History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 63

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 63

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In 1849 the Legislature passed a law for the

better regulation of schools in cities, towns and villages which permitted the organization of graded or union schools. Prior to this among the early teachers were William Blowers, 1822, James Martin, Moses Arden, John Blowers, Zalmon Rowse, Jonas Scott, Dr. Samuel Hor- ton, Joseph Newell, John Davis, William Y. McGill, Horace Rowse, Abraham Myers, jr., Abraham Holm, jr., William White, S. Fry, J. B. Squier, John D. Sears, J. S. Plant, Jo- seph R. Whitum, E. G. Chambers, Jacob Hof- man, and Messrs. Camp, Everson, Kiskaden, Lee, McMullen, Needham, Wallace and Yost, date of teaching unknown. The lady teachers were Alta Kent, 1823; Sarah Cary and her sister, Sallie Davis and her sister, Emily Rowse, Margaretta Williams, Mrs. Espy and her two daughters Maggie and Elmira, Miss Marshall, Ann McCracken, and Hannah J. Dunn.

Bucyrus determined to take advantage of this new system, and the question was sub- mitted to the voters of the village in April, 1849, and it was voted down. Jacob Scroggs in a history of the schools written by him in 1876, says the friends of the new system were Josiah Scott, Lawrence W. Hall, Dr. Willis Merriman, Aaron Cary, Dr. Jacob Augustein, Rev. John Pettitt, J. B. Larwill, John Ander- son, John Moderwell, M. P. Bean, editor of the Forum, (the only paper in the village, ) Col. Zalmon Rowse, and others. Mr. Scroggs, speaking of the opposition says : " The most serious and obstinate opposition came from a few men of wealth, who had no children to educate, or who cared little for any education beyond what was necessary to compute interest at 12 per cent." The friends of the system had a special election called on July of 1849, three months after its defeat, and this time they succeeded in carrying it. The citizens shortly after assembled and elected the first board of education in Bucy- rus ; Rev. John Pettitt, John Anderson, Aaron Cary, Dr. Jacob Augustein, Dr. Willis Mer- riman, and John Moderwell, all active and zealous friends of the new school system. The first board organized by electing Dr. Willis Merriman, president; Aaron Cary, secretary ; Dr. Jacob Augustein, treasurer. The first school opened on the first Monday in May, 1850, with Israel Booth as superintendent at

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a salary of $600 per year; Miss Diana Taylor of Syracuse, N. Y., was the first high school teacher, her salary being $25 a month; T. C. Bowles of Ashland taught the senior grammar at $25 per month; N. P. Tarr taught the junior grammar at $20 per month, but before the term expired he was compelled to resign on account of ill health and Jacob Scroggs suc- ceeded him. Miss Ann McCracken and Miss Myra Fitzsimmons had charge of the second- ary and primary departments at $13 per month. The board levied a special tax, which in addi- tion to the sum allowed by the State under the new law, would be sufficient to maintain the schools. The board adopted rules to govern the schools, eight to guide the superintendent, nine for the teachers, and six special and twenty-five general rules for the pupils.

Here are some of the rules :

" School week five and one-half days; five days one week, six days the next."

"Use of tobacco prohibited in the schools."

" Teachers will be admonished, reproved, or expelled for drinking intoxicating liquors or using profane language."

"A chapter from the Bible must be read once a day."

"Teachers will be sustained in opening school with prayer, and with a reasonable time de- voted to devotional exercises."

"Teachers must be at their room at the ringing of the first bell. In winter they must see that their rooms are heated and swept be- fore the pupils arrive."

The text books were McGuffey's readers and spelling book; Ray's arithmetic with Colburn's mental; Mitchell's geography, Pineo's gram- mar, and such others as the board selects.

The frame schoolhouse could not contain all the departments, so the high school, taught by Mr. Booth, was in the third story of the An- derson building, opposite the present office of the Journal and Telegraph.

