USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. I > Part 34
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
in the church. The high priest was a revelation accord- ing to their erring desires."
A friend of both said, "Rigdon did not possess the native intelligence of Smith and lacked his determined will. " They had been together only about six months when Smith had a revelation August, 1831. as follows: "And now. behold I say unto you, I, the Lord, am not pleased with my servant Sidney Rigdon. He exalted him- self in his heart and received not my counsels, but griev. eth the spirit, wherefore his writing is not acceptable mnto the Lord."'
As early as 1832. Smith described Rigdon as "deliri. ous." This may have been after March 25th of that year, when both were mobbed, tarred and feathered, and Rigdon was dragged by his heels so he could not raise his head from the frozen ground.
Rigdon received many a rebuke and much humiliating treatment from Smith, and there are recorded instances showing how his spirit rebelled at some of the doctrines and acts of the church, and how he was suddenly quieted by the appearance of Smith.
The idea of polygamy was early introduced by Smith. One of his followers says, "Joseph taught me the prin- cipal of plural marriage and I was married to him for time and eternity. In consequence of the ignorance of most of the Saints as well as the people of the world on this subject, it was not mentioned only privately between the few whose minds were enlightened on the subject." The idea included not merely that one man should have more than one wife, but that each wife should be "sealed" to a man other than her own husband, either
a living man or a dead Saint, and that without such form or ceremony she conld not be saved in the next world.
Rigdon was finally driven from the church in 1843, and when Smith was assassinated in 1844, during his candidacy for President of the United States, his final expulsion occurred through the influence of Brigham Young, who then became leader, and who openly taunted him before the conneil, saying, "Sidney says he will tell our secrets, but I say, 'tit for tat,' if he tells our secrets, we will tell his."
Rigdon established a paper in Pittsburg and attempted to establish another church but the Pittsburg people ridi- enled his visions and revelations. He claimed to have a body of followers in a room in Pittsburg during the great fire in Pittsburg in 1845 when a large part of that city was burned, and that the angels in the room left the room and changed the direction of the winds and saved the city from complete destruction. His life's work was ended and he lived a disappointed, solitary life with rela- tives until his death in New York in July, 1876. He never revealed, so far as is known, his connection with the book, although he claimed he had written a state- ment of some kind which he had not been able to get published. It woukl seem that the fearsome oaths of Mormonism forever intimidated him.
At the census of 1900, the Mormon Church is said to have 325,000 members, of which 20,000 are outside the United States, and students of the subject claim that with the balance of power in so many states, the Mormon people are the most threatening danger to our nation.
CHAPTER XVII.
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
Higher Education-Washington and Jefferson College-Washington and Jefferson Academy-Jefferson Academy at Canonsburg-Washington Female Seminary-South Western State Normal School at California-Com- mon Schools and Press.
The Washington and Jefferson College of today owes its origin to the union of two colleges-Jefferson, char- tered in 1802, and Washington, chartered in 1806, and located but seven miles apart. This fact raises two ques- tions: First, How came there to be two in such close proximity? and, secondly, Why were they not united earlier than 1865?
