USA > Ohio > Mercer County > History of Mercer County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 7
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"To Harry, $250, his saddle, bridle, and martingale, with his mattress and wearing apparel.
"To Kitty, his feather bed, bedstead, and furniture in the lower room, one side saddle, one loom and his stock of bees.
"To his servant York, $100; also to York, Julie, James, Condie, and Sylva each a feather bed, bedstead, and necessary furniture. Harry to get his choice of two horses, and Kitty his wife two cows and calves, and $500 in money to be invested for their benefit; and if Harry, Kitty and their children go to Liberia or some of the free States, then Harry is to get the horses, and
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Kitty the cow and also $500; but in case of Kitty's death, to be divided among her children,
"Mr. Harper also provided that if any of the white legatees of his will oppose the emancipation of his slaves, he or she shall receive no portion of his estate, but that share to be divided among the others; and if all of the legatees opposed, then one-half of his estate goes to the American Bible Society, and the other half to the Colonization Society. He also provided for the other slaves that man and wife should not be separated.
"Entered November 1, 1854. H. F. JUNEMAN, Clerk."
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF MERCER COUNTY.
The idea of a free public school, maintained entirely/ at municipal or State expense and altogether under State and secular control, is a modern development which was not realized until the 19th century. The growth of democracy in the last hundred years has been one of the chief causes of the rapid advance of the free and secularized public school system. Only in the United States, however, has the public school system had a development such as a democratic society logically demands. A system to be truly democratic must have the following characteristics : (I) It must be free to all; (2) it must extend over all stages of education; (3) it must have what is called the educational ladder ; that is, pupils must be able to pass upward freely from one grade to the next higher; and (4) it must be patronized by all classes of the community. It may fairly be claimed that the American public school system has now reached a stage where all these ends have been attained.
The people of Mercer County have ever been alert on the subject of pro- viding good schools, which they have been able to secure under the wise legislation of the State. Believing that in the education of the children the perpetuity of our free institutions can best be preserved and the prosperity and happiness of the people be prolonged, they have always been ready to aid and assist in securing good and efficient teachers and in building good and comfortable schoolhouses. So from the log schoolhouses, with their old- fashioned fire-places, wooden benches for seats, and broad boards placed around the walls for writing desks, we now have, in all the townships of the county, large brick buildings, seated with the latest improved single seat and desk for each pupil ; while the fire-places have been supplanted by furnaces. All school buildings are now modern and up-to-date, and the boy or girl of school age to-day would look upon the old schoolhouse with wonder and astonish- ment, and their judgment would be that it was a curiosity. There is scarcely a neighborhood in the county but that has a township high school; or, that not being the case, they have a special school district. All are eager to make the
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most they can out of the advantages to be derived from their home schools, as these schools are preparatory for the college or seminary. Normal schools are conducted in the county, mostly at Celina, during the summer vacations. There was at one time a college at Coldwater, which flourished for a time,. at last giving way to the public school, which is one of the best in the county. There is not a town in the county that does not boast of having the best school in the country and they make their boasts good by sending out teachers from: their public schools every year. The parochial schools and religious educa- tional institutions of the county, of which there are many important ones, will be noticed elsewhere in this work.
The public schools of Mercer County have from the beginning been free -- open to all who wished to avail themselves of the opportunities offered them for obtaining an education. The first schools of the county, when the county was sparsely settled, were maintained by subscription, but this state of affairs was not of many years duration; as the county grew, in wealth as well as in population, the subscription schools gave way to the system of raising school funds by taxation for the support and maintenance of free public schools. School districts were created whenever a sufficient number of scholars of school age were found to support and maintain a school. Dis- tricts were made to accommodate the scholars-usually about two miles was the distance that the schoolhouses were apart. Each of these districts was managed and controlled by a local "board of three directors, who took sole control of their special district. They employed teachers, fixed the salary and had general supervision over the school. This board was subject to a town- ship supervision composed of one member from each sub-district. With the addition of the township clerk, who was also clerk of the School Board, the township board bought sites and built schoolhouses, and levied the taxes for their support and maintenance.
A County Board of School Examiners has always granted certificates to teachers as to their qualifications as teachers. The board has consisted of three members, appointed by the probate judge of the county, the full term of office being three years. Examiners for teachers were selected usually from the best educators of the county, nearly all of whom were active teachers until within the past years. The list of questions for teachers' examinations was left entirely with the County Board of School Examiners. As the law now is, the State Commissioner of Schools prepares a list of questions for the en- tire State; this list is sent to each county board.
