USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920 > Part 26
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The original East Broad street site consisted of 61 acres, then far out of the eity. An immense building eovering an acre of ground was planned, and November 30, 1838, con- struction had proceeded far enough to make possible the admission of patients. When com- pleted the main building and wings were three stories high, and a walk through all the halls and galleries exceeded a mile. The cost of the building was approximately $150,000, much of the work having been done by prisoners. In the "middle sixties" there were from 300 to 350 inmates. Dr. Wm. M. Awl was the first superintendent.
On November 18, 1868, this building burned to the ground; the weather was cold, wet and sleeting, and owing to difficulty and delay in fighting the fire, six of the patients were suffocated in the ward where the fire originated, but all others were safely taken out, and none eseaped. The School for the Deaf opened its doors temporarily, until the patients could be sent home or properly cared for by the State. The starting of the fire was always attributed to a patient.
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The next Legislature, 1870, decided to sell the old site for not less than $200,000 and rebuild. The old site brought $250,000, and the present site was at once seeured, two miles west of the then city. The present building was construeted on "the Kirkbride plan," coneeived by Dr. Thomas Kirkbride, of Philadelphia, an eminent alienist. This was the accepted plan for many years, until the cottage plan became the vogue. It was seven years in building, and eost completed $1,462,634.55. The annual eost of operation is approxi- mately $350,000. The average enrollment is 1,800, or the maximum number that can be cared for. The employes number 200.
A single ward now accommodates 120 patients, as many as the entire institution eared for when first opened. The passage of years is marked by a steady improvement in the care of patients. In the early years there was a court or stockade, where they were exer- cised; now they roam over the entire grounds, under proper supervision.
The superintendents have been, in order of service: 1838, Dr. W. M. Awl; 1850, Samuel H. Smith; 1852, E. Kendriek; 1851, George E. Eels; 1858, R. Hills; 1864, W. L. Peck; 1873, John M. Davies; 1876, Richard Gundy; 1877, L. Firestone; 1880, H. C. Rutter; 1883, C. M. Finch; 1887, John W. McMillen; 1889, D. A. More; 1890, John H. Ayres; 1891, A. B. Richardson; 1897, E. G. Carpenter; 1902, George Stoekton; 1909, C. F. Gilliam; 1918, Wm. H. Pritchard, now serving.
The School for the Feeble Minded.
Last in point of time of establishment, of the benevolent institutions of the State, in this city, but the second of its kind in the nation, is the above-named structure. Like the State Hospital, the Court House, and the original State House, it was destroyed by fire and thereby lost all its first records.
It was founded in 1857, by an act of the General Assembly and the directors rented an old house in Main street, the one now oceupied by the Home of the Friendless, and sixteen pupils were enrolled. William Dennison of this eity, afterwards Governor of the State, was one of the original trustees, and Dr. R. J. Patterson, the first superintendent, for three years, when Dr. G. A. Doren was selected to succeed. Dr. Doren was superintendent for forty-five years, until his death in 1905. By 1860 the home which had been used, had grown too small and an addition was built. This house was occupied until 1864, when the Legisla- ture appropriated $25,000 towards a permanent location. The state purchased a portion of the present site, at $35 an acre, securing 100 of the present 1873 acres, two miles west of the then eity, on the brink of an eminence on the west side of the Scioto river valley, and opposite the State Hospital for the Insane. This site overlooking the eity, was a beautiful one, and a fine maple grove runs around the entire frontage of the high ground.
The original plans contemplated caring for only 250 patients, but to-day it cares for over 1,600, and calls for the service of 200 attendants. It was ready for occupancy July, 1868, at which time there were 105 pupils. The great fire occurred November 18, 1881, razing almost the entire building, at a loss of $150,000. Distance from the eity and laek of water prevented much salvage. No lives were lost, however, and the pupils returned to their homes, pending rebuilding of the school.
Upon the death of Dr. Doren, Dr. E. H. Rorick succeeded to the superintendency and served for two years, when he was followed by Dr. E. J. Emerick, making but four appoint- ments in forty years. Dr. Emerick states succinctly the condition, mental and physical, of the defectives:
In the carlier years of the state treatment of mental deficiency the theory was held that these children could be fitted for life in the world, and their training was with a view to send- ing them baek to their earlier surroundings. This idea has now been abandoned, and in- stead the underlying thought is that the institution is to be their permanent home.
