USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 95
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This offer was accepted by Professor Wickersham, and a successful institute, opening on the 17th of April, 1855, was held, numbering one hundred and thirty-five, students. The faculty of this Normal In- stitute consisted of the following persons : J. P. Wiek- ersham, A.M., Principal and Professor of the Theory and Practice of Teaching ; J. F. Stoddard, A. M., Pro- fessor of Mathematics ; Cornelius Walker, A.M., Pro- fessor of Reading and Elocution ; R. T. Cornwell, Pro- fessor of Grammar, etc .; Swayne Wickersham, M.D., Professor of Chemistry and Physiology ; Dr. C. Cut- ter, Dr. A. H. Grimshaw, and Professor James Thomp- son, leeturers on various objects of study ; G. C. Haw- thorne, Esq., Principal of the Eastern Model School ; Amos Horst, Principal of the Western Model School. The two public schools of the town were used as model schools. This normal institute was a great success, and laid the foundation upon which the State Normal School was subsequently created.
At the close of the Normal Institute, the trustees of the academy decided to enlarge their building and establish a permanent institution, under the name of the Lancaster County Normal School, and elected as its principal Professor John F. Stoddard, who had been Professor of Mathematics during the Normal In- stitute. This school opened on the 3d of November, 1855, with the following faculty : J. F. Stoddard, A.M., Principal ; Edward Brooks, Professor of Gram- mar and Rhetorie ; R. T. Cornwell, Professor of Nat- ural Sciences; S. C. Agnew, Professor of Latin and Greek ; Mrs. H. Marie Brooks, Teacher of Music;
958
HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
Miss E. Augusta Dart, Teacher of Geography and under the charge of the principal, and so judicious was the management that when he resigned, in 1866, every cent of the obligation- for improvements had been paid, and the school was left free from debt. Drawing; Mr. L. M. Hobbs, Steward. The school continued in session for a termi of five months, and numbered over one hundred students. In the spring of 1856, Professor Wickersham, county superintendent, Besides these achievements in organization. and building, Profes-or Wicker-ham gave great excellence and reputation to his department of the training of united a three months' county institute with the Normal School. During the summer Professor Stod- dard resigned his position as principal, and Professor | teachers. The theoretical part of the professional J. P. Wickersham was elected his successor, Professor training was given by carefully-prepared lectures. presenting broad and comprehensive views of educa- tion, and clear and practical directions for the work of teaching. These lectures attracted wide attention, and were subsequently embodied in his two works on education, "School Economy" and " Methods of In- struction," works of recognized ability and high ex- cellence, which have aided in giving their author not only a national, but also a foreign, reputation. Wickersham resigning his office as county superin- tendent to accept the position. The school opened again on the second Monday of October with the fol- lowing faculty : J. P. Wiekersham, A.M., Principal and Professor of Mental and Moral Science and the Theory and Practice of Teaching; Edward Brooks, Professor of Mathematics; R. I. Cornwell, Professor of Grammar and Philosophy ; E. B. Weaver, Assist- ant Teacher of Mathematics; Mrs. II. Marie Brooks, Teacher of Music; Miss E. Augusta Dart, Teacher of Drawing and Painting; Miss S. T. Wickersham,
In the summer of 1866, on the resignation of Pro- fessor Wickersham, Professor Edward Brooks was elected principal of the school. Professor Brooks had Teacher of Grammar and Geography ; Miss E. MeV. , been connected with the institution since 1855 as Budd, Teacher of Reading ; Miss S. E. Bolton, Assist- ant Teacher of Grammar and Arithmetic. Mr. L. M. Hobbs was the steward until 1858, when, on his res- ignation, Mr. D. S. Bare was elected as his successor. professor of mathematics, and by his skill as an in- structor and the publication of his normal series of arithmeties, had given the school a reputation for its mathematical training and contributed largely to its popularity and growth. Full of energy and enthu- siasm, an accomplished and experiencel teacher, and possessing a high ideal of scholastic culture and pro- fessional training, he seemed especially fitted to carry on the work so well begun. During his administra- tion many important changes were made and im- provements effected that indicate the continued growth and prosperity of the school, and constitute a part of its history. The principal of these will be briefly enumerated.