Before the schools started the people saw the benefits of the new system, as on March 15, 1850, an election was held to levy a tax of $4,000 for the purpose of building a new schoolhouse. The proposition carried by a vote of 146 to 71. This building was erected on the west half of the lots now occupied by the central building, and was a two-story brick with a cupola, and when completed the entire

second floor was occupied by the high school, with two small rooms at the rear for the school library and for recitation rooms. The two rooms on the lower floor were the grammar departments, the old frame being used for the intermediate and primary departments. Prof. Booth remained as superintendent for two years, and was devoted to his work, and as the first superintendent did much to place the schools on a substantial basis. He was prob- ably like many literary men a trifle absent minded. He was married while teaching at Bucyrus. The lady of his choice lived at Nor- walk and a day being set by her for the wed- ding he obtained permission of the board to dismiss the high school on the day of the wedding. The permission was readily granted, but at noon on the day set for the wedding, one of the school board met the Professor and expressed his astonishment at seeing him. The Professor failed to see why there need be any astonishment at his attending to his duties. "No reason at all," said the man, "but I thought it was today we had given you a day off to go to Norwalk and get married." The Professor turned pale. He had a date to get married at two o'clock, and his bride was at Norwalk over thirty miles away. There was no railroad to Norwalk, and no telegraph in those days. Mr. Booth never waited to tell his pupils there would be no school that afternoon; he hurried to the livery stable, secured the best team available and started on his long journey across the country ; a rain came up, and through the wet and mud he urged the team, and at midnight reached Norwalk. In the meantime, while he was driving frantically across the country the friends had assembled at the bride's residence, the time passed, and the bride dressed for the ceremony waited in her room for her expected husband, at first patiently and then impatiently ; the people waited in the room below and the minister waited, and still the time wore on, until satisfied it was useless to wait any longer, about six o'clock the people left. The evening passed away and still no word from the groom, and the bride and her family were justly indignant that no message had been sent by him explaining the delay, and all retired. About midnight there was a ter- rific pounding at the door and the girl's fa- ther responded and found at the doorway his

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prospective son-in-law covered with mud from head to foot. The interview did not start har- moniously, but Mr. Booth finally succeeded in explaining how he had forgotten the day, which made the old man madder than ever, but later he listened to the earnest protestations of the young man, began to see the humor of the situation, and agreed to let him make his explanations to his daughter, if she would consent to see him. Then came another hitch; she wouldn't. Finally, she consented, and Mr. Booth again explained the matter, but the young lady filled with the disappointment of her postponed ceremony, expressed her opinion in a way not very complimentary to her un- fortunate lover. He explained and entreated, and finally as Tennyson puts it,

"Like torrents from a mountain source They rushed into each other's arms."

The next morning the minister was sent for; there was a quiet, private wedding, and Mr. Booth brought his bride to Bucyrus. When Mr. Booth left here he went to Sullivan, Ind., where he died in the fall of 1860.

Succeeding Mr. Booth as superintendent, was H. S. Martin in the spring of 1852, with a salary of $500, but he remained but one term and was succeeded by M. Hill on Nov. 8, 1852, the salary being $600. The new school build- ing was now completed, the last term of the high school having been held in the Methodist church. In the fall of 1853 David Kerr was superintendent and remained two years at $600 a year. In the fall of 1855 J. K. Mason be- came superintendent at the same salary, but only remained six months, and on Monday April 14, John Hopley became superintendent with a salary of $700. The schools now had seven teachers. In December of 1856, the Bucyrus Journal published an account of a spelling school written by Dr. W. R. S. Clark in which 50 pupils took part, divided into two sides, and spelling and defining the words in McGuffey's Fourth Reader. The article says : "After three hours, twelve of the two contend- ing parties retained their position on the floor, having neither spelled nor defined a single word incorrectly, although 600 had been given to them. The finale was exceedingly spirited. One young lady maintained her position against an opposition of ten, spelling down in succes-

sion nine of them, when the exercises were closed from the simple fact that the book had been exhausted." The young lady who spelled down the nine was Miss Virginia Swingly, still living, the wife of James B. Gormly. The tenth who retained the floor for the other side, was her sister Miss Marcella Swingly, later superintendent of the schools, and afterward marrying Major E. C. Moderwell.

