USA > Indiana > Madison County > History of Madison County Indiana (Volume 1) > Part 23
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ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL
$150,000. It is centrally located, on Lincoln street, between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets, and is considered by educators to be one of the best high school edifices in the state. In the building is a large audi- torium for public meetings, commencement exercises, etc. The school is also equipped with a gymnasium and swimming pool. The course of study includes the usual high school branches, manual training in wood and iron work for the boys, cooking and sewing for the girls, and kindred subjects. The display of this school at the "Made in Anderson" exhibit in June, 1913, attracted a great deal of attention, especially the speci- mens of pattern making and needlework from the manual training de. partments. The school is open to students from all parts of the county. Those who have completed the course of study in the township schools have their tuition paid from the township funds and all others pay a small tuition fee. In connection with the high school is a free night
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school, in which is taught the ordinary school branches, shorthand, machine drawing, commercial chemistry, shop practice, pattern making, sewing, cookery, etc. The first high school class, consisting of four young ladies, was graduated in 1876. In 1912-13 there were 626 students enrolled in the Anderson high school. The school board that ordered the erection of the present magnificent high school was com- posed of Willis S. Ellis, F. A. Walker and W. B. Campbell.
The present members of the school board of Anderson are H. E. Jones, Austin Retherford and G. E. Nichol. Among those who have been prominently identified with the public school system of Anderson in the past may be mentioned Charles Hewett, T. C. Davis, W. R. Myers, Joseph Franklin, Dr. C. S. Burr, S. M. Keltner, C. W. Prather, George Quick, W. T. Durbin, N. C. Mccullough, A. J. Dipboye and J. S. Carr, all of whom served either on the board of education or as superintendent of the schools. The present superintendent is James B. Pearcy.
High School Building. Alexandria, Ind.
HIGH SCHOOL AT ALEXANDRIA
In 1913 the city of Anderson had eleven public school houses, ten of which were of modern brick construction, the value of buildings and grounds being estimated at $544,000. Of the 109 teachers employed in the city schools, twenty-three are in the high school.
In 1876 the town of Elwood had but one school building and employed four teachers. With the discovery of natural gas and the consequent increase in population the educational facilities were made to keep pace, until in 1913 the city had eight public school buildings, viz: High School, Linwoood, Central, Osborne, Washington, Edge- wood, North C street, and a small frame building in one of the out- skirts. Five of these buildings are of brick and three are frame. The total value of grounds and buildings was $210,000. Fifty-seven teach- ers were employed during the school year of 1912-13, nine of whom were in the commissioned high school. It is no exaggeration to say that no city of its size in the state offers better educational advantages to its young people than Elwood.
Alexandria has four public school buildings, known as the Old Cen- tral, the Clark, the Tomlinson and the High School. The three last
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named are of modern construction and compare favorably with public schoolhouses anywhere, costing over $20,000 each. The corps of teach- ers in the Alexandria public schools in 1912-13 numbered twenty-seven, six of whom were employed in the high school grades. The value of all school property in the city was $49,300.
The first schoolhouse in Pendleton stood on the east side of the Big Four Railroad, on what is now known as Tariff street. In 1864 the brick building long known as the Pendleton Academy was erected on the site of the second schoolhouse and was for many years the only public school in the town. Pendleton now has two modern brick build- ings-the High School, at the corner of East and IIigh streets, and the West building, at the corner of Taylor and West. In 1913 a large addition was made to the high school building, so that the value of all school property is approximately $45,000. Thirteen teachers were
PUBLIC SCHOOL, LAPEL
employed in the Pendleton schools during the school year of 1912-13, and of these four were engaged in high school work.
Summitville has but one school building, which was recently erected at a cost of $22,500. Nine teachers are employed, three of whom are in the commissioned high school. The public school building at Lapel cost $18,000 and the one at Frankton cost $5,000. Eight teachers are employed at Lapel and seven at Frankton, and in both towns there are commissioned high schools.
