USA > New York > Oneida County > Utica > Memorial history of Utica, N.Y. : from its settlement to the present time > Part 44
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THE ADVANCED SCHOOL.
faithfully in conjunction with the commissioners in their efforts to elevate the common schools of the city. These efforts have always been cheer- fully seconded by the citizens. When called upon for the funds needed for building school-houses and the support of the schools they have responded cheerfully and almost unanimously. At the date of the be- ginning of their labors the buildings owned by the city were a brick school-house on the corner of Bleecker and Bridge streets (now Park avenue) and one on Columbia street, and a wooden one on the Minden turnpike (now Albany street) ; schools belonging to the city were like- wise conducted in the basement of the Welsh Church on Whitesboro street corner of Washington, on Franklin street, and on Bleecker street. Some of these were infant schools, some for older scholars. The aggre- gate amount of real and personal property pertaining to the schools then owned by the city was $3, 169.50 and the amount of the school fund was $3, 167.25. In 1868, the date of the first published report of the commissioners, which covers very nearly the period of service of Mr. Heffron, there were twelve school-houses of various grades under their control besides the academy. These were as follows:
The advanced school edifice. This is located on the corner of Eliza- beth and Charlotte on a lot presented to the city for school purposes by John R. Bleecker, of Albany, in May, 1846, and was completed the fol- lowing year. It is a central school where pupils transferred from the intermediate schools receive a good common school education and a preparatory course for entrance into the academy. It is a three-story brick building, well warmed, ventilated, and lighted, and will accommo- date 468 pupils. It has three departments with a principal ·over each and six assistants. This building is still occupied by the advanced school, although it has been considerably enlarged and improved since it was first built. Next followed the Hamilton street and the Steuben street schools, built in 1851. The Blandina, Aikin, and Catharine were begun in 1852, though the latter was not occupied until 1856; the Whites- boro street school erected in 1853; the Albany street and the Lansing street in 1858; the Court street in 1860; the South street and the Fran- cis street in 1867. These are all brick buildings, two stories in height and of similar style, are designed for the instruction of primary and in- termediate pupils, and have each a principal and two or three assistants.
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
To these must be added Faxton Hall, a two-story, substantial brick building erected by the late Theodore S. Faxton near the Globe Woolen and Steam Cotton-Mills, of which the first story is designed for school purposes, the second story containing an assembly-room, library-room, and reading-room, which hall Mr. Faxton in 1868 generously donated to the city on the conditions that the commissioners assume its mainte- nance and control; that the city keep it in repairs, pay all taxes and as- sessments, and rebuild it if destroyed. The commissioners were, more- over, expected to act in co-operation with trustees from the above named factories.
On the morning of May 13, 1865, the Utica Academy, with its fur- niture, apparatus, and library, was destroyed by fire. By permission of the Board of Supervisors the school was opened and continued in the court-house until the completion of a new building. The commissioners took immediate steps for enlarging the academy grounds and obtained possession of the lot on the corner of Academy and Bleecker streets. In March, 1866, the plans for the new building were adopted and the erection commenced, although it was not completed until the autumn of 1867. This building, in the Renaissance style of architecture, is located on the site of the former one, that is to say a little back from the corner of Academy and Bleecker streets, and near the center of a lot contain- ing about 32,000 square feet. It is built of selected brick, two stories high, and covered with a Mansard roof. A tower fourteen feet square projects from the east façade and is ninety-eight feet high. The stories are respectively thirteen and twenty-one feet in height. The first con- tains recitation- rooms, laboratory, and reception-room ; the second, besides wardrobe and library, has a study-room of magnificent propor- tions. In architectural design, convenience of arrangement, and com- pleteness of finish this building compares favorably with any similar institution in the State. Besides the principal, who teaches the ancient languages and mental philosophy, it has another teacher in the ancient languages, a teacher of the natural sciences, a teacher of mathematics, one of French language and literature, one of German, and one of the higher English. The course of study is comprehensive and embraces four years in the classical and English department ; the classical, giving thorough preparation for admission to college, may be completed in
469
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
three years. The number of pupils in the academy in the year 1868 was 143 and in all the schools under the control of the school commis- sioners 3,836, and the expenses for the year, not including the cost for the new academy building and its equipment, was $36,667.25.
