USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The history of Detroit and Michigan; or, The metropolis illustrated; a chronological cyclopedia of the past and present, Vol I > Part 119
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In March, 1802, the inhabitants of the County of Wayne sought encouragement from Congress, and in petitioning that body asked among other things for one or more townships of land for the purpose of erecting or endowing an academy, and on March 26, 1804, the Government directed that Sec- tion 16 of the public lands in every township be reserved for and appropriated to educational pur- poses. This law laid the foundation for the primary school fund of the State, the fund at interest being derived from the sales of land thus reserved.
Possibly with the belief that "the better the day, the better the deed," on Sunday, February 26, 1809, Judge Witherell presented, and the Governor and Judges, sitting as a Legislature, passed “An Act concerning Schools." It provided that the over- seers of the poor should divide their districts into school districts and act as trustees of the same. Judges of District Courts were to appropriate not exceeding four dollars or less than two dollars for each child between four and eighteen, the amounts to be collected the same as other taxes, and depos- ited in the district treasury. Reports as to the number of children and the number of weeks school was kept were to be made yearly, and no money was to be paid except to districts that erected school-houses or maintained schools. There is no evidence that any schools were established under this Act.
By Act of April 12, 1827, each township was authorized to determine by a two-thirds vote whether it would maintain township schools, and if so a "grammar schoolmaster of good morals" was to be obtained, and a township with fifty families was to have a school for an amount of time equal to six months in a year; in one of a hundred families, tuition equal to twelve months was required. Town- ships of one hundred and fifty families were to have two teachers, and those of two hundred families
two teachers and two schools; the schools in each township to be in charge of not more than five com- missioners.
Under this Act a teacher was secured for Detroit, and on May 28, 1827, the trustees of the old uni- versity directed that " Mr. Cook, the teacher of the common school " be put in possession of a room in the academy. Mr. Cook died soon after, and on July 26 the trustees "resolved that the School Com- missioners be authorized to take immediate mea- sures for the procurement of a teacher of the com- mon school."
On November 5, 1829, the Legislative Council made further provision for common schools in the Territory, but expressly exempted Detroit from the operations of the Act.
On April 28, 1830, "Mr. Conant, Chairman of a committee appointed at a meeting of the citizens, applied to the University Trustees for leave to occupy a room in the Academy for a common school." On April 4, 1831, Shubael Conant, Julius Eldred, Jeremiah Moors, Jerry Dean, and Shadrach Gillett were elected Commissioners of Common Schools, and at a meeting of the trustees of the university, held on May 10, 1831, on motion of Major Biddle, it was
Resolved, that the use of the Academy be granted to the Direc- tors of Common Schools of the City of Detroit until the building be required for other purposes by the Trustees of the University of Michigan, of which one year's notice shall be given to the said Directors, on condition that the said Directors do repair said building and at all times during their occupancy sustain and keep the same in good repair at their expense.
In 1832 the city was divided into two districts, and a school taught by Charles Wells was opened May 21 in the academy. Charles Larned, S. Conant, John Farrar, and P. Desnoyers were com- missioners.
In this same year a number of ladies formed a Free School Society. The following notice, pub- lished in December, 1833, gives interesting particu- lars concerning their schools. The notice says:
It cannot have escaped the observation of any citizen that in our midst are many children who are growing up not only in poverty, but in ignorance. The object of our society is to take these children and bring them under the culture and moral restraint of a school. We have employed for the year past a
[735]
736
THE FIRST COMMON SCHOOLS.
competent Instructress, and have collected together under her not far from a daily average of fifty scholars There have been no less than one hundred and fifty names upon the roll of the school since its commencement. In addition to $232 which the Society have paid to their Instructress, expended for wood and other incidental expenses, we have erected a plain but substantial school-house at a cost of $475, towards the discharge of which debt they have paid $350, leaving a balance of $125.
JANE M. PALMER, MARY S. WENDELL, Directresses.
The schools were kept for half a day. The pupils, children between four and ten years of age, were provided with books and taught gratuitously. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the girls were taught sewing. The way in which funds were obtained to carry on the work is indicated in the following advertisement :
TOMATO CATSUP
Prepared by the Ladies of the Detroit Free School Society, and for sale by their appointment by dozen or single bottle at the store of
September 26, 1832.
E. BINGHAM.
Another advertisement was as follows :
A CARD.
The Ladies of the Detroit Free School Society would announce to the public that their annual sale or Fair will take place on Wednesday evening of next week (17th inst.,) at Woodworth's Long Room, Steamboat Hotel. Sale to commence at six o'clock. DETROIT, December 11, 1834.
