USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from the earliest times to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, etc. > Part 40
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The heart, half desolate and broken, Far from the city's pomp its vigils may keep,
And wreathe with fairest flowers, affections' tokens, The pale, cold marble, where its loved ones sleep.
Oak Hill Cemetery is located one and a half miles northeast of the city. It was purchased about 1860, and originally con- tained eighty acres, but through subsequent additions it has been much enlarged. The cemetery grounds include a lovely hillock, and from the summit in the center a fine prospect of the surrounding country is ob- tained. It has been vastly improved by gravel walks, drives, etc., and highly orna- mented with trees and shrubbery, while many a shaft of chiseled stone, magnificent tombs, and stately sepulchral monuments rear their heads in the midst of the never- varying and perennial greenery. The cem- etery is under the control and management of a board of trustees appointed by the city council. John S. Goodge for many years has been a thoughtful and efficient super- intendent.
St. Joseph's Cemetery .- In 1872 the Catholics of Evansville found themselves with very poor burial facilities, largely on account of the growth of the city, and its encroachments upon their cemetery, unsuit- ing it for further occupation as such. The necessity for the present cemetery arrange- ments forced all the congregations to act, and they did act wisely and well. A com- mittee so instructed purchased seventy acres of pleasantly situated land one and one-fourth
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miles west of the city limits, on the old Cynthiana road, in Perry township, and reachable also by the New Harmony road. Later purchases have increased the number of acres to 116, and strict and wholesome rules govern the association using and con- ducting the cemetery. Any Catholic in Evansville can become a member of the St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery association by purchasing one lot in the same. All the Catholic pastors of the city are ex-officio members of the board of directors. The present officers are: Very Rev. E. F. Mc- Barron, president; B. Enneking, secretary; H. Hermann, treasurer; John Streite, sexton.
The cemetery has been laid out most beautifully, and is adorned with many ele- gant monuments. The great figure of the recording angel, standing near the entrance, is the gift of Mrs. Robert Fergus, while the central figure of the crucifixion, an imported work, occupies the circle or central part reserved for the burial of priests. Al- ready there are four interred in this holy spot - Father Kutassy, Father McDermott, Father Duddenhausen and Father Kline, O. S. B.
Locust Hill Cemetery .- This place of burial, owned by the city, was opened more than fifteen years ago and in its
arrangement and adornments is quite at- tractive. It is on the Princeton road, two and a half miles north of the city.
Lutheran Cemetery .- Tastefully planned in all its details, and well-kept, this is truly a place of beauty. The grounds were pur- chased and consecrated to the use of the be- loved dead many years ago, by Trinity church, one of the strongest religious organi- zations in the city. It is two miles northeast of the city, is controlled by the Lutheran churches, and for many years has been care- fully looked after by its custodian and super- intendent, Mr. John A. Saupert.
Rosehill Jewish Cemetery, located on the Stringtown road, three miles from the city, was dedicated by Rabbi Falk Vidaver, in 1879, since which time it has been improved and beautified, until now it is a veritable spot of beauty. It is under the control of a board of governors, consisting of N. Gross, president; A. Strouse, vice-president; A. Brentano, secretary; Henry Joseph and Jacob Eichel. George Betsch, superintend- ent.
Mt. Sinai Jewish Cemetery, on Baby- town road, was dedicated in 1876, by Rabbi Rabinowitz. The board of directors is com- posed of Samuel Newman, Israel Green- berg, Robert Paul, Isaac Ringolsky and M. Fisher. Isaac Friedman, superintendent.
CHAPTER IX.
BY J. W. DAVIDSON, A. M.
SCHOOLS - FIRST TEACHERS - EARLY SCHOOLS - TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS - PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF EVANSVILLE - SCHOOL EXAMINERS AND COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS.
With all thy getting, get understanding. -Solomon.
N that remarkable production of the pen of Dr. Manassah Cutler, the "Ord- inance of 1787," these words are found; " Religion, morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encour- aged."
