USA > Ohio > Hardin County > A twentieth century history of Hardin County, Ohio : a narrative account of its historical progress its people and principal interests, Vol. I > Part 35
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Rosalie Circle, No. 8, which is under the jurisdiction of the Grand Grove, United Ancient Order of Druids of the United States, was insti- tuted May 19, 1892. The present officers are: Chaplain, Margaret Marty ; D. D. S. A., Anna Lick; A. D., Josephine Reed; First B., Marie Bush ; Second B., Phoebe Shutte; Treasurer, Anna Smith; Secretary, Anna Lintz; Conductor, Kate Libold; Guards, Elizabeth Clark and Anna Lick; Captain, Elizabeth Schrader.
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KENTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. As early as 1853 an organization ex- isted in Kenton known as the Kenton Library Association, which was formed for the purpose of ultimately establishing a public library for the growing city. It was also for the purpose of bringing noted men to the town to lecture, and on February 21, 1855, the first lecture was given by the afterward celebrated Horace Mann, of whom Ohio is justly proud. In 1856, February 11, Sunset Cox gave the next lecture, though in the interval several Kenton citizens had lectured. In December, 1856, Dr. Parke Goodwin gave a lecture, and the association also had
PUBLIC LIBRARY, KENTON, OIIIO
Schuyler Colfax and other men of national reputation here in later years. The officers chosen in February, 1857, were: President, Judge Bain ; vice president, Hugh Letson ; secretary, G. A. Stewart ; treasurer. William Cary, and the board of directors: A. S. Ramsey, J. A. Rogers, Daniel Barron, W. W. Nixon and W. L. Walker. A little later a very successful literary and dramatic entertainment. with E. T. Bogardus as stage manager, was given, but when the Civil war came on and the country was occupied with more important matters, the organization died out.
In February, 1886, a meeting of the leading citizens of Kenton was held in the office of the Champion Iron Company to discuss plans for the opening of a library for the city, and E. P. Dean was made chair- man, with William M. Beckman as sceretary. So rapidly did the officers work in connection with public spirited citizens that in August of the same year a room was opened in the Pfeiffer block above the present Vol. I-22
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Commercial Bank rooms, with a modest supply of good fiction, biography and historical volumes. A charter for the Kenton Library Association was secured from General James S. Robinson, then secretary of the state of Ohio, and everything promised success for the new undertaking. The incorporators were: F. D. Bain, G. J. Carter, H. C. Koller, E. P. Dean, F. O. Hanson and Robert S. Innes.
At first funds were solicited from prominent citizens and occas- ionally entertainments were given to add new books to the shelves. Many leading citizens also contributed books, among whom were Dr. B. F. Cessna, Major Enos Ilopkins, H. C. Koller, all of whom gave fine donations. Mr. George E. Crane has always been at the head of the book purchasing committee, and to his wide knowledge and exeellent judgment is due much of the credit for the high standard that has always been kept up in selecting books for the library. When the state law giving public libraries a one mill tax was passed, the Kenton library ceased to solieit aetively from citizens and the entertainments also eeased to a great extent.
About the time Andrew Carnegie was making sueh liberal offers to the cities of the United States for public libraries, Kenton secured the handsome donation of $20,000 from this great man and work was immediately begun on the present beautiful building on North Detroit street. The location was the gift of Lewis Merriman, and was valued when ready for the erection of the library at $10,000. The library is one of which a much larger eity might well be proud, and is furnished in a manner befitting its other appoint- ments. The vestibule, or general office, is of white marble with tiled floor, and the woodwork is the best to be obtained anywhere. Large racks for books occupy the central portion of the building to the west, back of the desks for the librarian and her assistant, and to the north and LEWIS MERRIMAN KENTON'S LIBRARY BENEFACTOR south are light, large, airy reading rooms, which are well patronized by Kenton's citizens and school children. In the basement is a fine assembly room, with toilet rooms and a room for storage purposes. The heating plant is also loeated there.
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On February 17, 1905, some months after the library had been moved to the present location from the Pfeiffer block, the dedication was held with appropriate ceremonies. Dr. G. J. Carter, the president of the board of trustees, gave an interesting address, reviewing the work of the library, and the late Hon. F. C. Dougherty formally received the library in behalf of the citizens of Kenton, declaring it open for use.
