USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Cincinnati, the Queen City, 1788-1912, Volume II > Part 51
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The old house was given up in 1816 for a commodious brick-considered quite handsome in that day. It is still standing at the northeast corner of Main and Webster streets. The barn was farther east, about where Asbury Chapel is now. His second journey homeward was made in 1812. He was accompanied by Mrs. Woodward, whom he took to her native heath in Medford, Massa- chusetts.
It is said that the people of the Nutmeg State have great trading qualifica- tions, and Mr. Woodward was no exception. Once he was not successful, but the venture will show his industry and enterprising business qualities. He had built in 1813 a ship on the banks of the Ohio, near the mouth of Crawfish creek. The vessel he named Cincinnatus. This was intended for trading along the Gulf coast from New Orleans to Florida. It was kept in the dock until the great flood of 1815 brought depth of water enough to carry it over the falls at Louisville. The cargo consisted principally of pork and lard packed by Mr. Woodward hin- self ; but the venture was a loss. Real estate investments brought better results. He loved farming, and by his thrift the forest and waste places were trans- formed into orchards and wheat fields.
To the occupation of farmer he added that of tanner; and did an extensive and profitable business on Liberty east of Sycamore street. His wealth was considerable, and he was a man of prominence in the community. He contrib- uted largely to the support of the First Presbyterian church, of which he was a member. To the Lane Seminary fund he was a liberal subscriber. As early as 1819 he had plans for founding a school for poor children, but not until 1826 were the thoughts made facts; then he consulted his friend and legal adviser, Mr. Samuel Lewis, as to the disposition to make of his vast wealth-vast indeed for those times. Seven years later his real estate within the city was valued at $179,365, and there was enough outside the corporation to bring it up to $230,000. His personality at his decease was valued at $28,088.15.
In 1826 he conveyed by deed some seven acres of land on Sycamore north of what is now Hunt street to his chosen trustees. His nephew, Osmond Cogs- well, was one and Samuel Lewis the other. Later he gave an acre as the site for a schoolhouse; on this land was erected the old college and also the present Woodward school.
The original plan was to found a grammar school, but later it was changed to a high school. Mr. Woodward drew away the first load of earth in excavat-
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ing for the cellar of the new building. We may imagine with what pleasure he watched the progress of this edifice, and with what a thrill of delight he attended the opening exercises on October 24, 1831.
He was spared to attend one exhibition, and then he was deeply touched by the outbursts of gratitude from patrons and pupils. How wise he was to put this grand work in operation while he was living and not leave it to others to carry out his plans! He died January 23, 1833, in his sixty-sixth year, having been born March 8, 1768. His remains were placed in the cemetery on Twelfth street, now Washington park, but later with those of his wife were removed to their present resting-place in the school grounds. A handsome monument has been erected over their graves by the Old Woodward Club and the alumni of the high school. It was unveiled on October 24, 1878, by Mrs. Samuel Lewis, the widow of his dearest friend.
Mr. Woodward's gifts were not in any sense narrow. He was a public spirited citizen. The city received from him a valuable lot on Sycamore street south of Abigail and extending to Main as the site for a jail. Here the old jail was located until the building of the present one. He served as coroner of Hamilton county from 1807 to 1810; he was also a member of the city coun- cil.
Mr. Woodward was a pleasant, unassuming gentleman of the old school. He was most sympathetic and was known to assist many a neighbor who was in financial straits.
The Founder of Woodward who rejoiced at seeing his boys not alone at study, but at play, little dreamed of the thousands who would be benefited by his gift. As Sir Walter Milday said to Queen Elizabeth of his foundation, Em- manuel College, Cambridge, Mr. Woodward might have said of his little two story brick school in Cincinnati, "I have but set an acorn, God alone knows what will be the fruit thereof." Hundreds of boys and girls who have come forth from the halls of Woodward-old and new-to fill positions in almost every walk in life, and hundreds yet unborn will call him blessed.
In the words of Miss Mosbaugh's beautiful poem for Founder's Day, we can say :
Yea, his spirit ever lives In the souls to whom he gives Dearer gift than fame or gold, Rich with blessings yet untold. None can prouder birthright hold- Woodward, Woodward !
