USA > Pennsylvania > Huntingdon County > History of Huntingdon County, in the state of Pennsylvania : from the earliest times to the centennial anniversary of American independence, July 4, 1876 > Part 14
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School architecture has not yet reached a very high degree of perfection in the county, but most of the houses built latterly are neat, comfortable and commodious. They are generally about as good as the means of the district jus- tify, and are certainly far superior to the buildings used as school-houses half a century ago.
In the report of the County Superintendent for the year 1865, appears the following description of a room then used for school purposes in one of the wealthier districts :
" The room is a basement, sixteen by twenty feet, with two small windows. It has been occupied alternately as a stable, a butcher shop-of which it is now more suggestive than anything else-and a school-room. The floor is com- posed of boards laid down loosely, and scarcely raised above the damp, cold earth. The back part of the room has never been walled, and from the yielding soil issue, continually, small streams of slimy, disagreeable moisture, which trickle down its side. There was no ventilation, and the musty damp and vitiated atmosphere was suggestive of disease and death."
It is almost incredible that such things could have existed so recently as eleven years ago, This room must have been the representative of an anterior period.
Twenty-five years ago, many of our school-houses were heated by the old-fashioned fire-places, which, while they had little else to recommend them to favor, furnished better means of ventilation than some of our more modern build- ings can boast of. Those not heated in this manner were warmed by wood stoves. Coal as a fuel for school-rooms
173
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
is of late introduction. It is now very generally used. In a few districts, remote from the railroads, where wood is less expensive, the latter retains its place as a fuel.
Perhaps the greatest improvement in connection with our schools has been in the furniture and apparatus with which they are provided. The writing desks of a former day consisted of boards arranged around the room, against the walls, supported by wooden pins, and the seats, in most cases, were slabs with the flat sides up, the surfaces of which had never come in contact with a plane, and without backs. Here and there a school could be found fortunate enough to possess a map and a globe, the property of the teacher, but blackboards were unknown.
Marked progress had been witnessed in these respects, es- pecially during the last decade. The houses are not only built more substantially, but they are constructed and fur- nished with reference to health, comfort and convenience. A number of them are supplied with good patent furniture. Others have "home-made" desks and seats that are tolera- bly comfortable. Wherever the patented articles have been tried, they have proved to be cheaper and better than those manufactured in the old style, and are recommending them- selves to general use. A majority of our houses have out- line maps, a number have globes, charts and writing tablets, and a few have dictionaries. All but one have blackboards.
Although but few of our school buildings can be regarded as first-class in every particular, they are generally as good as those found in country districts any where. The best houses are in Alexandria, Mount Union, Morris, Mapleton, Petersburg, Porter, Tod, Walker, Warrior's Mark, Franklin and Huntingdon districts.
Teachers' institutes have done much in this county for the professional training of teachers, the education of public sentiment, and the improvement of the schools. The first institute was organized at Huntingdon, February 23rd, 1853. A preliminary meeting was held at the public house of Mrs. Hampson, where the following agreement was drawn up and signed by forty-five teachers :
174
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
" We the undersigned teachers of Huntingdon county, hereby agree to meet in Convention this day to promote the cause of general education and improvement of our pro- fession ; and we agree to be governed by a Constitution and By-Laws, adopted by a majority of the members in Conven- tion."
They then met in the Town Hall, and the Convention was opened with prayer, by Rev. James Campbell, who, on motion, was elected president. Miss C. T. Benedict, S. T. Brown and R. McDivitt were elected secretaries.
A committee was appointed to prepare business for the Convention. They reported a number of resolutions, among which were the following :
One resolving the Convention into an association to be called the " Teachers' Institute of Huntingdon county;" one providing for the appointment of a committee to draft a constitution and by-laws; one recommending to the Legisla- ture to provide for the appointment or the election of a County Superintendent; and one recommending the Pennsyl- vania School Journal to teachers and friends of education, The institute then adjourned to meet in Huntingdon, April 21st, 1853.
