USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Armstrong County, Pennsylvania her people past and present, embracing a history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 15
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In 1876 there were 106 Sunday schools in the county, with 8,266 scholars on the rolls. They were apportioned as follows: Presby- terian, 20 schools, 2,097 scholars; Methodist Episcopal. 19 schools, 1,523 scholars; United Presbyterian, 12 schools, 744 scholars ; Baptist, 12 schools, 500 scholars ; Reformed, II schools, 630 scholars; Episcopalian, 4 schools, 265 scholars ; Catholic, 3 schools, 600 scholars.
SABBATH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
The county is divided into eleven districts, the officers of which are as follows :
First District-Rev. A. E. Curry, president ; Rev. O. C. Carlile, vice-president ; Thomas B. Shankle, recording secretary; Charles Held, corresponding secretary; Roy P. Bowser, treasurer.
Second District-Rev. H. S. Garner, presi- dent ; A. S. McQuilkin, vice-president ; C. E. McSparrin, secretary ; Miss Ida Milliron, treasurer.
Third District-A. M. Armstrong, presi- W. Woodend, D. D., Andrew McElwaine, dent; D. K. Hill, vice-president; Gertrude Samuel P. Bollman, Franklin Orr, William F. Grim, secretary; Mrs. D. P. Trout, treasurer.
Fourth District-T. J. Baldrige, president ;
Fifth District-Dr. R. S. Keeler, president ; William Lantz, vice-president; Miss Pearl Crothers, corresponding secretary ; Miss Edna Schumaker, recording secretary ; Plummer Clark, treasurer.
Sixth District-William Espy, president ; H. T. Sowers, vice-president; Miss Catherine Hall, corresponding secretary; Miss Nell Rearick, recording secretary ; Mrs. Jas. Mc- Cullough, treasurer.
Seventh District-H. H. Schumaker, presi- dent ; J. N. Nye, vice-president ; R. W. Heffel- finger, corresponding secretary ; Earl Moor- head, recording secretary ; I. J. Rearick, treas- urer.
Eighth District-T. N. Rughard, president ; A. C. Schumaker, vice-president ; Miss Verda Putney, corresponding secretary ; H. E. Hep- ler, recording secretary ; Ezra Schumaker, treasurer.
Ninth District-Rev. A. F. Schumaker, president ; I. Boarts, vice-president ; Miss Ella Morrison, corresponding secretary ; Miss Effie McIntyre, recording secretary ; Mrs. Sadie Leslie, treasurer.
Tenth District-J. F. Moore, president ; A. V. Helm, vice-president ; Prof. J. L. Hazlett, corresponding secretary ; Miss Ella B. Mateer, recording secretary; Mrs. Homer Dickey, treasurer.
Eleventh District-O. N. Winger, president ; Rev. J. A. Law, vice-president ; Mrs. George Davis, corresponding secretary ; William Steel, recording secretary; Mrs. Abram Myers, treasurer.
At present the church schools are represented in the Armstrong County Sabbath School As- sociation, composed of representatives from all the Protestant churches. This association was organized in 1900 and the officers for the year From the report of Mrs. Paul Mckenrick, secretary of the association, we find that there are 153 Sunday schools in Armstrong county, with a total of 21,998 scholars on the rolls. Of 1913 arc: Rev. H. G. Gregg, president ; W. A. Nicholson, vice-president ; Mrs. Paul Mcken- rick, corresponding secretary ; Thomas Shankle, recording secretary ; W. L. Turcotte, these the Methodists lead, with 34 schools and 5,079 scholars; Lutherans, 32 schools and
treasurer.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
4,897 members; Presbyterians, 28 schools, enable the teacher to face the pupils, who 4,910 members; Reformed, 16 schools, 2,127 stood at the desks with their backs to the windows. scholars; Baptists, 14 schools, 1,518 scholars; United Presbyterians, 10 schools, 1,239 scholars; Evangelical, 8 schools, 738 scholars ; Episcopalian, 3 schools, 355 scholars; Church of God, 4 schools, 451 scholars; United Brethren, 3 schools, 475 scholars; Methodist Protestant, 1 school, 204 scholars. In addition to these there are a few union schools, not connected with a regular church, thus making
the total of Sunday schools of all kinds, 167, stream had a small plant upon its banks. One and the total enrollment 22,879 scholars.