HISTORY OF WOODWARD COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
In 1826, William Woodward consulted Samuel Lewis, his legal adviser, in regard to making his will, stating that he wished to leave at his death a consid- erable part of his property for some benevolent object. Mr. Lewis suggested the immediate founding of a free school. Mr. Woodward resolved to act at once upon this suggestion, and on January 24, 1827, the Woodward Free Grammar
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School was incorporated. Seven acres of ground were deeded to Samuel Lewis and Osmond Cogswell, trustees, to carry out the purpose of the donor. In the year 1830, Mr. Woodward added other lots to his former grant, and also con- sented to a change in the charter, so as to establish a high school. This land is leased, subject to revaluation every fifteen years, producing at the present time a yearly revenue of about twelve thousand dollars.
The portion set apart for school purposes was located in the southeastern corner of the Woodward farm, a tract purchased from John Cleves Symmes by Levi Woodward for the sum of eleven dollars and afterward sold to his brother Wm. Woodward for four hundred dollars. This farm embraced the territory now lying between Main and Broadway and extending from Abigail to Liberty street. The Woodward high school was incorporated January 15, 1831. About half a square was set apart for the school grounds and building. The first house, a plain two-story building, contained four rooms, and was built on the northeast corner of the lot fronting on Franklin street. On the 24th of October, 1831, the Woodward high school was formally opened. January 7, 1836, the charter was changed so as to allow the establishment of a college department.
During the period from 1831 to 1851, there were three presidents of the school; the first, elected in 1832, was Prof. Thomas J. Matthews, the father of Hon. Stanley Matthews, late justice of the United States Supreme Court. On the resignation of Prof. Matthews, in 1835, Dr. Benjamin P. Aydelott was elected president, and he was succeeded, in 1843, by Rev. Thomas J. Biggs. Two of the professors during this period became widely known through their publi- cations-Wm. H. McGuffey, the author of the Eclectic Readers, and Dr. Joseph Ray, the author of the Ray Mathematical Series. As the endowment was not sufficient to meet the current expenses of the school, the trustees were compelled to admit two classes of pupils, those who were able to pay and those who were admitted as free students. The latter were selected from the public schools, with great care, and were enrolled as honor pupils. By this arrangement of the trustees, the brainiest pupils of our public schools were admitted to the college.
In 1851, through the efforts of Samuel Lewis and others, the Woodward funds were united with certain funds left by Thomas Hughes for school pur- poses, and two high schools were established. Since that time the high schools have been a part of the public school system of the city, under the joint control of the common school board and the union board of high schools, a body com- posed of seven representatives of the two trusts and seven delegates from the common school board.
From 1851 to the present time, the following have served as principals of the Woodward high school :
Joseph Ray . 1851-1855
Daniel Shepardson 1855-1862
Moses Woolson . 1862-1865
George W. Harper 1865-1900 Augustus M. Van Dyke . 1900
Over seventy teachers have been employed in the regular work of the school. Of these the following deserve mention because of their long and faithful services :
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Alphonse Brunner 1853-1868
Mary E. White . 1858-1876
Chauncey R. Stuntz 1860-1895
George W. Smith 1867-1892
Sarah L. Brooks 1865-1882
Henrietta Walter
1865-1892
William H. Pabodie
1870
Ferdinand C. Gores
1876
Nettie Fillmore
1879
Eleanor C. O'Connell
1882-1900
Maggie W. Mosbaugh
1884
Adeline A. Stubbs
1884
M. Louise Armstrong
1886
Margaretta Burnet 1887
The high standards which have always been maintained, not only for ad- mission, but for passing from grade to grade, and for final graduation, have con- tributed largely to the reputation of the school.
The stimulus given to talented pupils by the prize system has been an im- portant factor in obtaining the best results from school work.
In 1857, D. Gano Ray, Esq., founded the mathematical prizes in honor of his distinguished father, Dr. Joseph Ray.
The first prize was taken by the late General Peter S. Michie, who for over thirty years was a professor at West Point Military Academy.
In 1883, medals for general scholarship were founded by David Sinton, Esq., and in 1885, additional medals for English, for mathematics and for the best oration were given, called the Alumnal medals. In 1901, by action of the union board, the prize system in the high schools was abolished.
The thoroughness of the work done at Woodward has for many years been recognized by the best colleges. This statement is confirmed by the fact that graduates of Woodward have been elected to professorships in Annapolis, West Point, Columbia University, Chicago University, Washington University, Yale, Harvard, Cornell and other colleges of like grade.