In 1836 the society maintained two schools, one having in attendance one hundred and thirteen children, two thirds of them boys. In 1837 they had three schools, with an attendance of two hun- dred.
The officers for 1837 were : Mrs. J. M. Howard, president ; Mrs. S. Gillett, vice-president ; Miss S. E. Dwight, secretary, E. P. Hastings, treasurer.
While these schools were in operation, on April 1, 1833, J. J. Deming, J. Kearsley, A. S. Porter, F. P. Browning, and E. P. Hastings were elected Com- missioners of District Schools, but no evidence of service has been found.
On April 23, 1833, an Act was approved which made special provision for common schools in De- troit. The Act provided for the election, on a day in May to be appointed by the Common Council, of six commissioners, six directors, and six inspectors of common schools. They were to be divided into three classes, the first class to be vacant on the first Monday in April, 1834, and two officers of each kind were to be chosen every year thereafter. The commissioners were to divide the city into school districts.
The directors were to collect rates, call meetings of voters, and present estimates for schools. If the majority consented, they were authorized to pur- chase sites, build houses, and raise taxes to pay for
the same. At the annual meeting in April the voters were to decide on the amount to be raised for the schooling of indigent children. The directors were to employ teachers, who were to be paid so much per month or quarter for each scholar, and teachers were to keep a record of the number of days each scholar attended, the statement to be verified by oath if required. In the case of indi- gent scholars, the teacher was to be paid only for the actual time of their attendance, all others were to be charged for one quarter at least. At the expiration of each quarter the directors were to make an assessment roll of those who had sent scholars, the number of days to be paid for, and the sum to be paid, and were to determine which of the scholars should be classed as indigent,
Under this law the council set apart May 31 as the day when the officers should be elected. No record can be found of such an election, or of any increase in educational facilities.
In December, 1833, at a public meeting of citi- zens, Mr. Kearsley stated that there was not a single common school in which boys could acquire the ordinary branches of education.
Four years later, in January, 1837, the State was admitted to the Union, and at the same time 1,067,397 acres of land were granted to the State for public schools. On March 20 a General School Law was passed, and in April, 1837, Charles Wells, C. W. Whipple, and G. Mott Williams were elected school inspectors. During this year more activity was manifested in educational matters. A meeting of gentlemen interested was held at the Mechanics' Institute, on October 11, 1837. John D. Pierce was chosen chairman, and George Wilson, secretary, and the following was adopted :
Resolved, that a convention of professional teachers, and of individuals friendly to the interests of primary schools in the State of Michigan, should be held in Detroit on Wednesday, January 3, 1838.
A committee, consisting of Messrs. W. Hale, John Owen, and Rev. E. Thompson, was appointed to investigate the state of primary education in Detroit, to ascertain the number of children actually attending school, and the number, of suitable age, not attending school, and to report to the conven- tion.
The convention met at the City Hall. E. P. Hastings was made president and John D. Pierce delivered an address.
The proposed convention and the inquiries insti- tuted called public attention to the facts, and on December 2, 1837, the Common Council requested the city attorney to report what steps were necessary to organize schools under the Act of 1837. On
737
THE FIRST COMMON SCHOOLS.
December 9 the city attorney reported that these steps had been taken.
In April, 1837, inspectors were elected, who, after being nearly nine months in office, resolved upon action; but the winter passed away and nothing was accomplished.
In April, 1838, John Farmer, James F. Joy, and Henry Chipman were elected school inspectors, Mr. Farmer was made chairman of the Board, and the provisions of the State Law were, for the first time, put in operation. On May 12, 1838, the following census of children under fifteen years of age was presented to and filed by the board :
WARD I.
" Under 5 years.
o Over 5 and un-
der 15.
Total under 15.
Col'd under 15.
Free white males
"
" females
62
81
143
Total
119
I68
287
6
WARD 2.
Free white males
53
72
125
females
36
82
118
I
Total
89
154
243
I
WARD 3.
Free white males
119
124
243
14
"
"
females
100
174
274
6
Total
219
298
517
20
WARD 4.
Free white males
179
229
408
3
Total
330
459
789
3
WARD 5.
Free white males
270
385
655
20
females
287
378
665
16
Total
557
763
1,320
36
On May 12, 1838, the city was divided into seven school districts as follows :
First District, all south of Jefferson Avenue, be- tween Brush and Wayne Streets.
Second District, all south of Lafayette Street, east of Woodward Avenue.
