USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > Lancaster > Centennial history of Lancaster, Ohio, and Lancaster people : 1898, the one hundredth anniversary of the settlement of the spot where Lancaster stands > Part 9
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John Brough lived in a frame cottage that stood on the lot where John Work's brick house was after- wards built. Here his first wife died and was buried in our cemetery.
Governor Brough, while in charge of the Eagle, was a forcible writer but a bitter partisan, and he made both friends and enemies; one of the latter, John Reber, came near killing him on one occasion with a pitchfork picked up at a hardware store. His first political speech to attract attention was made at Somerset, Ohio.
During his connection with the Cincinnati Enquirer he grew in favor as an editor and had opportunities to display his great ability as a public speaker. Arch- bishop Purcell pronounced him the ablest and most interesting speaker to whom he had ever listened, and he never missed an opportunity to hear him. During his years of partisan warfare, Mr. Ewing rated him only as a politician, but in later years he came to know him better and formed a very high opinion of his legal knowledge, his business ability, and great mental qualities.
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CAPTAIN JOHN A. DUBBLE
Captain John A. Dubble was born in Lancaster on Christmas Day, 1812. He was the son of Henry Dub- ble, a worthy citizen of Lancaster. He was educated in the private schools and at Howes' Academy. One of his schoolmates was General W. T. Sherman.
In the early thirties Dubble left Lancaster and engaged as a cabin boy on an Ohio River steam boat. He soon rose to the position of second clerk and afterwards became captain of a boat. In 1840 he formed a partnership with Colonel John Noble in the hotel business in Cincinnati. In this business he re- mained ten years, when he returned to the river, in which business with varying fortune he remained until the year 1880, when he retired and moved to Washington City, where he still resides.
In 1861, the war having destroyed his business, he engaged with Commodore Rogers, commander of the river navy. He purchased steam boats and assisted in having them converted into gunboats.
He was placed in command of the Conestoga and participated in all of the engagements of the lower Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi Rivers. He commanded the gunboat fleet that defended Cin- cinnati when a raid was expected from the armies of Kirby Smith and General Bragg. For his skill and good management of his fleet, he was highly compli- mented by General H. G. Wright who commanded the land forces.
At Memphis he was in command of the boat Groes- beck and while there got into trouble with one of General Sherman's Quartermasters and assaulted and severely punished him. For this he expected arrest
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and punishment, but Sherman came to the relief of his old schoolmate, and he was not arrested.
After the war he resumed his old business as captain · of passenger boats.
For seventeen years he has lived in retirement in Washington City.
LANCASTER BAR-1830 TO 1850
Thomas Ewing began the study of law with General Beecher in 1815 and was a rising young lawyer long before the year 1830. He soon rose to great promi- nence as an attorney, became U. S. Senator in 1831; made a national reputation, both as an attorney and statesman, and has long been classed the ablest man that Ohio has produced. Henry Stanbery came to Lancaster as an attorney in 1824; devoted his entire time to his profession and became one of the most celebrated lawyers of the West. No stronger team ever entered a court room in the State of Ohio, than when Thomas Ewing and Henry Stanbery appeared for the same client. Generally, however, they were pitted against each other.
H. H. Hunter, the first born son of Lancaster, was Prosecuting Attorney of Fairfield County in 1836. He rose rapidly in his profession and was everywhere known as a very eminent lawyer. Not so brilliant or cultured as Ewing or Stanbery, he possessed many qualities as a lawyer and man that commended him to clients, court, and jury.
John T. Brasee was always mentioned as one of the four ablest lawyers of Lancaster. He was an industrious, careful, honest lawyer and never under- took a case without thorough preparation. He once told the writer that he had spent four months of study
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and careful preparation to the exclusion of other busi- ness for one single case.
A notice of the Lancaster bar of this period would not be complete without naming John D. Martin, merchant, lawyer, banker - in all of which he was distinguished as a man of great ability. For more than sixty years he was identified with the business interests of Lancaster and one of its foremost and most influential citizens.
John M. Creed was an attorney of this period. He ranked as a good lawyer and as a very brilliant orator. In 1835 he was elected Speaker of the House in the Ohio Legislature. In 1840 he was a delegate from this district to the Whig National Convention at Harris- burg, Pennsylvania. He was selected by the Ohio delegation to place General Harrison in nomination for the presidency in behalf of the Whigs of the State of Ohio. This he did with consummate ability, elic- iting round upon round of applause.
