USA > Pennsylvania > Juniata County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 8
USA > Pennsylvania > Mifflin County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 8
USA > Pennsylvania > Snyder County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 8
USA > Pennsylvania > Union County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 8
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 8
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The sessions of the County Institute for 1869, '70, '71, '72, '78, '74 and '75 were held at Bloomfield in December of each year, and for each able instructors were secured from abroad. They were not varied in plan from those of pre- vions years, except that music was given a reg- ular place on the program and the evening lee- Ihre course was begun. Wallace Bruce, of New York, was the first engaged on the lecture course. This year it was decided to hold the
Comity Institute in these places. The teachers of the First District met in Duncannon on the 18th of December. There were thirty-three teachers in attendance, who, with some former teachers, did the principal part of the work for the week. Miss Florence Chidester, of New York, gave drills in elocution and calisthenics, and an even- ing cloentionary entertainment ; Wallace Bruce, of New York, lectured on "Land-marks of Scott," and George L. Mavis, E-q., principal of the State Normal School, at West Chester, in- structed in language lessons, composition and object-teaching.
The institute for the Second District was held at Millerstown, and began on Monday, 25th of December. There were fifty-five teachers en- rolled. Miss Maria L. Sanford, of Swarthmore College, and Dr. J. HI. Shumaker, of Cham- bersburg, each gave an evening lecture and in- structed during the day sessions.
The teachers of the Third District met in Lan- disburg on the 2d of January, 1877. Miss Sanford gave instruction and an evening lecture, and Professor E. A. Angell, of the Cumberland Valley Normal School, instructed during the day sessions and gave three evening exercises. Mr. L. W. Turner, of Liverpool, served as mu- sical conductor at each of these institutes. The work of the teachers was earnest and willing everywhere this year.
The twenty-eighth session of the institute was held at Bloomfield, December 24 to 28, 1877. At this institute an enrolling clerk made a list of the teachers, and issued to cach a Teachers' Institute ticket ; and a reporter, in addition to two secretaries, were added to the organization. The custom of publishing the proceedings in pamphlet form was begin and has been contin- ued ever since.
This institute established the precedents for the evening lecture course, and the papers by the teachers. Of the teachers at thissession it was said by one competent to judge: " The teachers of Perry County have demonstrated that they are ladies and gentlemen, and are not inferior to those who visit us from a distance."
The institutes of 1878, '79, '80 were held at Bloomfield in December of each year, and were sneressful meetings, following the general plan
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distinctly outlined, with the additional and dis- tinetive feature of having pupils' work on exhi- bition, and examined by a committee of teachers. The sessions of 1881, '82, '83, '84, '85 were held at Bloomfield in December of each year, during the week preceding Christmas, and were well at- tended. With the establishment of the evening lecture course began the enrollment fee charged cach teacher, at first thirty-five and now sey- enty-five cents.
The funds for defraying the expenses of the in- structors and lecturersand printing the pamphlet reports are provided for in this way, and by charging persons not members of the institute an admission fee to the lectures.
That a methodically arranged and well-man- aged Teachers' Institute is a moulder of public sentiment admits of no argument. But whether the best method of accomplishing the work they attempt is sceured by them, is a debatable question. The effect of recent legislation will test their stability.
The branches now required by law to be taught in the public schools are spelling, reading, writing, written and mental arithmetic, geogra- phy, English grammar, United States history and physiology, anatomy and narcotics. The subject of United States history was added in 1867, and physiology, anatomy and narcotics in 1885. The compulsory elanse of the law making this latter branch a study rouses much bitter antagonismn.
With the county superintendency in 1854, began the system of examination of teachers and the issuing of provisional certificates for one year, and it has been continmed ever since. The writer believes that the time for a change in these partienlars has come, and that,-
1st. Provisional certificates should be issued for three years.
2d. Township as well as borough districts should have district principals.
3d. School directors should have at least the advan- tages of a public school teacher's education.
4th. Directors should purchase the books at the ex- pense of the district.
5th. Better qualified teachers at higher salaries should be employed, and that the teacher distin- guished for skill in imparting instruction should be engage l for the primary schools,
The exhibit placed in Pennsylvania Educa- tional Hall, at Philadelphia Centennial Ex- hibition, by Perry County in 1876 consisted of a " History of Perry County " in 1873, by Silas Wright, a map of Perry County showing the townships, principal towns, mountains, streams and iron-ore deposits drawn in ink, by Profes- sor 1 .. E. MeGinnis, now principal of the pub- lic schools of Steelton, Pa., and a pamphlet con- taining examination questions, specimens of pupils' work in geography, drawing, spelling and arithmetic, together with a table of school statistics of the county, and a teachers' pro- grannne. This pamphlet was in manuscript.
