USA > Indiana > Adams County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 30
USA > Indiana > Wells County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume I > Part 30
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
GROUP OF WELLS COUNTY SCHOOLS
School Building. Petroleum Public School, Keystone Central School, Bluffton
School Building. Vera Cruz Public School, Toesin High School, Liberty Center
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Ormsby, Smith Goodin, S. S. Roth, elected in 1877; W. H. Ernst, elected in 1878; W. A. Luce, elected in 1887 ; S. A. Shoemaker, elected in February, 1891; W. H. Eichhorn, in June, 1891; R. W. Stine, in August, 1893; and the present incumbent, Arthur R. Huyette, elected in June, 1903.
"The old-fashioned round log schoolhouses were later replaced by hewn log or frame buildings; sometime later, the one-room build- ings were built of brick ; some oblong in shape, while others were of the L-shape, known as the 'Baker Plan' one-room schoolhouse, which afforded cloakrooms. At the present time, all schoolhouses in the county are built of brick, with the exception of one, which is of ce- ment blocks.
THE HIGH SCHOOLS OF THE COUNTY
"The first high school in the county, outside of Bluffton, was es- tablished in Ossian; for a long time Bluffton and Ossian were the only places in the county offering high school work. About the year 1896, there was a revival of interest in high school work through- out the county ; during this year graded high school buildings were built at Keystone and Liberty Center; in 1899, Murry and Petroleum erected high school buildings; in 1903, Craigsville remodeled a two- room building into a graded high school building; in 1904, a graded high school building was erected at Union Center, Union Township, to accommodate the pupils of her township seeking high school work. Tocsin, in Jefferson Township, erected a high school building in 1908; in 1911, the Petroleum building, in Nottingham Township, was re- modeled, and several rooms added to its structure.
UNIFORM HIGH SCHOOL COURSE
"All of the above schools are under the direction of the town- ship trustee, Bluffton having the only school board in the county. At first one, two, and three years of high school work was offered, as pupils were ready for the work ; there was no uniformity in course of study or text books, and the terms of the high schools were six, six and one-half and seven months in length. In 1906, the county su- perintendent, A. R. Huyette, outlined a uniform high school course of study for the high schools of the county, and selected, with the aid of the high school principals, uniform texts to be used in the high schools throughout the county; this plan continned until the State
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adopted uniform texts and established a uniform course of study for the high schools of the State.
"The County Board of Education took another advanced stand for education when they unanimously decided that the term in the high schools of the county should not be less than eight months.
"Bluffton City, Ossian, Petroleum, Liberty Center and Toesin are now commissioned schools; Keystone is a certificated school; Union Center will add another teacher in the high school next year, in- erease her library, and apply to the State Board of Education for recognition.
AGRICULTURE AND DOMESTIC SCIENCE INTRODUCED
"Agriculture and Domestic Science were introduced into the schools in 1911, before the law was passed requiring those subjects to be taught in the public schools of Indiana.
"There is no complete consolidation of schools in the county, al- though several schools have been abandoned and the pupils trans- ported to graded high schools.
"The first County Common School Commencement was held in the Grand Opera House, Bluffton, in 1907; this proved to be the greatest school event of the year, and has been continued; the one held May 26, 1916, was the tenth annual commencement, and the class numbered 232, the largest one ever graduating.
MOST MODERN SCHOOL BUILDINGS
"The most modern one-room district building in the county is No. 1, Jackson Township ; it has a basement under the entire building, fur- nace, air pressure water system, flush toilet system, and flowing drinking fountains on the first floor. Three modern one-room build- ings are now in the process of construction, to replace those that were completely wrecked by the windstorm during the early spring of 1916.
"The most modern graded high school building is at Liberty Cen- ter : this building was constructed in 1913-'14; Manual Training and Domestic Science rooms are fitted up in the basement. The building is lighted with electricity and fourteen electric hot plates are installed in the Domestie Science room. An air pressure tank furnishes water for the entire building; flowing drinking fountains are installed on each floor; a flowing drinking fountain is also installed in front of the building near the sidewalk for the use of the public. A direct indirect steam heating plant is used to heat the building.
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"The school spirit in Wells County is excellent and the citizens generally take great pride in the growth of the public school system."
