USA > Ohio > Portage County > Portage heritage; a history of Portage County, Ohio; its towns and townships and the men and women who have developed them; its life, institutions and biographies, facts and lore > Part 22
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On his tombstone in Shalersville are inscribed the words, "School's Out. Teacher's Gone Home."
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teaching. In 1836 a Randolph young man presented himself to the Atwater examining board to apply for a teacher's certificate. The board was composed of a minister and two un- lettered farmers. Questions asked the applicant were:
"Can you repeat the Ten Command- ments?"
"What do you think of the tem- perance question?"
"What do you think of profane swearing?"
The applicant answered these ques- tions satisfactorily and was then told that he was qualified to teach school and the certificate was issued.
Portage County's schools date back to a time before Ohio's admittance to statehood in 1803. The first school was said to have been located in Deer- field with another in Ravenna and one in Aurora in 1803. All were in the nature of small select schools. Other localities had schools after that until the whole county had them. But they were irregular both in time, method and location. Classes were held only during winter months, at times that suited individual patrons. In early days many educated Irish people came to this country. Some settled in Portage County and served as pedagogs. In some areas the New Testament was at first the only text book. It is worth while to take a brief look at local school history.
DISTRICTS IMPORTANT
ATWATER - The first school is supposed to have been taught by Mrs. Almon Chittenden in 1806-07, in a little log school house at the Center. Another is said to have been taught about 1809 in the southwestern part of the township. In time, Atwater township had ten sub-districts. These were Douthitt, Station, Science Hill,
Thompson Corners, Kump, Yale, Vir- ginia Corners, Mowen, Center, Stroup,
In 1905 four of the districts were centralized at the Center and in 1917 all districts joined in the consolida- tion.
In the year 1955-56 the enrollment at Atwater was 451 elementary and high school pupils, with 19 teachers. R. C. Parsons was principal.
AURORA - The school was an in- stitution here as early as the winter of 1803-04. Samuel Forward, Jr., opened one in a little building on the Square at the Center, having as pupils Julia Forward, Ebenezer Sheldon, Jr., Gers- hom Sheldon, George Sheldon, Festus Sheldon, Chauncey Forward, Rens- selaer Forward and Dryden Forward. The next school was taught by Oliver Forward and the third by Polly Cam- eron, in 1807. In 1826-27, Samuel Bis- sell was considered one of the most outstanding educators in the Western Reserve. He established an academy where Aurora's fire station now stands. Later the Academy was moved to Twinsburg.
Aurora's eight districts, centralized in 1897, were: Route 82 and Bissell Rd .; Route 306 near Crackel Rd .; Hudson Rd. and Old Mill Rd. Route 43 and Eldridge Rd .; Old Harmon Rd., south of Mennonite Rd .; Town Line Rd. near old Kent farm; Route 43 and 306; Pioneer Trail and Crooks Rd
As of 1955 the enrollment in both elementary and high schools was 750 with 29 teachers. James Hales was superintendent.
FIRST JUNIOR HIGH
BRIMFIELD - On Dec. 22, 1818, the first school in the township was opened by Jeremiah Moulton in his own house and continued during the winter. Four families monopolized
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this school. The teacher had ten of his own children, Alpheus Andrews had seven and the two Thompson houses were full of them. He continued his school the following year. The first district, or public school was taught by Henry Hall. Abner Lamphare also taught in various districts.
Brimfield also had an excellent academy for several years in the 1840s and 50s. The Brimfield districts were centralized in 1921. Brimfield claims the honor of having the first Junior High School in the county, starting in September, 1930. Today, senior high school pupils are transported to the Kent State University Training School.
As of 1955-56 the elementary en- rollment was 533, with a faculty of 19.
CHARLESTOWN-The first school in the township was taught in a log school house at the Center in the summer of 1811 and winter of 1812-13, by Miss Sophia Coe. The pupils at this school were Chauncey B., Joel, Melissa, Charles L., Dennis, Harris, Prudence, Harriet and Lucre- tia Curtiss; Adnah and Phoebe Coe, Robert Lathrop and Rachael King, Samuel and Lydia Sutliff and Mina Forcha, daughter of Abel Forcha, the hunter-settler.
The six school districts in Charles- town township were centralized in 1915. These were: Augerburg, Center Dist. No. 2, Kirtland, Jimtown, Curtiss and Greenleaf.
In 1955 the elementary enrollment was 199 with a faculty of nine. All high school pupils were transported to the new Southeast School.
