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 75
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A few rods due north from Theodore Schonert's blacksmith shop at Ging Station, stood a cabin in which the colored children of this neighborhood were taught. They had been accustomed to going to the white schools, but for reasons which were satisfactory to them they withdrew and formed this school. They also used this house as a place of worship. They were the children and grandchildren of Archibald McCowan, who entered and bought a large tract of land here, and who in his day was very wealthy. This school was about 1840-45. David Noble taught in 1825, in a cabin which stood where the Fairview graveyard now is, a few feet west of the new church house. He taught here several years. The next teacher was Traverse Silvey. Others were: Edward Cohen, Edwin Elder and Sarah Gifford. David Drummond taught
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here. Heis referred to in the notes on Washington Township schools. Thomas B. Helm, now of Logansport, Cass County, known as the " Historian of Northern Indiana," and a most excellent gentleman, in 1843, taught a school of a high order at Farmington, in a house in which George Looney now resides. In 1845 Elder George Campbell took charge of this school and taught here several years. When the Fairview Academy was instituted this school closed per- manently. West of the toll-gate south of Griffin's Station on the Mauzy land, Sarah Merrick taught a school in about 1847. Har- vey Nutting taught in a log house south of the present Farmington school house about where the tenant house of Thomas Smith stands, in 1851-52. Horatio Wiley taught here. In 1853 a frame house was built at Farmington just north of where the present brick house stands. and Jacob Vail taught the first school in it. He was both preacher and teacher. Other teachers here were William M. Brooks and Allen Wiley, son of James Wiley. James Martin, in 1836, taught just north of where James Hinchman now lives on the Dunreith pike.
The first schools in Glenwood were taught in the old cabin which stood on the lot on which Dr. Orr now resides. The house was built by the neighbors, and schools conducted in accordance with the pioneer methods. In a few years a frame house was built on the same lot. This having served its purpose was removed, and in 1850, Thomas Ochiltree built a frame house, which is now a part of Dr. Orr's residence. In 1876, Mr. Ochiltree built the addition to this house, and then for, the first time did the public school of Glenwood consist of more than one department. These houses all occupied the same lot. In 1882, at the April election, John E. Smith was elected Township Trustee. He had been a teacher and knew the needs of Glenwood. While he was Trustee he built the elegant school building of which all the citizens are proud. This is a modern building of four rooms, standing in the center of beau- tiful grounds. During the same term of office Mr. Smith built the Ging Station school house. Among the first teachers here were: John P. Wallace, 1840, - Courtney, Life Dushin, Joseph Prine, Ward Williams, Daniel Gary-from Butler County, Ohio, lived in the old brick house on the farm of John Daubenspeck, Joseph Justus, Ruth and Ann Dillon- sisters of the late Dr. Dillon of Center Township, Mary Connor, afterward Mrs. Chris. Wiles, Peter Rush, Daniel Waggoner, Robert John and James Gamble, Robert Gray, a Presbyterian minister, died in Kansas in 1885. John Lowden, George H. Puntenney, 1859-60, now of Rushville, Samuel Ochiltree, Harvey Nutting, who boarded part of the time at Connersville, nine miles from school, Miss - Irving, Edward
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Wolf and John Reed. It is impossible at this date to give the order and date of each one who taught the young people here. The present school is under the skillful management of Harry Williamson, assisted by Misses Carrie McKee and Nama C. Meredith.
The school at Ging Station was formed by consolidating the McMillin school and the Waller school. It affords the pupils of the adjoining districts an opportunity to pursue their studies a little further than could profitably be done in the district schools. As before stated, John E. Smith built this house. Walter E. Ging is the efficient Principal, and Miss Gussie Iles is assistant. Among the teachers who have taught in this township since the pioneer times are: John E. Calvin, William Oliver, George, Frank and Alfred Smith ( sons of Ebenezer), John T. and Robert N. Hinch- man, J. F. Bigger, John W. Glass, J. T. Vest, Ralph George, John C. Ochiltree, John L. Shauck, John A. Axline, M. C. Kitchen, Lizzie Ging, Fannie Meredith, Aris Jones, J. W. Ball, John H. Cole and others. Among those who have held the office of Town- ship Trustee were Greenberry Rush, John Abernathy, John T. Hinchman, Newton Irvin, Lawrence Ging, William Gray, A. R. Peters, S. C. Wikoff, John E. Smith, Marshall Hinchman, George C. Mauzy, John W. Looney and Robert B. Cook, the present in- cumbent.