Wm. Medill was a member of the Lancaster bar of this period. He was not a distinguished lawyer, but a very prominent citizen. He devoted much of his life to politics and was the idol of his party. He . held many positions of trust and honor-member of the Ohio Legislature, member of Congress, Com- missioner of Indian Affairs under President Polk, and Governor of Ohio.
H. C. Whitman was a member of the bar at a later period, State Senator and Common Pleas Judge. He was somewhat eccentric, but withal a brilliant man.
M. A. Daugherty was an attorney of the same period - a good lawyer - State Senator, and for five years cashier of the Hocking Valley Bank.
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P. B. Ewing was a member of the bar and of the banking firm of Martin & Ewing.
John M. Connell and Newton Schleich were prom -· inent young attorneys of this period.
Colonel Van Trump was a prominent attorney, member of Congress and Common Pleas Judge. He was for years a partner of Henry Stanbery.
SCHOOLS
The earliest private schools were in log cabins, one on Main Street and the other on Columbus Street. The latter was taught by James Hunter. In the Main Street school, Miss Flora Butler, then recently from New York State, taught in the year 1812. She was a handsome and intelligent young woman and was not long permitted to wield the rod over unruly boys, for in the year 1813 she became the wife of Christian King, a prominent merchant of the town, of the firm of W. & C. King. Mr. and Mrs. King were the grand- parents of Captain Albert King of King Street, Lan- caster.
THE LANCASTER ACADEMY-LATER HOWE'S ACADEMY
In the year 1820 a two-story brick building was erected on Wheeling Street to be used as an academy. General P. Beecher, Elnathan Scofield, William W. Irvin, Robt. F. Slaughter, John Noble, Thomas Ew- ing, Charles R. Sherman, Gotlieb Steinman, John Creed, Hugh Boyle, and others, were the promoters. A man named Whittlesy was the first principal. John T. Brasee, at the time a student at Athens, was the principal for six months. This was in 1825. Salmon Shaw was the principal for a period unknown. Samuel L. and Mark Howe took charge of this academy,
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but in what year is not known; certainly, however, prior to 1830. In a few years the trustees decided to discontinue the Lancaster Academy and the Howes erected a large frame building on the Boyle property where the residence of C. F. Kirn now stands on Mulberry Street. Here they conducted an academy upon their own account, and here Senator Sherman and General Sherman were their pupils. Samuel L. Howe is the individual referred to by Senator Sher- man in his "Autobiography" as Matthew Howe. A well known citizen, S. J. Wright, knew them well in Granville and P. B. Embich of this city states that there is no doubt about the name, besides the deed to the property is in the name of Samuel L. Howe. The Howes were very successful teachers here for ten or fifteen years. They educated many young men and prepared others for college. Senator Sherman says of them: "I entered (1835) the academy of Mark and. Matthew Howe then well established and of good reputation, and deservedly so. The schoolrooms were large and furnished with desks and chairs, an improve- ment on the old benches with boards in front. Latin was taught but little. From the first, arithmetic, algebra and surveying were my favorite studies and in those I became proficient. We had an improvised theatre in which we acted plays and made speeches. Matthew Howe was the regulator, teacher, and dominie. All the boys respected him for he was certainly a good teacher." Samuel L. Howe was the author of a gram- mar and used it in his school. When the Howes left Lancaster some time in the forties, Mark went to Zanesville and was engaged in the McIntire Academy for a few years. Later he went to California where he lived until his death. Samuel L. Howe moved
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back to his old home, Granville, O., where he was born and reared. There he taught school for a year or two when he moved to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. One of his sons a year or two since was the superintendent of the schools at Carson City, Nevada. Curtis Howe, the father of Samuel L. and Mark, was one of the pioneers of Granville, where he came in 1805. Late in life he moved to Kansas where he died at the age of ninety-nine years. H. H. Bancroft, the historian of California, is a grandson of Curtis Howe. Samuel L. Howe purchased the Boyle property August 13, 1837. He must have erected his academy building earlier than this, and he probably built it on leased grounds. He purchased of Boyle, in addition to the residence, a large out lot, and when he decided to leave Lancaster he laid out an addition to the town and sold the lots. The Boyle residence he sold to Daniel Kutz May 16, 1846.
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS OF LANCASTER, O.
THE QUOTATIONS ARE FROM A SKETCH BY GEORGE W. WELSH.