ARMSTRONG COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY
The teachers were in truth as well as jest, "Irish schoolmasters." Most of them were old men who could not stand the severe manual labor of the woods and fields, and many of them were confirmed in habits that they had acquired in their days of youthful dissipation. In those days the distillery was a necessity, as they thought, to the settlers, and almost every teacher in this county in 1820 was Edward Jennings, who held forth at the Peters school- house in Perry township. He used to have long recesses, during which he would repair to Jacob Peters' distillery to fortify himself against the arduous duties of the afternoon.
This society was organized in 1828, with the following officers : Rev. John Dickey, presi- dent ; Revs. John Reddick, G. A. Reichert, The educational qualifications of these schoolmasters were limited to a little reading, less writing and a very slight knowledge of arithmetic. Occasionally one was a good pen- Mechling, Frederick Rohrer, Robert Brown, man. William Marshall of Wayne township, Henry Koch, and John Core, and Thomas Smullen and Samnel Green, vice-presidents ; Thomas Hamilton, Simon Torney, Philip Samuel Matthews, James Green, John Monroe, and Edward Gorrell of Gilpin township, were among those who were said to have written "a James Brown, David Johnson and James E. Brown, members. In 1841 the society dis- fine hand." tributed several hundred Bibles, and in 1876 a The pay of these teachers was commensurate with their attainments. Most of them were compelled to collect their salaries a few cents special effort was made to place a Bible in every home in the county. It has not been in existence for several years past, and there at a time from those who subscribed, and often seems no hope of a revival of the society in the collections were slow. The average tuition the future.
per scholar was $1.50 a quarter, paid as the parents were able. Children came to school GROWTH OF EDUCATION IN ARMSTRONG COUNTY as long as their money lasted, and stayed at home and worked for the rest of the time to The educational facilities of this county from 1800 to 1834 were of the most primitive kind, but were the best that the pioneers, who had the wilderness to conquer, could afford. All of the schools were of the subscription kind, where the neighbors contributed as far as their means permitted, to pay the teacher and build and furnish the simple log structures which were no better than their own habitations. Often the subscriptions were not paid in coin, frequently in services in the construction of help pay for another term. All of the teachers "boarded 'round," and they were soon able to discriminate between the good and bad places. They were slow to leave a home where the food and accommodations were good, and it was hard to get them to stop out their proper time at a poorly supplied household. They were sometimes of great help to the farmers themselves in passing the long winter evenings indoors, some of the old instructors being fine "fiddlers." But sometimes they were rather the schoolhouse, or materials for the work, objectionable, and the household found it easy These log schools were mostly square, with a to "speed the parting guest."
fireplace at the end, but sometimes of octagonal shape, with a stove in the centre, made of sheet iron, that barely kept the frigid temperature of the old-time winters at bay. Floors were of slabs, seats of the same, without backs, and the window spaces, made narrow and long to save cutting the logs, were filled with greased paper, through which the light dimly filtered. Desks were ranged along the walls, so as to take advantage of the feeble illumination and to
One of the early customs of the scholars of these log schools was to "bar-out" the teacher until he "set-up" the cider or other refresh- ments, and in the affrays that followed there was often serious injury caused to members of both opposing sides. Some of the first teachers in this county were : Cornelius Roley, John Sturgeon, Anthony O'Baldwin, Wright Elliott, John Criswell, Samuel Taggart, Henry Girt, Robert Walker, Thomas Barr, Joseph
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Bullman, George Forsyth, Robert Kirby, Ben- were haled before the court, which very prop- of the complainants. jamin Irwin, Bezai Irwin, James Hannegan, erly dismissed the complaint at the expense James McDowell, John Cowan, Archibald Cook, Thomas McCleary and Archibald Kelly.
