USA > Indiana > Northwestern Indiana from 1800 to 1900; or, A view of our region through the nineteenth century > Part 24
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Note. July 25, 1899, I conversed with an aged Baptist man, at Morocco, A. B. Jenkins of Goodland, born in 1822, who stated that his father's family was one of seven families who settled, about 1825, between Fort Wayne and Fort Dearborn, and that five of them settled near the present city of Niles. The Carey Mission, he said, was not far from their home, a mile or two west of Niles. It is described as being "on
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the river of St. Joseph, in Michigan territory, among the Pottawatomies." T. H. B.
Returning now to the real pioneer schools in the little log buildings. Miss Mary Hammond is found as the first teacher in Porter County, and the year given is 1835. In 1837, Masters was teacher in the village of Valparaiso, and the first woman who taught there, it is said, was Miss Eldred, a sister of Mrs. Ruel Starr. Log buildings went up and many neighborhood schools were commenced. In what be- came Lake County the first school was taught in the winter of 1835 and 1836 by Mrs. Harriet Holton, in some respects the most remarkable woman ever re- siding in Lake County. She was the daughter of General Warner, was born in Hardwick, Mass., Jan- uary 15, 1783, was married to Alexander Holton, a young lawyer, about 1804, with him left New England, having been a successful teacher in Westminster, and settled at Vevay, Ind., in March, 1817. In 1820, the family removed to Vernon, Ind., where Mrs. Holton became again a teacher, and in February, 1835, then a widow, having two sons and a daughter, she, with others, in wagons drawn by oxen, journeyed toward the Northwest, crossed with their ox teams the Kan- kakee marsh region in fearfully cold weather, and became a resident in the hamlet which afterward, as a village and county seat, was called Crown Point. She had seven sisters, and when their mother died, about 1840, about ninety-four years of age, the eight sisters met at Enfield, in New England. One was the wife of the wealthy governor of Vermont; one was Mrs. Stuart, wife of Judge Stuart of Vermont, a man of wealth as well as of social position; another
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was Mrs. Bradley, wife of a Vermont lawyer ; another was Mrs. Brown, wife of a Massachusetts lawyer, and yet another, a Mrs. Hitchcock, also wife of a Massa- chusetts lawyer; and Mrs. Harriet Warner Holton, an Indiana pioneer woman, Lake County's first teacher, worthy of her place as a sister of those wealthy and cultivated women of New England. "These eight sisters were all members of the Presby- terian church, and all died of old age, two of them while sitting in their chairs." Mrs. Holton died Oc- tober 17, 1879, nearly ninety-seven years of age, and as the body was borne toward the Crown Point ceme- tery the court house bell was tolled, which was the first and last time till now (1900), that its deep tones have been heard at the time of a burial procession. "Honor to whom honor is due."
In 1835 there was no school house in Lake County. All the earliest ones were of logs, and which one, among three or four, was first is not now quite cer- tain. The most noted of these, probably the largest, the walls still standing, was erected in the summer of 1838, on the west side of Red Cedar Lake. Here the school was taught by Mrs. J. H. Ball. She, like Mrs. Holton, was by no means an uncultivated woman. Born in Agawam (West Springfield), Mass., in 1804, educated in the best schools of Hartford, Conn., a proficient in penmanship, in drawing and painting and map-making; probably the best practical botanist ever residing in the county, and the only woman in the county in those early days who had studied the Hebrew language, she passed at Crown Point the brief examination required for teachers that her pupils might receive their due share of the public school money, William A. W. Holton, school exam-
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iner, and commenced her work as a teacher in 1839, a work which in another form continued for some sixteen years, and in an informal way until her death, in 1880. For about ten years that large log school house was a center and a meeting place for schools, for literary societies, for Sunday school and church work, and then was appropriated for private uses.
