A standard history of Fulton County, Ohio, an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and county, Vol. I, Part 17

Author: Reighard, Frank H., 1867-
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 546


USA > Ohio > Fulton County > A standard history of Fulton County, Ohio, an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and county, Vol. I > Part 17


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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58


The history of the Fulton County Agriculture Society, which is such a factor in the life of the county, is extensively reviewed in the chapter, of this work, devoted to the institutional history of Fulton County. In that chapter also the growth of the granges is reviewed.


CHAPTER VII


THE SCHOOLS, 1835-1920


Some years ago, in a reminiscent article published in a local news- paper, James Grisier, of Fayette, stated that in 1844, in which year he settled in German Township, "there were not a dozen schools in the county." There were probably more than twelve, for some town- ships had two or three schools, if not schoolhouses, at that time. Some of the schoolhouses were frame, but most were log. The log houses cost little to erect, labor being freely given by the pioneers, and logs being readily obtainable, for the cutting. And the cost of a frame house, such as would serve the purpose of a district school, would be not more than $200. A frame schoolhouse was built for $175, in 1839, by James Dean, to supply the needs of School District No. 1 (Swanton), Wing Township, Lucas county; and School Dis- trict No. 2, of Swan Creek Township, on April 23, 1843, voted, "on motion of Mr. Thresher" that "a frame schoolhouse he built, the size of the one in District No. 1, in this town, near the house of L. Dodge"; and further voted "that Two Hundred Dollars be assessed to erect said Schoolhouse," nine residents voting, six in favor of the motion. If there were, say, twenty schoolhouses in the county in 1844; if all were of frame construction ; and entailed an outlay of $200 for each, the aggregate value of school property then would be $4,000. In 1919, the estimated value of Fulton county school property was $428,- 525. Other equally striking comparisons might be cited, but are un- necessary, for this will sufficiently indicate the degree of educational progress in Fulton county during the period of eighty-five years from 1835 to the present. And those worthy pioneers who had part in early school administration, and still live, must be pleased in realizing how substantial is the educational system that has been builded upon their own self-sacrificing pioneer efforts.


Like all pioneer efforts, the school system was brought to success only by the self-denial and resolute purpose of strong men and women. Directors, teachers, tax-payers-all who had part in the initial effort inay share in the gratification. Some of them, alas, have not lived to see the culmination of their efforts, in the splendidly equipped and staffed centralized schools of today. But they will not be for- gotten. The pioneer school teacher will certainly ever be remem- bered. He or she, in himself or herself, comprised the whole faculty of the humble uncomfortable little school; was the principal, assist- ant principal, teacher of all the grades down to the primary-was all in one; and often was janitor also; for which complete service, he or she would receive a dollar a day, or less. Some of the early summer-school teachers were content with a salary of one dollar a week, securing the appointment only after very careful deliberation


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


by the school directors, who were loath to commit the taxpayers to such a liability, without proper safeguards. An entry under date of April 28. 1849, records an agreement entered into by the directors of School District No. 4, of Fulton Township, Lucas county, and one Fanny Wood, "who made application to be employed as a school teacher, producing to the board a certificate of qualification from the school examiners of the county." It was agreed to employ her at five dollars a month, from the 7th of May, "to teach a school for the term of two months, providing she keeps a good school, if not said school is to stop," stated the record, attested by Chas. Gunn, district elerk.


The pioneer settlers had their days filled with hard, and, gener- ally, discouraging efforts to win even a livelihood from the swamp and forest; yet they loyally supported the school directors in their endeavor to establish satisfactory schools. The directors are deserving of special credit. Hard-working settlers as they were, and with just as many perplexities in their general life as their neighbors, they nevertheless entered thoughtfully and earnestly into educational work, some of them giving very much of their time to the work. "Jeff"


PIONEER SCHOOLHOUSE.