Thus it will be seen that in the seven principal cities and incor- porated towns there are twenty-eight public school buildings, valued at $893,800. The incorporated towns of Chesterfield and Markleville have no separate boards of education and their schools are treated in con- nection with Union and Adams townships, respectively. In each of the seven large cities and towns is a commissioned high school. The total number of teachers employed in the county during the school year of 1912-13 was 375, of whom 230 were employed in the cities and towns and 145 in the country schools. The value of all real estate and build- ings owned by the county for school purposes was $1,118,300 and the
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value of maps and other apparatus was estimated at $23,100. The total amount paid in teachers' salaries during the last school year was $228,184.38.
The office of county superintendent was created by the legislature of 1873. Since that time the county superintendents of the Madison county schools, with the year in which each took office, have been as follows: Joseph Franklin, 1873; R. I. Hamilton, 1875; William M. Croan, 1881; Dale J. Crittenberger, 1884; Willis S. Ellis, 1887; Isaac V. Busby, 1893; Manson U. Johnson, 1894; Lawrence McTurnan, 1897; James W. Frazier, 1902. Mr. Frazier was first appointed upon the resignation of Mr. McTurnan and has since been twice reelected. His present term expires in 1917.
The first graded county school in the county was taught by W. M. Croan at a schoolhouse in Richland township known as "College Cor- ner," and it was in this house that the first "graduating" exercises in the country schools of the county were held. In 1912-13 the average length of term in the various schools of the county was 145 days. At the close of the term there were 177 graduates in the commissioned high schools and 529 in the township schools.
Madison county has never boasted a college or higher institution of learning. The law establishing the state university provided that each county in the state should be entitled to appont two students annually, whose tuition should be free. Enoch M. Jackson, a son of Andrew Jackson, and Augustus M. Williams, son of Robert N. Wil- liams, were the first from Madison county to become graduates of the University of Indiana, the former entering the institution in 1845 and the latter in 1846.
Joseph Franklin, who had charge of the one public school in Ander- son during the period from 1862 to 1865, erected a frame building on the west side of Delaware street between Eleventh and Twelfth streets in 1868 and there conducted a private graded school for several years, Miss Genevieve Robinson having charge of the lower grades.
On August 29, 1896, the Anderson Normal University, a private institution founded by W. M. Croan, was opened in the second and third stories of the Opera House block at the northeast corner of Main and Eleventh streets, in the city of Anderson. The institution started off in a rather pretentious manner, as may be seen by the following faculty and list of subjects to be taught: W. M. Croan, president; George H. Colbert, higher mathematics and astronomy; J. C. Black, pedagogy ; J. P. Mullin, language; Lottie N. Mullin, literature; J. Good- win Perkins, principal commercial department; E. E. Copple, geography and mathematics; W. C. Rousch, chemistry and pharmacy; Ellsworth L. McCain, penmanship; Charles Nelson, musical director; Laura Quick, elocution and delsarte; Grace S. Langell, voice culture; James F. Wysong, conductor of band and orchestra; Louis J. Weichman, short- hand and typewriting; Kenneth M. Burr, military science; John E. Wiley, law; Margaret Beachley, drawing and fine art. No appeal to the general public for financial aid was made, the aim of the founder being to make the school self sustaining. The expenses, however, of maintaining such an institution were greater than the income and after
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a short and somewhat precarious career it succumbed to the inevitable.
The Anderson Business College, located on the third floor of the Decker building at the southwest corner of Tenth and Meridian streets, was formed in 1904, by the purchase and consolidation of the Bliss Busi- ness University and the Anderson Business School, two institutions that had been previously established. It is now a branch of the Indiana Business College, which maintains schools of a commercial character in thirteen of the principal cities of the state. The Anderson school is under the management of Prof. J. Phillips.
Parochial schools are maintained by the Catholic church at Anderson, Alexandria and Elwood. The first parochial school at Anderson was taught in 1858 by Mrs. Maggie Ryan. After the completion of the present Catholic church the old edifice was converted into a schoolhouse and the school is in charge of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. At Elwood St. Joseph's parish has recently erected a school building at a cost of some $50,000. It is one of the most modern schoolhouses in the county and an ornament to the city of Elwood.