TEACHERS' INSTITUTES
Teachers' Institutes have been held annually, or oftener, since about the year 1852, and since 1875 normals of six to ten weeks' dura- tion have been held during the summer at Bluffton, conducted by the county superintendent.
PROFESSOR ALLEN'S SKETCH OF THE COUNTRY SCHOOLS
To Mr. Huyette's historical sketch may be added details con- tributed to the description of pioneer schools and teachers of the county outside of Bluffton, by Prof. P. A. Allen, a beloved veteran of education, identified with its progress throughout Wells County for many years. No one is better qualified to write or speak on such topics. He need not have apologized in the following strain: "The beginnings in the rural districts of the county are full of interest, but we are sorry to say that data for that part of the sketch is very meager. A comparatively few names were obtainable from the availa- ble sources of information, and we regret we are not able to enrich this chapter with a profusion of the incidents and happenings which must have belonged to that time.
"The first school in Lancaster Township, and probably the first in the county, was the one taught by A. B. Waugh, father of Repre- sentative A. A. Waugh. The building was made of round logs, and greased paper served for windows. It had in it the old-fashioned school furniture of that period, and must have been very primitive indeed. Some of those who attended school at that time were O. F. Sutton, Jacob Harvey, William Harvey, Tom Logan, Campbell Scott, William Metts, afterward a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church ; Dr. J. I. Metts, and Mary Ellen Metts (now Mrs. T. A. Doan). It was a subscription school. One of the incidents of that first school was a lawsuit, which grew out of a whipping which was administered by Mr. Wangh to one of the big boys. It was inflicted by the use of a rule. The suit resulted in Mr. Waugh's favor, the court deciding that not only was the punishment deserved, but reas- onable. Another incident of the first school, which illustrates the progress which has been made in temperance occurred at the close of the term. It was known to be the custom to treat the scholars on such occasions, and Mr. Waugh, in complying with this unwritten
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custom, provided a washtub full of eggnog, and all present were in- vited to help themselves freely to the beverage. A natural result of the free use of this kind of refreshment was that several of the larger boys became too drunk to get home without assistance. The fact that this incident met with only a slight protest from a very few of the strieter ones shows how ideas have changed.
PROFESSOR P. A. ALLEN
"The second schoolhouse in Lancaster Township was built about ten years later, four miles cast of Murray, on Allen Clark's land, not far from Souder's farm. A man from Ohio was employed to teach, but he encountered the conditions described in The 'Hoosier School- master,' and not having the grit and tact of Ralph Hartsock, was driven off by the larger boys before the school had progressed very Vol. I-21
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far. The plan of these boys was to combine whenever the teacher attempted to punish one of their number. After the Ohio man had been driven from the field, David Clark was employed, but he shared the same fate as his predecessor. His father, Allen Clark, was then employed, and he fared no better than his son. As a fourth effort in that term, Sutton Metts was engaged to teach the school out with the understanding that he must succeed or he would not get any money for his services. The third day it became necessary for him to punish one of the disturbers. At this juncture some of the other boys attempted to carry out the tactics which had proven so suc- cessful with the other teachers. But they met with a surprising and very effective defeat. Mr. Metts, determined to profit by the ex- perience of his predecessors, had provided himself with a lot of short clubs, which he had hidden until needed. When the boys be- gan to concentrate their forces, Mr. Metts had recourse to his supply of clubs, which he used with such rapidity and skill over the heads of his assailants that they were effectually knocked out in the first round and the rumpus settled in short order. Mr. Metts taught the term out, and it is said there was never any more trouble in that district afterward.
"The first school in Jefferson Township was taught by Isaac Hat- field, two miles northeast of Ossian. The second was in the Ogden neighborhood, southeast of Ossian. There were established a few years before the opening of any school at Ossian. The history of the schools of Jefferson Township is closely identified with the official career of Dr. J. I. Metts, who served as trustee in all nearly twenty years. He was elected in 1859 and served until 1878. A class of four mem- bers was graduated from the Ossian high school in the spring of 1881, which was the first class to be graduated in the county.