It seems to be necessary to discuss the first of these questions in order that we may exonerate those noble men who started the educational movement a century ago from the charge of having intentionally committed the folly of planting two rivals side by side. Each of these colleges was the outgrowth of an academy, and the acad- emies resulted from an educational movement which began about the year 1780. The Presbyterian ministers who settled in the county along with the pioneers were strong in their convictions that the higher education should go hand in hand with religion, and began fourteen years or so before the Indian warfare had wholly passed away, to gather boys into schools. Their primary purpose was to educate them, aud their ultimate purpose was to fit some of them to become ministers and missionaries. Three of these schools were founded in different parts of the county -- one by the Rev. John McMillan, D. D., at Chartiers, about two miles from Canonsburg; one by the Rev. Thaddeus Dodd, at Amity, about ten miles south of Washington, and one by the Rev. Joseph Smith, at Buffalo, about eight miles west of Washington. Very wisely distributed ! These schools were held in rude log-cabin structures, with- out floors, a small opening, filled with oiled paper, serv- ing the purpose of a window. Dr. McMillan's second cabin is still standing in Canonsburg, where it was moved for preservation. The date of the opening of these schools is uncertain, but Dr. McMillan's and Mr. Dodd's schools were certainly opened as early as 1782, and Mr. Smith's about 1785. They were in no sense rival schools, nor does it appear to have been the design of their founders that they should grow into chartered academies, and, later, into colleges. They were temporary expedi- ents, to be supported until their work could be undertaken
by more permanent institutions. All three of these noble men-McMillan, Dodd, and Smith-united with some other ministers of the county and prominent laymen in the work of organizing the first academy and locating it at the county-seat. For this academy-probably the first west of the Allegheny Mountains-they procured a char- ter from the Legislature of the State, which bears the date of September 24, 1787. Among the incorporators are found the names of five Presbyterian ministers-all who were then living west of the Monongahela River- one Baptist minister, and fifteen laymen. This academy was not opened until April 1, 1789. At that time Rev. Thaddeus Dodd entered on his duties as principal, with twenty or thirty students, in the upper rooms of the court house, which had been rented for that purpose, and he continued in his work for fifteen months. He retired then because he had agreed to take the school for a year only, and was succeeded in 1790 by Mr. David Johnston, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, who had been employed under Mr. Dodd as teacher of the English branches. In the winter of 1791 the court house was burned, and the academy, unable to procure any suitable place, was forced to suspend work. This inability to get another place is attributed to the general indifference of the citizens of the town. Dr. McMillan and Rev. Matthew Henderson endeavored to arouse interest, but in vain. They became discouraged, and applied to Col. John Canon, of Canonsburg, who offered a lot, and also to advance the money for the erection of a building for an academy. They abandoned further effort in Wash- ington and united with the ministers and citizens from all parts of the county to found and sustain the academy at Canonsburg. Had that court house fire not occurred, or had the citizens of this town taken sufficient interest in the academy to find a suitable place for it, then the rivalry of two colleges for fifty years would have been avoided. This was the first serious mistake of our prede- cessors. The academy at Canonsburg was opened in the summer of 1791, and a charter obtained in 1794. The educational forces of the county were withdrawn from
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
Washington and concentrated at Canonsburg. The prin- cipal, Mr. Johnston, left Washington and became the first principal of the new academy, taking many of the stu- dents with him.
But the snecessful opening of the academy at Canons- burg and the widespread and growing interest in it, led the people of Washington to revive their academy. A lot was procured and the construction of the stone build- ing which now constitutes the central portion of the old collego building, still standing on the campus, was com- menced in 1793 and completed two years later. This academy was soon in full and successful operatiou, under the principalship of James Dobbins, who accepted that position in 1796. IIe served until 1804, when Benjamin Mills became tho principal and officiated until 1806. In the latter year Rev. Matthew Brown hecame principal, and heeame also the first pastor of the Presbyterian church in Washington.
With Dr. Matthew Brown at its head, ably assisted, it is not strange that the success of the Washington Acad- emy was so marked as to create a strong desire that it, too, should grow into a college, and thus lead to earnest effort in that direction. The charter for Washington College was granted March 28, 1806. In 1811 the foun- dation of the college as a higher educational institutiou of learning was laid hy the purchasing of some of the more necessary articles. In 1816 additional buildings were commenced. The next year Dr. Brown retired from the presidency of the college and was succeeded hy the Rev. Andrew Wylie, his former pupil, until then prin- cipal at Canonshurg. He occupied the position as presi- dent of Washington College until 1828.
Two years passed without a president, a part of which time no teaching was done. The Rev. David Elliott was elected to the office and resigned the following year, 1831. During his period the chair of English Literature was established, probably the first in any college in this country. Rev. David McConaughy was elected in 1831 and resigned in 1849. During his term of office, in 1836, a new college huilding was erected, as the old building became too limited for the uses of tho institution, and in 1847 it was still further enlarged. The next president was Rev. James Clark, who continued from 1850 to 1852.
In 1852 the college placed itself under the care and partial control of the "Synod of Wheeling" and hecame a "Synodical Institution." Rev. James I. Brownson was elected president pro tem. in 1852 and occupied that posi- tion until the next year when Rev. John W. Scott became president, and held that office until the union of Wash- ington and Jefferson College in 1865.
