USA > Michigan > Ionia County > History of Ionia County, Michigan : her people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 33
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).
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 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48
The principals were : C. W. Hart, four years, 1896-1900; H. H. Lowrey. three years, 1900-03 ; F. Haughout, one year, 1903-04: Miss Nora Leiter, five years, 1904-09: Miss Hattie Hungerford, one year, 1009-10: Miss Lora B. Evans, four years, 1910-14: F. W. Dalton, 1914-16.
During the year 1915-16 the following teachers are engaged in the Saranac schools: Louise Wallington, kindergarten and first grade: Addie David, second and third grades: Jennie Parmalee, fourth and fifth grades, Cora I. Adams, sixth and part of seventh grades; Bertha Hagerman, part of seventh and eighth grades: Ruth Y. Johnston, high school assistant, history. English and Latin ; F. W. Dalton, high school principal, science and mathe- matics ; 1. P. Ettinger, superintendent, English, American history and solid geometry.
The school has a good equipment of globes, maps, charts, etc. The physical and chemical laboratories are equipped with modern apparatus, as to do the laboratory work required by the modern methods of teaching physical sciences. This incluides such apparatus as the air pump, guinea and
359
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
feather tube. Magdeburg hemispheres, inclined plane, sonometer, pumps, hydraulic ram, photometer, centrifugal force apparatus, mercury barometer, calorimeter, d'Arsonval galvanometers. tangent galvanometer, astatic galvano- meter, Wheatstone bridge, slide wire bridge, ammeter, voultmeter, electric machine, wireless telegraph apparatus, induction coil, Geissler tubes, resist- ance boxes. Leyden jars, gold leaf electroscopes, rotating machine, organ pipe, sets of lenses, tuning forks, balances and scales, etc.
Each room in the building has a small library suitable for the pupils in the room. The high school reference library contains about six hundred and twenty-five volumes covering literature, science, mathematics, history, philos- ophy, etc. This includes several sets of works such as the "International En- cyclopedia." "The University of Literature," "History for Ready Reference" by Larned : the "Standard Encyclopedia," and others. There is a circulating library of about a thousand volumes in the kindergarten and first grade room, where books may be drawn by the public and kept for two weeks with the privilege of renewal for another two weeks.
The school has been a member of the lonia County Athletic Association ever since it was first organized and has always taken part in the field and track events at the annual field meet which is hell in June. Nearly every vear sees a combined literary and musical society organized in the high school, which organization usually holds monthly meetings. Drawing and some manual training are offered in the grades. The drawing and manual training exhibit at the Michigan state fair at Detroit drew nearly twenty-five dollars in 1914 and about forty-five dollars in 1915, in premiums. A majority of the Saranac high school graduates attended some higher institution of learning soon after completing the high school course.
SCHOOLS OF LYONS.
The first school is said to have been taught by Susan Moore, in 1835, in a log cabin erected by H. V. Libhart in the village, but just over the town line in Ionia. A school was taught in 1837 in a shanty that stood on Henry Leonards lot. Leonard bought the building of Libhart for sixty dollars and sold it to the town. Naomi Irish taught the first school there, and Eliza Ann Bunnell, the second. Richard Parsons and William Jennings were early teach- errs in the village but they did not come until about 1842.
The Lyons school was organized as a graded school in 1857, the build- ing having been erected the previous year. It was organized as a rate-paying
360
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
institution, tuition being computed on the basis of the number of days each pupil attended school during the year.
At first, and for many years, four teachers were employed, a Miss Chapen acting as the first principal. During the Civil War period the Lyons schools were larger. in point of number of pupils, than at any other time in the history of the village. At that time the principal received about sixty dollars per month, and the grade teachers about twenty-five dollars. They were required to teach six hours daily, and were on duty each alternate Saturday.
About 1870 the building was remodeled within, a furnace being installed. and other improvements made. The furnace proved unsatisfactory and in the course of a few years was abandoned. This led to other changes on the in- terior of the building, and stoves were again installed. In 1896 a fifth teacher was added to the corps of instructors. Again in 1915 it became necessary to add an instructor, bringing the teaching force up to six members.