THE PRESS
As a factor in the educational development of any community the newspaper plays an important part. The first newspaper published in the county was the Federal Union, which was started in 1834 by T. J. Langdon, said to have been the oldest printer in Anderson. He was assisted by Charles D. Henderson in the editorial work, but after a few months the paper was suspended. Shortly after that Charles D. Henderson began the publication of the Western Telegraph and was fortunate enough to secure some of the legal printing, which enabled him to continue in business until about 1838, when he was forced to suspend the publication.
In 1840 Dr. Thomas Sims established the Atheneum, which, as its name indicates, was devoted to literature and the sciences, rather than to the news of the day. Dr. Sims was a clever writer and something of an enthusiast on the subject of phrenology. After a time the public tired of his dissertations upon this and kindred subjects and the Atheneum died for want of patronage.
Joseph G. Jones was the next journalistic knight to enter the lists in Madison county, which he did soon after Dr. Sims retired from the field by the establishment of the Whig Eagle. This paper was an ardent supporter of the principles of the Whig party and in the campaign of . 1844 carried the banner of Henry Clay. In the spring of 1846 Mr. Jones removed his printing office to Indianapolis, leaving Madison county without a newspaper until Gardner Goldsmith began the publi- cation of the Madison County Journal, which was also an exponent of Whig principles. The existence of this paper was brief.
John Q. and William L. Howell, who had been running a paper in Marion, Indiana, removed their office to Anderson in 1848 and com- menced the publication of the True Democrat. Peter II. Lemon was employed as editor and in 1849 the paper was purchased by Mr. Lemon and Dr. Townsend Ryan, who changed the name to the Weekly Demo-
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crat. It was an unswerving advocate of Democratic principles, and as that party was then in power in the county, it was a surprise to many that the paper was suspended in 1850. Mr. Lemon said it "died of a broken heart."
Not long after the suspension of the Democrat Dr. James W. Men- denhall, who has been described as "a young man of some ability but of little experience," commenced the publication of the Anderson Gazette. Under Mendenhall's management it was neutral in politics, but it was purchased by J. F. Henry, who made it a Democratic organ. Henry was assisted in the editorial work by Colonel Thomas N. Stilwell. About 1855 it passed into the hands of Charles I. Barker and soon after- ward expired.
About this time W. H. H. Lewis founded the Madison County Republican, a paper which advocated the doctrines of the old Whig party and later the Republican party. Subsequently the name was changed to the Central Indianian, with John Patterson as editor, but it went the way of its predecessors.
Thomas W. and Ira H. Cook began the publication of the Democratic Standard in 1855. On January 1, 1858, Thomas W. Cook retired from the paper, having sold it to Charles I. Barker, who conducted it until 1863, when he disposed of it to Calvin C. Moricle, of White county, Indiana. Mr. Moricle edited and published the paper for about one year, when he was succeeded by O. C. Willitts. Afterward, F. M. Randall published the paper for a short time, with E. V. Long as editor, when the property was purchased by W. E. Cook and A. S. McCallister. These gentlemen published the Standard until the fall of 1866, when they sold it to Fleming T. Luse, of Warsaw, Indiana. Mr. Luse continued the publication of the paper until it was consolidated with the Anderson Democrat, under the editorial management of M. Y. Todysman, when the name Standard disappeared. Mr. Todysman sold the Democrat to William R. Brownlee in the fall of 1877. Brownlee in turn sold it to Glasco Brothers, which resulted in the consolidation of the paper with the Review, under the name of the Review-Democrat. It was not long, however, until the first part of the name was dropped and the paper continued as the Democrat.
In 1863, in the midst of the Civil war, H. J. Brown launched the Loyal American as the organ of the Republican party in Madison county. He remained as editor and publisher until in 1865, when he was appointed postmaster at Anderson. John C. Hanson then took charge and issued a few numbers, when the publication was suspended.
The Democracy of Fleming T. Luse, who purchased the Standard in 1866, was not of the type to suit the radical leaders of his party. As a result of this condition a stock company was formed in 1867 and the Anderson Plain Dealer appeared. Under the editorial management of Edwin P. Schlater and W. E. Cook it soon came to be recognized as the party organ in the county. In 1868 George D. Farrar, of Green- ville, Ohio, purchased the Plain Dealer and conducted it until 1871, when he sold it to William C. Fleming. Mr. Fleming published the paper until 1873, when he sold to Charles L. Zahm, who published it but a short time, when he was succeeded by Todysman & Pyle. Thomp- son & Myers also conducted the Plain Dealer for a short time.
