USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > A twentieth century history of Trumbull County, Ohio; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 27
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An advertisement for the Warren Academy, April 22, 1828. says that the summer term will begin on the 12th day of May, and the department for boys will be abont as it was before.
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"In addition to this, arrangements have been made whereby an apartment in the building will be appropriated exclusively for the accommodation of girls, in which will be taught all the useful and many of the ornamental branches of education."
The first teachers were Messrs. Cunningham and Johnson. After that Rufus P. Spaulding, Reuben Case, Jacob Osborne, Captain Thompson, Miss Clarissa Norton (Mrs. General Curtis), David L. Cole, Ralph Hickox, Irene Hickox (Mrs. Scranton), John Crowell, Mr. Babbitt, Seklen Haines, A. Cad- walader, Mr. Harlow, Anderson Dana, Morris Iddings and Francis Gillette. The early accounts of this academy never seem to discount the ability of these teachers to teach, but a great deal is said about their ability or inability to govern. The right of people in authority to domineer over those under them in the state, in the school, in the home, was never for a minute doubted. In a history published by Williams & Brothers, in 1882, we find the following :
"Corporal punishment was at that time not only the usual, but the necessary way of enforcing obedience, even though it was an academy. Along one wall there was a bench about eighteen inches from the floor. Boys were pun- ished by being required to kneel and place their heads under this bench. A whole row might sometimes be seen thus bowed down and resting on their hands and knees. Vigorous and mexpected use of a long ruler as the master walked back and forth among the repentant line sent one head here and another there, thumping against the wall. Anderson Dana, the father of Junius, bore the reputation of being one of the best of teachers."
Francis Gillette was rigid in his discipline. He required per- fect recitations. For one error in reciting, a pupil received one stroke of the ruler. For the second, two, and so on. History records that John B. Harmon reached as high as sixty-four raps.
Discipline grows less strict in each succeeding year. In the report of 1875, under the paragraph "Punishment" of the rules and regulations. we find: "In inflicting corporal punish- ment-which should be resorted to only in cases of extreme necessity arising from flagrant and persistent disobedience-10 other instrument shall be used but a common rod. The hands and head shall be exempt." While nowadays, if a teacher whose
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pupil is most disobedient uses a ruler or a stiek on his hand, or if he shakes a girl or slaps a boy, parents are outraged.
Papers in the possession of old residents of Warren show that in the early days of the academy studies were paid for separately. Bills still kept by descendants of the original parents who sent children to school read: Arithmetie, so much ; Geography, so much ; and so on. They were also credited with cord wood, because the pupils were obliged to furnish the fire.
Mr. Lewis Morris Iddings, in "Sketch of the Early Days of Warren," says :
"When the academy was completed, one of the first applicants for the position of head master was W. H. MeGuffey, afterward celebrated as the compiler of Eeleetic series of reading and spelling books and as president of Miami University, but then a young man living at Coits- ville. He presented himself before Dr. Eaton, George Swift and Mr. Oleott, who comprised the board of exam- iners. Mr. Swift. as well as Mr. Olcott, was a graduate of Yale College, and the examination was quite severe. Mr. MeGuffey failed and was rejected. Ile afterwards said the mortification he felt acted as an incentive for further study. to which he attributed his success in life.
* We can learn but little of the course of study pursned. It prob- ably comprised the ordinary branches of an English eduea- tion, with 'small Latin and less Greek.'"
This academy was a successful school, and many of Trum- bull County's first citizens obtained their education there.
Hon. T. J. MeLain Jr., who spent most of his life in Warren and was one of the most respected and beloved citizens of that city, wrote a "Historical Sketch of the Schools of Warren," a copy of which is now possessed by the city school board. Mr. MeLain attended these schools, afterwards was connected with his father in the banking business, was a member of the boards of education, vestryman in Christ church, and was for many years consul at Nassau, the Island of New Providence. He says :
". During the decade immediately preceding the organ- ization of the present graded schools the principal instrue- tors in Warren were Junins Dana, Prof. Bronson, William
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G. Darley, Martha Calendar ( Mrs. E. E. Iloyt), Martha and Fannie Dickey, Lney Clark, S. D. Harris, Dr. J. R. Woods, and a Baptist clergyman named Brown, who, by his persistent and merciless use of the rod, strap and forule, acquired a reputation for brutality which has never been equaled in the history of our schools. Being now dead, we will say to his remains what he never said to a pupil, ' Requiescat in pace."
