Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 64

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526

USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > Butler > Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th > Part 64

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

But little is known about the early com- mon schools of the town. During the first twenty-five years the Butler Academy sup- plied the principal facilities for the educa- tion of the youth of the town. Spasmodic efforts were made from time to time to carry on a common school on the subscrip- tion plan, as was the custom throughout the country. No records were kept of these schools, and but little information can be obtained about the early teachers and the schoolhouses. A log house on South Mc- Kean street on the present site of Capt.

Hays' residence was used for common school purposes in 1818, and other houses on Main Street were used at an earlier date. In the winter of 1834 Joseph Ster- ritt taught a subscription school in a room of the old Academy building, which was liberally patronized. Dr. James Graham, who studied medicine in the north of Ire- land, arrived in Butler about 1834, and taught a school in a log building on South McKean Street on the site of the old skat- ing-rink. Later he taught in the old Acad- emy. A reference to the transactions of the town council will show that that body made a special levy of $250 in addition to the ordinary school taxes for the year 1836, which may be said to be the begin- ning of the public school system in the town.

In 1838 John Gilmore and John Bredin, a committee of the school directors of But- ler borough, applied for a lease of part of the academy ground for the purpose of erecting a schoolhouse thereon. The ap- plication was granted and a lot fronting sixty feet on Jefferson Street and one hundred and eighty feet in depth, running to the alley between the present high school building and the Jefferson Street school ground was leased for ninety-nine years. It would appear that the early common schools were intended for boys, or at least, so used, for in 1841 the girls' department of the common schools was located in the Academy building. The pub- lic schools occupied a part of the Academy building until 1850. Thomas Berry was one of the early school masters and was employed as a teacher in School Number 1 in 1838. In 1854 extraordinary efforts were made to build up the common school system of the town, but for twenty years little progress was made, although the teachers employed were generally com- petent, and many of them were talented.

The first school buildings were primitive affairs, and prior to the completion of the Jefferson Street building there were only

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

two small schoolhouses in the borough. In 1866 the trustees of Butler Academy con- veyed the real estate, buildings, funds, etc., belonging to the Academy to the directors of the public schools and the old Academy building answered the purposes until 1874, when a new era in the public school system in Butler began.

The Jefferson Street School building, which was completed in 1874, was the index to modern Butler. It told the visitor and the resident that times had changed, and that ideas had expanded. The erection of this building was not accomplished without protest on the part of some of the town citizens, who thought that the new enter- prise on the part of the school board was a colossal waste of money and that the town would never be able to pay for it nor furnish enough scholars to fill it. The building, which is an imposing brick struc- ture containing twelve rooms, cost $33,000, and occupies the site of the old stone Acad- emy and part of the ground originally leased for ninety-nine years by the school board for the erection of the first school building. The plan pursued for raising the sum named and the additional sum of $11,000 necessary for furnishing the new building was well laid out and executed.

The act approved May 6, 1871, author- izing the survey of the "Quarry Reserve" into lots, the sale of the lots, and the ap- propriation of part of the proceeds to- wards school building purposes, was a part of the plan. The "Quarry Reserve" was that part of the commons lying between Washington and Mckean Streets south of the laid out lots to the old southern limit of the borough. The sale of the old school- house that stood on the site of the Metho- dist Church was another item in the plan, while a special tax levy and the State ap- propriation of $15,000 formed the third.

The completion of the Jefferson Street School building was the beginning of an era of building in Butler. The discovery of oil at Greece City and other oil devel-

opments in the county caused a rapid in- crease in the population of the shire town, and it was only a matter of a few years until the new school building was filled to overflowing. From 1880 on the population of the town steadily increased, and in 1885 the school board found it necessary to erect a new building. In June of that year the construction of the Mckean Street School building, containing eight rooms, was commenced, and completed in Novem- ber, at a total cost of $10,088.

Four years after the building of the Mckean Street School, the Springdale School building was erected at a cost of $22,400. This building contained eight rooms, two recitation rooms, and a prin- cipal's room, and was heated and venti- lated by the Smead system, which was the first improvement in the way of modern heating and ventilating made in the school buildings of the town.

