USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > Historical collections of Coshocton County, Ohio : > Part 11
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Under these provisions, "Dr. S. Lee and his associates," being householders of the district, got from the county commissioners the privilege of erecting a brick school- house (20 by 20) on the southwest quarter of the square, in 1828. Before that, a room in a private house was used. At a few points in the county, family and neighborhood schools of small proportions were carried on for a few of the winter months.
In Coshocton, James Madden, from Virginia, crippled as to one hand, gave instruction in the "elements," especially in writing, in which he was a "proficient."* Then it was, too, that Moses L. Neel,t a "Down-Easter"-a regular ge- nius-handled the ferule, and otherwise, especially by a remarkably fine penmanship, made his mark sufficiently plain to be read to this day. About the same time, David Grimm was teaching in Millcreek, and the father of Dr. M. Johnson in Keene township.
Among the teachers of the earlier day were Wm. B. Hubbard, who subsequently went to Columbus, and be- came famed as a railroad "magnate;" Noah H. Swayne, now Judge of the United States Supreme Court, and Chas.
* He subsequently moved up the Tuscarawas to the Ravenscraft neighborhood, and taught for some time.
+ He subsequently kept a tavern in the town of Coshocton.
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Elliott, afterward the famous Methodist minister and col- lege president. Out about West Carlisle, Robert McCormic was acquiring fame as a teacher; in Coshocton, Jackson was, after the approved methods of the time, training some of our now well-known citizens, and Thomas O'Neil was giving his youthful vigor to Keene and Lafayette town- ships. What stories of rude appliances and clumsy tricks of big incorrigible boys and of nice homespun girls the chronicles of that period do tell !
Under the law of 1825, there were to be appointed in each county three school examiners, and in 1826 the Court of Common Pleas appointed for Coshocton county Samuel Rea, Wm. Carhart, and Andrew Grim. A year or two after the law providing for a larger number, N. H. Swayne, Rob- ert Hay, Wm. Wright, Wm. Hazlett, Henry Barnes, Wm. Carhart, and Samuel Rea were appointed. A few years later we find in this position T. S. Humrickhouse, Alex. McGowan, W. K. Johnson, James Matthews, Jos. Burns, and Dr. Geo. R. Morton ; and at a yet later day J. W. Rue, Bradley Squires, Richard Moode, Thomas Campbell, Wm. Sample, Dr. Josiah Harris, and Rev. H. Calhoun.
The examiners could individually examine. One of them gives the following as illustrative of the examination then in vogue : A man who had been teaching for some time, came to his office. After hearing the applicant read a few lines, the examiner said : "What is that little mark ?" (pointing to a comma.) "Oh! that's one of them there stops that you see in all books." Examiner. " Well, what is it for ? or what does this particular one indicate ?" Ap- plicant. " Why, it indicates a stop, of course ; they're all stops." Pressed with a few more questions, the applicant insisted on being tried in arithmetic, claiming that he was specially well qualified in that. Examiner. " Well, what is arithmetic ?" Applicant. " Arithmetic ! why, it's a book about figgers," etc. The man wrote a really fair hand, and was posted in practical arithmetic, and got a certificate. Grammar was not then required to be taught in the schools.
From 1830 to 1850, the system inaugurated from 1820 to
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School Matters.
1830 was not greatly modified by the Legislature, and was being more and more efficiently carried out, and more widely extended. Districts were multiplied with the rap- idly incoming population ; new school-houses were being built, and teachers were multiplied. The appliances were, even at the best, still rude; methods mechanical. Dr. Harris, the veteran county school examiner, coming into the county about 1838, visited several schools accounted the best, and reports them as exceedingly limited in their range of study- the highest branch being geography-and crude in their methods.