The first annual session was held as per adjournment, continuing two days. In the absence of the President, Rev. Campbell, J. S. Barr was made president pro tem.
The constitution and by-laws were read and adopted. They provided that the necessary expenses of each session should be defrayed by equal assessments on all the male members present, and any member refusing to pay his quota was to be suspended for one year.
The sessions of the institute were taken up in discussions on the methods of teaching the alphabet, spelling, reading, and arithmetic. Lectures were given on Teachers' Insti- tutes by Rev. R. Pierce ; on General Education by S. T. Brown; on School Discipline by D. Baker, and on Phonetics by R. McDivitt. An essay on the Influence of the Teacher was read by Miss G. T. Benedict. The subject of Uniform- ity of Text Books was also discussed.
175
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
The second annual meeting of the institute was held in Huntingdon, December 22nd, 1853. J. A. Hall was presi- dent and S. T. Brown and R. McDivitt, secretaries. The principal subjects of lectures and discussions were the Common School System, Duties of Parents, Language, His- tory, Music, The School Law, and Education.
Sessions were held thereafter, commencing as follows; December 21st, 1854, December 24th, 1855, December 22nd, 1856, February 22nd, 1858, December 27th, 1860, and De- cember 26th, 1861. The institute was subject to the call of the Board of Managers previous to the passage of the act of Assembly in 1867, making it obligatory upon the Super- intendent to convene the teachers of the county once in each year. Under this act, the institute met December 17th, 1867, and has since assembled annually.
Before the adoption of the common school system,no exami- nation was required of those who were applicants for posi- tions as teachers. From that time until the establishment of the Superintendency, the examinations were made by the directors, or by persons selected by them. Improvement in the qualifications of teachers only became perceptible after more thorough methods were put into operation by the Superintendents. Their supervision has been more di- rect than any that had previously been exercised, and the less the area over which it has been distributed, the more effective it has been in producing good results. The use- fulness of the Superintendency has therefore been much more apparent in the small counties than in the large ones.
The office met with considerable opposition in this county after its establishment, citizens of the county joining with others in petitioning the Legislature to abolish it. The Super- intendents were poorly paid, and failed to receive the co- operation of school officers and patron. During the con- tinuance of this opposition, they did more to improve the schools of the county than any other agency employed. Their efficiency was soon recognized, opposition ceased, and they were given the support of directors and friends of education.
176
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
At the first election of Superintendent, in June, 1854, the act establishing the office having been passed at the previous session of the Legislature, the salary was fixed at $300. Many of the members of that convention, who voted for a low salary, have since become warm advocates of the office and in favor of liberal compensation. John G. Stewart, now of Mount Union, was the only director who voted for $800, and was regarded as somewhat fanatical in his views.
The following is a list of the persons who have held the office, with the year of their election or appointment, and their salaries :
1854, J. S. Barr,
Salary $300,
1856, A. Owen,
1857,
$600
1860, R. McDivitt,
1863,
1866, D. F. Tussey,
66
66
1869, "
1872, R. M. McNeal,
1,000.
1875,
The receipts and expenditures for school purposes in the county are shown by the following table, the figures exhib- iting the increase from a time but a few years subsequent to the commencement of our free schools :
1842.
1857.
1865.
1875.
RECEIPTS. State Appropriation, Taxes & other sources, Total,
$ 4 779 00 8 2 020 90 $ 2 603 76 8 5 570 22
7 299 57
21 469 30
25 371 25 62 349 32
12 078 57 23 490 20
27 975 01 67 919 54
EXPENDITURES.
School Houses, build- ings, etc,,
$ 1 786 42 $ 2 558 15 $ 2 496 96 $ 13 573 66
Fuel, Contingencies, and Collection of taxes, Teachers' Salaries, Total,
589 83
1 653 76
8 069 03
19 319 50
4 237 02 22 839 72
10 645 28
23 531 411
29 573 70
12 569 11 39 756 10 65 898 87
66
Increased to $1,000.