Our forefathers of the continental congress in passing the memorable ordinance " built wiser than they know."
In accordance with the spirit of the above quoted language, the constitution of Indiana reads as follows :
" Knowledge and learning generally dif- fused throughout a community, being essen- tial to the preservation of a free government, it shall be the duty of the general assembly to encourage, by all suitable means, moral, intellectual, scientific, and agricultural im- provement, and to provide by law for a gen- eral and uniform system of common schools, wherein tuition shall be without charge and equally open to all."
loaned to the people at six per cent per annum in advance.
All loans must be secured by first mort- gage on real estate valued by appraisers ap- pointed on the part of the state, and only one-half of the amount of appraisement can be secured as a loan. Improvements are not considered in the appraisement. No person can borrow more than $2,000. No part of the expense of making loans or collecting interest is borne by the school fund. And if on foreclosure of mortgage the sum loaned shall not berealized, then the county becomes responsible for having accepted an insecure loan, and must make up the deficit both in principal and interest. The several counties are also held responsible for interest on prin- cipal allowed to remain idle. Thus the reader will observe that the school fund of Indiana is carefully guarded, and is very ap- propriately called the " Permanent Fund." With the revenue from liquor licenses, dog fund surplus, local taxation and interest on the permanent fund, the state expends an- nually $5,000,000 for the education of its youth.
The state of Indiana has so carefully hus- Perry township has the honor of having had the first school in the county. It was taught by Thomas Trueman in 1819, on the present site of the County Orphan Asylum, below the city. The house was built of un- hewn logs, and had a dirt floor. The cracks in the walls were not chinked. banded her educational finances that the per- manent fund has reached the enormous sum of $10,000,000, a greater fund than that of any other state in the Union. A part of this is loaned to the state. The rest is ap- portioned to the several counties and placed in charge of the county auditors, to be Trueman was a sailor of the revolutionary
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war, well advanced in years when he opened his first school in Vanderburgh county. At this time there being no school in the town of Evansville, the boys from town went to Trueman's school, which was then about two miles' in the country. Trueman was a rude, eccentric individual, who lived alone, and gained a sustenance by hunting, trapping and trading. He taught in different parts of the county for about fifteen years. He died in German township, and specially requested his friends to cre- mate his body in a log heap after death. His request seemed so strange to his simple- minded frontier friends, that they took it for granted that it was the result of a freak of insanity, and he was not cremated. He was, perhaps, the first cremationist of In- diana.
Among other teachers who taught in Perry township in early times was George Thompson, in 1824. The school-house was located on what is now the farm of Wash- ington Stinchfield. Later came Grimes, Foster and Campbell. Of the trustees who did good service for the township may be mentioned: J. B. Cox, James S. Wills, David Stephens, Simon Waterman, Philip Koch, Henry Lauer, L. Schmadel, Fred W. Buente, Herman Klamer and Theodore Hartig, present incumbent. Enumeration of school children in township for 1888, 840. Length of school term, nine months.
In Armstrong township the first school was taught by Andrew Erskine, in 1826. The house stood near the present home of Mr. Leroy Calvert. It was built of round logs, with puncheon floor, clapboard roof. One log was cut out and greased paper put in to admit light. In each end was a large " stick and mud " fire place; one for the boys and one for the girls. Among the pioneer teachers of the township were James Cury, Mr. Elliott, Daniel B. Crad-
dock, Cadwallader and others. These early schools were, of course, private, and the products of the farm were legal tender for tuition.
At the expiration of the three months' term the teacher would collect the tuition in wheat, corn, pork or furs and take a wagon load of his salary to the nearest market and exchange it for such articles as he needed. Very little tuition was paid in cash. Among the trustees who did efficient service for the township are Leroy Calvert, John F. Pruitt, Caswell Calvert, Henry Hilderbrandt, James C. Calvert, the present trustee. School enumeration last year, 503; school term, eight months.