Some of the early educators of the county were not professional teachers but were educated for other professions and for want of professional teachers they supplied the place. Among the early teachers of the Recovery township schools was Professor George, a Covenanter minister, who taught a number
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of years ; he was an educated man and a good teacher. Another teacher, who taught in the Franklin township schools, was George Rickoff, a learned man and a brother of A. P. Rickoff, who visited and gave instruction at the county teachers' institutes when he was school commissioner of Ohio. Among the old time educators and teachers may be named: Rev. M. W. Diggs, a Con- gregational minister and teacher, who taught in Gibson township; William Rood, who taught at Fort Recovery-he was a Connecticut man; and B. B. Allen, Abraham Mott, William D. Stone, Miles B. Briner, who were old teachers in the southern part of the county. You will notice that no mention is made of any women as teachers. Well, there were a few in those days. One of the best teachers that Gibson township ever had the pleasure of em- ploying was Ada Chamberlain, a lady who came from Massachusetts on a visit to some friends, and was prevailed upon to teach one of the district schools in the southern part of the county, which so pleased everybody that her fame as a teacher went a long ways from home. This opened the way and then women were employed as teachers and gave good satisfaction. Thus the prejudice against a woman for a teacher was gradually done away with and to-day our schoolrooms are filled with lady teachers almost exclusively and they command just as good wages as men. The system of teaching and the entire management of the public schools have made great progress in the past few years. Teachers' institutes and township teachers' meetings cer- tainly have had much to do with the advancement of education.
There are 10 township school districts, each of which is divided into sub-districts, of which there are 86 in all. Independent of the township dis- tricts, there are 38 separate school districts. Each township and each sep- arate district has a Board of Education, made up of five members. The total number of schoolhouses in the county is 129, of which 86 are in the township districts and 43 in the separate districts. Each of the schoolhouses of the sub-districts consists of one room, making 86 rooms in all. The school build- ings of the separate districts contain 87 rooms, of which 13 rooms are de- voted to high school purposes. The total number of rooms in the school buildings of the county therefore, is 173. The school property of the ele- mentary township districts is valued at $98,120, while that of the elementary saparate districts is $185,950, the aggregate valuation being $284,070. In 1905 two elementary schoolhouses were built in separate school districts, at a cost of $4,425.
In the township districts, 60 men and 31 women are employed as teachers ; in the separate districts, 40 men and 34 women in the elementary schools and 9 men and 5 women in the high schools, making a total of 179 teachers em- ployed in the county. The average monthly wages of both men and women, in the elementary schools of the township districts, and of the women, in the
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elementary schools of the separate districts, is $41. The wages of the men in the elementary schools of the separate districts is $48. The men employed as teachers in the high schools of the separate districts get average monthly wages of $75, while in the high schools of the township districts, the average wages paid per month is $70. In the township dis- tricts, the average school year consists of 32 weeks, while in the separate dis- tricts it consists of 34 weeks.
HIGH SCHOOLS IN MERCER COUNTY.
First Grade .-
Celina High School (village district)-S. Wilkin, superintendent; J. W. Pogue, principal; four teachers; three rooms; 100 pupils.
Fort Recovery High School (village district)-James Ross, superin- tendent; Mrs. J. A. Hunter, principal; three teachers; two rooms; 57 pupils. Second Grade .-
Mendon High School (village district)-R. E. Offenhauer, superintend- end; M. O. Krugh, principal; two teachers; two rooms ; 41 pupils.
Rockford High School (village district)-J. H. Barnett, superintend- ent ; Samuel Cotterman, principal; two teachers; two rooms; 75 pupils.
St. Henry High School (village district)-H. J. Anthony, superin- tendent ; two teachers; two rooms; 25 pupils. Third Grade .-
Center Township High School (township district)-William A. Bair, superintendent ; one room; one teacher; 32 weeks session; 24 pupils.
Coldwater High School (village district)-J. H. Tener, superintendent ; one room; one teacher; 36 weeks session; 17 pupils.
Mercer High School (special district)-Alva J. Spacht, superintendent ; one room ; one teacher; 32 weeks session ; 10 pupils.
MERCER COUNTY TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.