They are happier at the institution for the reason that their deficiencies are not so apparent, and they are never the butt of remark or jest, as often is the case about their own homes.
The custodial farm at Orient of 1,200 acres is an immense factor in their development. There all the vegetables used at the institution are raised; 150 cows are milked; enough shoes are turned out to supply all the children; and all plain sewing is now done by the inmates. Work is made a privilege, not a necessity or correction, and withdrawing the work is found to be an important corrective. Everything possible is done to make them
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happy-long play-hours, weekly danees, often dramas in which they can take part. Those who run away, upon occasion, almost always return of their own aceord.
It may be added that the institution now owns 1,444.96 aeres valued at $268,699.80, of which 1,247.75 constitute the eustodial farm. The buildings are valued at $1,372,455.00, and the total valuation of all property in 1916 was $1,822,863.39. The daily average population for that year was 1,960, the number of officers and employes was 260, or 93 men and 167 women; the ratio of inmates to officers and employes being 7.5.
The authorization aet before the State Legislature of April 17, 1857, was written by the late Dr. Norton S. Townshend, for many years afterwards head of the agricultural department at the Ohio State University. He was then representing Lorain county in the Legislature. Appropriately he was made a member of the first board of trustees.
The Problem of the Feeble-Minded.
In June, 1918, began the publieation of The Ohio State Institution Journal, at Co- lumbus, Ohio. under the auspices of the Ohio Board of Administration, for the benefit of the twenty institutions under its control, with Mr. Frank B. O'Blenness, executive elerk, as its editor. Other publications of the Board are "The Problem of the Feeble Minded," by Dr. E. J. Emeriek, superintendent of the Institution for the Feeble-Minded, and director of the Ohio Bureau of Juvenile Research; "Mental Examination of Juvenile De- linquents," "A Mental Survey of the Ohio State School for the Blind," "The Inereasing Cost of Crime," "Crime Prevention," by Dr. Thomas H. Haines, Psychologist and Clinical Director of the Bureau; "The Family of Sam Sixty," by Mary Storer Kostir, and "The Feeble Minded in a Rural County of Ohio," by Mina A. Sessions, aides in the same Bureau.
The Bureau of Juvenile Rescarch was established July 1, 1914. It did not come into existenee without a eause, and many events conditioned it. For example on June 30, 1917, there were on the rolls of the two State Industrial Schools of Ohio 1,737 boys and girls, of whom 1,284 had been admitted during that year. Each one of these from the time of admission beeame a social state problem, that neither parents nor local authorities could solve or handle, and henee they had beeome state wards. Examinations at the Boys' Indus- trial School in Ohio showed that of 100 consecutive admissions 46 were feeble-minded, 26 were borderline eases, and only 17 were of normal mentality. In the Girls' Sehool 56 were feeble-minded, 14 borderline, 13 mentally retarded, and only 14 normal. All citizens familiar with the conditions realized that something must be done.
In 1911 the Ohio Board of Administration came into existence, entrusted with the management of all state institutions devoted to the eare of the dependent wards of the State. It was required "to promote the study of the causes of delinqueney, and of mental, moral, and physical defects, with a view to eure and ultimate prevention." In 1913 the Legisla- ture passed a law ereating the Bureau of Juvenile Research. But it did not provide necessary buildings in which to carry on the work, and house the children under observa- tion. The work of the first three years of the Bureau was, therefore, mueh hampered, and only general investigations made, besides the issue of the publications named. The State Legislature of 1917 provided $100,000 for Bureau buildings; with the completion of thesc the larger phases of their work will begin to appear. Dr. Henry H. Goddard is director of the Bureau, having come from the Training School at Vineland, N. J., in May, 1918, to sueceed Dr. Thomas H. Haines.
Ohio Board of Administration.
The Ohio Board of Administration was brought into existence and placed in charge of all State benevolent and penal institutions in August, 1911, to aeeomplish four things: To remove politics from their management; to introduce and maintain business principles ; to inerease effieieney : and to seeure greater economy. At the end of the first six years, despite rising war prices, a saving was effected of more than $3,000,000. There has all along been a wonderful development in the various departments of the State, which neces- sarily adds to the expense. There is now but one board of four members, whereas under the old regime there were twenty-one boards of four or five members eael.
