USA > Indiana > Tipton County > History of Tipton County Indiana > Part 17
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the State Medical Society. This organization continued actively for several years, following a course of meetings and discussions which were beneficial to it, individually and collectively. Late in the seventies the society became divided in opinion on several important professional questions, and in April, 1881, partially broke up, and a new society was organized, with the following first membership : Winser Austin, A. J. Barker, J. C. Driver, J. W. Crismond, J. A. Bouse, A. E. Rhodes, D. P. Rubush, M. V. B. Newcomer, A. S. Dickey, G. R. Repp. A. P. Parker, D. R. Campbell, J. P. Jessup. J. D. Armfield, H. G. Evans and M. S. Johnson. This organization was independent of the State Medical Society.
The Medical Society of Tipton County is at present composed of six- teen members, namely : Drs. H. E. Grishaw, of Tipton; H. G. Read, of Tip- ton; E. I. Hinkle, of Goldsmith; S. M. Cotton, of Goldsmith; M. V. B. New- comer, of Tipton; W. C. Furney, of Sharpsville; A. W. Gifford, of Tipton; W. F. and G. C. Dunham, of Kempton; A. S. Dickey, of Tipton; W. E. McKee, of Tipton; E. B. Moser, of Windfall; A. E. Burkhardt. of Tipton; T. W. Longfellow, of Windfall; H. S. Gifford, of Sharpsville; B. B. Thorpe. of Curtisville. The officers elected for the year 1914 are: S. M. Cotton, president; A. W. Gifford, vice-president, and W. F. Dunham, secretary and treasurer. They are preparing to petition the county commissioners for a hospital. This society is now in the state organization.
NON-ASSOCIATION DOCTORS.
The present doctors in the county who are not members of the medical society are : Bert V. Chance, of Windfall; Clifford W. Conkling, of Windfall; John Cooper, of Kempton: Samuel G. Downing, of Hobbs; James Harvey Ferguson, of Kempton; Jefferson R. Hildrup, of Windfall; Willis B. Huron, of Tipton: John T. Jessup, of Curtisville : James P. Moser. of Windfall : M. T. Ploughe, of Kempton ; Jefferson Pugh, of Kempton; Linley Murray Rea- gan. of Tipton : Robert M. Recobs, of Tipton; James Treloer Tressider, of Tipton, also Sarah Emily Tressider, and T. O. Morris, of Hobbs.
DOCTORS OF THE PAST.
Other doctors enrolled in the books of the Tipton county medical prac- tice, most of whom are deceased and who are not now in active practice, are: A. B. Pitzer, Sharpsville; G. M. Collins. Tipton; S. M. Comer, Curtis- ville ; J. M. Grove, Tipton; A. J. Barker, Tipton; William N. Heath, Sharps-
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ville; James S. Mavity, Tipton; J. C. Driver, Atlanta; W. M. Glass, Shiel- ville; Isaac Parker, Tipton; N. W. Doan, New Lancaster; I. N. Schell, New Lancaster; A. F. White, Tetersburg; M .V. B. Vickrey, Tipton; A. M. Vickrey, Tipton : A. B. Seward, Ekin; D. I. Zook, Tetersburg; F. S. Zook, Windfall; Winsor Austin, Windfall; W. K. Armstrong, Windfall; M. M. Bundy, Kempton; H. G. Evans, Tipton; L. McAlister, Windfall; D. P. Rubush, Sharpsville; James P. Lindsay, Sharpsville; D. F. Lindsay, Sharps- ville; J. M. Gossett, Normanda; J. L. Jessup, Curtisville; J. L. Spitsmesser, Windfall; A. P. Parker, Kempton; J. A. Bouse, Goldsmith; C. A. Harbaugh, Atlanta; D. R. Campbell, Normanda; J. M. Crismond, Tipton; T. C. Wel- chell, Goldsmith : J. A. Summers, Groomsville : T. O. Armfield: L. B. Ward, Kempton; C. S. Goar; G. R. Repp; H. M. Mehlig, M. L. Ploughe. F. M. Batman and C. N. Blount, Tipton. It is the presumption that the above lists comprise the names of all doctors who have practiced medicine in the county of Tipton.
SKETCHES.
