, and William J. Robin- Son and his sister, Julia, were appointed teachers. School was again opened in member of that year, and while Mr. Currier never accepted the position dered him, William J. Robinson and his sister were both teachers in the institution for the next year and a half, and their work was highly satisfac- try to the board. At this time young ladies were admitted to all privileges of the school, and in August, 1842, the board took steps to organize a young ladies' department and invited Misses Sarah S. and Harriett L. Kingsley to
gry
Professor Hougham says: "On the 4th day of April, 1838, Professor Tilton's sal- was raised to eight hundred dollars, but later the board reduced it to six hundred dollars, and even this was only partially paid. He was requested to act as agent during vacation to solicit and collect funds to pay his own salary. And in February, 1840, the board appointed a committee to look for a competent teacher who would serve for the tuition fees. Probably, an unwillingness to brook the thought of failure im- pelled Mr. Tilton to accept the terms for eight months. But. October 2, 1840, he re- igned. He died at the age of forty. in the home later owned by Dr. P. W. Payne .- Author.
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take charge of it. They never did so, but Mrs. A. F. Tilton appears to have had charge of this department the next year.
"The records of the trustees concerning the opening of the college under . the care of this brother and sister are brief, but pointed :
"'I. Resolved, that there be but thirty-three weeks of instruction for the present year. which shall be considered three-fourths of an academic year.
"'2. Resolved, that we recommend the teachers to open the schools on the second Monday of December, and continue twenty-two weeks; that after one week of vacation, the second session begin and continue eleven weeks.
"'3. Resolved, That for reading, writing, spelling, and the elements of arithmetic, geography and grammar, two dollars be charged per quarter. For those further advanced in above studies, also natural philosophy, chemistry, astronomy, etc., three dollars. Higher branches of mathematics and the languages, four dollars.
"'4. That the three departments be designated as primary, teacher's and classical.'*
"In August, 1842, the board adopted a plan for a brick building, twenty- six by thirty-six feet, and two stories high, and it is believed to be substan- tially the same plan as the present north college building. except that it was afterward made forty-two by eighty-four feet, and three stories high. In December, 1842, Prof. A. F. Tilton submitted to the board a plan to raise ten thousand dollars endowment. His plan was substantially this : He would be one of one hundred men to give one hundred dollars each by the Ist day of January, 1844; seven thousand dollars of the amount to be used as a perma- ยท nent endowment fund, and three thousand dollars to be used in the erection of a building. The fly in the ointment in this plan was the reservation of a six-years' scholarship by each donor, and the board was thus induced to launch various schemes for scholarship endowment, which, in the end. all proved financially disastrous to the college.
"Just about this time may be noted the first donation of books for the library. The books were given by Mr. Dow, and the list is as follows : Benedict's 'History of the Baptists'; 'Abercrombie on The Intellectual Powers': 'Letters on the Mode and Subjects of Baptism,' by Stephen Chapin ; Baldwin on 'Baptism,' and Baldwin's Letters.
"On April 10, 1843, Prof. Robinson and his sister were compelled to leave the institution by reason of the death of their father. The board elected
*Upon the authority of Professor Hougham, Principal Robinson and his sister re- ceived two hundred dollars each for their first year, and that the principal was re- engaged at a salary of three hundred dollars for the year. Miss Julia Robinson did not teach in the second year .- Author.
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the Rev. George C. Chandler principal, and he entered upon his work at once. The following summer Prof. William Brand became connected with the college, and about a year later Prof. John B. Tisdale was added to the faculty .*
"In June, 1843, the board decided to dispose of the eight-acre tract be- longing to the college and apply the proceeds at once to the erection of a build- ing. Soon after a sale was made to Lewis Hendricks, the consideration being two hundred sixty-six thousand bricks to be laid in the wall of the new build- ing. A committee was also appointed on the plan of the building; but the plan of the North building, as finally adopted, was proposed by Professors Chandler and Brand, the third story being afterward changed to accommodate the chapel. The North building was therefore planned and its construction begun in August, 1843; but the building was not completed and ready for use until the fall of 1847. After the completion of part of the brick work by Lewis Hendricks, what was left to be done was let to Samuel Hall; the carpenter work was done by Travis Burnett and A. C. Compton; the roof was built by Isaac Garrison, and the plastering was let to a contractor named Anderson.
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