S00.
Resigned April, 1856. Appointed,
There is a considerable number of persons in the county who have not been reached by the benefits of our educa- tional system. Illiteracy does not, however, exist to as great an extent as in some of the other counties of the State. In 1870, there were in the county nine hundred and fifteen persons, ten years of age and over, who could not read,
177
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
and eighteen hundred and seventy who could not write. The age, color and sex of the latter were as follows :
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGE.
Total.
Male.
Female.
Male.
Female.
10 to 15
62
57
2
S
129
15 to 21 .
79
95
3
5
182
21 and over
514
978
34
33
1559
Total .
655
1130
39
46
1870
Progress in education, as in all moral reforms, is necesarily slow. " As we perceive the shadow to have moved, but did not perceive it moving, so our advances in education, con- sisting of such minute steps, are perceivable only by the distance." Slowly as it may seem, we are steadily advanc- ing. Every department of our system is more perfect than when it was established, the grade of scholarship is higher, teachers are better qualified, and popular intelligence is more general.
M
CHAPTER XXIII.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS-SHIRLEYSBURG ACADEMY AND SEMINARY-MILNWOOD ACADEMY-CASSVILE SEMINARY-SOLDIERS' ORPHAN SCHOOL-HUNTING- DON ACADEMY-MOUNTAIN SEMINARY-CHURCHES.
Shirleysburg at one time supported a Boys' Academy and a Female Seminary, each of which had a liberal patronage. At that time a spirit of hostility to the public schools was rife in Shirley township, it being the last district in the county to accept the common school system. After the latter was ac- cepted and began to receive a generous support, these private schools grew weaker and finally expired. They have not been in existence for a number of years.
In 1849, Milnwood Academy, at Shade Gap, was founded through the energy and zeal of Rev. J. Y. McGinnes, Pres- byterian pastor at that place. Under his wise and efficient management, the institution sprang at once into popularity and success, but he did not long survive to continue his useful labors. His successors were Wilson McGinnes, nephew of the founder of the Academy, W. H. Woods, W. Mc- Knight Williamson, Rev. Van Artsdalen, W. A. Hunter, L. M. Beers and R. S. Kuhn. It was under the control of trustees until taken charge of by the latter gentle- man, when he purchased it. In its early days it was a flourishing school, and sent from its halls of learning, many who have become distinguished in the various walks of life, and who are scattered far and wide over the United States. It has not been in operation for four or five years. The buildings remain in good condition.
Cassville Seminary had its origin in the fall of 1851. The Rev. Zane Bland, in a conversation with Geo. W. Speer and David Clarkson, who is at present one of the Associate Judges of the county, suggested the place as admirably adapted for the location of a seminary. The enterprise was taken hold of by those gentlemen, stock subscribed, an asso- ciation formed and officers elected. On the 26th of May,
J
CASSVILLE SEMINARY,
179
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
1852, the Board of Trustees entered into an article of agreement with Robert Madden for the erection of the build- ing, who at once entered upon the work, and completed it the next fall or winter. While this was being done, the first session of the school was held in the M. E. Church, Rev. Ralph Pierce, Principal, and his wife, an adopted daughter of Bishop Peck, Preceptress. In 1854 and '55 another build- ing, for the accommodation of boarders, was erected by Robert Madden. The school was under the supervision of the Methodist Church, and continued in operation until the beginning of the late war. It gained considerable popu- larity and patronage, having at various times as high as a hundred and twenty-five students.
This property was purchased in September, 1865, by Prof. A. L. Guss, for a Soldiers' Orphan School. It included four acres of land, and was bought for $2,250. The erection of additional buildings and other improvements cost $5,000 more. The farm cost $3,000, and lots and adjoining grounds $1,000.
The school was opened November 6th, 1865. During the time it was in operation, pupils were admitted by orders from the State Superintendent, and by transfers from other schools, as follows :
Males.