Other early teachers, in a house on the east side of this same lake were: Albert Taylor, Lorin Hall, Norman Warriner, probably in the winter of 1838 and 1839, in 1840 or 1841 Miss H. Caroline Warriner. and in the winter of 1843 and 1844 T. H. Ball. Yet others were : Miss Eliza Kinyon, at South East Grove in 1843, Miss Rhoda Wallace in 1844, and Miss Ruby Wallace and her sister, now Mrs. William Brown, in 1845. No record of a school building in Starke County has been found until the year 1852, although "Wagner's little building in Oregon township had been used before this for a school." 1
In Jasper County the first school building, twelve feet by fourteen as to its dimensions, was erected in 1838. Its location was known as "The Fork." The first teacher was William A. Webster. The second school house was built soon after the first in the Blue Grass settlement northeast of Rensselaer. No record of date has been found for the first school building in the area that became Newton County, but an early teacher there was Byron Kenoyer. .
In Pulaski County, organized in 1839, about ten years after the first white family entered its borders, there were pioneer schools; as also there were in White County ; but records in regard to them have not been found, and there are few living now whose memories reach back distinctly over a period of sev-
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OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
enty or even of sixty years. Rude as were the build- ings in those early years it need not be supposed that the teachers were unlearned, undisciplined, unculti- vated. Some of them were men and women of mature years, who had been well trained in Eastern schools and colleges, and only for a short time were such found teaching in pioneer schools. The undisciplined teachers came in after years, and from families where there was little home training. One of the accom- plishments needful for a pioneer teacher, which may be called a "lost art" now, was how to make pens of goose quills, and also how to mend them. For this purpose a sharp pen-knife was always needful and some degree of skill, for it was not a very easy thing to make a good pen. It was quite a tax upon one's time, and sometimes a trial of the teacher's and pupil's patience. One young teacher in Lake County, while not lacking in skill, had a little, ingenious instrument called a penmaker, which usually inade a good pen in a moment and so saved much time. How early public funds were used to sustain or help to sustain these earlier schools, treated here as public schools, is not quite certain ; but evidently very soon after the schools were commenced. The first constitution of the State, adopted at Corydon in 1816, laid the founda- tion for public education. The early acts of the gen- eral assembly provided for the election of trustees, of school commissioners, and for the distribution among school districts, to be marked out in the congres- sional townships, of public school money. As early as 1843, perhaps some years earlier, public money was paid to teachers, and also distributed in districts where the schools were largely private. Children at- tending any school were entitled to their share of the
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school money for the year. School examiners were appointed by the circuit courts. These officers ex- amined teachers and gave certificates. The first school examiner in White County was James Kerr, in 1836. Money was not to be paid to teachers who had no cer- tificates, nor until legal reports were made. Year after year changes in laws were made. According to an "Act to increase the benefits of common schools," approved January 17, 1849, certain taxes were to be assessed for school purposes, but only upon "free white persons."" This act was not to be in force till adopted by vote in each county. By this act the treasurer of state was constituted State super- intendent of common schools. In 1852, another school law, under the new constitution of the State, was adopted and a State superintendent was soon elected. By an act approved in March, 1855, each civil township was made a school township, and the trust- tees were constituted school trustees, but in the enum- eration of children between five and twenty-one years of age, the trustee was still required to specify the congressional township in which the children re- sided, and the law said: "The number of children in each congressional township shall be set out." In- corporated towns and cities were now authorized to establish public and graded schools. Provision was made for township librarics. Negroes and mulattoes were still excluded from taxation, and their children from enumeration and school privileges. The chil- dren could attend the schools on payment of tuition if no white persons objected. By the act approved March 4, 1853, the school examiners were to be appointed annually by the county commissioners. These were to examine teachers in orthography, read-
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ing, writing, arithmetic, geography, and English grammar. Some time after physiology and United States history were added. New laws continued to be framed. In 1873 county examiners became county superintendents, appointed by the school trustees of the townships, and the public school system of In- diana has become quite mature. The school fund is large. Along with all these changes, improvements, and complications, our schools, teachers, and offi- cers have gone. Some of our schools are among the best of their kind in the State.
