USA > Indiana > Posey County > History of Posey County, Indiana > Part 13
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY
whatever they were the business of examining teachers was of minor importanc to them. In an examination the teacher had an easy time. The examinations could be held on the street or anywhere. The nature of the examination was left to the discretion of the examiners.
A certain young man went to the county seat to secure his license. Applying to one of the examiners-a young lawyer-that official told him he was too busy and sent him to another examiner, who was a preacher. The preacher was just getting ready to attend a wedding and sent him back to the lawyer. He found the lawyer on the street, apparently not very busy, and told him the preacher's reason for not being able to conduct the examination, so the lawyer finally consented. On the way to the office the examiner asked, "How many genders have nouns?" The candidate's answer was "Four." "All right," said the ex- aminer, "of course you could name them." On to his office, and after a little conversation, the examiner wrote him out a two years' certificate. So we see that the teachers of those days had an easy way of securing a certificate to teach.
In 1853 the State legislature fixed a standard of qualification and gave to the county commissioners the authority to license teachers, and in case there was not a sufficient number of properly qualified teachers in the county the commissioners were authorized to grant temporary li- censes and to employ "unqualified teachers," especially in remote rural districts.
The greatest need in 1854 was for qualified teachers, although the progress of public education during this and following years was very great.
State Superintendent Barnabus C. Hobbs, who held the office from 1868 to 1871, was among the first in this country to give attention to the question of grading the district schools, and of regular and uniform courses of study and a common scheme of recitation. His first step toward the improvement of the schools was to recommend that the office of county examiner be changed to that of county superintendent. Ac- cordingly, the office was established, in 1873.
Our free school system, which is a part of our new State constitution, adopted in 1852, provided for the election of three trustees, a clerk and treasurer in each township to constitute a township board. This board was charged with the duty of looking after the schools, roads, bridges and the poor.
The first duty of the board was to establish and conveniently locate a sufficient number of school houses to educate the children of their re- spective townships. Previously, the school houses had been built by the districts. Now they became the property of the township, but many were unfit for use, and several new houses were built at the expense of the township by an appropriation of township funds by the trustees, as provided by law.
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY
All schools, from the elementary up, had been left to private enter- prises. Even as late as 1850 the prevailing opinion was that parents alone were responsible for the education of their children, and should determine the extent of their education. The idea that every child has a right to an education, and that it is to the interest of the general pub- lic to provide it, and if need be, compel it, had not yet been recognized or accepted.
The legislature of 1852 enacted a law that provided for a tax of ten cents on each one hundred dollars for school tuition purposes. Up to this time there had been no free schools. Section 32 of this law made in- corporate cities and towns independent of townships for school purposes, and gave them trustees with power to establish graded schools, and power to levy taxes for their support, to erect school houses, etc. Sec- tion 130 of the same act gave townships the same power as granted cities, in the following words :
"The voters of any township shall have power at any general or special meeting to vote a tax for the purpose of building or repairing school houses and purchasing sites therefor, providing fuel, furniture, maps, apparatus, libraries, or increase thereof, or to discharge debts in- curred therefor, and for continuing their schools after the public school funds shall have been expended, to any amount not exceeding annually fifty cents on each one hundred dollars of property, and fifty cents on each poll."
This law gave new life to the entire educational work of the State. New schoolhouses were erected and graded schools were established in rapid succession. In a few years many cities and larger towns had flourishing high schools. But in 1858 these two sections were declared unconstitutional on the ground that the local laws were not "general and uniform," as the constitution requires. This virtually killed every high school in the State and crippled all other free schools. But while it did this, it created a universal sentiment in favor of local taxation, which resulted in the enactment, in 1865, of exactly the same law, only with different wording. The result was high schools began to increase in all the cities, incorporated towns and townships all over the State, and continued to increase down to the present time.
In the same year the amendments to the school law added history of the United States and physiology to the subjects to be taught and examined upon.
