USA > Missouri > Jackson County > The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county > Part 32
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During the year 1869-70 the number of districts had increased to eighty- six-the number of teachers the same as the preceding year. Total enumeration, as far as reported, 12,400; total enrollment 7,461. The above enumeration and enrollment embraced the cities. Average salaries of teachers : males, $46.80 ;
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
females, $41.58. Total valuation of school property, including cities, $150,000.
In the letter of County Superintendent to State Superintendent, the follow- ing facts and suggestions were stated: "The cause of common schools has steadily increased in interest and in favor with the people. The handsome, com- modious school-houses-most of which are fitted up with patent desks and good blackboards, and some with globes, maps, charts, blocks, etc. - all are evidence of great interest on the part of the people. Another, and perhaps a better evidence, is the demand for a higher grade of teachers.
"In as large and populous a county as Jackson, and where the school officers -township and local-are so little acquainted with the law and the duties of their offices, and where the law itself is so vague and unsatisfactory, there is a great deal of work of which the County Superintendent can make no note or record, which, however, requires many little 'scraps' of time, and which, in the aggre- gate, make quite an item.
"In a few weeks I shall leave the office. Permit me, respectfully, to suggest to you, as State Superintendent, and through you to the Legislature, that the office of County Superintendent, at least in Jackson county, should be a salaried office, the salary at least fifteen hundred dollars.
"The enlightened judgment and skill of the city superintendents and boards in the organization and management of the public schools under their direction, have done much toward rendering the cause popular. The qualifications of teachers is about what it has been, not up to the demand, nor what it onght to be.
"The great obstacles to the success of the public school system are prejudice and a want of interest on the part of many good citizens, but especially of the school officers. I am happy to say, however, that these are slowly but surely passing away. D. I. CALDWELL,
County Superintendent, Jackson County, Mo." To HON. T. A. PARKER, State Superintendent.
At the general election in 1870 Prof. Caldwell having declined a re-nomina- tion, Mr. John E. Hale was elected County Superintendent, and administered the office for two years. From his first annual report for 1870-71 we gain the following facts : Number of districts 93, besides Kansas City, Independence, Westport, Lee's Summit and Lone Jack, organized under the special act. There were employed during the year, winter and summer terms, 156 teachers; total enumeration 14,310; total enrollment 10,062; average salary of teachers per month, males $61.00; females $41.00; estimated value of school property $223,357.
The report, embracing the work of 1871-72, shows as follows : enumeration, whites 13, 627 ; colored 776; total 14, 703 ; enrollment 9,656; number of teachers 137.
In the fall of 1872 Prof. Caldwell, at the general election, was again called up to take charge of the office of County Superintendent.
The annual report for 1872-73 shows the following facts : The enumeration and enrollment, as reported, were very imperfect, the former amounting to 14, 343 -the latter 9,861 ; number of districts roo; number of teachers 151; average salary per month, males $47.68; females $39.04; total valuation of school prop- erty $208,538.
The report for 1873-74 embraces the following statistics : enumeration 15, 381 ; teachers 158; average salary per month, males $61.55; females $40.96; total valuation of school property $253,378.
In the annual letter to the State Superintendent for this year, we find the fol- lowing :
"I am gratified to be able to report a healthy progress in the following re-
16
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
spects : an increased demand for teachers of a higher grade ; an increased interest on the part of the people and the manner in which the township and sub-district officers discharge their several duties; but especially in the improved methods of teaching, giving more life and cheerfulness to the school-room. I might also mention, as another encouraging feature indicative of progress, the fact that, whilst there has ever lurked in the bosom of a number of the people of the county an antipathy to the whole policy of public schools, there is a giving away of op- position, and many former opposers are now earnest advocates of the system.
Having been for many years, a sincere and earnest advocate for the educa- tion of the masses, I am more than gratified to find the system so nearly a com- plete success. This county is now dotted all over, as previously remarked, with commodious, comfortable school houses. There is not a neighborhood, where the children do not enjoy the privilege of a primary education, from four to ten months in the year. Much of this, I am sure, is the result of the efficient work of the county superintendency.