A total of $9.08 towards the expenses of erecting Pennsylvania Educational Hall was contributed by the teachers and pupils of thirteen schools.
There is no public library in the county. Recommendations pointing to a uniform course of study for the borough public schools were incorporated into the proceedings of the last County Institute. Liverpool borough has the credit of graduating, in the spring of 1886, the first and only class from a High School in the county.
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS .- Of the ineum- bents of the office of county superintendent in Perry County, Rev. Adam R. Height, of Me- chaniesburg, Cumberland County, Pa., had com- meneed his pastoral labors in Bloomfield Enth- eran charge on the Ist of March, 1854, and was in the county long enough to seenre his election at the first triennial convention of school direc- tors, which met in the court-honse in Bloomfield on the 5th of June, 1851. This convention was organized by the election of Hon. Joseph Baily, of Miller township, president, and James L. Diven, of Landisburg, secretary.
A motion was made to fix the salary at six hundred dollars per annum, which was lost, and the convention finally settled on the yearly sal- ary of three hundred dollars as the amount to be paid. The following is a list of the persons put in nomination and the number of votes cach had per ballot :
Nominations. Ballots.
Ist. 20. 3d. Rev. A. R. Height, Bloomfield ... 12 47 51 William Brown, Peun township. 33 42 49
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Rudolphus Heim, Landisburg ... 6 11 W Albert A. Owen, Landisburg .. 16 W
Henry Titzell, Juniata township. 4 W Heury G. Milans, Bloomfield .... W Rev. Solomon Bingham. ...... =
Daniel Brink, Liverpool borough W
Rev. Height was elected on the third ballot by a majority of two votes, and was commis- sioned soon after. his election, in the same month, and entered upon the duties of examin- ing teachers in the following September. Rev. Height administered school affairs in a zealons, prompt and efficient manner. That he wished their improvement is shown in his reports of visits, and suggestions which he published in the newspapers from time to time.
At the second triennial convention, which met in May, 1857, Rev. Theodore P. Bucher, of Cumberland County, a recently-graduated theological student, was elected. The year be- fore his election Rev. Bucher had brought himself' into prominence by opening Mount Dempsey Academy, at Landisburg. This, with his exemplary behavior in Newport (where he had been a elerk in Thatcher's store when a boy), enabled him to carry off the prize.
Superintendent Bucher continued to teach during the summer months in Mount Demp- sey Academy, devoting the time to the exam- ination of teachers and the visitation of schools after his summer term of school had closed. The plan of examining teachers and visiting schools adopted was followed with slight modifications
His first Teachers' Institute was held at Bloom- field during the Christmas week of 1858, and was attended by the teachers from most of the districts of the county. This was the first edu- cational meeting attended by the writer, who was then a boy in the common school, and went there with his father, a teacher. Of the teachers we met and became acquainted with were George W. Bretz, of Howe township ; Jacob Gantt, of Centre township ; J. Don L. Gantt, of Oliver township ; W. C. B. Miller, of Green- wood township; Dr. Wm. M. Ray, of New Germantown ; William E. Baker, of Saville; George W. Hench, of Saville ; S. B. Kerr, of Tuscarora township ; and I. B. Milans, of New Bloomfield.
Of the persons who were active in the work of this institute, and who were not teachers, were B. F. Junkin and Daniel Gantt, Esqs.
The instructors from a distance were Profes- sor Fordyce A. Allen, of Tioga County, and Professor B. F. Taylor, of Chester County.
The instructors in these days were fearless in asserting their convictions and attacked the posi- tions taken by each other as vigorously as if thereby they battled with the ignorance of the times. Then, an institute instructor was ex- pected to solve all the " hard questions in arith- metie," parse all the difficult sentences found in Murray's, Kirkham's or Smith's grammars. Upon his ability to meet these requirements rested his reputation.
Superintendent Bucher resigned in the sum- mer of 1859, and was succeeded by Lewis Bar- nett Kerr, of Tuscarora township, whose com- missiou bore date of September 1, 1859. Mr. Kerr filled the unexpired term with such ae- ceptance that he was elected by the third trien- nial convention, which met in May, 1860. Mr. Kerr was elected a second time by the sixth annual convention, on the eleventh ballot, by eight votes. He has had the second longest lease of the office.
