History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 45

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014

USA > Ohio > Medina County > History of Medina county and Ohio > Part 45

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

283

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

each two, and one each of the Lutheran and Ger- man Reformed united, Evangelical (Albright) Protestant Episcopal, " Church of God," and Mennonite.

Like the early immigrants in all parts of the State, the first settlers of Medina County brought here the habits of intemperance which prevailed so generally in New England in the opening years of the nineteenth century. Whisky played an important part in all forms of social life in the new community. In the cabin, on training day, at loggings aud honse-raisings, at the meetings of the lodges and at ministerial gatherings, the lurking evil was found. But few distilleries were to be found in the county, but there was no lack of the product ; drunken- ness was common, and sudden deaths, of which whisky was the immediately producing cause, reach upward of a seore in number. In 1833, a resident of Sharon Township was seen returning from Grangerburg intoxicated, but he did not reach home. After ten days of search, his body was found lying in a little stream with a jug of whisky beside him. From the position of the body, it was thought that in his attempt to drink from the brook, he had fallen forward, and in his helpless, intoxicated state was drowned. But with this terrible vice the peo- ple brought also an antidote, and it was not long before there were earnest men and women who nnited to eombat the curse. N. B. Northrop is credited with giving the first regular temperance leeture in the county, and it is believed it was made in Sharon Township. However, he made speeches early, as did Timothy Hudson and others as early as 1830. The earliest recorded temperanee society in the county was formed in Litchfield Township, July 4, 1832, although it is probable that there were others formed earlier, at Medina Village if not elsewhere. In 1842, the Washingtonian movement was brought here by a Mr. Turner and a companion from Cleveland. Spirited meetings were held at first in the court house, and from the county seat

the influence spread in widening circles through- out the county. During this year, the Rev. D. A. Randall issued a small folio paper, ealled the Washingtonian, with a page about 8x10 inches, which appeared onee a month, and continued some time into the following year. In 1847, the temperance movement received a new im- pulse, and Rev. W. B. Disbro edited the Pledge, a temperance paper about the same size as its predecessor, which was published by the Medina Temperanee Society. This movement, more properly known as that which introduced the organization of the "Sons of Temperauce," so far as enlisting the interest of the people went, was eminently sueeessful. Lodges were formed throughout the connty, and "Good Templar" meetings were one of the stand- ard means of entertainment in eountry com- muuities up to the beginning of the war. The distracting influence of succeeding years drew attention from this line of effort, and the organized movement against intemperance was allowed to lose foree and finally to cease alto- gether. A few saloons were started in each of the principal villages in the county, and the druggists made the liquor traffie a prominent part of their business.

This was about the state of affairs in the latter part of 1873, when the " Crusade " began in Washington Court House, in Highland County, Ohio. Dio Lewis was prominent in this movement, and, writing of its operations, he said : "There are four distinct stages. First, the conversational, which must be com- plete before the second step-the large public meeting, at which the best ladies in the town must be appointed in large numbers-is taken. The third stage will require no management. It is the stage of saloon visiting, and the women will take care of it. The fourth stage is that of tying np the loose strings, clinching the nail with reading-rooms. It must be done in this order." The effort was attended with wonderful success, and, for a month or two,

284

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

confined itself to Southern Ohio; but, as the work spread, the enthusiasm kindled into a grand conflagration that leaped State barriers and enveloped the whole land. It reached Medina County in February, 1874. The work had attracted the attention of the good people of the county very early, and the " first stage" had been passed when, in the Gazette of the 27th of this month, a notice was given for a mass meeting at the Methodist Church. The public thought may be well expressed in the comments of the paper on this notice, as fol- lows : " We do not understand that the meet- ing is intended to inaugurate the praying crusade or any special method, but that it is hoped that it may help to strengthen the pub- lic sentiment on the side of temperance, and encourage greater activity and zeal in sup- pressiug liquor selling and liquor drinking." The mecting thus introduced recognized at once that the " woman's temperance movement had struck Medina," and an earnest remon- strance against the local liquor traffic was drawn up to circalate for signers. On the 11th of March, a Woman's Temperance League was organized at Medina, and a vigorous campaign inaugurated on the plan followed elsewhere. The movement gradually spread to the out- lying portions of the county. Even the country townships without saloons had organi- zations that did yeoman service in educating public sentiment and supporting the general work. A Men's Temperance Union was formed in May at Medina Village, which had for its ob- ject "to take notice of all violations of the law of the State and ordinances of this village for the suppression of drunkenness and intemperance that may come to their knowledge." This was a type of the work throughout the county which engaged the active interest of the lead- ing men and women in every township. The result was eminently successful everywhere. Saloons were closed, and druggists came upon temperance grounds. The project of a read-

