Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio, Part 20

Author: Harbaugh, T. C. (Thomas Chalmers), 1849-1924, ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 882

USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 20
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 20

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

dren and for this purpose selected some central point in the woods for a school site, near a branch, for the convenience of hav- ing water near at hand for the use of the scholars.

"This being done the pioneers settled on a day agreed upon, turned out with their axes, broadaxes, plow and auger and met early in the morning at the selected site, others cutting logs near by in the woods, some felling a large oak for clapboards and still others cutting a sightly blue ash for puncheons, benches and writing desks. The building of the schoolhouse proceeded as rapidly as possible. The foundation was soon laid and four men were selected as corner men, who took their respective stations and saddled and notched down the corners as the logs were delivered to them on skids. When the structure was eight feet high the joists were laid, then the logs were shortened for the gable ends, sloping the ends and inserting the rib pole at the top. The upper log of the basement pro- jected about eight inches to receive the butting or eve-log, against which the slant-

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ing roof rested. As the building was going up the cross-cut saw was heard in the woods, the mall and wedge severing the ents, and the butts were removed to some fork of a tree near by where they were rived into boards four foot in length.

"Logs were next removed from three sides of the house and window styles pre- pared, which were adjusted in their places about sixteen inches apart, to which news- papers were pasted and oiled with 'coon grease' to render them transparent. The cracks being chinked and daubed, the floor laid, the puncheon door hung on hinges of wood, the writing desks were attached to the wall, resting on standers slightly in- chining toward the scholars, who sat on benches and learned to write in front of the large paper windows. In this way the primitive school-house was reared and usu- ally completed in a day without a nail or a window glass connected with the struc- ture."

In temples of learning like the one just described some of the greatest minds of the country were shaped. Lincoln studied in a schoolhouse like the first that arose within the borders of this county. In the early days there were no contractors, no boards of education, to superintend the erection of the schoolhouse. The day of the graded school and the academy was far in the future. It was undreamed of by the men of the backwoods. The first school- houses of the county were few and far apart. In 1817 there were no schools north of Piqua and pupils were sent there from Fort Wayne, Defiance, Wapakoneta and other distant places. The children of the pioneers having some distance to travel took their dinners to school, which con- sisted of corn pone or Johnny cake, fat

meat and some milk. They ate in the schoolhonse or on the sward that sur- rounded it.

What of the teachers who presided over the first schools of the county? What of the books used as compared to those of the present day? The teacher of the back- woods school that rose in the region of the Miami, the Stillwater, and in fact in every township of the county was a character. Very seldom was he American born. He was generally an Englishman, Irishman or Scotchman, seldom if ever Dutch or French. He was from the first the author- ity of the school room. His word was law and the rule which he exercised was sel- dom tempered with mercy. It has well been said of him that "he entered the primitive schoolhouse with an air of au- thority and woe betide the urchin who crossed his imperions sense of propriety. With gads and rods stored away in the sight of the school he was a terror to the school. For trivial offenses or small ir- regularities he inflicted corporal punish- ment and the hickory or beechen rod were never spared." In some cases pupils were tied up by the thumbs and whipped, and the writer's first preceptor was an Irish- man who had the pleasing habit of drag- ging scholars from their seats by the collar and beating obedience into them with a four-foot gad.

These old teachers "boarded round" among the families of the neighborhood. They were looked upon as prodigies of knowledge. Many of them were supersti- tions. They believed in witches and ghosts and more than one weird tale they communicated to the assembled school. Spelling and arithmetic were the chief ele- ments of their education and they insti-

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tuted the spelling school, which of late years has gone out of date. On Christ- mas and New Year's eve the old-time teacher was "barred out" by the scholars. This was not kindly received by the mas- ter and when admission was refused he sometimes came down the wide chimney or landed in the school-room by breaking the greased paper in the window. Then he would be seized by the scholars, bound hand and foot and threatened with a duck- ing unless he treated the whole school to apple cider and ginger bread, which he generally did, after which the school pro- ceeded as usual. Today

"The master sleeps upou the hill All coated o'er with snow,"

but his method of training the youthful mind has not been forgotten.