During the three years' term of the superin- tendency, beginning in 1860, the Civil War was in progress, and drew largely from the ranks of the teachers those who had had the long- est and most successful experience. To supply their places, inexperienced boys and young wo- men were called. At the fourth triennial con- vention, which met at Bloomfield on the 4th of May, 1863, Jacob Gantt, of Millerstown, was «Iceted over William R. Cisna, on the fifth bal- lot, by a majority of fourteen votes. The sahury, at the meeting of the third convention, was increased to four hundred dollars per annum, but this meeting reduced it to three hundred dollars again.
During the last year of Mr. Gantt's term, through the efforts of Senator Kirk Haines, of Millerstown, the special act _appropriating money from the county treasury to defray the expenses of an annual County 'Teachers' Insti- tute was extended to Perry.
The fifth convention met in May, 1866, and
PERRY COUNTY.
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elected Silas Wright, of Greenwood township, on the third ballot, over Jacob Gantt and George W. Lester. Mr. Wright was not quite twenty-five years of age, and at that time the only graduate of a State Normal School in the county, having finished his course a year before, at Millersville, with the class of 1865.
SILLAS WRIGHT, ex-superintendent of public schools, was born September 15, 1841, about three miles from Millerstown, in Wildcat (now
deed for six hundred and forty acres of land in Lower Merion township, fronting on the Schuylkill River (opposite Spring Mill) and ex- tending thence south.
The paternal grandmother's family were the Van Comps, who have been traced to the In- dian's midnight destruction of the Dutch town of Esopus (now Kingston), N. Y.
Silas Wright attended the winter schools until his sixteenth year, when he began attending
F
Silas Wright
Perry) Valley, Greenwood township, Perry County, Pa. His maternal ancestry, the Bon- salls, have been traced to the number of five thousand, and in time to the Norman Conquest, when the name was Buntsall (good salt).
The Taylors, of his paternal grandmother's family, have been traced to Isaac Taylor, of Lower Merion township, Montgomery County, Pa., more than a century ago, and the Llewellyns, with whom Isaac Taylor intermarried, to Man- rice Llewellyn, to whom William Penn gave a
school in summer and teaching in winter, and thus continued until he was graduated from the State Normal School, at Millersville, Pa., in 1865. In 1865-66 he was associated as teacher with Mr. Jonathan K. Taylor, in a boys' acade- my, at Coatesville, Pa., and in the latter year was elected county superintendent of Perry for three years.
During the summer of 1867 he founded the Jmiata Valley Normal School, at Newport, Pa., which was opened the following year for a
4
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
.
summer session, at Millerstown, where it was continued by Mr. Wright as principal until 1878.
Relying upon his public record rather than his own efforts, in the canvass of 1869, he failed in his re-election by the convention of school directors. Ile taught day and night-schools in Miller-town until. August, 1870, when he ac- cepted a professorship in Bloomsburg State Nor- mal School, then in charge of Professor Henry Carver. Upon his resignation, in December, he gave a couple of weeks to institute work in the counties of Juniata, Perry and Columbia, when he accepted the principalship of the public schools of Plymouth borough, Luzerne County, Pa., and began his work in January following. He filled this position acceptably until the fol- lowing Jime, resigned and returned to the prin- cipalship of the Normal School at Millerstown. While in this position his holidays and leisure hours were given to the collection of data and writing his " History of Perry County," which was published in 1873. The last proofs had searee- ly been corrected when the death of George C. Welker, acting county superintendent, caused a vacancy in that office, which our historian was called to fill by appointment.
The work of the following two years was so heartily indorsed by the convention of May 4, 1875, that Mr. Wright was again elected super- intendent on the first ballot, over six competi- tors.
In the fall and winter of 1875-76 he wrote the history of Juniata, Mifflin and Perry Coun- ties, contained in Dr. Egle's "History of Penn- sylvania." Ilis centennial address, " Millers- town and Vicinity," delivered in Millerstown on the 4th of July, 1876, was furnished for the Library of Congress and the State Library at Albany, and printed at their own expense.
The leisure of the summer of 1876 was given to tracing the Juniata branch of the Bonsall family, and a copy of this work in MSS. was furnished to the librarian of the Pennsylvania Historical Society.