In 1889 a law was passed requiring uniformity in text-books in the public schools throughout the State. The law-makers in the earlier years of our public schools do not seem to have had an exalted opinion of the moral character of the teachers, for they required them not only to present full reports of their schools, but the accuracy of their reports had to be confirmed by an oath. Here is one illus- tration :
"State of Indiana, County of Lake, ss :
I, Uriah McCay, being duly sworn, do depose and say that the foregoing statement is true."
"Subscribed and sworn before me this 26th day of February, 1854.
"JABEZ CLARK, TRUSTEE."
The teacher named above, like Elder Silas Tucker in La Porte 'County and Elder Bly in Porter, was a Baptist minister, devoting, as they did, and as min- isters of other denominations in those years did, part of the time to preaching, and a part to teaching to obtain an adequate support. Elder Uriah McCay was a student for some years at Franklin College taught in the central part of the State, settled at length at
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Des Moines, in Iowa, where, so far as known, he yet lives, an aged, excellent man. Fifty-four pupils were reported for that school of 1854. They are arranged into four classes, thus: Males over thirteen and under twenty-one." Names in this section or divi- sion are: James Vinnedge, Harrison Young, N. Carle, George Carle, Frederick Davis, George B. Davis, Allis Gale, Benjamin Gale. Not one of these is reported as studying English grammar, but reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, and one ventured to take hold of geography. "Females over thirteen and un- der twenty-one." Names: Elisabeth Vinnedge, Su- san Davis, Mary H. Young, Nancy Scritchfield, Elec- ta Prentice, Nancy Beck, Elisabeth Beck, Elisabeth Carle. Some of these girls study English grammar, besides the other four needful studies. "Males over five and under thirteen." Names: George W. Edger- ton, Henry L. McCarty, Joseph Vinnedge, Francis M. Vinnedge, Louis F. Edgerton, Sampson Carle, Goliah Carle, Orrin Thompson, Amos Thompson, W. C. Thompson, William Hill, Jesse Hill, Jackson Scritchfield, Orlando Prentice, Israel Beck, Edwin Stokes, Emanuel Beck, S. Scritchfield, Cassius M. Taylor, Marion King. "Females over five and under thirteen." Names : Catherine Taylor, Mary E. Hill, Amy Mann, Mary A. Davis, Esther S. Davis, Mary E. Vinnedge, Delila A. Vinnedge, Sabra M. Taylor, Mary A. Taylor, Arvilla Carle, Martha Scritchfield, Ethlinda Gale, Sarah Young, Sabra Vinnedge, Mar- tha Thompson, Harriet Beck, Louisa Hill, Frances Scritchfield.
Accompanying this report is another of the same year and township, Cedar Creek township, signed by Maria Bryant, teacher, reporting forty-six pupils,
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"subscribed and sworn to" before Timothy Cleveland, township clerk, March 28, 1854. The same branches taught, "orthography, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, English grammar."
The following extract, from a long report of school visitations made by James H. Ball, school examiner, shows the capture of a deer by dogs and school boys as late as 1869: No. 3, Temple school, Miss E. Ken- ney, teacher. Most of the boys absent. Adventure in the chase attracted them out. A wounded deer chased by the hounds sought for protection at the school house, and as it "doubled" on its track to evade its pursuers what school boy could resist the temptation of joining in the chase while the "wild bay was sounding?" What girl could watch or look upon a scene like this without emotion? Captured and the spoils divided, sparingly to go round, and but few returned to study.