The present building was erected in 1912, on the site of the old building. at a cost of $17.000. It is a thoroughly comfortable, commodious, up-to-date buikling, with ample room for years to come, and with the best of facilities for laboratory courses in the natural sciences. A pleasant library and reading room provides for research work along the lines of English and history. while a large dining room in the basement provides for those pupils who are obliged to remain in the building throughout the noon hour.
PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The school district as first organized in 1837 also included the town- ships of Maple on the north and Danby on the south. The officers were : Almeron Newman, moderator; W. R. Churchill, director : James Newman. assessor. Six months of school during the year was agreed upon and Soo voted to be raised among the patrons for teacher's salary. Enel was also furnished by the patrons and hauled to the school house in sled length and the larger boys were expected to chop it as fast as needed.
The first school was taught in a log building near the present site of the Pere Marquette depot. This log building burned to the ground a few years later and was the first "fire" in the village. A vacant house near the river was then utilized.
lu 1842 $300 was voted for a new school building, which was subse- quently erected on the brow of the hill at the north end of Smith street. This became known in later years as the "old red school house" and con-
361
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
tained but one room. When more space was required this building was moved over to Bridge street, becoming the Methodist Episcopal church and later vet was moved across Elm street and made into a double tenement. where it still remains. Could the walls of the building speak, what a varied tale might they unfold of childish woes and grown-up aspirations. Miss Lodiwiska Baker taught the first. summer in the red school house for two dollars per week, and Charles (. Fullington the following winter at eighteen dollars per month. There were only fifty-two children of school age in the district. but seventy attended school.
When the red school house became too small to accommodate all the students there was a school for the older boys and girls in the basement of the Universalist church, taught by the pastor, Reverend Gordon, with Miss AAlmeda Hixson as assistant. This continued two or three years. \ two- story buikling replaced the red school house somewhere near 1858 and four teachers were subsequently provided for the upper and lower departments. During the early years, school funds were raised by means of the "rate bill." the expense being divided by the number of children. Hence, the larger the family the higher the tax. There was, however, a fund for poor chil- dren. and as late as 1865 there was voted by the school board "$3.00 for indigent children."
In 1865 the board included: Dr. M. B. Beers, moderator ; Dr. William Root. director: A. F. Morehouse, assessor. The teachers: Mr. Boggs. principal: Miss Phehe Beers, assistant: Mrs. Ellen Newman, lower depart- ment : Miss Emmons, assistant.
In 1860 a fifth teacher was added and the "intermediate department" occupied the basement of the Universalist church during the erection of the high school building at the upper end of Smith street, which was ready for occupancy in January, 1870, with J. W. Carus, principal: Miss Scribner, assistant.
The first attempt at grading the school was made by Mr. Carus in 1870. and the following year the board voted to grant diplomas to graduates who satisfactorily passed all examinations, but there were no graduates until twelve years later. W. H. Stone did much for the school in the selection of improved text books and was a man greatly loved and respected. To (. T .. Bemis belongs the honor of the first graduating class in 1882. The graduates were Kittie Scribner and Mary White.
Nowadays, superintendents are apt to think themselves overworked. Mr. Stone and Mr. Bemis taught the entire high school course without assist- ants, including history, science, and higher mathematics. Mr. Bemis also
362
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
started a live debating club for Friday evenings, wherein the students learned parliamentary usage and public speaking. In these debates Frank E. Dore- mus, who is now a congressman, distinguished himself for his able argu- ments. After four years of such strenuous work, Mr. Bemis was given an assistant, Miss Alice Warren. When Miss Blanche Vaughn became super- intendent, in 1001, she aspired to place the school on the university list. This she accomplished in 1902. Miss Vaughn possessed rare talent and untiring energy, and she left the schools in 1013 in a splendidly organized condition.