The natural advantages and resources of the county continued to at- tract settlers, and the taxable property increased rapidly. Taxes for school purposes were levied. The salary of teachers was increased, and the standard of qualification of teachers was increased as rapidly as the available supply of qualified teachers would permit. The salary paid to teachers in the county has always compared favorably with that
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY
of other counties in the State; in fact, a great many teachers from other counties in the State, and from other States, have been induced to seek employment in Posey county by reason of a pecuniary consideration.
The present high state of efficiency which the schools of Posey county have attained has been brought about by the ceaseless, untiring and intelligent efforts toward organization, supervision, gradation and gen- eral betterment on the part of superintendents and teachers, working together.
Material progress was quite slow for several years after our free school system was in operation. In 1873, when the supervision of the schools of the different counties of the State of Indiana was turned over to the county superintendents, they found them without order or sys- tem, and in the hands of untrained teachers. A tremendous task con- fronted them. System had to be created out of chaos, and this was not to be accomplished in a day, but they set themselves to work. They were never content with things as they found them, if they could dis- cover a chance for improvement. They had the courage of their con- victions and held firmly to what they believed to be good. Their aim was to produce better results each day. They must administer the sys- tem as they found it, and at the same time endeavor to develop and perfect it.
Chief among the defects in the workings of the system, as they con- sidered, was the lack of uniformity. They established a standard not lower than the best school in the county, and endeavored to bring all others to it. The first step was to improve the teachers. With this idea in view the results accomplished were: Our system of teachers' examinations, the steady and healthy growth of our State Normal School, which was established in 1865, private normals throughout the State, county summer normals of six or eight weeks' duration, the county and township institutes prescribed by law enjoyed a greater increase in at- tendance and interest.
The second step taken up was the classifying or grading of the coun- try schools, which resulted in the preparation, adoption and enforcement of a uniform course of study for the common schools of the State, bi- monthly examination questions prepared by a committee of county su- perintendents, and forwarded to the county superintendents by the State Superintendent.
A uniform length of school term of eight months for all the schools in each township has been established. This arrangement makes possible better systemized work, uniform examinations and reports, and gives equal advantages and opportunities to all the children of the county. Ag- riculture and domestic science are taught in all schools of two rooms or more in the county, in the seventh and eighth grades. The law requires that music and drawing be taught in commissioned and certified high schools of the county. Manual training is taught in the city schools.
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY
All the high schools in the county, not already commissioned, are ad- vancing toward that end as rapidly as possible. Those of Mt. Vernon, New Harmony, Poseyville and Cynthiana are commissioned, and the Wadesville and Stewartsville schools will be' able to meet the require- ments necessary to become commissioned, next year.
Within the last three years Black township has erected four good school buildings, modern in all respects, at a cost of $15,000, one of which is a consolidated school of two rooms.
Simultaneously Marrs township was expending $11,000 in the erection of two one-room buildings, and building an addition to one of her one- room buildings to accommodate a consolidated school.
Point township, in 1911, built a two-room concrete building, with fur- nace, heat and a modern system of ventilating, etc., at a cost of $4,000, and a one-room concrete building of modern design at a cost of $2,500. Point township has two two-room buildings.
During the school year, 1911-1912, the total enrollment in the county was as follows: The certified high schools of the county, 31 pupils ; in the non-commissioned high schools, 46; commissioned high schools, 398. The total enrollment in the county was as follows: In township schools, 2,543 ; in town schools, 582 ; in city schools, 1,233, making a total of 4,358 pupils enrolled in the schools of the county, not including enrollment in parochial schools of 404 pupils.
Pupils graduated from the different schools of the county in 1912 as follows: From commissioned high schools, 74; from certified high schools, 6; graduates in the common branches, 198.
The number of volumes in the libraries of the county in 1912 was, in township schools, 2,526; in towns, 20,326; in cities, 4,063; a total of 26,915.