.
The ventilation of these early "temples of knowledge" was generally better than at present, often leaning to extremes. Philip Mechling, one of the prominent men of the pioneer days, and for several years sheriff of the county, once said that in passing a schoolhouse in Red Bank township he could count the scholars 'through the unfilled chinks in the log walls. It is to be hoped that ere the winter came a few handfuls of clay were daubed over these ventilators.
One of the early school teachers relates that he was often twitted by the friends of later days about his first scholars. It seems that the lower part of the building was open and the pigs used to rest there during the heat of the day, their squealing often interfering with the lessons of the scholars and necessi- tating the stationing of a boy with a stick at the place of entrance of the porkers to prevent their return until the recitations were over. His friends claimed that the pigs were entitled to be classed as scholars from the punctuality of their attendance.
As time passed the profession of school- master became more honorable in the eyes of the settlers, and many a pastor eked out his meagre stipend by teaching a term in winter. Some of our best citizens have not felt that a course of teaching in these simple edifices was beneath their diginity in the days of their up- ward struggles to fame.
Upon the adoption of the free school system in 1834 these structures were replaced as fast as possible with frame buildings, many of which, we regret to say, are in use still. They were great improvements over the log school- houses, but the brick buildings that followed them are a still greater evidence of the advance- ment of educational methods.
FIRST GRADED SCHOOL
The first graded school in this county came into operation by accident and the action of a set of far-sighted and independent school directors, whose names we are sorry not to be able to record. In 1859 the inhabitants of Alle- gheny township petitioned the directors to establish another school near Stitt's mill, as the one then in use had become overcrowded. Instead of doing as requested the directors erected a new building near the old one and graded the school. For this innovation they
FREE SCHOOLS
Before the passing of the free school act there was a record in 1828 of an appropriation by the county for the sum of $9.53, to pay the tuition of poor children. So it seems that the early settlers were as loath as the present tax- payers to expose their poverty by applying for free tuition. All this was eliminated by the free schools, and now the children of the rich and poor are all on the same footing, even to the point of free books, and sometimes, in other States, of free meals at noon.
As required by the act of 1834, the first meeting of the board of school directors was held in the courthouse at Kittanning in Novem- ber of that year. with eleven delegates present. The Plum Creek district was not represented. The roster of delegates was: Jacob Mechling, Franklin township; James Adams, Sugar Creek ; George Means, Toby ; Samuel Marshall, Perry ; John Calhoun, Wayne; Jacob McFad- den, Clarion; Sherman Bills, Kiskiminetas ; James McCall, Freeport : John Ridley, Red Bank ; and James Hindman, Franklin.
The first levy made was for a tax of $1,920.18, or double the amount appropriated by the State.
The growth of the schools was fairly rapid for the state of the county. In 1840 there were fourteen school districts and 120 schools, which were kept open for four months of the year. In 1858 there were one less than a hundred schools : the number of months taught was four and a half ; average salaries of teachers, male, $24, female, $18 per month. The tax levied was $22,000, the number of scholars was 9,500, and the cost per month for teaching each scholar was 48 cents.
In 1876 the schools had increased to 261, it cost 76 cents to fill each little brain with knowledge each month, the sessions were five and one-half months, the average salaries of the men were $41 and the ladies $34. There were in attendance in the year 12,600 scholars. The tax that year was $75,719.
SUPERINTENDENTS
It is a part of the educational history of this county that there was for awhile considerable opposition to the county superintendency on the part of many of the supporters of the com- mon school system. It was at first so strong
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
that the first convention of school directors, May, 1854, fixed the annual compensation of the first county superintendent at the meager sum of $300, thinking that no one would serve for that sum, and that they would thus dis- charge the duty imposed on them by the law of selecting a suitable person and fixing his compensation, and at the same time dispense with the superintendent. They did not seem to consider that the law also prescribed that every teacher of common schools must be ex- amined by that officer, and that if any schools in a district should be taught by teachers not having proper certificates there would have been a forfeiture of the State appropriation to the schools of such district.
