USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > History of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 12
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The Mahanoy & Broad Mountain railroad was opened to traffic in 1860, being in that year completed between its initial points, which were from the terminous of the Mill Creek railroad on the south to a point near Ashland on the north. By subsequent extensions it made connections with the Mine Hill railroad at Big Mine Run and Locust Dale. This road was chartered March 29, 1859, and the route pre- scribed was "from a point in Mahanoy or Butler township, and thence by the most expedient and practicable route, to connect with the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, or any of its tributaries, with the privilege of making lateral roads into Mine Run, Shenandoah, Mahanoy, and New Boston Coal basins." This is now also a part of the Reading system.
The Nesquehoning Valley railroad was chartered April 12, 1861, and the line was built from Carbon county to Tamaqua and radiating to coal lands in its vicinity. It was leased and operated by the Lehigh Navigation company, and subsequently leased to the Central Railroad company of New Jersey.
The Mountain Link railroad was constructed in 1867 to connect the Schuylkill Valley railroad at Tuscarora with the Little Schuylkill railroad at Tamaqua, and was only four miles in length. For many years, passengers, mail and express matter were conveyed across this gap in stages, or by private conveyance. The rival railroad
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companies saw no financial gain in connecting their roads, hence the public suffered this inconvenience; but when the Philadelphia & Reading company acquired control of the two roads, they were prompt- ly connected, and the new addition very appropriately named the "Mountain Link."
The People's railway was the first attempt of Pottsville towards assuming "city airs." This road was incorporated in 1865, with special powers and privileges. It might extend "from and in the borough of Pottsville to any point or points in any direction, in county of Schuylkill, not exceeding six miles in length, as the directors may select, and through any streets of boroughs, or roads, or by any routes they may deem advisable." The original charter restricted the company to the use of horse power, but in April, 1871, the time of completion was extended to 1874, and the use of dummy engines authorized as the motive power, and on the 4th of March, 1873, the use, of locomotives was authorized. The road was opened in 1872, running the full length of Center street, out through Fishbach, and from Center up Market to Twelfth street, and was used as a horse street railway. Early in the following year it was opened from the head of Market street in Pottsville, to Minersville, the Minersville extension being operated by steam. From the foot of Market street to Fishbach it was discontinued, the remainder being operated as a street railway until superseded by the electric lines.
Within comparatively recent years two important additions have been made to the wonderful network of railroads already existing in Schuylkill county. These are the Pennsylvania Schuylkill Valley railroad, and the Schuylkill & Lehigh Valley railroad. The first named was built and is operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad com- pany. It follows the general course of the Schuylkill valley from Philadelphia to Pottsville, and thence takes a northern trend via Frackville across Broad mountain into the middle coal field in the vicinity of Shenandoah, where it makes connections with other rail- roads. Another branch runs along the top of the Broad mountain and connects with the Lehigh & Mahanoy division of the Lehigh Valley railroad near Delano, thence into the upper Lehigh region and into the Catawissa valley. A branch of this road extends from Pottsville by way of Fishbach to Minersville, and taps the collieries to the west of Minersville. This road was opened to traffic in 1886. The Schuylkill and Lehigh Valley Railroad was opened for business in 1890. It extends from the Lehigh Valley railroad at Lizard Creek Junction via Orwigsburg and Schuylkill Haven to Blackwood collier- ies, near Tremont, a distance of forty miles from the Lehigh river.
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By means of a branch road from Westwood Junction, connection is made with the People's railway, and over this connection the road enters Minersville, and another spur passing the collieries on the York farm enters Pottsville at Twelfth street. From Schuylkill Haven it also uses the tracks of the Pennsylvania, entering Potts- ville over that route, at the Union station on Coal street. A branch of the Lehigh & Mahanoy railroad has been extended to reach the New Boston collieries on Broad mountain and connecting with the northern division of the Pennsylvania and Schuylkill Valley railroad trains. By means of these accommodations, the Lehigh Valley trains also enter Pottsville from the north over the Pennsylvania tracks.