Lutz, who is now eighty-six years old, and was for forty years con- nected with the school board of Swan Creck Township, and for the greater part of that time was its president, came to Swanton, then known as Centreville, when it consisted of only three houses: that of Joe Miller; a little shoe shop; and a little shack, not more than six- teen feet by twenty, upon the site of which is now the briek structure owned by the Gordon Lumber Company. Swan Creck Township was then practically a swamp, much of it actually and wholly under water. Yet, in forty years, he and others, including "Quill" Price, members of the Templeton family, Theodore Knight, and Wesley Watkins, organ- ized good sehools in almost every four sections of the township; planted them so thiekly, in fact, that at times it seemed that they were incur- ring unnecessary expense. In one distriet, No. 12, there were only three voters at the first election, and the authorities were at a loss to know how to appoint three sehool directors, one of the three voters, a colored man, being an ex-convict, and as such not eligible. He had been brought in by Dyer Matthews, who formerly had been a guard at the State Penitentiary. Yet those far-sighted pioneers knew that progress came by education; that education was the first essential :


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


and they have lived to see the tutored generation grow to useful man- hood and womanhood, and take hold of the affairs of the township, better fitted than they themselves were to carry it forward to ever- increasing prosperity. In place of the frame schoolhouse that cost $175, they have lived to see in Swanton a splendid schoolhouse, valued at $43,300, adequately staffed, and affording graded and high school education to more than three hundred pupils each year; and to ap- preciate how great has been the educational advancement, as evidenced by the fine centralized school within a short distance of them-the Fulton Township Centralized School, at Ai, the first to be established in northwest Ohio.


A somewhat similar record could be shown in the educational development that has come to other townships, through the praise- worthy efforts of the early pioneers; and in appropriate place in the


SWANTON SCHOOLHOUSE, VALUED AT $43,300.


township chapters will be found as complete a review of the school history as it has been possible to gather. In the various sectional reviews will be found many descriptions of the early log schoolhouses, but perhaps it might not be inappropriate to here give Historian Ald- rich's description of one, presumably in Fulton Township:


"It was .. ... finished and furnished without taxing the land- all contributed. It was chinked and plastered with mud from the ad- joining soil. It had a fireplace made of clay, and sticks built up, 'cob- house style,' and cropping up just above the ridge of the roof, and plastered upon the inside with clay mortar. This formed a safe as well as a comfortable heating apparatus. The seats were made of logs, about ten inches in diameter, and ten or twelve feet in length; and split into halves and hewed, to smooth them upon the split side. They were then mounted, the split side up, on wooden pegs of proper height


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


for the scholars. For writing desks they bored holes into the logs, about three feet from the floor, into which they drove pins, projecting in the room far enough to support a board, or slab, placed on the pins. For windows they would cut out one log the whole length of the building, and stop the opening with oiled paper. This would admit light, and keep out the cold. Some were finished with glass, 7 by 9, and when this schoolhouse was completed, with a good fire nearly the entire length of one end of the building, it furnished a good and com- fortable institution for training the young minds."


Interesting and illuminative, as to early school conditons, is "A Book of Records, for School District No. (apparently for more than one district, three being crossed out) Four, in the Township of Swan Creek, Lucas county, Ohio," covering the period 1838-1886. The first entry records the meeting, on July 28, 1838, at the house of Hiram Clark, of the directors, of District No. 3, George Black, Charles Gun, and Hiram Clark, appointed "for the ensewing year" by the town clerk. The directors "organized according to law," and voted "that a site for a Schoolhouse in said district be as near a geographical Center as Suitable Ground Could be had." On August 7th, at 8 A. M., the board of directors met and "proceeded to view the ground, and stuck a stake for said site on a piece of ground near the quarter post on the north line of Section Five, Township Seven." On November 24, 1838, householders met, according to appointment, "for the purpose of building a Schoolhouse," and Commenced Chopping the logs." On the "29 of Nov. the district met and raised a Schoolhouse."


The next entry in the book records a mecting, at the house of George Black, of the "householders of School District No. 3, Swan Creek, Lucas County," who voted "that we have three month School, to commence during the month of August next, to be taught by a female." Whether school was held in August of 1839 cannot be de- termined. Later it was the practice of the clerk to enter in the book the name of teacher and the amount paid, or agreed to be paid, the teacher for his, or her, services. The first such entry was under date of December 2, 1840, the record stating that "Gideon W. Raymon (d) was employed to teach school for three months, in District No. 3, for forty-five Dollars." . This, after meeting of November 14th had passed a resolution "that the school be kept three months the ensuing win- ter by a male teacher," another motion providing "that the windows be furnished with glass." Apparently, if school was held during the previous year, the window spaces were open, or were covered with oil paper.