Miss Pansy Pearce was the first librarian, holding the place until 1892, when Miss Margaret Rogers was appointed. Miss Rogers served until February, 1906, when Miss Keziah Moore was chosen to fill the vacancy made by the resignation of Miss Rogers. Miss Hattie Otis is the present assistant librarian. To the librarians is due much of the success of the library, as they have ever been faithful, competent and helpful. At present there are about 5,000 volumes in the library, and a good reading room is kept up, where may be found a wide range of the lead- ing periodicals and newspapers. The present trustees are: F. D. Bain. W. A. Norton, James H. Allen, W. F. Damon, P. M. Crow, H. C. Koller and T. C. Mahon. Mr. Mahon is president and Mr. Allen secretary of the board. The book purchasing committee are: George E. Crane, P. M. Crow and Rev. Henry Katterjohn.
HARDIN COUNTY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION. The first attempt ever made to form an association of school teachers in Hardin county was on June 21. 1856, when a preliminary meeting was held in Kenton for that purpose. However, the first organization was not made until May 13, 1866, when Rev. Benjamin Waddle. E. Kaufman, J. Sieg. W. C. Rogers, C. F. McCoy and H. S. Lehr started a movement that resulted in a permanent organization. The first officers were: President, B. F. Waddle; vice presidents, A. P. Cutting, W. C. Rogers and Mary A. Simon ; secretary, Claudius F. McCoy; treasurer, Miss Beek Bain, and executive committee, Rev. George B. Castor and Mattie Waddle. After some successful teachers' institutes, the association died out, and it was not reorganized until February 27, 1869, when W. H. II. Avery, H. S. Lehr and C. F. McCoy again agitated the movement and a permanent association was formed that has lasted till the present day. A short institute was held that year, August 8-12, at Ada, Ohio, with HI. S. Lehr as the leading instructor, which was quite a successful affair. Colonel A. S. Ramsey, of Kenton, lectured on that occasion to the little band of teachers gathered together.
From the year 1870 the Teachers' Association has enjoyed a steady period of growth. Each year an institute has been held, lasting from one to two weeks, and the instructors represent the best talent in the educational world for the state of Ohio each year. The institute derives its funds from taxation, or a share of the funds obtained from fees for teachers' certificates, and during most years a fee for registration has been charged, thus giving ample funds to hire instructors and procure
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the services of many eminent lecturers. For a long time quarterly institutes were held three times each year, in addition to the annual long session, at the various smaller towns throughout the county, but at pres- ent all the one-day sessions are held at the high school building at Kenton, as are the annual meetings.
Among the many noted educators who have instructed the teachers of Hardin county in the past might be mentioned those best known, among whom were: Edward P. Dean, Oscar T. Corson, L. D. Bonebrake, T. C. Ferguson, C. L. Van Cleve, Superintendent Van Fossen, Arthur Powell, JJ. A. Simpkins, S. D. Fess, Warren Darst, J. W. Zellars, C. C. Miller. H. B. Williams, Il. S. Lehr and J. A. Culler This list represents college presidents, authors of text books, school superintendents, pro- fessors and members of the state board of school examiners, as well as the leading educators and authorities on school subjects of this and other states. Among the noted lecturers have been Bishop Bashford of the Methodist Episcopal church; F. B. Dyer, superintendent Cincinnati public schools; Professor Edward Nelson, of the O. W. U .; IIon. F. B. Willis, President C. C. Miller, President H. S. Lehr, and all the men who have held the office of state school commissioner since 1880.
At present the membership reaches nearly three hundred, and the officers are : Hugh E. Stevenson, president, and Miss Laura Hutchinson, , secretary.
TYMOCHTEE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION. The first school taught in the southeast corner of Pleasant township that there is any record of, was in a little log cabin near the bank of the Scioto river, in what was then Buck township. At that time Buck township extended to some distance on the north side of the river, but later the river was made the boundary between Buck and Pleasant. Eri Strong was the first teacher in this school and received forty dollars for seventy-two days services and boarded himself, school beginning December 7, 1840. Samuel Wagner was the district clerk. The next teacher was Elizabeth Davis, who taught a summer school at seven dellars per month and boarded around among the neighbors, the school month consisting of twenty-four days. Following her came Robert Millar, who was afterward county surveyor, and later, county auditor. He taught for thirteen dollars per month of twenty-four days, and the term commenced in December, 1841. Daniel Cabel being clerk of the district at that time.
There seems to have been no summer school that year, but the fol- lowing December, the 12th of the month, William Williams took charge of the school at nine dollars per month. Mr. Williams also taught the next term, beginning in December, 1843. He was followed by John Frenck in November, 1844, at twelve dollars per month, and the term consisted of four months of twenty-four days each. Then came a sum- mer school taught by Sophia Ewing for a dollar and a quarter per week,
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the term lasting three months. At this time Shepard Green, the father of the man who afterward became governor of Kansas, was the district clerk. In the winter of 1845-6 Resin Widner taught the school and Joseph Westcott, in the winter of 1846-7, followed by another summer school conducted by Sophia Ewing. On November 22, 1847, the directors of district No. 1 in Buck and Pleasant townships met and hired Abner W. Johnson to teach for three months at thirteen dollars per month. At that time Daniel Cable was the clerk.