In the latter part of this period, say from 1840 to 1850, there was a growing conviction that thorough and extended scholarship had not been attained under the public school system as then ordered by law, and this fact and a higher sense of the importance of the religious element in ednea- tion gave rise to a number of private schools and acade- mies. In this work at Coshocton were engaged Rev. E. Buckingham, and especially Rev. Addison Coffey, both of the Presbyterian Church. The latter built quite a good brick house (now occupied by old lady Ricketts), with the view of making room for boarders, and had for his school- house the building now occupied by W. R. Forker-both buildings being on south Fourth street. The Rev. Mr. Sturgis, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, started an academy at Keene. There was a good school at West Car- lisle, under Mr. Stevenson ; and an academy at West Bed- ford, which was very successful under W. R. Powers. About the same time, there was an academy at Van Buren (now Spring Mountain), in Monroe township, of which Dr. Haldeman had charge, and afterward Prof. Geo. Conant. This was under the control of a conference of the M. E. Church. The removal from the county of some of the gentlemen, especially Messrs. Buckingham, Coffey, and Sturgis, involved the discontinuance of some of these in- stitutions, and others were less, or not at all, in demand, by reason of improvements in the public school system. The West Bedford Academy, as a combined private and public school, is still in operation.
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County.
Taking advantage of the " Akron law " (so called be- cause, as first passed, it had relation to the city of Akron, but it was afterward extended in its application), passed in 1849, the citizens of Coshocton proceeded to establish a graded school. Wm. K. Johnson, Joseph C. Maginity, J. G. Smith, Joseph Guinthur, and Jacob Waggoner, were chosen by the citizens as the board of education. The school examiners first appointed were Thomas Campbell, Wm. Sample, and Rev. H. Calhoun .* Wm. R. Powers, formerly of New York State, then of Utica, Ohio, was employed as superintend- ent, assisted in the higher department by Miss Sallie Elder (Mrs. Geo. Dewey). There were two primary schools, pre- sided over by Miss Araminta Bodelle (Mrs. H. N. Shaw) and Miss Caroline Stewart (Mrs. Samuel Denman). Soon a secondary school was started, and taught by Miss Elder, her place in the higher school being supplied by Miss Delia Roberts (Mrs. Houston Hay).
The schools at that time held their sessions in a little frame school-house on the north school-house lot, and in the basement of the Methodist Episcopal and Second Presby- terian churches. The little brick school-house on the pub- lie square had become dilapidated, and, owing to the loca- tion, objection was made to repairing it.t Among the last teachers in it were Messrs. Alexander, Henrigh, James Irvine, and James Dryden.
In 1853, it was determined to erect a suitable school- house. A considerable amount of feeling was manifested in regard to the location of it. Some were anxious to have
* The following other gentlemen have served in this capacity : T. S. Humrickhouse, Rev. P. H. Jacob, Dr. J. Harris, A. R. Hillyer, J. C. Tidball, Rev. W. E. Hunt, John E. Irvine, Rev. C. W. Wallace, M. C. McFarland, Rev. S. M. Hickman, J. C. Pomrene, J. R. Johnson, G. W. Cass. The board at present is : Dr. W. C. Frew, W. R. Gault, and W. S. Crowell, Esqs.
+ Kindred to this building was one with a tablet over the door, bear- ing the inscription, " Know thyself," about a mile southeast of Coshoc- ton, in the Orangeville district, where the Burts from Orange county, New York, and the Denmans and Condits, from Orange, New Jersey, 'lived. It was torn down in 1872.
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School Matters.
it erected on the quarter block (two original town-lots), at the northeast corner of Fourth and Main streets, fronting the public square. Others insisted upon placing it upon the square in the north end of the town, given by the original proprietors of the town for the purpose. The latter carried the day. The building (a two-story brick, thirty by eighty feet, with belfry, all in Grecian style of architecture) was finished in 1855. A. N. Milner, a merchant and general operator, took the contract at about $4,500. A small al- lowance was subsequently made, but it was claimed that he was out of pocket very largely, whether by proper cost or through want of management is disputed. The brick work was done by Henry Davis ; the carpenter work, etc., by George Hay. The bell was added six or eight years afterward-purchased by the fines paid in that year by violators of the liquor law. When this school-house was built, the board of education was composed of B. R. Shaw, J. C. Tidball, Jacob Waggoner, A. L. Cass, H. Cantwell, and Wm. Sample.
