USA > Indiana > Rush County > History of Rush County, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana territory, and the State of Indiana > Part 73
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ment. God keep us from both!" In Virginia, illiteracy increased until it infected even the highest classes of citizens. "Indeed, so late as 1715, the Governor of Virginia dissolved the Colonial Assembly with this taunt upon the educational defects of a body composed of their principal gentry: 'I observe that the grand ruling party in your house, has not furnished chairmen of two of your standing committees who can spell English or write common sense, as the grievances under their own handwriting will manifest.'" Not so was it in New England; there, no man was considered a gentleman or even a Christian if he lacked a knowledge of letters. Studious- ness and the love of books was esteemed a merit second only to that of godliness. " My child," said a hopeful mother to her boy, " if God make thee a good Christian and a good scholar, thou hast all thy mother ever asked for thee." In 1787, the last Continental Congress, sitting in New York, in reference to the Northwest Ter- ritory, received a report from a select committee, of which Nathan Dane, of Massachusetts, was Chairman. That committee reported, July II, " An ordinance for the government of the Territories northwest of the Ohio."
This ordinance contains six unalterable articles of perpetual com- pact between the embryo States and the Union. The third article begins as follows: "General morality and knowledge, being neces- sary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools, and the means of education, shall be forever encouraged." This territory was a gift from Virginia to the general government. The surveyor laid it off into squares of six miles each, called congres- sional townships, and these were laid off into square sections of one mile each, making thirty-six sections in each township. Section number sixteen is near the middle. Among the new States made from this territory is
Indiana .- On the 19th of April, 1816, Congress invited Indiana to meet in convention, adopt a constitution, and tendered the follow- ing proposition: "That the section numbered sixteen in every township, and when such section has been sold, granted or disposed of, other lands, equivalent thereto and most contiguous to the same, shall be granted to the inhabitants of such township for the use of schools." This was the source from which came our congressional township school fund, and is the corner stone of our system of free public schools. The first attempt to create a general system of schools in the State was " An act incorporating congressional town- ships, and providing for public schools therein," approved February 6, 1837. This was extremely complicated, and was weakened by an excessive division of functions among numerous officers. It was without county or State direction, and as nearly every step in matters
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of taxation and administration was dependent upon the votes of the inhabitants of school districts, these defects were not removed by the " act to increase and extend the benefits of common schools," approved January 19, 1849. The inefficacy of these statutes soon became apparent, and the present constitution, adopted in 1851, not only renewed the requirement that the system should be general and uniform, but also forbade the enactment of local or special laws for supporting common schools. In pursuance of these provisions a general school law was enacted in 1852, and received the ap- proval of the Governor on February 14th of that year. This law contains the germs of the present system, and after passing through several revisions by the General Assembly, guided by a series of luminous decisions of the Supreme Court, it was embodied in the act of March 6, 1865, the last comprehensive statute on the subject of common schools.
The early settlers in Rush County had the same hardships to endure that characterized the experiences of pioneers in other por- tions of the northwest territory. The children must have an edu- cation, and teachers and houses must be provided. He, who could read and write a good hand, could secure employment as teacher. If he could make a good pen of a goose quill he possessed an addi- tional qualification. If he could "cipher" as far as "the single Rule of Three" he was in great demand. He must "board 'round" among the families in the neighborhood, and quite frequently was found on Sunday preaching in the log meeting house to the people. The school house and the meeting house were quite often one and the same. The sale of the land known as the school section fur- nished a meager amount of public money. The wages paid to teachers were made up from this fund supplemented by an amount per scholar paid by the parent; frequently the school was taught in a "squatter's" cabin. These cabins had been erected by a class of people who were the forerunners of actual settlers. As the country gradually filled up and the land entered by people seeking homes, these squatters (generally hunters and trappers ) "moved on."