"The first public schools in Lancaster, Ohio, were opened on the thirtieth day of May, 1830. At that time the population of the town was about two thou- sand eight hundred. In the spring of that year Samuel Carpenter, George Sanderson and Henry Dubble were elected school trustees, and a public school was opened on Columbus Street, south of Main, in a building then known as the old Reformed Church. William Charles was appointed teacher of this school, at thirty dollars a month, for a term of four months. At the same time another public school was opened on Walnut Street, in a building occupied before as a shoe shop. Louis A. Blaire was appointed teacher of this school,
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at twenty dollars a month. The branches taught in these schools were reading, writing, arithmetic, geog- raphy and English grammar. There was no uni- formity of text books, but little classification, and the furniture was of the most primitive style. In 1838 a public school was opened in a frame building on the corner of High and Chestnut Streets, where the resi- dence of John S. Snider now stands. At the same time a school was opened in a brick building on Wal- nut Street, immediately west of the old Radical Church. Miss Collins taught this school."
In 1842 a public school was opened in the base- ment of the Presbyterian Church with a Mr. Johnson as teacher. The public school fund was small and only sufficient to run the schools four months of the year. This created a demand for private schools, and filled Howe's Academy with scholars. Henry M. Booth came to Lancaster from New York in 1843 and conducted a private school on Mulberry Street. The house in which W. S. Eckert lives is a part of his old school building. He was an able and popular teacher and his school was well attended. During his last years in Lancaster he taught in the Union Schools. About the year 1853, on account of failing health, he moved to Iowa where he soon afterward died. He was the father of H. J. Booth, an eminent lawyer of Columbus, who was born in Lancaster March 14, 1849. Mr. Booth was a teacher in Lan- caster ten years. A brother was his assistant in his select school. They built dwelling houses on Broad Street, the William Vorys house and the Edwin Wright house. Mr. Booth is kindly mentioned by his old pupils. In 1838 Mr. and Mrs. McGill opened an in- stitute for the instruction of young ladies. We can-
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not ascertain how long or how well it flourished. Joel S. Parsons was a teacher in the public schools soon after their organization in 1830. He was fol- lowed in a few years by M. A. Daugherty, William Lyon, and Charles Nourse. They were accomplished scholars and good teachers.
Wm. Lyon, an Englishman, was a popular teacher of the early period of the public schools, and is often mentioned by his old pupils. He was also an artist of some ability. He went from here to Zanesville where he married a Miss Adams, and practiced his art.
Wm. Manson, brother-in-law of Daniel Sifford, was a competent teacher of the same period. He died in Lancaster.
Mary J. Herman, daughter of John Herman, was one of the old time teachers, and is kindly remembered by old pupils. She became the wife of John D. Martin.
Miss Adaline Doane (Mrs. Joshua Clarke) was one of the old time teachers.
We cannot name the first teacher in the town of Lancaster, but John Goldthwait was the first in the county. He taught in the McCleery district north of town. He had previously, in 1801, taught the first school in Athens. His work here began as early as 1802 or 1803. He was a man of horticultural tastes and he planted the first orchard in this county, on the old Levering farm. He was also the proprietor of the first nursery in this county, situated on his farm in Walnut Township. He died in 1835 and was buried at New Salem. His children moved to Marion, Indiana, and became leading citizens of the town.
Miss Mary E. Ely came to Lancaster from Connec- ticut prior to 1850 and opened a school for young ladies in the Reese house on Main Street, where she
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taught successfully for some time. She became the wife of Captain Jonas A. Ream of Berne Township, and her marriage closed the school. A daughter by this marriage is the wife of Charles H. Towson. She has, also, two sons in New York who are accomplished artists.
Mrs. Peters taught a select school in a room of the Dr. White residence. This must have been as early as 1838. She became the wife of Dr. Miner, of Lithop- olis, O.
Dr. James W. Dollison, late of West Rushville, taught school in East Lancaster three terms.
In 1847 a movement was made toward improving the condition and efficiency of our public schools. December 4th of that year a public meeting of citizens was held in the Court House to take into considera- tion the condition of the schools and to devise some means for their improvement. H. C. Whitman, Rev. Wm. Cox, Philip Bope, W. Slade and others made speeches.
The result of this meeting was an application to the Legislature for relief, and in the following Feb- ruary (1848) an act was passed for the support and better regulation of the schools of Lancaster. This. was known as the Union School Law. The town was. divided into two districts, North and South.