The following names appear in the list of those serving in this capacity subsequently : John Frew, Thomas Camp- bell, HI. N. Shaw, James Dryden, J. G. Stewart, Henry Davis, W. H. Robinson, A. J. Wilkin, J. C. Pomrene, A. HI. Spangler, D. F. Denman. The board at this time em- braces J. M. Compton, J. S. Wilson, H. N. Shaw, C. H. Johnston, Henry Davis, and W. W. Walker.
To meet the demands by reason of the increased popula- tion, the board in 1871 erected a two-story brick on the Denmead and Taylor lots, in John Burt's subdivision. H. Davis and Harrison Waggoner were the builders.
In 1874, a small frame was erected on the north school- house lot, and the accommodations being still insufficent, two primary schools were set up in a private house on Chest- nut street just east of the railroad.
In 1876, an imposing three-story front addition was built on the Burt tract. The plans were furnished by Johnson* & Kremler, of Columbus, and the work done by the Cosh-
* T. H. Johnson, of this firm, was born and reared in Coshocton.
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County.
octon Planing Mill Company-the contract price being $10,885.
W. R. Powers, as superintendent of "Coshocton Union School," was succeeded (removing to West Bedford) in 1854 by W. A. McKee (now of Knoxville, Iowa), and he in 1857 by T. V. Milligan (now pastor of old Presbyterian church in Steubenville), and he in 1859 by John Giles (now of Springfield, Massachusetts), and he in fall of 1864 by C. Forney (now of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania), and he in 1868 by Geo. Conant, the present principal. There are at this time ten assistant teachers.
In 1870, the Presbyterian church of Coshocton made a proposition to give the frame church building for a school- house, and a strip of ground (now occupied by the parson- age) whereon to erect a boarding-house, to a board of trus- tees appointed by the session, but including representative members of other denominations, to the number of two- thirds of the board, if the community would assist in se- curing not less than $5,000, wherewith to erect the board- ing-house. Over $4,000 dollars were subscribed (all but $300) by members of the Presbyterian church, but the com- munity manifested so little interest in this movement to se- cure the " Coshocton Female College," that the church, after waiting a year, withdrew the proposition, and proceeded to erect a parsonage with the fund so far as it had been con- tributed within the church.
A few years later, Rev. Mr. Lee, of the Methodist Epis- copal church, the president of an institution called the " One Study University," undertook to establish a branch or feeder of that university, under the name of " Coshocton College," but this effort also was quite abortive-the concern leading a feeble life for a year or so, and then passing away.
Outside of the public schools at this writing the only work in this line being done is at Bloomfield, where Rev. T. D. Duncan, of the Presbyterian church, is conducting a small classical school, and by Rev. Mr. Nunemacher giving lessons in German to quite a large class .*
* Rev. Wm. E. Hunt has, during his twenty years' residence in Cosh- octon, given instruction in the classics to a number of scholars, and
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School Matters.
The citizens of Roscoe, at a meeting held at the house of C. W. Simmons, on the 15th of March, 1851, voted, according to law, for a union school, and on the 29th of the same month elected the following board of education, viz : John Carhart, John Dodd, John Burns, James Hill, Maro Johnson, and Arnold Medberry. A month later a site for a school house was purchased for $250, and a contract was made with S. W. Brown, Dennis Chapin; and Samuel Hutchinson for the erection of a brick building, one story, to cost $2,450. When the building was completed some complaint was made as to the workmanship, and the price actually paid was $2,352. The board employed B. W. Lewis, of Ashland county, as principal, and H. Stephens and Charles Iloy were employed as assistant teachers, each to labor half the time. The board of examiners was com- posed of Dr. M. Johnson, James Hill, and James Le Retil- ley. Mr. Lewis, after teaching two months, was compelled to resign on account of his health; and, on his recom- mendation, Charles R. Shreve, of Massilon, was elected principal. He continued in that position until 1858. The principals since have been R. N. Smith, 1859-61; C. S. W. Griffith, 1861-62 ; M. Travis, 1862-63 ; S. Cox, 1863-64; A. W. Oder, 1865; R. Hogue, 1866; G. E. Campbell, 1866-69; W. Nicholas, 1869-70; G. E. Campbell, 1870-72; T. Car- nahan, 1872 to present time. The assistant teachers, at this time, are Eliza Hutchinson and Juliet Gardiner. The present board of directors are Henry Carhart, J. C. Harri- son and Robert Dickerson.