"About 1844 Prof. Bronson established an Episcopal Female Seminary." This stood on the west portion of the lot now owned by Mr. Judd, on South street. "The project, however, not proving a success, he soon abandoned it, and opened a select school for boys and girls in the basement of the old Methodist Episcopal church, on the river bank. "Junius Dana, who was the leading educator from 1840 to 1848, generally tanght a select school in summer and a district school in winter, part of the time alone, and on several occasions in connection with Daniel Jagger. The select schools were held in the MeFarland block, in the academy, and in King's brick block on Main street.
"Wm. G. Darley, an English gentleman, also taught a select school in King's block [now the Wallace-Gillmer block] from 1846 to 1849, which was largely attended and quite snecessful.
"In 1844-45 three small Frame schoolhouses for dis- triet schools were built, one on the corner of School and Prospect streets, another on the north side of East High and the third south of the Canal, and were at the time regarded as an important adjunet to the educational facili- ties of the village.
" Under the system of district schools then extant, the school taxes were not collected, as now, by being placed upon the duplicate, but the directors were empowered to collect them, and in case of refnsal to pay they were author- ized to sne as in any other case of indebtedness. This gave rise sometimes to considerable litigation, and amusing instances are narrated in connection with such proceedings. At one time three of the wealthiest citizens in the village, dissatisfied with the schools, refused to pay their taxes; whereupon the directors levied upon the harness of one,
Vol. I-19
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the fat calf of another, and the wagon of the third, exposing these articles at public sale, at the court house door to the highest bidder, to the infinite amusement of those taxpayers who had cheerfully responded without process of law. This summary example, it is said, was potent for a long time in facilitating the collection of school taxes.
"The studies pursued in the select and district schools of this time were reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, grammar, geography, history, algebra, geometry, astron- omy, natural philosophy, chemistry, botany and geology, with a moderate amount of Latin and Greek; the higher branches were mostly taught in the select schools.
"About this time important changes were being made in the public school system of the state, with special refer- ence to the better regulation of schools in cities, towns and villages. And on February 21, 1849, a general act was passed by the legislature, the provisions of which seemed to meet the approval of many citizens of Warren. Jolin Hutchins delivered a public lecture upon the subject, and on March 31, 1849, a legal call was made for an election to decide whether the village should adopt the above men- tioned act. This call was signed by six resident freeholders, namely, Mathew Birchard, Leicester King, John B. Harmon, R. P. Raney, Milton Graham, L. J. Iddings.
"The election was held at the court house on April 10, 1849, B. F. Hoffman acting as chairman, Joseph Perkins as assistant chairman, and I. L. Fuller as clerk. The vote stood, for the law, 134; against the law, 22. So the law was adopted. On the 23rd of the same month, at an election, R. P. Ranney and George Tayler were elected to serve as mem- bers of the board of education for one year. M. Birchard and B. P. Jameson for two years, Joseph Perkins and John Hutchins for three years. The board organized on April 30th by choosing M. Birchard for president, John Hutchins for secretary, and George Tayler for treasurer. School examiners were appointed as follows, namely: Julian Harmon for one year, Jacob Perkins for two years, Rev. W. C. Clark for three years.
"After a very brief delay the board proceeded to organize a school under the law. A high school was estab- lished, under the charge of Miss Martha Dickey, in a two-
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story frame building, which stood on the site of the present brick structure on Monroe street. [By the "present struc- ture" Mr. MeLain meant the high school building which was torn down in 1882 to make room for the present build- ing.] The several frame school buildings, the property of the respective sub-districts under the old system, were utilized by the board, and other rooms were rented, so that six primary and secondary schools were opened during the summer months, tanght respectively by Fannie Dickey, Mary Brown, Amanda Brown, Elizabeth A. Tuttle, Mary Tillotson and Francis James. The salaries paid the teach- ers at this time were $4 per week in the high school and $3.50 in others. The price of tuition for foreign scholars was fixed at $3 per term in the high school and $1.50 per term in the primary.
"The following course of study was established: For primary and secondary schools-Eclectic Spelling Books, Eclectic First, Second and Third Readers, Wells' Elemen- tary Grammar, Thompson's Mental and Practical Arith- metie, Parley & Morse's Geography, and Wilson's History of the United States.