The school books used at the dawn of education in the county have long since passed out of style. Dilworth's spellers, readers and arithmetics were among the first text books, also the American Precep- tor, Webster's Speller, Pike's Arithmetic, Murray's Grammar and the Testament. Dear old Lindley Murray! The old inhab- itants of the county still recall this first of grammars, which they pored over years ago. There is a story told of one of the early scholars in one of our backwoods schools who being somewhat dull could not master the jaw-breaking nanies of the three Hebrew children who were cast into the fiery furnace. When it came his turn to read aloud his Bible verse he discovered to his dismay that it contained those dread- ed names. The boy hesitated. The Irish schoolmaster stood over him with the threatening gad in his hand. "Read on!" sounded in the boy's ears like the crack of the hazel. "Why don't ye read on, ye

spalpeen?" With the expectation of the whip the trembling pupil, unable to recol- lect, or repeat anything, burst into tears and sobs and made an effort to explain his inability. "Well," moaned he, "Here are these three fellows again and I don't know then." The old master, not withont some kindness in his heart, noticed the sim- plicity and honest effort in the boy, so making an effort to relieve the child's dis- tress, said, "Why, boy, cannot ye mind them? They are Mister Shaderack, Mes- hack and Abed-ye-go. Now ye monght go on with your lesson and don't ye miss 'em again." It is safe to say that the pupil never did. The foregoing incident recalls the story told by Lincoln of his early school days of a fellow scholar who was always "stumped" by the same, to him, unpro- nounceable names. Seeing them in his verse the poor lad turned to Lincoln and whispered, "Abe, here comes those con- founded Hebrews again."

The early pedagognes who presided over the primal schools of the county were con- sidered au fait if they were able to teach the three R's, and with this slender educa- tional outfit many a boy went out from these "forest academies" to make a name for himself in the world. In one of our first schools was an Irish teacher whose Milesian face was adorned with a toad- like nose. At this face a little boy of ten burst into a laugh and was promptly called into the frowning presence of the master. "What are you laughing at?" thundered the irate teacher. Tremblingly replied the boy, "You will whip me if I tell you." "And, you little fiend, I'll whip you if you don't," was the rejoinder, reaching for his well-trimmed hickory. With sincerity and a little heart filled with fear the boy an-

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swered, "Well, master, I was laughing to think how much your nose looks like a frog." It was just after recess and the boy had to stand by the master and at in- tervals received a dozen lashes laid on with all his brawny Irish strength until dis- missed with the school at night. Such, in part, were the schools and pedagognes of the early days. In such schools and under such masters the children of the pioneers were trained. That training, simple as it was, and conducted under adverse cireum- stances, prepared the pupils for the active life that lay around them and transformed them into useful and prominent men and women. When one looks back upon the little log schoolhouses which dotted the hills and valleys of the county he is apt to regard them with feelings akin to rever- ence, though they long ago gave way to the more pretentious academies of learn- ing which stand in our midst today.

The early school master was contempo- raneous with the circuit rider, who will be described later on. Notwithstanding his surroundings, he did a great work and he is not accepted at his real value today. He labored under disadvantages which would have discouraged less purposeful people. The present school system is such a tre- mendous improvement on the primitive one that comparison is not necessary. In early times singing was taught in the schools and the old notes were used. Sing- ing classes were formed and nearly every old-time teacher was considered capable of training the voice. Spelling and singing- schools were held in every distriet in the county. Paid schools were also in vogue during the educational growth of the county. This eame about for the reason that there was neither school board nor

publie fund. Teachers were paid by sub- scription, which they solicited and collect- ed for themselves, and their patrons were found good pay. Pupils selected studies to suit them and paid per term of thirteen weeks as follows :

For reading and spelling, $1.00.

For reading, spelling and writing, $2.00.

For reading, spelling, writing and arithmetic. $3.00.

A number of years elapsed before the salaried teacher came into existence. Even then the old teachers surrendered their ground with reluctance, for "boarding round" suited them and they looked upon the new regime with disfavor. Later still came the day of the graded school with its improvements we have today. The graded schools and the high schools found now in every part of the county seem to have reached perfection and owe their existence and snecess to the free school system that prevails everywhere.