The Fairview Academy was organized to fill a " long felt want." Henry R. Prichard and W. W. Thrasher first canvassed the mat- ter and enlisted the support of the substantial citizens in the neigh- borhood of Fairview. At a meeting to talk the matter over, there was $1,200 subscribed at once. When the location of the new house was discussed the matter became very interesting, so much so that it was decided to burn the original subscription paper and locate the house first. This was done by William Shawhan donat- ing three or four acres to the Trustees, who had been previously chosen, and then the money was raised and the house contracted for. Stamper White and his brother Alfred built the school building and finished it in the fall of 1849. The building committee were: W. W. Thrasher, William Shawhan and Greenberry Rush. For- tunately for this institution there was a young graduate of Bethany College visiting in the neighborhood. It was A. R. Benton. Elder Henry R. Prichard met him at E. S. Frazee's. He recognized in the young man those qualities of mind and heart which are indis- pensable prerequisites in the carrying forward of any enterprise like this. The young man was engaged. He began the school before the building was completed, in the office of Dr. Ephraim Clifford. The school prospered, and when it had reached the zenith of its
Benjamin F. Norris
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prosperity, there was no school in the west, any where, that gave such opportunities to the young people as Fairview. The course of study was like that of a classical college. Pupils were here from several States, and the fame of this school "went abroad throughout the land." This condition of prosperity was reached dur- ing the regime of A. R. Benton, now President of Butler Univer- sity. After Benton, came Amaziah Hull and then his brother, Jasper. Later, came D. R. Vanbuskirk and W. M. Thrasher, now a professor in Butler University. After the public schools were es- tablished, the great need of such institutions as this was not so ap- parent. Colleges in Indiana are now the next step above our public schools. During the existence of Fairview Academy, in addition to the names mentioned above were: John Shawhan, John Thrasher (father of W. W.), and George Campbell, who came from Cincin- nati in 1849. The business management was continuously in the hands of W. W. Thrasher, and he is now the only surviving Trus- tee. It is his expressed wish that the property may be sold and the proceeds turned into the Rush County school fund. This, in brief, is the history of this notable institution, as gathered from those who have had every facility for knowing.
Noble Township .- The early schools of this township were ex- ceptionally good, for the reason that there were many excellent teachers among the pioneers who settled this part of Rush County. Among the early teachers here, were men, who in an especial de- gree left an impress for good on the minds and hearts of the young. As long as the hearts of men are grateful and true worth recog- nized, the names of Benjamin F. Reeve and Elijah Hackleman will be spoken reverently, and their disinterested devotion to the cause of education extolled. But there were others also, who left the influence of their lives on the right side of moral and re- ligious questions in this early day. Elijah Hackleman in a private letter to the writer of this chapter says: "I need not attempt to tell you of Mr. Reeve's career in Rush County, for a history of him would be a history of the county during the period of his residence as one of its citizens." Hon. E. H. M. Berry says: "Benjamin F. Reeve and Elijah Hackleman tower above all others who were their cotemporaries, in their efforts to enlighten the minds of the young, both as to scholastic and moral attainments."
As soon as the news of the treaty which opened this country to settlement, reached the settlements the hunters and trappers along the border crossed over to the new purchase and squatted on Con- gress lands. This was the St. Mary's treaty, October 6, 1818. By this treaty the title to the lands passed from the Indians to the general government.
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First School in the County .- In the winter of 1820-1821, Isaac Phipps taught a school for the squatters on Congress land in a cabin near the Capt. Benjamin Norris' farm. The venerable John Rus- sell, now of Largo, Wabash County, was a pupil in this school. Mr. Phipps was afterward a Justice of the Peace in the new county and taught occasionally for the next four or five years. It is safe to say that he was the first school teacher in Rush County. The Hon. Elijah Hackleman, of Wabash, is the authority for this and a great deal more contained in this chapter. Francis Clark, who came from Tennessee, a teacher by profession, taught for years along the border settlements, began teaching in Noble Township, Rush County, about 1823, and continued for the next five years. He taught at Pleasant Runn, in the Edward Pattison neigborhood, at the old Baptist Church on Little Flat Rock, and several other places. It is said that in his late schools, Mr. Clark spent almost half his time in sleep. A school day like a working day, was from sun-up to sun-down, and yet Mr. Clark could have put in a toler- ably fair day's work measuring by our present standard of six hours. Joshua Cooper, son of a widow living in the neighborhood of Isaac Williams, taught two or three terms, beginning about 1824. He was a cripple, quit teaching, studied law and left the country. He was a brother of J. J. Cooper, of the North Eastern Methodist Episcopal Conference.