On the 13th of July, 1867, Mr. Heffron resigned his position as su- perintendent of schools, his labors extending over a period of seventeen years. Courteous in manner, clear in judgment, deliberate in opinion, with the best interests of the schools at heart, the teachers at all times found him a firm friend and a judicious counselor, the patrons of the school a careful guardian of their rights, and popular education a con- scientious advocate and supporter.
Mr. Heffron was succeeded by Andrew McMillan, who for the past twenty-four and one-half years has had, in conjunction with the suc- cessively appointed commissioners, the control and management of the schools. He prepared the first school report, that of 1868, since which time these reports have been made and published annually, and to him more than to any other person are the schools indebted for the perfect- ing of their present system.
Having thus briefly noticed the public schools that were in existence in 1868 I proceed to summarize the later additions. In January, 1869, an evening school was commenced in the Faxton school building, and in May of the same year St. Patrick's Parochial School, which occupied a brick building on Columbia street, was placed in charge of the school commissioners and organized as one of the public schools of the city. This building, the same which had been built and used by the city, and which was subsequently sold to the Roman Catholics, was now volun- tarily tendered to the school commissioners free of rent for seven years. In 1870 they purchased the Welsh Congregational Church on Wash- ington street and remodeled it for a school, the lower story being divided into recitation-rooms and the upper converted into a study- room. The large and commodious school-house corner of Miller and Leah streets was constructed in 1870-71; it accommodates more than twice as many pupils as either of the other ward school-houses.
The Court street school-house was in 1878 enlarged to twice its orig - inal capacity and much improved in its general arrangement, having now two stairways leading to the second story, one at each end of the
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
building, one for the boys and one for the girls. It will now seat 366 pupils. In 1879 the Lansing street school house was enlarged and im- proved on the same general plan and thus provides seats for 130 more scholars from that district. In 1880 a new and commodious building was erected on the corner of James and Kemble streets. It is 72 x 102 feet in dimensions and furnishes accommodations for 500 pupils. It is of a more modern style of architecture, and is more appropriately con- trived with respect to lighting than either of its predecessors, the area of glass being equal to one-quarter of the area of the room lighted.
Owing to the rapid increase of population in the eastern part of the city a new school building was imperatively demanded. A site for the purpose was bought in 1879. This site extended from Blandina to Mary near Jefferson avenue. Upon it was placed for temporary use a small wooden building, which was removed from the Lansing street lot, where it had been used for a primary school. During the year 1881 a large and conveniently arranged brick structure took the place of this temporary one; it is one of the most fitly arranged school buildings in Central New York.
In 1888 the old landmark, first a church, then a school-house, known as the Washington street school, was sold and the proceeds devoted to the erection of a new and spacious structure in the same district, located on Whitesboro street. In respect to architecture, beauty, ventilation, heat, and light it is unsurpassed. It is of brick, with brown stone and moulded trimmings, modern in style and pleasing in effect, and so at- tractive within as to make school-room duties a pleasure rather than a task.