In April, 1848, by a vote of the citizens, the North District voted to organize under the new law.
"The North District proceeded immediately to or- ganize, electing a Board of Education, composed of the following gentlemen: H. C. Whitman, John Reber, William Slade, Robert Reed, John C. Rainey and Wm. Upfield. Ground was purchased at the corner of Broad and Mulberry Streets, and the erection of a.
·
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building commenced. This house was completed in the spring of 1849. It was of brick, two stories in height, contained eight schoolrooms, four on each floor. The furniture, composed of wooden desks and seats, each intended for two pupils, was a great im- provement on the 'slab benches' of most school houses of that day. Schools were opened in this building in June, 1849. The schools were divided into six grades or departments. John S. Whitwell was employed as the first superintendent and teacher of the high school. The superintendent was assisted in the high school by M. M. Barker. The salary of the superintendent at this time was $600 per annum, and of his assistant $300. The following are the names of the first teach- ers in the primary and secondary departments: Mrs. Thorne, Mrs. Claspill, Miss Slaughter, Miss Louisa and Miss Anna Mather. The highest salary received by the lady assistants was $150, and the lowest $115. In a copy of the Ohio Eagle, one of the newspapers of the town, under date of November 9, 1849, we find the following: 'The education of the youth in this town is not neglected. During the past year a most beautiful and large brick building has been erected, etc .; five hundred scholars are in attendance. The building we feel proud of, and we take pleasure in pointing it out to strangers.'
"The people were evidently pleased with the im- proved school facilities in the North District, and not- withstanding the stubborn opposition of some who were opposed to 'big schoolhouses,' the South Dis- trict, at an election held in April, 1850, decided, by a vote, to share with the North District the benefits and burdens of the improved system of schools; thus the town of Lancaster became one 'Common School Dis-
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trict.' The following named gentlemen were elected as the first Board of Education for the town: John Reber, John D. Martin, Robert Reed, John L. Tuthill, Jacob Hite and J. C. Rainey. One of the first acts of this Board was to take the necessary steps to secure a new school building for the accommodation of the children in the south part of the town.
"Four acres of ground, favorably situated, were purchased, and the erection of a building, similar in plan and structure to the one in the north part of the town, was commenced. This house was completed and ready for the admission of pupils on the first of April, 1851. The schools were now divided into pri- mary, secondary and high school. No definite infor- mation can be obtained with regard to classification or course of study in the schools at this time. Four primary schools, four secondary schools and a high school were opened on the first of April, 1851, with John Williams as superintendent. His assistants were Miss Wilcox, Mr. Hill, Mr. Booth, Mr. Greiner, Miss Morgan, Miss Clifford, Miss Mather, Miss Slaughter, Mrs. Thorne, and Mrs. Claspill."
The North school building erected in 1849 con- tinued to be used until the fall of 1875, and the South building erected in 1851 until the spring of 1874. A new North school building, three stories in height, was completed September 1, 1873. The new South school building was completed September 1, 1875. About the same time a good brick schoolhouse was erected on the North school grounds for the use of the colored scholars. This school was thoroughly organized and put in charge of competent teachers.
In recent years a good two-story brick school build- ing has been erected in the fifth ward, or East Lan-
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caster, and very recently a new frame school building has been built in the Pioneer addition on the west side of the river.
June 24, 1886, a resolution was offered in the Board meeting abolishing the colored school, the scholars to be distributed among the Union schools of the city. The resolution was passed unanimously. The mem- bers of the Board were Rev. G. W. Mechling, J. S. Sites, W. H. Kooken, Wm. H. Wolfe, John D. Jack- son, and Geo. W. Beck. The resolution was offered by J. S. Sites.
HIGH SCHOOL
"At the opening of the schools in the North build- ing, April 1, 1849, a high school was organized, in which algebra, geometry, philosophy, history, chem- istry and Latin were taught by Mr. Whitwell, the superintendent of the schools, assisted by Mr. M. M. Barker.
"In 1851 Miss Wilcox was appointed as principal of the high school, which position she filled with credit to herself and to the full satisfaction of the Board of Education until the fall of 1857, when she resigned and was succeeded by Miss Haskins. This lady re- mained in charge of the school but one year. More room being required for the accommodation of pri- mary classes in the North District, it was found neces- sary, in order to provide this room, to move the high school to the South building, which was done in November, 1856.
