USA > Ohio > Hancock County > History of Hancock County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of the Northwest Territory, history of Ohio, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc > Part 32
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The act of Congress providing for the admission of Ohio into the Union offered certain educational propositions to the people. These were, first, that Section 16 in each township, or, in lieu thereof, other contiguous or equivalent lands, should be granted for the use of schools; second, that thirty-eight sections of land, where salt springs had been found, should be granted to the State, never to be sold, or leased for a longer term than ten years; and third, that one-twentieth of the proceeds from the sale of the public lands in the State should be applied toward the construction of roads from the Atlantic to and through Ohio. Those propositions were offered on the condition that the public lands sold by the United States after the 30th
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of June, 1802, should be exempt from State taxation for five years after sale. The ordinance of 1787 had already provided for the appropriation of Section 16 to the support of schools in every township sold by the United States. This, therefore, could not, in 1802, be properly made the subject of a new bar- gain between the United States and Ohio; and by many it was thought that the salt reservations and one-twentieth of the proceeds of the sale of public lands were inadequately equivalent for the proposed surrender of a right to tax for five years. The convention, however, accepted the propositions of Congress, on their being so modified and enlarged as to vest in the State, for the use of schools, Section 16 in each township sold by the United States, and three other tracts of land, equal in quantity respectively to one thirty- sixth of the Virginia Military Reservation, of the United States Military Tract and of the Connecticut Western Reserve, and to give three per cent of the proceeds of the public lands sold within the State to the construction of roads in Ohio, under the direction of the Legislature. Congress agreed to the proposed modifications, and thus was established the basis of the com- mon school fund of Ohio.
We have seen in the foregoing how Congress, by a compact with the peo- ple, gave them one thirty-sixth part of all of the lands northwest of the Ohio River for school purposes. The lands for this purpose set apart were, however, often appropriated by squatters, and, through unwise, careless and sometimes corrupt legislation, these squatters were vested with proprietor- ship. Caleb Atwater, in his history of Ohio, in speaking on this subject says: "Members of the Legislature not unfrequently got acts passed and leases granted, either to themselves, their relatives or to their partisans. One senator contrived to get, by such acts, seven entire sections of land into either his own or his children's possession." From 1803 to 1820 the General Assembly spent a considerable portion of every session in passing acts relating to these lands, without advancing the cause of education to any degree.
In 1821 the House of Representatives appointed five of its members, viz., Caleb Atwater, Loyd Talbot, James Shields, Roswell Mills and Josiah Barber, a committee on schools and school lands. This committee subse- quently made a report, rehearsing the wrong management of the school land trust on behalf of the State, warmly advocated the establishment of a sys- tem of education and the adoption of measures which would secure for the people the rights which Congress intended they should possess. In com- pliance with the recommendation of the committee, the Governor of the State, in May, 1822, having been authorized by the Legislature, appointed seven commissioners of schools and school lands, viz .: Caleb Atwater, Rev. John Collins, Rev. James Hoge, N. Guilford, Ephraim Cutler, Josiah Barber and James M. Bell. The reason why seven persons were appointed was because there were seven different sorts of school lands in the State, viz. : Section 16 in every township of the Congress lands, the United States Military lands, the Virginia Military lands, Symmes' Purchase, the Ohio Company's Purchase, the Refugee lands and the Connecticut Western Re- serve. This commission of seven persons was reduced by various causes to one of three, Messrs. Atwater, Collins and Hoge, who performed the arduous duties incumbent upon them with but little remuneration and (at the time) but few thanks.
The Legislature of 1822-23 broke up without having taken any definite
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
action upon the report presented by the commission, but during the summer and autumn of 1824 the subject of the sale of the school lands was warmly agitated, and the friends of the measure triumphed over the opposition so far as to elect large majorities to both branches of the General Assembly in favor of its being made a law. The quantity of land set apart was ascer- tained in 1825 to be a little more than a half a million acres, and was valued at less than $1,000,000. The school lands were finally sold, the proceeds taken charge of by the State, the interest accruing from the moneys derived from the sale of the different classes of lands to be annually distributed among the counties in the respective land districts, according to the school enumeration of each county. It might be well to state here that the school age at this time was from four to sixteen, which was, however, changed whenever the General Assembly considered such a change necessary or judicious.
From the time the school lands were sold up to the present, each county in the State has received annually its quota of the interest obtained from this school fund. Nearly one-half the counties of Ohio pay more money into the common school fund of the State than they receive back again, the surplus thus raised going to poor or sparsely settled counties. Up to a recent date Hancock has been in the list of counties that receive more than they pay into the State fund. In 1875 she paid to the State $12,150.53, and received $14,334.40, or $2,183.87 more than paid in. In 1880 she paid $12,190.81, and received $13,909.50, or $1, 718.69 more than paid in. The tide, however, has at least turned in her favor, for the duplicate of 1885 shows that the State received from this county $14, 730.88, and paid back to her $14,406.00, or a balance of $324.78 in favor of the county. This balance will be somewhat reduced by delinquencies and the treasurer's fees, but there will be still a small amount in the county's favor, which fact fairly illustrates the progress made in the past ten years. .
