USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 45
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The new building was formally dedicated June 22, 1905, and is well arranged for the work of the association. From this building religious literature is con- tinually being sent to the different states and Canada, and some finds its way to the other side of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Some of the periodicals published are the following: The Herald of Gospel Liberty, Rev. J. P. Barrett, editor; The Christian Missionary, Rev. O. W. Powers and Rev. M. T. Morrill, editors; The Bible Class Quarterly, The Inter- mediate Quarterly, The Junior Quarterly, The Primary Quarterly, The Sunday- School Herald, Rev. S. Q. Helfenstein, editor.
In addition to the above named literature, books written by men connected with the publishing association are published and sold, some of which are : Scripture Doctrine, by Rev. J. J. Summerbell; Fruit-Bearing Truths, by Rev. J. P. Barrett ; Christian Endeavor Addresses, by Rev. J. F. Burnett ; The Centennial of Religious Journalism, by Rev. J. P. Barrett ; Modern Light Bearers, (Ad- dresses delivered at the Centennial of Religious Journalism, at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, September 1, 1908) ; Kinkade's Bible Doctrine, by Rev. S. Q. Hel- fenstein; Ethical Science, Heavenly Recognition, Reason and Revelation and Democracy of Religion, by Rev. T. M. McWhinney ; Life and Writings of Rev. N. Summerbell, by Rev. J. J. Summerbell; The Christian Annual, by Rev. Henry Crampton.
The association aims, in every way, to carry out the spirit of its charter which says : "The object of this association shall be to promote the union of Chris- tians, and the conversion of the world by the publication of books, tracts, and periodicals, and do such other work as may, with propriety, be done by a Chris- tian Publishing Association." The officers of the association are: Trustees, Hon. O. W. Whitelock, Huntington, Indiana, president ; Rev. Henry Crampton, Eaton, Ohio, secretary; Hon. A. M. Heidlebaugh, Ottawa, Ohio; Rev. D. M. Helfenstein, Des Moines, Iowa ; Rev. W. W. Staley, Suffolk, Virginia : Rev. G. D. Lawrence, Danville, Illinois; James S. Frost, Lakemont, New York; Rev A. H. Morrill, Laconia, New Hampshire ; Prof. J. N. Dales, Toronto, Ontario. Business Manager, J. N. Hess.
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The association furnishes any good book published by other houses, and stands ready to contribute its share to the religious interests of Dayton.
THE LUTHERAN EVANGELIST.
Its present managing editor is the Rev. Charles R. Streamer, of Dayton, Ohio. Its editor in chief the celebrated Rev. Dr. J. G. Butler, of Washington, D. C., one of the most influential ministers in the national capital.
The Lutheran Evangelist was established in Springfield, Ohio, in 1876, and incorporated September 9, 1876, by A. R. Howbert, W. H. Singley and P. S. Hooper. Rev. J. H. W. Stuckenburg, D. D., LL. D., of Wittenberg College, became editor, and the first article on the "Doctrinal Basis of the General Synod," was written by Professor Samuel Sprecher, D. D., LL. D., president of Witten- berg College, who became a regular contributor, as it had been a general desire that he be the editor. Rev. S. A. Ort, D. D., LL. D., also became a regular con- tributor, his first article being entitled "Fathers of the General Synod." The position of The Lutheran Evangelist from the beginning has been "On the Basis of the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran church in the United States of America."
As early as 1866 the executive committee of home missions passed the fol- lowing :
"Resolved, That we hereby authorize the publication of a monthly missionary journal by our superintendent, M. Officer, to be styled Lutheran Evangelist, the first number to be dated October 1, 1866."
This resolution, however, was never carried out and is given only as a coin- cidence to show the need of such a paper, which ten years later became a reality as a weekly publication under the same name suggested.
Dr. Stuckenburg resigned as editor in order to study abroad, and on October 31, 1879, Rev. W. H. Singley, D. D., of Bellefontaine, Ohio, became editor. On March II, 1881, S. A. Ort, D. D., became editor, and with the issue of April 7, 1882, The Evangelist was changed from an eight-page to a sixteen-page paper. For a period of ten years the editorial work was done by the above-named men with the cooperation of others, when, on January 15, 1892, Dr. Ort retired and Rev. H. R. Geiger, Ph. D., became editor.
