Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th, Part 56

Author: Doyle, Joseph Beatty, 1849-1927
Publication date: 1973
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 584

USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > Steubenville > Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th > Part 56

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).

of Third and South Streets until shortly before the razing of the North school build- ing, but the demolition of that structure soon compelled it to seek other quarters.

About the year 1865 Miss Eliza Mc- Cracken opened a private school for girls in the second story of the old Reliance engine house, which had such marked prosperity that shortly after a two-story building capable of accommodating 160 pupils was erected on North Third Street, west side, just below dock. Here it flour- ished for several years, when the principal being offered a lucrative position else- where, it was discontinued. The Board of Education purchased the structure and there installed the colored school, still un- der charge of Mr. Bruce. The colored youth being small in numbers, a few years' experience demonstrated the impractica- bility of giving them the same educational facilities as the whites without a duplicate corps of teachers, some of whom would only have half a dozen pupils. There was one way to cut the Gordian knot, and the board, on motion of Charles H. Spaulding, was sufficiently enlightened to do it. The colored school was abolished, the building sold and the children incorporated into the general schools, distributed solely with reference to their grade and residence. This was in 1883, and since then there has been no color line in the Steubenville schools. The results have been entirely satisfactory and some of the brightest graduates of the high school have been colored boys and girls. On the whole, the action has tended to eliminate race preju- dice without any of the dire results pre- dicted by the opponents of this method. It has certainly elevated the colored popula- tion of the city, and although our courts have been compelled to take cognizance of brutal crimes committed by negroes (as they have sometimes of whites), yet the offenders have almost invariably been strangers "blown in" from other commu- nities where the opposite system prevails. It is not claimed that this system would work equally well everywhere. Doubtless

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it would not where the negro race consti- tuted a large proportion of the popula- tion or was lower in scale of intelligence to start with. Only the facts are given as they exist in Steubenville.

satisfactory, and some of the brightest

After Miss MeCracken, Miss Jane Brown conducted a school in the Reliance engine house for several years.

Mr. Buchanan resigned the superinten- deney in 1870 and was sneceeded by Mar- tin R. Andrews, an educator of ability, who resigned in 1879, to accept a position in Marietta College, and was sneceeded by Prof. Henry N. Mertz, of Wheeling.

The enlargement of the city in Novem- ber, 1871, brought in several outside schoolhouses, inelnding three one-room structures, one at the south end known as "rolling mill," afterwards Sixth Ward; one on Wells' rnn, near Wilson's corner, and one on the western boundary of the city known as "Jacksonville." The last named was discontinued in 1884, and the pupils assigned to other rooms. The other buildings were soon enlarged, the "rolling mill" or Jefferson being converted into four rooms, holding 180 scholars, and the Wells run receiving another story, then having a capacity for 120 scholars. The Fifth Ward or Garfield School was erect- ed in 1883, at a cost of $19,000. It is a modern two-story strneture at Fifth and Madison Streets, and has eight rooms, with a capacity of four hundred pupils. The following year the Second Ward or Washington School was completed, with eight rooms, at a cost of $22.000, corner of Seventh and Adams Streets. In 1902 an annex was added, giving an additional room. The Wells Run schoolhouse was re- placed by the Lincoln building of four rooms, in 1891, to which four more were added in 1905, the structure costing abont $25,000. The location of the Jefferson building becoming unsatisfactory in 1901, a new briek structure of four rooms was built on Prospect Avenue. The opening of the new addition on La Belle View ne- cessitated the building of a single-room

structure at the corner of Maryland and Pittsburgh Streets, in 1904, to which an- other room has since been added. A schoolhouse has also been built on Pleas- ant Heights.

