USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of the city of Cleveland: its settlement, rise and progress, 1796-1896 > Part 24
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John W. Allen was elected mayor in 1841; Joshua Mills, in 1842; N. Hayward, in 1843; and Samuel Starkweather, in 1844, and re-elected in 1845. Among the measures consid- ered, during this time, was a resolution offered by Henry MAYOR NELSON HAYWARD. Morgan proposing the repeal of the city charter, because that form of government was expensive and no improvement over the govern- ment by township officers; a petition was presented asking for an appropriation out of the general fund for the education of colored children, which was granted to the extent of fifty dollars; the tax of 1845 was laid at six mills on the dollar. George Hoadly was chosen mayor in 1846; Josiah A. Harris, in 1847; Lorenzo A. Kelsey, in 1848; Flavel W. Bingham, in 1849: William
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
Case, in 1850.70 The first official hint of the telegraph in connection with Cleveland, is heard in 1847, when H. B. Ely, in behalf of the Lake Erie Telegraph Company, offered a petition asking permission to erect a line through the city. A resolution favoring the project was offered by Henry B. Payne, and adopted. The records show various measures proposed or passed, relating to the giv- ing of city aid to railroads, schools, gas works, cemeteries, etc., all of which will find consideration in their proper place in this record.
Leaving the official municipal history of Cleveland at the mid-century mark, to which it has now been carried, we retrace our steps to the year 1836, to consider the gen- eral fortunes of the rival municipalities that were sepa- rated only by the Cuyahoga River.
There were several gentlemen who chose their homes in Cleveland this year, and afterwards left their impress for good upon the public life in various ways.
Among these were William Bingham, who was induced to come here because of the presence of his cousin, Flavel W. Bingham, and who long since was counted among the leading hardware merchants of the west; Franklin T. Backus, who afterwards won an enviable position at the Ohio bar; D. W. Cross, a member of the bar, and promi- nent as a coal operator; and William A. Otis, business man, iron maker and banker.
The early schools of Cleveland, with their semi-private and rather uncertain support, have been described here- tofore. A new impetus to public education was given
10 The list of Cleveland's mayors, from 1850 to the present time, is as follows: 1851, William Case; 1852, 1853, 1854, Abner C. Brownell; 1855, 1856, William B. Castle; 1856, 1857, 1858, Samuel Starkweather; 1859, 1860, George B. Senter; 1861, 1862, Edward S. Flint; 1863, 1864, Irvine U. Masters; 1865, 1866, Herman M. Chapin; 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, Stephen Buhrer; 1871, 1872, Frederick W. Pelton; 1873, 1874, Charles A. Otis; 1875, 1876, Nathan P. Payne; 1877, 1878, William G. Rose; 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, R. R. Herrick; 1883, 1884, John H. Farley; 1885, IS86, George W. Gardner; 1887, 1888, B. D. Babcock; 1889, 1890, George W. Gardner; 1891, 1892, William G. Rose; 1893, 1894, Robert Blee; 1895, 1896, Robert E. McKisson.
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
on the incorporation as a city, and among the earliest communications considered by the first City Council was one from Mayor Willey upon the subject of public schools. On June 9th, Mr. Craw introduced a resolution for the appointment of a committee who should employ a teacher and assistant to continue the " free school " to the end of the quarter, or "until a school system for the city shall be organized at the expense of the city." It was so or- dered. This had reference to a school, the origin of which is said to have been as follows: "A Sunday school was organized in the old Bethel Church, probably in 1833 or 1834, a kind of mission or ragged school. The children, however, were found so ignorant that Sunday school teach- ing, as such, was out of the question. The time of the teacher was obliged to be spent in teaching the children how to read. To remedy this difficulty, and make the Sunday school available, a day school was started. It was supported by voluntary contributions, and was, in fact, a charity school, to which none were sent but the very poor- est children.""1 R. L. Gazlay, principal of this school, reported to the Council that 229 children had received instruction during the quarter ending September 20th, 1836, and that its maintenance had cost $131.12.
