USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 31
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The course of study was spelling, reading and writing; these branches were successfully taught. In speaking of the Amos Reed school-house-referred to hereafter-Dr. A. T. Schryver tells us, that, "it was a kind of a resort for all youngsters to go to spell; they were better spellers three times over then than now. They met there every Saturday and Saturday night, and would have spelling school and singing school combined. They spelled out of a diction- ary and some of them could not be downed."
There was no regular system of text books. One teacher reports that there were twelve different kinds of reading books in use in his school. The Testament, biographies of Washington, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Web- ster's Speller were the principal early text books. Pike's Arithmetic came into use and was taught to the "single rule of three." These books with a few sheets of unruled foolscap paper, a bottle of ink and a goose quill, constituted the scholar's outfit. The teacher made and mended pens and set copies for all the scholars.
The manner of imparting instruction was very different from the system now in use, there being no uniformity in text books ; there were no classes, and individual instruction was given. The Johnsonian theory of teaching was frequently used, the teacher contending that the memory could be strength- ened and the lesson permanently impressed upon the mind by stating the idea sought to be taught and then administering a good flogging-a sort of im- provement of the memory by association.
The scholars of these early days were very much as they now are. Boys are boys the world over. They never wanted for amusement, never waited for something to turn up, but oftentimes turned things upside down to suit them- selves. This was especially the case about Christmas time and the other holi- days. Dr. Schryver says that at these times the scholars run the schools to suit themselves. They would sometimes lock the teacher out and keep him out for a whole week. The obnoxious system of treating was in existence then as now. If the teacher did not treat when demanded, " the girls would urge the boys to ' declare a lock-out' and bar the door." "The pupils," he says, " once levied on me for a treat and handed this paper up to me," to wit: " Master, we want a treat ; please furnish
" Candy 1bs.
".Raisins lbs.
" Ginger Cakes.
" Apples 3 dozens.
" Whiskey. .2 bushels.
" Please sign your name."
2 quarts.
28g
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS AND INSTITUTIONS.
He says "that several times three or four boys would get around me to carry me out, but were afraid to take hold of me."
It is stated on good authority that whilst Daniel Spackman was the master at the school house near his home, that there was a lock-out of some duration. Getting tired of the protracted rest given the master, Mr. William Reed con- ceived the idea of smoking the boys and girls out, but knowledge of his plan in some way got to the scholars, and they prepared themselves for the emer- gency by taking a pole into the school-house with them. The master and Mr. Reed came and sought admission in vain. Mr. Reed thereupon climbed upon the roof, placed a board over the chimney and seated himself upon it. As soon as the smoke began to inconvenience the scholars, they put the pole, which they had taken the caution to provide, up the chimney, and using it as a battering-ram against the board, knocked Mr. Reed and his board off the chimney and to the ground, causing him severe injury.
The early settlers in the county were not an educated people, but, as a rule, they were desirous of having their children properly educated, although some entertained strange views upon this subject. One honest and upright man refused to educate his children because he "was afraid it would make fools and rascals of them, and he was desirous that they should live honest and upright lives."
After 1830 school-houses began to increase in numbers throughout the country. There was a general desire for better laws upon the subject of edu- cation. This sentiment grew stronger and stronger, and in 1831 "petitions asking for the establishment of a better system of public education " were pre- sented to the two Houses of the State Legislature.
In the immediate vicinity surrounding Clearfield, a number of schools were held and school-houses erected by the people, just upon the eve of the passage of the act of 1834, and immediately thereafter. Prominent among them are the following, to wit :
A house was built about 1834, by private subscriptions, at the point where the T. and C. Railroad bridge crosses Clearfield Creek, about two miles east of Clearfield town. The present school-house, located some distance from this site, is known as "Waterford," or vulgarly as " Hell's Half Acre." Robert Wrigley was one of the earliest teachers here.
In 1837 Frank Dunlap taught school in Lawrence township, near where Benjamin Dale now lives. Whether this was a private school or a free school, the writer cannot state.
In 1838 a school-house was erected by public expense, by John Shaw, sr., at a point on the Penfield road just opposite where Mr. Eli Carrick now resides. This school was widely and familiarly known as the "Tom Hainey school." The first teacher was Miss Julian Holly, who taught in the summer of 1838. Frank Dunlap taught the common schools here in the winter of 1838-9. A. J.