"One of the early schools in Jackson Township was called the Colbert school, and was in the north part of the township. In 1851 the teacher, who had been selected for the place, gave up the job, and James R. Bannett was chosen, but declined to take the position, mod- estly contending that he was too young for the place. He was then asked if he would assist, in case W. H. Parmelee, living near Bluff- ton, should be chosen to take charge of the school. Mr. Bennett's duties were to solve all difficult problems, write all the copies and take full charge in the absence of Mr. Parmelee. A year later the school at Dillman was built of logs, and it was regarded as the finest schoolhouse in the county at that time. J. R. Bennett and R. L. McFadden were among the number who helped to raise the building. Robert Alexander was the first teacher to have charge in this build-
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ing. Among the scholars in that first Dillman School were R. L. Me- Fadden, Martha McFadden, D. K. Elkins, Sarah Elkins and the fam- ilies of William Duekwall and Jacob Banter. Among the prominent teachers in the earlier days of the township, were Eli Arnold, B. M. Elkins, Fanny Ricketts and Mr. Lockwood. It is remarked by one identified with the carly days in Jackson Township that the prevailing idea was 'no liekin', no larnin',' and for that reason, the gad was held in high esteem by the teachers, and regarded with great fear by the scholars. This was, no doubt, true of every township in the county. The same authority states that the people of the township prided themselves on their good spelling, and it was the highest am- bition of larger scholars to be able to master the old Webster's Ele- mentary Spelling Book.
"An old resident of Nottingham Township states that Stanton Scott, father of Thomas E. Scott, was actively identified with the school interests at the beginning of that township. Beginning with 1849, he was trustee and treasurer until the close of 1853. Jason R. Blackledge was a trustee and clerk during that period. An old record shows that the first election for school officers of the township was held in 1849. The enumeration of school children taken in September of that year shows that there were 149 children of school age in the township, which was divided into nine school districts. The clerk received twenty-five cents for taking this first enumeration. The names of Gabriel Burgess, E. Harlan Phillips, James S. Williams, and others, appear as having been trustees. Martha Marmon was paid $1.25 for half an aere of ground, on which to built a schoolhouse at Distriet No. 9, known as the Scott School.
"The first school in Union Township was erected in 1848 or 1849, and was built of round logs, puncheon floor, stick and mud chimney, roof of clapboards, held in place by weight poles. The seats were of linden or basswood from trees eight to ten inches in diameter, split in halves, with pegs in each end for supports. Such were the ma- terials and furnishings of Zion's schoolhouse, or Old Zion, as it was called, that stood one mile south of Zanesville. Abraham Bcaber, who lived three-fourths of a mile south, taught there during the win- ter of 1850. Nothing now remains to show where this once great institution of learning stood. Ormsby's School near the old Ormsby farm, was of the same class, as was Center School and College Corner. At the latter place the first school was during the winter of 1851-52, and was taught by a Mr. Hixon, a brother of John Hixon, the grand- father of Frank Hixon of this city (Bluffton). The schoolhouse in the south part of the township was built in the woods somewhere near
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the present location of Jeremiah Roe's farm buildings. The late John Kain was largely instrumental in having it erected. He had a large family of boys and girls of school age, among them Rev. D. F. Kain and Frank Kain, of Bluffton. James Jennings, who went west during the Pike's Peak gold excitement, was the first teacher. He was a brother of Peter Jennings, still a resident of Union Town- ship. E. J. Felts, who died in this city a few years ago, taught the second term at Kain's schoolhouse. Stephen D. Cartwright, who wielded the birch in the old log schoolhouse at Uniontown, is yet an honored resident of the township.
"The furniture of all the schools taught was usually about the same. The teacher occupied a split-bottomed chair at the point in the room opposite the door. In his left hand he held a book, pen or slate, as might be required, while in his right hand he held the em- blem of his power-a water beech gad, from four to six feet long. First he called the little boys and girls, who came individually and stood by his knee while they said the a, b, c's. One book served all the boys, and one the girls, if there were two; if not, one served for all. Then came the first spelling class, second spelling class; first, second, third and fourth reading classes, in the order given. Scholars, while reciting, stood in line close to the wall opposite the teacher's seat. One or two books answered for half a dozen pupils. The teacher looked over the shoulders of one of the pupils, or, if he had a book of his own, he looked on and assisted in pronouncing the hard words. If some boy or girl came across a sum that he could not 'work,' the teacher was called upon at any time to 'do the sum,' and woe to him if he refused for any reason to comply. What was he paid the enor- mous salary of one dollar per day for, if not to do sums for the scholars ?