The first school in Scott township was taught by Daniel B. Craddock, in 1835, on the " Staser farm." The other early teach- ers, as far as can be ascertained were: Mrs. Barker, Abiah Foster, Joel Mulby, Har- rison Jones, James Perry, John Arbin, Mr. Taylor, Alexander McCutchan. Later came William Hennesse, William Atchison, Arad McCutchan, James Vickery, Miss Kate Headen, James Henry, Hannah Fisher, Thomas Peck, John Runcie, Dr. John L. Dow, and Cawson Potts. The first trustee was Andrew Erskine, and others who served with credit are : Joseph Berridge, John G. Potts, John W. Peck, Henry Bosse; present incumbent, William Schomberg. Enumeration of school children, 544; term of school, six months.
The first school in Center township was taught by William Morgan, in 1830, fol- lowed by William Grimes and Thomas Trueman. The school was held in a little cabin on what is now known as the " Hopkins farm." In the schools the boys wore buckskin breeches and the girls wore buckskin aprons. As Trueman's method of punishment was to use the rod across the knees as the pupil sat on the puncheon benches, the buckskin
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aprons served to mitigate the severity of the "ancient mariner's" blows. Grimes em- ployed his time between recitations by crack- ing hickory nuts, on one of the puncheon benches, with a bench leg, which he would slip out of the bench, and then replace it when the next class was ready to recite. Among the pioneer teachers of the town- ship may be mentioned: Andrew Erskine, Alex McCutchan, Taylor and Foster. Later teachers are: Thomas Conyngton, Levi Erskine, William T. Iglehart, Joel Mulby, Charles G. Olmstead, William At- chison, Hester M. Wood, Anna Headen, R. P. Hooker, Louis F. Guire. In 1859 there was a select graded school organized at McCutchanville, under charge of S. R. Hornbrook, afterward colonel of the Sixty- fifth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. This school exerted a salutary influence on the whole section of Vanderburgh county, known as "blue grass" region. In this school Col. Hornbrook sowed good seed, which has borne abundant fruit.
Center township has the honor of having had the first free school in the county. On the south slope of Locust cemetery hill, about two miles from the city, there stands a little brick house, almost hidden from view in an apple orchard of a half century's growth. In this little house J. Kilblock opened a free school for the benefit of any children who wished to attend, and kept his school open three or four months in the year, until the public school system was es- tablished. Father Kilblock was a pious, philanthrophic individual, and made his liv- ing chiefly as an itinerant clock tinker. The old gentleman is still living and has the re- spect and esteem of all his acquaintances. The trustees have been : Andrew Erskine, D. Lingsley, Charles Broughton, Levi Erskine, Samuel Gibson, George W. Hornby, Will- iam Wood and John W. Laubscher. Pres-
ent incumbent Christ Kratz; school enumer- ation, 787, term seven months. All the school-houses are brick and of modern de- sign, with one graded high-school at McCutchanville.
The first school in German township was taught on the "Nightingale farm," now owned by William Seibert. The first teacher was William Lacy, in 1832. The next school was built near St. Joseph and was taught by Trueman the sailor. The school-house was a mere hut with one log left out to admit light, no paper or glass be- ing used. The pioneer teachers were: Grimes, Elliott, Adrian Young, James Patten, Samuel Grant, Amanda Foster, Joseph Shaw. The teachers of later years are John F. Pruitt, Henry B. Wood, Don Emerson, Samuel Broaddus, S. S. Lovejoy, A. J. Angermeier, John F. Boyle, Louis F. Guire, Fannie Goldsmith, Amelia Christ and Daniel W. Farquher. Trustees, Adam Wolf, William Umbach, George Naab, Charles Gantner, Simon Hartig, Fred Werk- man and A. J. Angermeier, the present in- cumbent. School enumeration, 704; term eight months. The buildings are nearly all built of brick and are of the latest design.