The school, now permanently organized, entered upon that career of prosperity and stecess for which it has been so widely celebrated. With a clear idea of a teacher's preparation and work, broad and com- prehensive views of educational principles, executive and administrative abilities of the highest order, Pro- fessor Wickersham gave ten years of devoted and suc- cessful labor to the school. Some of the principal facts indicating the growth and success of the school un- der his administration will be briefly enumerated. To accommodate the increasing number of students, To accommodate the increasing number of stu- dents in 1868, an addition to the ladies' building, ninety by forty feet, was made, which, with the fur- nishing, and some other needed improvements, cost about 820,000. The business of the school in a few years amounted to from $70,000 to $80,000 a year, and finding the method in use inadequate to insure the satisfactory eure and exhibit of income and ex- penditures, a complete reorganization of the business management was effected on a plan of great sim- plicity and accuracy. In 1874, the school having again outgrown its accommodations, a large central building, one hundred and thirty by sixty feet, was erected, affording a new chapel, recitation-rooms, li- brary-rooms, dining-room, etc. This is the largest and most important improvement ever made to the building, and with its furniture and other accompany- ing expenses cost about $50,000. The building com- mittee consisted of Abraham Peters, Edward Brooks, Jacob MI. Frantz, Jacob G. Peters, Andrew M. Frantz, George Levan, and P. W. Hiestand, whose names are inscribed on a marble tablet set in the wall of the in 1857 the building was enlarged by an addition thirty by forty-six feet, increasing the size of the chapel and furnishing additional recitation rooms. In 1857 the Normal School law, prepared by Dr. Thomas H. Burrowes, who had been a warm friend of the school and a wise counselor of its authorities from the beginning, was passed by the State Legi -- lature. In order that the institution might conform to the requirements of the law and become a State normal school, the grounds were enlarged and a new building, forty by one hundred and twelve feet, ereeted at a cost of over twenty thousand dollars, and on the 3d of December, 1859, the school was formally recognized as the first State Normal School in Pennsylvania. In compliance with the law, Pro- fessor Wickersham organized a model school, or school of practice, which, under the superintendeney of Professor .M. D. Wickersham, a brother of the principal, attained a high degree of excellence, and became a model for the other similar schools of the State. In 1864 the department. of boarding, which had previously been in private hands, was united | chapel. A further improvement consisted in con- with the department of instruction, and all placed . verting the old chapel and recitation-rooms into stu-
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MANOR TOWNSHIP.
dents' rooms, and raising the gentlemen's wing of the building one story, the cost of which was about $10,500. About the same time the grounds were en- larged by the purchase of several acres of land lying across the street in front of the school, at a cost of fifteen hundred dollar-, to prevent the erection of buildings which might be detrimental to the institu- tion.
Another very important achievement during this administration was the cancellation of the capital stock of the institution. For the erection of the original building, and the earlier additions, stock had been issued amounting to about eleven hundred shares, which at the par value of twenty-five dollars was worth twenty-seven thousand five hundred do !- lars. This stock, for many years almost valueless, selling as low as two or three dollars a share, was gradually bought up by a few business men. To avert the disaster that would have resulted from the pay- ment of dividends, the stockholders were induced to agree to the adoption of a plan by which the stock should be purchased at its par value and canceled, provided that any who would might contribute stock, the contributors having the power to elect twelve out of the eighteen members of the board of trustees. In pursuance of this plan nearly two hundred shares were contributed, and the balance, over nine hundred shares, were purchased and canceled, the expense being paid out of the net earnings of the school. All these improvements and changes, in connection with the purchase of philosophical apparatus, increase of library, and purchase of musical instruments, cost over one hundred and ten thousand dollars, and so successful was the school, and so caretul the manage- ment of its finances that, on the resignation of Pro- fessor Brooks, in 1883, the school was in a condition to pay the entire indebtedness, which, with the ex- eeption of fifty thousand dollars received from the State, had been saved out of the net earnings of the school.
This enlargement of the body of the school was but an indication of the development of its intellectual life and the steady increase in its popularity and etli- ciency. The success of the school was due mainly to two causes : first, the thorough and practical in- struetion given in the different branches, and, second, the excellence of the methods adopted for the pro- fessional training of the students for teachers, In order to elevate the scholastic standing of the school, the departments of instruction' were more definitely arranged, a new department of English literature established, the salaries of the instructors raised, and efforts made to secure distinguished ability at the head of each department. In the department of pro- lessional instruction, two things were emphasized : a thorough knowledge of the nature of the mind, and ! a practical knowledge of the inductive method of primary instruction; and the reputation of the school for it> course in mental philosophy and the
excellence of its methods in primary instruction at- tracted wide attention, and drew to its halls students from nearly every part of the State. Out of the pro- fessional training of the student-teachers grew Pro- fessor Brooks' two treatises on education, " Normal Methods of. Teaching" and " Mental Science and Culture," works which extended the reputation of the school and of their author. Ilis series of normal arithmeties, algebra and geometry, which were widely used in the public schools, also advertised the insti- tution and attracted students to it. The growth of the institution is also very largely due to the skill and devoted labors of a very able faculty, many of whom have attained a State reputation, and several of whom have become popular authors of works which advertised the school and increased its popularity and patronage. Besides this the great skill and effi- cieney manifested by its graduates and students, many of whom became distinguished as county and city superintendents, principals of high and graded schools, and professors in normal and other schools, helped to extend the reputation of the school and fill its halls with students. All these agencies and influ- ences have combined not only to place the school at the head of the Normal Schools of the State, but to win for it a national reputation of which any institu- tion might be proud.