The early records of the school board make interesting reading at this distance. At one time an important meeting was delayed because the major- ity of the members had tickets for the circus. Non-resident tuition was four dollars per term for higher branches, two dollars and fifty cents for primary, and one dollar extra for Greek and Latin, and they voted that Latin be taught in the third grade. It was voted that in cases of persistent disobedience. a committee of the board visit parents and suggest the need of improvement, else they must be excluded from the school. It was voted that all teachers be allowed one day to visit Ionia Union school with view to "benefit the school." In 1869 the director was instructed to call a public meeting of citizens to make arrangement for the State Teachers' Institute to be held here.
In 1871 there were in the school district 380 between the ages of five and twenty. The departments were: High school, grammar school, inter- mediate, second primary and first primary. In 1873 it became necessary to add another building, two rooms for the first and second primary on the West Side. The brick high school building was erected in 188t and bas since been enlarged to accommodate all grades. At present ( 1916). the corps of teachers numbers fifteen, and the various departments are regu- larly equipped for first-class work. There is a school library of more than one thousand volumes. The chemistry and physical laboratory is well equip- ped with up-to-date apparatus. Three pianos assist in the teaching of vocal music, and much attention is given to nature study in the grades. Dramati- zation, debate and oratory are emphasized in the high school. Athletics receive considerable attention, and the foot-ball and base-ball teams have several times won the county championship. The school has been on the university list since 1902, excepting the lapse of one year, 1909. and grad- nates are admitted withont examination to all colleges and universities under the North Central Association.
The various school boards through all the years have been composed
363
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
of representative townsmen, who have given much time and thought for the improvement of the schools. Among these were: The Newmans. N. B. Rice. A. F. Morehouse. William 11. White, Doctor Dellenbaugh, Dr. G. D. Allen. Doctor Martin. Lorenzo Webber and Dr. S. A. Horning.
The teachers in 1916 are:
High School -- J. G. Gourley. A. B., M. AA .. superintendent, agriculture and botany; Viola Howe. A. B., principal. English: J. N. Kantner. A. B., science and athletics: Helen Bissinger. A. B., languages; Mary Maude Brown. A. B., mathematics and history.
Grammar School Opal Bigelow, A. B., mathematics and German ; Rhea Pew. English: Grace Wright, geography, history and nature study : Elizabeth Floyd, music and drawing.
Primary-Mabel Laurens, fifth grade: Lucille Lawler, third and fourth grades: Nettie Nickel, first and second grades; Frances Mulder, kinder- garten.
West Side School-Beulah Briggs, third and fourth grades; Lulu Pack- ard, first and second grades.
The school board in 1916 consists of: Dr. S. A. Horning, moderator : E. B. Harwood, treasurer: C. L. Crane, director: J. A. Scaddin, trustee : H. Holloway. trustee.
With the class of 1916, including thirteen young ladies and seven young mien, the graduates will number 436; many of whom are already filling posi- tions of honor and responsibility. There are doctors, lawyers, teachers, preachers, and many in the noblest profession of all-home-making.
SCHOOLS OF THE COUNTY AT THE PRESENT TIME.
By Harvey H. Lowrey.
In lonia county there are eleven city and village schools, one hundred thirty primary districts and five parochial schools, employing two hundred seventy-five teachers.
lonia and Belding are cities each having an independent school system rather than a part of the county system, because they have special charters and come under the provision of the statutes of cities having more than three thousand population.
The villages of Portland, Lake Odessa, Saranac, Lyons. Muir, Pewamo. Hubbardston, Palo and Clarksville, each maintain a twelve-grade school. These graded districts endeavor to equip their schools and employ a grade of
304
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
teachers, which efforts tend to place the educational advantages on a par with any town of their size in the state.
The greatest progress in the last ten years has been made in the rural schools of the county under the leadership of the present commissioner of schools. There is no county in Michigan which has made more progress in unifying the course of study and increasing the efficiency of work done than this county. It is in the very forefront. A student with an eighth-grade diploma signed by the commissioner of schools can enter any high school in the state without examination. Each year two hundred or more graduates from the rural school course are ready for high school. But the most re- markable thing is the fact that nearly all these rural graduates do go on to high school. In the last five or six years, less than ten each year have failed to go on to higher institutions of learning. In consequence of this fact. the eleven graded schools of the county have more than half of their high school pupils non-residents.