While Woodward was never regarded as a military school, the military spirit seems to have predominated from the earliest history of the school. The stu- dents, when not engaged in foot ball and other favorite games, were organized into companies of amateur soldiers and marched and counter-marched in the ample grounds of the school yard.
While the languages and the sciences were not neglected, the school was always noted for its high standard in the mathematics.
This severe training at Woodward was no doubt the principal cause of the prominence of the Woodward graduates in our civil war.
A careful examination of the records shows that Woodward contributed to the war besides the rank and file one hundred and fifty-seven commissioned officers, and of these, before the close of the war, there were twenty colonels, fifteen brigadier generals and one major general.
W. H. MCGUFFEY
JOSEPH RAY
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One who was in a position to know has stated that no company organized during the war furnished so large a number of commissioned officers from the ranks as the Woodward guards. .
The formation of a school library began in the early days of the college and has grown until now it numbers nearly 4,000 volumes.
In September, 1892, the department of domestic science was introduced, and classes in cooking were organized under the able management of Isabella Neff.
In 1893, the enrollment of the school had increased to 822 pupils, a number too large to be accommodated upon the present play-grounds, so that the board was compelled to build a gymnasium where all the pupils now receive instruction in physical culture under a competent teacher.
In 1884, the Alumnal Association erected a handsome memorial tablet in one of the lialls of Woodward to the memory of the teachers who have died while members of the faculty.
William Woodward's own children died in their infancy, but his great love for children and that of his wife, Abigail Woodward, caused him to adopt from time to time a number of orphaned children, who were educated and cared for as a part of his own family. Since his death, thousands of boys and girls have re- ceived a higher education, through his bounteous provision, to whom he has been in a certain sense a foster parent. These foster sons and daughters of Wood- ward desired to express in some substantial way their gratitude to the founder of the school. The Old Woodward Club and the Alumnal Association at their annual meetings in 1877 appointed the following committees to act together in carrying out the wishes of the societies:
For the Old Woodward Club-
GEN. A. T. GOSHORN, JOHN W. DALE, D. GANO RAY, EsQ.
For the Woodward Alumnal-
WILLIAM STRUNK, EsQ. NOBLE K. ROYSE, GEO. W. HARPER.
This committee proceeded at once to collect funds and to have erected, on the lot in front of the school building, a bronze statue of William Woodward, which was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies, October 24, 1878, forty-seven years after the opening day of the school.
As early as 1860, the Old Woodward Club had the remains of William Woodward and his wife removed from the Twelfth street cemetery, now Wash- ington park, and placed in a stone vault which they had prepared, in front of the building, and over which the monument now stands. It seems very proper that William Woodward and his wife should sleep in the midst of the farm he once tilled, and in the shadow of the great school which he founded.
The following memorial tablet on the second floor was put in place by the school, April 26, 1884, to the memory of those teachers who died while members of the faculty:
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IN MEMORIAM. JOSEPH RAY-1831-1855 CHARLES AIKEN-1851-1879 CHAS. F. WEHMER-1860-1863 ARTHUR FORBRIGER-1868-1878. KATE REUSCHEL-1872-1882 ALICE E. HARTON-1884-1886
CHAUNCEY R. STUNTZ-1860-1895
FOUNDER'S DAY AT WOODWARD.
Although the memory of William Woodward had always been cherished and revered at the school, it was not until 1893 that the suggestion to observe the birthday with appropriate exercises was carried out. Since then the day, March 8, has been called Founder's Day, and a part of it has been devoted to exercises consisting of music, recitations, addresses and the reading of letters-all tend- ing to present the excellence of the founder and the value of his gift in helping to form the characters of good women and noble men who have impressed the stamp of Woodward upon the city of Cincinnati. The school is not without visible memorials of the good man, for an excellent portrait of him hangs in the hall, and a fine bronze monument stands above the grave of himself and his wife, Abigail, in front of the school entrance on Franklin street. But it is well that these mute memorials should be reinforced annually by the spoken word, that the new generations of pupils may be reminded how the virtues of the fathers have influenced the advantages possible in the present day.
The celebration of Founder's Day has been aided by a number of the large business houses, which, on that day and during that week, have decorated their show windows with the blue of Woodward, the color sacred in art, to heaven and truth.