In 1891 the western section of the town demanded additional school facilities, and a frame building was erected on Mifflin Street opposite the Oriental Mills, which was used for temporary quarters for sev- eral years. This building contained four rooms, which were overcrowded from the start. About the same time an annex was erected on Mckean Street on the school lot which contained two rooms, and the little brick building on Jefferson Street was fitted up for a primary room. The in- creasing demand for school facilities hur- ried the erection of a new building which was commenced in 1859, when the school board purchased a lot from H. J. Klingler on Broad Street. The following year the Broad Street School building was erected at a cost of about $25,000. It is a substan- tial two-story brick building, containing eight rooms, recitation and principal's room. The Institute Hill building was completed in 1900, and the annex to the Springdale school in 1902.

The Butler High School had its inception in 1885, when the first class graduated un-

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der Prof. E. Mackey, who was then prin- cipal of the Butler schools. It was not until 1888 that this department of the pub- lic school system of the town was formally organized by Prof. Mackey, under whose efficient management the school attained a gratifying success. When Prof. Mackey was promoted to the position of superin- tendent of all the city schools, Prof. John A. Gibson, of Meadville, was elected prin- cipal of the high school, in 1891, and held that position until 1896, when he was elected superintendent of the city schools to succeed Mr. Mackey. Prof. V. K. Irvine succeeded Prof. Gibson as principal of the high school, and has continued in that po- sition ever since. The curriculum of the high school covers a course of four years' study equivalent to an academic or a pre- paratory course for college, the students of the Butler school being admitted to many of the colleges in the freshman and sophomore years. A commercial course was added in 1908, and it is expected in the near future that manual training and domestic science will be a part of the reg- ular high school course.

One of the features of the high school is the publication of the Magnet, a monthly magazine issued in the interests of the public schools of the city and edited by the high school pupils. This paper was first issued in 1891, and after a successful ca- reer of five or six years was suspended for a time, and the publication of the new Magnet begun.

The Alumni Association of Butler High School dates back to 1890, when the gradu- ates of the first class under Prof. Mackey in the public schools, and the high school graduates, held a banquet in the Reiber Hall, and effected a formal organization. The purpose of the association was to pro- mote the interests of the public schools of Butler, and especially of the high school, which was then in its infancy. The associ- ation holds meetings annually, and at the present time has an enrollment of over

six hundred members. The high school lec- ture course is financed and promoted by the members of this association, and has been one of the features of the winter en- tertainments of the town for many years.

For the first ten years of its existence the high school was quartered in the Jeffer- son Street School building, and in 1898 a new building was erected in the rear of the McKean Street school building which was used for high school purposes for another decade. This annex was a two-story brick affair, containing the necessary recitation rooms and chapel, and served its purpose until the increasing population of the town caused the necessity of additional school facilities.

In 1905 the school board began proceed- ings in the Common Pleas Courts of But- ler County to secure the possession of the old cemetery lot on the corner of Mckean and North Streets, as a site for the new high school building. On the 13th of March, 1905, on petition of John Findley, president of the board, the court appointed R. C. McAboy, W. S. McCrea and William Walter a board of viewers to assess the damages that would arise by reason of con- demning the property and ascertain the parties to whom the damages should be paid.

On the 5th of June, 1905, the board of viewers reported that the lot contained 83-100 of an acre by actual measurement, and that they found the amount of dam- ages to be $6,000, $4,200 of which should be paid to Butler County, and $1,800 to the borough of Butler. Exceptions were filed to this report by John A. Richey and George McCandless of Butler borough, an appeal was taken, and the case was not finally decided until the March term of Court, 1906, when the report of the view- ers was sustained. There was some sub- sequent litigation on the part of the Foltz heirs, who claimed an interest in the prop- erty, but the case was finally decided, in January, 1907, in favor of Butler borough.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

The services of W. G. Eckles of New Castle were secured as architect, and a contract was awarded in 1906 to J. G. Unkefer & Company, of Minerva, Ohio, for the new building. The bodies in the old grave yard were removed in November, 1906, and the work of excavation begun. The building was not completed until July, 1908, and the formal dedication took place on the 20th of November of that year. The building is a handsome three-story struc- ture, built of buff brick and trimmed with Hummelstown stone. The total cost of the building, including the furnishings, was about $125,000, exclusive of the value of the lot.

The value of the school property in the borough in 1909 is about $475,000, distrib- uted as follows: High school building and grounds, $200,000; Jefferson Street school building and grounds, $75,000; Broad Street school building, $40,000; Mckean Street school building, $60,000; Institute Hill school building, $50,000; Springdale school building, $50,000.