During the winter of 1841, Harriet O'Brien opened the school on November 15th, for three months, the directors agreeing to pay her $1.50 a weck. Part of her term, because of sickness, was taken by Miss Huldah Merrill. The financial statement for that year showed:


Public moncy received $15.84


Money collected from the district 2.16


$18.00


which is somewhat less than would be necessary to cover the require-


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


ments of even a small school district of today, small as is the remunera- tion of present-day teachers.


The $200 necessary to meet the cost of erection of new frame school- house, which the houesholders of the district resolved, on April 23, 1843, to be caused to be built, was to be raised by assessment, collect- able on November 15, 1843. This apparently was not accomplished, for it was not until 1846 that the contractor was paid, an entry March 18, 1846, reading: "This day Settled with Bradly Wood, & paid him fifty-one dollars, by giving order on the treasurer, which being all that remained his due for building School house."


On October 20, 1844, B. Wood "was employed as School teacher two months at $12.50 per month." A summer school was conducted in 1845 by Mary M. Barnett, a certificated teacher, who taught for three months, from April 21st, at a weekly salary of $1.25. Charles Thompson taught the winter school of that year for $12 a month. Jane (or James) Templeton taught the summer school of 1846; and on September 16th the directors met, and resolved "that a tax of six- teen dollars be levied for the purpose of paying the District debt, and repairs and furnishing the schoolhouse." On May 3rd of the next year, the directors resolved "to call for an abstract, and collect the tax of Sixteen Dollars." Pay of teacher, Bethulia Day, properly certif- icated, for the winter term of three months, 1849-50, cost the dis- trict, in all, $18, which was paid to her at the end of the school term.


Forty-four students were enrolled for the summer school of 1851, taught by Hannah Morel (or Merel, maybe Merrill). J. W. Taft conducted the winter school of 1851-52, in District No. 4, which ap- parently served District No. 3 also, for a monthly salary of sixteen dollars. At the end of the term, he was "paid $29.96 cents out of District No. 4, and $18.04 cents out of District No. 3"; and his quar- terly report, "ending with the sixth day of March, 1852" showed that "the hole number of schoollars enroled for the Quarter was thirty fur male and twenty females," of whom nine females and eleven males were from District No. 3. The report further stated that "The branches taught were Reading, Spelling, Writing, Geography, Grammar, and Arithmatick."


There were eight voters, at the school board election in District No. 4, Fulton Township, April 12, 1852.


One entry in 1852 reads:


"A Contract between Teacher and Directors. it is agreed between Thomas Martin and Benjamin Fleming, School Directors in District No. 4, Fulton Township, Ohio, and Esther Merrill Teacher in said District that the said Directors Shall pay to the said Teacher the sum of (14) fourteen shillings a week for the term of twelve weeks."


In the abnormal times during and immediately succeeding the Civil war, when prices and costs advanced almost beyond credence, the school directors were careful in the placing of contracts. Lisa Lucas taught the winter school of 1864, the directors to secure her serv- ices being forced to agree to pay her a salary of one dollar a day, she ineeting them to the extent of agreeing, states the record, "to stop any time we think she dont earn her money." A somewhat similar understanding was that of April 11, 1865, when Miss Mary Fraker was "hired to teach a common school, in Dist. No. 4 .. .. for three


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


dollars per week, subjeet to quit the schooll at any time she dont give satisfaction ...... She teaches twenty-two days for a month."


In the early years, the heating of the school was borne by the householders, who were expected to contribute wood in proportion to the number of children sent for tuition. What that contribution should be was decided by the school directors on April 14, 1851, when they resolved "that a quarter of a cord of wood, or twelve and a half cents to the scholar" be assessed householders, the amount presumably covering one winter term of sehool. This practice seems to have been discontinued, for the book records that, on November 26, 1864, the directors met "for the purpose of selling wood for school purpose," the entry stating that "John Watkins being the lowest bidder at one dollar & 23 cts per cord is to get ten cords of wood at a cost of $12.30." It is clear, however, that the directors met to buy wood, not to sell it, for on March 18, 1865, John Wesley Watkins was paid $12.33 "for ten cords of wood." In 1867, the direetors bought wood for the school


FAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL, FORMERLY FAYETTE NORMAL UNIVERSITY BUILDING.


at $1.19 a cord; in 1868 at $1.14; in 1871 at $1.00; in 1873 at 87 cents; in 1877 at 75 cents; and in 1879 at 60 cents, which is the low- est rate recorded.