Superintendent Mertz retired from office in 1901 to his farm near Bellaire and was succeeded by Arthur Powell, who remained two years, followed by Edward Van Cleve. The city was now growing rapidly, and there was a demand for a new build- ing to accommodate the high and grammar schools and relieve the pressure on the pri- mary departments. A proposition to issue bonds for this purpose was defeated by a vote of the people, but the board after- wards proceeded to the erection of a build- ing. In 1903 a lot was purchased on the sonthwest corner of Fourth and North Streets for $15,000, in July, 1905, ground was broken, and fourteen months later a new three-story building 101 x 181 feet. probably the best equipped of the kind in the state, was completed, at a cost of $100,- 000. Webster & Peterson were the archi- teets and Frank MeFeely contractor. It was occupied September 4, 1906, and for- mally opened with appropriate exercises on November 16. Bedford stone facing and concrete foundations enclose the base- ment story and the exterior is of light red pressed brick with ent stone and terra cotta trimmings. The basement is fully utilized by separate lunch rooms for girls and boys, proper toilet rooms, steam- heated pipe in halls for drying wet feet and clothing, two rooms for work in do- mestic economy, cooking and sewing room, mannal training and tool rooms, store rooms for janitor, completely equipped' gymnasium 40 x 50 feet, with dressing rooms for boys and girls, apparatus for heating and ventilating, gas engine room and electric lighting plant, and sleeping room for engineer. The first floor contains offices for superintendent and the Board of Education, Inrge grammar study room, which can be divided into two compart- ments by rolling partitions, and full series of class rooms 28 x 28 feet each. On this

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Hoor and extending to the roof is the audi- twenty-one, and 3,237 in 1870. In 1875 torium, seating 700 people, equipped with stage scenery, which is used for commence- ments, public gatherings, etc. Above this is the high school proper, with its ae- companying class rooms, complete labora- tories for biologieal and other work, book- keeping and typewriter rooms, lecture room, rest room, etc. In the attic are sev- eral apartments which can be used when- ever needed. The building was most ap- propriately named after Bezaleel Wells, who practically inaugurated the first pub- lie school in the state at the "Little Red Schoolhouse" on South High Street.

The present high school curriculum is a four-year course, as follows: First year, composition, rhetoric, authors, Latin, al- gebra, physical geography, bookkeeping, ancient history ; second, composition, rhet- orie. literature, Latin, plane geometry, medieval and modern history, geography, botany, arithmetic; third, composition, lit- erature, Latin', German", advanced al- gebra", botany*, physics, geology*, stenog- raphy and typewriting", solid geometry*, English", zoology *; fourth, composition", literature", Latin", German", advanced arithmetic*, American and foreign civies, chemistry*, pedagogy*, physiology, review of bookkeeping", commercial law". Those marked with * are elective studies, and to this class may be added music, drawing and French. It will be noticed that the course for the last two years is quite flex- ible, the design being to adapt it for all, whether the pupil expects to use it as a training for business or home life, a prepa- ration for college or teachers' normal school. To this extent it is a sort of lim- ited university.

Mr. Van Cleve resigned the superinten- dency in 1907 and was succeeded by the present incumbent, Robert L. Ervin, E. De Witt Erskine nominally serving during a troublesome interregnum of a few weeks.

The first emneration of youth of school age was in 1840, the report showing 1,336 between four and twenty-one years of age. In 1860 there were 2,486 between five and

there were 4,732 between six and twenty- one, part of this increase being due to the annexation of territory. The pupils en- rolled were 653 in 1840, 700 in 1850, 1,394 in 1860, 1,205 in 1870 and 2,181 in 1875. The average daily attendance was 459 in 1840, 400 in 1850, 736 in 1860, 760 in 1870 and 1,606 in 1875. Teachers-Eight in 1840. 19 in 1860, 24 in 1870 and 34 in 1875. From 1875 to 1900 the increase was very gradnal, but from that year it has been very marked, and the new buildings have hardly kept pace with the increasing de- mands. The 1909 enumeration shows 6,072 youth in the city between the ages of six and twenty-one years, of which 3,134 are males and 2,938 females. In this con- nection it may be noted that there are in the county 16,802 persons of school age, of whom 8,677 are males and 8,125 females. They are divided as follows:

Townships-Brush Creek, 125; Cross Creek, 399; Island Creek, 199; Knox, 267; Mt. Pleasant, 410; Ross, 196; Stenbenville, 63; Saline, 483; Springfield, 278; Salem, 293; Smithfield, 701; Wayne, 439; War- ren, 455; Wells, 570.

