USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > The history of Buchanan County, Missouri > Part 37
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This resolution was unanimously adopted.
Mr. Beane submitted and enforced a resolution in reference to parents. which prevailed.
Resolved, That in the opinion of the committee, the efficiency of the teacher will be materially enhanced by the co-operation of the parent in upholding his authority and entire supremacy in all matters of school discipline and government, and inculcating into the minds of their children a high respect for his person and qualifications.
Resolved, also, That it is deemed of great advantage to teachers and scholars that parents frequently visit and observe the order and regula- tion of the school, and, in case of their noticing any ground of complaint in the teacher, that they speak to him in private and make a representa- tion thereof to the trustees, and by no means to indulge in the presence of children in depreciatory remarks, which are calculated to lessen the respect of the children and efficiency of the teacher.
Resolved, That it is very essential that each scholar be furnished with such books as he may need, instead of the frequent practice of studying in couples.
Mr. Burbaker offered the following preamble and resolution, which were adopted by the convention :
The teacher's employment, to be profitable and useful to all parties. should be made as honorable and as separate as the physician's, divine's or lawyer's, and labor exclusively in his profession, as the physician does in his. We would not employ a man who may have had a good education, but had given his whole attention to the selling of goods, to be our physician, when disease takes hold of us, or to plead our rights before judge or jury who had not made the law his study for years ; therefore.
357
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
Resolved, That teaching our district schools should be made a pro- fession.
Mr. Stratton submitted the subject of county conventions for teach- ers, as follows :
Introductory remarks and resolution.
How shall teachers become better prepared for their profession ? How can they be continually improving their minds and their systems of instruction? And how shall every teacher receive the light which the more experienced are constantly throwing upon the subject of instruction? We know of no means so common to all, and so favorable, as county conventions of teachers. Heretofore there has been but little communication between teachers. The improvements which one has made have not been made known to others ; the incompetency of teach- ers, and the bad efforts of teacher have not been made to elevate and honor their profession. Other classes of men have had their conventions -- men of science, ministers and statesmen, to ensure enlightened and united oper- ations, appoint their conventions to redress wrongs, to correct errors, and make known the improvements and able suggestions that may be discovered or proposed by any of one of the party.
The wisdom and experience of these conventions not only enlighten the people and sit in judgment upon their errors, but produce through- out the whole country similarity of feeling and harmony of efforts for the peace of the church, the advancement of science and the prosperity of the country.
Such conventions are absolutely necessary, but are not conventions of teachers equally necessary for the prosperity of our schools? Does not the difficulty and responsible profession of teaching require all the light and knowledge that can be obtained on the subject ? Does not the incompetency of teachers invite all the aid that can be obtained on this subject ? Does not the incompetency of teachers invite all the aid that can be furnished from those who are better qualified by experience and from other literary men ?
"Certainly !" every one will say, "such assistance is highly import- ant ; it would afford that necessary aid which teachers now have no means of obtaining."
Yet so great is the apathy of the people that we seldom hear of a teachers' convention. The introduction of a teachers' convention, it seems, has but just found its way into Missouri. Hence but a small number of our teachers have been profited by them. But how shall teachers improve themselves, if not by such conventions ?
Works on education have a very limited circulation. Not one teacher out of a hundred reads anything on the subject ; nor will they read before the living voice exercises their attention. There are but few seminaries for educating teachers, and rarely a lecture delivered on
358
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
school-keeping. Teachers are seldom qualified when they enter into the profession, and they have neither the assistance of teachers in the vicin- ity nor intelligence from abroad, either from books or the speaking lec- ture. This should not be so. There are many means which teachers may use to prepare themselves for their profession and for improving themselves while engaged in their duties; and we know of none so advantageous to teachers, and that is attended with so little expense and within reach of all, as frequent county conventions. If these are gener- ally announced and faithfully attended, they will not only be highly interesting to teachers, but of the greatest benefit to our schools. They should be attended not only by teachers, but all the friends of education ; each individual should go prepared to contribute to their interest and usefulness and with a hearty desire to promote the general cause of edu- cation. Each county association should have a correspondence with similar associations in adjacent counties, and so throughout the United States. By this communication all the improvements or changes which have been made may be made known. It should be the object of these conventions and communications with other associations to discover the origin of the defects in the present system of instruction, to ascertain the actual condition of schools through the United States, who are in school, and the number who do not use the means of education. To ascertain the true interest which parents are taking in educating their children, to convince the people of the necessity of general intelligence in a free government, and to make known the duties which every one owes to the free institutions of his country. The mutual improvement of teachers is one of the first objects of these conventions. To render this mutual instruction each teacher before the convention should describe his system of instruction and his form of government. From this inter- change of views on the best methods of teaching and governing many valuable suggestions will be elicited and many evils and defects dis- closed. Individuals should be appointed to deliver lectures before these conventions, the object of the lectures being either to illustrate or simplify the branches which are taught in our schools, or to make known the best methods of instructing. These, with many other advantages, too numer- ous to mention, are the happy results of county teachers' conventions.