In the spring of 1848 the territory comprising old district No. 1 was divided, that district retaining all the territory south of the base line of Pleasant township which is now the Scotttown pike. North of that line it was to be known as district No. 2, and this was the beginning of the Tymochtee school. Tymochtee is a Wyandot Indian word and signifies "Around the Plains," a name given to a stream encircling the plains of Wyandot county. It was near the headwaters of the Little Tymochee that a schoolhouse was erected in the summer and fall of 1848, the remembrance of which brings happy memories to the scholars who are yet in the land of the living.
On May 6, 1848, the board of education of Pleasant township created a school sub-district No. 2, composed of the east half of Section 34, all of Sections 35 and 36, with some adjacent territory, and ordered that a school house be built in the geographical center of this district. The schoolhouse was located one-fourth mile east of the center of Section 35, on the northwest corner of John Pfeiffer's eighty acres of land, right in the primeval forest and one-half mile from any road. The cit- izens of the neighborhood donated the work of clearing the site and hauled together some huge boulders to serve for a foundation. A car- penter was hired to erect a substantial building 20 by 22 feet, made of white ash weather-boarded with black walnut. It has a white ash floor and was ceiled with first class linn timber, planed and joined. This building was afterwards moved to Kenton and stood on West Franklin street until the summer of 1909, when it was torn down to make way for two new dwellings.
The only shop-made articles of furniture in the new schoolhouse were a backless chair donated by some generous patron, and a huge cast iron stove re-enforced by a large sheet iron drum of magnificent propor- tions. The seats for the scholars were benches of various lengths, made of heavy timber and slabs from the saw mill, most of them with one leg shorter than its mates, which caused the seat to make gyrating move- ments and led the occupants to believe they were going to take a dive to the rear. One bench was made of particularly heavy timbers about six by eight inches, and the legs of this inclined too much to the per- pendicular, which caused it to frequently come down with a bang, caus- ing the natives of the vicinity, not knowing what was the matter, to imagine a thunder storm was brewing.
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Before the new schoolhouse was finished, Sophia Ewing taught a summer school, in the summer of 1848, in an abandoned log house on the corner of Henry L. Wagner's land, Section 34. This school lasted three months, during which time the teacher boarded around and received fifteen dollars for the entire term. Among the pupils was a little auburn haired lad named Neamiah Green, who afterward became Governor of Kansas. The first term taught in the new schoolhouse was in the winter of 1848-9 by Oliver Perry Draper, a seemingly mild man- nered young man, but terrible as an army with banners when aroused, as some of the pupils found out to their sorrow before the term was ended. Many of the scholars who were present at the opening of this famous school are still living, and recall with pleasure the memory of those smooth white walls all ready for Barlow knives and lead pencils. Before very long those spotless white walls were covered with car- icatures and hieroglyphics, which none but the initiated could decipher. It was an ideal place to study, with nothing on the outside to attract attention.
"We, the scholars, penned the teacher out on Christmas day and he made no effort to get in, but made a bee line through the woods to John Pfeiffer's house and brought back half a bushel of little apples partly frozen, which he poured on the floor and allowed the children to scramble for them. We considered it quite a treat, as apples were apples in those days. We tried the same game on the next teacher, Moses Louthan, but were not so successful. We succeeded in luring him out to take part in some game, leaving, as we supposed, sufficient force to guard the house, but little Moses came on with a rush and tried a battering ram on the door. He failed to budge it, so he took a big club and broke in one of the east windows, climbing in over the heads of the boys stationed to guard the window. That ended our attempts to bar out the teacher, as the directors lectured us severely on the destruction of publie property.
"We had hotly contested spelling schools in those days, each school having its champion spellers who struggled bravely to be the last on the floor. Sometimes they would exhaust the old spelling book and begin on the dictionary, before all the champions would be downed. While all took a lively interest in the spelling, yet if a young man could man- age to be seated by his best girl out of the glare of the flashing tallow candles, he didn't care whether school kept or not. Those were haleyon days, and some not so halcyon bordering on the strenuous, but most of us would go back and live them all over again if we could. So we plodded along through the fifties, until the fall of 1860, when Joseph Weldin was our teacher. We began to hear mutterings of the giant conflict that was coming, and we big boys were somewhat elated at the prospect of becoming soldiers in the United States army. Our teacher gravely warned us, saying: 'There are few who live to come back,' and
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that dampened our ardor a little. Nevertheless, quite a number of our old class went to the conflict. Of the sixteen scholars who went to the front from the old school just eight came back. Joseph Weldin was killed in front of Vicksburg."