The first practicing physician in Windfall was Dr. Zimmerman, a man of strong ability, who commenced practice soon after the town was laid out and continued for several years. Dr. S. T. Murray was also an early phy- sician, and perhaps the next to Zimmerman. Afterward, came Perry Shock- ney, Winser Austin and Farlow Zeek. In 1880 the medical profession was represented in Windfall by the following : L. McAlister, T. S. Zeek, W. L. Price, W. Austin, J. L. Spitzmesser, J. A. Horine, Dr. Hermann, George Wood and Dr. Price.
The first doctor in the town of Sharpsville was Reuben Jackson, who came from some point in Boone county in 1849 and left in 1853, going to Missouri. Dr. James P. Lindsay, the father of medicine in Sharpsville, came from Decatur county in 1850, and engaged in active practice during his entire life at that town .. Doctor Chew came from Clinton county in 1852 and remained until 1854, when he removed to the west part of Howard county. Doctor Cross came from Madison. Indiana, in 1855. and left in 1857. returning to Madison. Doctor Cummings came from New Marion. Ripley county, in 1856, and went to Jennings county the next year. Doctor New came from Vernon in 1856, and the next year went to the state of Ken- tucky. Dr. J. K. Baxter came from Jefferson county in 1855. continued in practice until 1871. when he moved to his farm in the country. Doctor Basey came from New London, Howard county, in 1854, and went to Spiceland. Henry county, in 1856. Doctor Grooms arrived about the year 1857. was
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elected to the office of county auditor in 1862, and later died in Tipton. Dr. I. W. Stratford came in 1865, and left in 1869, going to Indianapolis. Dr. W. N. Heath came from Jefferson county in 1868, and practiced for many years. Dr. A. B. Pitzer came here from Prairie township in 1868, was elected county clerk in 1878, and later practiced medicine in Tipton. Doctor Houser came in 1875, but left the following year. Dr. W. L. Price came from Carroll county in 1878, left in 1879, going to Windfall. Dr. A. I. Wilson came from Prairie township in 1879, and went to the state of Kansas in 1881. Dr. D. P. Rubush came from Jefferson township in 1879.
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The summer and fall of 1855 are memorable to the old settlers of Tip- ton county, for it was a period of intermittent fever and congestive chills. On one day Doctor Lindsay visited every family in Sharpsville except Will- iam Heaton. The groans of the sufferers were heard everywhere. The fol- lowing year saw a repetition of the malady, although in less severe form.
Among the earlier physicians of Kempton were Mrs. A. P. Parker, J. W. Stevenson, L. B. Ward, Summers, Green, Williams, Sturdevant and Ballinger. In Goldsmith some of those who have practiced medicine have been : M. M. Bundy, White, J. A. Bouse, T. C. Welchel and Doctor Repp. At New Lancaster have been : Drs. R. R. Douglas, Granville Newby, Reuben Harvey, W. M. Sharpe, J. D. Armfield, T. O. Armfield, William Judd, Davis and T. F. Cook and Dr. N. W. Doane.
J. W. Manden and S. M. Conner were the earliest medical men of Cur- tisville, followed by Dr. S. S. Hazzard and J. T. Jessup. Dr. T. O. Arm- field was an early physician of Hobbs, now practicing at Elwood.
Dr. Silas Blount moved from Ohio in 1841 and located in Cicero town- ship just north of the Hamilton county line. Doctor Blount was one of the first physicians to practice in Tipton county and the territory now composing it. He was also one of the first associate judges. For forty years he gave his services to the people and asking in return only nominal compensation.
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HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, TIPTON, ERECTED 1907.
ST. JOSEPH'S ACADEMY, TIPTON, ERECTED 1913.
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CHAPTER XI.
EDUCATION.
EDUCATION IN TIPTON.
The first educational work done in the present city of Tipton was begun shortly after the completion of the old log court house. This occurred in the winter of 1846-7, and the first teacher was probably William F. Brady. The next was Joseph M. Askren. School was next held in the cabin of Jack Reed, which stood on Main street, about two squares north of Jefferson. Until 1852 the school term covered a period of two or three months out of the year. Teachers were paid by subscription, and were very poorly paid, too, some of them "boarding around" at the homes of the different pupils in an endeavor to make both ends meet. The people were not rich, consequently there was small chance of a teacher getting rich.
In 1852 a new frame school house, twenty-four feet by sixty, was erect- ed where the West Street Christian church now stands, but the house was very poor in convenience and capacity. Seats were built to accommodate five pupils each, instead of one.