From 1865 to 1876, there has been much improvement in school buildings and appliances throughout the county. Besides the new school-houses in Coshocton, very creditable structures have been erected in a considerable number of localities, and these, and many of the older but still good houses, have been fitted up with the modern and attractive style of desks, etc.
fitted for college the majority of those who have gone in that time. Among these last were J. R. Johnson, T. H. Johnson, P. S. Campbell, G. W. Cass, Joseph K. Cass, Miss Jennie Nicholas, Charles Ingraham.
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County.
One of the neatest school-houses in the county, outside of Coshocton, is that at West Lafayette-a two-story brick, with belfry. It was built in 1873. T. H. Familton, Velzer Shaw, and Lewis Leighninger, were at the time directors. Wm. Gorseline was at that time, and had been for a period before, in charge of the school. H. W. Harbaugh is, at this writing, in charge of it.
There is also a very nice two-story frame building in Ja- cobsport, built in 1873. The directors, at the time, were L. Carhart, T. P. Latham, and Alonzo Sibley. The teachers, at present, are S. P. Woodward and Miss Anna Johnson.
In 1871, a good school-house was erected at Warsaw. The directors then were N. Buckalew, Joseph Orr, and John Lenhart. John Crawford is the Centennial year prin- cipal of the school. There is a good school-house (two-story frame) at Keene, in which John M. Finley is "the pre- siding genius." The school-house at East Union is a good two-story frame. New Castle also has a very creditable building.
The school-house at West Carlisle, and the academies at Spring Mountain and West Carlisle, though not new build- ings, are all good and well fitted up-each being a frame two-story structure. Canal Lewisville has a neat brick school-house, and the district just east of Coshocton one- both recently built.
The following statistics give a distinct view of the school affairs in the county for the year 1875 : Number of school districts, 139; number of persons engaged in teaching during the year, 235; number of pupils enrolled, 7,692; average daily attendance, 3,839 ; amount paid for sites and . buildings, $5,452; contingent expenses, $7,981 ; for teach- ers' wages, $39,280 ; average of teachers' wages per month, $40.00.
The veteran school teachers of the county are M. D. Van Eman, of Bethlehem township, and James Magness, of Linton township.
A complete list of those who have been engaged, in all the years past, in teaching, would embrace the names of very many hundreds of the excellent women and vigorous
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School Matters.
men of the county. Of those who, at this writing, may be designated as teachers, not to repeat those already men- tioned, the following may be named as most acceptable and successful. Mrs. Conant, Mrs. Caruahan, Misses HI. Hogle, Ida Pugh, S. Sample, Isa Campbell, Sallie Anderson, Tip Elliott, Ella Johnston, Pauline Weiser, Cassie Raymer, Rebecca J. Trego, Mary Gorham, Elizabeth Magness, Ellen Horn, Nora Crawford, Linda Lanning, Jennie M. Myser, Lyda Hutchins, Melissa Stonehocker, Kate Elliott, Eliza Hutchinson, Elizabeth L. Barnes, Eliza J. Creighton, Bell Simpson, Nannie Jones, Maggie S. Phillips, Sarah E. Bu- chanan, Juliet W. Gardner, Lucy Dodd, Charlotte Hogle Kate Boyd, and Emma Massa ; and Messrs. John Wagner, S. P. Woodward, H. K. Knaval, J. M. Williams, W. K. Spencer, Jas. D. Phillips, H. S. Mulford, Edgar Carroll, Wm. C. Thomas, Sam'l A. Boyd, S. P. Snyder, J. F. My- ser, J. F. Hastings, F. M. Murphy, Lewis V. Cox, Geo. W. McDonald, J. B. Barcroft, Jas. S. Beall, Jas. P. Lawyer, C. C. Emerson, Wm. Gorsline, H. T. Wheeler, Wm. Fulks, Jno. W. Bell, Jacob Brewer, F. M. Ogilvie, O. M. Seward, Geo. D. Hill, W. S. Kilpatrick, D. A. Barcroft, Jonathan Lenhart, Wilber G. Williams, Isaac Loder, and H. B. Barnes.