Pioneer School House. - There are many young people in our county who have no clear idea as to the kind of houses in which our parents and grandparents attended school. It seems proper that a description of the " old log school house " should be given here. The building was usually about sixteen by eighteen feet, built of round logs from eight to ten inches in diameter, laid one on top of another after the manner of a rail pen, notches cut in each end called the " saddle," which was made to fit the upper side of the log previously placed. In this manner the building went up in a tolerably expeditious and permanent manner. The overlapping
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ends of logs at the corners of the building were seldom sawed off. The man in the neighborhood who was known as a good " corner man," was much sought after by those having buildings to erect. After the house reached the height of about seven feet (the usual height of a one story house), the corner man began to shape the gable of the house by trimming the ends of these logs to corres- pond to the desired pitch of the roof, smaller logs were placed across the building on which the roof was to rest, the ends resting on the logs forming the gable and holding them in position. The last log was called the ridge pole. The roof was made of clapboards and held in position by poles, laid on top. The opening for the door was cut into the room at such a point a's the convenience of the school seemed to suggest, the windows were made by cutting out one log on each side, or as was sometimes the case, by chopping away half of two logs. Instead of glass, was used greased paper pasted over these long windows, through which the light entered. The fire place was made at one end of the room. If the room was large two fire places were built, one at each end. The chimneys were built outside of the house and on the ground, the side next the school room left open, several logs in the end of the building and of proper width, having been removed. The chimney built of sticks laid in mud and thoroughly plastered with mud, to secure against danger from fire. These fire places were sometimes long enough to allow a "back-log" ten feet long, and frequently a horse was employed to drag the log into the house. The hearth was of baked mud. The floors were made of puncheons (thick plank split from the bodies of trees.) The seats were made of the bodies of trees split through the center, and holes bored into the bark side into which were driven large wooden legs. These were generally so high from the floor that the little fellow's feet could swing clear, while he tried to be comfortable, as he sat there imbibing enthusiasm from his "Webster's spelling- book " and his surroundings. The writing desk was a punch- eon resting on pins driven into the wall and extending along the window. A high seat of the kind described above, was occu- pied by those who did writing. The door was made of clap- boards, pinned to a couple of cross pieces and swung on wooden hinges. No ceiling except the roof, so that when the chimney failed to "draw " the smoke might go out through the cracks in the roof. This is not an overdrawn picture. In Rush County were school houses with no floor except earth, and no fire place at all, but instead, a fire kept going out doors, and live coals carried in and piled in the center of the room on the ground. Many of the first school houses were built without the use of saw, and not a nail
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used in the construction. In locating these first school houses and in naming some of the pioneer teachers, it is hardly among the probabilities that there are no errors. The old citizens of the county from all parts have furnished the information, neither is it probable that nearly all the first schools have been mentioned. Enough has been chronicled to give the young people a clearer conception of their privileges and duties in the schools of to-day. Very much of what now for the first time goes on record, must certainly have been lost in a very few years. When one of the early settlers of Rush County, who has lived to see the county de- velop from a wilderness into one of the foremost in all that per- tains to the happiness and culture of the people, when one of these pioneers is gone, many facts important and interesting to the people are beyond our reach and gone forever.
Washington Township .- Robert Smith taught a school in 1832 in a house which stood where Jot Caldwell's house now stands. John Nelson Pennwell also taught several schools here. J. W. Pennwell was the first teacher at the Allen school in 1840. Mr. Bolander taught in the Allen school house about 1844. This house stood on the eighty acres of land formerly belonging to David Kirkpatrick, now to James Wikoff, opposite the present residence of Mrs. McCrory. A tan-yard was just east of this house, belonging to John Allen. This afforded a fine play ground. This man Allen was the father of Aunt Cynthia Gray, well known to many people of Union and Washington townships. Other teachers of this school were John L. Legg, Esq., for many years a respected citizen of Washington Township; Edwin Elder, from New York, an ex- cellent man and a good teacher. He taught his pupils to address the teacher when they came into the room, first, to remove the hat; second, take one step to the right: third, say "good morning, Mr. Elder." He was strict, impartial and kind. He afterward read medicine with Dr. Ephraim Clifford, of Fairview. Calvin Jackson, son of Squire Joseph Jackson, taught at the Allen school house several terms, and participated the neighborhood debates.