The first Board of School Managers was appointed on October 5th, 1836, and consisted of the following gentle- men : John W. Willey, Anson Haydon, Daniel Worley. In the succeeding March, these gentlemen reported that they had continued the common free school, earnestly urged the city authorities to a more liberal outlay for schools, and pointed out the great need of school-houses.
At the same session of the Council, Mr. Noble offered a resolution requesting the committee on schools "to as- certain and report, as soon as convenient, what lots may be purchased, the price and terms of payment, to be used for school purposes-two in the First ward, one in the Sec- ond ward, and one in the Third ward."
11 Statement by Samuel H. Mather .- Freese's "Early History of the Cleveland Public Schools," p. 10.
1
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
The second Board of School Managers, appointed in April, 1837, consisted of Samuel Cowles, Samuel William- son, and Philip Battell. They could do no more than continue the limited work of their predecessors, and it was universally agreed that enlarged powers, and a more adequate system, were needed to keep pace with the growth of the city. " As yet," says Mr. Freese, in the work al- ready quoted, "the City Council had passed no ordinance establishing a system of schools. The school above re- ferred to (the free school) was the only one that had any existence by authority ; neither did the city own a school- house, nor a foot of ground upon which to erect one. Cleveland had then a popu- lation of about five thousand ; and, although no records are extant to show it, there must have been in attendance upon the schools, private and pub- lic, no less than eight hun- dred children. But the school maintained by the city had an enrollment of less than three hundred, so that the Academy and other private MORE schools still furnished in- struction to a very large ma- MAYOR SAMUEL STARKWEATHER. jority of the youth of the city."
The first actual legislation, upon the part of the City of Cleveland, for the creation of what has long since become one of the best school systems of the country, was com- pleted upon July 7th, 1837, when the City Council passed "an ordinance for the establishment of common schools."
This measure seems to have been carefully and ably drawn, and duly met the requirements of the time. The school committee of the Council were authorized to lease suitable buildings or rooms to be occupied for school pur- poses, provided they met the approval of the school man- agers. The cost of the same was not to exceed one-half
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the amount which the Council had authority to appropri- ate annually for the construction of buildings for school purposes. Needed apparatus and furniture were to be provided.
The school managers were authorized to immediately establish, in the rooms and buildings above provided, such schools of elementary education as they thought advis- able, and procure such instructors as were needed. The term of school was to commence on the 24th of the same month in which the measure was passed, and end on the 24th of the next November. It was carefully pro- vided that expenses should be kept within the revenues available.
The first annual report made by the Board of School Managers is signed by the three gentlemen above named, and is an interesting and suggestive document. They state that rooms were provided by the Council committee, and "two schools for the sexes respectively"' were opened in each district, and kept open until in November, as the law specified. Three male and three female teachers were employed for the full term. The average attend- ance at each school was not less than forty pupils, and the whole expense for tuition was $640.82.
The winter term commenced on December Ist, and con- tinued until the end of March. The same number of schools was provided, and as more were found to be nec- essary, a "child's school" in addition was established in each of the two more populous districts. The managers say: "Eight schools, therefore, during the winter, were sustained, employing three male and five female teachers. There were eight hundred and forty names on the school lists, and an aggregate average attendance of four hun- dred and sixty-eight. The expense for tuition was $868.62.
" The schools have been wholly free, and open to all within the districts legally admitted to their privileges. The boys and girls have been entirely separate, the former taught by male and the latter by female teachers. The child's schools were designed for the younger scholars of
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
both sexes, and are taught by female teachers. The teachers have been critically examined before being em- ployed, and the schools duly inspected, as required by charter. The wages given have been to female teachers $5 per week, and to male teachers $40 per calendar month. A uniform selection of books has been prescribed by the managers, which, by arrangements with the teachers, have been furnished to the schools at wholesale prices."
A census was taken by the board in October, 1837, of all persons within the city between the ages of four and twenty-one, with the following result: First ward, 918; Second ward, 599; Third ward, 665. The teachers' lists showed an attendance upon the schools of 840. The managers declared that their aim had been " to commence the establishment of a system of schools answering to the intentions of the city charter, to be supported by the defi- nite income of the treasury appropriated to this object."