As was said hefore, when the Canonsburg Academy was opened in 1791, David Jolinston hecame principal. As soon as a convenient house was built, Rev. Mr. MeMillan
transferred his Latin school, which he had been teaching at his owu house for six or seven years, to the chartered academy. In 1796 Mr. Johnston and James Mountain were appointed teachers hy the trustees. James Ross, afterward the noted attorney, taught at Canonshurg.
It is probable that Canonsburg Academy kept the lead, and so great was its progress that as early as January 25, 1796, the Legislature was petitioned for a college charter. This petition was renewed in 1800, and agaiu in 1802, tho last effort being successful. After the time Cauonshnrg College was chartered, in 1802, until the time of its union with Washington College in 1856, the follow- ing men were elected principals: Rev. John Watson, 1802; Rev. James Dunlap, 1803-1811; Rev. Andrew Wylic, 1812-1816; Rev. William McMillan, 1817-1822; Rev. Mathew Brown, 1822-1845, called from the Presbyterian Church of Washington, and until recently president of Washington College; Rev. Robert J. Breckenridge, 1845- 1847; Rev. Alexander B. Brown, 1847-1856; Rev. Joseph Alden, 1857-1862; Rev. David R. Riddle, 1862 until the union in 1865.
Iu 1824 Jefferson Medical College, of Philadelphia, was established in that city under the charter of Jefferson College in Cauonsburg. Legal connection was made and one of the medical professors at Philadelphia gave in- struction in chemistry at Canonsburg, leading to the enlarging of the curriculum.
Something similar was worked out by its competitor, and a connection was formed between Washington College and the Maryland Medical College, of Baltimore, hy which Washington College consented to confer degrees in medi- eine on sneh graduates of the Baltimore College as were properly certified to the Washington board and approved by a committee.
But going hack-as early as 1807, before Washington College had graduated its first class, negotiations had been begun for a union with Jefferson College. Although satisfied as early as 1807 that there should be but one college, they were not united until 1865. The reason for this was that the committee appointed from each college wanted to have the united college located in its own town and would accept no other argreemeut.
Subsequent negotiations took place in 1815, 1817, 1843, 1847 and 1852, and all failed in their purpose. The prime reason for their union in 1865 was the financial embarrassment of both. This was caused by their des- perate efforts to increase their endowments. Until 1853 they were almost completely dependent upon tuition and contingent fees paid by students to meet their current expenses. These fees made a sum too small for the in- stitutions to live upon. Therefore the scholarship scheme was devised. But this left them shortly afterwards in a worse conditiou as the scholarships eut off tuition fees.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
It was at this crisis that Rev. Dr. C. C. Beatty, of Steubenville, Ohio, offered the gift of $50,000 on condi- tion of the union of the two colleges.
On the 4th of March, 1865, a charter was granted by the Legislature for the one College of Washington and Jefferson, the names of the institutions being united. The conditions of this nuion were that the college proper should be held at Canonsburg and the freshman class, preparatory and scientific departments taught at Washı- ington.
On the 6th of March, 1866, Rev. Jonathan Edwards was elected to the presidency of the college. During the first years of his term of office the college weakened, the tail end at Washington being so far from the head end at Canonsburg. It was decided to reorganize, and accord- ingly the Legislature passed the supplement to the char- ter February 26, 1869, limiting the college to some one location within the State. The town of Canonsburg offered subscriptions to the amount of $16,000 as an in- dncement, and Washington subscriptions to the amount of $50,000. Kittanning, Pittsburg, Steubenville, Wooster and Uniontown desired the college. On April 20, 1869, on the eighth ballot, Washington was decided npon as the location of the consolidated college.
Rev. Dr. Edwards resigned the presidency of the col- lege, and was sneceeded by Rev. Samuel J. Wilson, presi- dent pro tem., whose term continued from April 20th, 1869, to Angnst 4th the same year. Rev. James Q. Brownson, D. D., was elected president pro tem. on the 1st of February, 1870, and served until August 3rd, 1870. After these two short terms Rev. George P. Hays, D. D., was elected president, August 3rd, 1870, and resigned June 3rd, 1881. On November 16thi of that year Rev. James D. Moffat, D. D., the present incumbent, was elected to the presidency of the college.