The next December another spelling school was held with a crowded house, and the report of this gives the names of those who spelled through a book of a thousand words without an error several of whom are still living: "In the High School, Misses Mary E. Moderwell, Georgianna Merriman, Elizabeth Moderwell, Amanda Kimmel, Jane Sims, Melinda Light- ner, Ophelia Didie, Elizabeth Rexroth, Sarah Rexroth, and Master Hiram Moderwell; in the Senior Grammar School, Misses Helen Van Tyne, Fidelia Howenstein, Mary Gormly, Lydia Rexroth, Elizabeth Rowse, Margaret Fulton, Anna T. Fulton, Elizabeth Bradley, Masters Albert Van Tyne, David Hall, John Moderwell, Eugene Sims, Daniel Kanzleiter, Rufus Kuhn and Leroy Henthorn. Miss Emma Shaw from the junior grammar school, retained her place on the floor during the pro- nunciation of over 900 words, Miss Mary Howenstein, from the same department, kept up until after 800 words had been spelled and defined." Of those mentioned two are still liv- ing in Bucyrus, Miss Sarah Rexroth, the widow of Rev. T. J. Monnett, and Eugene Sims. Of the others, nearly all have descendants whose homes are in and around Bucyrus.

Mr. Hopley remained for two years, and under him the schools were developed into sys- tem, and graded schools were for the first time really started, and have continued ever since. He was succeeded in the spring of 1858 by Alexander Miller, who had charge for three years at a salary of $800. The pupils in- creased in such numbers that additional room was needed, and at different times the M. E. Church, the old Baptist Church on Walnut street, and the Congregational Church had to be used for school purposes. In September, 1861, B. B. McVey became superintendent at a salary of $800, and remained three years, and in September, 1864 was succeeded by S. J. Kirkwood, the salary being increased to $1,-

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000. He only remained one year and in Sep- tember, 1865, J. C. Harper became superin- tendent and remained five years, his salary be- ing several times increased until his last year it was $1,600. Under Mr. Harper the grading was still further systematized, the new school- house was built and the first class was grad- uated.

The crowded condition of the schools was such that in 1863 the board took the first steps toward securing better accommodations. On May 18, 1863, three propositions were sub- mitted to the people :

I-For the sale of the old schoolhouse. This resulted, Yes 83; No 1. 2-For the purchase of the Gormly grove; Yes 84; No o. 3-For a tax to improve said lot, Yes 84, No o. Every- body appeared to favor the proposition so a light vote was cast. The Gormly grove a lit- tle over two acres adjoining the school build- ing on the east was purchased for $1,600. In June they voted unanimously, but only 27 votes were cast, to build an addition to the brick schoolhouse, and to levy a tax of $9.000 for that purpose. Nothing was done about building the addition, and two years later the Congregational Church was bought for $3.000, and fitted up into school rooms; the old frame schoolhouse on West Warren was now a part of the Bucyrus School district, and here the senior grammar had quarters. There was a wave throughout the state for large school buildings, and on Feb. 24, 1866, a proposition was submitted to the people to levy a tax of $40,000 to build a handsome new structure. The vote was yes 160, no 275. a majority of 106 against a large building. More room was absolutely necessary and the board submitted another proposition on April 13, 1867, asking for S10,000 or S20,000 for a new building. The vote resulted, For a $20,000 levy, 102; for a S10,000 levy, 7; against any levy 44. The $20,000 proposition carried, and with this as a starter the board commenced the present building. A. Koehler of Cleveland was the architect who drew the designs, and when he presented them to the board, they were all so pleased that they later let the contract to the Bucyrus Machine Works to construct the building for $46,900. In the fall of 1867 the work commenced, and in April 1868, the old building was torn down, and the corner stone

of the new one laid by the Masonic fraternity on July 30, 1868, in the presence of 5,000 peo- ple. Rev. Joshua Crouse and John R. Clymer, editor of the Forum, delivering addresses in English, and Rev. Jacob Graessle, in German. The foundation was completed and the walls were up, when money ran short, and an addi- tional $20,000 was asked for. Many were in- dignant at the manner in which so large a structure had been contracted for against their wishes, yet the people had such a pride in the handsome structure, that the levy was author- ized, the vote standing for the tax 195; against 144.