WHEREAS, At the present time men of other professions are associ- ating themselves together for mutual aid and advantage ; therefore,
Resolved, That it is incumbent upon teachers, for their own protec- tion and advancement in the scale of public opinion, and for the benefit of those under their charge, to associate themselves together, to hold converse with each other as often as practicable, and, in every honorable way within their power, to promote good fellowship and brotherly kind- ness among themselves, thereby presenting opportunities for interchange of sentiments, which must produce the most beneficial results.
359
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
Resolved, That we know of no better way of carrying out the spirit of the above preamble and resolution than by teachers frequently asso- ciating themselves together, as we do; therefore earnestly recommend that associations be formed in every organized township in our county by their teachers.
Resolved by the convention, That the president appoint a suitable person from each township in this county as a committee, whose duty it shall be to ascertain the number of township and district schools organ- ized, the number and reasons for, of those not organized, with such other facts as will show the state of the schools in our county, and report to the next county convention.
Resolved, That a county convention be held at the Crawford town- ship school house, on the second Saturday in next April.
On motion, Messrs. Stratton, Burbaker and Dr. McDonald were appointed a committee to conduct the interests of the next convention.
On motion the convention adjourned.
H. F. HOOVER, Secretary.
The committee, in behalf of the present convention, feel that they will not discharge their duty without earnestly recommending the repeal of Section 13, Article IV, School Laws of Mo.
Through correspondence with the superintendent of common schools it is ascertained the 13th section of the 4th article bears a general inter- pretation, and of consequence has a restraining, crippling and mischiev- ous force on other provisions of the laws, so as to render them powerless.
The committee solicit that every one examine the law, and pray the Legislature for the repeal of said section immediately. Copies of the petition will be found in the hands of the committee.
H. M. VORIES, Dr. DAVIS, WM. STRATTON, GEO. BURBAKER, Committee.
OTHER CITY PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
While the cause of public instruction was thus engaging the atten- tion and arousing vigorous efforts on the part of many representative citizens of the new county, the spirit of individual enterprise in the pro- fession of teaching did not remain confined to the lady to whose suc- cessful efforts we have already referred.
Prompted by an abiding faith in the then prospective future of St. Joseph, the Rev. T. S. Reeve, a minister of the New School Presbyterian Church, opened in the town, in the fall of 1850, a female seminary. This school occupied the basement of the New School Presbyterian Church, the first ecclesiastical structure of brick erected in the city, and the sec- ond of any kind built within its limits. This building stands on an elevation on the northeast corner of Fourth and Francis Streets.
Professor Reeve subsequently added, for the purpose of accommo- dating his early increasing business, two rooms of considerable size, each
360
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
attached to the rear of the church building. His school was emphati- cally a female seminary; recognized as such, it was liberally patronized. and from the start enjoyed a career of uninterrupted prosperity. The institution was chartered by the State Legislature with authority to con- fer the usual degrees recognized in our American female colleges.
At the end of about four years Mr. Reeve determined to withdraw from the profession of teaching. He had no successor in the institution which he had established and for which he had received a charter. The furniture of the school he sold to a recent arrival, E. B. Neely, a teacher who, subsequently, as principal of a private, classical and scientific school in St. Joseph, and afterwards as superintendent of city and county schools of St. Joseph and Buchanan County, achieved an enviable dis- tinction.
