Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 27

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472

USA > Indiana > Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana > Part 27

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Uniler these circumstandes, it is not to be wondered ot that the Stale made slow progress in the development of her resources, muuil iu the crention of Those applinuees of comfort and ririlization which now mark the country. The struggle for existence in those early days when the forests had to be subdued and a living extoried from the soil, was pnramount to all considera- tiony of publie improvement, and the people were lan inuch absorbed in making a living for themselves nud those itepemlent upon them to think of enterprises of general utilily.

Among The earliest enterprises which engaged the allention of the State Legislature irere the Cumberlanil or National Honil, and The Michigan State Road, both of which were thought to be of great importance to the Stale, tuul particularly to the capital, nhich hul beeu localed'al Indianapolis. For the farwier of these roads The General Assembly, in 1822, appropriated the sum of $100,000. The latter iras being constructeil hy rontreet of the Gen- eral Guvernment with the Slate of Ohio, audl whether it would extend beyond The west line of thnt State or not uns uncertain. Soon after the tocalion nf the capital at luciaunpalis, the General Assembly of the Sinte politiqued Cnugress for nu extension of the road through the new enpital, but no ntlen- tinh was paid to the request. In December, 1828, liau, Olivor Il Smith, then n Representative in Congress from the White Waler District of this Stalo, introduced a resolution ilirceting the continuonee of the roul irrstirard beyond the limits of the State of Ohio Mir. Sinith's resolution contempiloted the following of the route which bud bren surreyed, which run n tier of counties to the south of Indinunpolis, hut Ilon Willumin Meleun, of Ohio, umireil lo change the direction from " Zanesville through Columnuns," nouil that brought the road to Indianapolis, with the mincadamizing of Washington street Through the city, in 1834 This rootl was at that time The best road in Ihr Sinte. The others which had been projected audl npend Amounted to hul little till private and local enterprise modo them passable ut a buler dny. But amidei all the difficulties ngmust which she has had to content, Indiana has risen and inarebed formaril in the line of progress and develop- inent hill she has attained an enviable position among her sistor Staley of the Northwest. Under the head of the State Board of Agriculture, further on in this history, will be found many interesting fnela and figures showing the pragress of the State in all those resources and applisuces ishich go to make up a great nud prosperous commoun ealth.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Liberal provision was made by the General Government for pupular eilu- cation in all the Nurchivestern States Before any of these States haul been formed, while the geworat Territory in which they were embraced uns a nit. clerness, iulinhited almost exclusively by suruges, Congress, on The 20th of May, 1784, passed ou ordinance reserving every sixteenth section of land in The whole territory northwest of the river Ohio for the maintenance of pub- lle schools. Two years Inter, in the fatmons arilinnnee of 1787, it was derlareil Ilinl "religion, moralily antl kunwledge being necessary to good government nud the happiness of moukiaul, schools, and the menus of edu- catiou, shall he forever encourageil."

The great principle herein recognized wos slow in being carried out in Indiaun, although there was from the first a elnys of public-spirited men who were the friends and carnest alsoentes of popular education. Tu 1807, An net was passed by the General Assembly of the Territory, for The ineor- Inmotion of a university at Vincennes. The first Bonril of Trustees named in the incorporating acl were: William Henry Ilurrison, John Gibson, Thomas T. Davis, Heury Vouderborg, Walter Taylor, Benjamin I'nrke, l'eter Junes, James Johnson, John Bodoltet, John Rice Jones, George Wallace, William

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF INDIANA .- CONTINUED.

Bullitt, Elios MeNamec, Henry Hurst, Gen. Washington Johnson, Francis Vigo, Incob Kuykendull, Samuel Mckee, Nathaniol Eiving, George Leach, Luke Deokor, Samuel tiwathmoy and ,lahn .Johnson. These mien hail lurge nad liberal ilens of education. They rofleeteil the trite spirit of the fraiers of the ordinance of 1787. In setting forth the objects of the University, they stoled it tu ho " for the lustruction of youth in the Latin, Greek, Prenoli and English languages, maileinntics, natural philosophy, nucieni and modern history, moral philosophy, logie, rhetoric, anil the laws of unturo and nations."

In the proainldr to the incorporating net, it was deelared that " the inde. pendence, happiness and energy of overy Republic dependent (under the influence of the ilestinies of hearen) upou the wisdom, virtue, taleuls and euergy of its citizens nuil rulers; that science, literature and the liberal ucis contributeil in un eminent degree to improve those qualities und uequire- ments, andl tlint leurning lnd ever been found the nhlest nuilvoente of genuine liberty, the best supporter of rationol religion, and the sourco of the only solid and imperishable glory which ontions can acquire."