ing room was talked of at considerable length, but a public library was finally established. which still exists for the use of all for a small consideration. The results of this movement in the county were crystallized in the form of a Woman's Christian Temperance Union, which was auxiliary to a State organization of the same style. Other organizations, such as the Young People's Christian Temperance Union, Temperance Battalion, etc., tending to interest the younger portion of the county, and an organization of the Temperance Gleaners, especially for the children, were inaugurated.

On the 7th of April, 1877, the "Murphy movement " struck Medina. The effort was ad- dressed to individuals, and began in Pitts- burgh, through the exertions of Francis Mur- phy, a reformed drunkard. It started as an entirely secular movement, and was carried on with wonderful success. It gradually spread along the lines of railroad leading out of that city, reaching one town after another, like the spread of an epidemic. It, however, soon took on a religious nature, and proved as wide- reaching as the " Crusade " that had preceded it. In response to an invitation from some of the citizens of Medina, Messrs. O. B. Dealing, John McConnell and Mr. Howard, of Warren, Ohio, who had been engaged in the work there, came to the county seat and inaugurated the movement. A Young Men's Temperance Un- ion was formed, and the pledge, printed on a card to be signed, was circulated, and, for a time, these " Murphy cards " were popularly considered as a certificate of good moral char- acter, and a general passport to the favor of the people. There were numerous cases where these cards were secured and used for disrepu- table purposes, but, in the main, the result was to advance the temperance sentiment of the country. The interest spread throughout the county, and organizations were formed in Brunswick, Liverpool, York, Lodi, Wadsworth, Seville, Weymouth, Sharon, and, finally, to

youpblank.

IIISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

285

every part of the county. A blue ribbon be- eame the badge of the organization, and the majority of those to be met wore it conspicu- ously displayed on their elothing. The inter- est continued for several months, when its absorbing influence gave way to other mat- ters.

On April 19, 1879, another temperance wave struck Medina. At that time, Harvey L. Simon, of Cleveland, began a series of "Gospel Tem- perance Meetings " under the " Medina Chris- tian Temperance Union." The temperance people were generally awakened, donned the blue ribbon, and a number of drinking men signed the pledge, and adopted the blue ribbon as the insignia of their faith and practice. The boys and girls of the village joined the " blue ribbon brigade," and temperance meetings were held at the sehoolhouse every afternoon at 4 o'clock. This was a local matter, and did not cxtend, exeept incidentally, to other parts of the county. The temperance organizations throughout the county still remain in vigorous condition. The "Union " holds quarterly meet- ings in the various parts of the county, and union temperance meetings are, once a month, held on a Sunday evening in all the villages, besides, in many places, a temperance prayer- meeting on each Sabbath.

* Nothing is more characteristic of the settle- ments on the Western Reserve than the promi- nenee which educational effort early attained in their social development. The settlements were sparse, and money or other means to se- eure teachers were obtained with great diffi- eulty, but parents and children alike seemed to appreciate the great advantage which knowl- edge bestowed, aud made endless sacrifices to gain this coveted gift. In many eascs, in Me- dina County, schools were begun and carried

* For the greater part of this subject, the writer is indebted to the pen of Win. P. Clark, Esq.

on as a labor of love, without hope of reward, and in one instance, at least, a schoolhouse was erected before there were any seholars to at- tend. These primitive schoolhouses were very much of the same general plan. Logs were cut sixteen or eighteen feet in length, and of these the walls were raised. "Shakes" com- posed the roof, and a rude fire-place and clap- board door, a puncheon floor, and the cracks filled with "chinks," and with these latter, daubed over with mud, completed the construc- tion of the schoolhouse. The window, if any, was made by cutting out a log the full length of the building, and over the opening in winter was placed a well-greased paper, that served to keep out the storm and admit the light. Just under this window, two or three strong pins were driven into the log in a slanting direction. On these pins, a long puncheon was fastened, and this was the desk upon which the writing was done. For seats, they used benches made from small trees, cut in lengths of ten or twelve feet, split open, and, in the round side, two large holes were bored at each end which re- ceived the supporting legs. The books were as primitive as the house. The New Testament, when it could be had, was the most popular reader, though, occasionally, a copy of the old " Englishi Reader " was found, and very rarely, the "Columbian Orator" was in the family ; Pike's and Smiley's arithmetics; Webster's Speller was first used, and after awhile the "Elementary Speller " came in. Grammar was seldom taught; when it was, the text-books were Murray's or Kirkham's grammars.