The reports, of which the above is one, were pub- lished in the Crown Point Register, and were proba- bly the first regular and formal visitations of schools in Lake County by a county officer. A few names of teachers of the year 1869 are here given, taken from these reports: Miss Miriam McWilliams, T. S. Fancher, Miss Mena Groman, C. D. Farwell, Miss H. F. Ritcher, C. C. Dittmers, Miss Ann Sheehan, J. M. Blayney, G. F. Sutton, R C Wood, Ralph Bacon, Miss Sarah J Turner, Miss Jennie Death, Leonhart Wagner, Adam Gerlach, Edwin Mair, Paul Lehman, Nicholas Niefing, Anton Miller, J. Evans, Jas. Dowd, Miss Jeannette Pearce, Miss F. A. Williams, William Hill, J. W. Hoel, Miss Sophia Westerman, Putnam Pratt, W. F. Purington, Miss H. A. Dickerson, Miss Josephine Einslie, and Miss Emily Vanhouten. These
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were teachers in Hanover, West Creek, Cedar Creek, and St. Johns townships. These reports were pub- lished thirty years ago. At that time, 1869, some of the schools in German neighborhoods were just work- ing into English. One of these reports says: Ger- man taught half a day twice a week, and catechism after four o'clock each day. Arithmetics used com- bine the German and English on opposite pages. Writing in German and English equal." Of another school the report says : "Recitations in German and English interspersed freely. This district is appar- ently satisfied with the mother tongue." Of another, "Class in German botany." Of another, "German seems to preponderate." "This is a hard working teacher and in German, excellent, but pronunciation of English poor." Changes have taken place in thir- ty years. For some years the Scripture was read in the morning in the American public schools and prayer was often offered. And, as mentioned above, "Catechism" was freely taught in several of the schools. Now the Bible is excluded from the public schools almost entirely and the voice of prayer, ex- cept in the German schools, is seldom heard. The Catechism, too, has nearly gone out from the public schools.
The following statements are taken from the Nineteenth Biennial Report of the State Superin- tendent (department of public instruction), and "trans- mitted to the General Assembly January 15, 1899:" A. Number of school houses :
.
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Stone. Brick. Frame. Total.
Lake
26
95
I21
Porter
53
50
103
La Porte
I
53
82
136
Starke
7
59
66
Pulaski
4
97
IOI
White
5
118
123
Jasper
5
103
108
Newton
3
73
76
Total
834
B. Number of teachers :
In
In
town-
In
In
high
ships. towns. cities.
Total. schools.
Lake
I35
17
49
201
21
Porter
II3
5
28
146
15
La Porte
I37
4
77
218
47
Starke
66
15
81
3
Pulaski
105
16
I21
1I
White
123
39
162
15
Jasper
108
17
136
Newton
75
24
99
8
Total
1,164
C. Number of graded township or county schools : Lake, 13; Porter, 6; La Porte, -; Starke, 3; Pu- laski, 2; White, 4; Jasper, 5 ; Newton, 3.
D. Of township graded high schools: Lake, 7; Porter, 1 ; La Porte, 10; Starke, o; Pulaski, 3; White, 2; Jasper, o; Newton, I. Among the seven graded township high schools in the State called "Commis- sioned," Lake County has one. Marion County alone
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has two. Four other counties, Hamilton, Hancock, Lagrange, and Miami, have one each.
Enumeration of school children, between the ages of six years and twenty-one, for 1898:
No. in
In In
townships. towns. cities. Total.
Lake
5,438
1,073
3,758
10,233
Porter
4,07 I
21I
1,595
5.877
La Porte
5,172
155
7,813
13,140
Starke
2,590
928
3,518
Pulaski
3,951
862
4,813
White
4,119
1,796
5,915
Jasper
3,414
944
763
4,621
Newton
2,249
1,078
3,327
Grand totals . . 31,004 7,011 13,929 51,444
E. Compensation of teachers: Average per day for each teacher in dollars and cents: Lake, $2.30; Porter, $2.08; La Porte, $2.11; Starke, $1.98; Pu- laski, $2.01 ; White, $2.29; Jasper, $2; Newton, $2.27. Average per day of high school teachers : Lake, $3.62; Porter, $4.05 ; La Porte, $3.44; Starke, $3.50; Pulaski, $3.32; White, $3.40; Jasper, $3.41 ; Newton, $3.35; Average of teachers in district schools : Lake, $2; Porter, $1.89; La Porte, $1.78; Starke, $1.98; Pu- laski, $1.84; White, $2.05; Jasper, $1.89; Newton, $2.06.