Along about 1861 Tymochtee district was abolished and the ter- ritory eut up into new districts. Part of Tymochtee went to the present Gray Eagle and part to Henpeck. The little schoolhouse in the woods was moved to Kenton, where it stood many years as a dwelling house on West Franklin street. It was torn down in the summer of 1909 to make way for two new dwelling houses. Of the one hundred and fifty scholars who attended this school, from 1848 to 1861, fifty-two are known to be dead and seventy-five living. Of the rest nothing is known.
The list of teachers is as follows: Oliver Perry Draper, Moses Louthan, Eunice Smith, Jane Morse, Nathaniel Williamson, William Louthan, Rachael A. Williamson. Gilbert Russell. Serena Davis, Har- riet E. Wysong. James C. Hutchinson, Julia Howe, Elizabeth Hosman. Sarah J. McCormick, George B. Castor, Katherine Jenkins and Joseph Weldin. Several of the above names taught two terms and some of them three. In all twenty-six terms were taught, from the close of the Mexican war in 1846 to the beginning of the Civil war in 1861. The teachers are all dead but Mrs. Julia Howe Show, of Dunkirk, and Mrs. Sarah Jane McCormick Davis, of Kenton.
The Tymochtee School Association is a fraternal organization com- posed of members of the old school in the woods. They meet annually to live over the old days and recall the "lost sunshine of youth." All who attended the school are eligible for membership. The present offi- cers are : President, Joel L. Russell; vice president, John F. Cremblebine; secretary, William H. H. Wagner, and treasurer, Mrs. George Peiffer.
The names of the scholars who attended Tymochtee school follow : Of the Burdett family there were Mary. John and Becky: and of the Baker family, Daniel, Martha, John, Susan, Annette, Sarah and George. Then came the following: George Battles; William Bedell; Susanna, George, Mary and Margaret Brewster; John and Grace Brown; William Burger; John and Anna Castor; J. N. Carothers; Nathaniel, Clarissa. John P., Emma, Isaac and Daniel Cook; Isabel Dysert ; Rachael. Emma, Christian and Burr Earhart: George Ellsasser; John and Adam Fry ; John, George and Christ. Gerlach; Johanna Hartman ; Margaret, Eliz- abeth, Daniel, Mary, Minnie and George Hile; Elizabeth, Lewis and Sarah Hosman; Asa, Jane and Omer Houser; Sallie, Ida and Eva Johnson ; Solomon Kimery; John Kreinbihl; David, William, John. Katherine, Lizzie and Daniel Kremblebine ; Eliza, Samuel, Jones, Hester, Aaron, Sarah, Mary, Ruth, Martha. William. Mary M. and John Lambert ; Andrew Libolt; Isabel Libolt; John, William, Alexander, Oliver, Mary, Martha, Phoebe and Lot Moore; Samuel and Lillie
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MeGahey; Lydia J. Neptune; Samuel O'Neal; Elizabeth and Harriet O'Neal; Amelia, Ann, Ehnore, Sarah, Isabel, Albert, Margaret, Polly, Samuel, Anna and John Osbun; George, Elizabeth, John and Barbara Pfeiffer ; Burton Paneake; William Pitt; Anna Roads; G. B., Joel and Richard Russell ; Henry N., J. M., William and Mitehell Smith; D. C., Celestia and Mary Smith; Henry M., Cyrun and Elizabeth Shingle; George, Betty, Casper, John, Ann Eliza and Margaret Stoll; William Sehriner; Sara Shingledecker; Nancy Troxel, Christ. and Louisa Ushman ; Levi, Katherine, Daniel HI., Mary A., Margaret, Samuel T., Phoebe, P. V., Mary E., William H. H., Jacob S., Thomas and Catherine Wagner; Eliza Wilson; David Gurkle; Martha J. Long; Jane Johnson and Mollie Johnson ; Shepherd and Nehemiah Green; Nancy and Fanny Green ; Julius Sehoonover and George Baker.
THE KENTON CENTER OF UNIVERSITY EXTENSION. The Kenton Center of University Extension was organized in 1896, under the auspices of the University Association of Chicago. Two full courses, the first being Universal History, and the second Universal Literature, were completed under the direction of the University Association, sinee which time the Center has outlined its own course of study independ- ently. Regular meetings are held each Monday night during the ses- sions of the public schools, at the elub room of the public library, from 7 to 9 p. m.