The school income for the year amount- ed to $2,830.
In their report for 1838-9, the managers stated that in all the schools the common English branches had been taught, while in some con- siderable progress had been made in history, the natural sciences, etc: The board for this year consisted of Silas Belden, Henry Sex- ton, and Henry H. Dodge.
PROSPECT STREET SCHOOLHOUSE.
The city purchased the Academy building in July, 1839, at a cost of six thousand dollars. kept in it for the two preceding years.
School had been The other schools
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had been scattered here and there-one in the Farmer's block, one in an abandoned paint shop, and one in a gro- cery store. It was recognized in all quarters that better accommodations were a matter of necessity. After some agitation, within the Council and without, two lots were purchased, one on Rockwell street, and one on Prospect street. Contracts were soon let to Warner & Hickox, the price for each building being $3,500, which included seats, fences, etc. That upon Rock- well street was completed in the spring of 1840, and the other in the fall of the same year. Both were of the same dimensions: a little over forty feet long and broad, two AN OLD DISTRICT SCHOOLHOUSE. stories high, and finished exactly alike."1ª Upon the opening of the schools, in the winter, more than a thousand pupils made application, although there was room for but nine hundred; the rest were arranged for temporarily in some of the buildings pre- viously occupied. Among the teachers who were en- gaged in these early schools of 1840, we find the names of the following: N. A. Gray, Elizabeth Arm- strong, Abby Fitch, Louisa Kingsbury, Andrew Freese, Sophia Converse, Emma Whitney, Sarah M. Thayer, George W. Yates, Louisa Snow, Julia Butler, Caroline
"la The "old district schoolhouse," illustrated above, still stands on Detroit street (West Side); it has been used as a dwelling since 1857. Mrs. John H. Sargent writes to the author concerning it as follows: " The schoolhouse was built the summer of 1841. Mr. Sargent kept the first school held within it in the winter of 1841-42; I kept the last school in it in the winter of 1856-57. The three school trustees were, my father, Morris Jackson; Stephen Herrick, and Henry Whitman. Mr. Sargent and I were married three weeks after my school closed - we were the Alpha and Omega of the old schoolhouse."
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
Belden, F. J. Blair, Maria Sheldon, and Eliza Johnson.
The services of the best men of Cleveland were obtained in the management of these early school boards, and to their shrewd business wisdom and high educational ideals, may be traced much of the good which the schools of Cleveland have been able to do. Among them, in addi- tion to those already mentioned, may be found the names of such men as Samuel H. Mather, Charles Bradburn, Madison Kelley, Truman P. Handy, R. T. Lyon, Samuel Starkweather, James D. Cleveland, John Barr, Horace Benton, J. A. Thorne, Daniel P. Rhodes, and R. B. Dennis.
Mayor George Hoadly, in his inaugural address in 1846, seemed to think that a time had come for an advance step in the matter of public education, and recommended a school of a higher grade, "an academic department "- the pupils to be taken from the common school, according to merit. " This would present," he declared, " a power- ful stimulus to study and good conduct. The poorest child, if possessed of talents and application, might aspire to the highest stations in the republic; from such schools we might hope to issue the future Franklins of our land."
The recommendation struck a responsive chord, and the City Council soon took steps to carry the idea into action. Resolutions were adopted declaring that a high school for boys should be established, and authorizing the proper committee to take steps to that end. Rooms were engaged in the basement of a church on Prospect street, Andrew Freese, of one of the grammar schools, was appointed principal, and the school went into operation on July 13th, of the same year, with thirty-four pupils. This number was soon increased to eighty-three.72 A de- partment for girls was added in the spring of 1847.73
12 It may be of interest to name some of these first high school pupils, who, at a later date, became well known in Cleveland, or elsewhere, such as William W. Andrews, J. C. Buell, Oscar A. Childs, George W. Childs, Kennedy Clinton, George W. Gardner, John P. Jones, John M. Sterling, Jr., George W. Tibbitts, John F. Whitelaw.
