USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 9
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 9
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The Lawrence Democrat was established in 1856 in the month of June, by Messrs. W. R. Johns and N. F. Malott. It was from the outset a bright. sparkling local sheet, and, as its name signifies, the organ of undefiled Democ- racy. It went through several changes and after three years was discontin- ued. Its successor appeared in February. 1860, under the management of George Sheeks and A. D. Lemon, and it was called the Bedford Enterprise, a Democratic paper, carrying Davie Crockett's famous saying, "Be sure you are right, then go ahead." It only lasted one year and a few days. In September, 1863, Henry M. Beadle commenced the publication of a paper called the Bedford Appeal, a seven-column folio, strong in the Democratic faith, politically. It was issued about a year and a half.
The Bedford Weekly News was established in January, 1870, by Yockey & Conley. This was an eight-column folio. Nothing much is known of it.
The Bedford Leader, a seven-column folio, was founded by James Glover about June, 1872. In 1876 the True Republican was established by G. A. J. Thomas. In May, 1879, appeared the first issue of the Bedford Republican, under the editorial management of R. A. Connor and W. S. English. John V. Smith, a veteran newspaper man, purchased the two named offices and united them and commenced the publication of the Bedford Journal, which publication lasted, with success, until August, 1884, when he sold to F. B. Hitchcock. August 2d that year Mr. Smith commenced the publication of
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a small daily paper to be conducted during the campaign of 1884,-the Blaine- Cleveland campaign,-but after fourteen issues, owing to the sale of the office to Hitchcock, abandoned the enterprise.
In February, 1873, M. A. Gelwick commenced the issue of the Law- rence Gasette, which was continued some time with much success. . In 1876 H. H. Friedley was the editor of this journal.
The Democratic Banner was launched by Yockey & Conley, editors and managers. about 1868-69. The material was largely furnished by the leading Democrats of the vicinity. This paper soon had great influence in this county, among the Democratic portion of the county, and in fact continued so many years. It was sold, however, in 1871, or possibly a year later, to James Carlton, but soon went back to Mr. Yockey, who later sold an in- terest to A. J. Hostetler, who worked up a large circulation and did an exten- sive job business and had his columns full of paying advertising matter.
The Bedford Star, a Democratic organ, was established in 1875 by John Johnson, Jr. It was started as a four-column folio, then enlarged to a five and still later to a six-column paper.
James Glover established the News about 1875, but in two months' time it was counted among the defunct papers of Lawrence county.
A paper known as the Morning Call was issued for a time by Mr. Vestal. The Bedford Magnet, a Republican paper, was founded in 1879 by Henry S. Osborne, first as a daily, then a tri-weekly, then as a bi-weekly. In August, 1884, it was consolidated with the Bedford Journal, just purchased by Frank B. Hitchcock, of Flora, Illinois. This new paper was first called the Lawrence Mail, but the name was afterward changed to the Bedford Mail. Osborne & Hitchcock were the proprietors and editors. In 1889, nearly two years after the death of Mr. Osborne, Fred B. Otis bought his half interest, the firm becoming Hitchcock & Otis. In 1892 the daily edition of the Mail was started. In 1896, soon after the death of Mr. Hitchcock, Thomas J. Brooks bought the Hitchcock half interest, and the firm became Otis & Brooks, with Messrs. Brooks and Otis as editors and proprietors. In 1912 the Mail, having outgrown the building on the south side of Sixteenth street, half a block east of the public square, which it had occupied for twenty-three years. the firm exchanged its old building and lot for a larger lot directly across the street, and erected a handsome stone-front brick building forty by seventy-five. and installed a modern plant, with a No. 8 linotype and Duplex press.
In 1885 John Johnson, Jr., owner of the Bedford Star, an independent Saturday paper, bought the Bedford Banner of A. J. Hostetler, and merged
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the two papers under the name of the Bedford Democrat, the new paper be- coming the Democratic organ of the county, with John Johnson, Jr., as owner and editor. In 1892 the daily edition was started. In 1903, following the death of Mr. Johnson, the paper was bought by Charles P. Butler, of North Vernon, Indiana, who established the plant in its own building, erected for the purpose, on the west side of J street, one-half block north of the public square, put in a new cylinder press and linotype.