School Districts-Adena, 291; Amster- dam, 358; Bloomfield, 59; Brilliant, 191; Bergholz, 285; Dillonvale, 679; Empire, 370; Grover, 200; Independent No. 2, 211; Independent No. 9, 165; Monroeville, 23; Mingo Junction, 1,002; Mt. Pleasant, 231; New Alexandria, 55; Richmond. 104; Smithfield, 286; Stenbenville, 6,072; To- ronto, 1,270; Warrenton, 72.

There are in the county, feeble-minded youth, 6; physically disabled, 40; blind, 4; deaf. 5; mute, 6.

The enrollinent of pupils in the public schools of the city at the beginning of the September term, 1909, was as follows:

Bora. 172

Girls.

Total.

Garfield Building

159

331

Grant Building

290

333

623

Jefferson Buibling

100

La Belle Building.

141

Lincoln Building

182

155

337

Pleasant Heights Building.

Stanton Building

234

236

470

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Washington Building

179

201

380

Wells Grammar

155

Wells High

136

232

Grand total

1,386

1,450

2,836

Included in Garfield School is the over- flow accommodated in Franklin Avenue Chapel.

The present Board of Education in- cludes Floyd M. Yocum, president; Will- iam R. Burgoyne, J. R. Mossgrove, A. Forsythe, J. A. Kithcart.

After several unsuccessful attempts to establish a permanent commercial college in Steubenville, Prof. J. T. Thompson suc- ceeded in doing so in 1896. It occupies the Gill Building, corner of Fourth and Mar- ket Streets, which had been especially ar- ranged for the purpose with commercial, shorthand and typewriting departments, with modern appliances, equal to the best equipped business schools in the country.

In 1868 Rev. W. T. Bigelow, pastor of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, insti- tuted a parochial school, occupying five rooms in the basement of that church. In a few years there was a flourishing school of three hundred scholars, with a high school course added by Rev. M. M. A. Hart- nedy. The schools were conducted by the Dominican Sisters under the supervision of the pastor. Before tearing down St. Peter's, in 1904, to make room for a new building, a brick structure of six large rooms was built west of the adjoining al- ley, which is still occupied by 392 scholars, in charge of six teachers. When the An- drews property on the corner of Fifth and Slack Streets was acquired by Father Hartnedy in 1884, additional schools were opened in that building, which was used until removed to make room for the pres- ent Holy Name Church, in 1884. Subse- quently a handsome brick structure was erected with six rooms and auditorium, which is attended by 358 scholars, in charge of six teachers. St. Stanislaus Pol- ish Church, built in 1905. also has a school, of fifty-three pupils, making a present ag- gregate of 3,639 in all the city schools and about 100 in the business college.

What was known as the Grove Academy on North Seventh Street, conducted by Dr. John Scott, between the thirties and later sixties, was a prominent educational insti- tution for boys and young men, and the children in most of the older families re- ceived their education there.

EARLY AND LATER LIBRARIES-THE CARNEGIE.