In the early development of Hancock County, a great variety of influen- ces was felt in the way of general education. The settlements were and for years continued to be sparse. The people, as the pioneers of all new counties are, were poor, and lacked the means of remunerating teachers. Their poverty compelled all who were able to labor, and the work of the females was as important and toilsome as that of the men. Added to these, both teachers and books were scarce. This condition of things continued perhaps for more than a quarter of a century. Taking these facts into con- sideration. it is surprising that they had any schools whatever. It was not uncommon for children to trudge through the snow-covered forest from two to four miles before reaching the little log schoolhouse. And though the great majority of the pioneers of Hancock County embraced every opportu- nity to educate their children, there were some who cared little for educa- tional matters-genuine backwoodsmen who reared their sons to shoot and trap successfully, and their daughters to spin and weave, but not to read or write.
The interest awakened in literature and science immediately after the Revolution followed the pioneers to their Western homes; but to make their efforts productive of useful results time became absolutely necessary. Just as soon as the settlements were prepared for the experiment, schools were opened; but at every step it was the acquisition of knowledge under diffi- culties. Everything connected with them was as simple and primitive as
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
were their dwellings, food and clothing. Houses were built in the various neighborhoods as occasion made necessary, not by subscription in money, but by labor. On a given day the neighbors assembled at some place pre- viously agreed upon, and the work was done. Timber was abundant; they were skilled in the use of the ax, and having cut logs of the required length, the walls were soon raised. The roof was made of clapboards, kept in place by heavy poles reaching the length of the building. The door was of clapboards and creaked on wooden hinges; the latch of wood and raised by a string. The floor was "puncheon," or trees split in the middle, toler- ably true, the edge and face being dressed with the ax. The crevices between the logs forming the walls were filled with " chinks," or split sticks of wood, and daubed with mud. The fire-place was equally rude, but of ample dimensions, built on the outside of the house, usually of stone to the throat of the flue, and the remainder of the chimney of split sticks of wood, daubed with puddled clay within and without. Light was admitted through the door and by means of an opening made by cutting out one of the logs, reaching almost the entire width of the building. This opening was high enough from the floor to prevent the boys from looking out, and in winter was covered with paper saturated with grease, to keep out the cold, as well as to admit light.
In the rural districts school "kept " only in winter. The furniture cor- responded with the simplicity of the house. At a proper distance below the windows auger holes were bored in a slanting direction in one of the logs, and in these strong wooden pins were driven, and on the pins a huge slab or puncheon was placed, which served as a writing desk for the whole school. For seats, they used the puncheon, or more commonly the body of a smooth, straight tree, cut ten to twelve feet in length, and raised to a height of twelve to fifteen inches by means of pins securely inserted. It has been said that not infrequently the pins were of unequal length, and the bench predisposed to "wabble." Many of the pioneer teachers were natives of Ireland, who had left their homes for divers reasons, prior to and succeeding the struggle for Irish independence, in 1798, and here, in this land of freedom, were putting to good use the education obtained in their native isle. Dr. Johnson's notion that most boys required learning to be thrashed into them was practically carried out in the pioneer schoolhouse. The pupils sat with their faces toward the wall, around the room, while the teacher occupied the middle space to superin- tend each pupil separately. In some rooms a separate bench was furnished for those too young to write. Classes, when reciting, sat on a bench pro- vided for this purpose.
The books were as primitive as the surroundings. The New Testament was a common reading book; the "English Reader" was occasionally found, and sometimes the "Columbian Orator." No one book was common in all the families. The reading class recited paragraphs alternately, and the book in use was made common property, passing from hand to hand during recitation. It was not unusual for the teacher to assist a pupil in one of his " sums," discipline a refractory scholar, and hear the reading- class at one and the same time. Dabold's, Smiley's and Pike's Arithmetics were commonly used, with the examples for practice almost exclusively in pounds, shillings and pence, and a marked absence of clear rules and defi- nitions for the solving of the different divisions. Webster's "American
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Speller " was the ordinary spelling-book, which afterward made way for Webster's "Elementary Speller." This latter book maintained its popular- ity for half a century. The spelling class closed the labors of the day. All who could spell entered the "big class," and the rivalry was sharp as to who should rank first as good spellers. The class was numbered in the order in which they stood in line, and retained the number until a miss sent some one above them. Spelling-matches were frequent, and contributed largely to make good spellers. Grammar was not often taught, partly for the rea- son that books were hard to get, and partly because some of the teachers were not proficient in this branch of learning. When the science was taught the text-book was Kirkham, which, though of little real merit, stimulated a taste for grammar. The boys and girls went to the same school, but sat on opposite benches.