The last report of the present Board, for the year ending June 30, 1918, diseloses some important facts, subject, of course, to the conditions imposed by war work. The per
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HISTORY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO
capita cost to citizens of Ohio was increased seven per cent, by the high cost of living, oper- ating expenses ten per cent .; but net results have been considerably minimized by good business methods; the per capita cost for operation steadily increased after 1912, the first year, but the present increase is only 86 cents over the per capita of 1911, under the old regime. In 1918 the total amount spent for food supplies was a trifle over one and a half millions of dollars, or an increase over 1917 of 14 per cent. The fuel expense increased twenty-six per cent., owing to congested traffic and phenomenal war conditions.
The entire operating expenses for the year covering the care of 23,000 wards, was $5,068,005.80, or an increase of ten per cent. over 1917. The building program for the two years was the largest in the history of the Board. The average daily population of all the State institutions for 1918 was 23,235, an increase of 617, or three per cent. over 1917. The larger part of this was noted in the penal institutions; the reformatory gained 184, the Penitentiary increased from 1875 to 2000; the School for the Blind decreased from 235 to 182 reflecting credit on the Ohio Commission for the Blind and its campaign to prevent blindness; the State Hospital now holds 1,815 wards; the School for the Deaf 472; Feeble- Minded, 2,264; Blind, 182; Penitentiary, 2,000. Institutions outside of the city are not given herein, for obvious reasons.
State Arsenal.
The State Arsenal on West Main street is built on a part of the tract that was origin- ally set aside for the Penitentiary in 1812. When the Penitentiary on that site was aban- doned in 1834, there began a long dispute as to ownership of the tract. It was claimed by the heirs of Kerr, Mclaughlin and Johnston and later by others under a quit claim deed. The dispute was settled in favor of the State in 1851, the tract was divided into lots, most of which were sold, $1000 of the proceeds being appropriated to the widow of Mclaughlin. In 1860 three of the lots were reserved as the site of the State Arsenal, which was ordered built at a cost not to exceed $14,000. In 1863, the General Assembly appropriated $2,500 for grading, fencing and improving the site. The building is 60x100 feet, two stories with basement and attic, with an octagonal tower at each of the front corners.
CHAPTER XX. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
The Ohio State University, Its Origin and Development-Capital University, Lutheran Col- lege and Seminary-Catholic Schools, St. Joseph's Academy, St. Mary's of the Springs, Pontifical College Josephinum, Aquinas College.
By W. F. Felch.
The first intimation of the need of an agricultural school in Ohio was shown in a meeting of the Ohio Agricultural Society, in Columbus, January 8, 1839, when a committee was appointed to consider the propriety of purchasing a tract of land for an agricultural school and for an experimental farm. The matter was again broached in 1815, by the State Agricultural Convention; and the introduction of the study of agriculture in the common schools was also suggested by the State Agricultural Society, in 1854, but no progress had been made in fifteen years, except by private enterprise.
Meanwhile, a school of agriculture, the first of its kind in Ohio, had been established at Oberlin, by Hon. Norton S. Townshend and others, which was to all intents and purposes the parent of the Ohio State University; but, in lieu of endorsing this school in 1854, a resolution was adopted recommending that a school or schools of agriculture be permanently endowed by a Congressional grant of lands.
It was not until eight years later, however, (July 2, 1862, in mid-war times), that Congress was finally moved to accede to this potent demand, and passed an act, which granted each state 30,000 acres of public land, for each of its senators and representatives. The proceeds of this grant were to be applied to the endowment of at least one college in each state,-"without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics-to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanical arts."
At a special meeting, November, 1862, the State Board of Agriculture recommended that Ohio accept the grant offered, and appointed N. S. Townshend and T. C. Jones to memorialize the General Assembly, which, February 9, 1864, passed an act to accept the lands tendered, and pledging performance of the conditions imposed. Certificates of "scrip" were accordingly received for 630,000 acres of land and placed on file in the State Treasury, and, April 13, 1865, an act, providing for the sale of the serip and the disposition of the proceeds, was passed.
