USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and its centennial celebration, Volume I > Part 44
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63
In the spring of 1849 the cholera again prevailed in this region. Several deaths occurred in the county. Robert Mc-
1 We are indebted to Dr. George M. Shillito, of Allegheny City, Pa., for data about a number of the South Side physicians.
389
History of Beaver County
Ferren, county commissioner, living near Hookstown, died July 9th. On the 11th John Waterhouse and a Mr. Hill died at Baden, and Emanuel B. Schly at Beaver. Near the same date a Mr. Dunbar died on the steamboat Genesee, and was buried at Georgetown. In September, Richard and James Partington, who were brothers, and father and uncle, respectively, of W. H. Partington of College Hill borough, died on the 9th and 16th. Two deaths from cholera occurred in Beaver County in the season of 1851-52; John Anderson, a shoemaker, near Brady's Run, and Michael Waterhouse at Baden were the victims.
Perhaps the most noteworthy epidemic in the history of the county was that which was popularly known as the "Hooks- town fever," so called because it was most severe in Hookstown and its neighborhood. It is now believed to have been an epi- demic of typhoid fever. It broke out in March, 1845, at An- derson & Shillito's mill (afterwards known as Bock's mill), on Raccoon Creek. The first case was that of Matthew Anderson. Then the following persons were stricken with it: Benjamin Anderson, George Shillito, John Anderson and his wife, Alice Mary Shillito, Mrs. Elizabeth Shillito, and Benjamin, John, and Robert Shillito. The last one named died. The disease spread through the country, reaching Hookstown about three months later. Of the three hundred and fifty inhabitants in that vil- lage eighty-six were taken down with it, and eight of the cases were fatal. Other deaths were, perhaps, indirectly caused by it. It lasted about seven months in Hookstown.
Franklin D. Kerr, M.D., formerly of Hookstown, now at Shousetown, Pa., furnished for Warner's History of Beaver County (1888) a full description of this epidemic, which we con- dense as follows: The period of incubation was about two weeks, and when death occurred it was generally in the third week of the attack. The patient was afflicted with great restlessness and foreboding of evil as threatening himself or his friends. After several days there were chills, thirst, severe aching along the spinal column and behind the ears, pulse slow and feeble in some cases, in others rapid and irregular, with nose-bleeding, the tongue coated brown and finally becoming black; in some severe constipation, in others persistent diarrhœa, with stools black as tar and dangerous hemorrhages. About the second
390
History of Beaver County
week there was delirium. One peculiarity was the sense of great oppression in the chest and abdomen, the patient fancying that immense weights were being placed upon him. One man, Mr. Kerr, wanted a knife with which to "remove an anvil, and other blacksmith's tools from his chest." This sensation of weight was extremely distressing to the patients. The active symptoms lasted in some cases thirty or forty days, and when recovery took place it was very slow, in many cases being six or seven months. The following persons died from this disease: Dr. Samuel Wallace, Dr. Alexander Young Coburn, Mrs. Sarah Miller, Mrs. Martha Witherspoon, Mrs. Althea Cross, Miss Isa- bella Eaton, William Freasure, and Samuel Carothers. Dr. William Smith of the village was also attacked, but recovered.
Beaver County Medical Society .- The following from the minutes of this Society shows the manner of its coming into existence :
BEAVER, November 23, 1855.
Pursuant to a call made through the county papers, a number of physicians met at the office of O. & S. Cunningham, for the purpose of organizing a Beaver County Medical Society. After the usual pre- liminaries the society was permanently organized by the election of the following officers: President, O. Cunningham; Vice-Presidents, George W. Allison, and Joseph Linnenbrink; Recording Secretary, David Minis, Jr .; Corresponding Secretary, David Stanton; Treasurer, Smith Cun- ningham; Censors, George W. Allison, David Stanton, and David Minis, Jr.
A Committee on Constitution was appointed, consisting of Drs. S. Cunningham, Dickson, and Stanton, which, on Decem- ber 29, 1855, reported and had adopted a constitution which in the year 1903 was altered and amended (as were the consti- tutions of all the societies of the State) to conform to the con- stitution of the State Association, which has in its turn been modified to conform to the constitution of the National Asso- ciation. The Beaver County Medical Society has been in con- tinuous existence ever since its organization, and is to-day active and influential. It is only through it that a physician can be- come a member of the State or National Society.
Following is a list of all the members of the Society, with the years of their admission, up to 1904:
Walter A. Rose.