The worth and prominence of the last two named pres- idents are shown by their exaltation in dne time to the office of moderator of the General Assembly of the Pres- byterian Church of North America-the highest position their church conld bestow.
The period of growth may be said to have begun after the perfected form of union. Neither of the colleges could before that time obtain any endowment, as their close proximity was regarded by men of business habits as rendering the success of both doubtful. By the union the first endowment of $50,000 was obtained. Until then it was all that either college conld do to secure build- ings of modest size and a scanty support for small facul- ties. The $50,000 of the town of Washington went into the erection of the front part of the main building on the campus, the part containing the twin towers to symbolize the two colleges that had been united. The larger gifts that have since been made to the growth of the college have been: A second contribution of $50,000 from Dr. .
Beatty, of Steubenville, Ohio, one of $40,000 by Dr. LeMoyne, of Washington, to the chairs of agriculture and correlative branches and to applied mathematics and biology, abont $20,000 from many persons toward the erection of the gymnasium which cost $40,000, about $20,000 by many toward the purchase of the academy lot and building; $20,000 by Judge MeIlvaine for the dormi- tory, or Hays Hall; $50,000 from Mr. W. R. Thompson for the library, and $11,480 from Mrs. Thompson for the support of the library; (it may be mentioned here that in 1790 the Washington Academy received from Benja- min Franklin a donation of fifty pounds which originated the present library of Washington and Jefferson College.) $140,000 from Mr. J. V. Thompson, of Uniontown, for endowment in memory of his father; about $25,000 by almunmi for the Alonzo Linn memorial professorship; abont $90,000 from John H. Wallace for the chair of rhetoric and oratory.
Still other additions were made to the endowment by the legacy of the late Major George M. Laughlin, amount- ing to $100,000, and many other smaller amounts. The present endowment is $635,538.74, and the real estate of the college valued at $412,932.66. A movement has been set on foot for the raising of a million dollars for the erection of new buildings.
On the campus are the main college buildings, the gym- nasium, which is known all over the country as one of the most handsome and finely equipped buildings of its kind among American colleges, the old academy building and a beautiful new library building. A fine althletic field, several squares from the college buildings, and the observatory in the eastern part of the town make up the grounds of the college. The college owns several dwell- ing houses for the use of professors and also vacant prop- erty.
There has been a corresponding increase in the number of professors and teachers. Twenty-seven years ago there were but seven persons in all engaged in the work of instruction in the college and the preparatory depart- ment. The catalog of the present year contains the names of thirty in the faculties of the college and the academy, including four retired from active duties. The attend- ance also has grown from less than 200 to 425 in the col- lege, Academy and summer school.
Tho method of instruction has also kept pace with the development of college education in the United States, and apparatus and laboratories have been provided to meet the modern demand.
The ceasless toil of these two men, Hays and Moffat, by day and night, in teaching, preaching and soliciting funds to exalt this college, can never be fully compre- hended by the alumni and the public.
The union of the two old colleges which had grown from the two early academies produced sore hearts
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
among the alumni, of which the majority bad graduated at Canonsburg, and Canonsburg, which depended on its college for life and was not the manufacturing town it is today, became embittered. Lack of interest and support amounted to much opposition in every way, but especially the injunction proceeding, which was carried even to the Supreme Court of the United States. hr the midst of this discouragement Dr. Hays, only 32 years of age, born and reared near Canonsburg, a grad- uate of the college at Canonsburg, came to Washington in 1870. Most of the students, discouraged and dis- satisfied, had left for other colleges and there were only ten graduates and a total of 110 students. From this embarrassing beginning with an endowment of only $200,000 has been developed a college respected through- out the educational world.