Third District, all north of Lafayette Street, west of Woodward Avenue.
Fourth District, all north of Jefferson Avenue, between Brush Street and Woodward Avenue.
Fifth District, all south of Larned Street, between Brush Street and Moran Farm.
Sixth District, all north of Larned Street, between Brush Street and Moran Farm.
Seventh District, all east of west line of Moran Farm.
In June the inspectors issued teachers' certificates to Charlotte S. Rang, for District No. 2; to Marian Titus, for No. 3; to Alice Rumney, for No. 4; to James Stewart, for No. 5; and in July to Melvina A. Hurlbut, for No. 6. Certificates were also issued to Miss Van Ingen, James S. Baker, J. E. Witcher, George Field, and E. F. Locke.
That the question of securing uniformity in school-books was, at that time, a proper subject for consideration is evidenced by the fact that in Dis- trict No. 4 Olney's, Parley's, and Smith's Geogra- phies were in use; of Arithmetics there was a still greater variety, Adams's, Smith's, Colburn's, Par- ley's, and Emerson's all being used in the same school. Other books used were the Elementary Spelling Book, Child's Third Book, Wilson's Class Reader, Child's First Book in History, and the New Testament.
In 1838 schools were maintained for three months each in five of the districts, the teachers receiving from twenty dollars to thirty dollars per month and boarding themselves.
Following are the names of directors, with statis- tics for 1838 :
Dist. Director.
Children be- tween 5 and 17.
Attending school.
I. A. Hartshorn,
225
127
2. James Fairbairn,
372
125
3.
193
57
4. G. F. Porter,
346
65
5. J. Beaubien,
299
60
6. F. X. Cicotte,
245
30
7. B. F. H. Witherell,
417
43
Total,
2,097
507
The locations of the schools were as follows :
The school for District No. I was in an old two- story wooden building, forty by eighty feet, built on piles, on the shore of the river, on West Wood- bridge Street, near Shelby. The lower part was used as a grocery, and the upper part fitted up for the school. The building was leased for one hun- dred dollars a year, and was occupied until 1842. In 1838, the first year that the building was occu- pied, W. K. Coyl was assessor and collector for the district, and the success of the school is to be attrib- uted almost entirely to Mr. Coyl's energy and man- agement, and his services were entirely gratuitous.
The school for District No. 4 was taught by Rev. George Field in the basement of the First Metho- dist Episcopal Church.
The school for District No. 5 was taught by James Stewart.
females
151
230
381
144
738
THE FIRST COMMON SCHOOLS.
The teacher for District No. 6, Miss Hurlbut, taught school at her residence on the northeast cor- ner of Jefferson Avenue and Beaubien Street.
In District No. 7, $500 was raised in 1838, to build a school-house. The first money received by the city from the Primary School Fund was obtained in 1839. The amount received was $1,342.08, which, on February 21, 1839, the inspectors appor- tioned as follows:
Dist. Scholars.
Amount.
Dist. Scholars.
Amount.
I.
225
$144.00
5.
299
$191.36
2.
372
238.08
6.
245
156.80
3.
193
123.52
7.
417
266.88
4.
346
221.44
The average was sixty-four cents for each of the 2,097 chil- dren reported by the school census.
In February, teach- ers' certificates were issued to J. T. Blois, Charles Chambers, and Rowley Morris, and during the year to John Winchell, Lorenzo Wood, C. C. Rood, and Harriet M. Van Ingen. On April 15 John Farmer, A. W. Buel, and Thomas Christian were elect- ed school inspectors, Mr. Farmer again be- coming chairman of the board.
FREE SCHOOL
N.P
ROUTY CHO
FIRST BUILDING OCCUPIED BY A FREE PUBLIC SCHOOL, WOODBRIDGE STREET, NEAR SHELBY.
In 1839 schools were taught for six months in all of the districts except the fourth, and there the school was maintained for eight months and nine days.
Following are the names of the directors and moderators, and the statistics for 1839 :
Dist.
Director.
Moderator.
tween 5 and 17.
school.
I. A. Hartshorn, J. Eldred,
220
85
2. J. Owen,
J. Palmer,
363
1 37
3. T. Christian,
J. H. Titus,
185
80
4. J. Farmer,
412
155
5. E. Bancroft,
A. Dequindre,
234
85
6. D. French,
214
85
7. H. Hallock,
Robert Stuart, 350
60
A total of 687 white children attended these schools, and the school census showed 2,138 chil- dren between the ages of five and seventeen.