The gentleman they selected, Rev. J. A. Campbell, after deliberation, concluded that he could not devote the time, labor and attention which the law required for that compensation, but proposed to accept the position for a year if the amount fixed by the convention would be increased to $400. In order that the school districts of this county might not lose their State appropriations. several citizens pledged the additional hundred dollars, which they paid out of their own pockets, and the first incumbent of the new and to some extent obnoxious office entered upon the discharge of his official duties, in which he continued during the first two years and a part of the third year of the term, teaching part of the time a normal class and preaching to his congregation.
INSTITUTES
Teachers' institutes previous to 1867 were ever, in the school administration, books are self-sustaining and were held at irregular in- tervals in different parts of the county. Since that date the State has made provision for their support, and the regular sessions held yearly at Kittanning are well attended and productive of great benefit to all who attend.
ACADEMIES
During the different periods of the growth of education in this county there have arisen and passed away many institutions for the imparting of higher branches of learning than those afforded by the public schools. Born in enthusiasm and ambition, these halls of learn- ing have not always developed in proportion to the desires of their founders, but they have left a strong impress upon the present genera- tion, so their origin and life have not been in vain.
institutes existing since the beginning of the county's history, only two of them being now alive. The only one of the old academies existing now is Slate Lick, and it depends upon an irregular service of youthful preceptors who teach during their summer vacations. The other is the Dayton Normal Institute.
The last one founded heads the list : Dayton Normal Institute, Dayton Union Academy, Doaneville Seminary, Glade Run Academy, Kittanning Academy, Lambeth College, Leech- burg Academy, Leechburg Institute, Oakland Classical Institute, Slate Lick Classical Insti- tute, University of Kittanning, Worthington Academy.
MODERN SCHOOLS
One of the defects of the present school system is the lack of a permanent school fund for use in emergencies. In case of a panic the appropriation is liable to fail and the schools will be helpless until the next meeting of the Legislature. Texas has a fund of $52,000,000.
Over forty-two years ago the historian Smith, who was then county school superin- tendent of Armstrong, stated that the best teachers in Austria were selected for the rural schools, and at the convention of 1913 the same statement was made by Prof. Corson of the Ohio school board. Yet the present rule is to send graduates of the high schools to "break in" at the rural schools, to the injury of the scholars and the doubtful benefit of the teach- ers. "As the teacher, so the school is."
Many improvements have been made, how- furnished by the State, and last year ( 1912) the State appropriation for all purposes was $15,000,000.
Medical inspection has been introduced into some of the schools, but is not compulsory. The townships that have medical inspection are fourteen, and those without number eleven. Three are not reported. Last year in the State inspection 750 districts were examined, with 145,000 pupils. 111.000 proving defective in some way. Defective vision was the great- est trouble, with teeth and lungs closely fol- lowing. Of the 3,572 schools examined 1, 100 had unsanitary closets. In one of the districts of Armstrong county almost one-half of the children had some more or less serious ail- ment. Nine of the boroughs of this county have the inspection and three have not. It is to be hoped that the next historian of this county will not have to record a single town-
The following is a list of the academies and ship or borough without this necessary adjunct
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
of modern educational methods. And that most vital of all necessities of the country school as well as the farmer-good roads- should not longer be neglected as in the past.