It is to be regretted that the limits of this volume will not allow the publica- tion of all the programs which have been carried out from 1893 to 1902. Each was worthy of the dear old school. The records of them will be found in the Woodward manuals and in the record book at the school.
The Old Woodward boys presented the bell used in the first building, and it has been customary to have this bell rung by the oldest Woodward boy present. This ringing has usually been the introduction to the exercises of the day.
The first program, March 8, 1893, included, besides the sketches of the lives of William Woodward and of Samuel G. Lewis, his friend and adviser, and of Dr. Joseph Ray, the first principal, addresses by Judge Ferris, by Rev. Weeks, '55, by Peter Rudolph Neff and by Hezekiah Bailey, and the reading of many letters and telegrams from prominent graduates. Among these was notable the greeting from Chas. L. Gano, a pupil of 1831. But the letter which, doubtless, is of most interests today was from a man who has been making history in our country during the last six months, Wm. H. Taft, governor general of the Philip- pines. At that time, engagements in court prevented his presence at the exer- cises, and, after expressing his regret, he said :
"I regret it because four years of the best mental disicpline of my life were spent in Woodward high school, and I shall always feel grateful for the oppor- tunities there afforded me. Mr. Woodward's name will remain a household word
OLD WOODWARD HIGH SCHOOL
NEW WOODWARD HIGH SCHOOL, 1910
MONUMENT OF WILLIAM WOODWARD, FOUNDER OF WOODWARD HIGH SCHOOL, 1900
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so long as there is a city of Cincinnati. It is an excellent idea to celebrate his memory, because it calls to the mind of those who have accumulated large wealth the surest and most enduring and most useful way of perpetuating their memory. I congratulate the faculty of Woodward high school on the high position which the school occupies among institutions of its class in this country. I am proud to be an alumnus of Woodward."
At the close of the exercises, the Woodward cadets, pupils of the school, headed by Mr. A. B. Pullan, who was among the first to enter the school in 1831. marched from the school and saluted the old house at northeast corner of Main and Webster streets, in which Mr. Woodward once lived.
In 1894, the celebration was specially devoted to the Old Woodward boys. An address, "Memories of Old Woodward," by Mr. John W. Dale, with some account of "Football in the Early Woodward Days," by Mr. De Beck, and "Reminiscences of '59," by E. H. Prichard, were given. But the chief feature was the presentation of the mural tablet-the stone used in Mr. Woodward's tannery. The presentation speech was made by Colonel Geo. Finch, that of acceptance by Mr. Harper.
In 1895, the old bell was presented by the Old Woodward boys, represented by Dr. A. C. Kemper. It is now placed at the east end of the assembly hall. . The rest of the program was devoted to "The Woodward Boy in the Army," the chief address being by General .H. V. Boynton, class of '53. J. Milton Blair, '59, gave an account of the Woodward guards, with a history of the silk flag presented to the guards by the young ladies of Woodward. The flag was on the stage, tattered and seared by many battles. On this day a silk banner was pre- sented to the cadets by the girls of the schools.
In 1896, March 8th was Sunday, and it was decided to hold a memorial service on the evening of that day in the First Presbyterian church, which Mr. Woodward had attended. Owing to circumstances beyond control, the service was postponed until the following Sunday, March 15th, and was conducted by Rt. Rev. John H. White, Bishop of Indiana, Protestant Episcopal church, a Woodward graduate of '67. Miss Mosbaugh, '72, wrote a song, "March Eighth." for this occasion, which was sung for the first time. The exercises at the school were held March 13th, being opened by the ringing of the old bell by H. B. Bailey. '50. The chief event of the day was the presentation of an oil portrait of Mr. C. R. Stuntz, the gift of Dr. S. P. Kramer, class of '85, painted by Leo Miel- ziner, class of '87. The portrait hangs near the mural tablet to Mr. Woodward. On the same day, a case for the old battle flag was presented to the school, the address being made by Major A. M. Van Dyke, and the responses for the Wood- ward guards and the school by Mr. Blair and Mr. Harper. The flag in its case is at the western end of the hall on the second floor, the frame having an ap- propriate inscription.