From April 1, 1868, until Jan. 1, 1869, schools were discontinued to save money to complete the building. It was useless to ask for more money; the Congregational Church was sold to the Baptists for $2,750 and every- thing salable was turned into cash, and by Feb. I, 1869, the building was under roof. On Jan. 1, 1869 the schools had started, the high school in the Blair Hall, the senior grammar in the District schoolhouse on Warren street, and the Intermediate and Primaries in the old frame. On Sept. 18, 1869 the building was dedicated, Chapel Hall being crowded, and many unable to gain admittance A dedicatory poem written by William Hubbard was read by John R. Clymer; addresses were delivered by State School Commissioner D. W. Hinkle, Rev. A. S. Millholland, C. W. Butterfield Prof. J. C. Hartzler of the Galion schools, Miss Sarah Franz and others, and the affair closed with a dance. The board was heavily in debt, and SI2.000 was asked for. An accounting was de- manded. The board made a complete state- ment. showing the two levies voted had brought in $40,000; from the sale of old buildings, &c., they had raised $5,000. The amount paid the Bucyrus Machine Company on their con- tract was $50.415.69; the furniture, heating outbuildings and other necessary expenses amounted to $25,000 more. With receipts from the regular school levies and the bond sales the board had spent S120,000 in the past four years in running the schools and on the building. The report showed that while there were some expenses that might have been avoided, there was nothing dishonest and nothing to reflect on the business integrity of any member of the board. Yet the people were

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indignant at the manner in which an expensive building had been forced upon them against their wishes, several times expressed by their vote, and the money was refused, the vote standing, Yes 151 ; No, 292. The debts had to be paid and a friendly Legislature was appealed to and they authorized the Board of Education to make the levy, and it was done. The people, however, at the first election voted out of of- fice every member of the board when he came up for reelection. Yet inside of ten years all took such a just and natural pride in what was then the largest and handsomest school build- ing of any town in the state, that opinion changed, and they gave credit to the men who, exercising their own judgment against the wishes of the people, had seen fit to build the handsome structure believing that the people would later recognize they were acting for the best interests of Bucyrus and its school children, and while not one of the members of that board is alive today, every one lived long enough to see his act approved by the large majority of his fellow citizen :. The board who built the present schoolhouse was made up as follows : Dr. C. Fulton, president; John R. Clymer, secretary; John Franz, treasurer ; Judge James Clements, George Donnenwirth, and Samuel Hoyt.

In the summer of 1870, Miss Marcella Swingly became superintendent of the schools with a salary of $1, 100; she was succeeded three years later by F. M. Hamilton, who served the longest term of any superintendent. He commenced in 1873, his salary being $1,700. After 22 years he was succeeded in 1895, by J. J. Bliss, who remained 12 years, and in Sep- tember, 1907, W. N. Beetham became the su- perintendent.

When the new building was first used as a schoolhouse in 1870, the enrollment was 785; of these 38 were in the High School, 182 in the four grammar schools, 266 in the five inter- mediate, and 299 in the four primary. In 1887 the enrollment had increased to 1,065, and across the river, were several hundred people, and more school accommodations being neces- sary, the North Side schoolhouse was built; and as the occasion demanded other school buildings were erected, the West Side build- ing in 1895, when the enrollment showed 1,325, and the East Side building in 1903, and the

South Side building in 1912, and arrange- ments are being made for the building of a Central High School building. The High School, which in 1870 had an enrollment of 38 and occupied one room in the new building today has an enrollment of 295, and occupies the entire third floor and a part of the second of the large Central building. The one teacher then has increased to a principal with nine in- structors of the various branches. The total school force is now 41, the superintendent, 38 teachers, and two special instructors.

The veteran teachers of the past were Mrs. Caroline P. Wiley, widow of George Wiley, who was the second probate judge of the county, elected in 1854, and died in August, 1855. In 1857 Mrs. Wiley commenced teach- ing in the public schools, and resigned in 1892, after a service of 35 years, filling her position in the primary grade under seven superintend- ents. The other veteran teacher was Miss Sarah Sheckler, who commenced in 1865, and taught in various departments until 1897, a period of 32 years. Of the present teachers, Miss Emily Sheckler began in 1873 and Miss Lizzie Stauffer in 1874.

The first class was graduated in 1870, and numbered six, all young ladies, Sarah Franz, Mary Howenstein, Anna Sears, Sallie Sims. Emma Summers and Kate Swingley. The next class had but three and the class of '72 had nine, when the first young men were gradu- ated, Thomas P. Hopley and Charles Picking, the former being the first president of the Alumni Association, which was organized in 1878. The youngest graduate was Charles J. Scroggs, who completed the school course be- fore he had reached his fourteenth birthday. He was a member of the class of '77.