DEERFIELD - The first school taught in the town was presided over by Robert Campbell somewhere a- round 1803. This was near the Center. There was also a later school at the
Center and various districts were laid out. There was also a select school at the Center. A public supported high school was set up in 1895. Centraliza- tion of all the districts came in 1916. The old districts were: Deerfield Center, Hillside, Few Town, Helsel Town, Mott Town, Hickory Grove and Wilcox.
In 1955 the elementary enrollment was 216, with eight teachers. All high school pupils were then transported to the Southeast School, of which new district Deerfield became a part, along with Palmyra, Charlestown, Edinburg and Paris.
SALARY IN DRINK
EDINBURG - The first school here was taught in a log house on the land of Amasa Canfield in 1818. The teacher was Miss Clarissa Loomis of Charlestown and her pupils were Jul- iette A., Edwain A. and Harriet Eddy, children of Mr. Canfield. The second school was taught by Miss Electa Bost- wick during the summer of 1819 and in the following winter Jesse Buell had a school near Campbellsport. By 1823 patrons desired more extensive courses and employed Austin Loomis. The contract with Loomis would be considered a curiosity today. It read: "Dec. 3-Agreed with Austin Loomis of Atwater to teach school in Edin- burg three months for twelve bushels of wheat per month, one half to be paid at the end of three months in grain, and the remainder in some other trade, such as cattle, sheep and whisky."
Edinburg schools were centralized about 1905 and a very good high school maintained until 1953, when the township district consolidated with others in the Southeast school. In 1955 the elementary enrollment was 220, with eight teachers. High School
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First school buses were horse drawn. This one was used in Edinburg about 1915.
pupils went to Southeast.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP - The first school in the township is said to have been taught in the winter of 1815-16 by Abner H. Lamphare of Brimfield in a small cabin that had been erected by Mr. Rue in 1811. In 1817 residents erected a joint school and church building. It stood on the east side of the river near Crain Ave. Up to 1830, there was but one school house. In addition to Lamphare an- other teacher was Amasa Hamlin who taught for accommodation, though he did receive some pay.
There were five rural districts in Franklin township as follows ;: Twin Lakes near gravel pits; Breakneck, off Horning Rd .; Brady Lake, present site; Maple Grove on Hudson Rd., Northeast of Pippin Lake. They were centralized about 1920, and a building erected north of Kent. The 1955 en- rollment was 170 elementary pupils. John Cropp was principal. High school pupils attend Kent State Train- ing School.
Land for what is now known as Brady Lake school was bought from Lewis Williard in 1883 and the school opened in 1884. For a time it was known as the Emma Williard school, one of the township districts. It grew steadily with the population and by 1955 had an enrollment of 375 with 13 teachers. Pupils in grades 9 to 12 are transported to Kent Roosevelt High School. Orville Hissom is cur- rent principal.
UNION SCHOOL SET UP
KENT - After the first township school, a new school-meeting house was built on North Mantua St. near Crain, open three months a year. In 1825 all Franklin Township was in one district.
Between 1825 and 1867 there were three small schools. One was on Lake St. east of North Water; one on Stow St. opposite the cemetery; one on Hudson Rd. near Fairchild, unusual because it was two stories high.
About 1851 there was a select school
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in the Earl Block, Franklin and Main, taught by Frank Pounds, later Ohio attorney general. In 1856 a select school opened in the Township Hall, where present board of education of- fices are located. J. H. Pickett was principal. H. S. Freeborn and William King followed Pickett.
The Union School System was es- tablished about 1860 with U. L. Mar- vin, later a judge, as superintendent. Schools were then graded for the first time. Later superintendents included H. S. Freeborn, a Mr. Phillips, W. W. Patton and Chester Haywood. The Union School, now called Central, was started in 1867 and March 14, 1869 was opened with T. E. Suliot in charge. The building cost $69,500. The high school was organized in 1868 with temporary quarters in the Township Hall. Later it occupied a room on the second floor of the new building, with grades in other rooms. First high school graduate was Anna Nutting, who later served as princi- pal
In the summer of 1869 the school board erected a small frame building on Franklin Ave., which served the "flats" as a school until 1880 when the first South School was built. One of the first teachers was Mattie J. Rogers, still remembered by many to- day.
Kent City schools today include Roosevelt High School, built in 1922; Central elementary and Junior High, built in 1953; DePeyster grade school, built in 1887 and enlarged in 1920; South grade school, built in 1880, en- larged 1901. The new Longcoy grade school for the Longmere section is now in the operating stage. In 1956 the Kent Board of Education bought a tract between Crain and Lake as the site of a future school. A new high
school was also declared necessary and land was bought for a site.