"For the high school-MeGuffey's Fifth Reader, Man- daville's Course of Reading, Morse's Geography, Wells' School Grammar, Thompson's Practical and Higher Arith- metic, Lumas' Algebra, Davies' Legrende Geometry, Davies' Surveying. Smith's Illustrated Astronomy, Par- ker's Natural Philosophy, Gray's Chemistry, Ackerman's Natural History, Cutler's Physiology, Wood's Botany, Wilson's American History, Hitchcock's Geology, Olen- dorff's French Grammar, Arnold's Latin and Greek series.
"During the summer arrangements were perfected so that upon the 10th of September, 1849, the first regular session of all the schools opened with the following corps of teachers, namely: M. D. Leggett, superintendent and principal of high school, with the salary of $700 per annum ; Miss Lucretia Wolcott, assistant in the high school, with a salary of $200 per annum; Miss Lucretia Pomeroy, prin- cipal of the grammar school, with a salary of $175 per annum; Martha Dickey, M. A. Booth, Lucia Cotton, Francis Jane, Amanda Brown, Marietta Leggett, in the primary and secondary schools, at $3.50 per week.
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" At the close of the first year M. D. Leggett [ who later was commissioner of patents] resigned the superintendency of the schools, and J. B. Cox was elected to fill the vacancy, entering upon his duties September 1. 1851, and serving for three years at a salary of $600 per annum."
In 1853 there were nine teachers employed in Warren in the schools, and the attendance was 542. "On September 1, 1854, Rev. James Marvin assumed charge as superintendent, occupying that position for eight years, at a salary of at first $900, then $1,000, and finally $1,200 per annum."
Mr. Whittlesey says: "The building occupied by the high school was built originally for a two-story carpenter shop, located on the south side of Monroe street. After it had been occupied a short time it was divided into two buildings to be nsed as dwelling houses;" one of these parts is now owned and occupied by Mrs. Mae B. Camp; the other half was moved to the east side of North Park avenue and owned by Mrs. A. J. Hart.
In 1839 the boys who attended Mr. Calendar's school were Samuel L. Freeman, Jefferson Pahn, James McMillan and George Seely.
In the early schools the ordinary branches were taught, but there were no special teachers. Music, drawing and penman- ship were taught in special schools. Ennice Towne, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, taught drawing and paint- ing. In 1844 M. J. A. Severance had a writing school, and the editor of the Chronicle says: "We would advise all who are deficient in the use of the pen to avail themselves of the oppor- tunity now presented to learn to write an elegant hand at a very small expense."
About this time Mrs. L. L. Chamberlin opened a school in Warren to teach "all the accomplishments necessary to female education." Sammel Quinby, John Hutchins and Edward Spear are given as reference. The year before-1843-Miss M. J. Reynolds opened a school for "Young Ladies."
In 1845 Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Bronson opened a school for young ladies, advertising that, "Foreign pupils may reside with his family. Term 16 weeks. $100 per year, including board, washing, fuel, lights and ordinary English education. All will be taught useful and ornamental branches."
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Martha and Franees (commonly called Fannie) Dickey were among the early teachers. In the fall of 1845 these two young women had a school of sixty scholars. Their mother says in a letter written to relatives east : " Martha teaches in the village and boards at home. Mrs. Mason says her talent ought not to be wasted in the kitchen. Frances went seventeen weeks to Mr. Dana, he is a very good mathematician." One sentence which this mother writes to interested friends applies so directly to the teachers in our own school today that it is quoted : "Martha and Frances are busying themselves this summer in altering their dresses and making new ones. Martha looks much better since school closed."
At the time that J. D. Cox was superintendent of the schools he resided on Elm street, near the Lake Division of the B. & (). railroad. He was supporting himself and his family on the magnificent sum of $600, and owned no overcoat. Ile used to wear a cape about his shoulders. There was no street lighting at that time, at least not on Ehn street, and the trees were so thick that when he got in the neighborhood of Scott street (that street was not ent through to Elm in those days) he was obliged to feel his way, by the rail fence on the west side of the street. Mr. Cox was afterwards general in the army, governor of the state and secretary of the interior under Grant.