The wonderful system of railroads in Schuylkill county is more extensive than that of any other region of equal extent in the United States. This expansive system radiates to every field where "King Coal" is found. No mountain is too high, and no rocky gorge too deep-they burrow through the mountains, penetrating the rocky strata for thousands of feet, or climb the mountain sides on grades attaining an elevation of 180 feet to the mile. They enter the mines, to all parts of which they extend, bringing the "black diamonds" to the surface, whence by other appliances of a similar nature they reach the consumers in less fortunate localities. It is a well-known fact that Schuylkill county has in its many coal mines more miles of railroad underneath the surface than above it.
The first electrical lines to be constructed and put in operation were the Schuylkill Electric railway and the Schuylkill Traction rail- way. The line of the former extended from Yorkville through Potts- ville and Palo Alto to Port Carbon, with branches to Fishbach and the upper Tumbling Run lake. This is now named the Union Trac- tion company, with additional lines to Port Carbon and Middleport; also to St. Clair; another line to Schuylkill Haven and to Orwigsburg, and another line to Heckscherville and Glen Carbon, and a proposed extension from Middleport to Tamaqua. The Schuylkill Traction railway operates in the Mahanoy Valley, from Locust Dale via Ashland to Shenandoah, with extensions to Girardville, Mahanoy Plane and Mahanoy City and numerous branches. The Tamaqua & Lansford runs from Tamaqua to Coal Dale, Lansford, Summit Hill, Nesque- honing, and thence to Mauch Chunk.
The Ashland and Centralia Electric operates between the towns named, with extensions to Mt. Carmel and Shamokin and, like all of the others, reaches many of the prosperous mining towns along its route.
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CHAPTER IX.
INTRODUCTION OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN PENNSYLVANIA AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
The third historic act of the legislature of Pennsylvania provided for the education of all the children in the commonwealth, at the expense of the public treasury. This law was passed in 1834, and previous to its enactment, more than two hundred acts had been passed in reference to this subject. The people of Pennsylvania have ever been friends and advocates of education, and at no period in their history were the efforts relaxed to attain greater perfection in the organization and administration of a system of public schools.
Among the old records of the Dutch government on the Delaware, is found an account of the labors of Evert Pieterson, who held the office of "schoolmaster, comforter of the sick, and setter of psalms." He arrived in the colony in April, 1657, and in August of that year was teaching twenty-five pupils; this was the first school on the west bank of the Delaware, of which a record has been preserved. The Swedes had schools at Upland and Tinicum, and near where Wilming- ton now stands, in the earliest years of their settlements at these places. The original "Frame of Government," and the "Great Law," enacted in the first year of the Province, under the authority of William Penn, provided that "schools should be established for the education of the young." Acting upon this provision, a school was opened in Philadelphia in 1683, by Enoch Flowers, at which each pupil was charged a small sum for tuition; in 1692 a school was kept at Darby, and in 1698, the Quakers opened a public school in Philadelphia, "where all the children and servants, male and female," could attend; the rich at reasonable rates, and the poor for nothing. William Penn's motto for this school was: "Good instruction is better than riches." A classical school, called the "Log College," was estab- lished in Bucks county in 1726, and in 1739 a similar school was opened at New London, in Chester county.
The first school exclusively for the, education of girls was opened by the Moravians, at Bethlehem, in 1749. Some thirty-six years later, this was opened as a boarding-school for young ladies, and in 1786, Nazareth Hall was opened as a boarding school for boys. The
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trend of public sentiment, as shown by the few citations made, while favoring universal education, was also favorable to religious domina- tion of the schools. This sentiment existed in the wilderness as in the towns and villages, and was a serious obstruction to the introduction and operation of the free school system. The log school- house was almost a universal adjunct to the log church among the early pioneers, but the school was usually taught by the minister, and much of the instruction given related to subjects embraced in the catechism of the church. Protestants and Catholics adopted this policy, and thereby established a well-grounded prejudice. against any attempt upon the part of the State to usurp their authority in matters pertaining to education.