The teachers who have especially aided in the growth and prosperity of the school, many of whom are still connected with it, deserve mention in this sketch. They are as follows: A. R. Byerly, A.M., Professor of Latin and Greek, elected in 1859, widely known as an able thinker and a popular and efficient instructor; E. B. Weaver, Professor of Natural Sci- ence, elected in 1857, died in 1863; M. D. Wieker- sham, Superintendent of Model School, elected in 1859, resigned in 1861; J. Willis Westlake, A.M., Professor of English Literature, elected in 1869, au- thor of " Three Thousand Practice Words," " How to Write Letters," and "Common School Literature;" Thomas R. Baker, Ph. D., Professor of Natural Sci- ence, elected in 1868, author of " Natural Philosophy" and "Chemistry" ; J. V. Montgomery, A.M., Professor of Drawing and Penmanship, elected in 1861, Super- intendent of the Model School, author of a system of drawing ; B. F. Shaub, A.M., Professor of Natural Science, elected in 1869, and resigoed after two years to accept the office of county superintendent; E. Oram Lyte, A.M., Professor of Grammar and Book- keeping, elected in 1869, author of " Practical Book- keeping," "Forms of Parsing and Analysis," and "English Grammar"; D. M. Sensenig, M.S., Profes- | sor of Mathematics, elected in 1870, resigned in 1875; Frank Albert, M. E., Professor of Mathematics, elected in 1873; Joseph II. Landis, M.E., Superintendent of the Model School, elected in 1875; 11. Marie Brooks, Teacher of Music, elected in 1855; Annie E. Hart- man, Teacher of Grammar and French, elected in 1866, for many years preceptress, resigned in 1881 ;
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY.
Jane E. Leonard, Teacher of History and Geography, elected in 1863, resigned in 1875; Eliza G. Westlake, . Teacher of Reading and Elocution, elected in 1867 ; Annie Lyle, Teacher of History, elected in 1873, now preceptress; Mary McJ. Lyte, Teacher of Geography, elected in 1872. The steward, Mr. S. G. Behmer, elected in 1865, has also given many years of devoted and efficient labor to the school.
The trustees who have been especially interested and efficient in the management of the institution are as follows : Abraham Peters, elected president of the The late Abraham Peters, who was all his life a resident of Millersville, was born here in 1791, and died in 1882, at the age of ninety years. He was long a leading citizen of the town, and was its most wealthy inhabitant. He erected the present " Black Horse Hotel" in 1825. He was the first postmaster of Mil- lersville, being appointed in 1820. He was also a member of the Legislature during the winter of 1861- board of trustees in 1856, and held the office until his death in 1882; George K. Reed, elected in 1866, and | made president of the board in 1882; Jacob M. Frantz, elected in 1856, and for many years chairman of the finance committee; Jacob G. Peters, elected in 1864, and for many years chairman of the household com- mittee; Andrew M. Frantz, Esq., elected in 1861, and for many years secretary and chairman of the com- . 62. He was a leading member of the board of trus- tees of the State Normal School, of which institution he was one of the founders. He was for a long time president of the board.