"The primitive schoolhouses were in keeping with the homes of the pupils. They were warm, if nothing more, as it was only necessary to make a bee and re-mud the spaces between the logs each fall before the cold weather came on. Children who were barefooted till the school commenced, and sometimes till the snows covered the hills and ice the streams, werc not so sensitive to cold as pupils of these latter

286

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

days. The writer has often seen boys sliding down hill, aud upon the ice with bare feet till midwinter.

It was easier to build the houses and warm them, however, than to obtain money to pay teachers, small as the wages were-often but $1 a week for women and $2 or $3 for men, and board with the pupils. Books cost money, and were not easy to be procured. The instructors of those days would make a poor show beside those of the present, so far as knowledge of text-books is concerned. It is no slander to say that teachers who could not master square root or who had not seen the in- side of a grammar, were more numerous than those who dared to make pretensions to such qualifications. There was at first no public fund available, and in a later period the fund for the payment of teachers was quite small, and what was lacking was made up by assess- ments pro rata, on those who attended the school ; hence, the teacher was often compelled to wait for a part of the small sum promised him, till it could be collected. But let it not be supposed that there was no good work done in those schools. The reading, the spelling, the writing and the ciphering, so far as the teacher could go, need not have been ashamed to stand beside that of these days of high culture and extended literary attainment. The seeds sown broadcast in the forests have germinated and grown during these many years, and now we behold the magnificent harvest. Prominent among the teachers of an early day in the com- mon schools, but at a time when the demands of the schools and the accomplishments of the teachers had greatly advanced, were John Cod- ding, Homer Warner, Nathan Nettleton, Duthan Northrup, Robert F. Codding, Samuel B. Cur- tiss, John B. Chase, Samuel W. McClure, Jon- athan Beebe, Jolin L. Clark, Halsey Hurlburt, James A. Bell, Calvin Chapin, Milo Loomis, Joshua C. Berry, William Paul, Jacob Bell, David Holines, William Crane, Grant Low, E.

S. Bissell, T. I. Hills, M. C. Hills, Dr. S. Hills, C. T. Hills and Sherman Bronson.

The system for the examination and licens- ing of teachers, was fluctuating until 1853. From 1825 to 1829, the Court of Common Pleas appointed three examiners for a term of one year, who gave certificates for teaching " read- ing, writing, arithmetie and other necessary branches of a common education." From 1829 to 1833, the Clerk of Common Pleas appointed a suitable number of examiners, not less than five nor more than the number of townships in the county, who served for two years. From 1834 to 1836, the court made the appointment, and the number was limited to five. But the Board of Examiners were required to appoint one examiner in each township for female teachers only ; and in no case was a certificate to be given, unless the applicant was found qualified to teach reading, writing and arithme- tic, and sustained a good moral character. From 1836 to 1838, three examiners were elected in each township. The writer has no means of giving the names of many examiners during that period. It is remembered, however, that Russell Thayer held the office in Montville Township ; Dr. Thomas Rowe, in La Fayette Township; William Paull, T. H. Hills and Jolin Codding, in Granger Township. From 1838 to 1853, the Court of Common Pleas appointed three County Examiuers, for a term of three years. The first board under this act consisted of Rev. H. Lyon, Principal of Richfield Academy; John McGregor, Principal of Wads- worth Academy, and I. R. Henry, a lawyer of Medina Village. The last board under this act was composed of Rev. G. S. Davis and Hermou Canfield, Esq., of Medina Village, and William P. Clark, of Montville, Principal of a select school in Medina Village. This board was re- quired to hold four quarterly examinations in each year, in any part of the county as might be convenient, free to all applicants, but either Examiner could hold private or special exam-

287

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

inations at a cost of 50 eents to each candi- date receiving a certificate. For the conven- ience of examiners and candidates, special ex- aminations were held in the several townships, all persons who received certificates, being charged 50 cents. Since 1853, the appoint- ment of examiners has been by the Probate Judge, and every applicant for examination must be found qualified to teach orthography, reading, writing, arithmetie, geography, En- glish grammar and theory and practice of teaching, before he ean receive a certificate. The first Probate Judge re-appointed Messrs. Davis, Canfield and Clark. Since that time, the office has been held by numerous cdueators of distinction from various parts of the county.