The early efforts of the legislature in enacting laws which were just, and universally applicable, were fraught with much trouble and dissatisfaction, and this but stimulated the spirit of opposition. The public school system became a matter for serious political dis- cussion, and there were found those seeking legislative honors who took sides with the opponents of the system for the purposes of self- interest. The constitution of 1790 declared that the legislature "shall provide by law for the establishment of schools throughout the state in such manner that the poor may be taught gratis." In accordance with this constitutional provision, a law was enacted in 1802, and improved and reenacted in 1804, which provided for the opening of schools wherein all the children of the commonwealth should receive elementary instruction. Those who were able were required to pay; but the tuition of the children of the poor was to be paid by the county commissioners whenever the returns of the assessors showed that the parents were unable to bear the expense. The constitution of 1776 provided that a "school or schools shall be established in every county;" and the constitution of 1790 pro- vided that the "arts and sciences shall be promoted in one or more seminaries of learning." In 1833, fifty-five institutions of this class had been regularly incorporated by the legislature, in addition to the eight colleges and two universities then in existence. The charters of most of these institutions required that a specified number of "poor children should be taught gratis." A law was passed in 1809 which was an improvement on that of 1804, but still the object desired had not been attained, and all of the amendments were repealed in 1827; but the operation of the original law came far short of what the friends of universal education had aimed to attain. The people had labored earnestly for thirty years to devise a system of public schools which would fulfill the constitutional requirement; but in
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1833 less than 24,000 children attended school at public expense, and most of these were taught by very incompetent teachers. Ainer- ican independence would not tolerate the unjust discrimination thus far shown in the law, and the "pauper schools" were despised by the rich and shunned by the poor. For purposes of classification, the pupils' names were enrolled as "pay" and "pauper scholars," thus the law, or its operation, practically separated the pupils into these two classes, the less fortunate ones bearing this constant reflection upon parental improvidence.
In 1827, a society was formed in Philadelphia for the promotion of education in the state. A committee was appointed to open corres- pondence with the leading men in every county to collect statistics and secure a uniformity of effort in favor of free schools. This cul- minated in 1834, in the 'enactment of a law which rejected the old idea that only "pauper children" should be educated at public expense, and provided for the establishment of schools which should be free to all. This, the beginning of the common school system, inaugurated a new era in the progress of universal education in the state. The new law met with much opposition, even from friends of the system who distrusted the methods. But it had a fearless champion in Thaddeus Stevens, whose personal efforts prevented its repeal without oppor- tunity to test its virtues. In 1835 a powerful effort was made in the legislature to repeal the law enacted the previous year. Governor Wolf joined with Mr. Stevens in defense of the system and the free schools of Pennsylvania were permanently established as far as the law was concerned. No special efforts were made during the first year to put the new school system in operation. The law was imper- fect in some respects, and was not understood by the officers whose duty it was to enforce it. In 1836 the act of two years previous was revised, the more fully to adapt it to the wants and condition of the people. Joseph Ritner, then governor of Pennsylvania, and an ardent friend of the free school system, took prompt measures to enforce the provisions of the law, in which his efforts were ably seconded by Thomas H. Burrowes, then secretary of the common- wealth, and whose official position placed him at the head of the new school system. The secretary entered upon the work of organizing and systematizing the work in all departments, and entered into correspondence with public officers in all the counties. In his report to the legislature in 1838, Mr. Burrowes said: "It is true, the system is neither in full operation, nor is its machinery perfect; but the momen- tous question, can education be made as general and unbought as liberty, has been answered in the affirmative in Pennsylvania." In
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many districts the law was not accepted, the law of 1836 leaving the question of adoption or rejection discretionary with the people of each district. This weakness was eliminated in 1849, when the law was made applicable to every township in the state.