In 1895 Fred Way. a job printer, started a little paper called the X-Ray, and later, taking F. A. Likely into partnership, changed the name to the Republican, making it both daily and weekly. In 1900 D. Y. Johnson and O. H. Griest purchased the paper, but afterward sold it to Lee Robinson. The paper did not prosper, and after changing hands at short intervals for a while, finally suspended and the plant was "scrapped."
Another newspaper was established in 1873. called the Bedford Mirror, but it was not long lived.
OTHER NEWSPAPERS OF LAWRENCE COUNTY.
The first newspaper to brighten the homes of the town of Mitchell was the Republican, which paper was established just at the close of the Civil war period by J. M. Griffin, who brought his presses from Vincennes, In- diana, in the summer of 1865. He did not prove to be the right man in the- right place, so after a few issues it was discontinued and the press was sold to parties in Paoli, and from it was issued the Republican of that place.
In February, 1866, a man named Rumrill, of Seymour, associated him- self with Mr. Woodward, under the firm name of Woodward & Rumrill, and they started the Mitchell Commercial. The paper was under the control of Mr. Woodward, as editor, publisher and printer. He was a racy writer and made an interesting paper for the people of Mitchell, but, with the coming of the spring sunshine, he sought other fields. Mr. Rumrill then sold the office fixtures and good will (what there might have been of it) to Messrs. Simpson Burton and J. K. Howard, who were at that date joint principals of Mitchell Seminary, and Frank H. King, who was their music teacher, took editorial charge of the paper. His time being devoted to music more than to his editorial duties, the paper did not fill a great and "long-felt want" in the town and community 'round about. King also issued from that office The Musical Monthly. In 1867 Charles G. Berry became editor and publisher of the Commercial. Berry was a fine scholar, a good man and well suited for such position. He was also a practical printer, which also counted for (7)
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much in the running of a paper. For a time his son, H. L. Berry, was asso- ciated with him. In July. 1872, Dr. E. S. McIntire bought the office and became its editor and publisher. Under his administration the paper was radically Republican, but thoroughly independent, which, of course, made him many warm friends and also not a few bitter enemies, politically. The circulation was extended and his advertising was liberal. In the autumn of 1881 a new fast press was added to the office's equipment, and the old Frank- lin hand-press, then supposed to be the oldest in southern Indiana, was shipped to the foundry, after having been in constant use since 1835. The good Doctor, however, tiring of this sort of professional career, sold the office to M. N. Moore & Son in May. 1883. M. T. Moore, the son, was a brilliant head-line writer, but he, too, soon tired of the dingy walls of a country print shop, and the office was sold, in October that year, to George Z. Wood, who, in 1884, was still publishing the paper, with T. J. Tanksley as his local editor. At that date the Commercial held the distinction of being the oldest paper within the radius of forty miles. In September, 1884, it was sold to John V. Smith, late of the Bedford Journa !. Since then there have been many changes. Judge W. H. Edwards was in charge for some time, then E. L. Lee and Hane & Thurston and they followed by McShane & Thurston. January I, 1897. the office was sold to Woolheather & Chitty, who came here from Kansas, this being the birthplace of Howard Chitty, the junior member of the firm, and for three years they worked hard, getting out two pages at home and two "patent" from Cincinnati, and printing one seven-column page at a time on a large job press. On account of the antiquated condition of the material in the office and the limited amount of business in sight at that time, it was decided there was not profit sufficient to support two heads of families, so, on January 1, 1900, H. E. Woolheater sold his interest in the Commercial to Howard Chitty, who is yet in charge, and has been connected with the Commercial for sixteen years. There is now nothing in the office of the original purchase excepting two solid black walnut type cabinets, prized for their antiquity, and the fact that type cabinets made of solid black walnut are not on the market, and not to be had at any price. There is also one small job press that was bought with the office. The equipment now consists of a rapid two-revolution news press, two jobbers, linotype machine, cabinets for all type, instead of the old home-made racks of yore, and the Commercial issues from four to six pages each week, all printed at home. At this time four people are employed in the Commercial office. Howard Chitty, as editor and publisher ; Mrs. William Shanks, city editress: Roy Lanham, of Sey- mour, foreman. and Miss Maude Hamilton, of Shoals, as linotype operator.