Females, 149
Total.
Admitted on orders, .
174
323
by transfers,
99
62
161
Tota!, .
273
211
481
They were discharged as follows :
Males.
Females.
Total.
Discharged on age, (at 16 years,
116
99
215
order, 48
29
77
by transfer,
18
12
30
Died while in school, .
2
5
7
Discharged at close of the school,
89
66
135
Total,
273
211
484
The school closed April 10th, 1874, after having been open nearly eight and a half years. " The testimony of the out- side world and the records of the Department " show that it had been well managed.
180
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
The only private schools now in existence in the county are the Huntingdon Academy and the Mountain Seminary at Birmingham.
The former was incorporated by Act of Assembly of March 19th, 1816, which also granted a donation of $2,000 to the institution. It continued to receive State aid for a number of years. The buildings, then situated at the south- eastern corner of Second and Allegheny streets, known as Dean's Hotel, were purchased, and used for the school for many years. The brick building at the corner of Fourth and Moore streets was erected in 1844, and the school re- moved there. In 1874 a more commodious structure was placed at the northeastern corner of Fourth and Church streets. Professor J. A. Stephens was then the principal, and it was his efforts and energy that secured its erection. His health failing, he was able to teach but a short time in the new building. He died in April, 1876, much lamented by all who knew him. Prof. W. W. Campbell is the present principal.
The Mountain Seminary was incorporated in 1851, and the buildings erected by a stock company. Rev. Israel Ward, A.M., was the first principal. The school had only a moderate patronage and was far from being profitable. It was burdened with debt and the management was inefficient. In 1855, the property was sold at sheriff's sale and was un- occupied for sometime afterwards. In October, 1857, it was purchased by Prof. L. G. Grier, under whose auspices, with the assistance of Miss N. J. Davis, graduate of Mount Holyoke Seminary-than whom there is not a more thorough teacher in the State-and a full corps of teachers in music and other branches, the institution has achieved a marked success. The building has been greatly enlarged, and additional grounds purchased, until they now consist of about fifty acres. The latter have been greatly improved and adorned with shrub. bery. An extensive green-house adds greatly to the beauty and attractiveness of the premises. The laundry is in a sepa- rate building erected for the purpose. Ample washing and bathing facilities are afforded the pupils. The building has
181
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
been in a measure remodeled during the last year. It is now lighted with gas, manufactured on the premises, and heated by steam, both of which improvements contribute materially to the comfort and safety of the occupants. About fifty boarding and thirty five day scholars are in attendance.
We can give no other general church history of the county than that contained in the census returns for 1870. The details of the organization of churches and the building of edifices in many of the townships will be found in the local sketches which form many of the succeeding chapters. In 1870, there were in the county eighty-three church structures, and the value of all church property was $284,400. The number of organizations and sitting accom- modations was as follows :
Organizations.
Sittings. Organizations
Sittings.
Baptist, 12
4,900 Presbyterian, 12 4,300
Episcopal,
1
300 Reformed,
11 2,650
Lutheran, 10
3,350 Catholic, 2 2,000
Methodist, 29
12,800;All Denominations, 86
36,000
Thus the number of seats in the churches exceeds the population by nearly five thousand. And when we consider the large proportion of the people that stays away from church, regularly and irregularly, we will perceive how many of those seats must be empty. It is likely that the Methodist churches alone would accommodate all who can be found in attendance at all the churches on any single day.
Nearly all the denominations have improved their edi- fices since the above statistics were taken, and many of them have increased the number. Perhaps the only decrease has been with the Catholics, who lost their church at Dudley, by fire during the present year.
CHAPTER XXIV.
