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 28
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
the exception of Miss Lottie Sackett, who taught thirteen years in colleges and academies and forty years in the public schools.
Miss Sackett is the daughter of one of the pioneers of Canfield, and spent most of her life in the family of her sister, Mrs. Harmon Austin, and is now retired as a teacher and makes her home with her niece, Nellie Austin Pendleton. Through her acquaintance in school and church, she probably knows more people in Warren and vicinity than any other one person. She began her teaching in the Warren schools under J. D. Cox, though she first taught in the family of Mr. Henry, in Austin- town. She taught under Mr. Leggett, Mr. Marvin, Mr. Cald- well and Mr. Moulton. For some time she had a private school at 301 High street. She also taught in Youngstown, in Alli- anee, in the Girls' Seminary at Mount Vernon, and in Hiram College.
In 1855 $8,000 was raised by taxation, and a brick high school building was begun. Richard Craven and Soule & John- son were awarded the contract for the building and it was finished the following year. The Gibson family, for several generations, have been bricklayers, plasterers and contractors, and Robert Gibson helped make the brick for this first school- house. In 1857 the first diplomas were granted. A picture of this first school building, published in the Chronicle, speaks of the elegance of the building, its beautiful location, its appa- ratus for natural sciences, its splendid teachers; states that the academic year will consist of three terms of fourteen weeks each and that at the close of the first and second term there will be a vacation of one week. "The second day of the county fair, Thanksgiving day, the 25th of December and the 1st of January will be regarded as holidays."
In 1859 the Warren school district was enlarged, taking in some of the township of Howland, and some of the district of west Warren. In 1864 a two-story brick schoolhouse was erected on the lot bought of Anna Gordon, and upon which the present Tod Avenue building stands. The amount voted for this building was $3,500. In 1862 the average monthly wages of the teachers in the state of Ohio was: males, $27.81; females, $16.05.
So much interest and pride was there in the early schools that the pupils of those days always speak with the greatest deference and reverence of the first three superintendents, Gen-
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
eral Leggett, General Cox and the Rev. Mr. Marvin. The latter resigned in 1862, when he becames a professor in Allegheny College at Meadville. Hngh J. Caldwell became superintendent in '63, serving three years. Ile received the highest salary the third year of any of the four, was a good superintendent, later moved to Cleveland, where he became judge and where he still resides.
The first three superintendents served before the author's time, but Mr. Caldwell was the first superintendent under whom she studied. She remembers him as a large, pleasant, firm man, who frightened herself and her companions nearly to death when he visited the schools. It was the same kind of fright as a child of today has of a policeman. After he had been in the room a little time the fear wore off, and then she langhed at him in her heart, and sometimes ont lond, becanse he was so fat that it was hard for him to cross one leg on top of the other. If this pupil and that superintendent were to meet today the langh would be on the other side.
One of the early teachers in the high school was Frances York, now Mrs. William T. Spear. There never was a better teacher in the high school force. When one of her sons entered college, his examinations were so perfeet in English that the professors asked who his teacher had been and he prondly and quickly replied, "My mother." Miss York had exceptionally good health. Her fair complexion, her red cheeks, were attraet- ive, and at a late Alumna Association meeting one of her old pupils, a man, said that when the fire needed replenishing Miss York did not take the time of the boys to bring in the coal or replenish the fire. but did it herself. "I can see her now." said he, "walking down the aisle with a full pail of coal on her arm, teaching as she went." She afterwards mar- ried William T. Spear, a sketch of whose life is given elsewhere, although he has been a successful man, Mrs. Spear is just as strong a character as he, and would have been able to do just as much as he has, had she been a man. How do we know that the work which is known as "woman's work." known as the "small work," will not some day hold as exalted a place in the eyes of the world as the man's work, now known as the "greater work."
Another teacher under Superintendent Caldwell was Roxy Wilcox. She tanghit here eight years, and endeared herself
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to the community, especially to one man, who waited at least twenty years for her to be his wife. He was one of her pupils. As Roxy Wileox she had hosts of friends, and as Mrs. George Tayler she retained her old friends and has made and held many new ones.
The breaking out of the war had its effect upon the schools, as well as upon the business and home life. In Trumbull County it was hardly thought worth while to hold certain district schools in winter, because the attendance was so small. The older boys went to war, and for that reason the older girls had to do double duty at home and had no time for study. On June 11, 1862. thirty young men were drawn from the classes of the city schools to go to war.