"Before dismissing school, all the scholars stood in a row and spelled a prepared lesson. The teacher pronounced the words, and the scholar at one end of the row, called the head of the class, named the letters in their proper order and pronounced each syllable. If this one failed, then the next one attempted the task, and so on until the word was correctly spelled and pronounced. The successful speller went above the first one to miss, and if he got to the head of the class, and maintained that position until the end of the day's session, he was ered- ited with a 'head mark,' and very up-to-date teachers gave prizes at the end of the term to the scholars who secured the most of these marks. There was often lively competition at the beginning of the term among a number of pupils, but later it narrowed down to two or three contestants, who actually competed for the prize, while the
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other pupils arrayed themselves as friends of the one or the other of the leaders and aided or opposed them by means not always fair.
"The spelling school was the great social feature of the school. Log-rollings, raisings, corn-huskings and wood-choppings, were the social gatherings of the country, attended by young men and women and older persons, but it was at the spelling school that the small boy and girl were allowed to have sport, and felt themselves a real part of the procession. Every week the pupils elamored for a 'spellin',' When the teacher after roll call in the evening, announced that if can- dles could be furnished a spelling school would be held on a certain night during the week, there was immediate excitement. . We'll fur- nish one,' called out some representative of a family ; and then there was a whispering between brothers and sisters, and it usually took all the resources of the district in that line to furnish the three or four candles necessary to dimly light the room, and the teacher had to hold one in hand to 'give out' by. The spelling school of those days is well described in 'The Hoosier Schoolmaster.' Pupils did their best to have the announcement made through their own and adjoining districts. 'The more the merrier' was their motto, while the teacher who had to manage the crowd in the little twenty by twenty-four school-room, took an opposite view. Aside from the fun to be derived from the spelling school, there was no little benefit. The rivalry between the different schools and the desire to be chosen among the first caused many a boy and girl to spend hours in their efforts to master all the words in the old Elementary Spelling Book.
"Another social and intellectual feature of many of the schools was the debating societies. These were participated in by the boys and young men, and often the patrons of the district. Embryo states- men, with all the fervor of actual combat in congressional halls, de- bated such questions as these: 'Resolved, that the dog is of more use to man than the gun,' ' Resolved, that cattle are of greater use to man- kind than the horse,' 'War is a greater evil than intemperance,' 'The Negro has greater reason to complain than the Indian.'
"About the year 1854 township libraries were established, which were kept at the homes of the trustees. As there were then three trustees in each township, when the books were divided among them they were so distributed that every boy who wished to debate could have access to them, and every volume was carefully searched for material with which to down the other fellows in the great debates.
"There were few church buildings in the country and religious meetings of all kinds were held in the schoolhouses. The protracted, or 'big meetings,' always conducted in the winter, were often con-
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tinned for a period of six consecutive weeks, evening meetings only being held on Sundays. Thus they largely took the place of the spell- ing school and the debating society. Young people and old attended and, even if not interested in their spiritual welfare, they met their friends and enjoyed a social hour together.
"Up to the time of the Civil War few or no lady teachers were employed. It was often thought that 'school marms' could not govern the big boys. What led to the introduction of lady teachers at this time was the fact that the big boys had mostly gone to the army, and consequently were not in attendance as pupils and could not be em- ployed as teachers. Teachers were a necessity, and this necessity was the school ma'am's opportunity. She was employed then, and has ever since held her position. One of the first to take command at College Corners was Miss Smith. The boys 'reckoned they could run her out afore three weeks.' They did not, however. The larger num- ber of the scholars liked her, and obeyed her for that reason. Those that did not, found that she could lick with a stick just like a 'master.' She taught two or three terms at the same place and fully demon- strated that a school 'marm' could keep winter school.