The enrollment of pupils in January, 1909, was as follows: Jefferson Street, 606; Mckean Street, 428; Broad Street, 573; Springdale, 578; Institute Hill, 366; High School, 330; total, 2,881.

For the term beginning August 31, 1908, there were employed in the public schools, exclusive of the superintendent, three prin- cipals and seventy-three teachers, with John A. Gibson superintendent.

Board of Directors, 1908 .- President, Philip W. Ruff; secretary, Harry L. Gra- ham; treasurer, John Rauschenberger; Thomas A. Frazier, Dr. Robt. J. Gross- man, W. W. Robinson, A. C. Krug, W. G. Douthett, Edgar H. Negley, Norman J. Boyer, Frank L. Wiegand, Thos. H. Greer, Jas. L. Garroway, Col. Wm. T. Mechling, and C. E. Cronenwett.

PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, ETC.

St. Peter's Parochial School was opened

in 1858 in the present convent residence on Franklin Street north of the church. During the Civil War a one-story brick building was erected south of the church to which the school was removed. It was taught by lay teachers for several years, and was then placed in charge of the Sis- ters of St. Francis, who have since been succeeded by the Sisters of Mercy. The present school building east of the church was erected in 1889 at an expense of about $7,000. It is a substantial two-story brick building, with basement, and contains four school rooms. It was opened in the fall of 1889, and has an attendance of about two hundred scholars. Eight teachers are em- ployed.

St. Paul's Parochial School owes its ori- gin to the bequest of Mrs. Margaret Dougherty of Butler, who donated the sum of $15,000 toward its establishment. Rev. Father Nolan, who was at that time pastor of St. Paul's Church, took the project in hand and purchased from Herman J. Berg a site of four acres at the corner of Mon- roe and Locust Streets. The corner-stone of the new building was laid May 27, 1888, and it was completed the same year. The building is a handsome brick structure, two stories high, containing eight rooms, and is equipped with the most approved style of modern school furniture. This is re- garded as one of the finest school proper- ties in the county. The convent was erected close by the same year, and is the home of the Sisters of Mercy, who have charge of the school. The total cost of the improve- ments made in 1888 was about $30,000, and the average attendance since that time has been over two hundred.

The Butler Business College was estab- lished in 1893 by Clark Bros., who con- ducted it until the fall of 1894, when J. M. Bashline became the proprietor. A. F. Regal, the present owner and head of the school, took charge in the fall of 1898, and under his able management it has taken a

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leading rank among the business schools of the state. The average attendance is about one hundred and fifty for the year.

RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE SOCIETIES.

The Young Men's Christian Association of Butler had its inception in June, 1886, at a meeting held in the Presbyterian Church under the auspices of the Young Woman's Christian Temperance Union, for the purpose of considering the most effective means of doing christian work. A plan of instituting a special line of work for young men was suggested by W. D. McJunkin, which obtained favor at the meeting, and a subsequent meeting was held in the same month, which was con- ducted by Col. George Woodford, and a committee consisting of A. J. Henry, W. D. McJunkin, Gilbert Walker, W. H. Miller and Ira McJunkin, was appointed to take steps towards a permanent organization. A constitution was adopted under the title of the Y. M. C. A. of Butler, and a board of fifteen directors chosen, with the follow- ing temporary officers: Dr. E. W. Leake, president; Ira McJunkin, secretary, and Prof. E. Mackey, treasurer.

At the meeting held August 16, 1886, the temporary board of directors and officers resigned, and the following permanent board was elected: Capt. Jacob Ziegler, Col. John M. Sullivan, Henry C. Heine- man, John H. Negley, Joseph L. Purvis, William Campbell, Jr .; Dr. E. W. Leake, W. D. Brandon, Chas. S. Bailey, James M. Galbreath, Eli D. Robinson, Prof. E. Mackey, Fred J. Klingler, Aaron E. Rei- ber and William G. Krug. At the organi- zation of the board the following officers were elected : Dr. E. W. Leake, president ; Capt. Jacob Ziegler and John H. Negley, vice-presidents ; Ira McJunkin, general and recording secretary. After the formal or- ganization had been effected, the associa- tion was incorporated in November, 1886, and effective work has been steadily going on up to the present time. Many changes -

in officers have taken place during the twenty-two years of its existence, but there has been no abatement of zeal, and the spirit of the asociation has been in keeping with the rapid advancement among all lines of social, religious and scientific progress.