F. Amount paid teachers in each county, in dollars, omitting odd cents : Lake, $84,247; Porter, 52,435 : La Porte, $86,151 ; Starke, $20,995; Pulaski, $29,377 ; White, $46,518; Jasper, 37,412; Newton, $31,693.
G. Total estimated value of school property in dollars : Lake, $353,635 ; Porter, $219,200; La Porte, $360,319; Starke, $73,420; Pulaski, $89,670; White,
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$145,925; Jasper, $140,055; Newton, $85,025. Total, $1,467,249.
H. Total amount paid in one year, to our 1,164 teachers, $388,828, being an average to each teacher of $334. To the teachers in Lake an average of $419, omitting the cents; in Porter, $359; La Porte, $395; Starke, $259; Pulaski, $242; White, $287; Jasper, $267; Newton, $318. These items under H not in the "Report," but are derived from it.
I. Average length of terms in days: Lake, 179; Porter, 173; La Porte, 167; Starke, 123; Pulaski, 128; White, 136; Jasper, 136; Newton, 145.
J. Number of volumes in township libraries : Lake, 4,405; Porter, 6,573; La Porte, -; Starke, 3,288; Pulaski, -; White, 510; Jasper, -; New- ton, -.
K. Number of books in Young People's Read- ing Circle libraries : Lake, 1,832; Porter, -; La Porte, 9,842; Starke, 1,695; Pulaski, 393; White, 1.716; Jasper, -; Newton, -.
L. County diplomas issued for the year 1898 : Lake, -; Porter, 81; La Porte, 145; Starke, 115; Pulaski, 119; White, -; Jasper, -; Newton, 56.
M. Membership in Young People's Reading Cir- cle for the year 1897-1898: Lake, 3,460; Porter, 789; La Porte, 1,132; Starke, 3,000; Pulaski, -; White, 2,117; Jasper, 517; Newton, 350.
N. Membership in Teachers' Reading Circle, same year : Lake, 202 ; Porter, 146; La Porte, 145 ; Starke, -; Pulaski, 83; White, 208; Jasper, 132; Newton, 95.
These reading circles of the State of Indiana were organized by the State Teachers' Association, the one for teachers in 1883, the one for young people in 1887. The State Teachers' Association was organized in
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NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
1854. Southern Indiana Teachers' Association 1877, Northern 1883.
One more statement may be added here.
O. Amounts paid trustees in a year for managing educational matters. Amounts in dollars: Lake, $2,052; Porter, $1,380; La Porte, $1,663; Starke, $479; Pulaski, $1,002; White, $878; Jasper, -; Newton, $695.
Some names have been given of teachers in Lake County thirty years ago, which are of interest to many in Lake County now. The following list of names of the teachers of Newton County in 1899, furnished by the county superintendent, W. L. Kellenberger, will be of interest to some in Newton County thirty years hence, and so a place is given to them here. In Kent- land seven: E. H. Drake, E. A. Turner, Frances Jessen, Ethel Darroch, M. Blanche Ellis, Myrtle Hays, and Ruth T, Chase.