Among the men who took a prominent part in the education in these early days were George Kane, Asher B. Goodrich, Newton J. Jackson, Dr. Isaac Parker, Rev. John Dale, John E. Rumsey, Marion P. Evans and Joseph Wilson.
Joseph M. Askren was the first teacher to occupy the new school house. which was occasionally used for religious purposes. Then followed John E. Rumsey, who was there the greater part of the time between 1853 and 1869, assisted by Martha Dale, Hattie Marsh, Marion Lindsay, Maggie Kane, Rebecca Bickel, Aurelia Kane, Izora Wilson and others. The terms not taught in this period by Mr. Rumsey were under the charge of Albert Bar- nett, M. V. B. Newcomer and a Mr. Lockwood. Rumsey was a teacher who did not favor the application of the "hickory" to induce study; he conformed to modern principles of education to a remarkable degree, considering the early day in which he worked. He created an interest in the various subjects for the children and thus led them to take a personal pride and enthusiasm
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in their work. Other pedagogues of the period would lambast a pupil with a floor puncheon, and if this did not have the required effect, would follow it with a sound flogging. The terrors of the "cat" were no greater than the threatening instrument of punishment in the hands of the teacher.
These teachers were missionaries, in a sense, working for the progress and uplift of humanity, and they did this on a salary of eight and ten dollars a month, with free will and whole-souled motives. Barnett was an eccentric teacher, little caring from which direction the wind blew. His English was not very choice, nor did he refrain from using any word which might come to his mind. He cared less whether the pupils wore their hats in school or not. He was, nevertheless, a successful teacher, and was accounted one of the best mathematicians of the day.
The school laws from 1850 to 1860 were mere apologies for laws in some particulars. For instance, the statutes made it obligatory to have a county examiner, whose duty was to grant licenses to teachers if their grade proved a good knowledge of the six branches, and yet under the same statutes the patrons of any school district could elect a rejected applicant for license to teach in the district. This ruling led to much trouble and malice. Parents in those days had no idea of high education, nor adequate training, and if a certain Hiram or Sarah did not know the first principles of education, nor could not pass a primary examination, and yet wanted to teach, these parents were solicited. and if Hiram or Sarah were pretty well liked. they were chosen to guide the destinies of some fifteen or twenty youngsters.
As Tipton increased in population, the need of larger school quarters became imperative. Accordingly. in 1867. the erection of a building on West Jefferson street was begun. It was finished sufficiently in 1869 to allow school to be held in it. It was shortly completed, at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars. The building itself was a two-story one. with slate roof. There were six rooms in addition to the library rooms. An eight-room school building was erected on North Oak street in 1890. which was afterward struck by lightning and destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt and is one of the modern school build- ings in the country. It is used as a ward building and is equipped for voca- tional as well as domestic science. In 1910 a new high school building was erected on North Main street that is a model of completeness. There was a bitter opposition to the construction of this building. but at a special election every ward in the city voted a majority in favor of it. When the new high school building was completed, the old high school building on West Jeffer- son street was abandoned. The vocational department is fully equipped.
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IN MADISON TOWNSHIP.
The first school in Madison township was taught in the year 1840 in a little cabin which stood in section 32, near the southeast corner of the town- ship. This house was built by the neighbors, for school purposes, on ground donated by James Beeson. Frank Shortridge was one of the early teachers in this school, teaching in the winter of 1840-1. The building was about six- teen feet square, with the typical interior of a log cabin. It was in use but a short time when it was replaced by a larger log structure, which came to be known as the Darrow school house. The latter house had glass windows and a heating stove, the height of excellence in those days.
The first teacher who presided in this backwoods school was Cole Birch, an eccentric character. Intellectually, he was of high quality and, in truth, in many other ways was he superior. He was the handy man of the neighbor- hood, and no log-rolling, corn-husking, house-raising or gathering of any kind was complete without his presence. A universal favorite, his company was always in demand. Were any of the settlers sick, he was the first to at- tend them and would spend his last cent to aid others in distress. If a musician was wanted for a backwoods dance, Birch and his violin filled the want. At the shooting matches, his score was invariably the highest. He boasted that he could kill more deer, market more coon skins, tell more yarns, sing louder at a camp meeting and stand up under more vile whisky than any other man in the entire country.
The Darrow school house was in use several years, but was later re- placed by another log building in the Shaw neighborhood.