In Knight township the first school, as well as can now be determined, was opened in 1832, near the site of what is now known as the Terry school. The teacher's name was J. Combs. In 1836 James Craddock taught in the same old-fashioned log house; Rufus Dresser, in 1838. In 1837, William Olmstead opened a school on the river road on the old Garrett farm. About the year 1835, a well-educated eastern teacher whose name cannot now be ascertained, introduced into the Terry school a blackboard, which was considered by the patrons as a device to enable the teacher to escape labor, and their indignation was aroused to a degree of bit- terness. One morning when the teacher,
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accompanied by some pupils, opened the clapboard door of the school, there was found written on the board, in a bold hand, the following:
Any man of common sense, Would throw the blackboard over the fence.
At the end of the term the teacher and the blackboard " had to go." Teachers of later years were: John Hall, Alex Lewis, America Stanfield, Elizabeth Knight, Lee Ewing, George Warren. The more recent teachers are: Edna Street, Lillian Brooks, Fannie Kelsey, Robert L. Cowan, Louis F. Guise, and Barney Blackburn. Trustees in earlier years were: William Knight, Orville Kelsey, Wilson Collins; in later years Ira Grainger, A. Knight, Samuel Grainger, Henry B. Smith, Henry Barnett and J. J. Byrnes. The township has eight good brick school- houses and two frame houses. School enumeration, 581 ; school term, ten months.
In Union township the first school was taught in 1830 by William Hazelwood. Later came: Campbell Willard, Eliza Hardin, James Dennison, Henry Simmons, A. T. Everett, S. C. Rogers, Adrian Young, George W. Moore, Paul Slaughter, Hannah Fisher, Don Emerson, Winnie Hooker (Enslie). Early trustees were: Simeon Long and William McDowell. Later trus- tees: William Martin, Joseph Parrett, Sam- uel Barker, James King, James F. Saunders, Albert Kamp, John Neal and R. W. King. School enumeration, 277. The south part of Union township, better known as Con- gressional township S, is the fortunate pos- sessor of 300 acres of unsold school land, which rents for an annual rental of $10 to $12 per acre, and produces enough revenue to keep the schools in session all the year without a tuition levy.
But little can be said concerning the schools of Pigeon township, because of the fact that the city of Evansville includes with-
in its corporate limits nearly the whole of Pigeon township. Nearly all the suburban residents are transferred to Evansville for school purposes. The township proper has but one school, which has been taught for a number of years by Mr. George S. Prit- chett; the enumeration is ninety-three; the present township trustee is Philip Spiegel.
The pioneer teacher of the city of Evans- ville was George Thompson, who taught in a little log cabin situated near the corner of First and Vine streets, in the year 1821. Soon after this, William Price taught school in the old Baptist church near Mulberry and First streets. It was a log dwelling house at first, but was purchased by the Baptist society and used as a church and school- house. The old building is yet standing and doing service as a stable. It is now the property of William Dean, Esq., and is the oldest landmark of the pioneer times of Evansville. In IS21 the citizens of Evans- ville raised a sufficient amount of money to build a brick school-house, and they em- ployed Daniel Chute as teacher at a salary of $300 per year. The house was built on the court-house' square near the corner of Third and Main streets. This school-house had a large fire-place in each end, so large, in fact, that more light came through the fire-place than through the two small windows in the front. For thirty years did Mr. Chute labor to educate the youth of Evansville. He was a graduate of Dart- mouth College and a fine scholar. He was a truly pious man, but believed in " watch- ing " as well as "praying." At opening exercises he prayed standing with his eyes open, and a long fishing cane in one hand, and when he caught a boy in mischief dur- ing prayer he would stop short and call out, " Woe be to you, John," and strike him over the shoulder with the long cane, then resume and finish the prayer. The writer
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recollects him as a teacher of girls in the old Park school, and would judge from Mr. Chute's genial countenance that there was anything in his nature but "woe" for any- body.