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The first daily paper in Anderson, however, and also the first in Madison county, was the Bulletin, which made its first appearance on March 25, 1885. It was started by Dory Biddle, James W. Knight and Charles R. Craven. Knight and Craven were practical printers, who had been thrown out of employment by the consolidation of the Demo- crat and the Review a short time before. The Anderson Review was started by George Winter in 1880 and conducted by him as a weekly for about three years, when George Ross and Thomas P. Harris bought a controlling interest and adopted a Democratic policy. W. S. Diven soon after purchased an interest and had charge of the editorial policy until the paper was merged into the Democrat in the latter part of 1884. On the afternoon of March 15, 1885, Biddle, Knight and Craven were sitting in George Winter's printing office in the Odd Fellows' building, when Craven suggested that they start a daily paper. The following Monday Craven and Knight went to Elwood and bought the outfit of an old printing office there, shipped it to Anderson, established an office in the basement room in the northwest corner of the court- house, where the first number of the Daily Bulletin was "struck off" on the afternoon of March 25, 1885, as above stated. Dory Biddle was editor and Knight and Craven were the business managers and com- positors. It is said the three men had exhausted their combined capital of $27.00 before the paper was ready to go to press, and that John L. Forkner went security for the paper bill for the first week, which amounted to $7.40. This puny infant thrived from the start and in a short time the Bulletin was on a paying basis. When natural gas was discovered in the county, this paper was one of the most influential factors in advertising the advantages to be derived and in bringing new manufacturing establishments into the county. On September 1, 1907, the Bulletin was consolidated with the Democrat, but is still published as an afternoon daily under the old name.
In the summer of 1868 John O. Hardesty purchased the material of the old Loyal American and began the publication of the Anderson Herald. Hardesty has been described as a "live wire journalist," and as his advent into Anderson was right in the midst of a political cam- paign he soon found an opportunity to do some active work for the Republican cause. In looking over the annual statement of the receipts and disbursements of the county, he found a total of $37,000-not much for a county like Madison, but the way he played up those figures before the taxpayers was a caution. The only expenditure for improve- ments on public buildings was a small sum for a new window shutter on the courthouse, but Hardesty referred to it as the $37,000 window shutter, had a picture of it made and ran it in his paper through the entire campaign. His paper was known as the "Red Hot" Herald, and while he did not defeat the Democratic county ticket at that election, he paved the way for the election of a majority of the Republican candi- - dates for county office in 1870.
In the fall of 1872 Stephen Metcalf purchased a one-half interest in the Herald and in August of the following year purchased Mr. Har- desty's interest, becoming sole owner. Mr. Metcalf made substantial improvements in the mechanical department, including the purchase of
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a new press. Various changes in ownership and management occurred during the next fifteen years, W. M. and Caleb H. Kinnard, George Mckeown, Charles H. Ewing and Mr. Metcalf all holding an interest in the paper at different times. In April, 1888, A. A. Small became the owner, but in the fall of the same year sold the office and good will to H. G. Doggett. Chase Brothers soon after that became the owners and publishers. They disposed of the paper to J. H. Lewis, who in turn sold it to J. Q. Donnel, a man of considerable ability, but as he was not always in accord with his party he lost both prestige and patronage, and in 1895 sold out to Wallace B. Campbell. In the meantime several at- tempts had been made to establish a daily edition, but all were unsuc- cessful until the present morning Herald was started in April, 1887. The Herald is now published every morning, except Monday, by the Herald Publishing Company and is the oldest Republican paper in Madison county.
George Winter, who has been mentioned as the founder of the Anderson Review, was also interested in other newspaper ventures, among which were the Evening Star, the Daily Review and the Satur- day News. The first two were forced to suspend and the last was absorbed by the Anderson Democrat in 1887, when Mr. Winter went to Washington to accept a place as printer in the government printing office. He died in Washington in 1889. He was a fine printer but lacked executive ability.