In comparing the grade of teachers four years since, with those of the pres- ent year, I am pleased to find a difference of from twelve to fifteen per cent in favor of the latter.
The city schools, organized under the special act, are an honor to the county, and some of them, in their appointments, second to none in the State. I trust, that I may, without any seeming favoritism, allude especially to the schools of Kansas City, under the intelligent and scholarly superintendence of Prof. John R. Phillips, whose energy, aided by an intelligent board, has brought the schools of this young but growing city, to a degree of efficiency, little inferior, if not equal, to any in the west. The corps of teachers, from the Primary to the High School, is of the best material that good wages can command. Their school buildings and furniture are at once a wonder to strangers and an ornament to the city, as well as an honor to the wisdom, energy and perseverance of the board.
I might also speak in complimentary terms of the schools in Independence, Westport, Lee's Summit and Lone Jack.
It may here be remarked, that, from 1866 to 1874, the public schools were under the supervision of a county superintendent, whose business, in addition to the common duties of examining teachers, and gathering statistics for the annual report, was to visit and examine the schools, deliver lectures on education, etc. In 1874, the office of county commissioner was restored, the duties of which were the same as above, with the exception of visiting and examining schools. This was a great mistake on the part of the Legislature, and its results were soon marked in the efficiency and consequent decline in the grades of schools.
The report of the county commissioner for 1874-5, shows the enumeration to be 16,353. Number of teachers, 162. Statistics of this year are unavailable. For 1876-7, the statistics are more complete. Enumeration was so changed as to include only those between six and twenty, instead of those between five and twenty-one. The enumeration consequently, instead of being proportionately increased, was only 16,839. Enrollment, 9,399. Number of teachers employed during the year, 194. Average cost per day, .06.99% cents. Receipts public funds, $23, 543. 91. District tax. $116, 512.55. Total, $140,056.46. Total ex- penditures, including teacher's wages, incidentals, fuel, etc, $86,590.26. Past indebtedness, $58, 760.64.
The report for 1877-8, shows a total enumeration of 18,878. Total enroll- ment, 9, 361. Total number of teachers employed during the year, 205. Amounts received, public funds, $23,696. District tax, $130,307,97. Average salary of teachers per month, males, $45.44. Females, $42.70. Expenditures : Teachers' wages, $63, 106.85. Fuel, repairs and incidentals, $10,576.03 .. Building, $960.00. Defraying past indebtedness, $43,853.57.
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
Commissioner's report for 1878-9 shows the following statistics : Enumera- tion, 19,480. Enrollment, 11,885. Average cost per day, .07 cents. Teachers employed, 223. Average salary per month, males, $66.88. Females, $37.58. Receipts, including cash on hand and money from all sources, $139,958.76. Total expenditures, $149, 177.86.
The annual report for 1879-80 developes a large increase in the number of children of school age, in the county. Total enumeration, 23, 726. Enrollment, 12,486. Number of teachers, males, 84. Females, 154. Total, 238. Average salary per month, males, $43.79. Females, $38.58. Average cost per day, .07 cents. Value of school property, $250,840.75. Total receipts, including cash on hand, $173,858.45. Total expenditures, including past indebtedness, $123,037.32.
The above includes all the work under the public school system, as far as recorded, to the last report made.
It will be readily observed, that the educational facilities have kept pace with the wonderful increase in population. The increase in the population of the county for the last ten years, will be found to be about 49.5 per cent, while the increase in the number of teachers employed will amount to a small fraction less than 69.0 per cent.
The people of Jackson county have ever been awake to the importance of education; and while some parties, sectional or denominational, may claim to be paragons in this the paramount interest in all sects and in all parties, it will be found that Jackson county, in her educational history, gives a flat denial to any such assumption. The people as a people, without any reference to sects or par- ties, have ever been ready to second every effort looking to the better education of the masses.
The schools organized under the special act for cities, towns and villages de- serves a special notice ; notable, those of Kansas City and Independence.