mittee on grounds and buildings; Dr. P. W. IFiestand, elected in 1857, for many years treasurer and chairman of committee on instruction and discipline; George Levan, elected in 1862, and for many years chairman of committee on library and school furniture; B. B. Martin, elected in 1856; John Brady, elected in 1856; J. R. Barr, elected in 1856; J. B. Martin, elected in 1856; Jacob R. Shenk, elected in 1856; D. S. Bare, elected in 1856, for several years secretary and treas- urer; Hon. Thomas H. Burrowes, elected in 1857; Henry Bowman, elected in 1860; Hon. A. E. Roberts,
Safe Harbor .- Israel Nestleroad, who kept a tavern in Manor, at the month of the Conestoga, took out a patent for Sandy Island in 1811. In 1812 he sold it to Martin Stouffer, John Stouffer, John Sourbeer, and Christian Kneisly. Millport (Safe Harbor) was laid out on the right bank of the Conestoga Creek, at its mouth, in 1811. The lot-holders in 1815 were Philip Brenner, William Bushrun, John Beam, Adam Fogle elected in 1865; David Hartman, elected in 1858, died | (storekeeper), John Funk, Sophia Wright, Jacob in 1881; Christian B. Herr, elected in 1856; Hon. ' Guck (cooper), Henry Hoffman, Henry Klein, Sam- John Strohm, elected in 1861 ; Hon. John B. Warfel, 'uel Kimmens, Daniel Keudig, John Kendig, and elected in 1872; Hon. John M. Stehman, elected in 1873; Hon. John B. Livingstone, elected in 1873; Ilon. 1. L. Hayes, elected in 1860; Jacob Bausman, elected in 1870; Abraham Frantz, elected in 1864, several years secretary ; Charles Dennes, Esq., elected in 1865, several years secretary ; Levi S. Reist, elected in 1873; Dr. S. T. Davis, elected in 1866; Dr. John W. Hess, elected in 1867, etc.
In the spring of 1883, upon the resignation of Pro- fessor Edward Brooks, who had been connected with the school twenty-eight years, eleven as Professor of Mathematics, and seventeen as principal, Professor B. F. Shaub, superintendent of Lancaster County and a graduate of the school, was elected as his successor. The eminent qualifications of Professor Shaub give promise of an administration of great popularity and success, and the future historian of the county will have the pleasure of adding another bright page to the history of the Normal School.
The Manor Turnpike Company was chartered in 1839, and the stock is largely held by the Bausmans and other wealthy farmers in the vicinity ; it was after- wards extended to Safe Harbor, but that part beyond Millersville has long since been neglected. The Manor or Millersville and Lancaster turnpike now only runs to the corner, about one-half mile west of the Normal
School. The turnpike from that point to the Cones- toga, running sonthward one mile, is owned by John Shober. The turnpike branching from the main road at the Black Horse Hotel, at the upper end of Mil- lersville, and running westward one mile to Faac Groff's mill on the Little Conestoga, was built at the same time as the main turnpike. The Millersville and Lancaster turnpike has been well kept up year after year, and is one of the finest turnpike, in the county.
Catharine Logan, Jacob Miller and the Widow Mil- ler laid out the town. John Martin was also one of the original residents. Israel Nestleroad was the inn- keeper during the earlier years of Safe Harbor. Jacob Logan and Christian Kneisly were also lot-holder .. The Strasburg Company, in which Mike Withers was a prominent stockholder, held some of the lots here. Christian Otto and John Umbach were also lot-hold- ers about the same time. Philip Urban was an inn- keeper in 1811. The Manor side of the Safe Harbor made slow progress. In the course of time the iron- works on the Conestoga side made that part a place of some importance, but those works ceased running on a large scale in 1861, and the place has fallen into insignificance. The Columbia and Port Deposit Rail- road passes through the lower end of Safe Harbor. The depot is on the Manor side, where a small but neat and substantial frame buibling has been erected as a ticket, express, freight, and telegraph office. A fine trestle-work bridge crosses the Conestoga at its month. There is a hotel near the depot, which has in the past few years been kept by Benjamin Markley. Charles J. Rhodes, who lives in the central part of the Manor side of the village, is the leading citizen of that side of Safe Harbor. On the Manor side of Safe Harbor there is a large hill, just back of the
MANOR TOWNSHIP.
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buildings, which are all, with two exceptions, built on the street along the Conestoga. The other few dwellings are along the road leading to Millersville and Turkey Hill.
Fairview .- The town of Fairview, about two miles south of Columbia, and just north of the borough of Washington, was laid out in 1811. It contained forty-one building lots on fifteen and a half aeres of ground on the bank of the Susquehanna River, The lots were disposed of by lottery by Stahl, innkeeper, Nov. 1, 1811. The town was laid out in streets, and is often called Shultztown, from the many families by the name of Shultz residing there. In the old flour- ishing days of rafting there were three taverns in the place for the accommodation of raftsmen. One of the Manor township sebool-houses is here. Levi Haverstick is the proprietor of a lumber-yard and a saw-mill. The old tavern kept here by Magdalena Stall about seventy-five years ago was quite celebrated in its time.