391
History of Beaver County
Oliver Cunningham, David S. Marquis, Smith Cunningham, Isaac Winans, David Minis, Jr., Geo. W. Allison, David Stanton, Joseph Lin- nenbrink, Joseph H. Dickson, 1855; Wm. Stanton, John R. Miller, 1856; David Elder, 1859; P. B. Young, 1860; P. M. Kerr, W. J. Langfitt, A. P. Dutcher, 1861; S. P. Cummins, 1862; S. M. Ross, W. W. Simpson, Thomas Donehoo, I. S. Winans, D. Mckinney, A. M. Anderson, J. E. Jackson, 1864; Frank F. Davis, A. C. Barlow, Benjamin Feicht, A. L. S. Morand, 1865; G. W. Langfitt, O. S. Cunningham, J. M. Cummings, W. L. Morrow, J. S. Elliot, 1866; W. C. Shurlock, T. G. McPherson, A. W. Ache- son, Hiram Nye, 1867; G. Y. Boal, 1868; Charles Foerstige, 1869; Joseph Lawrence, E. A. Hepburn, 1873; James Temple, 1876; John Venn, H. S. McConnel, 1877; Stephen A. Craig, 1878; James A. Barr, James Mc- Pheeters, J. H. Wilson, W. J. Riggs, 1879; T. P. Simpson, W. C. Simp- son, C. T. Gale, W. H. Grim, W. S. Ramsey, James Scroggs, Jr., J. K. White, 1881; B. A. Vance, S. B. Post, 1882; U. S. Strouss, J. B. Crombie, 1885; G. Warburton, 1886; H. M. Shallenberger, 1887; A. S. Moore, J. J. Wickham, W. S. Grim, 1888; W. H. Craig, S. S. Kring, J. W. Coffin, John B. Ague, 1889; R. R. Mitchell, T. B. Gormley, 1890; R. W. Watterson, J. S. Louthan, R. Stanbury Sutton, H. Nye, J. J. Allen, G. J. Boyd, P. Max Foshay, 1891 ; G. A. Scroggs, S. D. Sturgeon, J. Burt Armstrong, 1892; George Christler, 1893; E. E. Neely, C. E. Gibson, 1894; G. Fay Boal, J. M. Davis, 1895; David Rose, 1896; J. R. Gormley, W. W. Simpson, Jr., Leroy S. Townsend, 1897; W. H. Porter, Guy S. Shugert, F. D. Kerr, J. H. Davis, 1898; O. C. Engle, G. M. McConnell, L. R. Hazlett, C. M. Iseman, Wm. C. Yolton, 1899; H. J. Coyle, J. S. Wade, Francis H. McCaskey, C. B. Denny, W. C. Meanor, Paul G. Mc- Connel, 1901; J. F. Elder, Robert B. Dawson, Boyd B. Snodgrass, Wm. J. Sterrett, 1902; Joseph J. Scroggs, Walter A. Rose, A. E. Torrance, Spencer P. Simpson, 1904.
Beaver Valley General Hospital .- December 13, 1894, a char- ter was granted to the Beaver Valley General Hospital, and it was opened for work January 1, 1895, in the building formerly used as the Merchants' Hotel, in Beaver Falls. Henry M. Myers was the first president, and remained as such until his death, when John Reeves was elected to the office. In 1898 the women's auxiliary to the Board of Directors was formed, with Mrs. C. A. Barker, New Brighton, President; Miss Mary Perrott, Beaver Falls, Secretary; and eleven other ladies, well-known in philanthropic work in the valley, members of the auxiliary. Later, the property of the Kenwood School for Boys, at Ken- wood, was purchased, and this, with a fine modern brick build- ing recently erected in connection therewith, is the present home of the Hospital.
Beaver County General Hospital, Rochester .- The need of a
392
History of Beaver County
hospital in the lower Beaver valley having long been recognized by the physicians in that part of the county, the Beaver County General Hospital was organized during the fall of 1899 by about a dozen of those most interested, and after considerable effort a site was secured at the corner of Pinney and Kentucky streets, on which there is a fourteen-roomed building now occupied by the hospital.
It was at first a semi-private hospital, but in 1902 was turned over to a Board of Directors, comprised of both laymen and physicians. The original members were Drs. Rose, Allen, Gib- son, Boal, Baker, Wickham, Scroggs, Jas. Gormley, Shugert, Marquis, Armstrong, and Ague. To these later have been added Drs. Shallenberger, McCaskey, Snodgrass, Peirsol, Marcy, and several others. The hospital had been in operation less than six months when it was partially destroyed by fire on the night of March II, 1901. Fifteen patients, beside all attendants, were safely removed. After about two months the building was re- paired and work again resumed. Since its opening in August, 1900, the institution has cared for 684 patients, of which 298 have been unable to pay for their care, and 123 of the remainder only partially able.