In 1897, the bell was rung by Wm. H. Morgan, class of '56, at that time superintendent of Cincinnati schools. An address was made by G. W. Harper -"The Two Friends," meaning William Woodward and Sam'l G. Lewis. After' the exercises, those present were invited to inspect the library, which had been newly fitted up, and looked beautiful with its new cases, its lovely blue carpet,
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and the motto of the school, Esse quam videri, shining out from its blue back- ground.
In 1898, the program was mainly devoted to the Woodward boy in busi- ness. After the ringing of the bell by Judge A. J. Pruden, class of '36, Mr. Wm. McCallister, president of the union board, made a fine address on the sub- ject of the day.
In 1899. the day was devoted to Woodward in the Navy. The first gun fired on the Spanish fleet in the late war was by a watchful Woodward boy, who had been trained to see and to think. This was F. K. Hill, '80, graduate of the naval academy, serving on the "Iowa," under Evans, who mentions him in his official report. Long and interesting letters were read from Lieutenant Thos. W. Kin- kaid, Engineer Corps, Lieutenant Frank K. Hill, '80, and Lieutenant Harry F. Bryan, '83. Afterwards, John W. Dale presented to the school a pair of globes, celestial and terrestrial, which had been used in .Woodward College from 1831 to 1851. These are now in the library of the school. The Naval Veterans' Association loaned its fine old flag to decorate the assembly hall.
In 1900, the day was devoted to Woodward girls. There was an account of the life of Abigail Cutter Woodward, the wife of the founder; a letter from Miss Margaret Given, class of '68, for many years a missionary to India ; a poem, "The Woodward Girl at Home and Abroad," by Mrs. Alice Williams Brother- ton, '70; and an address by Miss Walter, '62, who had been a teacher in the school from 1865 to 1892.
In 1901, the exercises were of a more general character, and addresses were made by Dr. Joseph Eichberg, '75, Judge Wm. Littleford, '76, and a letter read from Charles J. Hunt, '77.
The splendid "New Woodward" was formally dedicated October 24, 1910. The Enquirer said :
"Exactly 79 years ago to-day an interested caravan of Cincinnatians traveled from the city of the '30s through woods and over rough rural roads to what is now the corner of Broadway and Woodward street-then in the midst of the country-to participate in the dedication of Woodward high school. Since that time a metropolis has grown about the site of the original school, and where then stood the modest two-story brick building now rears a massive palace of learning. Tonight, on the anniversary of the dedication of that first building. the new edifice will be dedicated to its purposes.
"In 1855 the old three-story brick building was torn down, a new building having been completed in the middle of the square. This new building stood until 1907, when it was demolished to make room for the new Woodward to be dedicated today, and was the Alma Mater 'so dear' to the hearts of thousands of living Cincinnatians, among them the president of the United States, whose father, by the way, Alphonso Taft, was from 1852 until 1876 one of the trustees of the Woodward fund, and whose brother, Charles P. Taft, served in a similar capacity from 1877 until a very few years ago.
."The new Woodward high school occupies an entire block. Its architect is an old Woodward boy-Gustav W. Drach. Its general form is a hollow rec- tangle. It is 290 feet long by 165 feet wide and four and five stories high. It is designed in the French style of architecture and contains approximately five
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acres of floor space. It supplies facilities for complete instruction in all branches of modern high school training for 1,400 pupils. It is built of stone in its first story, brick and terra cotta for the upper stories."
VARIOUS OTHER SCHOOLS.
The Walnut Hills high school was completed in 1895, at a cost of more than $120,000. It is one of the best equipped schools in the city.
The City Normal school of Cincinnati was organized in September, 1868. It came into existence because of the need of better teachers in the lower grades of the schools, vacancies in the upper grades being filled from the lower grades and the vacancies in the lower being supplied by inexperienced persons. In the summer of 1868 the board voted to open a school for the training of candidates for teacher's positions in the primary grades. The school was located in the Eighth district schoolhouse. Expenses are paid from the common school fund of the city. Pupils must be graduated of Cincinnati high schools or of some other of like standing, or hold a teacher's certificate from the Cincinnati board of examiners, or have passed an equivalent examination before the normal school committee. A diploma from the school secures to its holder the preference over an inexperienced teacher in appointment to a position.
Mount St. Mary's Theological Seminary is a Roman Catholic Institution. It is situated on Price Hill. It was founded in 1852, and has been successful as a preparatory school for the priesthood of the Catholic church. It has a fine library.
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