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
Hemphill, Samuel Worrell, J. Kay Wrigley, Miss Elizabeth Livergood, per- haps Miss Mary Scoville and Miss Mary Ann Hoffman, all taught in this house. The last named teacher taught her scholars to spell and read backwards, hav- ing her spinning-wheel in school and running it while the scholars recited. It is told us that upon one occasion a huge rattlesnake took his place in the door- way here, thereby terrifying teacher and scholars, who all crowded into one cor- ner of the room. Finally one of the girls said she was not afraid of it, and to prove her statement ran and jumped over it, and then threw a stick into the school-house for the teacher, with which they then killed the snake. This school-I ouse was a noted place for spelling and singing schools.
A log cabin used to stand on the river bank in Reedsville-now Clearfield borough-just across the street from where Mr. A. W. Lee lately resided. It was old and abandoned, but in 1859 common schools were held in it for Law- rence township. The logs were rotten and alive with bed bugs. When the room was thoroughly warmed these would come forth and feast upon the schol- ars and greatly annoying them. From this circumstance the place was called "Bed Bug Seminary." The first school was taught here in 1858-9 by Dr. Schryver. Daniel Connelly, esq., was the next teacher, in 1859-60. In 1862 it was replaced by a new building some distance from the river, which was abandoned many years ago, and is now used for a dwelling house.
School was held every day during the week in the early schools, and latterly every second Saturday was a holiday.
ACADEMIES.
Mr. Wickersham, in his excellent book, "A History of Education in Pennsylvania," says, "Franklin and his coadjutors, in founding the academy and charitable school of the Province of Pennsylvania, in 1749, modeled it in most respects after the school Penn had chartered half a century before. They, too, contemplated a central school or an academy, open to all and free to the children of the poor." The public mind, in the early days of the Commonwealth, seems to have been educated .to the belief that the lan- guage of the constitution of 1790, enjoining "the establishment of schools throughout the State in such manner that the poor may be taught gratis," meant that central schools or academies should be established, open to all and free to the children of the poor. So widely prevalent was this idea, that in the organization of new counties, and in the selection of " seats of justice " for the same, ground for an academy was as much a necessity as ground for the public buildings. The history of the academies of this county, therefore, very properly begins with the selection of a location for "the seat of justice." In 1805 Governor Mckean appointed Roland Curtin, John Fleming, and James Smith, commissioners, to select a location for the seat of justice of Clearfield county. They selected a site and laid out a town upon the lands of Abraham
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EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS AND INSTITUTIONS.
Witmer, near the mouth of the creek Chincleclamouche. Upon the plot or plan of the town as returned by them to the office of the Secretary of State, three lots are marked as " Academy lots." On November 5, 1805, Abraham Witmer gave his bond to these commissioners in the penal sum of ten thou- sand dollars, conditioned, inter alia, as follows : "And the said Abraham Wit- mer further agrees and engages to give his bond, or other security as may be required, to such person as may be authorized to receive the same, for the pay- ment of three thousand dollars on the first day of May, which will be in the year of our Lord, 1812, one-half thereof to be applied for the use of an acad- emy or public school in said town."
The next step in this matter was the making, execution and delivery of a deed, bearing date March 6, 1813, recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds in and for Clearfield county, on 27th April, 1813, in deed book "D," page 320, Abraham Witmer and Mary Witmer, his wife, to Robert Maxwell, Hugh Jordon, and Samuel Fulton, commissioners of Clearfield county, convey- ing, inter alia, " and also three other lots of ground in the said town, for the use and benefit of an academy, fronting on Walnut street and adjoining each other, bounded in front by Walnut street, on the north by an alley, on the east by Fourth street, and on the west by lot number one hundred and sixty- one, each lot extending to the aforesaid alley one hundred and seventy-two feet." These lots are numbers 162, 177 and 178, in the present plan of Clear- field borough.
By an act entitled, "An act establishing an academy in the town of Clear- field," approved 12th February, 1827, it was enacted as follows :
" SECTION I .- That there shall be and hereby is established in the town of Clearfield, in the county of Clearfield, an academy for the education of youth in the useful arts, sciences and literature, by the name and style of 'The Clear- field Academy.'