We will now look at the growth of the 'school in various parts of the county. In 1804 there were but three families in what is now Concord Township, including the city of Troy. The town was not laid out until some years later and in 1813 Samuel Kyle opened the first school. This old pre- ceptor was the grandfather of T. B. Kyle, Troy's present mayor. Hle taught in a log house without floor or windows, on the corner of Market and Water Streets. Not more than fifteen pupils filled his classes. In 1816 John G. Clark taught in the lower part of the town near the old railroad depot. Clark had queer ideas of punish- ment, as he corrected his pupils by split- ting a quill and flipping it against the nose. It was before the day of steel pens and quills were universally used for writing. It is said that Clark's methods disgusted

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the citizens of Troy and funds were raised to build a small brick schoolhouse where the splendid Edward's building now stands. This house of learning went by the dignified name of "The Academy." Later on, or in 1826, Rev. Micajah Fair- field taught for a year or two and gave way to Thomas Barrett, afterwards elect- ed a county judge, who was succeeded by John Petit in 1831. Mr. Petit afterward went to Indiana, where he became United States Senator. When George D. Burgess taught school in Troy, in 1839-41, his sal- ary was $100 per quarter, which was con- sidered very good in those days. Mr. Bur- gess tanght algebra, geometry and Latin in addition to the common branchies. The graded system entered the Troy schools in 1849, when Irving Gates was at the head of them. Gates had opposition in his work from a Mr. Bennet, who taught day school in the Wesleyan Church. These two schools were the outgrowth of contending factions in Troy and Bennet's scholars called the' pupils of the other school Gates' Hinges."

These early schools of Troy have almost passed from memory and scant records are all that remain of them. They brought about the formation of a board of educa- tion, which consisted of Charles Morris, Rev. Daniel Rice, George D. Burgess, Will- iam B. Johnston, Benjamin Powers, Zach- ariah Riley and Henry S. Mayo. The elec- tion of this board was the signal for better schools. Six thousand dollars were voted for a more commodions school building and William N. Edwards was chosen su- perintendent at $800 per annum. Mr. Ed- wards was highly esteemed as an educator and many of the prominent citizens of Troy at the present time graduated under his instruction. From 1856 to 1867 there

were few graduates from the schools of Troy. The members of the first graduat- ing class were Walter S. Thomas, John W. Morris, Diana Meeks, and Angusta Brand- riff, of whom three are still living-Walter S. Thomas and John W. Morris, residing in Troy, and Miss Augusta Brandriff, who is living in Washington, D. C. As the needs of educational Troy increased, new school buildings were erected, until now all are commodious and beautiful edifices dedi- cated to learning. Some of the later super- intendents of the Troy public schools are Prof. H. A. Thompson, H. P. Ufford, John W. Dowd, L. V. Ferris, J. F. McCaskey, C. L. Van Cleave, and Ralph Brown. Prof. C. W. Cookson is now at the head of the Troy schools.

The first school taught in Piqna was un- der the instruction of Isaac Hendershot in 1808. From that time until 1817 the Piqua schools had quarters in a house that stood on Main Street near the site of the present city hall. It was a log affair clinked with clay to keep out the cold and greased foolscap supplied the place of win- dow glass. This first house of learning had a large fire-place for the back-log, the floor was laid with slabs, and its roof was made of rongh, nnshaved clap-boards, stayed by poles. The furniture consisted of one row of writing benches, illy suited to the sizes of the pupils, arranged on the sides and one end of the room. They were made of slabs, and hewn-ont pins entered into the slabs by a two-inch anger.

The famous "Academy" was completed in 1818 and in it the youth of the Border City thought themselves comfortably housed. Jolin P. Finley taught the first school held in the Academy and among those who followed lim was Daniel Mitch-

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ell, a brother of General O. M. Mitchell, a noted Union officer during the Civil War. In 1813 an incendiary, probably an oppo- nent of education, burned the Academy, and a log church on Water Street housed some of the pupils for a number of years. In 1845 three district school buildings arose in Piqua and about this time select schools were taught in different parts of the town. These private schools were termed high schools to distinguish them from the common schools provided by law. In them the higher studies were pursued, such as Latin, Greek, higher mathematics, natural sciences and the mental and moral sciences.