The act of 1854 introduced new and important features, while the main points of law were left unchanged. This act created the office of county superintendent of schools; abolished subdivisions of school districts and sub-committees; authorized the collection of school taxes, the levying of building taxes, and empowered boards of directors to locate school houses. For the first time since the beginning of the crusade for free public schools, the district officers were clothed with adequate power to enforce the law.
The opposition to the adoption of the school system in certain localities was due, in part, to the "odium" cast upon the children of poor parents in the efforts to enforce the early law; but this was not all. The state was settled with intelligent, liberty-loving people, who had fled from Europe to escape the arbitrary laws which destroyed liberty of conscience, and oppressed independent Christians. They valued free education as highly as they valued free worship and free speech. All denominations of Christians, whether Protestant or Catholic, came to Pennsylvania, bringing their preachers and school teachers. The work of educating all the children was made a sacred duty of the church; and in the fear that the State would not do this work as well as the church did it, they opposed the common school system, as undesirable, and detrimental tothe best interest of their respective churches, and subversive of religion. They desired educational advantages for their children, they favored free schools, but they distrusted State supervision. The Pennsylvania Germans also were jealous of their language, in which their children were taught, and feared that the public school would soon discard it from the curriculum; and though they were zealous in providing free education under church patronage, they were hostile to those they were pleased to call "political schools." By an act passed in 1857, the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction was created, and an independent educational department was established. The normal school law was passed at the same session, and this was the crowning work of school legislation in Pennsylvania. It settled the public policy on the subject of education, set a high standard for future generations, and substantially completed the organic structure of the common school system. The state was divided into twelve normal school districts, and each district was authorized to erect a State normal school. Scarcely a session of the legislature has
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passed since the adoption of the public school system that some ambitious statesman has not presented a bill to amend or change the school laws; but, fortunately, most of the changes have been necessary improvements to meet the growing demands. No important legislation in reference to the school system has been enacted in many years except the. laws relating to teachers' institutes, and those defin- ing the school month. The county superintendency has been a potent factor in educating public sentiment favorable to the public schools, and in cooperating with local and State officials in securing the adoption of the system throughout the unfavorable territory. The helpful influences of county, district and local institutes, to- gether with the State Educational associations, normal schools, and high schools in the different boroughs, have produced a class of instructors with thorough training and abundant qualifications for their high calling. Public sentiment, too, has been educated to the point of recognizing superior merit as a condition of continuance in the schools rather than political influence or prominent connections.
Schuylkill county, at the time of the passage of the law relating to public schools, was distinctively a county of the old Pennsylvania German stock, descendants of the German emigrants of former cen- turies. When the law creating the public schools was enacted in 1834, the population of the county was about four-fifths German speaking, with their churches and their schools using the German language. So when the question of adopting the public school sys- tem was submitted to them in the manner prescribed by law, but four districts in the county adopted it-Orwigsburg, Pottsville, Nor- wegian and Schuylkill-and of these, Schuylkill refused to elect directors favorable to the enforcement of the law. Some people also argued that by contributing the means to educate the poor children, they thus made them the intellectual equals of their own.
The private or subscription schools had long been established in the rural districts, where the rudiments of the elementary branches were taught to those who attended, usually by the preacher in charge of the log church near by. The patrons of these primitive schools had the impression that a knowledge of the elementary principles of reading, writing, arithmetic and the church catechism, was all the education required, and that more than that tended to make the pos- sessor indolent and vicious. All that was considered necessary was the ability to meet the requirements of ordinary life, and the estab- lishment of religious faith. The townships of Brunswick and West Penn were the first to establish these primitive schools, and the last to accept the common school system. Although one of the last in
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making the complete adoption, Schuylkill county was the first to introduce the measure in the legislature. Hon. William Audenreid, who represented Berks and Schuylkill counties in the state senate in 1825, first proposed and earnestly advocated the establishment of the fund which has since become the foundation of the public school system. He was the leading champion of free schools in Mckeans- burg, and that section of the county from which he was elected.