The schools have been most ably supervised by Commissioner Lowrey. who has been untiring in his visits to the rural schools which he has made helpful by suggestions, counsel and even doing actual teaching when necessary in order to have matters go right. He has been free to offer suggestions in rearrangment of programs or curriculum of study. His visits have been a benefit to the officers in keeping up the school property and in many other ways where oversight was essential.
This county, as most all counties in the lower peninsula of Michigan. is under the old district system where three officers, the director. the moderator and the treasurer form the board of education for the primary districts. This board, so far as the power which they possess is concerned, is as aristocratic as any governing body in America. They can vote four items of taxes : . All that is necessary for the actual running of school, including teachers' wages : hire the number of teachers necessary and fix their wages, and adopt text books and have a general charge of all matters pertaining to the well-being of the school.
The graded schools are governed by a board of five members whose officers are a president, secretary and treasurer. They have practically the same power in their district as the board in primary districts, with a few specially added powers or duties.
The annual meeting of the district, which is hell the second Monday in July, is of great importance to the welfare of the school, because ai this time board members are elected, length of the school year is fixed and various
365
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
items of taxes voted, sites and buildings, if any, are purchased and decided, etc.
RECENT STATE LAWS.
Some of the more recent laws affecting directly the schools are the following :
No. 11, Public Acts of 1911 concerning legal holidays. "Section 1. The following days, namely, the first day of January, commonly called New Year's Day; the thirtieth day of May, commonly called Memorial Day; the Fourth of July ; the first Monday of September, commonly called Labor Day ; and the twenty-fifth day of December, commonly called Christmas Day; all Saturdays and all days appointed or recommended by the Governor of this State or the President of the United States as days of fasting and prayer or thanksgiving shall, in all the public schools of this State, be treated and con- sidered as public holidays and on such above specified holidays there shall be no school sessions in any of such public schools of this state: Provided. That the salary of school officers and teachers shall be in no way affected by reason of the dismissal of school on any of the above mentioned days ; Pro- vided, further, That on the following days, namely, the twelfth day of Febru- ary, commonly called Lincoln's birthday, the twenty-second day of Febru- ary, commonly called Washington's birthday, and the twelfth day of October. commonly called Columbus day, it shall be the duty of all school officers and teachers to have the schools under their respective charge observe such nien- tioned days, namely the twelfth of February. the twenty-second of February, and the twelfth day of October by proper and appropriate commemorative exercises and such days shall not be considered as legal holidays for schools.
"Plans for all new school buildings and for additions costing over $300 must be approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. He also has authority to condemn school buildings under certain conditions.
"Hereafter no person, who has not taught prior to July 1. 1916, can receive a certificate who shall not have completed a term of at least six weeks; work of professional training in a state or county normal or some school approved by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
"Act No. 223 amends section 1 of Act No. HI of the Public Acts of IGLI by providing that it shall be the duty of every teacher in the public schools of this state to cause the Declaration of Independence to be read to his or her pupils above the fifth grade on the twelfth day of February, the twenty-second day of February and the twelfth day of October. Failure to comply with this law may lead to the revocation of the teacher's certificate. Section 2 provides that all applicants for eighth-grade diplomas shall be re-
366
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN,
quired as a part of the eighth grade examination to write from memory the first verse of the 'Star Spangled Banner' and the words of America.''
The county board of school examiners is composed of the commissioner of schools and two examiners chosen alternately, for a term of two years. by the board. Their principal duty is to license teachers with county certifi- cates.
The office of commissioner of schools is the most important educational office in the county. Beside the supervisory and other duties before mentioned the office of recent years has been sending out much written matter to the teachers and officers. The following is a fair sample of some of the matter sent out :
Suggestions to Officers.
1. It is not advisable to close school because a teacher is ill. Better get a qualified substituite.
It is advisable for officers to visit the school occasionally.