- The Jackson school house stood in Rush County, one mile east of the present residence of B. F. Jackson. Gideon M. Colvin taught at the Jackson school house in 1844. He was afterward School Commissioner in Kentucky, removed to Missouri, and died there in 1883. Emily Napp taught here also. Samuel Westerfield taught here in 1835; he is now residing in Henry County, Ind. This was one of the first houses in the county that had a plank floor and glass windows. John Whiteman (now in Iowa), taught here in 1855. Other teachers: George Tredway taught here several years; Mary (Carver) Tyner, William Freeman, John Hillis,
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Levi Colvin, Delia Puntenney, Jesse Jackson, James Robb, Henry Carver.
Amos Drummond taught in Washington Township in an early day. His father, David, lived in Falmouth, and sold goods in the store now occupied by Jacob Oglesby, who preached in the Bap- tist meeting house, and cried sales for his neighbors. The son died comparatively young, and the father removed to Clarksburgh, and built a store room. Wilford U. Lightfoot taught school in this township when quite a young man, over forty years ago;) was very well educated. Joseph Nixon, a very strict teacher, taught in a school house just north of Mrs. Savannah Loders, on the bank of the creek. This was called the Hatfield school. Nixon was from North Carolina. Levi Hatfield, Esq., owned the Loder farm, lived near the apple tree which now stands in the field where the Loder race-track now is. He was Clerk of the town- ship, one of Trustees and Justice of the Peace. He taught school in the house near his home. He was the father of the late Mrs. William S. Hall. This was more than forty years age. John Davis taught in the Hatfield house.
Plummer's school house stood on the county line two miles north of Jackson school house, on the farm of Hiram Plummer, now be- longing to Horton Ferguson. Among the early teachers here were: Uriah Garris, Martha McClure, Ira Carver, Miss Kate Clark, Miss Delia Babbitt, now of Raysville, Martindale, 1840, Jabez Miner, John Edgar Rumsey, at the present time in Tipton, George Puntenney, cousin of George H., of Rushville, and James McClure. The Martin Vickery school house stood three-quarters of a mile west of the present new school building at Maple's Cor- ner, and one mile and three-quarters west of the old Plummer school. Lynch taught here in 1841-42. He taught one summer and shut the windows down tight to punish the children. Other teachers were: Holland Hickman, George Corn, from Kentucky; the latter would defer punishment until the following day, but never forgot it on this account; James Varner, Thomas Cook, and Pumel Peters. There was once a school taught in a cablin which stood east of Andrew Fletcher's, on the north county line. Where Eben- ezer Church now stands, in the northeast corner of the township, were two schools, taught by John Edgar Rumsey, and John B. Scott, afterward killed by Hickman. These were back in the forties.
Among the first frame houses built for school purposes in Wash- ington, stood the building now in Raleigh, the residence of Jesse P. Bales; this house stood a quarter of a mile west of the Martin Vickery's log house. Among the teachers were: Uriah Garris, Joseph Bowls, Washington Bayless. Joseph Bowls says that Mar-
Jesse murphy
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tin Vickery sent fifteen pupils to school to him. The late Wesley Williams taught school here. The Zion school house was built in 1836, near the corner of the present graveyard at Raleigh, opposite the new Christian Church building. Alfred Reeves taught very acceptably here for three or four years. Among other teachers were: Robert Gordon, John F. Hall, Augustus Eaton, - Gore, Miss Cooper, Charles C. Legg (brother of John M. and George Legg), Joseph Spencer, - Smith. Mrs. Henry Hall went to school here when she was five years old, these were in the thirties and before 1843. Samuel Legg built the Zion school house. He was the father of W. S. Hall's first wife. The Weaver school house stood on the northeast corner of William Jeffries' farm now be- longing to the estate of Edward Dyer. Among the teachers were : John Eaton, Wesley Williams and John M. Hudelson, Thomas Smith, a Baptist preacher, subscribed for one scholar for the whole term and sent four for one-fourth of the term, this was early in the forties. The Melser school house stood in the woods on Leroy Pugh's land, and J. M. Hudelson taught here in IS36. A. B. Eng- lish of Center Township, was a pupil.