A colored school, known as District No. 8, was established in 1839, but received no appropriation until 1840.
The year 1839 marked a great increase of interest, as is evident from the reports of the amounts voted and raised in the several districts. District No. I voted $820, and received from the inspectors $90. District No. 2 was assessed $750 for school pur- poses, $500 of this amount to build a school-house, and received $175 from the inspectors. District No. 3 raised $800, and received $123.52 from the inspec- tors. District No. 4 raised $744.69, appropriated $500 of it for a school-house, and received from the inspectors $193. District No. 5 voted $250, and received from the inspectors $191.36. No report can be found from No. 6 : it probably had no school. District No. 7 voted $600, of which $500 was to build a house, and received $266.88 from the inspectors.
The report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 1839 shows a total of $3,426 raised in the city to build four houses and support schools, and that the directors received $1,039.76 as primary school money from the inspectors.
The report of the treasurer of the in- spectors for 1839, made March 12, 1840, shows that the entire amount of $1,342.06, Primary School Fund, appropriated by the board in February, 1839, to the several districts, had passed through his hands, and also that $854 was received from the same fund for 1840. This amount was apportioned by the inspec- tors, February 22, 1840, as follows :
Dist.
Scholars.
Amount.
Dist.
Scholars.
Amount.
I.
220
$ 92.32
5.
234
$ 98.20
2.
363
152.33
6.
214
89.81
3.
185
77.64
7.
350
146.88
4.
412
172.90
8. 57
23.92
Total
2035
$854.00
In April, 1840, at the regular city election, John Farmer, S. Barstow, and T. Christian were elected as inspectors, Mr. Farmer was continued as chair- man, and also acted this year as treasurer of the board, director of a district, and teacher of one of the schools, receiving as teacher a salary of $40 per month. The school was located in the rear of his residence on Farmer Street, and among his pupils
Children be- Attending
739
THE FIRST COMMON SCHOOLS.
was Anson Burlingame, afterwards United States Minister to China.
On January 6, 1840, a teacher's certificate was issued to William Phelps, and during the year cer- tificates were issued to E. Doty, James H. Welling, Eliza Toser, and John M. Davis.
The total number of scholars attending the dis- trict schools this year was 895, a gain of 208. The length of the school terms was determined in each district by the amount of money in its treasury, and as a consequence the several districts reported schools as kept open four, five, six, seven, seven and one half, and nine months respectively.
In addition to the Primary School Fund, the sum of $825 was expended in the several districts, $425 of which was paid on a house and lot for District No. 2 ; $100 for finishing a building for a school in District No. 7; the balance of $300 was expended for rent and repairs.
The names of the district officers, and the statis- tics for 1840, are as follows :
Dist. Director.
Moderator.
Children between 5 and 17.
Attending School.
I.
220
90
2. J. Owen.
John Palmer.
331
57
3. T. Christian.
209
124
4. J. Farmer.
C. Jackson.
406
156
5. J. Watson.
F. H. Stearns.
198
70
6. D. French.
J. Stewart.
217
163
7. J.Winchell.
J.Winchell.
455
235
Total
2036
895
The amount of money accruing from the State Primary School Fund continued to decrease. Only $473.93 was received in 1841,-but little more than half as much as was received the year previous, and the schools suffered accordingly. The amount was apportioned as follows :
Dist.
Scholars. Amount.
Dist.
Scholars. Amount.
I.
220
$49.82
5.
198
$44.83
2.
331
74.95
6.
217
49.13
3.
209
47.33
7.
455
103.03
4.
406
91.93
8.
57
12.91
Total
2,093
$473.93
On March 20, 1841, John Farmer, Samuel Bar- stow, and Charles W. Williams were elected school inspectors. Mr. Farmer, for the fourth time, was chosen chairman.
Teachers' certificates were granted to William Merrill and William Huntington. This year, by law of April 6, provision was made authorizing the electors of a township to raise a school tax of one dollar for each child between five and seventeen years of age. Schools were kept in all the districts,
except numbers 1 and 6, from three to nine months. The entire number of scholars and the average at- tendance was as follows :
Dist. Children. Scholars.
Dist.
Children. Scholars.
I.
5.
237
30
2.
320
197
6.
3.
196
54
7.
417
I31
4.
40I
205
8.
88
70
The school in District No. 7 was taught by Wil- liam Huntington, who began teaching about No- vember I, on a salary of $100 a quarter. This dis- trict was the only one that owned a school-house; the money raised in 1839 to build four houses had not been used, and most of it was in possession of the district officers as late as April, 1842. Mr. Hun- tington taught about two months, his school num- bering one hundred and fifty-five scholars ; the largest number present at any one time was eighty. Most of them were small children, twenty being in the alphabet class. With the termination of Mr. Huntington's services, district schools ceased in De- troit.