In 1866, the people of Independence-the city at that time including what is known as Gilpin town, together with the territory north to the river-held a meeting and resolved to organize the city into a school district under the special law. September 4th an election was held, and the following gentlemen elected as a board of directors : Wm. Chrisman, Jacob Leader, Wm. McCoy, Jacob May, Peter Winters and U. P. Bennett. These gentlemen were soon qualified, and resolved to open a school for the primary branches, fixing the salaries of teachers as follows : superintendent, per month, $100 ; Ist principal, $75 ; assistants, $50. Very liberal salaries, certainly. It was resolved to have one school for whites to be taught in the Anderson building, on Rock street, near the M. E. Church ; and one for colored children in the German church in the southeast part of the city. The teachers em- ployed were Rev. Jasper A. Smith, superintendent, Paul Glove, Istassistant, Miss Sue Leader, in city proper and Miss Lucy J. Bennett in Gilpin town. Mr. Wm. Byrne was principal of the colored school.
The first enumeration amounted to 1152. The president of the board and superintendent were authorized to increase the number of teachers as necessity required ; also to appoint the teachers so added.
In 1867, Mr. Geo. F. Thomson was employed at a salary of $75 for a month to teach in the basement of the Presbyterian church on Lexington street.
In March of this year the board purchased of the Rev. W. H. Lewis, the Female Seminary building and grounds, at a cost of $11,000 to be paid in three annual installments. Thus having incurred heavy indebtedness, in addition to that of teachers salaries, incident to the want of a levy the previous year, the board now ordered a levy of $5,000 to pay the current expenses of this and the next year, together with a further sum of $5,000 to pay their indebtedness.
This is a clear indication of the liberality of the board, and the determina- tion to establish a first-class school.
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
In May, 1867, the school-whites-took possession of the seminary building, where the school has ever since been conducted, except for a few years, the board allowed the Catholics to fit up two rooms in the old Catholic church, at their own expense, for the Catholic children. While the teachers were members of the Catholic church, they were chosen by the board and as much under the super- vision and control of the superintendent and board as any room in the main building In 1874, however, the arrangments being unsatisfactory to some mem- bers of the board as well as to a large number of the citzens, they were abolished and the schools transferred to the main building.
In July, the salaries of the teachers were readjusted, and the superintendent allowed $1200 per annum; Ist assistant $800; and all others $400, except the teacher at Gilpin town who was allowed $500.
For the session of 1867-8, Rev. J. A. Smith was continued as superinten- dent, Prof. A. Carroll, Ist assistant, with Misses Lucy J. Bennett, Sue Leader, Clara B. Allen, Mary Wardell, and Mrs. R. F. Thomas, completing the corps of teachers for the whites; and Harriet L. Alivard and Mrs. Ellen J. Wilson had charge of the colored school, while Mr. James Rice and Miss Mary Ward conducted the Catholic school, and Mr. Wm. Kennedy had charge of the school in Gilpin town. In October 1867, Misses Isa Dodd and M. E. Hampton were added to the corps of teachers. Miss Isa Dodd has continued to occupy, with credit, the same room in the school from that date to the present, and is now the only teacher who has continuously occupied a position all the time from her first appointment. She now fills the place of Ist assistant.
Mrs. Thomas occupied her position from the date of her appointment until the close of the term of 1879-80.
During the fall of 1867, Prof. Smith was requested, by the board, to deliver a course of lectures on natural philosophy and chemistry, and Prof. Carroll was requested to give a series of vocal concerts by the scholars. It was also proposed by the board that a class be formed for instruction in the theory and practice of teaching. It was further resolved by the board that the Congressional Teachers Institute be requested to hold their next session at Independence. These meas- ures all manifest a wide-awake and intelligent interest in the cause of education, and in the elevation of the standard of moral and intellectual culture.