"The Teachers' Institute was a very potent means of advancing both teachers and patrons. Many of those who taught in the town- ship had attended the Academy at Roanoke, at which Professor Reefy, who later had charge of the Bluffton schools, was the head. He at- tended the early institutes, and his teaching and talks reached every home and had much to do with placing the schools of the township in the very front rank of Wells County's schools. Among the old-time teachers were the following named persons: Frank Hamilton, W. J. Beatty, John A. Walker, Daniel K. Shoup, William Shoup, J. K. Rinehart, John Ormsby, James C. Kain, Elijah Sink, Henry Mygrants and John L. Thomas. We must not fail to mention Noah Walker, who taught successfully in the early '50s."
Chester Township took a great stride in its educational interests in 1896, when its fine high school building was erected. A. R. Hnyette, the present county superintendent, was principal for a number of years. In the same year, while W. C. Arnold was school trustee, Liberty Township built the imposing high school at the Center. The handsome Lancaster Township High School building at Murray was erected in 1899, under the direction of Trustee N. E. Stafford. Nottingham Township through the energy and good management of Samuel Gehrett, trustee, went and did likewise during that year, the building being erected near Petroleum.
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INCREASE IN VALUATION OF SCHOOL PROPERTY IN THIRTY YEARS
The marked inerease in the valuation of sehool property during the past thirty years is a noteworthy illustration of the progress of the county system of education in providing improved buildings and apparatus for the benefit of the pupils under its control. The figures which are available for the year 1886 inelude Bluffton in their scope. In the year mentioned, within the limits of Wells County, were fifty- one brick and fifty-seven frame sehoolhouses, which, with furniture, apparatus and grounds, were valued at $105,185.
In 1917, not including the Bluffton sehool property, the valuation and number of schools (virtually all briek) for the various townships were as follows: Chester, $26,000, and 10 houses; Harrison, $12.350, 11 schools ; Jackson, $30,000, 10 sehools : Jefferson, $30,000, 11 sehools; Laneaster, $27,000, 12 schools; Liberty, $39,000, 8 schools; Notting- ham, $50,000, 12 schools; Roek Creek, $12,000, 9 schools; Union, $20,000, 8 sehools. Total valuation of school property in the present county system, $246,350; number of schoolhouses, 91.
ENROLLMENT OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS EMPLOYED
The number of teachers employed and the enrollment in the ele- mentary, or first eight grades, are as follows :
Teachers Enrollment
Chester
16
309
Harrison
11
282
Jackson
10
277
Jefferson
24
422
Laneaster
16
305
Liberty
20
321
Nottingham
19
360
Roek Creek
10
224
Union
15
300
Total
141
2,800
The high school enrollment in 1917 was as follows: Ossian, 94; Liberty Center, 82; Petroleum, 60; Union Center, 55: Toesin. 29; Keystone, 28; Murray, 16; Craigville, 13. Total, 377.
The total enrollment in the grades and high schools is thus dis- tributed: In the commissioned high schools at Keystone, Ossian,
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Toesin, Union Center, Liberty Center and Petroleum, 62 seniors; 279 eighth-grade pupils, of whom 128 are enrolled in the graded high schools and 151 in the one-room buildings; 280 seventh and eighth grade boys study agriculture and 304 girls in the same grades are in the sewing classes.
SCHOOLS OF NOTTINGHAM TOWNSHIP
By Thomas E. Scott
The first school in Wells County was taught, as the earliest records show, by Jesse MeGrew in the year 1837, in IIarrison Township. It was like all the schools throughout the different townships up to 1849- 50, a private or subscription school.
There is no record to show there was any school taught in Notting- ham Township until the public schools were established in the first years mentioned.
The first settler in the township was Joseph Blacklege, in 1837. John Dawson, Isaac and Edward Haines, Wm. Nutter and some others came in 1838.
The township was organized January 4, 1841, and an election held about that time, showing fifteen voters, but for what purpose, there is no available record to show.
The movement to establish the public schools was in 1849, and the first schools were commenced in the spring of 1850.
The first election for school purposes was held in September, 1849, and some school officers elected, and in the same month an enu- meration was taken showing the township was divided into districts pretty much as they are at the present time and that there were then nine districts, containing children of school age and were distributed as follows. District No. 1, 25; No. 2, 19; No. 3, 7; No. 4, 5; No. 5, 16; No. 6, 5; No. 7, 21; No. 8, 31 and No. 9, 20, making 149 to the town- ship. This last district is now known as No. 12, and has always been popularly known as the "Scott School."
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