Among the pioneer teachers who deserve to be remembered are Miss Philura French, whose first work in this community as a teacher began in 1832, and who subse- quently became the wife of Mr. John Shank- lin and mother of J. G. Shanklin, George WV. Shanklin and Mrs. John M. Harlan, all well known to the general public; Miss Evans who taught in 1834; Miss Slocum in 1836; Miss Seldon and Miss Burgess as- sisted by Miss Mary Wilson, now the vener- able mother of Mr. J. S. Reilly, of the Evansville Courier company, and Miss Edith Reilly, now one of the members of the High school corps. The writer is in- debted to the courtesy and fine memory of Mrs. Reilly for many items of this sketch. As well as can now be ascertained Miss Julia Barnes came to Evansville and opened a school in 1838. Then came the Misses Morton, sisters of Vice-President Morton. The Draper sisters taught in the old Ma- ghee homestead, corner Third and Chestnut streets. Then came Mr. Safford and wife, followed by Mr. Green, Miss Dean, Miss Abbott, Mr. Thompson and Miss Conyng- ton. These schools were, of course, all private. After the inauguration of the pub- lic schools, the private schools gradually disappeared. Miss Lura Jacobs and Mrs. Mary Jacobs Maghee were employed in the first public school of Evansville. Mrs. Ma- ghee is still living in the city and is well known as the wife of J. B. Maghee, Esq., and mother of Dr. W. H. Maghee, a well known physician of the city. Next to Mr. Chute in length of service as a teacher in Evansville stands J. W. Knight. His work was confined chiefly to the upper part
of the city, and to boys only, as in his time the sexes were separated in the schools. His methods, while not very agreeable to the sensibilities, as the writer can testify from personal experience, were excellent in developing memory, reason and will power. And there are many people who believe he has never been equaled in Evansville as a teacher of boys.
The following is a roll of teachers who have taught in the public schools of the city for a period of fifteen years or more: Mr. J. W. Knight, Mrs. V. C. Read, Mrs. L. J. Plummer, Mrs. Lucy McFarland, Mrs. Mary O'B. Miller, Mrs. Sarah C. Ander- son, Mrs. Margaret Findley, Miss Eva K. Froelick, Miss Maria Bisbee, Miss Edith Reilly, Miss Mary E. White, Miss Hulda Ratim, Miss L. M. Ashley, Miss Julia Bier- bower, Miss Hattie Bierbower, Miss Mollie Stembridge, Miss Anna S. Farrell, Miss Lou E. Wyttenbach, Miss Laura Brooks, Miss Jennie Brown, Miss Hattie Durham, Miss Anna L. Forsythe, Miss Clara Rey- nolds, Mr. M. Z. Tinker, Mr. Robert P. Hooker, Mr. Z. M. Anderson, Mr. A. J. McCutchan. The first board of school trustees was composed of H. Q. Wheeler, Christian Decker and William Hughes, Mr. Wheeler serving as superintendent. The succeeding superintendents were as follows: William Baker, E. J. Rice, C. H. Butterfield, A. M. Gow, John M. Bloss, John Cooper, and J. W. Layne, the present incumbent. The school enumeration of the city for the last year is 16,448, with a school enrollment of over 6,000. Length of term, ten months. The city has twelve commodious buildings of modern design and finish, valued with the real estate at more than $600,000. The corps of teachers number 165. The public schools are the pride of the city. They have been kept remarkably free from the influence of politics, sectarianism and rings,
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and it is the determination of the school board and the wish of the people that they shall ever remain so. The members of the present school board are Samuel G. Evans, J. E. Inglehart and J. W. Roelker. The differ- ent school examiners of the county were as follows: Daniel Chute, Dr. Negley, Dr. G. B. Walker, Thomas E. Garvin, Dr. Rey- | Davidson.
nolds, H. Q. Wheeler, S. K. Lavitt, J. W. Knight and T. W. Peck. In 1873 the office of school examiner was abolished, and that of county school superintendent created, and Mr. Robert P. Hooker appointed to fill the newly created office. His successors were F. P. Conn, Ernst D. McAvoy and J. W.
Wes'er-
Willard Carpenter
CHAPTER X.
LIBRARIES - LIFE OF WILLARD CARPENTER - THE CARPENTER HOMESTEAD - THE CITY LIBRARY - HISTORY OF THE WILLARD LIBRARY - CATHOLIC LIBRARY - VANDERBURGH COUNTY LIBRARY.