In Goodland nine: J. C. Dickerson, Edna Wat- son, Chauncy Kemper, Sophia Getting, Anna Der- shall, H. C. Deist, Fred Perry, Etha Massena, and Nellie Harper. In Brook, four : W. L. Kellenberger, Laura Esson, Bruce Pumphry, Flora Pfrimmer. In Morocco, five: E. E. Giltner, S. R. Sizelove, Anna Tullis, George Royster, and Essie Kendall. In Jeffer- son township, eleven: Lillie Kenoyer, Ethel Rider, W. O. Carrothers, J. B. Lowe, Della Light, Sarah Duffy, Kathrina Pfrimmer, Mabel Pfrimmer, Edmona Pfrimmer, Laura Harris, and Maggie Spaulding. In Grant township, seven: Gertrude Ellis, Myrtle Rice, Roy Shepard, Frank Burns, William Tice, Grace D. Clark, and James Gilmore. In Washington township, thirteen: E. E. Hussy, Charles Buswell, L. A. Lov- ing, John Pratt, Lloyd Hesshman, Anna Hiel-
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OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
man, Mildred M. Groves, Nannie B. Buswell, Pearl Pendergrass, Emma Doty, Cora Dear- durff, Chloh Merchant, and Belle Odle. In Iro- quois township, seven: Roy Hesshman, Mary Duffy, L. C. Lyons, C. E. Sage, J. Thomas, Maud Hess, and Mittie Dewerse. In Bower township, eight: Lolo Graves, Daisy Thompson, Claud Roberts, W. O. Schaudlaub, Joyce Smith, Maggie Tracy, D. E. Cor- bin, and Nellie Hatch. In Jackson township, ten; C. G. Hammond, Nora Kuney, Leotha Seward, Eva Hess, Flora Parks, Jesse Marion, L. B. Haskell, Sa- loma Pfrimmer, Hayes Young, and Mamie Tracy. In McClellan township, four: Elva Skinner, Jesse Hun- ter, Libbie Bolley, and Lillie Mahin. In Colfax towil- ship, four : Fannie Kasel, Will Jenkins, N. W. Parks, and Hattie Boston. In Lake township, five: R. Hess, Guy Myers, F. A. Tyler, E. Ainsworth, and Perry Heath. In Lincoln township, eight: George E. Rogers, Emma Brady, Tavia Gibson, Mae Laugh- lin, Mary Howminski, Ernest Lamson, Maurice Sterner, and Lucy Ball. In all 102 teachers in Newton County for the school year of 1898 and 1899. As near as can be determined from the names, about 56 young ladies and 46. men.
Some interesting particulars in regard to the schools of Pulaski County are presented here, as taken from the annual report of these schools for 1898. The names are given of 125 as the teachers of the county. Of common school graduates the names of 116 are given, with the subjects or title of their graduating papers and orations. Some of these subjects are weighty for common school graduates to handle, but they show the advance in education in our day. Such are, "Our Duty to Posterity," "Centralization,"
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NORTHWESTERN INDIANA.
"Newspapers of the United States," "Civil Service Reform," and "Christianity and Civilization." Some indicate very interesting papers, as "Indiana," "Pu- laski County," "The Tippecanoe," and "Water Fowis of Pulaski County." One is specially suggestive, "Humble Origin of Man." The author is a girl, per- haps a young evolutionist coming on to take part in the conflict of opinions.
It seems from the Report that a county contest of young orators is held each year, one from each township contending for the "honors," the first being a gold medal and the second a silver medal. The grading is on the following points: Thought in the oration 30 per cent, originality 30, memory 20, force in delivery 10, and gesture 10, making in all, for per- fection 100 per cent. Some might question, on this grading whether gestures were really as valuable as force in delivery of orations, and whether originality was three times as valuable as force. That originality is very rare in school orations is quite well known. In reporting the county teachers' institute this Re- port sets surely a good example, in publishing all the receipts and expenditures, item by item, so that all may know from what sources the money comes and how each dollar is applied. Some regulationsadopted by the county board of education are, perhaps, pecu- liar to this advanced county, and are worthy of record. One is, that all schools of the county shall open on the same day. Another is, that all schools shall close for one week during the holidays. A third is, that the daily session shall be commenced not later than 8:45 a. m., and not be closed before 4 o'clock p. m., with one hour's intermission at noon. In the time table 15 minutes are assigned to the "opening exercises."
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OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
It would be interesting to know in what these exer- cises consist. The most time assigned to any one study is seventy-five minutes, the time given for read- ing and also arithmetic. Among "suggestions" these school officials say, and no doubt well say : "The three great difficulties in the way of our public schools are, the youth of many of the teachers, the lack of, train- ing on the part of a large majority of teachers, the use of too many text-books."
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