The county employs 162 teachers, forty-seven of whom teach in single room schools in the rural districts. There are twenty-one township con- solidated schools, employing two or more teachers. The average amount paid teachers per day in the district schools in the school year 19II- 1912 was $2.73. The average in the graded township schools was $3.14; in the graded town schools, $3.27, and in the city schools, $3.29; average in the county, $3.18.
The entire number of school-houses, year ending July 31, 1912, was : Concrete, one ; brick, thirty-eight ; frame, thirty-nine; total, seventy-eight.
Black township employs twenty-two teachers and has nine two-room buildings.
Marrs township has three two-room buildings, and eleven one-room buildings, and employs seventeen teachers.
Lynn township has seven school buildings, three of which are two- room buildings, and employs ten teachers.
Robinson township has nine one-room buildings, and employs nine teachers.
HIGH SCHOOL
PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING New Harmony
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY
Center township has five school houses, one of which is a two-room building. The township employs six teachers.
Harmony township has four one-room school houses and employs four teachers.
Bethel township has four one-room school houses, and employs four' teachers.
Robb township has a two-room building and two one-room buildings, and employs four teachers.
Smith township has three schools, with one teacher in each.
Point township has two buildings of two rooms each, and three one- room buildings, and employs seven teachers.
Education reform has always been slow to reach the country school. It has been the rule for the country schools to have the poorest equip- ment, poorest buildings, shortest terms and the poorest paid teachers. It seems that all reforms have been introduced into the city first, then the towns, and after a long time it reached the country schools. Un- doubtedly, one of the greatest steps of the State of Indiana has ever taken toward advancement in the efficiency of our country schools was the consolidation of weak country schools into strong central ones. The little one-room school house at the crossroads, with its six months' term, and one lone teacher, has always been a sorry substitute for the advan- tages supplied by the city schools. But, fortunately, our leaders in edu- cational matters had visions of better ways and finally the general as- sembly, in 1899, passed a law, giving the township trustees the right to transport pupils at public expense to a stronger central school, and in 1907 a law was passed compelling them to discontinue weak schools aver- aging twelve pupils or less. There are at present twenty-one consolidated schools in the county, each employing two or more teachers and children are transported to better equipped schools than could be maintained in the little crossroads school house attended by less than a dozen pupils.
The county has tried the plan to its entire satisfaction. The children transported find themselves in better buildings, under better teachers, and with access to libraries, and more thorough work is possible for the teachers.
The object toward which the friends of improved rural schools are working is, that each township shall have a complete system of schools centrally located, with a uniform standard throughout the country and the entire State. The plan is to equalize the advantages for education between the city and the country youth.
Centralization is the farmers' opportunity to get as good schools as the village and town schools have. It is cheaper to run the wagons than it is to run the little weak schools, and the educational advantages are many times greater. The schools are made more interesting and more prac- tical. The children are reading more books and better books than ever
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before. It is possible for every child to have access to a good library. All in all, the outlook is encouraging. We are certainly on the road to better things. The spirit of community life will build a central school where every boy and girl will have the best there is in education.
For many years after our free school system became operative through- out the State there was no law making attendance compulsory, and truancy or very indifferent regularity of attendance was common.
In 1897 and 1901 laws were enacted compelling attendance at school until the age of fourteen; and the same law provided that books and clothing should be furnished if necessary. There is no longer any doubt that there is a very close relationship between truancy and crime. Tru- ancy, idleness, ignorance, incompetency and drunkenness are the allies that work to keep our jails, reformatories and prisons full.
On the first Monday in May, each year, the county board of educa- tion, as a board of truancy, appoints one truant officer for the county. In addition to this officer the cities may appoint officers, the number to be determined by population. The law has been effective, and with good teachers and conscientious truant officers, the attendance can be kept to the maximum.
Mt. Vernon schools are under the supervision of Prof. E. J. Llewelyn. Besides the thirty-eight principals and grade teachers, the city schools employ a supervisor of music and an office clerk. There are five school buildings in the city. The work covers primary, intermediate, grammar, and high school departments. One of the five school buildings is that known as the Booker T. Washington School for colored children.