73 The semi-centennial anniversary of the founding of this high school was celebrated on Wednesday, April Ist, 1896, by a gathering of former
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
There was no small opposition to the establishment of this high school, many holding that it had been created without authority of law, and that in any case it was not expedient, nor justified by public needs. The tax-payers were generally in favor of the common schools, where the great mass of children could be educated in the ele- mentary branches, but there was a wide division concern- ing the public teaching of the higher branches.
The question was carried into the City Council. On March 24th, Henry B. Payne offered a resolution declar- ing that as the money appropriated for school purposes belonged to the common school, and as over two thou- sand children in Cleveland, over four years of age, did not attend school, while those who did attend were crowd- ed beyond all measure, pro- visions should be made for the erecting of new school- houses, and employment of additional teachers, until “ an opportunity for obtaining a thorough common school ed- ucation is furnished to every child in the city, over four years of age." The resolu- tion further declared that, until this object was attained, MAYOR LORENZO A. KELSEY. it was inexpedient to sustain a select high school at the charge of the common school fund; and directed that a se- lect committee of three be appointed to inquire into and re- port upon the expediency of providing for the permanent establishment of a high school, by requiring a tuition fee not exceeding six dollars per year, and the appropriation of a sum equal thereto from the general fund of the city. Such
pupils, at the Central High School building, on Willson avenue. Some fifteen hundred were present. All of the living members of the class of 1855 attended. These were Mrs. Moses G. Watterson, Mrs. A. M. Van Duzer, Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Miss Lucy M.'Spellman, and Mr. Albert H. Spencer.
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
committee was created, and consisted of Messrs. Payne, Erwin and Hickox. At the meeting of April 3d, Mr. Doan offered a resolution continuing the old system for another year, which was laid on the table. On the four- teenth, Mr. Payne attempted the passage of a resolution to reorganize.the schools, making a school district of each ward, with a high school as the senior department there- of. It was laid on the table. At a subsequent meeting he secured the adoption of a resolution directing that, until otherwise ordered, the high school on Prospect street should be opened for the admission of girls equally with boys.
CHAPTER XII.
MANY EVENTS OF A FRUITFUL PERIOD.
This determined fight for the high school system, that was so successfully made by its friends, is of especial in- terest because the arguments that were made in opposi- tion then have been heard with equal emphasis but less effect in these later days.
The matter was taken into the newspapers, and upon . the rostrum. A mass meeting was called in favor of the school, at which addresses were made by Dr. Fry, prin- cipal of the West St. Clair street grammar school, James A. Briggs, and Bushnell White. The school managers placed themselves upon the record with the declaration that it was their firm conviction that the sys- tem was " essential to the success of the public schools," and added: " It is the only way in which they can be made in truth what they are in name-common schools- common to all; good enough for the rich, and cheap enough for the poor-such schools as will meet the wants of all classes in the community." This was the deliberate opinion of Charles Bradburn, Truman P. Handy, Samuel Starkweather, and William Day. Does not that striking sentence -" good enough for the rich, and cheap enough for the poor "- sum up the public school system of Cleve- land in a word? ?
74 When Harvey Rice was addressing the Ohio Senate in support of his bill for the creation of the common school system of Ohio, he made use of words that were fulfilled prophecy long since. Said he: " By the provis- ions of this bill, it is intended to make our common schools what they ought to be-the colleges of the people-' cheap enough for the poorest, and good enough for the richest.' With but a slight increase of taxation, schools of different grades can be established and maintained in every township of the State, and the sons and daughters of our farmers and mechanics have an opportunity of acquiring a finished education equally with the more favored of the land. . Allow me to express my
-
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
The school was allowed to run along in its own way until the following winter, when a legislative enactment was secured from the general assembly by which the City Council was "authorized and required " to establish and maintain a high school department. That settled the question of legality, and an ordinance was passed as di- rected. The support given, however, was half-hearted, and for some time the appropriations for support were kept down to the lowest possible sum-about nine hun- dred dollars per year.
The average attendance during the first three years was about eighty. Two teachers, only, were employed up to 1852, when a third was secured. A lot for a high school building was pur- chased in 1851, and a cheap wood- en building put up for temporary ac- commodation. In 1856, a stone struc- ture was erected, and after many years' use for school purposes, became, at last, THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING. the headquarters for the Board of Education and the Public Library, in which useful service it still continues. It cost about twenty thousand dollars, and was dedicated on April Ist, 1856.