Pendleton was the second town in the county to boast a newspaper. In 1870 T. B. Deem came from Knightstown, Henry county, and started the Pendleton Register, a weekly Republican paper. Accounts vary as to the ultimate fate of the Register, one authority stating that it was conducted at Pendleton until 1876, when it was removed to Greenfield, and another says the office was purchased by C. B. Caddy in 1878 and the name of the paper changed to the Pendleton Republican.
The Pendleton Enterprise was started in the spring of 1871 by B. Gregory, but after a precarious career of nine months it gave up the ghost. In 1896 Robert E. Maranville began the publication of the Pendleton Record, which was devoted chiefly to the interests of farmer and stock raiser. Subsequently he acquired the Pendleton Republican, but both the Record and the Republican have passed out of existence and the only paper now published in Pendleton is the Times. It was founded in 1904 and is published on Friday of each week. Will E. Witmer is the present editor and proprietor.
The first paper published in Elwood was the Review, which was established by George Winter in the early spring of 1877. It was short- lived and in 1880 Roy Hannah, S. T. Legg and Allen Wilson formed a stock company and commenced the publication of the Free Press, with Mr. Hannah as editor and manager. Some time later another paper called the Review was launched by L. H. Emmons, who sold out to A. W. Ross in 1888. The following year A. J. Behymer bought and consolidated the Free Press and Review and continued the publication under the former name. M. H. Geyer & Son later purchased the paper, but after a short time sold it to Jesse Mellet, who started a daily edition in 1892. The paper is now owned by A. D. Moffett, who published the
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Free Press every Thursday as a weekly and an afternoon daily called the Record, which is issued every day except Sunday.
The first number of the Elwood Leader made its appearance on March 19, 1891, bearing the name of W. J. Spruce as editor and pro- prietor. E. E. Fornshell issued the first number of the Elwood Daily Call on November 14, 1891, and on February 1, 1894, these two papers were consolidated under the name of the Call-Leader. This paper is now published every afternoon except Sunday by Fornshell, Carpenter & Fornshell, and a weekly edition is issued every Thursday.
In 1877 Joseph Fenimore established the Alexandria Bee, the first paper in Alexandria, but it seems the Bee stung the founder, as after a few months it expired for want of patronage. Eight years later, in 1885, T. A. French started the Alexandria Times and announced his intention to make the paper a success and boom the town. It seems that a paper called the Tribune was started in Alexandria a little later, as the Times-Tribune dates its existence from 1894. It is issued every afternoon except Sunday, R. M. Yelvington being the present publisher.
The Alexandria Record was established by Moore & Myers in 1892. The following year Harry E. Manor bought the paper and converted it into a Republican organ. Weekly and daily editions were issued for a time, but the paper is no longer in existence.
On September 25, 1893, the first number of the Alexandria Press was issued by C. F. & C. H. Meyer. It has had a successful career, is Democratic in politics, but is one of the best local papers in the county outside of Anderson. It is issued on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week, the Friday issue being a weekly edition intended for rural circulation.
In November, 1895, George B. Mickler commenced the publication of the Gas Belt News at Alexandria. It was a weekly, published every Friday, and was devoted to the industrial interests of the gas belt, par- ticularly Alexandria and the immediate vicinity. With the failure of the gas supply the mission of the paper was ended and it was suspended.
The first paper in Summitville was started by a young man named Pinkerton, but little of its history can be learned. In 1888 the Sum- mitville Times was started by A. J. Wertz, who had formerly been con- nected with the Anderson Bulletin, but it was short-lived. George P. Louiso began the publication of the Summitville Wave in 1890. It was independent in politics, well edited, and soon built up a circulation that made it a profitable venture. In 1902 the Wave and the North Madison Democrat were purchased and consolidated by L. P. Moore under the name of the Summitville Reporter .. In the fall of 1906 this paper was sold to W. A. Wimmer, who in June, 1913, disposed of it to F. D. Durham, the present proprietor.
The Frankton Leader was established by E. A. Kemp in 1890. It has been superseded by the Frankton Critic, which was founded in 1901 and is issued every Thursday by the Smith Printing Company. The Lapel News was established in 1891 and is now owned and edited by Lawrence E. Fair. In 1909 the Call of the Moose, a fraternal monthly devoted to the interest of the Loyal Order of Moose, was established in
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