Closely allied to the educational inter- ests of the city is a public library. Very soon after the public schools were organ- ized steps were taken in this direction. We have already alluded to the little circulat- ing library of Hon. E. M. Stanton, and he was not the only one who moved in that di- rection. There was in the early forties an "Institute" composed of young men for library and debating purposes, and in 1845 James Turnbull, James Collier and James McAllister reported a plan for establish- ing a library. The town was canvassed and some books and funds obtained, and on January 6, 1846, E. M. Stanton, William Hawkins and Mr. MeLeish were appointed to draft rules for the admission of mem- bers, the loaning of books and their final disposition in case of dissolution of the so- ciety. The rules were adopted, and on June 26, 1847, the Institute numbered forty-two members. On December 13 of that year, however, it dissolved, the books, numbering 450 volumes, remaining the property of those whose names were at- tached to the rules. On January 31, 1848, the concern was reorganized and incorpo- rated under the name of "The City Library Association of Steubenville," and in March a constitution was adopted with re- vised rules for the circulation of books. There is no record of their subsequent pro- ceedings until the election of Eli T. Tap- pan as secretary and librarian in 1857, he serving until 1859. The books were kept in the Scott building on South Fourth Street, and could be procured on payment of a small fee. Mr. Tappan was then superin- tendent of schools and used this room as his office as well as the quarters for the

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SINCLAIR BOULEVARD. OPPOSITE STEUBENVILLE

WILSON'S CORNER, STEUBENVILLE

THREE BRIDGES, MOUTH OF YELLOW CREEK ABOVE STEUBENVILLE

THE GLEN, STANTON PARK, STEUBENVILLE

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school library referred to below. He was succeeded by Rev. Joseph Buchanan, who looked after the books until 1870. In 1867 the books were placed in the rooms of the Y. M. C. A. in order to save rent, and an effort to revive the association was made in 1869, but was only temporarily success- ful. The books were then turned over to the Odd Fellows' Association, who opened a library in their new building on North Fourth Street. It met with fair success for a number of years, especially meeting the wants of fiction readers, but its patronage naturally dropped off after the opening of the Carnegie library, and it closed after disposing of its books to that institution. There was also what was known as a school library in the fifties in the Scott building kept np by taxation and containing a good collection of books. It was supported from the school funds, and every family in the district was entitled to its use. During the war of the rebellion it was allowed to lan- guish and was closed for a number of years. About 1880 the Board of Ednea- tion concluded to revive the so-called school library and levied a small tax for that pur- pose. Its first quarters were in the August Floto building on North Fourth Street, but a few years after it found a more commodi- ous home in the city building on Market Street. With a comparatively small income a very good collection of books and maga- zines was in progress and it was well pat- ronized until it contents were transferred to the Carnegie Library in 1902.

In the summer of 1899 Dr. A. M. Reid, in a letter to Andrew Carnegie, suggested that as Mr. Carnegie had begun his career here as a telegraph operator it would be peculiarly appropriate to bestow upon Steubenville a library. Mr. Carnegie re- plied that he would be very glad to do so provided the city guarantee its support. On the 3d of October, 1899, an ordinance was passed by the city council providing for the establishment of a public library and reading room and board of directors for control of same. The first board of di- rectors consisted of G. W. MeCook, J. W.

Gill, W. H. MeClinton, H. G. Dohrman, Michael Keane and Charles Gallagher. Mr. Gallagher dying in October, 1901, Thomas Spencer was appointed to fill the vacancy. Mr. Dohrman was succeeded in 1910 by Jo- seph B. Doyle. Bonds were issned for the purchase of a site, and the Sarratt prop- erty at the intersection of Slack with Fourth and Fifth Streets was bought. The building was planned by Alden & Harlow, architects, of Pittsburgh, and the contract awarded to J. M. Trimble, of Allegheny. The result was a handsome, substantial fireproof library bnikling. thoroughly equipped in every detail. Mr. Carnegie first promised $50,000, but as the building upon completion was found to cost over $62,000, he generously paid the difference. The building was formally opened to the public Tuesday evening. March 11, 1902, with music and speeches. The organizer and first librarian was Miss Ellen Summers Wilson, a graduate of the Albany Library School, who had organized and been li- brarian of the West End and Wylie branches of the Carnegie Library of Pitts- burgh. In July, 1904, Miss Wilson resigned on account of ill health, and in December of the same year was succeeded by Miss Agnes Elliott, librarian of the Lawrence- ville branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. In July Miss Elliott accepted the superintendency of the cirenlation of the Pratt Library in Brooklyn and was sneceeded by Miss Beatrice M. Kelly. chil- dren's librarian of the Mount Washington branch of the Carnegie Library of Pitts- burgh. The present staff consists of Miss Kelly, librarian ; Misses Parks and Nieden- gard, assistants, and Misses Williams and Beazell, substitutes. Since the library was opened over 7,000 readers have been regis- tered, 375,000 books cirenlated and over 600,000 persons have been in attendance either to read in the library or procure books for home reading. The number of books in the library on December 31, 1908. was 10,604, and the number taken ont dur- ing the year was 60,854. The total at- tendance at the library during that year