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The Mitchell Times was established January, 1876. Charles L. Yockey at that date published the Bedford Banner, and he made one side of his sheet the Mitchell Times, and the joint newspaper was issued in the two towns that year. The local editor at Mitchell was Dr. John T. Briggs. In 1877 this two-sided paper was abandoned, and Dr. Briggs gave the Times a separ- ate existence in the field of journalism. He made it a Democratic organ for the south side of Lawrence county. It was, from the start, a bright, newsy sheet, intensely partisan, and not unfrequently sparkled with genuine wit. He continued as its editor until January 18, 1884, when he sold the office to Charles L. Yockey, a practical printer, and a man of many years' newspaper and editorial work.
There were a few other newspaper ventures in Mitchell, in early days, not already mentioned, but all were short-lived attempts. One Albert Johns- ton, when a mere boy, published an amateur sheet called the Star. The En- terprise was another paper started by Harry Davis, a printer of the Commer- cial office. This was launched in 1874, but it was soon snuffed out of exist- ence.
At Leesville a miniature newspaper was established in 1877 by Micajah Allen. This was known as the Sun, but later called the Index. These were both very small concerns. The Graphic was established in May, 1882, by McHenry Owen. It was a four-column folio sheet, but changed later to a six-column paper. It was running in 1884, and was Democratic in its poliitcs.
At Oolitic the Progress was launched a few months since, but no history of it was to be obtained by the historian.
CHAPTER VIII.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ETC.
In the march of civilization the common school has been a potent factor. Before the present system of public schools, this county had only the sub- scription and private, select schools. The pioneer band who invaded the wilds of Lawrence county did not neglect the education of their children, but sought out every then known means of providing at least a fair schooling for their rising sons and daughters. Four years prior to the county's real organization, or in 1814, the first school was taught in the territory now within Lawrence county. This school was taught at Leesville, and for two, . and probably three, years was the only school in this county. It was taught by an Irish monk named Langdon, who was highly educated. He continued hereabouts until 1817. It was during that year that the second school in the county was opened and he became its teacher. This term was taught on the farm of James Conley. in what is now Guthrie township. The house was located three hundred yards west of the small tunnel, near Lawrence- port. Three months was the duration of this second school in Lawrence county. The building in which it was held was built for the purpose by Mr. Conley, whose children, Charles, Joshua, Hugh, Joseph, Nancy, Peggy and Diana, principally composed the school. After this term, Langdon, the Irishman, went down the river to the Johnston settlement, where he taught for two years. Probably the third school in what is now Lawrence county was on the present site of Lawrenceport in 1818, by Thomas Fulton. The school building stood near the mouth of Fishing creek, and among the schol- ars may be remembered James and Elizabeth Chess and a Miss McManis. In 1820 a term was taught near where later stood the Guthrie bridge, on land subsequently owned by George Foster. Later, an old cotton-gin house was pressed into service for school purposes. About that date numerous schools were being held in log cabins here and there over the settled portion of the county.
In Indian Creek township there were several early-day schools, for there were many settlers in that part of the county. The first of such schools was doubtless the one kept a few hundred yards south of present Fayette-
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ville. This has been graphically described as "A small round log house, with a clapboard roof, a 'cat-clay' chimney, a puncheon floor and greased-paper windows." The furniture was of the roughest type, the benches having been made from saplings split in two, with legs inserted in auger holes through them. Writing desks were made by hewing out a slab and hanging on pegs on the side of the walls, where the light was the best. No wonder so many of the earlier generations were poor writers, or could not write their own names at all. The school children of the present age do not begin to appre- ciate the comforts and advantages which are thrown around them in their school life. The conditions that confronted our fathers and grandfathers were entirely different, yet those days really produced many illustrious men and gifted, accomplished women. The first to teach in the last named school was a Mr. Ditto, who taught but one term. In 1822 a new school house was provided for this settlement, on land later owned by Noah Kern, but then by Peter Smith. Here John R. Cooke was first to serve as master, as school teachers were commonly styled then. A few years after it was erected, this school house was destroyed by a whirlwind, and a child of Abraham Martin was killed by the falling of a beech tree. The building was finally repaired and served for school purposes several years longer.