The Gazette of August 30th, 1854, contains the announcement that the St. Joseph Female High School would open on the first Monday in September, in a building on the corner of Fifth and Faraon Streets. The teachers of this school, which continued to prosper for a consider- ble period after its commencement, were Miss M. A. Lesuer, principal ; Miss M. A. Lesuer, first assistant, and Miss H. M. Lesuer, second assistant.
The building still (1881) stands, and is occupied as a residence. It was not, however, directly on the corner, another house having since been built above it, rendering the building the second southward from the corner of Faraon.
In January, 1851, Professor Charles C. Byrne, formerly of Nashville. Tennessee, and now (1881) a resident of Albany, Missouri, arrived in St. Joseph, whither he had come with the expectation of assisting in his school the Rev. Mr. Reeve. In consequence of delay in travel, he failed to reach St. Joseph in time, and, on his arrival, found that Mr. and Mrs. Mills, of Ohio, had been employed in the institution. In the following spring Mr. and Mrs. Mills left for California. Among the other teachers in St. Joseph, about this period, were Mr. Stuppy and Mr. O'Toole, the father-in-law of Hon. I. C. Parker, who once represented a Missouri district in Congress, and is now (1881) United States District Judge in Arkansas. Both the above mentioned gentlemen were teaching when Mr. Byrne commenced his school. They continued about a year after. About three years after the commencement of the latter's school, a gentleman from New York by the name of Hart arrived in St. Joseph, and fitted up for the purpose of a school the "Old Log Church," the first place of wor- ship built in the town and erected by Parson Reeve in the early settlement of St. Joseph. This church building was rented him by Israel Landis. Mr. Byrne speaks in the highest terms of approval of this gentleman. both personally and professionally, and at the close of the period of his brief stay, expressed regret at his departure, which was doubless due to his want of success amid the competition that then existed.
361
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
Mrs. Burr and niece also conducted a prosperous school in the city about this period. The latter, in January, 1852, was married to Wm. R. Penick.
Mrs. Burr, with other assistants, continued. her school for several years after this event.
Among the earliest applications of public funds to the maintenance of schools in the county, from the best information at our command, was that made to one taught in St. Joseph, by Capt. C. C. Byrne, above referred to. The limited amount thus afforded only defrayed a portion of the expense of a three months' school.
Numerous other institutions for the instruction of youth were subse- quently started by individual enterprise. A majority of these were mere experiments and proved short-lived.
In the fall of 1854, E. B. Neely, of Virginia, accompanied by R. F. Maxwell, arrived in St. Joseph, and started, in the basement and addi- tions of the Presbyterian church above referred to, as formerly occupied by Parson Reeve's female college, a private school. Mr. Neely, after estab- lishing the school, left Mr. Maxwell in charge of the same and went back to Virginia. In the meantime a portion of the small public fund above referred to was allotted to this institution, and, as a natural consequence, swelled immensely the roll of attendance. The furniture of this school was the former property of Mr. Reeve, and was purchased from him by Mr. Neely, who returned to take charge of the school in the spring of 1855. Mr. Maxwell soon retired from the profession and the business of the school continued to be conducted by Mr. Neely, with distinguished ability and a corresponding success, till his retirement, at the close of the civil war. from the active duties of his profession for the purpose of assuming the scarcely less onerous task of superintending the public schools of St. Joseph.
To his efforts, more than to the exertions of any other one man, the present (1881) splendid condition of the public schools of St. Joseph is universally conceded to be due. In the long period during which he also filled, together with the superintendence of the above, the position of county superintendent of common schools, his marked ability was as fully recognized by all interested in the efficiency of the standard of public instruction. No fuller recognition of his sterling ability need be men- tioned than the fact of his continuous re-election to the office, under all the various and opposing changes and modifications of party in power." In the election of a city school superintendent the people of St. Joseph seem ever to have manifested the good sense to ignore political attributes.
To go back a little in our history : In the fall of 1855, Professors E. C. Davis and Rogers opened a female academy in what is now the Saun- ders House. In 1858 Davis retired, leaving the institution in charge of Professor Rogers, who conducted the school till the close of the follow-
362
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
ing academic year, when he withdrew to take charge of the Christian Female College in Columbia, Mo.