The plan of holding teachers' institutes was agitated and fully diseussed. The first insti- tute ever held in the Western country convened at Sandusky in September, 1845; the second was held at Chardon in October of the same year. In response to petitions from the counties of the Western Reserve, a law was enacted by the Legislature, authorizing the Commissioners of twenty-four counties of Ohio-of which Me- dina County was one-to set apart money for the support of a County Superintendent, or to defray the expenses of teachers' institutes. Eleven of these counties appropriated money to support institutes, the Commissioners of Medina County setting apart $300 for an institute fund. In October, 1847, the board of sehool examiners, consisting of Rev. G. S. Davis, Hermon Canfield and William P. Clark, issued a eall for a Teach- ers' Institute to be held at the eourt house in Medina. To this eall sixty-four gentlemen and the same number of ladies from all thic town- ships of the county, except Spencer, and also from the adjoining counties, responded, eighty- eight of them being praetieal teachers. Of the gentlemen whose names appcar in the eatalogue, Henry Smith had taught sixteen terms ; Joshua N. Robinson, eleven ; Cyrus King, seven ; Ste- phen B. Woodward and H. W. Remington, six ;

Thomas S. Shenn and two others, five ; James Quayle, R. B. Squires and Samuel N. Stebbins, four ; II. E. Matteson, Loyal A. Curtiss and seven others, three ; John B. Young, S. G. Bar- nard, Hiram Goodwin, S. F. Codding and ten others, two ; and Solomon Holcomb and ten others, one each. Of the ladies, Semantha Woreester and Amy Sheldon had taught six- teen terms ; Eleanor Stiles, fifteen ; Elsie Cod- ding and Editha M. Curtiss, eleven ; Marietta and Antoinette Clark, Almira Stiles and Nancy J. McDonald, seven ; Eveline Clark and Jane F. Bradford, six ; Melissa Brown and Nancy Jameson, five ; Hannah Hewes and four others, four ; Julia A. King, Jemima Averill and four others, three ; Charlotte W. Sanford and six others, two ; Eliza Russell and six others, one term each. The instructors were M. D. Leggett, of Akron, in orthography, arithmetie and phys- iology ; T. W. Harvey, of Chardon, in geog- raphy and grammar; and J. Hurty, of Mans- field, in elocution and eivil government ; Rev. S. D. Taylor, of Bath, Rev. William Johnson, of Sharon, and Charles A. Foster, A. M., of Se- ville, were lecturers. The institute appointed Messrs. H. Smith, S. M. Curtiss and S. M. Thayer, a committee on text-books. They rec- ommended Town's Spelling-book, McGuffey's series of readers, from the first to the fifth in- clusive, Wells' Grammar, Adams' Arithmetie, Colburn's Mental Arithmetic, Smith's First Book in Geography, Morsc's Geography, Ackerman's National History, Young's Civil Government, Mitchell's Outline Maps, and Bateheldor's Natural Accountant. William P. Clark and Henry Smith were appointed a com- mittee to publish a catalogue, from which the following extraets are taken :

To the Public: In compliance with a eall issued by the Board of School Examiners for Medina County, the teachers of the county assembled at Medina on Monday, November 8, 1847, for the purpose of holding a Teachers' Institute. The session was continued till Friday even- ing. In presenting this catalogue, the committee take

288

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

the opportunity to say that they are fully convinced of the utility of the Teachers' Institutes. They believe them to be well calculated to do much toward elevating the standard of common-school instruction. Let it be borne in mind that thirty-six thirty-sevenths of the youth of our State receive their education in common schools, and it will be unnecessary to urge upon the friends of education the importance of improving the qualifica- tions of teachers. The fountain cannot rise above its source. No less true is it that the school must bear the impress of the character of its instructor. That teach- ers' institutes are the best available means for improv- ing the qualifications of teachers, is no longer a matter of doubt. It is not claimed that they will accomplish all the objects attained by State Normal Schools, but that they will effect much toward improving the qualifica- tions of that portion of our teachers who could never enjoy the facilities of such a school.