In Marion township, where schools early took front rank, the first school house was the hewed-log structure built in 1824, and was the first one of its kind in Lawrence county. Wiley G. Burton later owned the land where this building stood. Probably John McLean was first to teach there, and follow- ing him came the one-legged teacher, Samuel Dalton. Next to teach here was Mr. Evans, who lost his position as teacher because he was frequently caught napping during school hours. He was succeeded by one of a different temperament, a Mr. Bethey, who, it is related, cleared off ten acres of land outside of his regular school hours. Daniel Watkins came next. He was a Welshman and remained a teacher in this hewed-log house for seven years.
Year after year educational matters in this state took on better phases, until finally the common free school system was established in the thirties and early forties. It would be useless to attempt to trace all the schools in the early settlement, for it is impossible to do so.
Coming down to 1883, thirty years ago, the records of the county show that the various townships made the following showing in way of schools carried on at the expense of the taxpayers :
The total number of persons between the ages of six and twenty-one years in 1883 was 6,658. Of these, there were, of white, 3,339 males and
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3,125 females ; of colored, 56 males and 78 females. The school reports for 1884 have this exhibit, in substance :
Flinn township. 290 pupils, six school houses.
Pleasant Run township, 619 pupils, twelve school houses.
Perry township, 307 pupils, five school houses.
Indian Creek township, 601 pupils, fourteen school houses.
Spice Valley township, 722 pupils, thirteen school houses.
Marion township, 665 pupils, twelve school houses.
Bono township, 264 pupils, seven school houses. Shawswick township, 627 pupils, fifteen school houses. Marshall township, 437 pupils, seven school houses.
Guthrie township, 362 pupils, seven school houses. Mitchell, Town of-755 pupils, one school building. Bedford, City of-956 pupils, two school buildings. Total number of pupils, 6,604; number of houses, IOI.
At that date the teachers' wages were: Males averaged $1.58 per day ; females averaged $1.50 per day. The total number of teachers in the county was 51 male and 68 female.
SCHOOLS A THIRD OF A CENTURY AGO.
From a description of educational facilities written about a third of a century ago, it is learned that Flinn and Pleasant Run townships ranked above the average in the country districts of Lawrence county. Longer terms were then taught there than elsewhere in this county; however, the school buildings were not in as good repair as in other portions of the county. The one in the township styled Jackson was nearly new and was provided with patent seats and other modern appliances for the children's comfort. In 1858 there was organized at Leesville a very excellent high school. This was owned and established by a joint stock company organized for that pur- pose. The building was a two-story brick structure, with two study rooms and one recitation room. Its cost was not far from five thousand dollars. After 1883 there was no school held here, however. The first teacher was a Mr. Maxwell, who was followed by Messrs. Boston, Rev. Stalker, L. W. Johnson, - Hobbs, R. W. May, Albert May, W. T. Branaman and D. H. Ellison, who became the superintendent of schools for Lawrence county in the early eighties.
Next after Flinn township came Pleasant Run, where fully one-third of the school houses were frame, nearly new, and the balance in good condition.
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This township in 1884 had the only log school house in use in Lawrence county. One of the best school houses in the county was at that date in Springville, Perry township. It was a two-story building, covered by a slate roof. In Indian Creek township, in the eighties, the school buildings were in the poorest condition of any in this county. In Spice Valley the houses were but little better, although there were some almost new ones, which were soon followed by others. In Marion township at that date there were some of the best buildings in the county. The furniture and fixtures were modern for that time, but the terms of school were the shortest of almost any within the county. The best school in Bono township was then kept at Lawrenceport, yet there were several others nearly as good. In Shawswick township the schools were far more numerous than in any other section of Lawrence county in the early eighties, in fact in some parts they were said to have been too numerous, exhausting the resources of the township without doing the general good they might have done if there had not been so many to main- tain. The only brick school building in the county in 1884, aside from the one at Bedford, was the one located at the town of Mitchell. That was well equipped with everything up-to-date, and no school in any township of the county was doing better work, week in and week out, than this one. A house was erected at Guthrie in 1881 at a cost of one thousand five hundred dollars. One of the best township schools in the county was at Tunnelton, in Guthrie township.