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In connection with the schools of Mercer County, we will notice the helpmates to the teachers and schools of our county. Among them, and the one most helpful, is the Mercer County Teachers' Institute, which was organ- ized in the fall of 1859, at Celina, Ohio, with a few of the leading teachers of the county present at its first session. The fall meetings were continued only for two years. Then the institute for many years held its annual ses- sions at the holiday season, this being vacation week for the teachers. After a time the institute meeting was changed from the holiday season to the summer vacation, the time being in August, just before the commencement
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of the fall term of school. This has proven the best season of all and is the date now fixed for holding the institute. Since its organization the institute has never failed to hold a yearly meeting. The place was first at Celina and no other place was ever thought of until recently when other towns in the county sought to be recognized. The last institute was held at Fort Recovery. Coldwater, Mendon and Rockford have also entertained the Mercer County Teachers' Institute. Since its organization, the State commissioner of schools has rarely failed to be in attendance at its yearly meetings, delivering one or more lectures. The services of other leading educators also have been secured and the institute has become one of the leading factors in the educa- tional interest of the schools. Some of the leading educators and teachers who have taken part as instructors at our county institute in the past have been : A. P. Rickoff, William D. Stone, M. C. Culver, S. F. De Ford, W. F. McDaniel, A. G. Clark, R. W. Mitchell, John Brock, Stephen A. Arm- strong, I. F. Raudabaugh, George S. Harter, James Ross, W. E. Kershner, A. C. Beaghler, J. P. Dysert, Abraham Mott, Dow Carlin, A. H. Roebuck, David Counterman, S. S. Scranton, Mrs. J. A. Hunter, Lizzie Cook, Catharine Cook, Eva Winter, Jessie Snyder, Nellie Winter, F. J. Barnard (now representing the American Book Company in the State of Washington), B. M. Clen Dening, Prof. S. Wilkin, Prof. J. W. Pogue, R. E. Offenhauer and B. F. Klinger, all of whom have been or are at present teachers of the county. The State school commissioners who have attended the Mercer County Teachers' Institute have been the following: A. J. Rickoff, Thomas W. Harvey, C. C. Smart, Ansell Smyth, W. W. White, J. J. Burns, L. D. Bonebrake (present incumbent), T. C. Mendenhall, O. T. Corson, C. C. Miller and others. Thomas J. Godfrey, who died recently, was at the organization of the institute and was present at every meeting. In the early history of the institute nearly all the attorneys of Celina, who at one time were teachers, enrolled themselves as members, being Thomas J. God- frey, Hiram Murlin, J. G. Loughridge, John W. Loree, Stephen A. Arm- strong, Patrick E. Kenney, J. T. Kenney, I. T. Raudabaugh, D. J. Callen and Keepers Alberry. Some of the older lady teachers were: Mary E. Tou Velle, Mary C. Loague, Mattie E, Miller, Lizzie C. Kable, Amelia Kable and Mrs. Adarene Landfair, who served many years as a primary teacher in the public schools of Celina.
MERCER COUNTY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.
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The first meeting of the association for the year 1906-07 was held De- cember 15, 1906, at the Town Hall, Celina. Prof. T. B. Pearson, of Colum- bus, gave two talks-one on "Some Fundamentals in Teaching," and one on
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"Robert Burns and His Poetry." Prof. W. E. Kershner, manager of the State Teachers' Reading Circle, gave talks on "Reading Circle" work and on "Dickens as an Educational Reformer." William A. Bair is president of the association, Eva Winter, secretary, and R. E. Offenhauer, J. H. Koesters and S. Wilkin constitute the executive committee.
COUNTY BOARD OF SCHOOL EXAMINERS.
This board for the year 1906 is constituted as follows: James Ross, Fort Recovery ; Samuel Cotterman, Rockford; and A. C. Eifert, Maria Stein (appointed vice C. E. Thomas, resigned). The members of the board in 1904 and 1905 were: Samuel Cotterman, Rockford; C. E. Thomas, Men- don; and Hugo Anthony, St. Henry. The following served on the board prior to 1880: S. F. DeFord, George A. Reinhart, B. F. Suwalde, Hiram Murlin, John W. DeFord, M. C. Culver, James F. Loughridge, Edward Landfair, Fred Lorspetter, Joseph Reichart and John W. Loree. Patrick E. Kenney was appointed a member of the board in 1887; William Mackey and J. T. Kenney, in 1889; R. W. Mitchell, in 1893; Elma Rapp, in 1894; A. G. Clark, in 1895; and C. J. Stein, in 1898. Samuel Cotterman is now serving his third term on the board, having been first appointed in 1899. C. E. Thomas was first appointed in 1901 and was reappointed in 1904, but re- signed before the end of his second term, being succeeded by A. C. Eifert. Hugo Anthony was appointed in 1903.