Superintendents who have served the Kent schools since 1868 have been: J. F. Lukens, W. W. Patton, A. B. Stutzman, R. P. Clark, F. B. Bryant, W. A. Walls, J. W. Spangler, Dr. Howard P. Smith and Lewis L. Burk- hart.
Kent St. Patrick's School was es- tablished in 1886 with Father Gon- zaga as principal. Because of lack of funds it was closed in 1891 but re- sumed in 1905 with Sister Germaine as principal. It has been operating since that time. The present building was erected in 1923 by Father Mahon.
DISTRICTS COMBINE
FREEDOM - The first known school was taught in a small frame building at Drakesburg by E. W. Ran- ney who died March 3, 1835. Another earlier school is said to have been taught in the northwest part of the township, but the exact date or teach- er is not known. Freedom had an academy for a short time.
Township schools were centralized in 1914. In 1917 a fine new modern school was built at the Center, which in 1955 had an enrollment of 230 grade pupils with nine teachers. The high school pupils were transported to the new James A. Garfield school at Garrettsville, of which district the Freedom schools had become a part.
GARRETTSVILLE - Various schools were taught in early Garretts- ville but the exact date of the first is not clear. There was one at North and Maple Sts. and one opposite Park cemetery. First schools were of the "select" or "private" nature. Older residents today speak of what was long known as the "Red Schoolhouse" on the present site of the modern school. It was built in 1841. In 1880 a
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brick building was erected on the same lot as the first school. Changes were made but the building has not been in use since then.
In 1948, Nelson high school was consolidated with Garrettsville high. In 1951 voters decided to consolidate all high school work of Freedom, Nel- son and Garrettsville in a new district known as the James A. Garfield Dis- trict. In 1954 a bond issue for a new high school building was authorized and the building was completed in 1956. Present enrollment of this fine new high school is over 1,000. Orson E. Ott is principal.
HIRAM - In the year 1813 Benja- min Hinckley arrived and in Decem- ber of that year commenced teaching school in a log building erected that
fall. He had twenty pupils which he taught for a ten weeks period ending Feb. 24, 1814. There were seven Youngs, three Johnsons, two Hutchin- sons, two Dysons, two Hugheses, two Hinckleys, a Hampton and a Judson. In 1816 two school districts were formed, each housed in a log build- ing. They were known as Center and South districts. At one time the Cen- ter building was more or less affec- tionately called the "Stone Jug." The South District got a frame building about 1920. At a later time a frame building was commenced for a school house at the Center, with a Masonic hall above, but it was never finished.
The various township districts were consoliated about 1903 with a build- ing at the Center. In 1955 the enroll-
Came The Academies
In the middle of the nineteenth century many "academies", or "institutes" were scattered through the state. Portage County had many, notably in Ravenna, Windham, Kent, Aurora, Nelson, Palmyra, Brimfield and Randolph. Since there were then no public schools the academies supplied the need for education beyond the common school grades.
The announcement to the public for the Brimfield Institute for 1854, gives an idea of its work. This runs:
BRIMFIELD INSTITUTE
A. F. Butts, Principal J. Blake, Superintendent geography department.
The second term of the Brimfield Institute will commence on Monday, Dec. 4, 1854, under the control of A. F. Butts, Principal, and Mr. J. Blake, Supt. Geo. Dept.
Tuition for term of eleven weeks-English branches, $3.50; Mathematics, $4.00; Foreign Languages, $4.50.
As a sufficient assurance to those persons who may not be acquainted with the character of the school, we would say to the friends of education and to the public generally, that we have full confidence in the ability of Mr. Butts, and believe the cause of instruction to be sufficient, thorough and progressive.
Wm. R. Kelso Edward Parsons Henry Sawyer Hiram Ewell COMMITTEE
Brimfield, Ohio, Nov. 6, 1854.
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ment in both elementary and high school classes was 364 pupils with 17 teachers.
NEW BUILDINGS ARISE
MANTUA - CRESTWOOD - Schooling started in Mantua in 1806 with Judge Amzi Atwater conducting classes in his home. Log school houses soon appeared and the first frame school house is said to have been on present Mennonite Rd. At Mantua vil- lage the first school stood on the present site of the Weber Hardware. The next stood on the present site of the Canfield service station. Land, ma- terials and much work was donated so that the total cost was $317.17. This old building now serves as a dwelling.
The present Town Hall was built for a school in 1867. Almeda Booth, later a well known professor at Hiram College, taught here. In 1893 a new building was erected where the pres- ent school is located and was replaced by another in 1929.
Later, a new building was erected on Route 44, north of the older build- ing.