" SECTION 2 .- That until the first day of April, eighteen hundred and twenty-eight, the trustees of the Clearfield Academy shall consist of the fol- lowing persons, to wit : Alexander Reid [Reed], Moses Boggs, Reuben Wins- low, John Kylor, Martin Nichols, John P. Hoyt, James Ferguson, Elisha Fen- ton, and William McNall [McNaul], which said trustees, and their successors to be elected as hereinafter directed, shall be and hereby are declared to be one body corporate and politic, by the name, style and title of 'The Trustees of the Clearfield Academy,' etc.
"SECTION 3 .- That the said trustees of said'academy, and their successors, shall have full power and authority to use one common seal, and the same to alter at their pleasure."
The fourth, fifth and sixth sections relate to the meeting of the trustees, by-laws, and elections.
" SECTION 7 .- That the sum of two thousand dollars be and the same is
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
hereby granted to be paid by warrant to be drawn by the Governor on the State Treasurer to the Trustees of the Clearfield Academy, or a majority of them, one thousand dollars thereof, to enable them to erect suitable buildings for said academy, or to be otherwise applied under their direction, in such manner as they shall believe to be most advantageous for promoting the object of said institution, and the remaining one thousand dollars shall placed in some safe productive fund or funds, and the income thereof shall be forever applied in aid of other revenues, to compensate a teacher or teachers in said academy ; provided, that the money hereby granted shall not be paid until the sum of one thousand dollars shall have been raised by private subscription for the benefit of said institution, and there shall be admitted into said academy any number of poor children who may, at any time, be offered in order to be taught gratis ; provided, also, the number so admitted and taught shall, at no time, be greater than five, and that none of said children shall continue to be taught gratis in said academy longer than two years."1
At this point-in view of the articles previously written upon this subject- the question is suggested, Was the academy built upon the lots donated by Abraham Witmer ?
In his report to the superintendent of public instruction for the year ending June 1, 1877, Dr. J. A. Gregory, then county superintendent, in speaking of the Clearfield Academy, says: "The lots on which it is situated and $1,000 in money were donated by Abraham Whitmer [Witmer], of Lancaster county," -see " Pennsylvania Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1877," page 176. Mr. Wickersham, in his " History of Education in Pennsylvania," Chapter XXII, on secondary education, page 459, says, in speaking of the Clearfield Academy : "The lots on which it was located were the gifts of Abram Witmer, of Lancaster county." These gentlemen have fallen into error upon this question of location, as will be seen in continuing the his- tory of the lots donated by Abraham Witmer.
In the minute book of the county commisioners of Clearfield county there appears the following entry : "June 15, 1830 .- At the request of the trustees of the Clearfield Academy, a conveyance, made to them of lots in Clearfield town, Nos. 162, 177, 178, by the commissioners, being the same lots which were conveyed to the commissioners of Clearfield county, for the use of an academy in Clearfield town." Then follows naturally the deed, " Alexander Caldwell, J. F. W. Schnarrs, and Robert Ross, of Clearfield county, commis- sioners of said county," to "Thos. Hempbill, Joseph M. Martin, Robert Ross, jr., A. B. Reed, G. P. Gulich, trustees of the Clearfield Academy." Dated June 15, 1830. Recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds, in and for Clearfield county, 12th July, 1830, in deed book " D," page 138, for lots "Nos. 162, 177, 178, situate in the town of Clearfield."
1 The sum received by this institution under act of 1838, Chapter 8386, up to Ist February, 1843, was $2,075 .- Republication of Pamph. Laws, Vol. IX., page 266.
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EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS AND INSTITUTIONS.
We next find that among the minutes and proceedings of the Board of Trustees of the Clearfield Academy, inter alia, it is thus recorded. " And now to wit: May 8, 1830, On motion Martin Hoover, esq., was appointed Presi- dent of the Board of Trustees of the Clearfield Academy, for the ensuing year, and Joseph M. Martin was appointed Secretary." "And now to wit: Satur- day, May 22, 1830, Messrs. Ross, Hartshorn, Hoover, Hempbill and Martin being present on motion.