The report of Mr. McMillan, school superintendent, made to the board December 3, 1891, presents the following summary of the schools for the year then expired : The school property owned by the city, ex- clusively of the library building, consists of eighteen buildings, all of which are substantially built of brick and in general presenting a neat appearance, while some may be considered as models of school archi- tecture. Their estimated value, independent of furniture, apparatus, etc., is $354,464. The whole number of teachers employed during the year was 178, viz .: Nine in the academy, eighteen in the advanced school, sixty-five in the primary schools, sixty-three in the intermediate,
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THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
nine in the evening schools, and eleven substitute teachers for general work. The amount paid for teachers' salaries was $73,826.19. The number of pupils enrolled during the year was : in the primary depart- ment 1,407 boys, 1,832 girls, making a total of 3,239; in the intermed- iate department 1, 177 boys, 1,037 girls, total 2,214; in the advanced school, boys 376, girls 488, total 864; in the academy, boys 106, girls 154, total 260; evening schools, boys 341, girls 376. Thus the total enrollment was 6,953. The expenditures for the year amounted to $21,480.31, the receipts for the same period being $114,989, of which latter amount $79,000 was raised by city tax, $25,875 came from the State appropriation, and $1,513.60 from the literature fund dispensed by the Regents of the University.
At the close of every spring term of the schools oral examinations, followed by exhibitions, musical, declamatory, etc., are held in all of the lower departments, and these are largely attended by the parents and friends of the children. At the end of the year there are written exam- inations in all of the departments but the primary, by which are tested the capacity of the scholars to enter upon a higher grade, and only in case such examination is satisfactorily sustained are the candidates ad- mitted to such advance. The questions submitted for the examination of the academic pupils are prepared by the State Board of Regents, being the same intended for all the academies of the State. Those de- signed for the advanced and the intermediate scholars are prepared by the school superintendent, and as trials of the degree of attainment of these classes of scholars these papers are equally exacting. The thor- oughness of teaching and of scholarship which is expected, and which in fact does characterize the various departments of the system of Utica public schools, is worthy of the highest praise ; it is said by competent judges to have no superior in the State. Most of the middle-aged and younger men brought up in this city have been pupils in these schools, and the number of its eminent graduates is considerable.
A few others of the present schools of the city must be briefly noticed. One of these is the Business College, another the Assumption Academy under Catholic direction, besides which there are a few parochial schools connected with the churches and two or three private schools.
The Utica Business College was opened in 1863 by C. A. Walworth,
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
who conducted it under the firm name of Bryant, Stratton & Walworth. It was then known as the Bryant & Stratton Utica Business College. Mr. Walworth retained his interest till July 1, 1867, when the school was purchased by H. B. McCreary and Thomas H. Shields, and the business continued under the name of McCreary & Shields. After the death of Mr. McCreary in 1887 the school was continued under the same firm name till July, 1889, when the McCreary interest was pur- chased by G. F. Hendrick, who in company with Mr. Shields has since conducted the business under the firm name of Shields & Hendrick. The aim of the institution is to fit young men and women for the duties of a business life. It makes a specialty of the practical branches, such as book-keeping, penmanship, commercial arithmetic, commercial law, stenography, typewriting, telegraphy, etc., and has a large and steadily increasing patronage from this and adjoining States.
The Assumption Academy was opened August 15, 1854, under the direction of Father McFarland, then pastor of St. John's Catholic Church. The school building had been erected during the summer preceding the opening of the school and was originally built exactly as it now stands; the interior only has suffered any change, and this con- sists in the removal of the stairway to the center of the building and the re- arrangement of the school-rooms. It stands at the corner of John and Elizabeth streets, is built of brick, three stories high, and eighty feet square. When first erected it was the only Catholic school in the city and had an attendance of 700 pupils. But when St. Vincent's Or- phanage was taken by the Brothers a part of the pupils were taken there ; and when St. Agnes's parish was established the school was again re- duced. Father McFarland's plan was to have this school the central one of several located throughout the city, and he intended that pupils should finish here what had been begun in the lower schools, but his re- call and appointment to a charge in the East caused these plans to be somewhat altered. The school, however, furnishes primary instuction and fits pupils for college. There are at present six Brothers teaching in the school, one secular teacher being also employed. The Brothers have been in charge of the school from its inception. It is free to all in St. John's parish, by which society it is supported ; others pay $10 yearly for tuition. There are no pupils living in the school building
473
UTICA LIBRARY- PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARY.
and but few pupils live outside the city. There are two terms of five months each, and 310 scholars. Brother Alpheus is the principal.