POPULATION AND WEALTH-STEADY AND GRATIFYING INCREASE-PROGRESS FROM 1790 TO 1870-WHITES, FREE COLORED AND SLAVES-FOREIGNERS -COUNTRIES FROM WHICH THEY CAME AND NUMBER FROM EACHI-DIS- TRIBUTION OF POPULATION-WHITE AND COLORED, NATIVE AND FOREIGN -VALUE OF REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY-COMPARISON WITH OTHER COUNTIES-AREA AND TAXATION.
The progress that results from the skill, the industry and the energy of man is valuable only as it contributes to his welfare and happiness. The reclaiming of a country from the wilderness, the improvement of its agricultural re- sources, the development of its mines, the building of manu- factories, the conversion of its raw material into articles of commerce, and the increase of facilities for carrying its pro- ducts, natural and artificial, to market, and for bringing other commodities in return, are worthy of our exertions, because they improve and develop the people, build up a better social system, beget a higher civilization and provide the means of support for a larger population. We will present some statistics of the growth of our county in the number and wealth of its inhabitants.
In these respects there has been a steady and . gratifying increase. Had the county been left at its original propor- tions, it would now contain from sixty thousand to seventy thousand people, but its population and territory have been cut down together. Between 1800 and 1810, the increase was small on account of the formation of Cambria county, and between 1840 and 1850 there was a loss of some thou- sands, caused by the erection of Blair. The following table shows our progress at each decade :
1790.
1800.
1810.
1820.
1830.
1840.
1850.
1860.
1870.
Whites
7,498 12,875 19,668 19,866 26,813 34,977
Free Colored .
24
100
110
26S
324 8
507
335
24,451 27,810 30,952 29 299
Slaves .
43
32
Total
7,565 13,008 14,778 20,139 27,145 35,484 24,786 28,100 31,251
The population of 1870 consisted of 29,658 natives and
183
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
1,593 foreigners. The countries from which the latter prin- cipally came and the number from each are as follows :
British America,
13 | France, 20
Ireland,
656
Sweden and Norway,
4
Scotland,
36
Switzerland,
8
England and Wales,
443
Poland,
3
Germany,
383
The distribution of population, white and colored, native and foreign, over the county in 1870, and the distribution of white and colored people in 1850 and 1860, are shown by the following table :
1850.
1860.
1870.
TOWNSHIPS.
White.
Colored.
White.
Colored.
White.
Colored.
Native.
Foreign.
Total.
Barree
1,269
2
1,290
1,237
1,211
26 1,237
Brady
1,016
4
916
11
904
894
10
904
Carbon*
1,511
1
2,231
2
1,508
725
2,233
Cass
709
5
567
15
583
16
596
3
599
Clay
682
13
1,029
1
811
7
80S
10
818
Cromwellt
1,288
9
1,108
1,379
1
1,361
16
984
Franklin
1,386
15
1,551
1,347
8 1,319
36 1,355
Henderson
2,145 144
561
13
661
624
37
661
Hopewell
787
1
1,005
412
404
00
412
Jackson
1,431
1,741
1
1,662
1,635
27 1,662
Juniata
455
393
371
22
393
Morris
783
4
792
7
68
1
664
27
386
Penn
839
969
1,139
4 1,098
45 1,143
Porter
1,012
38
1,115
29
1,212
41
1,241
12 1,253
Shirley
1,596
19
1,643
14
1,623
10
1,603
30 1,633
Springfield
592
1
686
2
738
736
2
738
Tell
983
1,009
1,024
1,012
12 1,024
Tod
1,208
14
804
4
771
10
760
21
781
Union
631
896
1
789
783
6 789
Walker .
1,083
25
805
26
962
16
930
48 978
Warrior's Mark
1,185
3
1,341
1,209
1,176
33 1,209
West .
1,447
17
1,338
1,367
1,335
32 1,367
BOROUGHS.
Alexandria
596
5
532
2
555
1
532
24 556
Birmingham
263
3
221
1
261
2
254
9
263
Cassville
265
1
416
413
3
416
Huntingdon
1,343 127
1,739 151
398
89
381
S
389
Mount Union
263
1
334
381
368
13
381
Shirleysburg
368
1
351
3
329
311
18
329
Three Springs
189
183
6
189
Dublin
897
11
S75
7
975
9
968
10 532
Lincoln
532
522
24 688
Oneida .