The borough of Orwigsburg seems to have taken the initiative in the matter of educational development and rapid progress under the public school system. At an early day in the history of the village the first institution of higher learning in the county was established there, and this was liberally supported for a number of years after the adoption and development of the free schools. The Orwigsburg academy was incorporated on the 29th of March, 1813. The trustees named in the act of incorporation were Daniel Graeff, William Green, Jr., James McFarland, Jacob Krebs, Barnet Kepner, Jeremiah Reed, Abraham Reifschneider and Philip Hoy. The law defined the duties and powers of the trustees, and provided for the continuance of the board by the election of two members annually, at the general election in the county. The State appropriated $2,000 toward the support of the enterprise, and authorized the trustees to receive donations for further support. In 1826 a supplementary act required the admission of as many indigent students as the facilities of the institu- tion would permit. In addition to this requirement, it was provided that four indigent children should be taught each year as a considera- tion for a State endowment of $1,ooo granted in the original act. The name was changed in 1854, and the institution was thereafter known as the Arcadian institute, which occupied the old court house which was donated to the borough for school purposes, as one of the condi- tions of the removal of the county seat to Pottsville. The institute passed out of existence in 1864, and the building has since been oc- cupied as a shoe factory.
Doubtless the development of the excellent system of public schools in the borough had much to do with the passing of this early educa- tional landmark. The unanimity with which the public school was received in Orwigsburg led to the early establishment of a graded school system, and this has been maintained with increasing pride and interest since 1865. A school house was built at Port Carbon in 1829 by Abraham Pott and donated to the use of the district. This was the first and only school house in the village prior to the accept- ance of the free school system for the adoption of which Mr. Pott was an ardent advocate. Norwegian township, and the townships
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which have been formed wholly or in part from its territory, early adopted the public school system, and have always maintained good schools and amply remunerated their teachers.
Tamaqua was among the first to adopt the public schools, the ques- tion being decided in 1835. The borough then belonged in Schuylkill township, which, as a whole, was opposed to the enforcement of the law; but by means of a clever ruse practiced at the election, the friends of the system prevailed, and directors were elected who at once put the system into successful operation. The most prominent citizens of Tamaqua promptly allied themselves with the cause of universal education. Among the first directors elected were Hon. Benjamin Heilner, Dr. D. Hunter, A. H. Deuel, and others of like intelligence. Judge Heilner and Doctor Hunter served as members of the Tamaqua school board for more than thirty years. Schuylkill township thought better of the proposition in 1837, and put the system previously adopted, into operation, thereby superseding the two pay schools in the township with ample provision for all the children. Manheim township adopted the system of public schools in 1838, and thirty-nine schools soon succeeded the eight existing at the time of the adoption. Pine Grove township unanimously rejected the public school in 1834, and the system was not adopted until 1847. Independent districts were established, first in Pine Grove village in 1835; in north Pine Grove in 1843, and in west Pine Grove in 1845. Rush township rejected the public school system until 1851, when on petition to the court the common schools were put in operation. The territory included in Rush township at the time this question was under con- - sideration, embraced the present townships of Rush, Rahn, Ryan and Klein. John Faust, who became a resident of Rush township in 1806, was an ardent advocate of education, and a man of means and influence. In 1810 he secured the opening of a school in an unoc- cupied log house, and installed Francis Keenly as teacher. Subse- quently, Mr. Faust's son, Jacob, built and furnished three houses for school purposes at his own expense; and after securing the adoption of the public school system through the means before mentioned, he built a school house and presented it with the lot, to the township, as an evidence of his personal interest in the common school cause. Until 1851 all the schools in the township were conducted in the houses donated by Mr. Faust, with the exception of one kept in an old saw- mill. Since the introduction of the present system, the four subscrip- tions schools have grown to twenty-six free ones in the territory originally embraced within the township.
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