A public library was incorporated on the 5th of March, 1825, under the title of the Utica Library, and was opened in July following with 1, 100 books. It was owned by shareholders and controlled by a board of twelve trustees. The number of shares was fixed at 400, their value being $3 each ; and these were nearly all of them soon sold and were held at an advance from the original price. The books were well selected and of standard authority, and among them were sets of the best English and American periodicals. Within a few years this num- ber was increased to 2,500. The faithful librarian was Justus H. Rath- bone, who attended for the drawing of books once in each week. In the course of a few years the books, which had at first been kept in the office of Mr. Rathbone on Broad street, were removed to rooms in the building of the Mechanics Association, and the library was opened six days in the week. Nothing of this library is known later than 1837.
The origin of school district libraries in the State of New York dates from the year 1838. In that year $55,000 of the $260,000 belonging to the income of the United States deposit fund was directed to be dis- tributed to the several school districts of the State for the purchase of books for the district libraries. Utica received her share in the distri- bution and appropriated it as directed by law, thus establishing the free library of the city. By legislative act of 1842 the library of Utica was placed under the control of the school commissioners. In their first re- port these commissioners state that "the annual apportionment of school moneys give's at present the sum of $583.86 for the purchase of books, and furthermore the library is thought to be well selected and contains about 1,700 volumes ; that the drawings are well attended, from one-half to two- thirds of the volumes being in constant circulation among all classes." It is probable that a large part of these 1,700 vol- umes was secured either by donation or purchase from the library association above mentioned, or from the collection of the Young Men's Association disbanded about this time. The presumption is based on the fact that many of the books now in the library were printed twenty or thirty years before its establishment, and some as long as fifty to one hundred years before that time. The school library was located over
60
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
the Central New York Bank on Franklin Square, and Francis D. Gros- venor was the first librarian appointed by the commissioners, continuing to act until 1851. The growth of the collection was slow; in 1865 it amounted to but 4,000 volumes, in 1868 to 5,000, in 1873 to 6,028, and in 1876 to 6,146. It was, however, a well chosen one, its largest part consisting of standard works in history and biography, besides which there were a goodly number of voyages and travels, of literary, poetic, and scientific productions, while of novels, adventures, etc., the most were selected from leading and approved authors, and of books of ref- erence there were 580 volumes. In 1856 the library was removed, with the office of superintendent of schools, to the new city hall building, where it remained until the completion of the present library building in 1878. This building is situated on the north side of Elizabeth street between Genesee and Charlotte, and has a frontage of sixty-four feet by a depth of eighty-eight feet. It is of the Victoria Gothic style. Its front and sides are faced with Croton pressed brick, with black brick to mark lines and arches, and is trimmed with brownstone and Prospect limestone. The main building has two stories and an attic and the façade is surmounted by a tower. The library proper-40 x 60 feet and 47 feet to apex of roof-is situated at the rear end of the main hall and is lighted by side and clere-story windows. It contains a gallery supported on iron brackets and is reached by an iron stairway. This part of the building is fireproof, the roofs being of slate, the clere-story of galvanized iron, the windows furnished with iron shutters, while double iron doors shut it off from the remainder of the building. Ad- joining this room is a reference library and reading- room. Other rooms on the first floor are the superintendent's office, a room for the Board of Education, etc., while the second floor contains a lecture- room with a seating capacity of 400. For completeness of arrangement, elegance in finish, and beauty of architecture the building is excelled by few similar institutions.