As has been shown, the management of the early schools was in the hands of a board appointed by the City Council. This continued until 1858, when a change was made. After 1841, the secretary of the board was paid a small salary, and was called the acting manager, the ex- ecutive and clerical work being left largely in his hands.
belief that the day is not far distant when Ohio, in the noble cause of pop- ular education and of human rights, will lead the column, and become what she is capable of becoming-a star of the first magnitude-the bright- est in the galaxy of our American Union."
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
Visiting committees were appointed from time to time, whose duties have been defined thus: " These commit- tees are recommended by the board and appointed by the Council, but represent neither. They are the representa- tives of the people, appointed to examine the schools and to make known the results of the examination through their reports to the board. They are requested, also, to suggest such amendments, improvements, and changes,
CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING.
as they may deem essential to the success and prosperity of the schools."75
As the city grew, and the schools increased in size and importance, the need of increased facilities, and more direct management, was keenly felt. In response to this demand, Richard C. Parsons, in May, 1853, introduced an
75 Samuel H. Mather, secretary of the board, 1854.
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ordinance in the City Council, establishing the office of superintendent of instruction. It became a law in June, and in the same month Andrew Freese, principal of the high school, was appointed to the position, which he held until August, 1861, when L. M. Oviatt became his suc- cessor, and in two years was himself succeeded by Anson Smyth.
Municipal law-making and the founding of schools, were by no means the only measures by which these two newly-born cities of the Cuyahoga valley made use of their lately acquired legislative powers. Attention was paid to the condition of the lake front, which was a matter of great importance now that the lake marine was so rap- idly growing. In 1837, an act was passed incorporating the Lake Shore Company, which had authority to take such steps as were necessary to protect the lake banks from the encroachments of the water, and as payment for their expenditures, permission was granted the company to build wharves and piers. Little, if anything, was done under this authority, but at a later date the city em- ployed Col. Charles Whit- tlesey, at considerable ex- pense, to drive piles along certain portions of the lake front, which work was con- tinued afterwards by the railroads for their own pro- tection. Ohio City, not to COL. CHARLES WHITTLESEY. . be outdone, in 1837, procured an amendment to its char- ter, by which it was given authority to dig canals, slips, and basins, the cost of which was to be charged to the abutting property. Of this amendment, Judge Griswold, in the valuable document already quoted, has said: " By this act a large parcel of territory in the southwest part of that city was carried back into the township of Brooklyn.
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
That city proceeded under the act to construct a canal lead- ing out of the old river bed, and paid for the same by this seductive, but ruinous method of taxation to defray the cost of public improvements. The scheme was a failure, but the dry bed of the canal has since been utilized for the laying of railroad tracks. From want of means, be- ing unable to enter upon the construction of railroads, the citizens of Cleveland contented themselves with pro- curing charters for the construction of plank roads lead- ing out on all the principal highways from the city."
It was, also, in 1837 that Cleveland began to have aspi- rations in a military direction, that set its bounds a little beyond the early militia, over which Major Carter and his associates held command, as we have already seen. The organization of the companies, that stood ready to defend their homes during the war of 1812, has been noted also. About 1825, a regularly formed military organization made its appearance under the name of the "Light Horse," but little is known concerning it, beyond the statement of the venerable John Doan that it "disbanded in the early thir- ties."~ On August 28th, 1837, a number of gentlemen met at the Cleveland House for the purpose of consider- ing the formation of a military company, which was to be called the "Cleveland City Guards." "After a number of meetings," says Mr. Hodge in the paper referred to in note, " [ Timothy ] Ingraham, who had been selected for captain, was taken sick, and remained in poor health for several months, during which time drilling was suspended, and nothing done towards perfecting the organization. In the meantime, a number of other young men, imbued with a military spirit, decided to form a company inde- pendent of the one already started. A man by the name of Ross became the drill master, and afterwards was made captain. As the company started by Captain Ingraham and others had shown no life for several months, the new
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