The Maze school house, or Parker house, on the land of Will- iam Maze, in Washington Township, near the Center Township line, and just opposite to the log school house which stood in Cen- ter, there stood a frame school house. In the winter of 1844, John Griffith taught the first school in it, and several other terms. John Cannutt taught here and had quite an interesting experience which is about as follows: On Christmas he was told that he must treat, and, in order that he might the more easily be brought to time, a young man named Horton was on hand to assist the pupils, but os- tensibly a visitor. Cannutt, the teacher, asked Horton to recite, whereupon Horton cried out to the pupils to seize him! They did "seize him," but Horton was floored by a billet of wood in the hands of the teacher. Cannutt was arrested and fined $25 by a Justice of the Peace. His friends insisted that the case should be appealed to the Circuit Court, which was done. The matter was tried in Rushville. The teacher was acquitted by the jury who rendered their verdict without leaving their seats, and every one of the boys who had "seized him" were fined. This frame school house is now a part of the residence of Mrs. James McIlvaine. Among other teachers at this place were: Alfred Plew, William Maze, Andrew Alexander, John Smiley.
A log school house stood north of Nipp's mill at the cross roads. The first teachers were Judson Wisner and William Newkirk, and Samuel Gray, brother of John T. Gray's father. Hannah Silvers taught in 1855. John Williamson, an Irishman, taught in the 32
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Washington Township schools as early as 1830. He was a fine mathematician and was so absorbed with his arithmetic work that he paid no attention to any other branch. So thoroughly was his time taken up in his favorite work that one of his pupils, a mischiev- ous boy, took advantage of him so far as to read the same lesson every day in class, during the entire term. The teacher never dis- covered the continuous repetition. John Wood, from Massachu- setts, taught at the Allen school house in about IS36. He was a cultured and educated gentleman, and very popular. He was noted for his politeness and gentleness. In 1848 Mrs. Leah Bayless or- ganized a school for the benefit of her own and her neighbors' chil- dren, and taught in a cabin of her own. This cabin stood on the west side of Flat Rock, about where the barn of William Maze now stands. One mile west of Lail's school house, on the corner of James Wikoff's farm, Robert Ray, in 1850, Charles Kenning, Walter Benson and Mr. Sheffield were teachers.
There are recollection no doubt, of other schools in Washington Township, that have not been brought to the writer's notice. The more modern schools have been under the care and management of careful and prudent Trustees. Among these we mention W. S. Hall, who served as Trustee for many years, who built the first set of public school frame buildings, and who, in 1876, consolidated the schools in such a manner that five houses answer the purpose for which there had previously been nine. The establishment of the Raleigh graded school gave an impetus to educational matters in this township, which has placed the schools in the very front rank. Washington Township can have more months of school on a given rate of taxation than any township in Rush County. To-day, the school buildings are all new except one, and another year will doubtless see this one replaced by a new house in keeping with the times and enlightened public opinion.
The Raleigh graded school was opened in the fall of 1877, un- der the management of J. T. Kitchen, a teacher of experience and good judgment. It proved a success and many of the teachers of the present day, date their success from the excellent instruction re- ceived from Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen. Mr. Hall was succeeded by B. F. Jackson, who served four years, and who kept up the reputa- tion of Washington Township schools. He, in time was succeeded by Smith Fry, who acted as Trustee for the allotted space of four years, after whom the people again called Mr. Jackson from re- tirement; he is now Trustee. Among the men and women who have taught in the public schools of Washington Township, we mention Hon. Frank J. Hall, of Rushville; Calvin Smith, of Union Township; Lafe G. Hall, Mrs. Lafe G. Hall, John .H. Jackson,
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Miss Lizzie Ging, W. A. Hall, William Hood, Mrs. Delbert Miles, Mattie McIntee, G. C. Brothers, the late Hiram Paxton, and many others. Those who have served as Principals of the Raleigh school, following Mr. Kitchen are: John L. Shauck, W. S. Mere- dith, J. A. Buck, J. W. Ball, John Peck, Israel Gregg and Harry Williamson. John T. Washam is now Principal.