MERCER COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
The first Court House was a frame structure, 20 by 24 feet in dimen- sions, two stories high, built in 1828-29 by W. McCluney. The price paid, $291.49, included price for lot 57, which was valued by two disinterested men at $40. The furniture was provided by Joshua Warfield at a cost of $57.371/2. Previous to the erection of this building, the Court of Common Pleas had held sessions in the tavern of John Pickerell, to whom the commissioners on December 3, 1827, allowed $5 for the use of the same.
On September 12, 1839, the commissioners and auditor met to select 34 lots donated by the proprietors of Celina to aid in the erection of public buildings in the town. On November 5th of that year 20 of these lots were sold for $327.25 and on the 7th eight additional lots were sold for $292.50.
On September 13, 1839, the commissioners put under contract the build- ing of a new Court House at Celina. The contract was let on December 3, 1839, to Samuel Hunter and John McGee for $1,350. The building was com- pleted in June, 1841, but it seems that the Court House as first constructed
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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY
was not plastered for on June 7, 1843, Milton M. Miller received the con- tract for plastering the rooms of the second floor, which were used for court purposes, consisting of a court-room and two jury rooms. At the same time W. Brandt was awarded the contract for plastering the upper story and Franklin Linzee the contract for building a fence around the Court House. In April, 1846, John Carlin and John Bolton were awarded the contract for plastering the rooms in the first or basement story. In April, 1850, William Auguster was given the contract for roofing the Court House with pine shin- gles and the contract for the finishing of the court-room was given to Stephen McVicker, each contract being for $110. In July of this year the contract for painting the Court House was awarded to Levi Dibble for $165. In April, 1851, Abraham Miller was awarded the contract for the underpinning of the Court House with stone and for walling and digging a well. In Septem- ber, 1858, the commissioners built an office of brick for the county treasurer, 16 by 24 feet in dimensions, with stone foundation.
On April 13, 1866, the commissioners resolved to erect a Court House 58 by 70 feet in ground dimensions, three stories high, including a stone basement. At a subsequent meeting held the same month, the dimensions were changed to 60 by 97 feet. The first bids, which were opened on May 18, 1866, not proving satisfactory, no contract was awarded. On March 13, 1867, Mr. Rumbaugh, an architect of Lima, Ohio, submitted plans for a Court House which were adopted. The plans provided for a building 56 feet 6 inches by 81 feet 4 inches, two stories high-with main tower 16 feet square, four stories high and a smaller tower 14 feet square, three stories high-to be of brick work, cut stone, plastering, stucco work, roof slating, court-room, painting, clock, etc. The building was to be finished by Septem- ber 15, 1868. Ten bids, ranging from $39,000 to $44,850, were considered, the contract finally being awarded to R. G. Blake and F. C. LeBlond. By con- sent of the commissioners this contract was transferred by Messrs. Blake and LeBlond to M. P. Guffey, on the same conditions. On June 22, 1869, the commissioners sold the old Court House lot (No. 276) to D. McMurray for $630 and the north part of the lot with the brick building used as treasurer's office for $500. On April 17, 1869, the Court House having been completed, the cost was reported to be $43,773.4I.
MERCER COUNTY JAIL.
On December 29, 1825, the County Commissioners awarded the con- tract for the building of Mercer County's first jail to Asa Hinkle, for which he received lots 31, 34, 37, 42 and 50 and $150 in cash, settlement taking place June 6, 1830. In 1833 it was repaired by covering the inside of the door
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with sheet iron, using wrought iron nails with large heads set four inches apart.
On July 1, 1842, the contract for building a new county jail was awarded to Gustavus Darnold which was to be finished on September 28, 1842, the price of the same-$397-to be paid in part in town lots. On March 4, 1849, the commissioners ordered an addition to the jail and debtor's room (which was a frame building) and awarded the contract to H. L. Johnson for $630, at the same time giving the contract for plastering to Levi Lipps and that for iron work to Hezekiah Trenary.