For several years, one hour each evening has been devoted to the study of Shakespeare, and the second hour to more miscellaneous subjects. At present, this second hour is devoted to a thorough study of the British Isles, with their geography, scenery, architecture, history of their people, literature, and art.
The following officers are serving for 1909-10: President, Mrs. A. S. McKitrick ; secretary, Miss Libbie Griffith, and treasurer, Mrs. J. W. Caine. Members are: Mrs. J. W. Caine, Mrs. J. S. Wetherill, Mrs. Harry Belt ; Miss L. Kate Hanly, Miss Mae Emptage, Miss Libbie Griffith, Mrs. O. P. Wilson, Miss Julia Weaver, Miss Irminda Banning, Miss Clara Beckman, Miss Jessie Myers, Miss Vesta Ray, Mrs. J. C. Poling and Mrs. A. S. MeKitriek. The first requirement for member- ship in the Kenton Center of University Extension is a sincere interest in the subjects under discussion. Applicants must be recommended by a member and receive a majority of the votes of the membership.
The Tuesday Club of Kenton was organized in 1902, with fourteen members, having for its object the mutual improvement of its members in the literature and history of America. The first officers were: Miss Alma Brunner, president; Mrs. Frank MeNeal, vice president; Mrs. Walter Jones, secretary. The program committee: Mrs. Will Clark, Mrs. Ernest Bliss, Mrs. Walter Jones. Membership limited to eighteen.
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The active members were Mrs. Ernest Bliss, Miss Alma Brunner, Mrs. Will Clark, Mrs. Carl Ellis, Mrs. Eber Hubbard, Mrs. Walter Jones, Mrs. Chas. Lewis, Mrs. Harry Lewis, Mrs. Wilbert McCoy, Mrs. Frank McNeal, Mrs. Robert Nason, Mrs. Elmer Protzman and Mrs. Alice Ripley. The club was federated in 1907. Since organizing it has studied England, Germany, Russia, Japan, France and America. Its members have also entertained all the other clubs in town on various occasions, provising a lecturer on some interesting topie, besides having social functions. Of the charter members only four remain in town, the others having moved away. The present officers are: Mrs. W. E. McCoy, president ; Mrs. J. E. Thomas, vice president; Mrs. Fred Machetanz, secretary and treasurer.
The Kenton Thespian Society was organized in February, 1875, with D. S. Fisher, president and stage manager; W. S. Robinson, sec- retary ; George Cary, treasurer, and J. W. Binckley, musical director. The members of this organization must have been very diligent in their work, for on March 19th, about a month after the society was formed, they gave an amateur performance at the opera house called "The Golden Farmer," which was described in the Kenton papers of that week as a great success. George Cary, J. W. Binckley F. D. Bain, John Fecker. D. S. Fisher, W. S. Robinson, H. J. Miller, J. B. Fletcher, Florence I. Young (Mrs. Webb C. Ball), Maggie Collins, Belle Campbell and Rose Criswell took the leading parts. A little later the same cast gave "My Neighbor's Wife," and Mr. Binckley, Miss Collins and George Cary were mentioned as the star performers. This society con- tinued for a number of years and gave some good amateur perform- ances, under the direction of D. S. Fisher, but after four or five years was allowed to die out. About the same time, or a little earlier, J. II. Smich was the manager of another Thespian society which also gave creditable plays in various places, among which was "Ten Nights in a Bar Room."
In 1896 a musical and literary society (St. Cecelia) for the study of musical composers and their works was organized at Kenton, Ohio, with Miss Jessie Mary Beckman as president. The aim of the members, as formulated in the constitution of the club, was to stimulate an appre- ciation for the works of the best composers and to become better ac- quainted with their lives. To this end papers are read by various members, and the best compositions of the celebrities played at the meetings. The St. Cecelia Society has grown and flourished during the few years of its existence, and has in its membership the musical peo- ple of Kenton and vicinity. The St. Cecelia presidents since its foundation have been : 1896, Miss Jessie M. Beckman; 1898, Mrs. Lillian Dunn Snodgrass; 1899, Mrs. Sarah Chase Walker; 1900, Mrs. Effie S.
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Black; 1901, Mrs. James Watt; 1902, Mrs. Cedric Johnson; 1903, Miss Katherine Weaver; 1906, Mrs. Mary Hathaway; 1907, Miss Edna Wise ; 1907, Mrs. Ilarriet Tyson; 1908, Miss Jessie Beckman.
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