Rev. A. V. C. Schenk then took charge of the institution, the style of which he changed, naming it the St. Joseph Female College. After con- ducting the school for a brief period, he sold out to William Cameron, at one time Professor of Languages in the Masonic College, at Lexing- ton, Mo.
When he withdrew, the building ceased to be used for school pur- poses, and became what is to-day (1881) a hotel, styled the Saunders House.
About 1858, A. W. Slayback, a former asssistant of Mr. Neely, taught a private school in what was the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a frame building which stood at the corner of Sixth and Edmond Streets.
The building was afterwards sold to the Jews, who converted it into a synagogue.
This was accidentally destroyed by fire during the civil war. In the following year J. P. Caldwell opened a school in the same building. Miss India Cowden, now Mrs. E. W. Ray, assisted Professor Caldwell in this institution. She afterwards conducted an important school of her own, and was subsequently, for several years, principal of the Everett (public) School, in the city.
Among the prominent teachers of other schools immediately before, and during the civil war, in St. Joseph, was Miss Sarah Bell (afterwards Mrs. Tiernan), a lady of rare literary and scientific attainments, and of marked success as an instructress of youth. Hers was a female school exclusively.
St. Joseph Classical Institute was an institution which existed in St. Joseph during the two and a-half years next preceding the close of the civil war. It was presided over by C. S. Raffington, teacher of ancient and modern languages, assisted by W. A. F. N. Bowen, teacher of mathe- matics and natural science. The school was a splendid success, including in the period of its existence, a membership of largely over two hundred students. It was taught in the Franklin school building, and only sus- pended at the close of the war, in consequence of the reorganization of the public schools of St. Joseph, when the house was required for the purpose of accommodating one of these institutions. For want of suit- able buildings in the city, the institute lost its existence. In the follow- "ing September, the principal accepted the chair of languages in what is now the Daughters' College of Platte City.
St. Joseph Classical Institute will long be remembered by many as the early Alma Mater of William B. Smith, whose wonderful powers of application and of apprehension achieved for him a reputation which, perhaps no other youth in the state ever acquired in a corresponding period of time. By the time that this boy, then a mere child, had com-
363
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
pleted his third year in this, the first school he attended, he had read eight or nine Latin authors, not superficially, but with critical accuracy. At the age of fourteen he was a better classical scholar than a majority of the graduates of our Western colleges, and had made respectable ad- vancement in mathematics and the natural sciences. In June, 1867, he entered the University of Kentucky, where his carcer was one of con- tinued success and of unrivaled brilliancy. In three years he was grad- uated with the highest honors ever awarded any graduate. In June, 1871, he was advanced to the degree of Master of Arts for proficiency in the French, German and Italian languages. He shortly afterwards filled the position of Professor of Natural Sciences in the University in which he was graduated. He subsequently visited continental Europe, and achieved distinction in some of the most noted of the German universities.
William B. Smith is the son of Jerry Smith, Esqr., a lawyer by pro- fession, but, at the period of his death, engaged in farming near Sparta, in Buchanan County. He was assassinated on his way home from St. Joseph, one evening during the late civil war.
Rev. James H. Robinson, a minister of the M. E. Church South. opened in the Patee House in St. Joseph, in September, 1865, a female school. This institution was conducted by him with success up to the period of his death, which occurred September 20, 1869, when the school was continued by Rev. Dr. Dixon till the first of January, 1869.
In the fall of the year 1869, Rev. Dr. Charles Martin, a minister of the Lutheran Church, arrived in St. Joseph, and established, on the cor- ner of Fifth and Antoine Streets, the Young Ladies' Institute. The school is still (1881) in a prosperous condition, rarely numbering less than one hundred pupils. This institution is non-sectarian in character.
BRYANT'S BUSINEES COLLEGE,
located on the corner of Fourth and Edmond Streets, was established November 15, 1864, by Thomas J. Bryant, its present president, and has been in successful operation ever since. Up to August, 1881, two thousand four hundred and forty-three pupils, representing fifteen differ- ent states, have been graduated from this school, to say nothing of thousands who have attended simply to learn the art of penmanship. The institution is in a highly prosperous condition.