ILLARD CARPENTER, an en- terprising pioneer, citizen and bene- factor of Evansville, was born in Strafford, Orange county, Vt., on the 15th of March, 1803. His father, Willard Carpenter, sr., was born April 3, 1767, and died at Strafford, November 14, 1854. He was married at Woodstock, Conn., Febru- ary 23, 1791, to Polly Bacon, who was born March 15, 1769, and died March 4, 1860, also at Strafford. All the children, twelve in number, were born and reared on the same farm. Mrs. Carpenter lived to see twelve children, fifty-two grand-children, fifty-three great-grand-children, and one great-great-grand-child; in all, 118 lineal descendants. There was much of the re- markable in the life of Willard Carpenter the younger, whose name, even at this time in southern Indiana, is a synonym for skill and sagacity. When a young man, he re- ceived the sobriquet of "Old Willard." The leading feature of his career was his zeal for public interests, and it is readily conceded that the general prosperity of the district in which he lived was largely due to his individual efforts. As a typical Yankee, he possessed sturdy independence and tenacity of purpose to an unusual degree. Always thrifty and energetic, with great powers of physical endurance, pluck and perseverance, a strong and comprehen- sive mind, and great business ability, it is not strange that he rose from the hardest poverty to great wealth. When a boy he
spent his days on a farm, in the manner common to pioneer lads, for his father was one of the first settlers of Orange county, building his cabin in the forests, and with the help of his boys making a clearing and conducting his farm. School privileges were meagre. To read, write and cipher was regarded as the ultima thule of a school education; and three months a year for four or five winters, in the primitive log school-house, was considered sufficient time for him to spend upon his early mental training. He remained at home with his father until he was eighteen years old. Now and then, by doing odd jobs, he turned a penny. His first twenty-five cents was made by digging snake-root and selling it to his uncle. This money was immediately put out at six per cent interest, and in pro- cess of time, through additions made to it, he found himself in possession of seven dol- lars. He then determined to go west. With a pack on his back he made his way to the Mohawk, and passed through Troy about the time of the great fire in 1822. Up- on reaching Albany he turned his capital of seven dollars into a stock of Yankee notions, and from there sturdily tramped up the val- ley of the Mohawk, on his way to Buffalo. He then went down the lake shore, and into Ohio as far as Salem, where, having disposed of his wares, he rested, while visiting an uncle, who had moved to this place some years previous. Not content with being idle, he went to work in the woods with two other
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men, and in the summer and autumn of that year - 1822 - they cleared eighty acres of forest land, for which they received five dol- lars an acre. Owing to the scarcity of money he was paid in notes of hand, payable in grain. These he disposed of and went to teaching a district school. His salary in the spring amounted to $140, which was also paid in grain notes. He then concluded to learn tanning and shoemaking, but became dissatisfied after a six months' trial and gave it up. He was now about twenty years old and ready to begin life in earnest. Disposing of all his effects, he bought a horse and a watch, and with about sixteen dollars in his pocket turned his face eastward to find a wider field in New York state. On his way to Buffalo he was taken in by some sharpers on the "little joker," who won his watch and all his money but one dollar. They returned him four dollars, and with this he was glad to mount and get away. Before reaching Buffalo he was attacked with a severe illness, but continued his jour- ney, passing through Buffalo to Manlius, a town lying some miles east, where he found an old schoolmate with whom, on account of his illness and the depleted condition of his purse, he was glad to remain for a week or so. In a short time he engaged to assist in floating a raft down the Mohawk to Schenectady. He was to receive sixteen dollars a month for his services, but upon reaching his destination the raft was at- tached for debt, and he received nothing. He walked back to Manlius for his horse, which had been left with his friend, when, to his dismay, he found that the animal had died in his absence. He next engaged to work with pick and shovel on the Erie canal with a company of about 1,000 Irishmen and Ben Wade, of Ohio. Here the work .and wages were fair, but the accom- modations were so unendurable that after a
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