The year 1856 saw the completion of the high school building. Prof. A. G. Cham- bers was the first superintendent. In 1860 Rev. C. W. Fitch, rector of the Episcopal church, succeeded him and Jonathan Fair- banks held the position in 1862. William Richardson, alumnus of Dartmouth Col- lege, followed Mr. Fairbanks, and he in his turn was succeeded by William Carter. Prof. C. W. Bennett, alumnus of the Ohio Wesleyan University, was elected superin- tendent in 1874 and held the place for thirty-two years. The present superin- tendent of the Piqna schools is J. R. Beach- Jer. From early times the system of edn- cation adopted by the public schools of Piqua has been fortunate in the choice of instructors and the schools have reached a merited degree of perfection. A well known writer in summing up the educa- tional growth of Piqua has worthily said : "The people of Piqua deserve commenda- tion for their loyalty to the public schools and for the judicious selections of school boards whose members have labored with unselfish energy for the good of the

schools. Supervision and systematic gra- dation many years ago ceased to be an ex- periment in this city and the common school system has webbed itself into the affections of the people. If the progress of the system be sustained with equal zeal and precaution in years to come we may look to the future for still greater and nobler possibilities."

This prophecy has been fulfilled in every particular and today no city of the state can boast of better schools or more compe- tent instructors than those found in the Border ('ity of Miami County.

In Monroe Township, which includes Tippecanoe City, the first school was taught in Hyattsville. It was in a log schoolhouse. This school was followed by another taught on what is known as the "Island," which was a small plot of ground separated from the mainland by a bayou. Beyond the fact that the first teacher here was a young man of the name of Gilbert, but little is known of the first schools in this particular locality. In March, 1853, the first board of education in Tippecanoe City was elected. It was composed of John McPherson, L. N. Boo- her, and D. II. Brinkerhoff. This board secured land on First Street and a com- modious school building was erected. N. L. Perry was the first teacher in the town. This building was used till 1868, when it gave way to another, which in turn was succeeded by the present handsome high school building that houses the pupils of the thriving little city. The grading of the Tippecanoe school is the best that can be devised and the instruction which is ever kept up and maintained by competent instructors gives entire satisfaction to all. The Tippecanoe high school annually turns

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY

out a set of graduates well fitted for the emergencies of life.

For twenty-four years, or from 1808 to 1832, the schools of Union Township were taught in the old Friends' meeting house. They were conducted after the established manners of primitive schools. John Howe, an Englishman, taught here in 1808 and there remains to this day the recollection that he was a classical scholar and an adept at penmanship. It was customary for the early teachers to fashion quills into pens for the pupils, and as Mr. Howe had nimble fingers he was often called upon to perform this duty. In 1818 Charles Mills came to the fore as an instructor and a year later Daniel H. Jones followed him. Davis W. Thayer and David Mote came next with the unspared rod and Thomas Adams brought the early schools of West Milton to a perfection which they for a long time enjoyed. Adams was a man with an excellent education and drew many scholars from a distance, but it is said that he was deficient in school government and in course of time his school went to pieces and he disappeared. Following Adams came Charles Mills, Jacob Angle and Dan- iel Mote again. The latter had more than one faculty which he tended with assidu- ous care. He could build a house, survey land and write poetry. Some of his poet- ical effusions were long treasured by his pupils and may still be relies of old times in that locality. Gardner Mendenhall suc- ceeded to the rod in 1827, and while he wielded it the authorities came along and hauled off his corn crop to satisfy a muster fine, whereupon he probably flogged a few pupils as a balm to his wounded feelings. During 1828-29 Alexander Wilson presid- ed over the Union Schools and in 1830

James H. Hanks kept the fearsome birch. The last winter school was held at West Branch, where W. B. Jones, who came from South Carolina, inaugurated tickets of reward, an innovation which long ago disappeared from the schools of this county. Since then the schools of Union Township have risen to effectiveness and promise and today, kept in excellent build- ings and with a graded system which seems to have reached perfection, they are well known everywhere.