The first building at New Lancaster stood a short distance north of the village in the corner of section 19, and was typical of the early school houses. The early teachers at this place were Mr. Birch, Philip Ballard, Reuben Haney, Samuel Payne, Samuel Harbit. Martha Starkey, David Tranberger and others. The cabin stood 'for a number of years, but was finally aban- doned and a frame erected in its place. This was the first frame school house in the township and stood until not many years ago.
Another early building was located in section 23, a short distance west of Lancaster village. It stood on the farm of Absalom Hobbs and was first used in the year 1844 by Levi T. Hobbs. Other early teachers at the same place were Philip Ballard. Cole Birch, Samuel Payne. Samuel Hobbs, Charles Miller. Doctor Clark. John Barnett, David Lilly and R. W. Wright. The building burned sometime prior to 1860. and was replaced by what was
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known as the Oakland schoolhouse, which stood near the spot occupied by the present brick structure.
A log school house was constructed on the land of Edward Sharpe in an early day and was first used by Washington Newlin. Moses Smock and Stephen Brownson taught at the same place a few years later. The Rhodes school house was erected in the northern part of the township in the year 1854, on the farm of George Rhodes. It was a good building, made of hewed logs, and served its purpose well for a number of years. Mr. Rice, Peter Lock and Jehu Van Buskirk were among the first pedagogues in that part of the country. Another house was built the same year near the northern border of the township, on land belonging to James Ressler. The early schools were all supported by subscription in this township, and generally lasted about three months in the year. In 1854 the question of taxing the citizens of the township for school purposes was submitted to an election, and was defeated by a small majority. Public schools were supplied that year, however, and education immediately became more prosperous.
Madison township schools have continued to grow since this time, and today present an appearance of thrift and progress unsurpassed in the county. The school buildings are sanitary and well equipped and constructed in ac- cordance to the newest and best principles of building. The superior gravel roads and lines of intercourse have aided in making the acquiring of an edu- cation by the country child as easy as that of the city scholar, and, to the credit of the community, it must be said that the schools are well attended and an interest taken in the work. The teachers are first class, educated and well able to train the youth of the township.
EDUCATION IN CICERO TOWNSHIP.
The first school in what is now Cicero township was established at West Kinderhook and was due to the efforts of Dr. Silas Blount. The following quotation is from a paper prepared by Prof. B. M. Blount, a son of the former : "In the autumn of 1842, having donated a lot for the purpose, Doctor Blount, with a few of his enterprising neighbors, erected upon it a hewed-log school house. This, so far as known to the writer, was the be- ginning of educational efforts in what now composes Tipton county. In this house schools were taught at intervals, as teachers could be found who would teach for such compensation as the poor pioneers were able to give them from their scant earnings. As a specimen of the meager compensation of those times, I may state that David Lilly, a brother of one of our county commis-
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sioners, taught a school for eight dollars per month; this amount increased, of course, to some extent by boarding around."
The first teacher engaged at the Kinderhook school was George Howard, a man of forty years and a native of Ohio. He continued for several terms and gave eminent satisfaction. Professor Blount himself was also one of the earliest teachers, when he was a boy of seventeen years of age. Jehu Van Buskirk was another early teacher in this school.
All of the first school houses were built of logs, by private funds and labor, and all of the teachers were paid by subscription. Light was admitted through a window cut in the side of the building, generally about ten by two feet in size. An old fashioned fireplace supplied the necessary heat, this fire- place being of sufficient size to hold logs five and eight feet long. Getting the back log in position supplied exercise for the teacher and the whole school combined. The seats were made of slabs, capable of accommodating a dozen urchins, and frequently so high that the toes of the seaters thereon would miss the floor by some inches. At recess the children would scatter in all di- rections and. the period over. the teacher would ring his bell, or having none. would rap loudly with his ferule and call. "Come to books." Having become quiet in their allotted places, the children were said to have "taken up books."
Hung in a conspicuous place, and penned by the redoubtable teacher. would be a written list of the rules of the school, and woe be to the erring pupil who should disobey them. The beech switch then came into action, and the culprit sent out to cut one, or another. if the first one wore out before justice was avenged.
Reading, writing and arithmetic, the three "Rs", constituted the ordinary curriculum of the day. while in some schools a pupil would undertake a little grammar and geography, but this latter was optional. Evidently the young minds were not regarded as very apt. Geography. when taught, was learned by the singing method, in which the school as a whole would join in grand chorus. Spelling was another favorite study, and the pupils were graded in classes according to the number of syllables in the words they could spell. Thus a pupil would spell-"Washington-W-a-s-h-wash-i-n-g-ing- t-o-n-ton-Washington-W-a-s-h-i-n-g-t-o-n-Washington." How could he forget that ?