It occasionally happened that teachers were employed who had learned that an elephant may be led by a hair, or more probably were blessed with gentle natures, and won the hearts and life-long affection of their pupils by their pleasant and loving ways; but these were exceptions. The standard of excellence was often measured by the ability and swift readiness to thrash the scholars on any provocation. Disobedience and ignorance were equal causes for the use of the "birch." "Like master, like boy." The char- acteristics of the one tended to develop a corresponding spirit in the other, and the cruelty of the one, with the absence, too frequently, of all just dis- crimination in the use of the rod, excited animosities which lasted through life. There were few boys of that day who did not cherish the purpose to " whale the master " on sight, at some future time.
When Christmas came the teacher was expected to treat the school. If he ignored this custom, through stinginess or some other reason, he was " barred out " by the offended pupils. Arriving at the schoolhouse early in the morning, they would fasten the windows securely, pile the benches high against the door, and when the unlucky pedagogue appeared a struggle for possession and mastery ensued, which generally resulted in the capitulation of the building, only after satisfactory arrangements were made for the treat. Exciting stories about "barring out " the teacher in nearly every township of Hancock County have been told, the relators, who were generally partici- pants in this backwoods revenge, being now gray-haired men.
The schools were supported by subscription, the charge being from $1 to $3 per term of three months during the winter, to begin at 8 o'clock in the morning with an hour to an hour and a half recess at noon, and close at 5 o'clock. One-half of Saturdays, or alternate Saturdays, made part of the term. Writing was taught to all the larger pupils, and the only pen used was the goose or turkey quill, made into a pen by the skillful hand of the teacher. Mending the pens was an essential part of the work. Copy-books were made of sheets of foolscap paper stitched together, and copies were " set" by the teacher during recess, which were commonly taken from the maxims in use from time immemorial. Sometimes the teacher was partly paid in produce or other commodities, which were the equivalent to him for money, while his support was often obtained by "boarding around."
The introduction of schools in one settlement was an incentive to their speedy adoption in others, and the foregoing description applies to all of the earlier schools and schoolhouses of Hancock County. The erection of saw- mills, and the opening up of wagon roads, brought about a better order of
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
things, and plank, weather-boarding and glass took the places of clapboards, puncheon floors and desks, log benches and greased paper windows. The pioneer schools opened in the different townships of this county will be found fully spoken of in the eighteen chapters specially devoted to the local history of said townships, to which the reader is referred for more definite information on the subject.
The gradual development and progress of education in Ohio was en- couraged and fostered by State laws that were the germs from which came forth the present common school system; and, believing that a brief synopsis "of these enactments would be valuable in this connection, the following facts have been compiled from the Ohio statutes, which will enable the reader to understand more thoroughly the history of the public school system up to the adoption of the constitution of 1851. On the 2d of Jan- uary, 1806, three trustees and a treasurer were authorized to be elected in each township for the purpose of taking charge of the school lands, or the moneys arising therefrom, and applying the same to the benefit of the schools in said township. In 1810 this act was more fully defined, and in 1814 every scholar was entitled to his or her share of said school funds, even when attending a school outside of their own township. In 1815 those
moneys were distributed according to the time of school attendance, an account of which each teacher was required to furnish to the trustees, and the apportionment made accordingly. No act of any importance was then passed until January 22, 1821, when a vote was ordered to be taken in every township for the purpose of deciding for or against organizing the same into school districts; also for the election of a school committee of three persons, and a collector, who was also treasurer in each district. The inhabitants were authorized to erect schoolhouses in their respective districts on land donated or purchased for that purpose, said schools to be paid for by dona- tions and subscriptions, together with the taxes raised for that object. This act authorized that all lands located in said districts liable to State or county taxation were also liable to taxation for erecting schoolhouses, and for edu- cating the children of those unable to pay for schooling. Parents and guardians were assessed in proportion to the number of children sent to school by them, but those unable to pay had their assessment remitted, and such deficiency was paid out of the fund raised by taxation. Of course, the moneys accruing from the school lands went into the school fund held by the treasurer of each district.