Two of the instructors iu the United College brought over from the days of division can never be forgotten by those who came into their presence. The quaint and droll Professor Samuel Jones and the all-knowing aud all-searching (so he seemed to the unprepared) Pro- fessor Alonzo M. Linn, plodded quietly on through the defections and depletions caused by the Civil War and the mutterings of discontent and threats of disaster which came immediately upon its close. Professor Linn, vice president under both Hays and Moffatt, at different times filled practically every chair with great skill and dignity and was always a power in the faculty deliber- ations. These and the ever amiable and worthy Dr. Henry Woods, now professor emeritus aud college chaplain, are as much a part of the college as its most conspicuons capstone.
Embalmed in the history of this college as ever loyal supporters devoting to it much time and thought were John H. Ewing, gradnated in 1814 and for 53 years a trustee; A. Todd Bard, for 20 years its free serving and wideawake treasurer; the McKennans-Hon. T. M. F. and two sons-who served as trustees covering a period upward of three quarters of a century, and A. W. Acheson and Colin M. Reed, whose services extended over half a century. The very wisest nursing of this institution was done by the ever vigilant Dr. James I. Brownson.
The work so well done by those and their associates is being earnestly carried forward by an earnest board of busy men of a great variety of professions and occu- pations.
This college is situated in a town which prides itself as leading all other towns in the United States save one in healthfulness. As has been well said by Chancellor S. B. McCormick, if it had no other claim upon the community than the glorions history of its past, it would still demand admiration, respect. reverence, gratitude and support. Sitnate in the midst of the descendants
of the Scotch-brisb, who came here a hundred years ago, it has the finest constituency of any college in the land, and this gives it an opportunity and an ability to ac- complish results that alone constitute an obligation upon those who are able to contribute to its needs. It has stood for Christian education, Christian character. It has stood for the college as distinguished from the uni- versity, for teaching distinctively as against the lecture method. Its four years' course is now adapted to supply the wants of all comers.
Two of the largest Greek letter college fraternities in existence were organized in Canonsburg, the Phi Gamma Delta, formed in 1848, and the Phi Kappa Psi, formed four years later (1852). Both had their incep- tion among the students of Jefferson college, and both have spread throughout the collegiate world. Last year the Phi Gamma Delta reported a membership of 11,500, with 57 active and 25 inactive chapters. The fraternity owns 45 chapter houses.
The Phi Kappa Psi bad, in 1908, a membership of 10,500, with 43 active and 20 inactive chapters. There are 34 chapter houses owned by this fraternity. Of the 33 college frats in the United States, only four others have as many members as these two that were formed in Canonsburg.
The Phi Gamma Delta maiutains a memorial hall at Dayton, O., and iu February last it secured the mantel from the room in which the society was formed in Canonsburg and shipped it to Dayton. The organi- zation also maintains a memorial in Canonsburg in the form of the old MeMillau log college, which was moved in June, 1895, from its original site on the Fulton Bros.' farm, two miles southeast of town, to the campus of old Jefferson College. The old building was placed on its new site through the efforts of Rev. W. F. Brown, D. D., son and grandson of one-time presidents of the college.
February 7, 1908, the fraternity placed upon the old college a bronze tablet bearing the following inserip- tion :
"This Log Cabiu was built in 1780 by the Reverend lohn Medillan, D. D., and was the beginning of Jef- ferson College. It was donated by Dr. MeMillan's de- srendants, the Fulton Brothers, to the Rev. William F. Brown, D. D., who removed it to this campus in 1895, and committed it to the guardianship of the Trustees of the Jefferson Academy. By action of the Board of Trustees, 1907, its perpetual care was entrusted to the College Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, founded in Jefferson College in 1848. For the honor of the founders of the Fraternity. Daniel Grofts, James Elliott, Ellis B. Gregg, Samnel John T. MeCarty."
The college now has eight national Greek letter fra- fornities.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
It is interesting to uotice the rivalry in adopting ad- vanced ideas and plaus in the two colleges which stood seven miles apart. Frankliu Literary Society and Philo Literary Society were both organized iu Cauoushurg voluntarily hy Jefferson students iu three years before the beginning of the nineteenth century. Au ambitious youth, W. Neill, is credited with originating the annual contest in oratious, compositiou aud debate in 1799. How little he theu thought of the great educational and oratorical efforts that would follow through cen- turies in the line of his suggestion.
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