Center Township. - There were several schools taught in this township before 1840. The oldest was probably taught by a man named Esham, in a house on the farm of David Price, now belong- ing to Keturah Miles of Carthage. This was in 1830. The house stood about sixty rods southeast of the present residence of Hon. Samuel S. McBride. Pryor Rigdon taught in the old Baptist meeting house, which stood on the south end of the Blue River grave yard, in 1831. On the north line of Samuel McBride's farm was a log school house in 1840. Keturah Pickering, Samuel McBride and John W. Kirkpatrick taught here. Jonah Price taught in Robert Knox's cabin, about forty rods east of John Gilson's pres- ent residence in 1832 or '33. Roland Haywood's father and William Jones, both taught at the Blue River grave yard, about 1834 or '35. Benjamin Zion in 1844, taught just opposite the Baptist Church, commonly called Hickory Church, on the east side of the road; this was a frame house, the first frame school house in Center Township. James Young taught two terms here. Other teachers were Margaret Sutton, Edward Langston and Washington Bayless.
In 1839, Elijah Alfred taught the first school in what was after- ward called the Reeve school house. This log house stood on John Brown's land, now the Gilson land, near the cross roads east of William Reeve's present residence, and one mile east of Shive- ley's corner. Among other teachers here, were Mills S. Reeves, John Arnold, Samuel S. McBride, A. J. Young, Washington Bay- less. Enoch Kent, William Reeves, and Thomas Goddard two terms. On the west side of the pike, north of Dr. Dillon's, at the corner of Jefferson Dalrimple's farm, a log school house was built in 1832 or 1833. Levi James, Ben. Zion, John Knox and William Kirkpatrick, were among the early teachers. Samuel S. McBride taught in a pioneer school house half a mile east of Elder Harvey Wrights, on the L. F. Hinchman land; other teachers were: Lewis Kitchen, Banker, Pryor Rigdon and James Hamilton. John Madison Bell taught in a log school house one mile east of what is now No. 3, or Campbell's school house, about 1845. William McBride taught here also. About a quarter of a mile northwest of Matthew Oldham's present residence, Elizabeth Peck taught in a house of Thomas Sargent's in 1847. Beaty Kirkpatrick now owns the land on which this house stood- Young and Amaziah Sargent taught
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here. Just west of the farm, known as the Washington Hood farm, and in Center Township, stood a school house of the pioneer type. Here, about IS40, was a teacher named Banker. He was a peculiar man, and proud of his money possessions. He usually carried a considerable amount with him, and took much apparent satisfaction in showing the same. While teaching at this place, he boarded at the late Daniel Hall's. His dinner was prepared for him as usual, and, on this fatal morning, the schoolmaster walked away toward the school house. He was never seen by the people or the children again. It is generally supposed that Banker was murdered and robbed, and his body secreted in the swamps. No one was ever arrested or tried for murder in this case, but one man who had been suspected of the crime, left his family and the neigh- borhood in a short time and committed suicide. "There is no refuge from confession but suicide, and suicide is confession."
There were many other teachers in this school, among whom we mention: Hugh Washington Bell ( 1843), Pryor Rigdon (now in Independence, Ind.), James Hamilton (son of Robert), John Griffith; Alfred Plew, who was known as a great disciplinarian, Gabriel Sutton; also John W. Clark, in 1850-51, a well-known teacher of Posey Township. The house in which Mr. Clark taught was the second log house on this spot, the first having burned down a year or two before. The Duncan school house stood on the north side of the road, about three-quarters of a mile west of the town of May's Station. John M. Bell was one of the early teachers in this pioneer school house. Samuel S. McBride, well , known in Rush County, had eighty pupils at one time here. There were four families in this district who sent an aggregate number of twenty-four, six each. These families were: William Hud- elson, Jonathan Kirkham, William Jones and William Sloan. James H. English taught in the Duncan school house in 1842-43, also Gabriel Sutton. Allen Briskey taught in the log school house at Shiloh in the forties.
An Englishman attempted to teach in the second Shiloh school house, but he gave it up and declared he could do nothing with these little "American devils." John Methvin taught in a log school house which stood about three-quarters of a mile west of the present Shiloh school house, in 1839-40. He subsequently taught in Rushville. Another teacher was James Buck, a discreet and conscientious man. He was the father of Mrs. Jacob Fisher, of Richland Township. Other teachers here were: John Cochrane, from South Carolina; A. P. Tyler, from Knightstown; Merrill Kent, from Connecticut; Rebecca Jeffries taught in the first frame house; Gabriel Sutton taught the first school in the new, or second Shi-
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