The wooden buildings on Prospect street, High street and Park avenue (then Liberty street), having become a disgrace to the growing town, and the board of education apparently being dilatory, if not negligent in regard to them, a spirited election took place in the summer of 1869, four new members being elected. Almost immediately a new brick schoolhouse was erected on the Park avenue lot. The entire cost of completing and finishing this building was $8,000. Dr. Julian Harmon and M. B. Tayler were the building committee; the superintendent, I. N. Dawson.
Early the next spring the High street lot was disposed of. the lot where the present Market street building stands was purchased, and a building erected thereon. William Ernst and Joshua R. Seely were the contractors. The building commit- tee was Dawson and Harmon, Mr. Dawson acting as superintendent, also.
The funds which had been voted were exhausted and another bond issue was made for $20,000. With this, new land was added to the Prospect street lot, and a briek house erected, being finished in 1872. Messrs. Downs, Elliott & Co. and Wil- kins & Sidells were the builders. T. J. MeLain and Julian Harmon were the building committee.
The next year the same committee and the same contractors erected the building on Fulton street.
During Mr. Caldwell's time an intermediate department was started in the high school building, third floor, and in 1874 $3,000 were expended in repairs and improvements on the high school building.
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
Although the term of service of the first three superin- tendents was long, the fourth, Mr. Caldwell's, rather short, the next three superintendents served altogether only four years-J. J. Childs, in 1867; William H. Pitt followed with a term of two years; and II. B. Furnass began his services on September 1, 1869, staying only one year. Mr. Furnass was a strong man, and introduced some new systems into the school. He is remembered by the pupils of '69 and '70 by the shippers which he wore often in the school room, rather than by his work.
In 1870 J. C. Barney became superintendent of the schools and served umtil 1876. Hle was an excellent superintendent. His wife was principal of the high school. She was an excep- tional woman. She taught faithfully and carefully and endeared her pupils to her as she taught. The children of the '70s who were in the high school can see her now as she sat in her chair behind the table on the elevated platform, or as she walked back and forth with her delicate fingers handling her watch chain, while they parrotted, "The moral quality of an action resides in the intention." and additional pages of Wayland's Moral Philosophy, which meant nothing in the world to them. In those days the pupil who had the best memory was considered the best pupil. No child was over asked to tell the story in his own words. That they did not rebel against some of the things in that course of study was die largely to the influence of Mr. and Mrs. Barney. We can see her now, with her soft yellow hair, braided so carefully that not a strand was out of place all day, and her light brown dress, trimmed with darker velvet. with snow-white ruching at the neck and hands. This careful detail as to dress was carried out as to pedagogy.
It was during the administration of Mr. and Mrs. Barney that Lafayette Herzog. a Warren attorney, took a course in German, stood at the head of his class, received almost daily the commendation of his teacher, while some of the pupils jealonsly wiped their eyes because they could not put a whole sentence between the auxiliary and the verb or could not get the umlaut properly. His teachers did not know, neither did his fellow pupils, until the end of the course, that he spoke German at home and that his educated German mother was his real teacher.
Mr. and Mrs. Barney have devoted their whole life to teaching. They are both still living.
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IIISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
In 1875 a lot on First street was purchased at the cost of $800, and in 1876-77 the present building was erected on this lot.
In 1879 fifty-four pupils were crowded out of the Prospect and East Market Street schools and a building belonging to Mrs. W. T. Van Gorder, on Pine street, was rented for their accommodation and Mrs. Dorcas Gaskill, who had taught a se- lect school in that building, was elected teacher.
The following year, 1880, 148 scholars were enrolled in the intermediate school. This was entirely too many for every reason, and the upper room in the First street building was fitted up as an intermediate school and in the spring forty pupils were transferred to that building.
In 1880 the school room on Pine street was not very satis- factory because it was on the street, with no playgrounds, and several suggestions for enlarging Market Street or some of the schools were made. The board was not satisfied with any of these suggestions, and the thought became general that a central grammar school would better be erected instead. Dur- ing the year 1882-83 a high school building was erected on Monroe street. The citizens took a great pride in this building. It was heated by steam, had grates in every room, the furniture was of approved order, and it was well lighted. It cost nearly $40,000. The contractors were Joshua R. Seely and Robert Wilkins, and Henry Ernst was the superintendent.
In the report which Samuel F. Dickey, as president of the board of education for the year 1884-85, presented he says : "There is still need of a new building." This has been the experience of every board of education from the beginning of the Warren schools. As soon as one building is completed it is seen that it is insufficient.
There was at that time a primary school of fifty or sixty pupils in a house on High street, the primary school at East Market was crowded, therefore the board of education pur- chased a lot at the corner of Ehm and Scott streets, and Mr. Dickey says: "When this house is built our city will be well provided with school accommodations for many years." Just as every board of education has made the statement given in the paragraph above, so has every board believed with Mr. Dickey, to find itself mistaken.
afrtid
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FIRST BRICK HIGH SCHOOL.