Rochester is the logical centre of the lower valley, and the location of the hospital within easy access to the manufacturing plants and railroads necessitates an immense amount of surgi- cal work resulting from accidents.
The institution has been successful in obtaining a State appropriation of $14,000, conditioned upon raising an equal amount. It is the intention of the Board to erect as soon as possible a new modern building to accommodate one hundred patients.
The present officers and directors of the hospital are: Blanche K. Fleming, Superintendent Training School; John A. Miller, Rochester, President; J. J. Allen, Monaca, Vice-Presi- dent; Guy S. Shugert, Rochester, Secretary; Thomas C. Fry, Rochester, Treasurer; Herman Speyerer, Rochester; Jas. T. Conlin, Rochester; Chas. H. Stone, Beaver; W. A. Rose, Roches- ter; J. J. Allen, Monaca; W. L. Shrum, Aliquippa, Directors.
CHAPTER XI
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY
Merits of Common-School System-Influence of Teachers-Pioneer Schools-State Aid-Lotteries Authorized-Efforts for Common- School Law-Act of 1834-Directors Elected-Tax Laid-Inspectors -Repeal Discussed-System Inaugurated-School Buildings- Teachers' Associations-Early Teachers-County Superintendents- Teachers' Institutes-Statistics-Higher Education.
'T is education forms the common mind, Just as the twig is bent, the tree 's inclined. POPE, Moral Essays, Ep. I, line 149.
THE late Mr. Herbert Spencer, the great English philosopher, strongly opposed State education, and earnestly endeavored to show the mischief which results when intellectualization goes in advance of moralization. Society is not benefited, but rather injured, he argues, by artificially increasing intelligence without regard to character. This position will hardly be controverted by any student of criminology, but the arguments and the evi- dence which supports them will not be admitted by the intelli- gent observer to be of force as against the common-school system of America. That system is not perfect, but, on the whole, there can be no doubt that its influence has been not only to educate, but also to elevate, the children who have enjoyed its advantages. The men and women who have administered the system have not been perfect either, but no nobler class of pub- lic servants is to be found in any calling. And it is questionable if even the Church has done more for the moral training of the youth of the land than has been done by the common schools. The almost universal sentiment of reverence and affection which is felt for the old schoolmaster and the old schoolhouse is not mere sentiment, but evidences a moral power in these early influences
393
394
History of Beaver County
that has taken hold of the roots of being, and will last as long as memory itself. Multitudes rise up to call them blessed whose "delightful task" it was, not merely "to teach the young idea how to shoot," but as much, or more, " to fix the generous pur- pose in the glowing breast." The rock that has followed many a man through the wilderness journey of life and kept him true to the noblest purposes, has been the Christ-like influence of some early instructor of his youth. They live again in minds made better by their presence,-these teachers,-a presence un- seen but not unfelt in many a pulpit, in halls of legislation and courts of justice, in shops and counting-rooms and kitchens. Who can fail to appreciate the genial humor of Goldsmith's description of Auburn's schoolmaster, or to recognize his coun- terpart in some teacher of his own acquaintance in the days langsyne?
A man severe he was, and stern to view; I knew him well, and every truant knew: Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace The day's disasters in his morning face; Full well they laugh'd with counterfeited glee At all his jokes, for many a joke had he; Full well the busy whisper, circling round, Convey'd the dismal tidings when he frown'd. Yet he was kind, or if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault. The village all declar'd how much he knew; 'T was certain he could write, and cipher too, Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage, And even the story ran that he could gauge. In arguing too, the parson own'd his skill, For even though vanquish'd he could argue still; While words of learned length and thundering sound Amaz'd the gazing rustics rang'd around; And still they gaz'd, and still the wonder grew That one small head could carry all he knew.
In old colonial days, when the English Commissioner for Foreign Plantations asked for information on the subject of education in the colonies, the Governor of Virginia replied, "I thank God there are no free schools or printing presses, and I hope we shall not have any these hundred years." I Thank God,
1 The American Commonwealth, Bryce, vol. i., p. 588.
An Old-Time Schoolhouse.
C
395
History of Beaver County
say we, his hope has been disappointed! Even Virginia has free schools, and in every part of our land they are here, and are here to stay. What Pennsylvania thinks of them is clearly seen in the single fact that her Legislature for the two years, 1900-01, appropriated to their support the princely sum of twelve million dollars.