The only nels passed with regaril to the school lonils by the Territorial Legislature wero those of October 20, ISOH, and December 14, 1810. The former invested the several Courts of Commou Pleas in the Territory with full polver to lense ilir sections of laund resrrreil for the use of schools in the soreral counties, restricting the leases to five years, and making it obligo- tory upon tho lessees to clear ton neres ujian ench quarter section. The lat- ter act authorized the Courts af Common Pleas to appoint Trustees of the school lamils in the sereral counties, and prehibited tbe irosting of sugar trees aud timber Thereou.

The Stile Constitulion of 1810 required the General Assembly to pro- mule, by suitable Inws, for the improremont of the school lands , to prevent the ale ef them prior to 1820, and to milopt measures fur the security and proper management of the school funil. This Constitution also made pro- vision for a genoral system of public schools, in the words, following : " It yhall lie the iluty of the General Assembly, as soon as circumstances will permit, to proridle, by law, fur a general system of education, ascending in regular grailation from a township school to n Sinle University, irherein tuition shull be gratis amil equally open to nll." In the Countilution of 185], the same provision is minde, with the exception ef a State University.

December 14 1816, the General Assembly passeI on uct providing for the appointment of Superinteulents of School Sections in the several toun- ships, n ho were nuthorized te lense the lands for n term not exceeding seven years, crery Irssee being required to set out, ench year, twenty-fire apple trees and twenty-five peach trees, until one hundred of each bail bren planted.

January 14, 1423, tho General Assembly, hy a joint resolution, appointed Jobin Bailollet, David Hurt, Williun W. Murtin, Inines Welch, Daniel I. Casu ell, Thowns C. Searle nud John Todil a committee to urnft and report to the next Legislature n bill providing for a general system of education, with instructions to guard particulorly ugoinst "nny distinction between the rich onil the poor." This committee drew up the first general school low of Indiana. Il is found in the Revisedl Statutes of 1844

The space allotted us forbids even n cataloguing of the rarious ennetmeuls of the General Assembly on the subject of public schools since the orgoniza- tion of the Stato Gorerument Alnest every session has witnessed the pas- sige of either general or special Inies perinining to education in somo form, either to the common srhoels ur to the incorporation of seminaries, neade- mies, cellegey, universities or public libraries, and the successive Governors of the Sinte hisro farored the interests of popular educatieli.

The difficulties in The way of the earlier establish ment of the public school system were the want of funils to pay trachers and to build school bouges; the impassibilily of obtaining quolified tenchers in the towns unil the coun. Irs . The sparseness ot population in the school districts; errors in legisla- tien ; the mistunnugement of school fuuils, and the prejudice, on the port of many, against popular einention umuler the nmue of " Frro Schools." This prejuilice, transmitted from the Oll World, nul fostered in tho colonies, hos been The most serious obstacle to this truly American uden and policy of the commen eilueation ul' tho innsges for the linefil of the Sinle, and the success nul stability of n repulilienn form of gorerninent. Onty as the free school system has been founded in opposition to it, and its practical mitvonlages mwle apparent, lins this prejudice gradually yiehled to & more ratingal and liberat judgment on the subject. The men of foresight and of broad and statesomn-like vieu's in thir Congress of the Uniteil Sinles, whin not only ceosternleil the rast territory of the Northirest to freedoui, hut luid the foundation for the inaiutenunee of free schools in all the great States which have been carreil out of the territory, are deserving tbe grateful remem- brance of all the generations who shull iulmbir this bigbly-furoreil region of country ; and in n proportionate ilegree nic Those, also, ileseriing of grateful resorinbrance, who have borne the bruut of the contest for These inestimable principles in Iodinno.

"The lows which have been engeleil," says Dillon, "are memorials of outy a small part of the Imbor thut hus been performed! hy the friends of alucation in Indianu. The judicial recorils of the Stalo shows Ibut a very tung list of iuiportaut and complex questians hoving reference to school Iniva, school luwuis, school funds, etr., bare bern raised umul brought before the courts to be ilcoilel. In contemplating this great mulini of lubor expended un general und special legislation, and on tho judicial aljastuient nf lugol questions, it would he unjust to forget the Iahors which linre been puertortveil by Superintendents of public instruction; by numerous legisla- live coutmittees ; by Sinte conventions; by county meetings; hy meetings in totoships and school ilistricte; by tho rarious religious denominations, irtuich hove founileil semiunries, acnilemies and colleges: by prenchers of the Sinspel, and by many prirule citizens, whose almost-forgotten nutues ought to br kept fresh in the uu mory of the people uf lundinna."