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Brandon Ci
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EAST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL, WITH GLIMPSE OF CENTRAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
The Elm street schoolhouse was built in 1885. It stands on the corner of Scott and Elm streets. The soil of the grounds is of a very clayey nature, and here the bricks for the first court house were made. The plans for this building were made by John Eikerman and it was designed for a four-room build- ing. The hall and two rooms on the north were built. The town did not grow in that direction and the other two rooms have never been added. The erection of the grammar school on Harmon street relieved the congestion in that part of town. The Elm street schoolhouse is in nice repair, having been lately supplied with a new furnace. It cost $12,000, and the building committee were Messrs. Spear, Angstadt and Dickey.
A lot was purchased on the corner of Mercer and Belmont in 1890 from Jacob B. Perkins for $2,600. A temporary frame school was erected, which was ocenpied until the Central Gram- mar building was finished. It was then used for a dwelling, for the Grace Evangelical church, and finally sold to Mr. Stewart, who removed it to Olive street, where it now stands.
In 1892 some land was bought of A. E. Andrews for $1.700, another portion from the estate of Turhand K. Hall for $900, another portion from Dr. Julian Harmon for $2,300. This, together with a portion from the high school ground, furnished the land upon which the Central Grammar school was erected. The work was begun in 1892. The bond issue for this was $30,000, but before it was completed the board of education realized that the school was not going to furnish the relief expected, and they added a third story. This story has been occupied by one or more schools every year since the building was erected, save one. There has always been objection on the part of the board, and of the patrons of the school as well, to the use of this as a school room (it was intended for a hall), but the constant increase of the schools makes it compulsory. The building committee for the Central Grammar school was C. H. Angstadt, Kennedy Andrews and S. F. Dickey. John L. Smith was superintendent of construction.
A new building was erected on the Tod avenne lot in 1897. This cost $20,000 and was at its time the finest publie building in the way of heating and sanitation in the city. The architects were Ousley & Boucherle, of Youngstown. Among the con- tractors were Wentz, and Bartlett Brothers Company. The building committee was composed of Messrs. Craig, Angstadt
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and Mitchell. This building had six school rooms and two smaller rooms, one for superintendent's office. It was not long before the six school rooms were crowded, and one of the small rooms has been occupied by a school for some years. Before the erection of this building there was a great deal of talk among the patrons of the school as to the unruly behavior of the children of that portion of the city. In certain parts of that school district there were many children who had little or no discipline at home and few advantages. This new building produced the most wondrous effect on the children. They took great pride in it and were elevated by their surroundings.
The writer cannot pass the Tod Avenue school without paying a slight tribute to Mrs. Gertrude Alderman, who has been the only woman principal of grammar grades in Warren since the separate grammar schools were erected. She has more influence over her pupils than any other principal we ever have had, and the teachers under her love her to such a degree that they rebel against any thought of transference to other buildings.
In 1899 a bond issue of $30,000 was approved by the voters for the erection of the Market Street school building. The old briek schoolhouse was torn down and one of the finest buildings in the city erected. It has nine rooms, wide hall, plenty of light, best of ventilation. This building was intended as an eight room building, but was finally constructed with nine rooms, and before the end of the first year every seat was filled. In 1898 two women were elected to the school board under the new school law. There had been two vacancies on the board. Mr. B. F. Craig had died, and the board was asked to fill the vacancy by appointing a woman. It considered the matter and decided not to do it. One of the men on the board who was favorable to the appointment of women was George Mitchell, the presi- dent. However, he was in the minority. A little time there- after he was seized with an acute illness and died. Again the board was asked to appoint a woman. Again it refused. The women making this request had no bitterness of feeling at the refusal, candidly saying if they were men and did not believe in woman suffrage they would have done the same thing. How- over, they determined to have two candidates at the next regular election. Mr. Jules Vautrot and Walter D. Campbell had been appointed to these vacancies. Four of the men stood for re-elee-
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CENTRAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
tion, and two women, Carrie P. Harrington and Harriet T. Upton, went before the primaries as candidates. Mr. Gillmer had been in the position of president, and Mr. Weir treasurer, for many years. The two women received the highest votes, Mr. Gillmer and Mr. Weir the next, Mr. Vautrot and Mr. Campbell being defeated. Although the men had opposed women going onto the board, when they really were elected they treated them with the greatest courtesy and equality. This can- not be said of some boards in other parts of the state, but it is true of the Warren board.