Beaver County belongs to a region that has from the earliest period set a premium upon education. It was settled by a class of men who, if they had not themselves always enjoyed its bene- fits, knew its value, and had hardly finished their own rude houses before they sought to erect the schoolhouse. The facil- ities for teaching and the supply of teachers were in the very earliest times limited, of course. At first, in thinly settled neighborhoods, it was customary for some one to spend a few weeks or months of the most leisure period of the year in giving instruction in the common branches to the children of the neighborhood, the teacher sometimes "boarding round" and receiving small compensation, frequently not amounting to more than ten or twelve dimes a quarter, payable in work or provisions.
The schoolhouse was a cabin built of logs, frequently without clapboards or even shingles, and with perhaps two or more four- pane windows with greased paper for lights. There was a nar- row door of rough boards at one end; within, it was completely unfinished; low benches without backs for the pupils, and a chair or stool for the "master," constituting the furniture. The early curriculum was principally confined to the "three r's,- readin', 'ritin', and 'rithmetic," and the pupil gathered his pen- cils from the brook and plucked his quills from a barn-yard fowl, or from the wing of a wild goose killed by his father's rifle. These quills the master's cunning hand converted into pens. The text-books were a primer, a spelling book for advanced scholars, a reader, and an arithmetic, with the New Testament and perhaps the Catechism. In pioneer times they were doubt- less seldom able to have so much as these. Some foolscap paper and a slate completed the equipment of the candidate for learn- ing; an ink-horn, a jack-knife, and a birch rod that of his guide and mentor.
These remarks apply, of course, principally to the pioneer schools. Those of a later date showed some advance in the character of the buildings and furniture, and in the subjects and
396
History of Beaver County
methods of instruction. Many, indeed, contend that the com- mon schools of a period forty or fifty years ago were not inferior to those of the present day in thoroughness of teaching in the ordinary branches.
Our present free public schools are the result of an evolution. Over two hundred years ago the education and industrial train- ing of children were made compulsory by the organic law of the province of Pennsylvania. William Penn, in his great law for the government of the province, had made this proviso:
That all persons in this province and territories thereof having chil- dren, and all the guardians and trustees of orphans, shall cause such to be instructed in reading and writing, so that they may be able to read the Scriptures and to write by the time they attain to twelve years of age; and that then they be taught some useful trade or skill, that the poor may work to live, and the rich, if they become poor, may not want.
For the violation of this proviso a penalty of five pounds was threatened. There was no provision for public support ; the schools being left to private hands or under the control of the Church. This policy of the State towards the primary schools was in remarkable contrast with its attitude towards higher edu- cation, the General Assembly frequently making appropriations of money and setting aside public lands to establish academies and to aid colleges in various parts of the Commonwealth.I
1 Five hundred acres of land were donated to the Beaver Academy by the Legislature of the State (see chapter on Beaver borough); six hundred dollars from the sale of the in-lots of, and reserved land adjoining, Beaver were given to Greersburg Academy, and a warrant for five hundred acres of the Donation lands in what is now Beaver County was granted to the trustees of Washington Academy, Washington, Pa. These lands last named were sold in 1835 to James Allison, Jr., Esq. Other grants in different parts of the State are matter of record. We have found also the following entry in the Warrant Book of Beaver County (page 24.):
"Sept. 10, 1793. The Trustees of Washington Academy enters a warrant dated the ninth day of August, 1793, for four hundred acres about nine miles from the Ohio river on both sides of a branch of little Beaver creek, including a large Bottom.
Four hundred acres on Dry Run about four and a half miles from Ohio river near little Beaver creek. Four hundred acres adjoining the above. Four hundred acres adjoining the above. Four hundred acres adjoining the above. Total, 2,000 acres."
Some of our readers may be surprised to learn that many early schoolhouses were built with funds derived from lotteries, permission for the running of which was granted by legislative enactment; example: in 1805-1806 Acts were passed granting permission "to raise by way of lottery, a sum of money for the benefit of Pennepack school"; (P. L., 105.) "to raise money for building an English school-house in the borough of Reading, in the county of Berks, " "to authorize two thousand dollars to be raised by way of lottery, for erecting a school house, near Summony town, Montgomery County " (P. L., 671.), and many others. Lotteries were also authorized for various other purposes, as the building and repairing of churches and for paying church debts, for synagogues, bridges, removing ob- structions from rivers, building turnpikes, to assist companies engaged in the cultivation of vines, etc. See Pamphlet Laws of Penn'a, 1805-06, Index referring to Acts. We
The Public School, Beaver.