The Evangelist publication office was first removed from Springfield to Day- ton, January 1, 1888, and on November 1, 1889, Rev. J. G. Butler, D. D., LL. D., of Washington, became a regular editorial contributor. The Evangelist company was organized at Springfield by electing the following board of directors: J. G. Butler, Alexander Gebhart, Joseph Gebhart, Walter Gebhart, W. M. Kinnard, and others. Alexander Gebhart was elected president ; J. G. Butler, vice-president ; Eu- gene Wuichet, secretary and treasurer ; with Rev. H. R. Geiger, Ph. D., editor, and Rev. E. E. Baker, manager. On November 24, 1893, Rev. J. G. Butler. D. D., became co-editor, and August 17, 1894, Dr. Geiger retired, and Rev. L. S. Key- ser, D. D., was elected managing editor, with Dr. Butler continuing as editor. Dr. Keyser resigned in August, 1897, and Mr. J. B. Beelman took his place Sep- tember I, following, and continued until his death, May 28, 1905. On June 30, 1895, Rev. Charles R. Streamer became managing editor.
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Like many denominational papers, The Evangelist failed to pay expenses and for a number of years before his death in 1909 the deficiency was met by Alex- ander Gebhart. The venerable editor, Dr. Butler, also died in 1909. Toward the close of the same year The Evangelist was merged with The Lutheran Observer, published at Philadelphia.
THE CHRISTIAN WORLD.
The Christian World is the organ of the Ohio synod of the Reformed church. The first issue was sent forth in January, 1849. The name adopted at the time of publication was "The Western Missionary." The first editor was Jeremiah H. Good, D. D. The place of publication was Columbus, Ohio. In 1853 Rev. George W. Willard was chosen editor and continued in that position until 1867. During that year the Rev. Theodore P. Bucher, D. D., was elected editor and continued until 1869. During his administration the paper was removed to Cin- cinnati. The next editor was Rev. Samuel Meare, D. D. He removed the paper to Dayton, Ohio, and held the position of editor until 1879. In 1880 Dr. Isaac H. Reiter assumed the editorship and continued until 1882. In 1881, Rev. E. Herbruck purchased a half interest in the paper, and in connection with Rev. M. L. Loucke continued as editor for a period of thirteen years. After that time it was edited by Rev. C. E. Miller, D. D., and Rev. D. Burghalter, and later again by Rev. E. Herbruck. On December 2, 1905, the paper was taken to Cleveland and is now being published by the Central Publishing House of the Reformed church, the editor being Rev. J. H. Bomberger, D. D.
CHAPTER XII.
SCHOOLS.
EDUCATIONAL-EARLY SCHOOL LEGISLATION-GREAT INTEREST IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 1835-1838-DAYTON ACADEMY-LANCASTERIAN SCHOOL-EARLY PRIVATE SCHOOLS-FRANCIS GLASS-MILO G. WILLIAMS-E. E. BARNEY-DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS-GERMAN SCHOOLS -- NIGHT SCHOOLS-COLORED SCHOOLS-INSTRUC- TION IN MUSIC-HIGH SCHOOL-SCHOOL LAW OF 1853-SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION-INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL -- NORMAL SCHOOL-PENMANSHIP AND DRAWING-NIGHT INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL-COMPARATIVE STATEMENT-PUBLIC LIBRARIES-FIRST LIBRARY INCORPORATED IN OHIO-DAYTON LYCEUM-ME- CHANICS' INSTITUTE-DAYTON LIBRARY ASSOCIATION-DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARY-COOPER FEMALE SEMINARY-CONTINUATION OF SCHOOL HISTORY- THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS-HIGH SCHOOLS-NORMAL SCHOOL-MANUAL TRAIN- ING-KINDERGARTEN INSTRUCTION-SPECIAL TEACHERS-THE SUPERINTEND- ENCY-BOARD OF EDUCATION-OTHER FEATURES-PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS-ST. MARY'S INSTITUTE -- NOTRE DAME ACADEMY-PRIVATE SCHOOLS-BONEBRAKE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY-CENTRAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY-MIAMI COM- MERCIAL COLLEGE -- JACOBS BUSINESS COLLEGE.
The schools in any given community are the best index to the character of the generation on the stage of action as well as a governing factor in determin- ing the character of the following generation. In following the educational his- tory of Dayton we cannot fail to be impressed with the fact that the choicest people of our city are made to stand before its clothed with at least some of the honor that they so richly deserve.