During the months of August and Sept., 1877, the " Ilistory of Education in Perry County " was prepared and published by him. From Sept., 1878, until July, 1880, Mr. Wright was principal
of the Soldiers' Orphans' School, Me.Alisterville, Juniata County. From September, 1880, until the Ist of February, 1881, he held a similar position in the Soldiers' Orphans' School at Ches- ter Springs, Chester County. From September, 1881, until June, 1882, he was principal of the Liverpool borough public schools. September 7, 1885, he entered upon the duties of principal of Newport borough public schools, which po- sition he fills at the time of writing this sketch.
Professor Wright has devoted his life-work to the education of the rising generation. As a teacher, his devotion to duty has been marked, and his pupils are to be found among the foremost business men of the day. As a director of schools and superintendent, his executive ability gained the confidence of all who knew him, and his knowledge of school-work gave him an enviable place as an educator in the county.
Prof. Wright is also an experimental and intel- ligent farmer, and was foremost in organizing the Farmers' Protective Association in Green- wood township on May 8, 1884.
On July 15, 1869, he married Fanny C., daughter of Wilson H. and Mary Ann Calhoun, of Unionville, Centre County, formerly a teach- er, by whom he has had three children, viz .: Ahna D., died at the age of five years, in 1875, Winfred J. and Bertha C. Wright.
The seventh triennial convention, which met on the 7th of May, 1872, fixed the salary at seven hundred dollars. Superintendent Gantt had succeeded in having the salary raised to five hundred dollars by a special meeting of direct- ors called after his election. This convention elected George C. Welker, of Liverpool bor- ough, over G. C. Palm, on the third ballot, by a majority of eight votes.
Mr. Welker died before the end of his first year in office, and was succeeded by Silas Wright, whose commission was dated on the Ist of April, 1873. Mr. Wright filled out this un- expired term with sufficient acceptance, that when the eighth convention met, in May, 1875, he was elected over six competitors on the first ballot. At the ninth convention, in May, 1878, S. B. Falmestock, of Duncannon, was elected over Rov. JJolm Edgar. At the tenth conven- tion, in May, 1881, J. R. Flickinger, of Bloom-
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PERRY COUNTY.
field, was elected over S. B. Fahnestock. At the eleventh convention, in May, 1881, Emmett U. Ammiller, of Liverpool township, was elected over S. B. Fahnestock.
Of the persons who have held the office of county superintendent, the Revs. Height and Bucher and Professor Flickinger were gradu- ated at colleges. Messi's. Wright, Fabmes- tock and Aumiller are graduates of State Normal Schools. Messrs. Kerr, Gantt and Welker attended academies and also common schools.
Jesse Miller, who was born in Millerstown in 1800, was secretary of the commonwealth and superintendent of connon schools during the administration of Governor Shunk.
Mr. Miller has the credit of first directly sug- gesting to the Legislature the plan of the county superintendeney. Hon. Jesse Miller died Au- gust 20, 1850. Ile was educated in the common schools.
CHAPTER V.
BOROUGH OF NEW BLOOMFIELD.
Ties tract of land on which the borough of New Bloomfield is situated was first settled upon by David Mitchell, who made some improve- ment upon it and sold it, about 1784 or 1785, to Thomas Baruett, then living at "The Cove," within the present limits of Penn township. Barnett warranted the traet, which contained four hundred and eighteen acres, Decem- ber 19, 1785, and received a patent for it Au- gust 17, 1796. In this patent the tract was muned " Bloomfield," and from this circum- stance came the application of the name to the seat of justice of Perry County when the tract was selected for its site, in 1823.'
" The story has been often told, and generally believed, that the town derived its name from the fact that when, on the Ist of June, 1823, the site was selected, the clover was in full bloom. The name of the tract in the patent given twenty-seven years previous was the leading cause for the name. It is stated that Mrs. George Barnett was given the privilege of naming the town, and she gave the name " Bloomfield," when objections were made that there were minny towns of that name. She then proposed that it be called " New Bloomfield," which was adopted.
BEGINNINGS OF THE TOWN .- The land of Thomas Barnett passed to his son, George Bar- nett, May 10, 1804. The commissioners ap- pointed by the Governor, under the act of March 31, 1823, located the county-seat upon his farm. Their report was made to the Governor and con- firmed in the spring of 1824, and, on the 12th of April in that year, Barnett conveyed to the commissioner of the county, in consideration of one dollar, a tract of land lying on both sides of the road leading from Carlisle to Sunbury, which contained eight acres and one hundred and thirty-six perches (five hundred and sixty- four and six hundred and eighty-four feet), and also granted to the commissioners forever the privilege of using the waters of a large spring near the southwest boundary of the tract for the benefit of the public, free from all obstruc- tions. On the 13th of May the same year, in consideration of sixty-eight cents, he conveyed to the commissioners a tract of five acres of wood- land, " situate on the north side of the road leading from the Dutch meeting-house, in Ju- niata township, to the Blue Ball tavern."