The year 1948 was important in Mantua schools. Mantua Center and township joined the village schools, as did Shalersville high school two years later in a new district known as the Mantua-Shalersville Local District, or Crestwood. First commencement exercises were held in June, 1956, with 48 graduates.
NELSON - The first school here was taught by Hannah Baldwin. The bell she used is today in the James A. Garfield High School trophy case. Second teacher was Oliver Mills of the noted Mills family. The first frame school building came in 1816.
In 1853 the township had 12 sub- districts but the number was reduced to eight after a re-organization. These
were Center, West, Northeast, North, Kennedy Ledges, Swamp, Newell Ledges, Pierce's Corners.
BUILDINGS $500 EACH
Lack of money plagued early boards of education but new buildings were erected, the usual cost being about $500.00 each. Teacher salaries grad- ually increased until $30.00 per month was reached. Time and length of school terms depended on the judg- ment of boards. Summer terms were common.
Nelson districts were centralized in 1901, one of the county's first.
The present Nelson Community House is the original Nelson Academy building. The Academy was begun in 1851 and built for $1630.00 by public subscription. It ran several years. A high school was projected in 1867 but not built until several years later. Its first class graduated in 1889. In 1948 Nelson schools became a part of the newly created James A. Garfield dis- trict.
PALMYRA - The first school here is said to have been taught by Betsy Diver, daughter of Daniel Diver of early Deerfield. It was in south Pal- myra. Other early teachers were So- phia Hubbard, John Barr, Nathan Boice (or Boys) Mattie Ruggles and Lewis Ely. For many years Palmyra had eight sub-districts including one at the Center where the high school was located.
The several school districts in Pal- myra township were: Grover, or Lloyd; High Williams-Bacon; Wales, Whippoorwill, Diamond, Center, Noel.
These districts were centralized in 1917.
Some of the principals in the Pal- myra schools were William McQuis- ton, J. W. White, Mr. Parker, Mr.
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Southeast High School, one of the recent results of districts formed by several townships.
Turpin, W. H. Kohr, Thomas Grif- fiths, Roger C. Richmond, Max Men- schel, V. Donley, Vernon Campbell, A. J. Garrett, C. P. Rausch, Boyd My- ers, Elizabeth Barclay, Glen Powell, E. E. Braid, John Vett, Sam Cipriano, Leroy Reeves, Gene Dutter and John Mendiola. Palmyra became part of the Southeast District in 1954.
NEW SOUTHEAST SCHOOL
The fine new Southeast building is actually located within Palmyra Township along State Route 18. It was dedicated in 1955.
To this school all high schools pup- ils from Charlestown, Edinburg, Par- is, Palmyra and Deerfield are trans- ported and receive instruction. At the first commencement in 1956, there were 69 graduates. Paul Pfeiffer is current principal.
PARIS - The first school in the township was in the house of Richard
Hudson in the summer of 1819 and taught by Betsey North. It was a private school for the benefit of the children of "Uncle" Richard though boys of Chauncey Hawley were also admitted. The first public school came in the fall of 1819 with Daniel Lea- vitt of Trumbull County as a teacher. This was in a log school house on the northwest corner of Lot 34.
Because of the presence of the ar- senal in the township the number of pupils in the township has been re- duced in recent years.
In 1954 Paris became part of the Southeast School District and all high school pupils transported to South- east. Paris elementary enrollment in 1955 was 177 with nine teachers.
RANDOLPH - In 1805, the Bach- elor's Club, comprised of six or seven young men, built a school-house, a small log building with puncheon
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floor, slab seats and greased paper windows and engaged Laura Ely as teacher. The house was west of the creek bridge on the north side of the road. For part of her pay they made Miss Ely a large rocking chair. This was Randolph's first school.
In 1807-08 a school was taught by Abel Sabin of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. and in 1810 Dr. Belding and Samuel Redfield had a winter school. In 1812- 13 a small frame school building was erected at the Center.
All districts were centralized about 1905. In 1955 Randolph schools of twelve grades had an enrollment of 487 with 21 teachers.
St. Joseph's parochial school got its start in 1832 with Joseph Schroeder as its first teacher. During the years instruction has been given by resident pastors, by the sisters or by lay teach- ers. A Catholic school known as Beechland was located in southeast Randolph.
SCHOOL IN COUNTRY
RAVENNA TOWNSHIP - The township's first school was in a log house near what is now known as Ryedale farm. It was built by Conrad Boosinger in 1803 and taught by Miss Sarah Wright, sister-in-law of Ben Tappan. The next school was near Bean's Corners. Acsah Eggleston of Aurora was teacher. The building was erected in 1809, before Ravenna vil- lage had schools, from which it drew pupils.