Robert W. Steele, one of the chief promoters of Dayton's educational system, and a historian who wrote and re-wrote the account of its unfolding and progress will be allowed under the heading of this chapter to trace the educational history of Dayton as he traced it in 1889 in his excellent History of Dayton. It will be well to keep in mind that "the present time" in his treatment means 1889 Some notes will be added to the text supplied by Mr. Steele and then the history will be taken up and carried forward from the point where this narrative closes. Mr. Steele grew up in Dayton, studied in the old Dayton Academy and in 1842 became one of the board of managers of common schools, serving eleven years as a mem- ber, six of the years as president of the board. He served on the board of edu- cation constituted in 1855, twenty years, being six years its president, retiring from
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the board in 1874. In 1876 he became school examiner, the duties of the posi- tion bringing him into closest contact with the schools. Surely no one could have been in a better position than he to give an account of the Dayton schools. The authority of his name and the vivid reflection of the times as afforded in his unmodified account, will be appreciated by the public. The following, with the exception of the notes is Mr. Steele's account :
The celebrated ordinance of 1787, so potent in molding the thought and institu- tions of Ohio, provided that religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of instruc- tion shall forever be encouraged, and the first constitution of Ohio declared that this shall be done by legislative provision. In the ordinance of 1785, regulating the sale of lands in the West, Section Number 16 of every township was reserved for the maintenance of public schools within the said township .*
While the declaration of the ordinance and the constitution, and the munifi- cent provision of land, owing to the then small value of the land and the compar- ative poverty of the people, remained for a long time inoperative, they were the germs out of which time and favorable circumstances were only needed to de- velop our splendid free school system. It was not until 1825 that the first act establishing free schools was passed by the legislature. A citizen of Dayton, Judge George B. Holt, was a member of the legislature that year, and was an earnest and active advocate of the measure. The tax levied was but one mill on the dollar, and being inadequate resulted in little immediate good. It was, however, an important step in advance, for it established the principle of direct tax- ation for the support of schools. How insignificant the sum realized was will ap- pear from- two facts taken at random from the books of the auditor of Mont- gomery county. In 1829 the total amount for school purposes apportioned to Day- ton township, at that time embracing a very large territory, was one hundred and thirty-three dollars. In 1833 the school fund for Montgomery county was only eighteen hundred and sixty-five dollars.
From 1835 to 1838 occurred in Ohio a wide-spread and intense interest on the subject of public school education analogous to a revival of religion. Conven- tions were held and addresses made on the subject of education in every part of the State. Samuel Lewis was elected the first superintendent of instruction, and the Rev. Calvin E. Stowe, D. D, was sent by the legislature to Germany to in- vestigate and report on the system of public education in Prussia. An elaborate report was made by Dr. Stowe to the legislature, which was printed, widely cir- culated, and made a profound impression on the public mind.
A memorable convention was held in Dayton in August, 1836, in the interest of free schools, the proceedings of which were published in full in the Dayton Jour- nal. A committee of arrangements was appointed, consisting of E. E. Barney,
* The land coming under the description section 16 has nearly all been sold and the proceeds placed with the state treasurer in the form of an irreducable state debt, the interest of which is used in the support of the schools. For a long time much of the land was leased under the direction of the trustees of the original townships. Some school land is yet held in Montgomery county in this way. In an early day the public was robbed of much of its school land, but in 1824 the legislature by wise and efficient measures conserved for all time the vast proportion of the nation's gift for popular education.
STEELE HIGH SCHOOL
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R. C. Carter, R. C. Schenck, George B. Holt, and Milo G. Williams. Delegates were present from Cincinnati, Dayton, Oxford, Springfield, Hamilton, Lebanon, Middletown, and Franklin, and visitors from Bellville, New Jersey, and Detroit, Michigan. Rev. E. Allen was elected president and D. A. Haynes secretary. The convention remained in session three days. Able addresses were made by Rev. W. H. McGuffey, D. D., a man of remarkable ability as a speaker and afterwards the compiler of the famous readers that bore his name, and Dr. Harrison, an elo- quent and distinguished professor in the Cincinnati Medical College. The discus- sions took a wide range and were participated in by some of the most distinguished educators in the state. What advanced views were held may be learned from the resolutions adopted which favored the establishment of normal schools that teach- ing might become a profession ; the introduction in the schools of the studies of geology and physiology ; and the publication of a periodical to be called the Teachers' Magazine.