Soon after the purchase of this tract of land the commissioners employed Robert Kelly to lay it out into sixty-four lots, with three streets rimming casterly and westerly-Main Street, sixty-six feet wide ; MeClure Street, sixty feet ; and High Street, fifty feet -- one street northerly and sontherly-Carlisle Street, sixty-six feet wide. This street was the line of the Carlisle and Sunbury State road. A public square was laid out at the intersection of Main and Carlisle Streets, and four square lots abutting the public square were reserved for public use. On the northeast corner the court-house was ereeted in 1826, and the corner opposite was specified and has always been known as the "market-house lot," although no house has ever been erected upon it. The lots on the other corners were sold by the commissioners. On one of them stands the hotel, and the other is now vacant. The jail was built in 1825 on lots Nos. 24 and 42. On Wednesday, June 23, 1824, the commissioners offered for sale, at public vendue, twenty-six lots, which were nearly all sold, and the deeds given Angust Bd in that year.
Andrew Shaman became the purchaser of lot
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
No. 1, fronting on Main Street and on the northeast corner of the public square, now owned by the estate of the Hon. Charles J. T. MeIntire. Robert Kelly, who for many years was a schoolmaster and surveyor, bought lot No. 9, fronting on Carlisle Street south of the market-house lot, now occupied by the bank and Jacob Fenstermacher's store. Lot No. 10, opposite the Kelly lot, was bought by Robert II. McClelland, who was a merchant in Landis- burg. He sold it January 5, 1826, to John Rice. Next sonth was lot No. 12, bought by Dr. Jonas Ickes, who sold it, May 6, 1828, to George Grosjean, a Frenchman and a carpenter, who resided in the town many years.
Next sonth was No. 14, bought by Isaac and Richard Kirkpatrick, now owned by Judge B. F. Junkin. On the corner of Carlisle and Me- Clure Streets was lot 16, owned. by William Waugh, and sold by him, June 22, 1827, to William B. Mitchell. Lot No. 11, on Carlisle Street, first below Fenstermacher's store, was owned by James Atchley, who formerly kept tavern in Landisburg. Lot. No. 8 was bought by Michael ITubler, a blacksmith. It was on Main Street and is the hotel lot owned by James B. Hackett. Inbler sold it to Dr. JJonas Iekes, Jamary 6, 1825, who built the tavern-house upon it and kept it from 1826 until he bought the Perry Hotel property, corner of Carlisle and Main Street. David Impfer purchased lot No. 17, directly north of the court-house, and soon after erected a two-story brick tavern upon it. Next north John Hipple bought lot 19. He had kept tavern in Landisburg from 1819 until his election as sheriff, in 1826, when he moved to Bloomfield. After the expiration of his term he bought the Warm Springs property and kept tavern there for several years. Above his lot was No. 19, at the corner of Carlisle and High Streets, which was owned by Captain William Power. Lot No. 1, on Main Street, was bought by Alexander Magee, then editor of the Perry Forester at Landisburg. Upon it, in 1831, he built the house now owned by his son, the Hon. John A. Magee. West of this was Lot No. 2, owned by Nicholas Ulrich, now the property of Edward R. Sponsler.
At the time Bloomfield was laid out there
was no building upon its site. The Union Church edifice was on land adjoining the tract, on the north side of the road. The first build- ing erected was a small story-and-a-half house constructed of sawed logs. It was on lot No. 36, southeast corner of Carlisle and MeClure Streets, and was built by John Attick. The lot is now owned by William Wise.
John Rice took the contract for building the jail, and in 1824 moved from Iekesburg to a house on the Caspar Lupfer farm. He began building on lot 46 in that year and was licensed to keep a public-house in January, 1825. Ile opened a tavern and a store, the latter of which he kept till about. 1850. The lot he bought of George Barnett August 23, 1825. The lot No. 48, separated from No. 46 by an alley, and now owned by William Rice, was bought of George Barnett May 30, 1825. On the 14th of Sep- tember, 1826, the commissioners advertised for sale two of the town lots, Nos. 27 and 28, which were bought, November 11, 1826, by John D. Creigh, who erected upon them the brick build- ing now the Perry Hotel, kept by David Bower.
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