Immediately, applications were made by various educational institutions in the State, as was to be expected, for a share of the fund. This, of course, caused a duality of opinion,- one party advocating the division of the funds, the other, their use in the establishment of one college. This indecision hindered definite procedure for six more years. The State Board, from the start, advocated the establishment of one centrally located institution. This policy also had the vigorous and active endorsement of Governor R. B. Hayes-a warm supporter of Ohio State, from the start,-to whom later Hayes Hall was dedicated. The sale of the land-scrip, meanwhile, was so slow that, on April 5, 1866, an act was passed, removing the minimum restriction to 80 cents per acre, in order to sell it more readily. It was finally disposed of at a rate of only 53 cents per acre, producing ultimately,-by 1878 -a fund of $500,000 from the 630,000 acres.
The commission appointed to locate the institution received bids from Miami University and from the Farmers' College, but both of these were rejected. By resolution, March 30, 1868, the General Assembly finally declared in favor of one college, and one experimental farm; a majority of the committee favored Wooster, the minority, Urbana, for the location of the farm,-the former being eventually selected.
Practically nothing was accomplished until the General Assembly, March 22, 1870, enacted a law giving the prospective institution the name and style of "The Ohio Agricul- tural and Mechanical College," and creating a board of trustees, one from each congres- sional district to be appointed by the Governor, to govern it. This Board held its first meeting in Columbus, April 18, 1870, and appointed Valentine B. Horton president, R. C.
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Anderson secretary, and Joseph Sullivant treasurer. The General Assembly, May 11, 1870, passed an act authorizing counties of the State to raise by taxation money to compete, by donations, for the location of the college.
In response to this appeal Champaign and Clarke counties each offered $200,000, and Montgomery $100,000, all in 8 per cent. bonds; while Franklin county at an election August 13, 1870, approved by 500 majority a proposition to donate $300,000. Additional donations by citizens and by railways eentering in the city, amounted to $28,000 more. The Franklin county proposition was accepted, October, 1870, by the Board, which, thereupon, proceeded to seleet from numerous farms offered the present farm-site, which is now over 400 aeres in extent and bids fair to reach 1,000 in a few years,-known as the Neil Farm,-"lying on the Worthington road about two miles north of Columbus." This tract of approximately 327 aeres was bought for $115,950.
With the opening of 1871 aetive preparations for building and oeeupancy began. W. B. McClung was appointed, January 6, 1871, first superintendent of the college farm, at a salary of $1,500. First students reeall him with pleasure, many of whom began their novitiates in farming under him. The site for the first college building, University Hall, was selected, somewhat too far from the Worthington road, and plans for the strneture were invited; the plan of Jacob Snyder, of Akron, was adopted, and R. N. Jones of Delaware, was appointed superintendent of construction.
Joseph Sullivant of Columbus, treasurer of the Board, has the honor of proposing the course of study which, after mueh discussion, was adopted. The studies ineluded were agriculture, mechanic arts, mathematies, physics, chemistry, geology, mining and metallurgy. zoology and veterinary science, botany, horticulture, English language and literature, modern and aneient languages, political economy and civil polity.
The presideney of the institution was offered to General Jacob Dolson Cox, of Cincin- nati, and was deelined. It was next offered to United States Senator J. W. Patterson, who, after accepting, also deelined, owing to politieal developments in Congress. The way was thus opened for an educational expert, and such selection was made as will be seen. In January, 1873, the following were elected members of the faculty:
Thomas C. Mendenhall, of Columbus, Professor of Physics and Mechanies.
Sidney A. Norton, of Cincinnati, Professor of General and Applied Chemistry.
Edward Orton, of Yellow Springs, Professor of Geology, Mining and Metallurgy. Joseph Milliken, of Hamilton, Professor of English and Modern Languages. Wm. G. Williams, of Delaware, Professor of Latin and Greek Languages. Norton S. Townshend, of Avon, Professor of Agriculture.
All of these accepted the election except Professor Orton, who deelined the professorship bnt in the following April accepted the presidency to which was added the chair of geology. Professor Williams was released on the request of the trustees of Ohio Wesleyan University, with which institution he was connected.
An act of the General Assembly, in 1872, provided that specimens of the soils, minerals and fossils of Ohio, collected by the Geologieal Survey of the State, should be classified, labeled and presented to the college. This was the beginning of the large collection now in Orton Hall, the home of the geological department of the University.