Through the bequest of Theodore S. Faxton the library in 1881 came into possession of $2,500 to be used for the purchase of additional books. The money could not have been more worthily bestowed. The amount annually received from the State and city (at that time about $600) had always been insufficient to keep the library in repair and to
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PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARY.
buy the new books which were considered necessary. The increased number of patrons found it impossible to obtain the books wanted and those in the collection were being worn out through constant use. In the course of three years after the receipt of the legacy about four-fifths of it were used and over 1,200 standard books, including many duplicates of the former possessions, were placed in the " Faxton alcove." From a full report made in 1885 by Benjamin N. Lewis, then librarian, we learn that there were then on the shelves 10,020 volumes, of which num- ber 8,460 were for circulation and 1,560 for reference. The library was about that time designated as a depository for public documents issued by the general government. While the value of some of these docu- ments may be questioned it is certain that a part of them are well worth preserving. The State legislative documents are also regularly received and are available for reference. During the year 32,497 books were taken from the library, being an increase of 7,202 over the num- ber drawn during the previous year. Fifty-six per cent. of the drawers were adults, the remainder being chiefly school children. In addition to the patrons of the circulating library several hundred persons con- sulted the books of reference of whom no record was kept. The 32,- 497 books drawn during the year were classified as follows: Novels, in- cluding not only light fiction, but those of Scott, Thackeray, Dickens, Cooper, Hawthorne, etc., 14,880; juvenile books, comprising besides children's stories all histories of a juvenile nature, 12,409; historical, scientific, and other works, 5,568. The hours during which the library is open for drawing are IO A. M. to 12:30 P. M. and 2:30 to 8 P. M., ex- cept during the school vacations, when the number of hours in each day is lessened. The librarian's report for 1890 shows that there are now in the library 12,840 volumes; the total number of patrons who have drawn books 3,840; that there have been added within the year by purchase 548, by donations 198, by periodicals bound for the library 18; total 764. Of the 52,500 books given out 23,926 were juvenile, 26,669 were novels, and 7,905 historical, literary, and scientific.
By the more cultivated portion of the community it is commonly felt that the School Library of Utica-or the City Library as it is more fre- quently called-is inadequate to the needs of a city of 40,000 inhab- itants. When it is recollected, however, that several book clubs are in
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
existence which supply themselves, not only with the leading periodicals, but with the bulk of the more approved recent publications ; that there is here a historical society with a fast growing collection ; and that the books of reference on the shelves of the school library are numerous and valuable it cannot be denied that the facilities for reading are very considerable, and for popular use quite adequate to the popular demand. By scholars in quest of rarer and more recondite works, and by those pursuing special lines of inquiry, a deficiency is chiefly felt. And here it must be admitted that Utica is behind many other cities of equal size.
CHAPTER XV.
THE PRESS.
B EGINNING with the earliest newspaper1 issue of Utica, and trac- ing its history down to the paper into which it has been absorbed, I shall next notice the contemporaries of the latter and afterward more briefly a few journals and magazines that are now extinct. The first newspaper printed west of Albany in this State was the Whitestown Gazette at the village of New Hartford, then a part of Whitestown. It was commenced July 11, 1793, as is shown by a copy of its first number in the possession of the Oneida Historical Society. The publication was suspended the following winter, but was resumed in May, 1796, William McLean being printer and shortly after becoming proprietor. In July, 1798, the year in which Oneida County was organized, Mr. McLean moved to Utica and issued his paper under the name of the Whitestown Gazette and Cato's Patrol, the additional title referring to the defender of ancient Utica. This was the first paper printed in Utica or in Oneida County. The second in the county was the Western Cen- tinel in Whitesboro, begun in January, 1794, and discontinued after a few years. In February, 1803, Mr. McLean disposed of his paper to
1 The genealogy of the earliest newspaper in the list was prepared by Alexander Seward, esq. The sketches of the remaining ones, that is to say, of those now published, were mostly furnished by their respective editors.
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THE EARLIEST NEWSPAPER.
John H. Lothrop, who changed its name to the Patriot, Merrell & Sew- ard becoming the printers.
In 1804 the title of the Patriot was changed to the Utica Patriot, under which name it continued until 1816, being printed " for the ed- itor " after 1803 by Ira Merrell and after 1813 by Merrell & Camp. Wm. H. Maynard succeeded Mr. Lothrop as editor and proprietor in 1811.
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