John B. Tolbert (or Talbott) was a native of Ireland, and re- ceived his education in the city of Dublin. He came to Rush in 1824, and immediately engaged in school teaching. He was well educated and one of the most refined, polite and pleasant men that one would wish to meet. His health failed, and after teach- ing a few schools, he died. He was the father of Roderick and Thomas Talbert. In a cabin on the land now belonging to Abijah Hunt, near his present residence, Francis Clark taught a school in 1827. Jane Smith and Joshua Cooper subsequently taught here. The building was afterward used as a blacksmith shop. In 1826 or 1827, James Minor taught in a house, which stood near Mark Creek on the land of Lewis Smith, now belonging to his son Thomas. Thomas Lewark, Been Brown (Mrs. John H. Bebout's grand- father), James Fairley, - Lynch and - - Hough, were some of the pioneer teachers here. This house was due southwest across a quarter section from the present Farmington school house.
Benjamin F. Reeve, a professional school teacher from Ken- tucky, came to Indiana when the work which he was able to do for the young people could be most lasting and beneficial. Pecul- iarly endowed by nature, it seems now that no man better fitted for his task, was ever sent among a people in a new country. He
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began teaching in the fall of 1833 in the old Baptist Church on the land of Conrad Sailors. This building stood about a quarter of a mile west of where Mrs. Anna Murphy now lives, on the north side of the pike, then the old Sand Creek road, on the east side of the range line. This primitive structure had neither chimney nor fire-place. There was a sort of platform built from the ground, of rock and mud, and on this the coals were piled. The Gregg school house stood on the land of Judge Gregg, not far from Fay- etteville, Benjamin F. Reeve taught here in the fall and winter of 1834-35. His predecessor in this school was Isaac Fowler who left the county about 1833, and removed to Wabash County, and was elected the first County Surveyor. He died in 1837. Mr. Reeve had from sixty to sixty-five pupils here regularly.
It was at the Gregg school house that the boys decided (as was the custom) to "lock the school teacher out" on Christmas, and compel a treat -- generally apples. So the boys concluded to oc- cupy the house about daylight, and, on the schoolmaster's approach, to demand a surrender to their terms. Alfred Thompson, after- ward well known in the township, was the first boy to wend his way to the school house just at "peep o'day." He went whistling along full of the joyousness of a Christmas morn. He went into the school house, and who should he see sitting there intently at work with paper and pen but the teacher, "Uncle Benny," as he was familiarly known. The teacher who had suspected this, looked up as Alfred entered, and spoke about as follows: "Well Alfred, a little late this morning! You must get up a little earlier if you hope to do any good at school! Come now, get your book and settle down to business." Other boys dropped in, and were immediately put to work, so that by the time it was light enough to see well, the big boys were nearly all in school and hard at their lessons, the most chagrined set of boys ever collected in one room in Noble Township. Mr. Reeve taught in what was known as the Aunt Nancy Lewis house, on the bank of Little Flat Rock; among his pupils here were, E. H. M. Berry, the Norris brothers, G. W. Reeve and others.
The Reeve school house was built almost expressly for this man. This house was a frame, and stood close to the road, just a few rods south of the brick church, called Little Flat Rock. This was something of a high school in its day. Among the pupils here . were Elijah Hackleman, afterward a well known teacher, the Nor- ris brothers, the Hildreth brothers, Lewises, David Looney and George W. Reeve. Here he taught several years. In 1838-39 he taught a night grammar school with eminent success. He also taught a night grammar school at Gen. W. C. Robinson's mill, in
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1837-38. While he was a member of the Indiana Legislature he usually taught a school in the early fall. Among the teachers at the Reeve school house were John Schlonaker, 1840; John H. Taylor, William Thompson, Zerrelda Smith, Maggie Guffin, F. M. Reeve, James Feree and John C. Milliner. William Maple, uncle of the Churchill brothers, William, Jeff. and Milt., taught at the Billington school house in 1827 or '28. This house stood on the farm now belonging to Robert Wellman, about where his slaughter house now stands. Other teachers were: William Williams, Will- iam Andrews, C. W. Morrow and Mr. Hough. Guy Morris taught at the Gregg school house before 1840. John P. Wallace was a successful teacher of Noble Township and taught at Bethany about 1853-54. He was one of the county examiners. Jeremy Ander- son taught at the Reeve school house in 1842-43. He afterward endowed a professorship in Butler University. He resided in Mis- souri several years and died in Florida while health-seeking. He taught several other schools in Noble Township. Conrad Sailors gave Benjamin F. Reeve his first license to teach.