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was 98,177, and the present year will show at least 100,000. All the leading period- icals are found in the reading rooms, and the story hour inaugurated by Miss Wilson has been carried on with great success by the present librarian. The expense of con dueting the institution is about $5,200 per munm.

CHURCHES AND RELIGION.

The first religions minister of whom we have any account in this section was Rev. David Jones, from Freehold, N. J., a Welsh Baptist, having made a preaching tonr among the Indians and the few settlers in 1772. He speaks of Mingotown in his jour- ual, to which reference has been made, but he does not state that he preached in the county. He was with George Rogers Clarke opposite the mouth of Captina Creek the same year, and notes in his jour- nal that "he instructed what Indians came over." Ile was informed here that the chief of the tribe located at the month of Captina was a professor of Christianity. and was struck by the impression his prayer made on the Indians who heard him. It was at this place that in the spring of 1780 several families descending the river to Kentucky were attacked by the Indians and nmirdered or carried into captivity, one of the latter, Catherine Malott, afterwards becoming the wife of Simon Girty. Rov. Jones during the Revolutionary War was known as the " Fighting Chaplain." and he stood beside Anthony Wayne as his chap- lain for the Pennsylvania line. His elo- quence was a wonderful power at Valley Forge in cheering the disheartened sol- diers. It is said of him that he told his men "that a shad would as soon he seen barking up a tree as a Revolutionary sol- dier turning his back on the enemy or go- ing to hell."

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.

In his journal. dated Cross Creek ( Mingo), Sunday, October 2. 1785, General Butler, who was on an expedition having

for its purpose the removal of squatters from the Indian country, says: "The peo- ple of this country appear to be much im- posed upon by a sect called Methodist, and are becoming great fanaties." He did not state in what way the fanaticism was mani- fested, unless it be what he says in the fol- lowing sentence : "They say they have paid taxes which are too heavy."

In a history of the Methodist church of Steubenville, written by Rev. Dr. D. C. Os- borne, it is stated that "as early as the sumner of 1794 Sammel Blitt and Jolm Reynolds, of that denomination, preached a few sermons here amidst much opposi- tion." It is also mentioned that in 1795-6 Charles Connaway, presiding elder. Sam- nel Hitt and Thomas Haywood also came upon the site of Steubenville-"the latter being poor, received £24 in Pennsylvania currency per amum for his services." The cirenit embraced in the itinerancy of Hitt and Reynolls included Ohio County, Vir- ginia ; Washington County, Pennsylvania, and the settlements on both sides of the Ohio from the month of the Muskingum to near Pittsburgh. A society was soon formed in Steubenville and the congrega- tion was kept supplied. Bishop Asbury visited Steubenville in 1803 and made this entry in his diary : "The court house conld not contain all the people; we went to the Presbyterian tent, and as the Jews and Samaritans have no dealings, I inst tender my thanks, I found a delightful home with the family of Bezaleel Wells, who is friendly to our church." In 1815. when the first conference was held in Steubenville, Bezaleel Wells was asked to entertain one of the representative men. The guest sent him was from the Northwest, dressed in homespun and spattered with mud as he alighted from his horse at the Wells man- sion. Mr. Wells was rathed chagrined at his appearance and called the local minis- ter to task, but he was told to wait until he heard his young guest preach the following Sunday. He did so and was so impressed with his oratorical powers that he ex- pressed wonder that such a man should be