In the fall of 1848, the second Institute of the county was held. It continued three weeks, and was attended by a large number of teachers and others. The institute was under the direc- tion of Mr. M. F. Cowdery, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Ohio State Teach- ers' Association. Mr. Cowdery was assisted in the work of instruction by Messrs. G. W. Winchester, J. B. Howard, William P. Clark, Cutchion and Prof. H. Mandeville. Prof. Mandeville gave a course of instruction in reading and elocution which was novel, and provoked much comment and some opposi- tion ; the interest, however, seemed to increase to the end.

At all institutes, the subject of better work in the public schools, and of the superior ad- vantages to be expected from the establishment of union schools for large towns and cities, was discussed, and plans urged upon the attention of the people. As a result, the plan of graded schools was adopted in many places, and soon compelled the abandonment of private schools, or these and the common schools uuited and formed union schools.

Let it not be understood, however, that teachers' institutes and graded schools met no opposition in Medina County. There are al-

ways those to be found who are opposed to the use of public moneys to make schools free, or to furnish facilities for the education of teach- ers. Although the fund first set apart by the Commissioners to constitute an institute fund, came from the interest of the surplus revenue, and was by law designated to be used iu the pro- motion of education, many opposed its use in this manner, and endeavored to make institutes un- popular. The Board of Examiners, upon whose recommendation the funds were appropriated, and by whom they were disbursed, were divided on the question. The matter was still farther complicated by the fact that authors of school books and agents of publishing houses suc- ceeded in obtaining appointments to give in- struction in institutes, and were believed to use the opportunity to advance their private inter- ests. Such was the case in the second Institute held in Medina. The board, by : simple majority vote, refused to pay for services rendered. Some of the parties interested stirred up hot blood ; criminations and recriminations followed ; sharp words were spoken on both sides on the last evening, and the Institute broke up in confu- sion. Wrongs were done to innocent parties which were not righted for years, but eventu- ally some compensation was made to those who were not at fault, and who should have been paid for their labor at the time. The result was that no more institutes were held in the county nntil the adoption of the present law, which re- moves one objection to institutes by providing for the payment of the expenses from an insti- tute fuud, arising from fees paid by applicants for examination for teachers' certificates, and only on the written request made to the County Auditor of at least thirty practical teachers of the county. The establishment of graded schools in Medina County was iudefinitely postponed by this discontinuance of the teachers' institutes. This check to the move- ment for better public schools quickened the select schools, and gave them a new lease of

289

IHISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

life. The number of their pupils was in- creased, their course of study was enlarged, and they became more of a power than ever. The Medina Select Seliool was owned and controlled for several years by William P. Clark. During each spring and fall, it had a Normal Depart- ment, and drew pupils from all parts of the county. Its course of study included not only common and higher English branches, but also the natural sciences, mathematics, and an ele- mentary course iu the Latin, Greek and French languages and instruction on the piano, giving employment to three teachers.

Schools of a higher order than furnished by the common-school system, called select schools or academies, early supplemented the work of the common schools in Hinckley, Granger, Shar- on, Wadsworth, Seville, York, Lafayette, Litch- field, Chatham, Lodi and Spencer, as well as Medina. To these schools, persons who had a love for study or who were ambitious to teach, resorted for instruction in sciences not tauglit in the common schools, or for more thorough instructiou in such as were taught in them. The effects were soon apparent in better dis- trict schools. Hazing and locking-out teach- ers, incident to a state of society such as is found in a new country, where might instead of right, and muscle instead of brains, are often applauded, gave place to order and culture. These higher grades of schools were supported by tuition or term bills, ranging from $2 to $4 for a term of twelve weeks. These select schools were independent, subject only to the control of the instructors, while the academies were under the nominal supervision of a Board of Trustees, who employed or dismissed the teachers at their pleasure ; but, as the funds for both, in most cases, werc dependent upon the number of pupils and the studies pursued, there was always a powerful motive to sacrifice thoroughness and order to popularity. The superior instruction actually given in these schools, however, and their popularity, had a

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 45

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1014

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014