Mrs. Ira Fuller, whose father, Horace Stevens, lived for some time in the house which stood on the present lot of the Misses Hall's home. said she remembered attending a school taught by Miss Lathrop in the academy. She was led to school when the roads were dry, taken on horseback when it was not. It seems incredible that children living on Mahoning avenue would have to ride to school as near as the present public library. However, then there were no sidewalks, no pavements, and in spring the mud was deep enough to mire a child. Mrs. Fuller said she cherished a dainty needle book which Miss Lathrop gave her the day she went away to be married. She received a reward of merit card signed by Rufus Spaulding when she attended his schools. Among her childish friends were Emily Spaulding. Olive Freeman, Elizabeth Van Gorder. Elizabeth Courtney, Elizabeth Collins and Mary Stevens. The last is the only one living; she resides almost next door to the old home of her consin, Mary Stevens (Mrs. Fuller).
Selden Haines, one of the early teachers of the old academy.
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in writing to his great-nephew, Judge D. R. Gilbert, under the date of October 21, 1882 (Mr. Haines was then eighty-two years old), gives some facts which we quote here :
"My father left Connectient in the fall of 1818 and settled in Vernon, where he died in 1849, aged eighty-five. In the summer of 1820 I began the study of Latin with Reuben Coe. In September, 1821, I came east to Gran- ville, Massachusetts, and spent a year preparing for col- lege. I was graduated at Yale College in 1826, in a class of 106-the largest class that ever graduated at any Ameri- can college prior to the year 1837. I began the study of law in the office of Hooker & Talmadge. Talmadge was United States senator in after years. I was married in 1828, though 'poor as a church mouse.' We landed at Vernon with noth- ing to do for a living, and nothing to do with. In the course of a few weeks I was engaged to teach in what was called Warren Academy-being nothing but a miserable brick shanty with two school rooms. In the meantime I pursued my study with John Crowell, since called Gen. Crowell, of Cleveland. I tried my best to give universal satisfaction with my pupils, and at the end of six months a majority of my patrons were grumbling. Judge Pease [Calvin], a prominent citizen, came to my rescue. He advised me not to try to please anybody but myself. The result was that I became quite popular with the pupils. I occupied the posi- tion abont eighteen months and was succeeded by Hon. Francis Gillette, of Hartford, Connecticut, who was after- wards United States senator. He was the father of Gil- lette, a greenback member of Congress from Iowa. Among my pupils were four sons of Gen. Perkins; also Miss Maria Smith [Tod ] and Miss Cornelia Pease [ Kinsman]. and Mrs. Simon Perkins, of Akron."
The schoolhouses referred to by Mr. MeLain as being an improvement on what preceded were the most dismal, uncom- fortable sort of buildings. The one which was on Prospect was moved off in 1870 or 1871 onto the lot owned by Mrs. Eunice Hawkins, which adjoined on the north the school property. It was remodeled and has been used ever since as a dwelling. The first teacher at Prospect school was George Maltby, of Southington, and the second, S. D. Harris, who was lay-reader
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in the Episcopal church and afterwards was editor of the Ohio Farmer. He moved to Columbus. George Hapgood, Sr., many years editor of the Chronicle, taught here in 1846.
One of the other schoolhouses was moved onto Clinton street, and it is now used as a residence. The anthor of this volume attended three of these schools. None of them were comfortable, but the one on Prospect street was the least invit- ing. It was set flatly on the ground, with no cellar, and conse- quently the floor had the same temperature as existed outside, with additional dampness. Scholars huddled around the old cannon stove in the corner, burning their copper-toed shoes and scorching the fronts of their clothes, to return to their seats and in a few moments be as cold as ever. Small jackets and shawls were worn by the children and the onter garments which hung in the entry were so cold that they had to be warmed at the fire before putting them on. The windows were pur- posely made so high that children could not see out when stand- ing by them. The seats were very low and uncomfortable. So down in this pit, shivering and disconsolate, the little folks of the north part of the town had to turn up their faces to see a bit of sky, and to relieve themselves of the thought they were in prison. However, in this half-cellar, many young people learned to read and write, who afterwards went out into the world and became not only useful, but famous. Notably among these was Kenyon Cox, the great artist. In one of these uncom- fortable seats he studied just enough to keep from being pun- ished, and spent the rest of his time drawing pictures for the amusement of those who sat near him. The only things the writer can remember as being bearable about that "old north school" was the playground and the teacher. Her name was Hall, and she was a conscientious. tender developer of children.