397
History of Beaver County
The Constitution of 1776 and that of 1790 provided for the establishment of "a school or schools in every county," but there was no legislation to give effect to their provisions. In March, 1802, the first law for the education of the poor gratis was passed, but this law was defective and remained a dead statute so far as many of the counties in the State were con- cerned. A similar law was passed on the 4th of April, 1809. This law provided that the county commissioners, at the time of issuing their precepts to the assessors, should direct them to obtain the names of all children between the ages of five and twelve years, whose parents were unable to pay for their school- ing, and also required the assessors to inform the parents of the children "that they are at liberty to send them to the most con- venient school free of expense." But a thorough and compre- hensive plan of popular education was yet to come. Agitation for this had been made in the State Legislature as early as the year 1825, when Gen. H. W. Beeson, of Fayette County, intro- duced a bill for the establishment of common schools, but this did not carry. Prominent in advocacy of this improvement in our own part of the State were General Abner Lacock of Beaver County and Dr. John Pollock 1 of Allegheny County, and they were nobly supported by other citizens of the region, but there were some obstructionists. Finally, however, the Act of the General Assembly, establishing the free common schools of the State, was passed and approved by the Governor, George Wolf, April 1, 1834. The bill is said to have passed both branches of the Legislature with an unanimity rarely witnessed in the adop- tion of legislation.2
copy here also an advertisement, which appeared in the Pittsburgh Gazette, on September 3, 1807:
PITTSBURGH LOTTERY.
The managers will commence drawing the Presbyterian Church lottery in the Court- house, in Pittsburgh, the 26th day of October next. All those who have tickets to sell are hereby required to make return to the managers before that day, on failure thereof the managers will deem them accountable for the price of the number of tickets put into their hands. As there are yet a number of tickets on hand, the managers propose to sell them on credit to good hands or on security, payable ten days after drawing commences.
JOHN WILKINS, JOHN JOHNSTON, WM. PORTER, Managers.
1 Dr. Pollock was the first postmaster at Clinton, which was the first post-office in Findlay township, Allegheny County.
2 P. L., 170-179. The Act is entitled "An Act To establish a General system of Edu- cation by Common Schools." Additional legislation, widening the scope of this Act, was passed in 1836, 1842, 1843, and 1844. See address by Hon. Warren S. Dungan in our second volume, Centennial Section.
398
History of Beaver County
The school law thus adopted provided for the election of directors in each district, and accordingly, on the third Friday of September following, the first election was held. The first Tuesday of November had been designated by the Act as the time for a joint meeting of the county commissioners, and one delegate from each of the boards of school directors to be held in order to take action on the question of making an appropria- tion for the support of the schools by a tax-levy, as required by the Fifth Section of said Act. In accordance with this call the joint-meeting was held at the time appointed, the first Tuesday being the 4th of November, 1834, in the commissioner's office (adjourning to the court-room), in Beaver, with the following delegates present :
William Morton, North Sewickley; James Mackall, Greene; Andrew Calhoon, Big Beaver; David Gordon, Hanover; James Irons, Hopewell; Robert Nevin, Moon; William Sheerer, Ohio; Thomas Silliman, Little Beaver; John K. Foster, North Beaver; Samuel Kennedy, Raccoon; John Douglas, South Beaver; James Allison, Borough; James Scott, Chippewa; Enos Hill, Economy ; Thomas Alford, Shenango; John Peirsol, New Sewickley; Archi- bald Robinson [Robertson ? B.], Fallston. The county com- missioners were: Solomon Bennett, David Somers, and James Scott.
The election of officers resulted in the choice of William Morton as chairman, and Richard H. Agnew as secretary.I
At this meeting two steps were taken towards the establish- ment of the common-school system in the county. On motion of John K. Foster, seconded by John Douglas, the motion pre- vailing, it was decided "that a tax be assessed and levied for common school purposes according to the provisions of the Act of Assembly." Second, it was moved by James Allison and seconded by John Douglas "that the sum of $3727.26 be fixed, and that the commissioners be requested to assess and fix that amount." This motion also carried.
The next month the following school inspectors were ap- pointed by the court at Beaver, in accordance with the provi- sions of the Act of Assembly :
1 The original minute book containing the proceedings of the joint meeting of the dele- gates and the county commissioners has recently been found. From it we obtain the facts given in the text.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.