" Resolved, That the lots belonging to the said Academy, Nos. 162, 177, 178, be advertised for sale on the second Tuesday of June next, at the Court House in Clearfield town. That the same be advertised in the Clearfield Ban- ner and offered for sale on said day at public outcry, sale adjourned to 14th June inst. And now to wit: June 14, 1830, Academy lots sold to Jacob Ir- vin for forty dollars, twelve and one-half cents."
" Resolved, That the deed be made to Jacob Irvin for the above lots, pro- vided he pays the cash when made, or that he gives a judgment note for the same with security, he to pay all expenses and costs arrising."
" Resolved, That Joseph M. Martin attend to taking the judgment note from Jacob Irvin, and to have it entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Clearfield county."
" And now to wit: June 23, 1830. Resolved, That the president and sec- retary of the Board of Trustees for and in behalf of the whole Board make, execute and acknowledge an assignment of the deed for the Academy lots Nos. 162, 177, 178 to Jacob Irvin, sold to him on the 14th inst., which deed is exe- cuted to the said trustees by the Commissioners of Clearfield county."
We then find assignment, Martin Hoover, President of the Board of Trus- tees of the Clearfield Academy, and Joseph M. Martin, Secretary, to Jacob Irvin, dated 26th June, 1830, recorded deed book "D" 320, 12th July, 1830, of lots Nos. 162, 177, 178. Consideration, $40.12 1-2. These lots were sub- sequently used by William Jones as a brick yard, and still later by M. Shirk as an annex to his tannery, an old bark shed still standing on same.
The lots upon which the Clearfield Academy was erected were acquired under the following conveyance : John Bumbarger and Anna Maria, his wife, by their attorney in fact, Alex. B. Reed, to Moses Boggs, Garry Bishop, Reu- ben Winslow, Martin Nicholls, George Wilson, James Ferguson, Doctor J. P. Hoyt, trustees of the Clearfield Academy, dated 7th February, 1829, recorded 2Ist May, 1829, in deed book "D" 128. Consideration, $120. For " all those two certain lots of ground situate in the town and county of Clearfield, one of the said lots known in the plan of said town by No. 31, containing in front by Front street 60 feet, and extending in depth 200 feet to an alley bounded in front by Front street, on the east by said alley, on the south by lot No. 32, and on the north by lot No. 30. The other lot situate in the town aforesaid known in the plan thereof by No. 32, containing in front on Front 38
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
street 60 feet, and extending in depth 200 feet to an alley bounded in front by Front street, on the south by lot No. 33, on the north by lot No. 31, and on the east by an alley." These proceedings and conveyances in the mind of the writer, answer the question suggested in the negative. The Clearfield Acade- my was not built on the lots donated by Mr. Witmer, the reason whereof does not appear, unless it is that the lots donated by Mr. Witmer were swampy and unfit for the purpose for which they were donated.
Frequent inquiry has been made as to the date when the academy build- ing was erected. We are told by Mr. J. A. Gregory, in his report as county superintendent, published in the Report of the Superintendent of Public In- struction for 1877, at page 176, that "in the year 1824 the first academy in Clearfield was completed." In this the writer cannot agree with the learned superintendent, who evidently must have relied upon information received from persons, honest in their statements, but who depended largely upon their memories for the data, as the date given is six years earlier than the true date. The academy was completed in 1830, which conclusion is based upon the fol- lowing facts : Beyond all question the " Clearfield Academy " was incorporated by the Act approved February 12, 1827, supra. The title to the lots on which it stands was secured by the conveyance of February 7, 1829, and the books of the treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the Clearfield Academy fur- nish the following corroborative minutes, to wit: Order No. 4, " November 1828, order in favor of Isaac Southard and Samuel Merrell as the first pay- ment for building the Clearfield Academy, $500."
In the report of Richard Shaw and Samuel Fulton, the auditors "for the year 1829, up to 22d May, 1830, as follows:
" It appears that, that when the academy is finished according to contract, by Southard and Merrell, and their payments are all due, then taking into their settlement the different sums loaned them, there will be [due]
" Amount due from Abraham Witmer, being balance of his subscription, about $900.00."
Mr. James Wrigley, who was born in 1812, and who worked on this build- ing-and was afterwards the treasurer-is positive that it was not completed, and that no school was held in it until the winter of 1830-31.