"At the opening of the schools in the fall of 1858, the Board was fortunate in securing the services of Miss Jane M. Becket as principal of the high school. The experience, good judgment, rare attainments, and broad culture of this lady, eminently fitted her for the
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position. She continued in charge of this department until the fall of 1868, a period of ten years, during which time the high school steadily advanced in pop- ularity and efficiency. Failing health admonished her that she needed rest. Soon after she became the sec- ond wife of John D. Martin."
Miss Holbrook succeeded Miss Becket and had charge of the high school one year. April 1, 1869, C. Wilkinson was made principal of the high school and remained one year. C. T. McCoy succeeded Wil- kinson and remained until January, 1873, when he resigned. His successor was Marcellus Manley, who remained in charge fifteen months. G. F. Moore was appointed principal September, 1874, and remained until the close of the year. He was succeeded by J. F. Halderman September 1, 1875; failing health com- pelled Halderman to resign in six weeks, and he was succeeded by E. B. Cartmell, a good scholar and able teacher. In 1877 and 1878 Miss Ella Trout was the principal and Miss Mary Hamilton, assistant; in 1878 and 1879 R. W. Dennis, principal, and Miss Hamilton, assistant; from 1879 to 1881 Elijah Burgess, prin- cipal, and Miss Hamilton, assistant; 1881 to 1882 Samuel Major, principal, and Miss Hamilton, assist- ant; 1882 to 1889 W. A. Beates, principal, and Miss Hamilton, assistant; 1890 J. M. Keyser, principal,.and Miss Hamilton, assistant; 1891 J. M. Keyser, princi- pal, and Miss Jessie Chaney, assistant; 1892 M. Smith, principal, and Miss Jessie Chaney, assistant; 1893 J. A. Long, principal, and Miss Anna Davidson, assistant; 1895 C. M. Humes, principal, and Miss Anna Davidson, assistant; 1897 T. C. Coates, principal, Miss Anna Davidson, Miss Ettie Pickering, and H. S. Cox, assistants. Miss Mattie Connell was the first graduate
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from the high school, in the year 1853. The second class graduated in 1855 and was composed of young ladies, viz., Mary J. Brasee, Louisa Hoffler, Ellen Wil- liams and Lillian Williams. Up to 1876 twenty addi- tional classes had graduated. William Viney was the first colored graduate of the high school.
SCHOOL SUPERVISION
BY JOHN L. TUTHILL, 1876
"The success of our schools and their popularity has been chiefly owing to an excellent corps of teach- ers, and the ability and energy of our superintendents, who have been gentlemen of culture, earnest workers, and deeply impressed with a sense of the importance of the trust committed to their charge. Our first superintendent, John S. Whitwell, was appointed by the Board of Education in 1849. He was a gentleman of a high grade of scholarship, an instructor of known ability and well-earned reputation as a successful teacher. The result of his two years' labor was a thorough organization under the most improved plan of school government, and our schools, during his charge, were placed on the high road to success. He resigned his position in 1851, and was succeeded by Dr. John Williams. Dr. Williams was a profound mathematician, a fine linguist, and of superior attain- ments in all the higher branches of learning; besides, he had a long and successful experience in the man- agement of institutions of learning, and had acquired a high reputation as an educator. As a teacher and superintendent of our schools, he exhibited a thorough knowledge in all the departments of scholarship, and possessed rare tact in imparting knowledge to others, particularly in mathematical studies. His usefulness,
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however, was somewhat circumscribed from insuffi- cient executive ability, diffidence, and somewhat of awkwardness in manner and address. But he was an earnest worker and a zealous teacher, to whom the imparting of knowledge was a source of pleasure to himself and a profit to his pupils. He resigned in 1856, and W. Nelson was appointed his successor, but resigned after one year of satisfactory service. The Board of Education was fortunate in securing the services of Rev. Daniel Risser, a fine scholar, of highly cultivated intelligence, with all the natural qualities. and acquired habits that distinguish the true Christian gentleman. A superintendent thus endowed could not fail to have a most powerful and salutary influence over the minds and conduct of both teachers and pupils. Besides these high moral and intellectual qualifica- tions, he possessed good executive ability, that secured ready acquiescence and harmonious action in the gov- ernment of the schools, without any jarring or discord among teachers or scholars. He retained the super- intendency of our schools until 1861, when failing health compelled him to resign. Mr. E. F. Fish suc- ceeded him, and discharged the duties of superintend- ent for one year with fidelity and success.
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