The following uecouut of a judicial dlecisian IInfuroruble to free schools, particularly ut the Capital of the State, is tuken from " Ilollonny's Indiou- apelis :"

"The year 1838 opened with a disastrous blow at the oily school system. UI uns firmly establisheil, proridedl nith good houses unil ulequato means, Quid promised to realizo tho expectations of the most saugiinc. The eiti- zcon inxed themuselios readily und hem ily to support il, anil look n just prule in ity excellence and ils hionefity, But during the prerniling yenr n ese enmo up to the Supreme Court from Lafayette, where n arstrm of local toxilion in nid af tho Stato Fund existed, iuvolring the question of the oon- stitutienality of lecal taxrs The Constitution required Ibul the solinol tnx shouldl be ' uniforin,' mul the peint ins munilo thint if cities or townships ivere permitteil, even hy n general lui, to old u tax to the fixed Sale in x, which other cities uuil Townships did not choose to assume, thore ivas 110 ' uniformily,' ajul, therefore, no conformity to the constitutionnl require- ment. The Supreme Court suatoineil tho opinion in n decision nublo iu Jau- uary, 1858, and killed our udiniruble schools ns dend ns Inst yeur's flowers. Au attempt was iunile by the ritizens, nt the request of the Council, to su}- ply the defielouoy orenteil by the afirogation of tho city school tux, by in. liritual subscriptions, but it futileil of uuy but a temporary offret. Sento $3,000 wna subscriheil to camploto tho current quarter, but the ilopeldenco was found to lie greatly iundequale, as well as uncertain, and at the om] of the quarter the schools ivero closeil, the teachers sought offier places irhero ' uniformity' of tantion would be consirueil liberalt, when it could be ilono na justly ns otherwise ; the houses irrro abnmiloned, mil our beneficent system was n ruin. For a few woeks in each year tho feeble . uniformn' supply froin the State find pormittel the schools to be reapeuel, but this was little lirtter than nothing. Privato schools irero kopt by smo of tho oll tenolera In the housey, but they mutile n Ininentnhle contrast, iu attend- unce nudl efficienry, with the systein they falloireil. It wrus a disastrous blows at the futuro lires uud oulture of thousands of children, for the years lost

uniler the operation of tlint decision could not come back to bo filled with The instruction and imprurement of the cra of revived free schoola nnil upiversnl education. The Stale funil has, sinco tho overthrow of our first systemu, increased so grently us to perunit its renewal and oxtension with the rupid growth of the oity, und now there are no better schools in the United Atntes than ours."

This last remark applies with equal force to the public schools generally throughout the Stale. The State has not only one of the best normal school for the training of tenchers, hut has the largest schuol fund of any State in the Union, anil the character of her schools, both graded and ungruled, will compare favorably with those in any other portion of the United States.

The following statements, with regard to the public school revenue in the State of Indiana, nre taken from the Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 1872 :

ORIGIN OF DIFFERENT SCHOOL FUNDS.

These are of three cInsses : productive, contingent and unproductive By a productive fund, 1 turan a present intereal hearing fund-a fun] proilucing interest for The education of the chitilren. At the heail of the list İ place,

1. TILE CONGRESSIONAL TOWNSHIP FUSD.

Alioost all of these mixtecolli sertions buvo been sold, nnil the money has Leen placeil at interest. The ninount of school fund derived from this source, Quil now hearing interest, 1$ $2, 281,076 69.

44 THE SALINE FUND.

In the act abore referredl in, enabling the Territory of Indiana to form a Constitution and State Gurernment, a second grant of Ingds iras tendrred to her as n free gift : " Thal nll salt springs within the said Territory, and the Innil reserveil for The use of the same, together with such other louds as inay, by the President of the United States, ho deemed necessary ond proper for working the soid springs, not exceeding in the ivhole the quantity con- trineil in thirty-six entire sections, shall be granted to the said State fur the use of the people of the said State, the same to he used under such terms, conditions and regulations us the Legislature of said State shall direct." The Legisinlure afterwuel saw proper to make this a part of the permanent School Fund These lanils hare been sold for n sun amounting to about $85,- 000.00, which is now bearing interest in fovor of the schools.