At Mitchell there was erected in 1856 a small brick school house. The first term of school there was taught in the winter of 1856-57 by E. M. Baldwin. All the terms of school taught in that building were on the old- fashioned subscription plan. The school of 1859-60, which used the public money, supplemented this, and the building later was used for the colored people of the town for meeting house purposes.
THE MITCHELL GRADED SCHOOL.
This educational institution was established in 1869, and it was one of the first in southern Indiana. The first high school building was constructed at an expense of three thousand dollars; it was a two-story frame, and was utilized until the erection of the 1879 school house. The last mentioned was a brick building costing ten thousand dollars. In 1882 the prospectus of this school stated "forty-five teachers have gone out from Mitchell graded school, six physicians, six attorneys and two ministers."
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BEDFORD'S FIRST SCHOOL.
The pioneer school of Bedford was taught by Captain Hill during the winter of 1826-27, in the old court house, and it was attended by thirty- six pupils. This was in the days of "select schools," maintained by subscrip- tions. The pupil was required to pay in advance two dollars each quarter, and instructions were given in grammar, algebra, rhetoric, higher arithmetic and lower branches. This was continued until the change of policy and the establishment of the County Seminary, through the act of Legislature dated January, 1931. Indeed. the contrast between those years and the first decade of the twentieth century is very striking. Now the schools are first class ; the buildings are first class : the fixtures and apparatus are excellent and the instructors none but the highest type of scholars. But, to go back a step in the school history of the county seat town, it should be stated that in 1869 an attempt was made to establish a graded school for the benefit of the entire civil township, and the enterprise had proceeded so far as that a foundation was laid for such a building. The movement caused much trouble in the community, between those within and those living outside the town plat of Bedford. This really resulted in the incorporation of Bedford as an inde- pendent school district. This resulted further in the completion of the al- ready commenced building in town by the town people, which was accom- plished in 1871. It was a six-room structure and seated three hundred pupils. Its cost was not far from twenty-seven thousand dollars. School opened in it September 1. 1871, and in November, the same year, it was destroyed by fire, from some unknown canse. There was no insurance on the property. hence it was a total loss. The day of this fire the citizens ordered the trustees to go ahead and build a larger, better building over the ashes of the one just consumed by the angry flames. Rooms were temporarily leased through- out the town, in which the schools were kept running until the completion of the new building in 1873. This house had nine rooms, and seated five hundred scholars. It was constructed from brick, was two stories high, and cost twenty-seven thousand dollars. In 1872 a separate school was opened in Bedford for the colored children of the town. From that time on the school history here is known well to the older readers of this work, and the late re- ports of the schools will appear elsewhere in this work.
OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE COUNTY.
In this connection will be mentioned the Southern Indiana Normal Col- lege, the Lawrence County Seminary and the select schools.
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The last named was the outgrowth of the going down of the County Seminary, by the repeal of the law by which it was created. In the autumn of 1854 Rev. J. M. Stalker opened an academy in the basement of the Presby- terian church at Bedford. In 1856 Professor Conley began the Lawrence high school. In this J. M. Stalker and others taught until about 1869, when this school was merged into the Bedford Male and Female College. This institution was incorporated by Messrs. Stever Younger. J. M. Mathes, Joseph Stilson, A. J. Hotetler, David G. Gray, John M. Daggy, George W. Adams, J. N. Hostetler and William B. Chrisler. The corporation articles stated, among other things, "establish and perpetuate in the town of Bedford, Law- rence county, Indiana, an institution of learning of the highest grade, for the education of males and females ; to promote the arts and sciences and incul- cate the evidences and morality of the sacred Scriptures." This school was held in the basement of the Christian church, and it continued until 1880, and then went down.
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