Since the organization the presidents of the association that have succeeded Dr. Leake in turn are Ira McJunkin, John Weitzel, Prof. E. Mackey, John F. Ander- son, C. B. McMillen, James E. Marshall and Gardner C. Lowry.

The present board of trustees is com- posed of W. D. Brandon, Jno. V. Ritts, Jno. F. Anderson, Hon. J. M. Galbreath and Gardner C. Lowry. The board of trustees holds all the property of the as- sociation in trust. The present board of directors is composed of J. E. Marshall, W. D. Brandon, V. K. Irvine, E. H. Cro- nenwett, J. G. Runkle, J. G. McMarlin, T. M. Baker, Elias Ritts, O. C. Funkhouser, D. K. Albright, C. O. Lowry, Geo. A. Spang, Dr. F. H. Hays, Jas. O. Campbell and J. B. Foster. The officers of the board in January, 1909, were Gardner C. Lowry, president; Geo. A. Spang, first vice-presi- dent; Dr. F. H. Hays, second vice-presi- dent; Jas. O. Campbell, treasurer; J. B. Foster, secretary; H. W. Love, general secretary, and A. F. Fehr, physical di- rector.

The general secretaries in charge of the work since the organization have been Ira McJunkin, Joseph E. Forrester, J. B. Car- ruthers, J. M. Corry, E. G. Randall, L. W. DeGast and H. W. Love.

The Ladies' Auxiliary has been in exist- ence since the first organization, and has done effective work. The present officers of the auxiliary are Mrs. C. E. McIntire, president; Mrs. A. T. Scott, first vice-pres- ident; Mrs. C. H. Findley, second vice- president; Mrs. L. W. Zuzer, secretary, and Miss Mary Grohman, treasurer.

The association has always enjoyed a substantial membership, ranging about four hundred, except in times of financial

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depression. The daily attendance in the building is over two hundred, and the at- tendance in the gymnasium and auditorium classes averages twelve hundred men per month in the winter. The work carried on by the association is four-fold; religious, educational, social and physical. The edu- cational work is carried on in its own room, and consists of classes in mechanical draw- ing and English. The religious work con- sists of bible classes for boys, young men, and men, as well as publie meetings and personal work. The physical work con- sists of gymnasium classes for men and boys, and outdoor athletics. The social work consists of events arranged from time to time by the different departments of the association and the Ladies' Auxiliary.

For the first ten years of its existence the association was quartered in the Rei- ber building on the corner of Main and Cunningham Streets. In 1894 a lot was purchased in the northeast corner of the Diamond, and during that and the follow- ing year the present brick building was erected at a cost of about $15,000, exclusive of the lot and the furnishings. The build- ing is provided with a chapel, reading rooms, boys' game rooms, parlors, gym- nasium, running track and auditorium. The present value of the building and lot is about $35,000, and the fixtures and equipment, $2,000. Much can be said of the work and attainments of the organiza- tion, but the following words of apprecia- tion from a man prominent in public af- fairs will suffice : "I appreciate enormously the work your association is doing. You are one of the great potent forces for good; one of the forces which must be continually built up if we wish to overcome the forces of evil."

Theodore Roosevelt,

President of the United States. The Butler County Children's Aid So- ciety was organized in November, 1886, as an auxiliary of the western branch of the State Society, which was formed at

Pittsburg in November, 1885. At the time of the organization of the local branch Mrs. J. N. Bolard was chosen president ; Miss Mary E. Sullivan and Mrs. S. Me- Kee, vice-presidents; Mrs. M. S. Temple- ton, secretary, and Miss Etta Brugh, treas- urer. The board of managers comprised Mrs. A. M. Neyman, Mrs. B. C. Huselton, Mrs. J. L. Purvis, Mrs. C. D. Greenlee, Mrs. John D. Lowry, Mrs. A. E. Cratty, Mrs. M. H. Negley, Mrs. J. F. Balph, Mrs. C. G. Christie, Mrs. John M. Greer, Mrs. S. A. Johnson, Mrs. M. E. Nicholls, Miss Belle Purvis and Mrs. Levi O. Purvis. The society is a charitable organization to take charge of children from the ages of two to sixteen years who are removed from alms houses under the law of 1883. Miss Belle Purvis succeeded Miss Prugh as sec- retary of the society in 1887, and has con- tinued to hold that position since. Mrs. B. C. Huselton was elected assistant secretary in 1887, and Mrs. J. L. Purvis and Mrs. C. D. Greenlee were chosen vice-presidents. Mrs. J. D. McJunkin was elected secretary in 1889 to succeed Mrs. Templeton, re- signed. At the next annual election of of- ficers Mrs. Templeton was re-elected sec- retary, Mrs. McJunkin having been trans- ferred to the advisory board. There have been few changes made in the officers of the society since 1889. In 1908 Mrs. S. M. McKee was president; Miss Clara Mc- Junkin, secretary, and Miss Belle Purvis. treasurer. Mrs. J. H. Troutman was chosen representative of the local society on the State Board. Since its organiza- tion the local society has furnished homes and cared for about seventy children, and at the present time thirteen children are under the care of the society.