ST. JOSEPH FEMALE COLLEGE.
an institution of learning established and presided over by Rev. E. S. Dulin, D. D., LL. D., a prominent minister of the Baptist Church, closed its fourth year in June, 1881. The building, one of the most spacious and elegant in the city, was completed some years ago at a cost of $120,000. The establishment of a school here by Dr. Dulin was hailed
364
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
as a warrant of success which subsequent results amply verified. Sup- plied with a numerous and able faculty, as well as the general appliances of a first-class ladies' school, this largely attended institution has proven a matter of just pride to St. Joseph.
To return to the matter of our county schools :-
The records of the office of State Superintendent of Public Schools show that the following named persons were the Buchanan County Com- missioners of Common Schools (or Superintendents) as indicated, for the years given, viz .:
1853. Milton H. Walsh, County Clerk and Acting Commissioner.
1854. Joseph J. Wyatt, County Commissioner.
1855. Joseph J. Wyatt,
1856. Wm. C. Toole,
1857. Wm. C. Toole,
1858. Wm. C. Toole, 6.
1859. W. M. Albin, ٠٠
1860. S. P. Cunningham, " .6
1862. J. Van Riley, County Clerk and Acting Commissioner.
1863. J. Van Riley,
٠٠ 1864. Willis M. Sherwood, "
1865. Willis M. Sherwood, “ ..
1866.
*Edward B. Neely. County Superintendent.
1867. Edward B. Neely,
1868. Edward B. Neely,
1869. Edward B. Neely.
1870.
Edward B. Neely, .6 ١٩ 1871. Edward B. Neely, .. ٠٠ 1872. Edward B. Neely, .. ..
1873. J. T. Riley, ،،
1874. J. T. Riley, ..
1875. Corydon F. Craig, .. 1876. Corydon F. Craig,
F. S. Wynn filled by appointment of County Court the office of County School Commissioner from March, 1877, to April 15, 1877. The period of the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of C. F. Craig.
1877. J. P. Boyle, County Superintendent. 1878. J. P. Boyle,
1879. J. P. Boyle, ١١ 1880. J. P. Boyle, ٠٠ 66
1881. J. P. Boyle, ٠٠ . 4
* Appointed Superintendent by County Court in the spring of 1866 for six months, until first general election. He was the first to hold the office of County Superintendent in Buchanan County.
365
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY.
APPORTIONMENTS OF STATE SCHOOL MONEYS TO BUCHANAN COUNTY.
School age be- tween 6 and { 20 years.
I January, 1847
547
$ 481 36
2 January, 1848
3,418
1,367 20
3 January, 1849
3,506
1,367 34
4|January, 1850
3,861
617 76
5 January, 1851
3 703
1,481 20
6 January, 1852
4,738
1,421 40
7 January, 1853
3,639
1,200 87
8|Febr'y,
1854
4,535
4,191 82
School age be-
9 May,
1855
4,375
1,662 50
tween 5 and
lo May,
1856
4 858
3,886 40
20 years.
II May,
1857
5,099
3,977 22
12 May,
1858
5,427
3,798 90
13|May,
1859
6.970
4 533 30
14 May,
1,860
7,302
4,965 36
15 May,
1864
7,302
3.212 88
16|May,
1865
9,131
1,004 41
f 17|March, . 1867
12,47 I
6,584 69
School age be- tween 5 and
19| March,
1870
12,187
6,599 26
20 March,
1871
12,622
6,833 55
21 |March,
1872
12,430
6.622 89
22 March,
1873
12,280
6,372 19
23 March,
1874
12,340
7,160 44
24
March,
1875
12,578
8,293 77
25 March,
1876
13,058
8,249 86
School age be-
26 March,
1877
10,736
7,983 97
tween 6 and
28 March,
1879
13,332
9,739 60
20 years.
29 March,
1880
13,495
9,903 52
( 30|March,
1881
14,662
10,484 34
ROMAN CATIIOLIC INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING IN ST. JOSEPH.
The Convent of the Sacred Heart is also a seminary for the instruc- tion of young ladies. The building was completed in 1857.
The reputation of this institution is widely and favorably extended. The building, from its lofty and commanding position on Twelfth Street, is a land mark to a wide extent of the surrounding country, and is cer- tainly one of the most spacious, complete and elegant structures in the city.
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