Quite a story precedes the ultimate purchase of a stove for the school. Probably, there was an open fireplace in the log schoolhouse, but evidently a stove must have been lent, for "a meeting of the voters . held pursuant to Law and public notice, at the house of Hiram Clark" on September 15, 1843, had to consider compensation that should be paid to the owner of stove, for damage done to it. It was resolved "that a tax of three Dollars be levied on the district and col- lected, for the purpose of paying George Black for the damage on his stove in the old schoolhouse." Next, came an entry: "January 20, 1845, School District No. 2, Dr. to Charles Gunn, for drawing and setting the stove up in the Schoolhouse, thirty-seven cents." Having a new frame schoolhouse, the school directors apparently soon became


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


of the opinion that they might legitimately expect the householders to agree to the expending of the sum necessary to provide the school with a stove of its own. Therefore, a special meeting of the voters was called, and in due course, on March 8, 1845, they met at the schoolhouse. Isaac Day, states the minute, "Submitted the following resolution for a tax of fifty Dollars, on putting the vote it was Car- ried ...... five voting for the tax and three against it ...... Said tax to be levied for the purpose of paying for a Stove and pipe, and School Directors, and brick for a hearth, a well & Cobbles." Another meeting of the voters was held soon afterwards, on April 10, 1845, at which meeting it was decided "by a unanamos vote" to rescind the vote taken on the 8th of March, 1845, for a "fifty dollar tax," which was declared to be illegal; which decision ended for some years the chance of the school possessing a stove of its own. However on April 14, 1851, the subject was again broached at a meeting of directors, and Charles Gunn, district clerk, recorded the following in the minutes of the meeting:


"James Watkins submitted the following resolution that a tax of ten dollar; be leved to purchase a stove and other nesaserses for the School house and was carried by a unanamous vote."


Again, however, the directors were to be disappointed, for across that minute the incoming chairman of the board, in the following month wrote, in a bold hand, "illegal procedings on the 14 of April 1851." However, such a state of affairs could not continue for long, and at a special meeting of the voters, held on the 19th of May, of that year, "thare wase a tax voted of Seventeen dollars, for the pur- pose of bying a Stove and brick for a hearth, bucket, and dipper & repairs for the Schoolhouse, and other purposes." The end of the story came on "November 22, A. D. 1851" when "An order ishued for twelve dollars, for to get a stove by William Critzer and James Wat- kins. Signed by me, John Watkins, Clark, and handed to Thomas Martin and William Critzer to purchase the stove, and they said they paid ten dollars for the stove." So that instead of paying fifty dollars, they eventually purchased one for ten, and, during the years of negotia- tion, apparently had the free use of a stove of fairly presentable ap- pearance.


Conditions in general seemed to be getting back to normal in the '70s, for there is one entry recording the hiring of one teacher, Martha Herrick, "to teach summer school, for three months, at $18, and board herself." Formerly, the teachers used to "board around"; e. g., would stay a week or two in the home of one householder, a week or two in another, and so on until the end of the term, the householders giv- ing the pedagogue free board and lodging.


One final extract from the book. In 1878, the schoolhouse under- went repairs. apparently somewhat extensive interior repairs. Yet, the cost of window lights, door lock, paint brushes, lath, digging and haul- ing two loads of sand, four barrels of lime, and the labor of four men, painting, plastering and what not, for three days, totalled only to $23.08.


It will therefore be seen, in a reading of the foregoing excerpts from the actual record of a school district of Fulton county, how econ- omically the early school administrators sought to carry on the school


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


development. Economy was necessary. Schools also were necessary, indeed vital. And the directors, although some were men of little academie knowledge, were earnest and determined to build the school system safely. And although this particular book, because of its ac- cessibility, has been reviewed somewhat extensively, a similar history probably could be written of the pioneer period of most of the school distriets of the county. Reference to individual districts will have appropriate place in the township chapters; consequently it will suffice here to give only the general history of the school system.