SPELLING SCHOOLS
These spelling matches were by no means confined to the children. A night would be appointed for a general spelling school. and a place of meeting selected, generally a school house or church, and then the people of the coun-
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tryside would drive and walk in, in order to see the fun and perhaps partici- pate. When the moment of the contest arrived, the two best spellers, who were looked on with envy, chose up sides. Having completed this difficult task, the two opposing teams would line up on opposite sides of the room, and the conflict was on. Words were given out in order from the head to the foot. When a speller missed a word he sat down, and the word was passed to the other side. The last to stand were always the best, of course, and these at times were forced to quit on account of sheer exhaustion.
OTHER DIVERSIONS.
Friday afternoon of each week was devoted to declamations and recita- tions. The time not taken up with spelling and singing the capitals of the states was devoted to the oratorical pastime. A certain number of pupils re- sponded usually with verses and paragraphs from well-known orations. On Christmas and New Year's day it was the custom for the teacher to treat his children with candy or other delicacies. Early in the morning of the day, the boys would congregate in the school house and barricade the doors, await- ing the arrival of the teacher. If he appeared without the sweetmeats, he was forced to explain, and if he could not do so, or would not return to get the candy, he was either rolled in the snow or ducked in a nearby pond. The lat- ter extreme was infrequent, for the pedagogue generally compromised to save himself.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Beginning with the year 1852. public schools, for which teachers were employed at thirty-five or forty dollars per month, began to make their ap- pearance for three months in the year. In 1880 the number of school houses outside of Tipton was twenty, eleven of brick and nine of frame.
In the year 1914 the public schools system of Cicero township is well regulated'and conforms to the best that is practiced in the modern schools of the state. Consolidation is coming to be the newest and best method of the country, and in this township as elsewhere there is a steady effort in that direction. By grouping the children together in larger buildings educational advantages are obtained which the scattering small schools of ten years ago could not procure. The Tipton schools need no introduction other than re- cited elsewhere in this volume, but it is the outside schools which will bear the attention of the people. It is here that the great work is being done, and conditions are fast becoming so that the farmer's child may have an ele- mentary education worthy of any child in the larger communities.
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IN JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.
James Forsythe probably taught the first school in Jefferson township in 1842. He taught his first term in a cabin a short distance south of Goldsmith, and is remembered as a very good instructor, although he was not a strictly honest man. At one time he was arrested by the sheriff of Hamilton county for larcency. His son, Peter Forsythe, taught in the same locality two years later. In 1843 Perry, afterward Doctor Evans, taught a three months' term in the building which Forsythe had occupied.
An early school house was built in the southern part of the township, near the old town of Jericho, and about the same time a log building was erected on the Montgomery land, not far from the present site of Normanda. This latter house was first used by Harvey Epperson, who taught about the year 1843. The next teacher of the same place was J. H. Montgomery, who also stayed an additional year. Other early teachers in the northern part of the township were Putnam Evans, Edgar Rumsey, Joseph Mckenzie, J. S. Ables, J. H. King, Ann Jackson, J. C. Driver, Mr. McCarty, M. Frazier, Moses Harmon, Samuel Epperson and Mrs. Campbell. A school was organ- ized at Tetersburg in an early day with Jason Overman as teacher.
In the year 1914 Jefferson township schools are equal in efficiency to any in the county of Tipton, or, in broader terms, to any in middle Indiana. The development over the county has been uniform and to describe one sec- tion would be telling of another as well. In the several small towns in this township good high school and grade buildings have been constructed, giving much credit to the enterprise of the people. Good roads and the railroad have all aided in the progress of the community as a whole, and consequently the schools have grown in harmony with the business and religious life.
IN PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP.
The date of the opening of the first school in Prairie township was prob- ably in 1845. It was taught by Oren Williams, in a cabin which stood in the northwest corner of the township, and, like all of the pioneer schools, was supported by subscription, the teacher receiving one dollar and a quarter per scholar for a term of three months. The cabin was constructed by the neigh- bors living in the vicinity and was a very primitive affair, measuring sixteen feet by sixteen feet, and furnished with puncheon floors, a large fireplace and a small window. There were about twelve pupils in the class.
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