The Butler County Sabbath Association was organized in February, 1893, by elect- ing Rev. S. M. Bell president; Rev. P. C. Prugh, Rev. N. B. Tannehill, Rev. W. E. Oller, Rev. J. R. Coulter, and Mrs. D. B. Campbell. vice-presidents; Rev. D. N. Harnish, secretary; Rev. Jno. S. McKee,

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corresponding secretary ; and J. A. Clark, treasurer. The object of the association was to oppose the publication of Sunday papers and Sunday work in general. This association is practically a continuation of the Lord's Day Union, which was organ- ized in December, 1891, of which Rev. D. N. Harnish was president; Rev. W. E. Oller, secretary; W. D. Brandon, J. M. Galbreath, and Prof. E. Mackey, vice-pres- idents.

The Christian Endeavor Union of But- ler County was first organized in 1892, with Rev. Eli Miller of Butler as presi- dent, and Miss Lotta B. White as secre- tary. At first the union was composed of all the Christian Endeavor Societies in the county, and represented about thirteen de- nominations. At the present time there are about forty societies represented, and six denominations. The officers in 1908 were Rev. R. C. Stewart of Bruin, presi- dent; Miss Erla Black of Bruin, corres- ponding secretary ; Miss Lotta B. White of Butler, recording secretary; and William B. Ferguson of Chicora, treasurer.

The Bible Society of Butler County was organized August 12, 1828, by Rev. Mr. Joyce, agent of the Philadelphia Society. John Potts and Rev. Reed Bracken were elected presidents ; the vice-presidents were Revs. Isaiah Niblock, John Frantz, Robert Greer, S. Stoughton, John Coulter, J. C. G. Schweitzerbarth, Thomas Mcclintock, and Robert Brown; John Bredin was sec- retary, and Robert Scott treasurer. The board of managers comprised John Sulli- van, Hugh McKee, Hugh Gilliland, Robert Martin, Barnet Gilliland, Henry Muntz, David McJunkin, William McMichael, John Christie and James McCurdy. Two agents were appointed in each of the thirteen townships, and two for the borough of Butler, who were to assist in the circula- tion of the bible without note or comment. John Bredin acted as secretary of the first meeting, while the presiding officer was Walter Lowrie, who resigned his office as

secretary of United States Senate in 1836, to become secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions.

The Butler County Sabbath School As- sociation adopted a constitution May 7, 1867, and elected Rev. Loyal Young presi- dent; Rev. J. H. Fritz and William R. Hutchison, vice-presidents; C. E. Ander- son, secretary; H. J. Klingler, treasurer; Dr. A. M. Neyman, George A. Black, I. J. Cummings, George Vogeley and Theodore Huselton, executive committee. Since that time the association has extended its field into all the townships and boroughs in the county. The president of the association in 1908 was Prof. R. S. Penfield of Chi- cora; the secretary was Miss Mina Wal- dron of Evans. City; and the treasurer, Robert McMeekin of Chicora. The county has been divided into nine districts, and district conventions are held each year as well as county conventions. The primary department is under the care of Miss Lotta B. White of Butler, and chose an enroll- ment of 146 classes in the county. The number of Sabbath schools enrolled is 150.

The Ministerial Association of Butler is composed of all the ministers of the Pro- testant denominations, and was organized as early as 1893. Since its inception it has taken an active part in all of the reform movements, and aided in remonstrating against the granting of licenses by the courts of the county. The association has since its beginning arranged the programs for the Thanksgiving services in the dif- ferent churches in the town, and appointed the ministers to fill the pulpits on the occa- sions. The president of the association in 1909 was Dr. P. C. Prugh, and the secre- tary H. W. Love. The meetings are held on the first Monday of each month, in the parlors of the Y. M. C. A. building.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 64

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1526

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526