Elijah Hackleman, one of B. F. Reeve's pupils, was a most ex- cellent teacher in Noble. In 1839-40, he taught on the Brookville road, in a round log house which stood on the J. J. Lyons' land now belonging to J. J. Amos, Sr. He also taught in the house which stood on the Holman land near Burns', northeast of where Dick Wilson now lives. A school house stood half a mile east of Friend- ship, on the north side of the road near where Nine Amos now re- sides. Thomas Points and Abner Lyons taught here. William Rigdon was one of the first teachers at "Frog-pond." David McKee taught school in his own cabin in 1835-36. Charles Mor- row, a Methodist preacher, taught on the Stewart land. He re- moved to lowa, and died there several years ago. B. F. Norris was one of his pupils. Bradford Norris taught here. David McKee was the father of John H., the well-known teacher and Justice of the Peace in Jackson Township. E. H. M. Berry taught in the old log meeting house which stood about half a mile west of the present Bethany school house, on the land then belonging to Asa Giltner, now to B. F. Norris. His father lived near here, and the young school teacher held the school exhibition in his father's barn. This was in the forties.
Pleasant Runn .- Newton Perkins being a cripple, made school teaching a profession from 1823 to 1827. He had a fair education for those early times, but when the demands of the country began to call for some higher requirements, " Uncle Ute," as he was uni- wersally called, retired from the list of pedagogues and engaged again in his old business of basket making, in which he was one of
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the most proficient in the county. Among other teachers at this early center of pioneer activity were: J. W. Randall, a son-in-law of Jehu Perkins, and a Justice of the Peace taught sevesel terms of school here from 1830 to 1833. Pitman Clow taught here in the winter of 1827-28. Thomas R. Points, who was a brother of the lamented John Points, who was killed by Young in Richland Township (see important trials). He taught school at several places in Rush County and commenced teaching in Noble Township in 1837. One term in an old store room at the cross roads near the J. J. Amos farm on Little Flat Rock. He taught at the Reeve's house, at New Salem, and at Pleasant Runn. He moved west at an early day. He was a bright young man and an excellent teacher. Other teachers at Pleasant Runn were: George Wimbro, Jehu and Mary Lyons, Stephen Jones, William Mcllwaine, Cor- nelius Morrison, a Shaker from Ohio, and John J. Lyons. Artemus Moore, of Rushville, taught the first school in the present Pleasant Runn school house. Isaac Fowler, mentioned above, was a Vir- ginian by birth. He was the son-in-law of Daniel Cox, an early settler of eastern Rush County. He taught in this vicinity. Mr. Fowler was a good practical engineer and surveyor. Abner Hackle- man, a native of Scott County, Ky., came to Rush County with his father, Abraham Hackleman, in 1821, and taught school from 1828 to 1831, in the Hawkin's school house, or as it is called in this chap- ter, the Holman house. He left this county in 1835, and went to Des Moines County, Iowa. He represented that county in the Territorial Legislature from 1837 to 1841. In 1854, he conducted sixty families from Iowa to Lynn County, Oregon. ยท He died in the fall of 1846.
Rev. James H. Ross came from Ohio and bought a farm half a mile south of the late residence of Peter Looney. He taught two or three schools on his own land known as the Ross school, commencing January 21, 1833. He moved a few years after to Northfield, Boon County, Ind., where he died in 1878; Elijah Hackleman says of him, "he was one among the most excellent men I ever knew." William Feely taught two terms at the cross- ing of Mark Creek, one mile north of Peter Looney's, in 1833 and 1834. Turner A. Knox taught several terms of school in Noble Township beginning about 1833, one term near New Salem, and two terms in the Holman house. During his teaching he was elected Judge of the Probate Court of Rush County. Pryor Rigdon, a native of Kentucky, taught at the Gregg school house in the winter of 1835. He continued in the business of teaching for the next ten years, a greater part of this time on Little Blue River and Mud Creek north of Rushville. Ile afterward studied medicine
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and removed to Grant County, Ind., and subsequently became quite a prominent preacher in the Christian Church. Marcus Marsh spent his early life in the vicinity of New Salem, and from 1845 to 1850 he became quite proficient as a school teacher, studied law, moved to Marion, Grant County, served as Clerk of the Court two terms, and is now practicing law. Elijah Hackleman taught first in the Peter Looney school house, commencing August 15, 1836, afterward in the Gregg's, the Reeve's and the J. J. Lyons' schools, continuing through a series of thirteen years.