When the Market Street school was constructed the com- mittee consisted of two men and two women. This was the first time that women had been connected with the construction of any large public building in Trumbull County. The architect of this building was George F. Hammond. of Cleveland, and the contractors were Bartlett Brothers, Wentz & Co., Peck-William- son Company. The superintendent of construction was Mr. Charles II. Craig.
In 1902 bonds for $30,000 were issued for repairing the high school building. The front part of the building was used, and abont a third added to it in the rear. The lower floor was used for the science department and the upper floor for the assembly room. This assembly room seated about three Inin- dred and fifty and at the end of the first year all were filled.
In proportion to the population, more children attend the Warren schools than attend the schools of other cities in the state. Warren is unlike many other county seats in that it is not a school center. The larger towns, Newton Falls, Niles, Cortland, Girard, have good schools, and a large number of the townships have centralized schools. The Warren Tribune is the authority for the statement that in recent years 52 per cent of the high school graduates have entered universities, colleges, or other institutions of learning. Of the forty-four graduates in 1906, nineteen began courses in these institutions ; of the thirty-eight in 1907, twenty-four; of the thirty-four in 1908, sixteen.
There are about 3,000 children of school age in the town of Warren. Charles E. Carey is the superintendent, and the fol- lowing is a list of the teachers:
Vol. I-20
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
High School.
Market Street.
F. E. Ostrander, Principal.
Nettie B. Mathews.
Virginia Reid, Latin-Greek.
Bernice Gilmore.
Jennie Delin, English-Mathematics.
Grace Nichols.
Alice Bowen, German.
Madge Whitney.
Ethel Crandall, History-English.
Addie Swisher.
Edna Perry, English.
Luln Newton.
Helen E. Sweet, Latin.
Mande Fox.
M. N. Fitzgerald, Commercial.
Gertrude E. Miller.
Tod Atenuc.
Gertrude Alderman, Principal.
Harriett Fletcher.
Anna Horton.
Georgia Lee Robinson.
May Holloway.
Grace Somerwill.
Central Grannar.
Minnie Bishop.
Fulton Street.
Daniel Guiney, Principal.
Anna Spear.
Clara Chase.
Mary Wilcox.
Myrta Keeler.
Mattie Gillmer.
Carolyn Taggart.
Mabel Reid.
Lucy Beach.
Mary Izant.
Zilla Spear.
Mildred Heppell.
Lillian Meeker. Melda Morgan.
First Street.
Alice Baldwin.
Mary Wark.
Emma Ripley.
Music. Olney Manville. Drawing. Maybella A. Chapman.
List of Members of Board of Education Since Its Organization.
Mathew Birehard.
Julius King. Charles C. Adams.
Rufus P. Ranney.
Joseph Perkins.
George B. Kennedy. Seth M. Laird.
George Tayler.
S. F. Diekey.
John Hutchins.
Wm. M. Lane.
Azor Abell.
Dr. I. A. Thayer.
Mathew B. Tayler.
(. H. Angstadt.
Ira L. Fuller.
H. C. Christy.
Henry B. Perkins.
Henry Bohl.
Julian Harmon.
W. C. Caldwell.
T. E. Webb.
T. Kinsman. L. C. Jones.
J. H. MeCombs.
S. B. Craig. Marshall Woodford.
Charles A. Harrington.
George Mitchell.
Thomas J. MeLain, Jr.
B. F. Craig.
I. N. Dawson.
Henry B. Weir.
John S. Edwards.
II. J. Barnes.
T. H. Gillmer.
O. II. Patch. J. J. Gillmer.
Wm. S. Gledhill, Principal.
Evan L. Mahaffey, Chemistry-Physiology.
Harley Miner, Methematics.
A. B. Frost, Physics.
Elizabeth Gillmer.
Alice Hall.
Mabel Truesdell.
Inez White.
Mary Kearney. Kittie Howard.
Elm Street.
Prospect Street.
B. P. Jameson.
A. F. Spear.
Zalmon Fitch.
Kennedy Andrews.
Wm. Ritezel.
John L. Weeks.
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
W. D. Campbell.
Carrie P. Harrington.
Harriet T. Upton.
P. F. Wonders.
Edward A. Voit. Wm. C. Ward. 11. IT. Sutherland. S. (. Iddings.
Charles H. Angstadt has the honor of serving the longest term as member of the Warren school board. He was a member of that body twenty-two years. He was a member of the building committee which constructed all of the later buildings. He refused to serve longer and in 1903 was succeeded by S. C. Iddings.
List of Superintendents of Warren Schools Since 1819.
Salary.
Salary.