CONVENTIONS
The tenth convention of school directors for the county was held in the new high school auditorium in November, 1913, with Hon. Geo. W. McNees as chairman. In the matter of information it was probably the most im- portant ever held in Kittanning. Addresses by prominent educators and members were heard on vital subjects relating to health, finance and improved methods of instruction. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows : President, Frank Cribbs, S. Buffalo township; first vice president, R. Hagerman, Perry township; second vice president, A. W. Smith, Gilpin township; secretary, J. E. Vantine, Kiskiminetas township; treasurer. J. S. Porter, Applewold; auditor, John A. Fox, Kittanning; delegate to the State con- vention, S. S. Blyholder, Burrell township.
The convention also favorably recommended the increase of the salary of the county super- intendent to $3,000 per year. Prof. W. A. Patton is the present capable superintendent.
MEDICAL INSPECTORS
The State medical inspectors for 1913 are : Apollo borough, Dr. A. H. Townsend, Apollo; the boroughs mentioned below. was $51.40 Bethel and Parks townships. Dr. Thomas L. per month ; average salaries of female teach- ers, exclusive of the boroughs, $42.63 per month ; number of male scholars on the en- tire county roll, 7,302 ; female scholars, 5,963; average attendance, entire county, 11,179; average cost per month for each scholar in the county, including the boroughs, $2.03; amount of tax levied for educational pur- poses, including boroughs, $200,134.1I ; ap- propriation from State. $76.040.91; amount received from all other sources, $273,227.07 ; total value of all schoolhouses in the county, $708.504 ; amount paid as salaries to teachers, $168,910.42; expended for fuel, repairs, wa- ter, light, etc., $130,281.56. Aye, Kelly Station ; Boggs and Pine townships. Dr. T. H. Newcome, Templeton; Brady's Bend township, Dr. C. G. McGogney, Kay- lor ; Deanville independent district and Ma- honing township, Dr. J. B. Longwell, Semi- nole; East Franklin township, Dr. J. E. Quigley, Adrian ; Elderton borough and Plum Creek township, Dr. J. A. Kelly, Whitesburg ; Ford City borough, Dr. A. E. Bower. Ford City; Freeport borough and Gilpin township. Dr. C. M. Mclaughlin, Freeport; Parker's Landing borough and Hovey township. Dr. A. M. Hoover, Parker's Landing; Johnetta borough and South Buffalo township, Dr. W. J. Ralston, Freeport; Leechburg borough, Dr. J. D. Orr, Leechburg ; Manorville borough and Manor township, Dr. Roscoe Deemar. Manorville; West Kittanning borough and Rayburn and Valley townships, Dr. T. N. Mc- Kee, Kittanning : Red Bank township, Dr. C. E. Sayres, Hawthorn; Rural Valley borough, Dr. S. E. Ambrose, Rural Vailey; South
Bend township, Dr. J. A. Lowery, South Bend; South Bethlehem borough, Dr. E. K. Shu- maker, New Bethlehem; Wayne township, Dr. E. J. Fleming, Dayton; Wickboro bor- ough, Dr. J. B. F. Wyant, Kittanning ; Worth- ington borough, Dr. J. W. Dunkle, Worthing- ton.
STATISTICS
In 1876 the whole number of common schools in this county was 261 ; average num- ber of months taught, 5.9; male teachers, 163; female teachers, 106; average salaries per month of male teachers, $41.12; female, $34.40 ; scholars, male. 6,730, female, 5.933 ; average attendance, 8,252; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 76 cents; tax levied for school purposes and building schoolhouses, $75,719.25 ; received from State appropriation, $10,480.08; from taxes and all other sources, $87,854 ; total receipts, $98,334.08. Expended : For building, renting and repairing school- houses. etc., $22,949.37 ; teachers' wages, $47,711.68; fuel, fees of collectors, etc., $21,068.53 ; total expenditures, $91.729.58.
In the year 1913 the number of schoolrooms in the county, including the boroughs, where there are several grades, was 413; the aver- age months to each yearly session was 734; the number of male teachers was 118; num- ber of female teachers, 304; average salaries of the male teachers in the county, outside of
In comparison with the salaries paid teach- ers in the country schools of the county the averages of male and female salaries in the boroughs of Kittanning, Ford City, Wickboro, Freeport, Leechburg and Apollo are presented. Male salaries, $116.63; female salaries, $59.64 : the number of months taught in the borough schools averages nine.