In 1868, Prof. Carroll was promoted to the superintendency of the city schools. Prof. Carroll was eminently qualified for the work. Through many difficulties surrounding his boyhood and youth, he succeeded in cultivating a naturally good intellect ; but especially is he adapted to work of supervision of schools, through his systematic and discriminating methods of thought. Quick in discernment, as well as firm and decided in his judgment, and kind in the ad- ministration of discipline, he was an eminent success as superintendent. He continued to conduct and control the school until 1873.
In the summer of 1873, Prof. A. E. Higgason succeeded Prof. Carroll, as superintendent. Prof. Higgason is a Virginian by birth, and a graduate in 1860, of Bethany College, in that State. He came to Independence in 1871, and was associated with Prof. G. S. Bryant, in the Independence High Schools. In 1872-3 he had charge of Woodland College, and the next fall took charge of the Independence public schools, which position he still retains.
Prof. Higgason has developed fine executive ability, as well as aptness. De- voted to the cause of education, and thoroughly imbued with a spirit of progress, with discrimination of judgment, and skill in organization and drill, he has proved himself worthy of the trust committed to him.
The public schools of Independence having been mostly under an intelligent working board, superintended by intelligent, working superintendents and teach- ers, have taken rank among the best schools of the West. Ample provision has been made for competent instruction for all children, both white and colored;
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thus adding to the testimony above given, to the devotion of the people of Jack- son county, of all parties, to the education of the masses. Let the people of other States, who have been duped and frightened by lying magazines and other publications, come and examine for themselves, and it will be found that the grade of teachers, the appearance, comfort and convenience of the school houses and fixtures, as well as devotion to the efficiency and success of the schools, on the part of the people, no part of the Union will take precedence to Jackson county, Missouri. The work done in Kansas City and Independence will com- pare favorably with that of Boston or any other city in the Union. Many of the country districts are doing a work which, if more extensively known, would com- mand commendation from intelligent educators.
The following report was made to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, November 1, 1866, by County Superintendent, W. J. Shaw :
DEAR SIR :- Were the school interests of Jackson county in as flourishing a condition as her wealth and natural resources should indicate, I would take more pleasure in penning, and you would be more highly gratified in perusing this letter. It is anything, sir, but a pleasant duty to make a just statement of educational matters as they stood at the time of the adoption of the late law ; but the approaching future under the new order of things begins to mantle brightly over the gloom.
SCHOOL HOUSES.
The school buildings of our county are, as a general thing, very inferior structures, chiefly log, and permitted, during the war, to get much out of repair. Occasionally, however, is found a more substantial brick or frame building, and there are some five notable exceptions in the way of seminaries or colleges. I have considered it strange that our agricultural community are, on the whole, better than our towns and cities supplied with school structures, For example : Independence, with its 1,052 children to educate, has but one public school house, located in one of its additions, and Kansas City has none of which I am aware. Independence and Kansas City, however, had their seminaries for the education of such in the community as could afford to pay. Such facts induce the conclusion that it has been held wise in Missouri conservative policy not to educate the poor ; and the old imperfect system, while it gave a mite of state patronage behind which the moneyed aristocracy could hide their worst designs, proved a fitting instrument to accomplish the object. In September our citizens of Independence adopted the special act, and elected as a board of instruction progressive men, who, entering spiritedly upon their task, have accomplished everything that could be immediately hoped for. Houses have been rented, qualified teachers employed, and to-day, six school rooms are filled to overflow- ing and the number of scholars daily increasing. About twenty-eight sub- districts in the county have organized under the law. Besides these, a number of private or select schools have been put in operation, as well in the city as in the county, generally under the auspices of men who with difficulty can scratch their own names, yet affirm " they will school their own children before they will send to a man who will take the oath of loyalty." Such opposition, however, must shortly cease. The wedge has been entered in Jackson county, and will accom- plish its work.
So far as I can learn, there is no school furniture in Jackson county worthy the name; nor apparatus of any kind. These things, I am assured by many of the boards, will be obtained when the opportunity for raising money by taxes comes round. Our boards have shown a disposition generally to pay teachers liberal salaries ; but I have found it difficult to supply the demand for good teach- ers. With one or two exceptions, those certificates by me have held the third
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
and fourth grades. I have adopted for teachers a periodical written examination ; for schools none, as they have been in operation but a few weeks.