The High street schoolhouse, which stood on the lot where General Ratliff built a home, which is now owned by Charles Wood. It contained two rooms for the primary and secondary grades. The windows here were not so high, and the sun seemed to get into the building. It was not nearly so cheerless. Among the teachers who served for some time there were Gen. R. W. Ratliff, Miss Julia Stevens, a sister of Mrs. Ira Fuller (who married Mr. Snook, a teacher, and whose children reside in Seattle, Wash.) : and Mrs. Kennedy Andrews, who at that time was Miss Kennedy.
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Mrs. Andrews' daughter has a picture of some of her mother's pupils, which was always cherished. Mrs. Frank J. Maekey, now residing on Park avenue, as Carrie Shaler, was a success- ful school teacher and remembers all of the scholars she taught and has followed the lives of a great many of them.
In these sehools were held spelling matches, and the classes stood to recite in front of the teacher. Scholars who missed words in spelling were obliged to step down and let the success- ful scholar go ahead of him. The pupil who stood at the head of the class each day received a mark and on the following day began at the foot of the class to work his way up to the head again. At the end of the term the child having the largest number of "head marks" was given a prize. One of these spellers, now in business in Warren, who received a number of these rewards for excellence in spelling, is noted for his incor- reet spelling today.
The morning sessions of these sehools were opened with Bible reading, singing and prayer. In most cases, the teacher. turning her back to the pupils, knelt on the floor, with her elbows in the wooden chair, as she asked the Father's blessing on the saints and sinners alike over whom she exercised jurisdiction. During this morning hour, because of the position of the teacher, the small boy was more largely tempted than at any time during the day, and many were the wet paper wads and other light missiles which were thrown at the praying teacher. Be it to their credit, few girls indulged in this undignified pro- ceeding. But they giggled, sometimes out loud, and the gigglers were always equally punished with the real offenders.
The water was brought from a near-by well, and stood in the pail during the session. The "teacher's pet," or the pupil in good standing, was allowed, in the middle of the morning and again in the afternoon, to pass this liquid refreshment in a long-handled dipper.
The only advantage these dingy, dark school rooms had over the later schools was that the aisles were necessarily short, and the terror which overtook a pupil when on Friday after- noon he made his way to the platform to "speak his piece" was of short duration. In the intermediate department of the old high school, where the aisles were interminable, a pupil had time to have one or two attacks of "blind staggers" before he or she reached the platform to recite "Gray's Elegy" or read
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an essay on "Spring." After more than half a lifetime, with its sorrows of many kinds, the author still shivers at the thought of Friday afternoon, and when she sees the pupils of today. unconsciously and naturally, without getting white and red by turns, without putting their fingers in their mouths, or twisting up the corners of their aprons, recite and sing and read, she wonders what was the matter with the old method which was persecution and erneifixion.
In 1854, May 19, a meeting was held in "Empire Hall," Iddings Block, the lower part of which is now occupied by Albert Guarnieri, to provide, by taxation, for money to build school- houses. Six thousand dollars was considered a sufficient sum. A month or two later the lot on Monroe street, together with the old building, was bought from Joseph Perkins for $1,400. ( Whether Mr. Perkins had allowed the old trustees to put a building on his lot, or whether he was acting in an official capacity, is not certain.) The lot upon which the present Tod Avenne school stands was bought of Anna J. Gordon for $500. A year later, Edward E. Hoyt & Co. sold for $900 the lot upon which was a frame building, on Park avenue, lot now owned by William Henderson Company. The first building was repaired and made into two schools.
The first school held on Quinby Hill ( West Side) was in the dwelling of Peter Gaskill. His wife, Doreas, was the teacher. Iler father was an educated Irishman, who taught the first select school in New Castle in 1825. Dor- cas attended the early Warren schools, receiving in- struction from Eunice Towne, Daniel Jagger and JJunius Dana. She first taught at the age of thirteen. One of the first build- ings she ocenpied as a schoolhouse was on the property later owned by the first St. Mary's church. When the home of Edward Spear, Sr., stood where the Methodist church now is, she had a school there. At different times she taught in the session room of the okl Presbyterian church, in the session room of the Methodist church, in the Odd Fellows' Hall, in the King Block, and later in a number of private dwellings. She was never sarcastic to her pupils and never critical of pupil, parent or condition. She lived until 1908, and never ceased to have an interest in the schools of the city. She taught about fifty years, and had the record for longest teaching, with
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