A graphie picture of early school life, at least of one of its phases, is seen in some reminiscent verse, entitled "Old Times in Ottokee," contributed to one of the local papers, in June, 1913, by "Rock" Handy Rice. a well-known and popular member of an old Fulton county family. In part, the rhyme reads :


"Of course there was the old schoolhouse-I will use that as a starter-


Presided o'er with dignity, by the then Miss Julia Carter ;


Let me right here record a scene, which happened at that time;


It should be told in terms of grief, and not in jingling rhyme.


First, spelling elass were up in line-toes even with a crack,


When a mysterious sound was heard, at the poor teacher's back.


A sudden turn revealed the truth (it often happens so)


She caught Roek Handy in the act of spitting at George Monroe:


'Just take your place upon that desk, and stand with folded arms'


Came forth the words from Julia, in tones like war's alarms ;


And then she brought a hickory switch, and, calling for my hand,


She played a tune upon it-the tune would beat the band.


Back to the class again she turned, I will ne'er forget the day


When I stood upon that darned old desk-Mad! Not a word dare say;


And the worst of all came after, ere I had a chance to dodge:


'Roxea Handy's laughing' spake out Cordelia Hodge.


Again the switch was brought in play, this time with warmer sting.


And even now, at this late day, its echo seems to ring.


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


The old schoolhouse, with its two rooms, through some unlucky stroke,


Caught fire in an unknown way, and all went up in smoke."


Human nature was very much the same then as now, only in the Fulton county schools of today the teacher may not use the switch.


The first school to be established in Fulton county was probably that organized in Pike Township, in 1835. In "Pioneer Days in Pike Township," Mrs. Agnes Howard McClarren, of Winameg, states: "The first school was taught in 1835. in a log hut located on the Silsby farm, by Elizabeth Trowbridge, who afterwards became the wife of William Fewless. She is remembered as a woman of strong char- acter. She believed in social advancement, and the influence of re- ligious living. The schoolhouse was later removed to where the Salis-


THE AMPLE PLAYGROUND OF WAUSEON GRADED SCHOOL.


bury Cemetery now is, afterwards returned to Thomas Silsby's Cor- ners, where it now remains under the name of "Pike Centre School." Other townships quickly followed, organizing school districts almost simultaneously with the organization of the township. In the '40s and '50s, schoolhouses were abundant; seemed to blossom wherever a little community had taken root. And in later years, it seemed to those connected with the school system that such multiplication of schools was not only an extravagance, but a detriment. The early directors were however governed by the general conditions of the time, the most important factor in determining their policy being the manner and means of travel. In a practically roadless country, even adults did not care to go far from home. As the years passed, and conditions of travel improved, the school directors seemed to veer gradually to consolidation of schools. J. W. Roseborough, writing in 1876, stated :


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY


"The evil of an excessive multiplication of school districts has been abundantly exemplified in this (German) township. In 1862 we had no less than eighteen school districts, and resolved to ...... reduce the number. Instead of eighteen, we now have eleven sub-districts. . . .


...; so that in the matter of schoolhouses we have saved at least $5,000 .. Instead of eighteen teachers we now need but eleven, a saving every year ...... of $1,000 ...... Instead of little 8x10 rickety wooden shantie- heretofore built, we are now able and do ereet large commo- dious and substantial brick houses. In room of niggardly house sites of 30 by 40 feet, we now have a full acre of land to each house, fur- nishing a site and also a safe and ample playground. Instead of being pushed for means, as formerly, to keep up sixteen or eighteen schools for six months, we now have money, plenty when judiciously used, for from seven to nine months of live vigorous teaching."


J. W. Roseborough, himself a teacher in early manhood and throughout his life an interested and strong advocate of better schools, would surely have been pleased had he lived to see the fine centralized schools of Fulton and Chesterfield Township, a change in school policy developed to some extent by the incessant agitation of sueh men as he, who constantly used the columns of local papers to further the thought. The editor of the "Fulton County Tribune" wrote, on Janu- ary 8, 1904: "For a number of years the most ardent friends of the country schools have been advising that the schools of a township be conducted in one building, erected near the center of the township."




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