Flat Rock Seminary was established in 1856. The citizens built the upper story for a high school and it prospered for several years. The first Principal was John Guffin, who held the position two years. He was followed by Josiah Gamble, for many years the efficient County Superintendent of Fayette County. Mr. Gamble was here several years; among other teachers here were: Elder Walter S. Tingley, John A. Roberts, John R. Hunt, George Guffin, Thomas B. Robinson, Selina Culver, Samuel Vandervort, Amanda Hunt, F. M. Hunt, Jesse Robinson, Charles Poston, James Wilson, and others. It is now a district school of one de- partment. Ellen Holden is the teacher. At the Holman house were other teachers not mentioned above: John P. Thompson, a veteran in the cause of education; T. T. N. Patterson, Charles S. Daily, John S. Myers, William Brink, Loy. O'Neal, Blackstone Wiles, John Cobb, Isaiah Little, Bennett Burns and his sister Cor- delia. This house was used until the frame house at Frog Pond was built and the interest thereto transferred. Among the pupils at the Holman school were: W. M. Brooks, Kay Armstrong, George W. Guffin, Melvin Burns, Peter and Emma White, Mrs. Aaron Frazee nee Brooks, and many others. Josiah Gamble taught at the Applegate school house; Thomas Little, Clerk of Fayette County, taught several schools here with much success.
Elijah Hackleman in 1845-48, was Justice of the Peace and built himself an office of round logs near his residence, this was south of where John Davidson now lives. Here he taught a school for the advanced pupils of the neighborhood; among other branches he taught geometry, trigonometry and surveying. Andrew Guffin was one of his pupils here. No other teacher in Noble Township had up to this time taught those branches, and by way of par- enthesis, not many since that time. In 1849, Mr. Hackleman removed to Wabash County, where he still resides. He has been County Surveyor, Clerk of the Court and State Senator, from Wa- bash. Ross Smiley, an old man who now lives on the county line between Fairview and Glenwood, taught school in a house which stood on the land of John Hornaday, now belonging to Philip Heeb
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half a mile west of the county line. James B. Cook, Sr., and wife, both attended this school in the thirties. Elijah A. Burns, a blind school teacher who had been a pupil of B. F. Reeve's in Kentucky, taught a grammar school at Flat Rock Seminary in 1871. . A. B. Shaw taught a singing geography school in the old brick house on the farm of Abijah Hunt, in 1843-44. Robert, John, James and Alex, brothers of Josiah Gamble, all taught in Noble Township. David S. Morgan, Esq., taught successfully at New Salem and Friendship.
The first school house in New Salem stood on the lot on which John R. Mercer now resides. Lewis Salla, a Justice of the Peace, was the first teacher, in 1827. John B. Talbert taught here several years. Among his pupils were A. G. and W. C. Mauzy, and James Pat- terson of Rushville. This teacher was the grandfather of James T. Holden, well known in this township. A log house was put up on the land of Nelson Patterson, now belonging to Samuel Patter- son of Laurel. Among the early teachers here were: John B. Tal- bert, John Keithler, Marcus Marsh, Norvill Cox, Harvey Marsh, Miss Wilhoit, afterward Mrs. Barton Caldwell of Rushville, Jacob P. Andrews, Harriet Kibby and Wilson Morrow. When the pres- ent school house at New Salem was finished early in the fifties, Josiah Gamble taught the school. Jasper Hull was one of the teach- ers. Rebecca Jane Guffin taught in this township in 1853. She is now Mrs. Robert Wellman. The first Trustees were: Daniel Churchill, David McKee, Ira S. Perkins. Rev. Milton Wright taught at New Salem in the forties. He is now a Bishop in the United Brethren Church in California, and is a brother of Elder Harvey Wright, of Center Township. Among the more modern teachers in this township we mention : John H. Cole, John W. Ball, Harry Williamson, Israel B. Long (whose experience covers a period of nearly thirty years). Mrs. May Wellman, for many years the efficient primary teacher in New Salem. S. C. Newlin, M. D., John Morris, Thomas Boylen, Ralph George, William Long, Anna and Emma Bever, Ella Holden, Alva Kirkpatrick, W. T. Smith, Georgia Morris, Jennettie Wellman, James R. Hargitt, Minnie Chandler, E. L. Culbertson, B. F. Lefter, Della McKee, Samuel Van Horn, Comnie Meredith, Addie Murray, J. T. Creek - more, George Smith, John C. Robinson and John C. Robinson. Quincy A. Poston is Township Trustee, his predecessor is William M. Brooks, 1882-86; John C. Humes, 1878-82; Robert Cowing, Andrew Guffin, William Williams.
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