During these years the establishment of a more thorough system of education was felt as an increas- ing necessity, and on September 14, 1841, the Com- mon Council, on motion of Alderman Fiske, ap- pointed a committee, consisting of Z. Pitcher, mayor, and Aldermen Fiske and Moran, to take the school system under consideration and report upon the possibility of devising a more perfect system. This committee reported to the council on November 18 that there were 1,850 children who ought to be in school at least half the year ; that there were in the city twenty-seven schools of all kinds, with 714 pupils, who were educated at a cost of $12,600 per annum, an average of $18 each. The committee recommended that the Common Council petition the Legislature for power to raise money for the support of the schools by direct taxation, and to provide for a Board of Education. The report was ordered printed, and on November 23, 1841, was taken up and re-committed, the city attorney being added to the committee.
At a meeting of the council on January 4, 1842, the committee reported, and the mayor was then, on motion of Alderman Chittenden, requested to call a meeting of citizens to consider the propriety of peti- tioning for authority to establish free schools. The meeting was held on January 12, 1842, and on motion of S. Barstow, it was resolved to seek authority to raise a tax, not exceeding one fourth of one per cent on the assessed valuation of property, for the support of free schools; also for power to elect two persons from each ward as a school com- mittee, or Board of Education, with power to
740
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
appoint teachers and provide for the management of schools.
The resolutions were discussed by J. R. Williams, Z. Pitcher, E. P. Hastings, John Farmer, and A. T. McReynolds, and then adopted. On January 18, 1842, the council appointed a committee of three, consisting of Aldermen Bagg, Gooding, and Cicotte, to present the subject to the Legislature.
The proposed taxation and the new methods recommended did not meet the approval of all the citizens, and in order to remove their objections and to influence the Legislature, a public meeting was held at the City Hall on February 7, 1842. The following notice was posted about the city previous to the meeting :
FREE EDUCATION.
Intelligence for the poor equally with the rich. The friends of free education and all others are invited to meet at the City Hall. Let every man who is in favor of free education turn out ! Intel- ligence and Liberty must go hand in hand. MANY CITIZENS.
This meeting was productive of good, and many doubtful ones were persuaded to favor the proposed schools.
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, ITS SCHOOLS AND ITS MANAGEMENT.
This board was provided for by Act of February 18, 1842. Twelve inspectors were to be elected, two from each ward, and were to have control of the public schools of the city. They were duly elected, and the board organized, and the following advertisement soon appeared :
Notice is hereby given that Free Schools, under the Board of Education, will be opened on Monday, May 16, 1842, in the First and Sixth Wards. Miss Sarah M. Standish in charge of Sixth Ward School, Miss Diantha Howland of First Ward. The schools will be free to all children within the respective wards. Applications for admission may be made to the undersigned.
JUSTUS INGERSOLL, WILLIAM PATTERSON, W. E. STEARNS.
The following additional notice appeared soon afterwards :
Notice is hereby given that Primary Schools under the Board of Education of the City of Detroit will be opened Monday, May 23, 1842, in the Second, Third, and Fourth Wards. A school in the Fifth Ward will be opened as soon as a suitable room can be obtained.
JOHN S. ABBOTT, Sec'y.
The members of the board were energetic, and on November I middle schools were opened with five hundred scholars, and provided with male teachers, who were paid $30 per month; the lady teachers for primaries were paid $18 per month.
The results of the first year's efforts are indicated in the following extract from an editorial in The Detroit Gazette :
BOARD OF EDUCATION AND DETROIT SCHOOLS.
This board was established by a law of the last session of the Legislature, and, as usual with most features of Legislation for the public good, met with opposition. The excellent choice made by our citizens, however, of Inspectors, and the bold and decisive measures adopted by them, on their first organization, had the effect to make the opposition to the proposed system falter and hesitate in their movements. The Primary schools were open for six monthsin the six several wards for the younger class of scholars, and the immediate consequence was the clearing of our avenues, streets and lanes of ragged, filthy children, engaged in every species of mischief, and growing up the pupils of depravity and crime. The second view presented the same children cleanly clad, inmates of school rooms, and the third exhibited them in connection with children of what is termed the better classes of society, contending for superiority, and finally the schools for the summer closed with universal satisfaction. The middle or winter schools are now in successful operation.
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