362
384
2
359
.
2,865
169
2,787.247 3,034
Mapleton .
535
511
24
535
Petersburg
* Including Broad Top City and Coalmont.
+ Including Orbisonia.
19 1,380
184
HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY.
Although Huntingdon county stands on the list as thirty- eighth in population, she occupies a much higher position, being thirtieth, in point of wealth. She compares very favor- ably with the other counties of the State containing about the same or even a larger number of inhabitants. The fol- lowing statement embraces all the counties that have popu- lations varying from 25,000 to 37,000, from which it will be seen that but two of them exceed Huntingdon in the value of their real and personal property and that these are more populous :
Counties.
Population.
Wealth. $30,240,360
Counties. Columbia, Greene,
Population. 28,766
21,327,400
Adams,
30,315
20,552,000
25,887
16,955,650
Bedford,
29,635
19,222,505
Indiana,
36,13S
26,491,20S
Butler,
36,510
27,292,655
Lawrence,
27,298
22,256,500
Cambria,
36,569
11,329,220
Lebanon, Perry,
34,096
33,713,219
Carbon,
28,144
20,475,666
25,447
9,120,400
Centre,
34,418
25,066,560
Somerset,
28,226
23,397,510
Clarion,
26,537
12,786,020
Tioga,
35,097
34,141,020
Clearfield,
25,741
10,374,050
Wayne,
33,1SS
14,091,168
The area of the county is eight hundred and ninety-nine square miles, or five hundred and seventy-five thousand three hundred and sixty acres. The number of taxable in- habitants in 1870 was seven thousand three hundred and ninety-five. In the same year the amount of taxes assessed was as follows:
Borough and Township,
$64,886
County
32,50S
State .
3,317
Total,
$100,711
Wealth.
Huntingdon,
31,251
CHAPTER XXV.
THE GREAT REBELLION-RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BEFORE ITS COMMENCE- MENT-SERIES OF MEETINGS AT HUNTINGDON IN APRIL, 1861, AND PRO- CEEDINGS THEREAT-DEPARTURE OF THE FIRST COMPANY FOR HARRIS- BURG-ENTIIUSIASM OF THE PEOPLE-DISPLAY OF THE NATIONAL COLORS IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTY-SUPPLYING SOLDIERS WITH REFRESH- MENTS-SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETIES-NUMBER OF MEN FURNISIIED BY THE COUNTY DURING THE WAR-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, WITH THEIR RANK, COMMANDS, ETC. - MILITIA-EMERGENCY MEN-DECORATION OF SOLDIERS' GRAVES-MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION.
On the 17th day of January, 1861, nearly three months before the first overt act of rebellion in the South, and while hopes were yet entertained of a peaceable adjustment of the difficulties which had been made the pretext for se- cession, the people of Huntingdon county, irrespective of party, assembled in the court-house and expressed their sen- timents as contained in the following preamble and resolu- tions :
" Several of the States, bound by the Constitution of the United States, the supreme law of the land, acceded to and adopted by themselves, having, by the action of separate state conventions, undertaken to absolve their people from the allegiance due to the General Government, and placed themselves in an attitude of hostility to the Union ; and other States of the Confederacy being agitated by those of their citizens who favor co-operation with the seceding States, thus rendering probable not only a dissolution of the Union, but the formation of two or many governments, which, from the causes leading to their existence, will act towards each other with that malignant hate which follows when ' brother's blood is turned to gall;' and the citizens of Huntingdon county, strongly impressed with a sense of their duty to the Constitution and the Union, with the importance of pre- serving and maintaining both; desirous to avert the calam- ities that must follow a permanent dismemberment of the Union, do, in county meeting assembled, declare :
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