The Dayton Journal, at that time edited by R. N. and W. F. Comly, warmly and ably advocated the cause of public schools, and freely opened its columns to the discussion of the subject. But how inadequate the school fund was as late as 1837 to support free schools appears from a statement in the Journal that the taxes available that year for school purposes in Dayton amounted to only eight hundred and eight dollars and forty cents. It was the remarkable popular up- rising in favor of free schools, that extended throughout the state that insured the passage of the school law of 1838 which rendered an efficient school system possible.
But while the time for free schools had to wait for the development of the country, the pioneer citizens of Dayton were not insensible to the value of educa- tion for their children. As early as 1799 a school was taught in a block house located near the river bank, at the head of Main street, which had been built for protection against Indians. Benjamin Van Cleve, so prominent in the early history of Dayton, was the teacher, and the school was continued through parts of the years 1799 and 1800. It is probable that Dayton was at no time without a school, but the names of only a few of the teachers have come down to us. Cornelius Westfall, a Kentuckian, opened a school in the fall of 1804 and taught a year in a cabin on Main street, south of First. He was succeeded in 1805 by Chauncey Whiting, of Pennsylvania .*
Fortunately the records of the old Dayton Academy were carefully preserved by the late John W. Van Cleve, and have been deposited in the Public Library. From this source we may trace the history of that institution. In 1807 an act incorporating the Dayton Academy was obtained from the legislature. The incorporators were James Welsh, Daniel C. Cooper, William McClure, David Reid, Benjamin Van Cleve, George F. Tennery, John Folkerth, and James Hanna. In 1808 the trustees erected by subscription a substantial two-story brick school- house on the lot lying north of and adjoining the Park Presbyterian church.
* In chapter II of part II will be found some other examples and also an account of a rude beginning of a public school system.
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Mr. D. C. Cooper, the proprietor of the town site, a man of large and liberal views, donated, in addition to his subscription, two lots and a bell.
William M. Smith, afterward for many years a prominent citizen of Dayton, was the first teacher employed. In his contract with the trustees he proposed to teach "reading, writing, arithmetic, the classics, and the sciences." Training in elocution was made prominent, one of the rules of the school requiring that "for the improvement of the boys in public speaking a certain number, previously appointed by the teacher, shall at every public examination pronounce orations and dialogues in prose and verse, to be selected or approved by the teacher, and familiar pieces shall be recited in the presence of the teacher by all boys in rotation who can read with facility, every Saturday morning." In 1815 Mr. Smith had for an assistant Rev. James B. Finley, who afterward became a dis- tinguished Methodist preacher. Mr. Smith continued principal of the academy for many years, and was succeeded by Gideon McMillan, a graduate of the University of Glasgow. If we may credit the claims made by McMillan, in his advertisements, he must have been an accomplished scholar, as he offers to teach both the ancient and modern languages .*
In 1820 the Lancasterian, or "mutual instruction" system of education, was exciting great interest. Joseph Lancaster, an Englishman, deeply impressed with the advantages of the system, which had been introduced into England from India by Dr. Bell, in 1789 opened a school for poor children in South- work. The success was great and liberal contributions poured in to enable him to extend the schools to other places. Dr. Bell now appeared, claimed the sys- tem as his own, and being a churchman and having the support of the clergy, supplanted Lancaster, who was a Quaker. Lancaster, disheartened, emigrated to the United States in 1818 and soon succeeded in awakening a wide-spread interest in his methods, and Lancasterian schools sprang up in every part of
* There is so much interest in the old Dayton Academy that some additions and some corrections to the above account will be in place. The true date for the charter is February 15, 1808. There were sixty-eight shareholders who subscribed five dollars each, and these persons and their successors controlled, through their directors the academy. The chief funds for the building and maintenance of the academy came from the sale of the two academy lots at the southwest corner of Third and Main streets in 1808 for $825, and the sale in 1816 of lot numbered 156 at first designated for church uses, acts of the legislature authorizing the sale of these lots and the use of the proceeds by the academy. The donation of these lots by Mr. Cooper was a part of the consideration in securing the location of the county seat at Dayton. Mr. Cooper, however, donated directly the rear two-thirds of lot 140 at the northwest corner of Third and St. Clair streets for the academy. He also donated the bell for the acad- emy. The academy building was not completed till November, 1810. Mr. William M. Smith opened the school, however, in a house provided by himself in 1808. He was to receive as rent for the school room one dollar and fifty cents per month. Tuition in English studies (reading, writing and arithmetic) were $2.00 per term of three months; in grammar and geography, $3.00; in the classics and science, $4.00. William M. Smith was a man of unusual ability and strength of character. In 1814 J. B. Finley was authorized to teach a night school in the academy building. A part of the time he was assisted by John W. Van Cleve. From 1816 to 1820 the school seems to have been closed. In 1816, a Mr. Clark obtained the use of the academy building for a classical school. In the possession of the Lancasterian school in 1820, Dayton was strictly up-to-date. The highest number of scholars enrolled was 131.