Under the old law, the school examiners held their office for two years. The number for some time was at least two in each township, and the changes were frequent, so that the list would embrace scores of names. If a man, in those days, was not a school examiner, one of three things might be concluded-either he would not be bothered with the office, or he had not any noticeable literary attainments, or he was not politician enough to secure the appointment.
Under the law (in force since 1851) vesting the appoint- ment in the 'probate judge, and providing for only three examiners for the county, the following is the list, with term of service : C. R. Shreve, teacher, 1851-59* ; John E. Irvine, teacher, 1851-54 *; Wm. R. Powers, teacher, 1851-56 *; John T. Simmons, Esq., 1854-56; Rev. H. Cal- houn, 1856-58* ; Wm. A. McKee, teacher, 1854-58 ;* J. J.
* Removed from county.
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County.
MeSuitt, 1856-60; Dr. Josiah Harris, 1858, still in office; M. C. McFarland, deputy county clerk, 1859-65; Rev. Wm. E. Hunt, 1860-74 *; John M. Finley, teacher, 1865- 76; W. S. Crowell, Esq., 1874 ; M. W. Wimmer, 1876, still in office.
With the impulse given, teacher's institutes, under the auspices of the County Teachers' Association, were inaug- urated about 1852. By the state law a small amount could be drawn, for this work, from the county treasury, upon the condition that a like amount be contributed by the teachers and friends of education.
Probably the most enthusiastic friends of this undertak- ing, in its original form, were C. R. Shreve, principal of the Roscoe school, and Rev. H. Calhoun, and Dr. J. Harris, of Coshocton. After a few annual meetings-partly owing to the removal from the county of Mr. Shreve and Mr. Calhoun-the institute work was discontinued. Under the law setting aside, for this purpose, the fees paid by appli- cants for teachers' certificates, the institute was revived about 1865, and there has since been an annual effort (and for one year, two) in that direction. Dr. J. Harris, Wm. E. Hunt, Prof. Geo. Conant and wife, Prof. T. Carnahan and wife, W. C. Thomas, Wm. Gorsline, W. Nicholas, R. Compton, Geo. Hill, Misses H. Hogle, and Ida Pugh have been officially and prominently connected with this work. The officers for 1876 are as follows : President, J. T. Moore ; Executive Committee, Wm. Gorsline, Thomas Carnahan, and Eph. Ellis; Secretary, E. L. Retilley ; Treasurer, Ida A. Pugh.
Among the instructors and lecturers engaged in connec- tion with this work have been Professors Tappan, Marsh, Kidd, Henkle, White, Mendenhall, Andrews, Williams, T. W. Harvey, Knisely, and other gentlemen, well known in connection with such matters, residing elsewhere than in Coshocton county. Prof. Conant and Mrs. Conant, Dr. J. Harris and Rev. Wm. E. Hunt, have also been employed in the capacity of instructors and lecturers.
* Resigned.
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Military Affairs.
CHAPTER XVII.
MILITARY AFFAIRS.
MILITARY spirit has in all its history been largely mani- fested in Coshocton county. "Fighting blood " abounded among the early settlers. Nearly every neighborhood had its champion wrestler or fighter. Personal combats were frequent-often accounted a fitting close for every public day, ranking along with horse-racing and rifle-shooting. Pages could be written showing the strength and prowess of some of the old-time heroes, especially as detailed by some of their boon companions. At a term of court held in 1813, twelve indictments were found "for fighting at fisticuffs by agreement," including one against the sheriff of the county. In these appear the even yet well known names, Van Kirk, Markley, Hill, Cantwell, Williams, Cain, Roderick, Newcum, and Clark.
A citizen, coming in some fifteen years later, details how he frequently heard little companies of men quietly talk- ing together and discussing the question as to who was "the best man." And upon the facts coming out it would always appear that this phrase did not denote the man of mind, and heart, and good character, but the man of mus- cle-the brawniest, bulliest fellow !