1849, M. D. Leggett, 1 yr. $ 700 1868, Henry B. Turnass. 1 VT. . $2,000
1850, Jacob D. Cox, 3 VIS. 600 1869, J. C. Barney, 6 yrs. 1,800
1853, James Marvin, 8 yrs. 1,200 1875, Edwin F. Moulton, 13 yrs. . 1,900
1861, Hugh .1. Caldwell, + yrs. 1.300 1888, Jas. Lasley, 3 yrs. 1,500
1865, J. J. Childs, 1 yr. . 1,200 1891. R. S. Thomas, 6 yrs. 2,000
1866. W. II. Pitt, 2 yrs. 1,200 1897, C. E. Carey, 12 yrs. 2,500
The preamble to the constitution of the Warren High School Alumni Association reads as follows:
"We, the graduates of Warren High School -- to perfect and cement more certainly friendship and comity worthy of descendants of the same Alma Mater-to secure and preserve by full minutes of our proceedings faithful records of the progress of the institution and the alumni to a degree not attainable so easily and surely by any other means, to effect by literary and other exercises our mutual improve- ment, do adopt for the basis of our government the following Constitution :
This stilted style strikes us, of this day of short sentences, as being almost ludicrous.
List of Graduates Since the Organization of the Public Schools.
Class of 1857.
Eliza M. Smith. Mary MeEwen. Harvey C. Clark.
Class of 1858.
Mary E. Doud.
Sarah H. Douglass. Eliza S. Smith. Edward W. Iloyt. Mary MeQuiston.
Class of 1850.
John C. Hutchins. Kate MeQuiston.
Mary J. Hutchins. Ophelia E. Carrier. Artelissa Il. Hull.
Rachel Ross.
Ella Reeves. Sarah J. Allison.
Maggie K. Harmon.
George Baldwin.
John S. Ewalt. Charles S. Abell.
Class of 1860. George W. Millikin. Welty Wilson. Henry Woodruff.
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
Class of 1861.
Class of 1867.
Cornelia M. Fuller.
Louisa A. Brown.
Edward Dickey.
Charles S. Freer.
Class of 1868.
Alice E. Briscoe.
Ada S. Noble.
Minnie E. Richmond.
Mary Ensign.
Louise A. Andrews.
Class of 1869.
Flora Forbis.
Belle H. Sutliff.
Ella P. Fuller.
Jerusha Webb.
Mary E. Patch.
Class of 1863.
Emma S. Sutliff.
Ilelen F. Butliff.
.Tennie Smith.
Carrie L. Shaler.
Florence Townsend.
Carrie M. Carter.
Olive A. Allison.
Emma Frazier.
Gertrude O. Tayler.
Susan R. MeLain.
Anna Hoisengton.
Edwin C. Andrews.
William C'ochrin.
Class of 1864.
Charles G. Burton.
Clara E. Soule.
Maria R. Black.
Nellie King.
Louisa Marvin.
Class of 1865.
Sarah Reeves.
Helen A. Tayler.
Kate L. Sntliff.
Frances Soule.
George H. Tayler.
Class of 1866.
Olive Smith.
Charlotte MeCombs.
Maria Smith.
Mattie A. Harmon.
Elizabeth L. Iddings.
Mary Fitch. Lizzie S. Fuller. llenera MeQuiston. Clara Harmon. Emma Brooks. Charles F'. Harrington.
George L. Jameson. David B. Estabrook. Roscoe O. Hawkins.
Olive Graeter. Mary Bradford.
Mary Bascom. Julia Baldwin.
Laura Bell.
Henry H. Townsend.
Charles H. Frazier.
Class of 1862.
Horace L. Fuller.
Lizzie Baldwin.
Jennie Birchard.
Jennie E. Clark.
Franc P. JIarmon.
Justine L. Iddings.
Maria Robbins.
Amelia D. Webb.
Class of 1870.
Ella Van Gorder.
Frederika R. Graeter.
Eugene L. Weeks.
Emma Min Young.
Benjamin L. Millikin.
Kittie E. Howard.
Maria L. Tayler.
Fannie M. Diekey.
Mary V. Brett.
Class of 1871.
Albert H. Van Gorder.
Clarence L. Ward.
Frank M. Ritezel.
Mary E. Jameson.
Martha J. Fox.
Addie B. Parish.
Jennie E. Homan.
Hattie L. Abell.
Class of 1872.
Lucius E. Fuller. Olive B. Van Gorder.
Nellie K. Austin.
Class of 1873.
Frank D. MeLain.
David Jameson.
HIattie A. Taylor.
Nellie G. Brooks.
Mary E. Field.
Emma Christianar.
Class of 1874.
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