New Harmony schools are under the supervision of W. V. Mangrum and employ eleven additional teachers. The town has under construc- tion a commodious and up-to-date building of modern architecture and design, to cost about $35,000.
Poseyville is justly proud of a recently constructed up-to-date building at a cost of about $27,000. Prof. O. H. Harrall is superintendent and eight additional teachers are employed.
The town of Wadesville has a new, modern building of six rooms, erected in 1911 at a cost of $16,000. Prof. J. Ora Ault is superintendent and five additional teachers are employed.
The Stewartsville school is under the supervision of Prof. B. A. Trim- ble, and six additional teachers are employed. An addition to their school building was made in 19II at a cost of about $7,000.
The town of Cynthiana employs Prof. C. B. Macy as superintendent, and seven additional teachers, and has a good, modern school building.
The town of Griffin has a high school building of four rooms. Edna Hyatt is principal.
Previous to the adoption of the new State constitution in 1852 there was a small State seminary fund that was apportioned among the dif-
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY
ferent counties occasionally. The law provided that when there was a surplus in the county seminary fund of $500, the trustees might, at their option, erect a seminary building.
The fund grew out of certain fines, forfeitures, penalties, etc., before the justices, circuit court, etc. The first trustees for the Posey County Seminary were Samuel Jones, Joseph Price and William Hunter. They were appointed in 1822, and made their first report in November, 1825, which showed a balance of about $300 on hand. In February, 1833, suf- ficient money had accumulated to begin the erection of the building, and the General Assembly appointed General W. Johnson, of Knox county, Daniel Grass, of Spencer, and the Hon. George H. Proffit, of Pike county, as commissioners to locate the seminary building. Sev- eral places made offers of money and land as inducements to secure the location of the seminary. Hon. R. D. Owen offered ninety-two square rods of land at New Harmony, and about eighty acres of land on the Springfield road, and the free use of his library. The McClure library also was offered. Money to the amount of $1,399.50 and a petition of 114 names also came from New Harmony. Lynn, Robb, Smith and Rob- inson also sent petitions. Mt. Vernon sent a long list of petitioners and offered $500 and about four acres of ground.
The commissioners decided on Mt. Vernon, and the erection of the building was begun on the site now occupied by the grammar school, and was completed in 1843. The building was begun with an available amount on hand of $1,564.78, in 1841, and on its completion there was a deficit of $194.27. In September, 1850, the trustees were out of debt and had a surplus of $277.66. For that year, Mr. R. K. Dibble, the principal, reported that the average cost of tuition per scholar was $4.
To encourage patronage and to give all parts of the county some ben- efit of the school, the trustees recommended that free scholarship be given to one or two in each township.
The adoption of the constitutional amendment in 1853 providing for a free school system, which was soon in practical operation, made the seminary as a separate institution unnecessary, and the building was sold and the proceeds transferred to the common school fund.
CHAPTER VIII.
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CHURCHES.
PIONEER CHURCHES, THEIR GROWTH AND PROGRESS.
It is believed that the Rev. Samuel Jones, a Baptist minister, was the first minister to preach in the county. Previous to the building of churches preaching was in private houses or in groves. There were comparatively few people to attend church in those days and private houses, though small, furnished reasonably good accommodations for them and many of the private houses became fixed places of worship.
Revs. Thomas King, Thomas Davis and John Schrader were the first Methodist ministers who rode the circuit in Posey county. They all came to the county about the year 1815.
The Cumberland Presbyterians began preaching in this county as early as 1820. Their most noted ministers were: Revs. Denny, Car- sins, John and William Barnett, David Lowry, William Lynn (Uncle "Billy") and Hiram A. Hunter.
The Christians preached in the county as early as 1816. They were then called the New Lights. Revs. James Moultry and Joseph Wasson were the first ministers. The latter is usually regarded as the founder of that denomination in the southern part of the State.