3. Officers shouldl hokl a regular board meeting the last Thursday of each school month and invite the teacher to be present. The object of this meeting being to promote the welfare of the school, to settle all difficulties with parents, teachers or pupils and to transact all business necessary to be done. At this meeting the teacher's order should be drawn and signed and the teacher paid her money.
To Parents.
It is advisable for parents to visit the school occasionally to witness the regular school work.
2. Parents should see that pupils are at school regularly.
3. Do not allow your children to be late.
1. Co-operate with the teacher in every way possible. In union there is strength.
5. If any misunderstandings arise between pupils and teachers or between parents and teachers it is wise for parents to visit the teacher and calmly and good-naturedly, yet earnestly, talk the matter over. If all con- cerned use good judgment on such occasions difficulties can almost always be amicably settled and the school will be the better for it.
To Teachers.
1. Fundamentals: Loyalty, thoroughness, accuracy, speed.
2. Make and keep in a book provided for that purpose an outline of what you expect to accomplish in each of your classes each day.
367
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN,
3. Prepare a program, hang it in a conspicuous place and follow it.
7. Hear your recitations regularly. This is important.
5. Carefully correct and supervise all written work.
6. Insist upon absolute, prompt and unquestioning obedience.
7. Do not "baby" pupils. Teach them to be self-reliant and self- helpful.
8. Insist that all pupils shall speak distinctly and loudly enough to be heard.
9. Guard against talking too much. Talking teachers are usually un- skilled teachers.
10. Do not allow loafing and dawdling about anything. Make things move.
11. Be detinite in the assignment of lessons.
12. As a rule teachers should not sit during recitation periods. The teacher who does so is not likely to be either interested or interesting.
13. Familiarize yourself with the State Course of Study and the County Directory.
14. Cultivate in pupils a regard for school and public property.
15. Teachers should assist in maintaining a spirit of unity, loyalty and service among the members of the profession.
10. Do not find fault to anyone about what your predecessor has done or about the conditions of your present school. If things are not right have patience until you make them right.
17. Notice what is said about written work and seat work in the State Course of Study. Also, what is said about play.
18. If teachers build fires they should be at the school house at eight o'clock in the morning, otherwise at eight-thirty.
19. Call school at nine o'clock. a. m. ( Not (:05.)
20. Give pupils one hour for dinner and recreation. They need it. ( If officers or parents want schools to close at 3:30 p. m., they should give you the time. )
21. See to it that you have order during the recess periods and in the hallways or entries.
22. Teachers should not be compelled to run around after their pay orders and should not be asked to accept bank checks as pay.
23. Be on time with your reports and Reading Circle work. Reading Circle manuscript will not be accepted after expiration dates given in calendar. Get books early.
368
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
24. Plan for summer school work for 1916.
25. Inform the commissioner of your difficulties before others do so. This will enable the commissioner to help you in many cases.
TEACHING HINTS.
1. How much time would be saved if teachers did not repeat the an- swers of the pupils. Not once in a hundred times is it necessary or wise to repeat the answers, yet this is the most common of teachers' errors. Count the number of times you do this today.
2. Every pupil should be called on in every recitation. This is the ideal. If it cannot be attained, at least do not call on the same pupil over and over. Is this your practice?
3. "Do you all understand?" "Is there any one who does not under-
stand?" These are two foolish questions for teachers to ask for these reasons : (a) Only one pupil in fifty will ever acknowledge that he does not understand; (b) the proper way to find out whether a pupil understands or not is to ask him to explain. Do you ask these questions ?
4. Stand straight. This should be insisted on by all teachers from the first grade through the high school. A pupil should either stand or sit, not slouch half way between. To stand straight is a valuable element in charac- ter. One is more of a man when he stands straight than when he slouches.
5. It is bad housekeeping to fill up vacant desks with waste paper, etc. Waste baskets are provided. Books in desks should be piled neatly, not thrown in carelessly. These suggestions apply from the first grade through the high school.
6. Teachers talk too much in the school room, the pupils too little. In the stenographic reports of high school classes made by Miss Romiett Stevens, of Teachers College, it was found that sixty-four per cent of the talking in the class was done by the teachers. What proportion of the time do you use in talking?
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.