During the summer of 1873, Prof. R. W. MeFarland, of Oxford University, was called to the departments of mathematies and civil engineering, and John H. Wright, a recent graduate of Dartmouth college, was chosen assistant professor of languages. Prof. Albert H. Tuttle, in January, 1871, was appointed to the chair of zoology, and Thomas Mathew, of Columbus, was appointed instructor in drawing. Prof. William Colvin of Cincinnati, was appointed, June, 1875, professor of political economy and eivil polity; and Miss Alice Williams was made assistant in the department of English and modern languages. John H. Wright resigned, June, 1876, and Josiah R. Smith, A. B., then teaching in the Colum- bus High School, was appointed in his stead. During the same year, First Lieutenant Luigi Lomia of the Fifth U. S. Artillery, was, on request of the trustces, detailed by the Seerctary of War to take charge of the department of military instruction. There were more changes until 1877, and the above list, with the changes, constitutes practically the first faculty of the college.
While the first college building was still in an incomplete and chaotic condition, the institution opened, September 17, 1873, with between thirty and forty students; classes were
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organized in nearly all the departments. It was then considered the smallest of Ohio colleges, but destined to unlimited growth, and the eity was very proud of it. The inaugural address of President Orton was delayed, and was delivered, January 8, 1874, in the Senate chamber.
The number of trustees was fixed, by an act of the General Assembly, April 20, 1877, at five; and on a third re-organization of the body, May 1, 1878, at seven, the name of the eollege being then changed from The Ohio Agricultural and Meehanieal College to the Ohio State University.
In 1877, the eliair of mine engineering and metallurgy was created and John A. Church was appointed to the professorship. In 1879 the Mechanical Laboratory was erected and equipped; the chair of history and philosophy was ereated, with John T. Short as assistant professor. Professor Mendenhall resigned his ehair in June, 1878, to accept a similar position in the Imperial University of Tokio, and Stillman W. Robinson, C. E., was appointed to the vacancy. In 1879, Lieutenant Lomia was appointed adjunet professor of mathematics and teacher of elocution, and Nathaniel W. Lord became assistant professor of mining and metallurgy.
The number of students at the close of the first year, June, 1874, was 90; the second year 118, the third year 113, the fourth year 254, the fifth year 309. The first elass grad-
The Ohio State University in 1888.
uated in 1878 consisted of six young men, five of whom took the degree of B. Se. and one the degree of B. A. The educational fund at that time amounted to $500,000, which bore interest at 6 per cent., or $30,000 a year, which meant approximately $100 a year for each student.
Of the farming land under cultivation in 1879 there were 229 aeres. This afforded pay for labor which aided a great many students to graduate. $6,500 aeerued to the University this year by the sale, November 29, 1878, of 11,903 aeres of Virginia Military lands, in Seioto eounty. The earnings of students by farm-labor in 1879 amounted to $1,250.
A second course of publie leetures on agriculture was given in January, 1880, for the general publie,-the greater part of them by Dr. N. S. Townshend, by whom the course was inaugurated. The first course was delivered early in 1879, and courses were main- tained for six years, being the precursors of the Farmers' Institutes.
In his annual report for 1880, President Orton recommended the construction of a chemieal laboratory. At the elose of the college year, June, 1878, President Orton had tendered his resignation, but it was not at that time accepted. At the close of 1881 he insisted upon retiring, and confining his duties to the chair of geology, which by this time had grown to demand all his attention; his resignation was aeeepted, June 21, 1881.
Walter Quincy Seott, of Easton, Penna., was chosen President, and in addition took the ehair of philosophy and political economy. In the same year, Professor Samuel Carroll
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Derby, late President of Antioch College, was appointed to the chair of Latin language and literature, which he still retains, (1920), being the senior professor of the present faculty. Professor Josiah R. Smith became professor of the Greek language and literature and so continued till his death. A new chair of horticulture and botany was created, also, under Professor W. R. Lazenby, B. S., of Cornell; and First Lieutenant George H. Ruhlen of the 174th infantry, was detailed by the Secretary of War as military instructor, vice Lieutenant Lomia whose term had expired. Professor Joseph Milliken retired in May, 1881, owing to infirmity, and his death occurred soon after. His duties were apportioned to other professors for the time being. He was a retired minister, an accomplished linguist, a pronounced wit, and kept his classes on the qui vive by his bright sallies.
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