In 1823 the Methodists designated the entire southwestern corner of the State by the name of "Patoka Circuit," and December 27, 1828, it was changed to "Princeton Circuit"; November 21, 1835, it was called the "Evansville Circuit," and December 24, 1836, it was changed to the "Mt. Vernon Circuit." The following were presiding elders between 1823 and 1850: William Beauchamp, James Armstrong, C. Holliday, George Locke, Enos G. Woods, Aaron Woods, John Miller, H. S. Tal- bot, John Kern, John Kerger and E. Whitton.
In 1849 Black's Chapel was erected on land then owned by Ezekiel Black, who deeded the lands to the church for the consideration of $I. Prairie Chapel was organized about the same time and Welborn's Chapel was built in 1857. There had been preaching at Welborn as early as 1824 and conferences were begun in 1825. Regular camp grounds were established near John Welborn's about 1830. Nathan Ash- worth and Joseph Whitworth were licensed to exhort in 1825 and Wil-
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY
liam Pool, Andrew Joel, William Bonner and Absalom Duckworth in 1836. Prominent among the Methodist families at the first organization of the church were the Welborns, Aldredges, Ashworths and Blacks.
In 1825 the General and Regular Baptists united and built Mount Pleasant Church, about three miles northeast of Mt. Vernon, on the Blackford road. It was a small log house but was soon replaced by a larger one. This house burned down and a building with a seating ca- pacity of about 300 was erected. Rev. Benoni Stinson was the first minister. In 1866 the membership was 240.
The first religious services of all denominations were held in private houses. A small brick house was erected on the corner of Main and Sixth streets in 1828. This was used by different denominations for a time, but with the population steadily increasing it soon became too small and in 1840 the Christians erected a church on Fifth street, be- tween Main and Walnut. The lot was deeded by Aaron Baker and Wil- liam Hendricks. This church was organized in 1833. Among the first members were William Daniel, William Hendricks, Aaron and John Baker, James Moore, Noble Craig, Mrs. Larkin, William Larkin and the Douzouchett family. The first preacher was Elijah Goodwin. Later ones were Philo Dibble, Flower, Mason and McReynolds.
Their first services were held in private houses and in the brick church above mentioned until 1840, when they built a church on Fourth street, between Walnut and Mulberry. They used this building till April, 1852, when they sold it to the German Methodists for $400. They then built a church on Walnut street, between Fourth and Fifth.
In 1853 a German Evangelical congregation started up. At first their membership consisted of only twelve Germans, holding religious services in private houses. Soon their memership increased and four years later they built a new frame church on North Mulberry street at a cost of $800. The first regular minister was T. H. H. Schmitz. This was the Evangelic Trinity Church.
In 1883 they built a new church, which was completed and conse- crated March 17, 1884, at a cost, including furniture, etc., of over $10,000. The congregation now embraces some of the most prominent families in Mt. Vernon.
The Presbyterian church of Mt. Vernon was organized in 1839, with ten members. Their first minister was Rev. Rankin, who came as a missionary and held monthly services for about a year. A few years later Rev. Tiffany came. He was also a carpenter and through his ef- forts their first church building was erected in 1851. The next minister was Rev. Charles Fitch. He had charge of the church for several years and was succeeded by Rev. N. T. Tuck, who preached and taught school.
Rev. T. W. Mitchel was pastor for two years and principal of the Mt. Vernon schools for one year. Other preachers, coming later, were
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY
Revs. Fisher, Taylor, John L. Yomley, B. Mills, John Montgomery, H. A. Dodge, Bailey, L. C. Mitchell and A. E. Chase.
The first German Methodist society was organized in Cincinnati in 1836. The society at Mt. Vernon was organized in 1843 with about twelve members. The first missionary was Peter Schmucker. In 1854 they bought the church property occupied by the English speaking Methodists, previous to the erection of their new church.
During the pioneer days of Posey county the Baptists (Hardshells) and the Methodists were the principal denominations represented, though itinerant preachers representing other denominations came occasionally and preached to the settlers.
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