Blue Rock .- The town of Bine Rock, just south of Washington, in Manor township, was laid out Jan. ( ville to Masonville; Shopp's mill farther westward; 7, 1814, by Joseph Charles. It consisted of two hnn- Taylor's steam grist-mill'and saw-mills on a small stream just at the upper end of Safe Harbor. G. 1. Taylor also has a saw-mill on the same small stream, just above Safe Harbor, and Oberholtzer's woolen- mill is just a little above, on the same stream. dred lots, from fifty-five to fifty-two feet front, one hundred and thirty feet deep, all fronting on streets sixty feet wide, extending to fourteen-feet alleys. This landing was considered the best ever offered for sale, being nearer Lancaster than any other shore on the Kneisly's, Kautfinan's, H. M. Reigart's ( Hoover's), and Eby's, are on the Little C'one-toga, and Stauf- fer's (fulling-mill), on the first stream above Safe Harbor. river, and fifteen miles from Strasburg. The soil and timber was superior to any other in Lancaster County, and the tract was well supplied with spring-water. Being the well-known Blue Rock farm, lot No. 24 was Hamlets .- Pittsburgh is a small village between several large hills, on the lower end of Turkey Hill, about one mile northwest from Safe Harbor. There are here a number of dwellings, a school-house, and an Evangelical Church. Highville is located about entitled to a new two-story dwelling-house, now ocen- pied by Mr. Lewis, and worth seven thousand dollars ; lot No. 25 to an ice-house; No. 28 to a large new barn, valued at three thousand dollars; No. IG to a log dwelling. Lots were drawn by lottery, three a mile north of Safe Harbor, on Turkey Hill, and hundred and thirty dollars being paid for each lot, .| contains a store and post-office, a hotel, a school- one hundred and thirty dollars cash, when a deed house, and a United Brethren Church. Creswell, farther northwest, on Turkey Hill, contains a store and post-office, a blacksmith-shop, an agricultural would be made ont. Afterwards one hundred dollars were to be paid March 1, 1815, and one hundred dol- lars on March 1, 1816. Joshua Scott made a plan , implement store, a school-house, and an Evangelical and wrote deeds. Joseph Charles died Sept. 28, 1814, Church. Masonville, about three miles west of Mil- Jersville, has John Steigelman's hotel, a blacksmith- shop, and a wagon- and coachmaker's shop. It will be seen that there are at present (1883) only three post-offices in Manor township, -Millersville, High- ville, and Creswell. Highville, at first called New Market, was laid by William Green, of Columbia, in ISIG. Creswell was named after Postmaster-General Creswell in the early part of President Grant's ad- ministration, when the post-office was established. before sales were effected. There had been a charter granted for a bridge across the Susquehanna, from Blue Rock, Laneaster Co., to Pleasant Garden, York Co., April 11, 1793, but the bridge was never built. The lot-holders of Blue Roek were William Lewis, James Redman, John Kauffman, Francis Gordon, John Getz, Abraham Bitner, Joseph Kinch, Peter Protzman, George Beitz, George Beitz, Jr., and Peter Bachman. The Blue Rock farm is now owned by Isaac Shultz, of Fairview.
Manor Mills in 1780 .- The following mills were in Manor in 1780 : Christian Burkhoder's mill, Jacob Goodman's mill, Rudolph Herr's oil-mill, Christian Herr's mill, John Keller's mill, Christian Kautman's mill, Yost Musser's saw-mill, and Jacob Kauffman's mill.
Manor Mills in 1820 .- The following were the mills in Manor in 1820: Kendig's, at the mouth of the Conestoga; Mellinger's, on the Conestoga; A. Hershey's, on the Indiantown Run, near the old Indian town ; B. Herr's, F. Herr's, Miller's, Kauff- man's, Hershey's, and J. Herr's saw-mill, on a stream which empties into the Conestoga at Mellinger's mil] ; B. Herr's, Bender's, Eby's, Musselman's, Stoner's ( Columbia pike), Reigart's, Weiler's.
Manor Mills at Present .- The following are the mills in Manor, on the Little Conestoga : Brenner's, to the north of Millersville, on the road to the Co- lumbia turnpike; Groth's, one-half mile northwest of. Millersville, on the road from Millersville to Wash- ington borough ; Bickhart's, one mile west from Mil- lersville, on the road from Millersville to Masonville and Turkey ITill; Stehman's, on the old road from Millersville to Safe Harbor; Landis' mill on the West Branch of the Little Conestoga, on the road from Millersville to Washington borough ; Doerstler's mill on the West Branch, on the road from Millers-
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