The first general school law was passed February 5, 1825, and it pro- vided that " a fund shall hereafter be annually raised among the several counties in the State, in the manner pointed out by this act, for the use of common schools, for the instruction of youth of every class and grade with- out distinction, in reading, writing, arithmetic and other necessary branches of a common education." This was in harmony with the constitution, which asserted that schools and the means of instruction should forever be encouraged by legislative provision. This act provided for a general tax to be levied for the fostering of common schools throughout the State, which was to be collected annually and used for general educational purposes. Three school directors were to be elected annually in each district, to trans- act the business of said schools, erect buildings, employ teachers, receive and expend all moneys derived from any source, etc. The court of common pleas in each county was authorized to appoint annually "three suitable
4.M. Firmin
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
persons to be called examiners of common schools," whose duties were to examine teachers for qualification and grant certificates, also to visit and examine the schools throughout the county. If any district neglected to keep a school therein at any one time for the space of three years, its pro- portion of the school fund was divided among the other districts in said township that employed teachers. The school fund of each county was taken charge of by the auditor, who distributed the same between the sev- eral townships. In 1827, this act was amended. The directors were in- structed to appoint a treasurer for each school district. Fines imposed by any justice of the peace, for offenses committed in any given district, were to be paid to the treasurer, to be used for the support of education in said district. Taxes were levied to build new houses and repair old ones. Every householder, whose tax was less than $1, had to pay that amount or give two days' labor toward the building or repairing of schoolhouses. The num- ber of examiners was increased, but at no time was it to exceed that of town- ships in the county.
In February, 1829, a law was enacted providing more fully for general education, but the children of black or mulatto persons were not permitted to attend these schools, nor were such persons compelled to pay taxes toward their support. The official term of examiners was designated as two years, and their number to be not less than five in each county, nor more than one in each township thereof. Whenever the regular school fund ran short, the teachers, if not paid by voluntary subscription, were to be paid by those sending scholars to said schools. Often the regular fund did not pay for more than three months' schooling annually, so that even then the schools, though slowly improving, were anything but flourishing. The act of 1830 did not materially improve them, and in March, 1831, the following clause appears in a law relative to raising the school fund. It says a general fund shall be raised "for the instruction of the white youth of every class and grade," so that, although Ohio was a free State, a black man was debarred from the educational advantages accorded to his white brother, and, though his body was not kept in slavery, his mind was kept in ignorance as far as the State laws had the power to do so. With all this injustice the property of negroes was extempt from taxation for school purposes, which was at least a small grain of justice to the despised race. The school age was changed so as to include those between four and twenty-one years, and the number of examiners read "not less than five in each county, nor more than two in each township."
On the 2d of March, 1831, an act was passed authorizing the establish- ment of a fund to be designated "The Common School Fund," the income to be used for the support of common schools. All moneys arising from the sale of school lands were to be put into this fund, and the State guaran- teed a certain interest on all such moneys paid into the State treasury. The county auditors were authorized to draw said interest and distribute it among the several districts in their respective counties, to which said lands originally belonged. Donations and bequests were also put into this fund and used for the same general purpose. These moneys, however, were to be funded annually, until January 1, 1835, after which date the interest was divided among the several counties in proportion to the number of white males over twenty-one years of age residing therein.
Up to this time women were not eligible as school teachers, for we find
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that an act was passed December 23, 1831, allowing directors to employ female teachers, but the directors had to signify in writing to the school examiners that it was the desire of the inhabitants of said district to employ "a female teacher for instructing their children in spelling, reading and writing only." The examiners were then empowered to give the lady "a special certificate" to teach those branches. It is unnecessary for the writer to comment on this injustice; he takes it for granted that the most illiberal of men will agree with him that this discrimination against women was a grievous wrong and unworthy of this great Commonwealth. In 1833 other provisions and amendments were made to the school laws, whose object was to increase their influences, but no material changes were made in former ones.
The office of State Superintendent of schools was created March 7, 1837, and made permanent a year from that date. He was elected by the General Assembly for a term of five years, but on the 23d of March, 1840, the office was abolished, and the Secretary of State required to perform the duties thereof. In 1838 a fund of $200,000 was provided for, to be annually dis- tributed among the several counties, according to the number of white youth, unmarried, between the ages of four and twenty-one. It was known as the "State Common School Fund," was reduced March 7, 1842, to $150,000 and again raised to $300,000 on the 24th of March, 1851. By Article VI of the constitution of 1851, it is declared that the principal of all funds accruing from school lands, donations or bequests, "shall forever be preserved inviolate and undiminished." It was enacted by the law of 1838 that the township clerk should be superintendent of schools within his township, and this law remained in force until the reorganization of the school laws, in 1853. By this same law the county auditor was en- dowed with the position of superintendent of schools throughout the county. The number of school examiners was reduced to three members for each county, who were appointed by the court of common pleas.
On the 16th of March, 1839, an act was passed providing for the estab- lishment of night schools in towns, wherein male youth over twelve years of age, who could not attend school in daytime, might be instructed. This law also enacted that scholars could attend German schools and yet receive their quota of school money. Subsequently the German language was in- troduced into the schools as a part of the regular studies.
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