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buried in the pioneer work of the North- west. The next day he took his visitor to a tailor and ordered for him the finest suit of clothing that could be procured. The preacher was Rev. Mr. Bigelow, who be- came noted in the annals of Methodism as a pioneer pulpit orator. This, however, is anticipating. Charles Conaway was pre- siding elder in 1795, with Samuel Hitt and Thomas Haywood itinerants. 1796 - An- drew Nichols, Jolm Seward, Shadrach Johnson and Jonathan Bateman, Valentine Cook, P. E. 1797-N. B. Mills, JJacob Col- bert, with Daniel Hitt, elder. 1798-Mills and Solomon Harris, +27 members in dis- trict. 1799 - Thomas Haywood, Jesse Stoneman. Haywood died in June, and through lack of services membership fell off 106. 1800-Joseph Rowen, John Culli- son, revivals and membership increased to 528. 1801-Pittsburgh district formed and Thornton Fleming appointed presiding elder, with Benjamin Essex and Joseph Hall preachers. Jefferson Comty was placed in the West Wheeling cirenit this year. 1802-Joseph Hall, John Cullison. 1804 -- Lasley Matthews. 1805-Mononga- hela district. James Hunter, presiding elder; John West and Eli Towne, preach- ers. 1806-Thornton Fleming, presiding elder; David Stevens and Eli Town, preachers. Services were held at the home of John Permar. 1807-William Knox, James Reiley and J. G. Watt. 1808 -- Rob- ert R. Roberts, Benediet Burgess.

The records do not show who of the above preachers officiated in Steubenville or how frequently. Their circuits included western Pennsylvania and a large part of the state of Ohio, and their visits to any partienlar place were no doubt fragmen- tary, sometimes at considerable intervals. Cumming, in his journal, only refers to the Presbyterians and "Episcopalians" as having any regular services. But a change was coming. James Quinn was appointed presiding elder in 1809, with Jacob Young and Thomas Church preachers. Rev. Young says in his diary: "I found my cir- enit included the whole of Belmont, Jeffer-

son and Harrison counties. At Stenben- ville we preached in the old log court house upstairs. During the year Obadiah Jen- nings, a great lawyer, was onr constant hearer. He was converted and became a noted Presbyterian minister." 1810- William Lamden, at the close of his first sermon, announced that the next forenoon he would form a class at the house of Bernard Lneas. Twelve persons appeared and were organized into a Methodist so- ciety. They were Bernard Ineas, leader; Margaret Encas, Matthew Worstel, Rachel Worstel, William Fisher, Margaret Cin- mings, Archibald Cole, Elizabeth Cole, Nicholas Murray, Nancy Murray, Hugh Dunn and James Dougherty. Their meet- ings were held in private honses, with an increase at nearly every gathering. 1811- William Lamden and Michael Ellis. There were revivals this year, and Bezaleel Wells donated a lot on the corner of South and Fourth streets on which a church edi- fice 50×35 feet was begun and used as a place of worship. In 1812 the Ohio Dis- triet was formed with Jacob Young pre- siding elder. West Wheeling cirenit was divided, and Cross Creek circuit formed from the north part with Michael Ellis and John McMahan preachers. Ohio Confer- ence was formed October 1, and Abel Rob- inson and William Knox appointed preach- ers. Ohio Conference met here September 1, 1813, Bishops Asbury and Mckendree being present. Services were held thrice daily in B. Wells' sugar orchard, below South street, at which many accessions were received. "The shouting and weep- ing were heard afar off." Cold plague and spotted fever swept through the country this year with great mortality, the alarms of war, high price of provisions and scarcity of money making the year one of trial.

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Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th, Part 56

Author: Doyle, Joseph Beatty, 1849-1927 Publication date: 1973 Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 584

Author: Doyle, Joseph Beatty, 1849-1927
Publication date: 1973
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 584