In 1860 the Ohio State Normal School was organized at Bucyrus with Martain Deal as president, the first term started on Aug. 13 of that year ; the rooms were in the third story of the Quinby Block and over each window in large letters was painted the name of the in- stitution. There were 24 windows in the building, and the singularity was the name al- lowed a letter over each window with a window intervening between each word. Isaac F. Bangs was the principal of the school, with Miss Harriet M. Angel as assistant. The first term had an enrollment of 54. This was in-

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creased the next year to 70, but war times came on, limiting the attendance, and on Feb. 13, 1863 the school was discontinued.

The first teachers' institute was held in 1850, commencing on March 18, and continuing one week, and there was an attendance of 30. A second was held in October of the same year with 35 present, and the third in April, 1861.

In the early days nearly all business was done by exchange of commodities, what one man had he exchanged with his neighbor for what he might want that the neighbor had. And even merchants purchased their supplies more with an exchange of commodities than with cash. The farmer brought in his 12 dozen eggs or more, and exchanged them for a yard of calico or less. If any man accumu- lated too much money, he secreted it about the house, or buried it in his yard. That is, if it was real money, gold or silver. For the money in those early days was mostly paper issued by banks in the larger cities. If he had these, he promptly paid them out for more land or something tangible, as they were of such fluct- uating value that their purchasing power varied from nothing up to few cents below par. No man was so wise, but he frequently found his stock disposed of for currency which had little or no value. Leading merchants had a bank de- tector which they received weekly which gave the value of all notes issued by the different banks in the United States, so they might know the value of all currency, and also keep posted on the counterfeit notes in circulation, for the money was cheaply printed and easily imi- tated.

Business men kept their own money, and in 1848 Dr. R. T. Johnston had a drug store, and one night was aroused by the cry of "fire," and hurried to the scene and found that his own store was in danger. He knew that in his desk was a wallet containing a large sum of money. The building was filled with smoke, but he found his way to his desk which he unlocked. took out the wallet and made his exit by the back door, and here half suffocated, he stag- gered into purer air and falling, dropped the pocket book among the debris in the backyard. There was no time for further search and he was compelled to abandon the wallet. The next morning after a two hours' search he found the wallet in the ruins at the back of the

building with several hundred dollars safe in- side.

The town was increasing in business, and in 1849 William W. Miller and Paul I. Hetich started a broker's office in the Hetich Block, now 119 South Sandusky. Mr. Miller came to Bucyrus with his father Peter Miller in 1835, and their first work was to haul dirt from over the river to fill up the Public Square, which was under water about half the year. With his father, in December of that year, they purchased the Moderwell building where the Hotel Royal now stands for $850 and started a store. The firm was Peter Miller & Son un- til the father died in 1839, when Mr. Miller conducted the business alone, until the building was destroyed by the fire in 1848, which burned a dozen buildings on the southwest corner of the Square. Mr. Miller had pros- pered. Paul I. Hetich came from Pennsylva- nia in 1837, was interested in a saw mill at Olentangy, and he too had prospered. So they started the first bank in Bucyrus.

They put out a sign with only the words "Hetich & Miller, Exchange Brokers." Their business was the exchanging of the notes of different States; a merchant going east, went to the office, and exchanged what western bank notes he had for notes on eastern banks, as western notes were only taken in the east at a very heavy discount. Similarly people coming from the east, had their money exchanged for western notes, a per cent being charged for the exchange. Another line was the buying of "uncurrent funds,"-the notes of broken or badly demoralized banks. Still another was the lending of the money, the interest being only limited by the emergency of the bor- rower and what he would stand. In the thirties, E. B. Merriman had need of money as he had a bargain in some cattle to take east. Money was not to be had in Bucyrus, so he rode across the country to Norwalk and se- cured of John Gardiner who ran a bank there, $1,000, bought his cattle, took them east and sold them. After the sale he discovered a bar- gain in a large line of mercantile goods and he purchased the entire lot which he brought to Bucyrus, and when pay day came he had plenty of merchandise, but no money ; Gardiner wrote, and Merriman explained the situation and stated that when the goods were sold, he would

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 63

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850- Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1302

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302