The " musters " were the big occasions, brightening the eyes of citizens generally, and affording a fine field for am- bition, and producing a large erop of Majors, Colonels, and Generals. Thus came Generals Johnston, Burns, Mere- dith, Workman, etc .; Colonels Swigert, Ferguson, Ravens- craft, etc .; and Majors Frew, Robinson, etc. Mnch might be written presenting the tamer or the more ludicrous as- pects of the "corn-stalk " musters, and trainings, and drill- ings of the " citizen soldiery." But these things were in nowise peculiar to Coshocton county, and all the old chron- iclers tell of them.
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Tom Corwin once pictured* the militia general and the parade as follows :
" We all in fancy now see the gentleman in that most dangerous and glorious event in the life of a militia gen- eral on the peace establishment-a parade day ! The day for which all other days of his life seem to have been made. We can see the troops in motion-umbrellas, hoe and axe- handles, and other like deadly implements of war over- shadowing all the field-when, lo! the leader of the host approaches ; ' far off his coming shines.' His plume white, after the fashion of the great Bourbon, is of ample length, and reads its doleful history in the bereaved necks and bosoms of forty neighboring hen-roosts ! Like the great Suwaroff, he seems somewhat careless in forms and points of dress ; hence his epaulettes may be on his shoulders, back, or sides, but still gleaming, gloriously gleaming in the sun. Mounted he is, too, let it not be forgotten. Need I describe to the colonels and generals of this honorable house the steed which heroes bestride on such occasions ? No, I see the memory of other days is with you. You see before you the gentleman from Michigan, mounted on his crop-eared, bushy-tailed mare, the singular obliquities of . whose hinder limbs are described in that most expressive phrase, 'sickle hams;' her height just fourteen hands, ' all told.' Yes, sir; there you see his 'steed that laughs at the shaking of the spear;' that is, his 'war-horse whose neck is clothed with thunder.' Mr. Speaker, we have glow- ing descriptions in history of Alexander the Great and his war-horse, Bucephalus, at the head of the invincible Mace- donian phalanx ; but, sir, such are the improvements of modern times, that every one must see that our militia gen- cral, with his crop-eared mare with bushy tail and sickle ham, would literally frighten off a battlefield a hundred Alexanders. But, sir, to the history of the parade day. The general, thus mounted and equipped, is in the field
* In a speech in the House of Representatives, February 14, 1840, in answer to Hon. Isaac E. Crary, of Michigan. Corwin several times spoke at Coshocton-the last time in 1860.
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Military Affairs.
and ready for action. On the eve of some desperate enter- prise, such as giving order to shoulder arms, it may be, there occurs a crisis-one of the accidents of war which no sagacity could foresee or prevent. A cloud arises and passes over the sun ! Here an occasion occurs for the dis- play of that greatest of all traits in the character of a com- mander-that tact which enables him to seize upon and turn to good account events unlooked for as they arise. Now for the caution wherewith the Roman Fabius foiled the skill and courage of Hannibal. A retreat is ordered, and troops and general, in a twinkling, are found safely bivouacked in a neighboring grocery! But even here the general still has room for the exhibition of heroic deeds." Hot from the field, and chafed with the untoward events of the day, your general unsheathes his trenchant blade, eighteen inches in length, as you will well remember, and with an energy and remorseless fury he slices the water- melons that lie in heaps around him, and shares them with his surviving friends. Other of the sinews of war are not wanting here. Whisky, Mr. Speaker, that great leveler of modern times, is here also; and the shells of the water- melons are filled to the brim. Here, again, Mr. Speaker, is shown how the extremes of barbarism and civilization meet. As the Scandanavian heroes of old, after the fa- tigues of war, drank wine from the skulls of their slaught- ered enemies, in Odin's halls, so now our militia general and his forces, from the skulls of melons thus vanquished, in copious draughts of whisky assuage the heroic fire of their souls, after the bloody scenes of a parade day. But alas for this short-lived race of ours, all things will have an end; and so even it is with the glorious achievements of our general. Time is on the wing, and will not stay his flight. The sun, as if frightened at the mighty events of the day, rides down the sky; and at the close of the day, when ' the hamlet is still,' the curtain of night drops upon the scene-
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