3. SOUPLE4 BEVANDE FUND.

Under the odministration of President Jackson, the notional debt, con- tracted by the Revolutionary war and the purchase of Louisiana, was en- tirely ilischarged, and a large surplus remained in the Treasury, Congress, in June, 1836, distributed this money among the States in the ratio of ibeir representation in Congress, Eight hundred and sixty thousand two hundred and fifty-four dollars was Iniliana's share. The Legislature, by on oct ap- prored February 6, 1837, set opart $613,502.116 as a permanent part of tho School Fund. This money, by the terms of the act of distribution, is lia- ble to be recalled into the national coffers. But, nithough nearly thirty. grrrn yenrs hure pussed oivny since the distribution, not oue dollar ever has been, or probably over will he, reculled.

4. BASK TAX FUND.

In The year 1834, tho Legislature chartered A State Bank. Part of the stock nas owned by individuals and part by the States. Section 16, in the charter, prorided that, "There sholl be deducted from the diridends onI retained in bank each year tho yum of tirelire and one-half ceots on each slinre of stock, other than thot held by the Stre, which shall constitute part of the perninnent fundl to ho devoted to purposes of common school educa- tion utwier the direction of the General Assembly, and sholl he suffered to remrin in bank and accumulate until such appropriation by the Gregeral As- sembly." This bank tax fund finnIly amounted to Ahout $60,000.00, and is now bearing interest in favor of education.

6. 4ISKING FEND.

The State owned a port of the stook in the bank of 1834, and indiriilunis owned a part. The Stato borrowed $1,300,000 to pny her subscription of stock, and to loun to iuiliritual stockholders to enable them to pay the second and third installments upon their stock. A fund irus ermated out of the un- applied bolances of this loan, and out of the principal, interest nud diri. lends of so much as was loaned to these individuul bolders of stock, for the purpose of sinking the debt of the bank ; and it is, therefore, very properly callel the Sinking Funil.

The 114th section of the charter provided that after the full payment of the bauk's indebledness, principal, interest and inculental expenses, the resi- dito of sajil fund should be n perninnent fund, and approprioted to the cause of common school educunion. This opened a rich fonutain for the children. The clinster extended through u period of tiveuty-five years. Not only wns the indebtedness of the bank paid off by this iriso provision, but there ivos secureil to the educationol fuud of Ludiuuo, according to the report of the llon. John D. Evans, lote Auditor of State, about fire millions of money.

SUMMARY.

$2,281,010.69

Sutiue Funil,

Surplus Rorenue Fund,

573,502.96

Bank Tux Fuuil,

80,000,00

Suiking Funil,

1,767,805.82

Tolul, $1,781.761,64

Theso I hare classified as productire funds, beennve the entire sinonut of each funil, or nearly so, is noir bearing interest in furor of the schools. To this must bo odded the

FEMINARY FUND.

The Legislature, by on net approved June 12, 1812, ordered the sale of nll county seminaries, nud property, real anil personal, betonging thereto, and that the proceeds of tho gulta, ufter deducting the necessary expenses thereof, aquil the amount ilyo to indiriduals for adrauecy mrule, shoulil be placed by the County Treasurer to the credit of the common school fund The exact muount ilerired from this source [ nm Unable to state, as I find no report of it in this office.

The following fuuils I have seen proper to classify under the general beail of

CONTINGENT FONINS.

Thoy nre contingent, hot in the right of the children to receive the bonefit of thom, but in refereuco to the amount. They are the following :

1. 11NES

All Gues for a violation of the penal laws of the Sinte are rende part of the peruuuent school fund.

2. FONTEITIRES.

All recoguizances of writnesses alul parties indicted for crime, irhen for- feiteil, ure collectallo by Jair atul muailo part of the School Fuiul. These are reported in this office nuqually by the County Commissioners. The following

table will choir the increase from fines nnil forfeilures for each of the past five years : For 1868,

$32,904 59 36,755.57

For 1870,

24,103.10

For 18TI.

29,996.49

For 1872,

89,306.51

3. ENHEITS.

The eleventh section of our low of descents provides that : " The estale of s person dying intestate, without kindred capable of inheriting, shall escheat to the State, and shall be applied lo the support of conitnon schools, in the manner provided by law." I am unable to find any low regulating the time that money arising from this source shall reinain in the State Treng- ury before application 10 the School Fund. There is now in the Treasury $17,866.55 esclients, and there it is likely to remain until seme low frum you takes it out

4. SHAMP LAND FUND.

Section 211 of Article 8th, of our State Constitution, providles that : "All Innds which have been, or may hereafter be, granted to the State, when no special purpose is expressed in the grant, and the proceeds of the sales tbercof, including the proceeds of the sales of the swamp loods granted to the State of Indian by the act of Congress of the 28th of September, 1850, after deducting the expenses of selecting anul draining the same," shall be & part of the Common School Fund. These lands ivere another donation of the General Gorernment to the Slate. No purpose was expressed in the grant. The State wos of liberty 10 dispose of them for any purpose she might see proper, aner complying with the conditions of the grant. She ordered that these lands he sold, expenses paid out of the proceeds anil the remainder converted into Comonion School Fund. No money, so faras I am oilvised, bas, up to this date, found its way lo the School Fund from this source, but I am informed by the Auditor ef Stale that there is of this Funil now in the Treasury $42,418.10.