The Clearfield Academy, then, was completed in 1830. The building is situate on Front street, in the town of Clearfield, and faces Witmer Park, which extends to the eastern bank of the West Branch of Susquehanna River, and also almost directly opposite the landing known to lumbermen as the " Lick." The structure is of red brick, having a front of about sixty feet on Front street, and extending back about thirty feet, two stories high, with a cylindrical, octa- gon tower built from the center of the building. The building is now used as a dwelling house, with one room reserved and occupied by one department of the primary schools of the borough.
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EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS AND INSTITUTIONS.
Did the academy trustees ever receive the fifteen hundred dollars donated by Mr. Abraham Witmer? This question has been frequently asked, and the writer has never seen a published answer to the inquiry. The inquiry must be answered in the affirmative. On October 3, 1838, the treasurer, Richard Shaw, is charged in his account as follows : "To draught on the Treasurer of Clearfield Co. received from Commissioners of the county on account of debt due by Abraham Witmer dec'd, in part of his subscription to the Academy, $600."
Subsequently, suit was brought in the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin county, against John Graff, administrator of Abraham Witmer, deceased, and judgment obtained on 28th August, 1835, for $1,270.12. Mr. Graff assigned to the Clearfield Academy, in part payment of this judgment, a bond against Alexander Irvin, amounting to $1,070.52, which was afterwards canceled by Richard Shaw, giving his bond for the payment of the same on April 1, 1838, which was subsequently paid. The small balance, after deducting attorney charges, was arranged.
Again it has been asked, what became of the $2,000 appropriated to this school and mentioned in the act of 12th February, 1827 ? It was also paid, as is shown by the account referred to, in which are these charges against the treasurer : "To cash received from the Commonwealth, available funds, $1,000; to cash received from 'Do,' to be placed in some safe productive fund, $1,000."
The moneys received from Mr. Witmer's estate, and also from the Com- monwealth, were mingled and a portion invested, and finally was transferred to the school district of Clearfield borough, under act of 17th April, 1871.
The first school held in the academy was in the year 1830-31, and was taught by Dr. A. T. Schryver, now living. The writer is well aware that it is stated in various articles heretofore published, that the first school was taught here in 1828 by Dr. Schryver, but from what has been written such could not have been the case. From a statement made by Dr. Schryver recently, it would appear that he taught in Curwensville in 1826-27 ; on Grampian Hill in 1827-28 and 1828-29, and in 1829-30 in the grand jury room in Clearfield, and in the log cabin across the river-opposite the jail-which was built by Martin Nicholls, and in which he lived while building a new house. We have, in support of this position, the statement of Mr. James Wrigley-corroborated by a collateral event-that he attended the first school in the academy, and that Dr. Schryver was the teacher, and that it was in the late fall of 1830. We have it from Dr. Schryver himself that he received pay for the schooling of two poor children of Lawrence township ; that they attended his school at the academy in Clearfield ; that he received his pay from the county during his term in the academy ; and that he only taught in the academy one winter. The records of Clearfield county show that Dr. Schryver received two dollars
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
and ninety-four cents for educating poor children of Lawrence township, on November 8, 1830, which minute has been shown him, and he informs us that our conclusion fixing the date of the first school in the Clearfield Acad- emy in the fall of 1830 is correct.
The second teacher was James H. Laverty, who began in the fall of 1831 and continued as teacher until Decembr 20, 1834; salary, $300 per year. On 28th March, 1834, at a minority meeting of the trustees, the academy was leased to Mr. Laverty for a term of two years after April 1, 1834. Subse- quently, on April 11, 1834, this contract was annulled, and Mr. Laverty noti- fied to quit the premises, which he did, on December 20, 1834.
On May 5, 1834, twenty-two by-laws were adopted by the trustees, and a lengthy report was made, stating, inter alia, " that there are no available funds that can be made use of for general purposes."
In December, 1834, Judge Moses Boggs was employed as teacher from December 20, 1834, to May 1, 1835, upon the following terms : "He is to receive all he can make by the teaching of scholars that are sent to his school ; the board of trustees agree to pay him the sum of fifty-five dollars, provided he is to teach the five [poor] children as is directed by the act of Assembly."
September 2, 1835, Mr. John Heisey was appointed teacher for one quar- ter, " he to take the academy and to look only to the subscribers to him for his pay."
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