The several township district schools were: Bean, Babcock, Beech- wood, Hinman, Price, Blackhorse, Red Brush and Campbellsport.
Schools were centralized and moved into a new building in 1915. Town- ship school enrollment in 1955 was 669 in the elementary grades and 406 in the high school with 34 teachers.
Principals have been: B. F. Stratton, Joseph Hannan, Arthur Horton, Jean- ette Risdon, H. Larry Brown, T. M. Frazier, Calvin Rausch, Chester En- low.
RAVENNA CITY - At one time Sheriff Stephen Mason taught a school in the court house in his odd hours. When he was busy elsewhere, school closed.
Thaddeus Bradley kept a school in the unfinished court house in 1810 or 1811. At one of the early patrons meetings it was decided by vote that grammar and geography were un- necessary studies.
In 1825 the Ravenna Academy was established at the corner of Cedar and Prospect Sts. It was a private school, tuition ranging from $2.50 to $4.00 per quarter. By 1834 the Academy had 69 male and 82 female students. Non- residents could get board at $1.50 per week.
The Tappan Female Seminary was opened in 1847 on North Clinton St. with Mary Curtiss as head. Atten- dance was limited to 20. Tuition was $5.00 per semester.
Darius Lyman, Jr. founded a school for young men in 1849 teaching many higher subjects and foreign languages. It was on South Chestnut St.
STILL MORE ROOM
The South Chestnut St. school was built in 1859, and the West Main St. school came in 1875. By 1884 Ra- venna had built three schools valued at $50,000 and had about 700 pupils. For a number of years the Highland Ave. building was used for the high school. A larger building was neces- sary, planned in 1917 but not finished until 1923, it became the present high school. In 1955 it cared for 725 pupils. The school stands high scholastically
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as well as in athletics and other ac- tivities.
Ravenna City's three elementary buildings erected and occupied as late as 1955 cost approximately $1,300,000. Total enrollment in 1955 was 1185 elementary pupils and 445 in the high school. Ravenna city superintendents over the years have been B. F. Newell, H. M. Ford, Mr. Collier, J. A. Drake, D. D. Pickett, W. P. Hussey, G. G. Barnard, Sylvester Puckett, F. A. Mer- rill, E. O. Trescott, O. E. Pore, C. R. Dustin and H. Larry Brown.
The first Catholic school building was west of their church, built about 1864. Their second school was on South Sycamore St. The third, com- pleted about 1952, is at Sycamore and Spruce.
ROOTSTOWN - Samuel Andrews taught the first Rootstown school in the winter of 1807. It was in a log building and Polly Harmon was the second teacher. A school house was built by community effort in 1815, used jointly as school and church and as a town hall. It was used by the entire township, but another school soon was set up at New Milford, a brick building. After a fire, a second brick building was erected.
Geography and grammar were re- garded as high subjects when added in 1831. Teachers made the quill pens for writing. Teachers boarded around until 1860 when they were paid at the rate of about $18.00 a month.
After districts were set up, Roots- town had ten. Mrs. Marcus Spelman, the first woman teacher, received one dollar per week.
Various school buildings at the Center followed the original one and in 1884 the two story building which stood south of the town hall was built for all grades. In 1908 two districts
combined and a building went up at New Milford. Further centralization followed and by 1916 all pupils were accomodated at the Center. The pres- ent building was constructed in 1950. Last year there were 20 teachers, two custodians and five buses to care for 566 pupils. The class of 1956 had 30 graduates.
GREASED PAPER WINDOWS
SHALERSVILLE - By 1810 there was demand for a school at Shalers- ville and Miss Witter of Aurora open- ed one at the Center, in a log build- ing, with puncheon floors, slab seats and greased paper windows. Though primitive, it gave instruction to such families as the Bakers, Cranes, Bur- roughs and Coolmans. Among later teachers was Miss Sophia Coe.
There were nine Shalersville dis- tricts as follows: Center, Coe, Streator, Peck, Feeder Dam, Codey, Babcock, County Infirmary and No. 9.
An Academy was built at the Center in 1851 and used more or less until about 1904 when schools were central- ized.
The elementary enrollment in 1955 was 311. All high school students were transported to the new Crestwood dis- trict school at Mantua, of which Shalersville had become a part.
STREETSBORO - The first school was opened in 1826 by Clarinda Case in the northwest corner of the town- ship. The school house was erected by David Johnson of Johnson's Corners, owner of a sawmill. The pupils were five Johnsons and three Cases. About 1830 a school was opened by Almira Taylor in the log house originally built by Singletary.
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