CHAPTER IX
CIVIL AND MILITARY HISTORY
ARMSTRONG COUNTY CIVIL ROSTER-REVOLUTIONARY PENSIONERS-MEXICAN WAR-WAR OF 1812-CIVIL WAR RECORD-SPANISHI-AMERICAN WAR-SURVIVING VETERANS-GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
The following list of natives of this coun- ty who have been honored by their fellow- citizens, as well as those of other States and territories, is not complete, for the reason of the neglect of officials in the past, who failed to make complete records of the names of the office-holders of their days.
Among the natives of Armstrong county who held office in other parts of this country were: Walter A. Burleigh, Congressman from the territory of Dakota ; Andrew J. Faulk, Governor of Dakota territory; G. W. Rutter, U. S. Senator from the State of Washington ; Thomas Hays, State Senator from Butler county ; C. M. C. Campbell, representative from Allegheny county ; and John A. Crum, State Senator from Venango county.
Armstrong county has contributed one governor of Pennsylvania, William F. John- ston, and the following Congressmen: Gen. Robert Orr, Samuel S. Harrison, Joseph Buf- fington, Darwin Phelps, James B. Mosgrove. The present official is J. N. Langham, of In- diana, whose term expires in 1915. The Con- gressional district includes Armstrong, Indi- ana, Jefferson and Clarion counties.
STATE SENATORS
Robert Orr. Jr., 1822-25; Eben Smith Kel- ley, 1825-29 (died in the discharge of his duties at Harrisburg, Saturday, March 28, 1829) ; Philip Mechling, 1830-34; William F. Johnston, 1847, until he was inaugurated gov- ernor in January, 1849; Jonathan E. Mere- ditl. 1859-62; S. M. Jackson, 1875-6; Edward D. Graff, 1879-80 : William B. Meredith, 1885- 88; J. B. Showalter, 1889-92; William B. Meredith, 1895-1900; Andrew G. Williams, 1901-04: George W. McNees, 1905-08; J. Frank Graff, 1911, term expires in 1917.
MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY
Philip Klingensmith, 1800; James Sloan, 1808-9; Samuel Houston, 1817-18; Robert
Orr, Jr., 1818-21 ; James Douglass, 1834-6; William F. Johnston, 1836-41; Jacob Hill, 1847-50; John S. Rhey, 1850-52 ; J. Alexander Fulton, 1853-5; Darwin Phelps, 1856; John K. Calhoun, 1857-8; AAndrew Craig. 1860-61 ; J. A. Mccullough, 1862-3; J. W. McKee. 1864; Alexander Anderson, 1865; Franklin Mech- ling, 1866-67; S. M. Jackson, 1868-69; M. M. Steele, 1870; George S. Putney, 1871; Philip R. Bowman, 1872-3; Robert Thompson, 1874-6; J. A. Hunter, 1875 (died without tak- ing his seat) ; William G. Heiner, 1877-8; W. F. Rumberger. 1878-9; E. D. Graff. 1879-80 ; Francis Martin, 1880-81 ; Lee Thompson, 1881-84 ; A. D. Glenn, 1883-86; Robert Daugh- erty, 1885-88; Andrew J. Elliott, 1887-8; S. B. Cochran, 1889-96; Frank Mast. 1891-96; J. WV. McKee, 1891-96; Geo. W. McNees, 1897- 1900; Joel Crawford, 1901-2; J. Frank Graff, 1901-04: Frank W. Jackson, 1903-06; Geo. W. McNees, 1905-08; Hiram J. Sedwick, 1905-08; S. B. Cochran, 1908-09; R. H. Megraw, 1909- 10; John M. Williams, 1909-10: Robert P. Hunter, 1911-13; George W. Larkins, 1911-13.
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