Our county institute has been convened but once, and was then adjourned until the completion of school organizations in the county. There are now ma- terials out of which to organize an effective association.
The reports of schools officers have been necessarily incomplete; for that, in this county at least, there have been very few public schools in operation since the inception of the war.
In the matter of the education of the colored people, there are prejudices to overcome, and such influences have been brought to bear upon it as made it diffi- cult, for some time, to obtain a person with sufficient nerve to undertake the duty of instruction in this city. It has, however, been accomplished, and a fine school is in operation. I know of no place in the county where they are of suffi- cient numbers to make school privileges practicable.
The school interests of Kansas City never have, and probably will not thrive under their special act. Such of the citizens to whom I have spoken on the sub- ject seem to realize the fact, and would doubtless, on its repeal, support the adoption of the general act for towns and cities. The success of the school sys- tem in our county. as throughout the State, doubtless depends in a great measure upon the election. Should the progressive party fail, from the disposition mani- fested by our local conservative leaders, it will be uprooted or rendered ineffec- tive in its administration. That such may not be its fate, is the wish of
Yours, respectfully, WM. J. SHAW, County Superintendent.
The Jackson County Teachers Institute was organized in 1868. It held its second session at Lee's Summit, October 25th to 29th, at which the following instructions were presented :
Resolved, That we tender our hearty thanks to the citizens of Lee's Summit and vicinity for the manifestation of their support of the public schools of Jack. son county, and their very hospitable entertainment of the teachers in attend- ance.
Resolved, That we tender our sincere thanks to the Baptist Church, who have so kindly tendered to the institute the use of their house of worship.
Resolved, That Superintendent Hale, of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, re- ceive the thanks of this institute for return tickets.
Resolved, That we, the teachers of common schools of Jackson county, re- gard the attendance at the institutes as imperative and obligatory.
Resolved, That the Executive Committee be requested to assign conductors before the close of this session, for the different class exercises, and essayists for the next session of the institute.
Resolved, That we recognize in the public school system of the State, an ed- ucational system well calculated to meet the wants of the greater number, and, therefore, worthy of our earnest support.
Resolved, That as an organization dependent upon and growing out of our public school system, we will stand by our public school officers in their efforts to secure to the public a more general, thorough and efficient organization through- out the county.
CORNELL CRYSLER, C. W. LITSINGER, J. S. DAVIS,
Committee.
The resolutions were adopted unanimously, with the exception of the sixth, on which a discussion arose, opened by Mr. Carroll, who took strong grounds in
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favor of public schools, bringing forward a vast array of facts and figures in sup- port of the resolution.
It having been previously announced that any person in the audience might take part in the discussion, Mr. Yantis, of Lee's Summit, in reply to Mr. Carrol, denied that " the State should educate the children of the State." He did not believe that common school education was cheaper -- did not think the burden was equalized. With regard to religion and politics, he thought politics was in the system, from the Superintendent downward. He complimented the teachers present, but " was down on the whole system."
President Caldwell agreed in part with Mr. Carroll, but spoke against the resolution. The system in our community was forced upon us, and does not meet the wants of the people. The school law was imperfect, and the County Superintendent has only advisory powers in case of dispute There was too little religion in the schools : for he had not yet found the Bible used as a text- book. But we have the new system and should make the best of it.
Rev. Mr. Bright next spoke. Considered the system wholly unrepublican, and, further, as a Missourian, he was not in favor of it. He thought the public schools ignored religion and that therefore, as in Germany, they will foster infi- delity. The only safe method was to place the schools in the hands of those who had the moral interest of the community in their care. He was opposed to the whole system.
Mr. Crysler was astonished that a minister of the Gospel and County Super- intendent should oppose the system and not suggest a remedy. After some stirring remarks on the prejudices against the system, he proposed a plan for remedying the defects.
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