5. TAXES ON CORPORATIONS.

The that means of increasing the regular School Fun, mentioned in the Constitution, is, " Toxes on the property of corporations that may be as- sessed by the General Assembly for common school purposes." No fund has erer heen derired from this source, Inileed, I am not clear in my own mind as to the precise object the framers of the Constitution had in view in the insertion of this clause. There is bul one instance known to me in which the State has even Iniil claim to any school fund from this source. In the year 1847, and just three years before the odoption of the present State Constitution, a special charter was granted for the construction of a milroy! from Indianspolis to Terre Haute. A fundamental feature of thal net was that, " When the aggregate amount of dividends declareil sball amount to the full sum invested, and ten per centum per annum thereon, the Legisla- ture may so regulate the lolls and freights ibut not more than fifteen per eentum per annum shall be divided on the capital employed, and the surplus profils, if nny, after paying the expenses and receiving such proportion ns may be necessary for future contingencies, shall be paid over to The Treas- urer of Stale for the use of common schools." [Local Laws of Iniliano, 1847,

sec. 23, pp. it-84.]

Tho opinion bas long prevailed Ihnt the School Fund is entitled to con- siderable augmentation from this source. Indeed suit has been commenced by the Circuit Prosecutor of the Sixth Judicial District for the recovery of $600,000.00, to which, it is alleged, the School Fund is entitled from that corporation. It most probably was in reference to this very case, and other similar cases thal might occur, that this prorision was made in the Constil u- tion. Thai which was ooly sanctioned by legislative was, after this provi- sion, sauctioneil by constitutionnl Iniv. After the adoption of the Constitu- lion, the Legislature passed s general laiv for the incorporation of railroads, but in thal general net failed to place these rich corporations under trihule to the School Fund. I submit it to the wisdom of your honorable hody if it would not be well to so modify the general law as to make these companies contributors to the fund.

6 UNPRODUCTIVE FUND.

Under this head 1 place the sixteenth sections that remain unsold. Very nearly all of this land is unproductive of revenue to the children. Tivelve or fifteen hundred neres, perhaps, piny something to the school rerenne in rents nod profits. There are of this lond, remaining unsold, 17,882 nereg. valued ot $94,245.

Tho different funds referred to complete our resources for the increase of the School Fund of Iniliana. These are all embedded in the Constitution, und form the " principal of the Common Sebool Fund," "'n perpetual fund which may bo increased but never diminished." This funl has been in- cressing from these sourece until it has reached the sum of $8, 437,546.47, as follows :

COSMOS SCHOOL FUND.

Non-negotiable bonds,

$3,691,316 15

Common School Funil,

1.666,824 50

Sinking Fund (distributed), at 8 per cent. 569,139 94

2,281,016 DM

Value of unsold Congressional townsh

94.245 00

Suline Fund,

6,727 66

Bank Tox Find,

1,744 94

Esrheated Estates,

17,864 55

Sinking Funil (Inst distribution),

67,1167 72

Sinkiog Fund undistributed,

100,165 92

Swamp Land Funil,

41,418 40

Tolal

TABLE SHOWING THE SCHOOL FUND IN INDIANA AND OTHER STITE.

indiana,

· 88,431,593 47 Missouri, -

· $3,526,252 52

Alabama,

2,000, 00ĐỘ (NA

Nerada,

29,263 SO

California,

2,809, ITO 70 |

Noir Jersey,

556,483 50

Deinware,

216,335 80

North Carolina,

968,242 43

Georgia,

6,348,538 3º

Oregon,

] ttibois, Ioisa,

4,214,581 93

l'ennsylvania,

Kansas,

750,000 00 [ Rhode Island, 412,685 00

Kentucky,

1,400,70 01

South Carolina,

Louisiana,

Tennessee,

Maine

959,991 58

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 27

Author: Publication date: 1876 Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co. Number of Pages: 472

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472