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the country. The system no doubt was characterized by some valuable prin- ciples, which have been embodied in present methods of instruction. It was claimed that by promoting scholars in each class to the position of monitors or instructors on the ground of good scholarship and conduct, one teacher, who only needed to act as general supervisor, might control and instruct five hun- dred scholars, thus saving great expense. Corporal punishment was never resorted to, and tickets of merit to be given or withdrawn were the sole reward or punishment for scholarship or conduct. No public examinations were held and pupils were expected to be governed only by a sense of honor. The high hopes excited by the Lancasterian system of education, its general adoption in the towns and cities of the United States, and its entire abandonment, is an inter- esting episode in school history, and may serve to moderate our enthusiasm for new methods of instruction until thoroughly tested by experience.
Sharing in the general feeling in favor of the Lancasterian methods of in- struction, the trustees of the Dayton Academy determined to introduce it in that institution. The trustees at that time were Joseph H. Crane, Aaron Baker, William M. Smith, George S. Houston, and David Lindslay. It was necessary to erect a building specially adapted to the purpose. The house was built of brick on the north side of the academy and consisted of a single room, sixty-two feet long and thirty-two feet wide. The floor was of brick and the house was heated by "convolving flues" underneath the floor. The walls were thickly hung with printed lesson cards, before which the classes were marched to re- cite under monitors selected from their own number as a reward for meritorious conduct and scholarship. For the youngest scholars a long, narrow desk, thickly covered with white sand was provided, on which, with wooden pencils, they copied and learned the letters of the alphabet from cards hung up before them.
The school was opened in the fall of 1820.
A few of the rules adopted for the government of the school may illustrate some of the peculiarities of the system :
The moral and literary instruction of the pupils entered at the Dayton Lan- casterian Academy will be studiously, diligently, and temperately attended to.
They will be taught to spell and read deliberately and distinctly, agreeably to the rules laid down in Walker's Dictionary ; and in order to do that correctly they will be made conversant with the first rules of grammar. The senior class will be required to give a complete grammatical analysis of the words as they proceed.
They will be required to write with freedom all the different hands now in use, on the latest and most approved plan of proportion and distance.
There will be no public examinations at particular sessions; in a Lancas- terian school every day being an examination day, at which all who have leisure are invited to attend.
In 1821 the trustees adopted the following resolution, which would hardly accord with present ideas of the jurisdiction of boards of education or the authority of teachers :
Resolved, That any scholar attending the Lancasterian school who may be found playing ball on the Sabbath, or resorting to the woods or commons on that day for sport, shall forfeit any badge of merit he may have obtained, and
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twenty-five tickets ; and if the offense appears aggravated, shall be further de- graded, as the tutor shall think proper and necessary; and that this resolution be read in school every Friday previous to the dismission of the scholars.
Gideon McMillan, who had previously been employed in the academy, and who claimed to be an expert, having taught in a Lancasterian school in Europe, was appointed the first principal. In 1822 he was succeeded by Captain John McMullin, who came with high recommendations from Lexington, Virginia. In connection with the school while under his charge occurred in 1823 a unique Fourth of July celebration. A procession, composed of the clergy of the town, the trustees, the teachers, and two hundred scholars, marched from the school to the Presbyterian church, where the Declaration of Independence was read by Henry Bacon, and a sermon delivered by Rev. N. M. Hinkle. It seems that Captain McMullin had served as a soldier, for the Watchman, in a notice of the celebration, says: Captain John McMullin appeared as much in the service of his country when marching at the head of the Lancasterian school as when formerly leading his company to battle. Captain McMullin was succeeded in the school by James H. Mitchell, a graduate of Yale College, who taught for several years, but after a fair trial discontinued the Lancasterian methods. Mr. Mitchell afterwards followed the profession of civil engineer and was a highly esteemed citizen of Dayton for many years.
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