The schools of Newton Township find their beginning in the cabin of Joseph Fur- nas and he was the first teacher. This was in 1808. Mr. Furnas could almost have organized a school from his own family, as he had seven children, and these, in addi- tion to those of his neighbors, made up a fair school for that early day. It was not until 1811 that a real schoolhouse arose in the woods of Newton Township. Richard Clegg taught there in 1813 and Amos Perry and John Pearson succeeded him. In 1866 Sub-district No. 7, which includes the town of Pleasant Hill, was organized into a special school district, since when a large schoolhouse has been built in which the graded schools are today conducted in an able manner.

The early history of education in New berry Township is somewhat obscure. So far as is known, the first schoolhouse was erected about 1815 and it was a rude log affair with the poorest of accommodations. The first schoolhouse stood near the north end of High Street in Covington. The sec- ond one was erected on the St. Mary's road. Andrew Ballard was one of the teachers in the latter structure. This house of learning was burned down. About 1818 John Barbour became the instructor of the

HIGH SCHOOL, PIQUA

SOUTH STREET SCHOOL, PIQUA

ELE

HIGH SCHOOL. CASSTOWN

HIGH SCHOOL, BRADFORD

PUBLIC SCHOOL, COVINGTON

SCHOOL HOUSE. WEST MILTON

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young idea in the Trotter's Creek locality, and afterward one Benjamin Dunham taught in a deserted cabin in the same township. These old schoolhouses disap- peared with the advancing years, giving way for more commodious ones. Among the other pioneers in the art of learning who held forth in Newberry were Moses Mitchell and William Dowler. James Perry was the first teacher to open school in the town of Covington and he was followed by Amos Perry and James Hanks. Since the very first Newberry Township has been noted for its good schools until today it is well supplied in that particular. Coving- ton has a fine high school erected in recent years, and the high standard set by its ed- ucators years ago is still maintained. A comprehensive sketch of the schools of Bradford, including some early history of the town, will be found at the close of this chapter.

East of the river, where there are no large towns, the country schoolhouses fol- lowed rapidly the strokes of the settler's axe. Brown Township built its first log schoolhouse in 1811 and its presiding genius was a maiden lady known as "Aunt Sallie Tucker." She was probably the first female teacher in the county and her successor was "Aunt" Patty MeQuillan, who is said to have wielded the rod with the vim and hand of an expert. Amos Denman and George Layman followed her and Joseph Rollins was the first teacher in the second schoolhouse erected within the limits of the township. In 1874 the village of Fletcher was organized into a special school distriet and a well graded school has been taught there ever since.

The year 1815 witnessed the beginning of the school in Springcreek Township.

The first school held in the township was kept by one of the old time teachers named James Laird, who received $5 per month and "boarded round" among his patrons. Laird was an Irishman. Salivation had caused a deformity in his joints, which rendered locomotion painful and he took to teaching. Added to this trouble he was a devotee of the "little brown jug" and the way he laid the birch on the backs of his pupils is still remembered in the town- ship. Between 1815-25 some of the teach- ers of Spring Creek were James Sims, George Lemons, James Cregan, Thomas J. Lash and Patrick Murphy. The rural schoolhouses in this township today are well-built brick structures and the schools conducted therein are the equals of any now kept in the county.

One of the earliest instructors of the youth in Lost Creek was Gen. John Webb. He was a man of considerable learning and became a man of prominence in county affairs. The early schools of Lost Creek were not of a very high order of merit if one is to judge from an item in the annual report of Thomas Long, "superintendent and visitor," of the common schools of Lost Creek, submitted many years ago. He remarks that "The order in the school is not good, too much confusion, but little government exercised by the teacher, very little exercise of moral influence, and but very little time is spent to convince the scholars of the propriety of such measures as would be condneive to their good."

Since the filing of this somewhat seath- ing report the schools of Lost Creek have improved until now they are among the most promising in the county. The Cass- town school. now a high school, presided over by F. G. Main, has had a long list of

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Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio, Part 20

Author: Harbaugh, T. C. (Thomas Chalmers), 1849-1924, ed. and comp Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 882

Author: Harbaugh, T. C. (Thomas Chalmers), 1849-1924, ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 882