On January 1I, 1860, the contract for erecting a sheriff's residence on the northeast corner of the Public Square was awarded to Valeau & Jacobs, of Cincinnati, Ohio, for the sum of $5,000. The plans for the building pro- vided for a structure 38 feet 6 inches by 29 feet, with an elevation of 22 feet 81/2 inches to the top of the cornice, to be built of brick with stone foundation and covered with sheet iron.
In the spring of 1875 the contract for a new county jail and sheriff's residence was awarded to E. W. Wilson, of Van Wert, Ohio, for $25,500, according to plans and specifications which were prepared by T. J. Toland & Son, of Delphos, Ohio. On March 8, 1876, the jail was ordered to be heated with steam and the contract was awarded to C. Buehler & Company, of St. Marys, Ohio, for $935.
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MERCER COUNTY INFIRMARY.
This institution dates from July 19, 1863, when County Commissioners George Speaker, Christopher Schunck and Adam Baker purchased of Wil- liam Hale and Elizabeth, his wife, for $3,500 the following described prem- ises, for the purpose of establishing the County Infirmary: Northeast frac- tional quarter of section 3, township 6 south, range 2 east, containing 165.13 acres, less one-half acre of the northeast corner for school purposes. On Oc- tober 24, 1877, the farm was increased in size by the purchase of a 160-acre tract, adjoining the first mentioned tract on the south, being described as follows: East half of the southeast quarter, the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 3, township 6 south, range 2 east. The property was bought of David E. Gray for $J,000. The Infirmary farm is located about two miles west of Celina, in Jefferson township. The buildings and grounds are well cared for and present a very pleasing appearance. The farm is almost entirely self- supporting, the only support derived from the county being through the liquor tax. The institution has about 50 inmates yearly. The present superintend-
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ent, Sylvester H. Weaver, succeeded Michael Reusch in 1903; the latter was in charge for 15 years, succeeding Alexander Partner.
On September 11, 1863, B. F. Suwalde, George W. Mosier and Thomas Upton were appointed directors of the County Infirmary to take charge of the property until their successors were duly elected. The original house on the Hale property was used until 1868, when an additional house was built at a cost of $1,550, the work being finished by Fred. Beckman. The build- ing was a frame structure, 32 by 42 feet in dimensions, attached to the main building with a hall through the center 12 feet wide and with four sleeping rooms. On July 22, 1871, a brick building was contracted for to cost $8,278, which was completed in 1873. In the latter year a barn, 46 by 72 feet in di- mensions, was erected by William Long at a cost of $1,000. The wants and comforts of the inmates requiring new and more convenient rooms, the con- tract for another building was awarded on March 30, 1876, to J. S. Smith, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, for $7,270, which was finished and completed to the satisfaction of the directors October 13, 1876. Another brick building, erected especially for the male inmates, was added in 1893. These buildings contain all the modern improvements and are heated with gas. Plans are now being prepared for a hospital building at the County Infirmary, which, it is thought, will be erected in the near future.
ROSTER OF COUNTY OFFICIALS .*
Auditors .- William B. Hedges, 1824; David Armstrong, 1825; Justin Hamilton, 1827; William Armstrong, 1827; Franklin Linzee, 1836; L. D. McMahon, 1839; B. F. Schroeder, 1841; M. W. Smith, 1844; H. F. June- man, 1848; Elisha Phelps, 1852; G. W. Raudabaugh, 1855; R. G. Blake, 1859 ; S. S. Snyder, 1863; T. G. Tou Velle, 1867; S. S. Snyder, 1871 ; J. V. Sidenbender, 1878; T. G. Tou Velle, 1885; S. S. Snyder, 1886; Charles A. Kloeb, 1890; and T. A. Weis, 1900 -.
Clerks of Courts .- James Watson Riley, 1824; Franklin Linzee, 1841 ; James Watson Riley, 1848; H. F. Juneman, 1851; Hiram Murlin, 1860; John W. De Ford, 1866; T. G. Tou Velle, 1872; Edward Landfair, 1882; Henry Lennartz, 1888; J. F. Dysert, 1894; Samuel J. Vining, 1897; L. N. Johnson, 1903 (died January 18, 1905) ; and John L. Wyckoff, the present incumbent (appointed January, 1905, to serve unexpired term of Johnson; elected in 1905 and began his term of three years August 6, 1906).
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