USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 2 > Part 17
USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 2 > Part 17
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Here the school was kept up until the spring of the year 1851. The teachers who tanght here were John Hossy, Geiger, Berndt, Henry, Mühlhaus, Charles Ziegler, Frank Haines (two terms), and Detweiler. The two last named taught common schools.
When the common school-houses were built in the summer of the year 1852 this school was again re- moved to near its old site, a school-house being built on the land of Daniel Moyer, at the cross-roads, above Bittner's mill, about a quarter of a mile from the original site. Among the teachers who have taught here may be mentioned Henry Quier, Frank Herber, Joel Bittner, Franklin J. Schumacher, Ralph P. Sow- den, Solomon F. Rupp, O. D. Quier, Benedict P. Weiss, Daniel W. Benedict, Menno Heffner, Wallace Zimmerman, Isaac Haines, Franklin Stettler.
These district schools were under the management of a committee of trustees elected by the patrons of each district. They employed the teachers, who re- ceived from two to three cents for every child present per day, which amount the teachers had to collect themselves.
The teachers mostly boarded around. The German language was mostly taught, though the English lan- guage was introduced much earlier into these private district schools than into the church schools. The furniture of these schools was of the rudest kind. There were no desks, but a row of tables, like a huck - ster's stand, the whole length of the school-room.
School at Weiss's .- This school-house stood on ! the premises of Henry Weiss, now known as Weiss's tannery. The district was organized and the school- house was built probably some time between the years 1822 and 1825. The school was kept up at this place until the common schools had been in operation for several years, when it was succeeded by the Buck's school. The teachers at this place were Elanins Kramlich, Amandas Stettler, David Stettler, and others.
Smithville School .- This school had its origin about the year 1819, when a school was opened in the dwelling-house of Mr. Burtz, on what is now known as the Stine farm, owned by Mr. Ziegler, about one- half mile northwest from Heynemansville. The teach- ers at this place were Ferdinand Bergenmeyer, Peter Maurer, Samuel Wagner, and others. After some time this school was removed to the Maurer farm, where Nathan Moser was the principal teacher.
Acker's School .- Some time after the year 1800 a school was opened on the farm of Michael Acker, now owned by Benjamin Grim. This school wa- kept up, with perhaps slight intermissions, until near the time when the common schools came into operation, when it was succeeded by the Apple's school. Some of the teachers at Acker's were Daniel Helfrich, --- Schrei- ber, and Fredericka Kengle. Among those at Apple's may be mentioned William Rupp, Franklin Acker, Amandas Knerr, Cyrus Rhodes, - Heilman, and others.
Seiberling's School .- About the year 1834 a school was opened in the village of Mount Pleasant (now known as Seiberlingsville), and was kept up, with perhaps slight intermissions, until after the common schools had been in operation for several terms, when it was succeeded by the present Seiberlingsville school. Probably the first teacher was Andreas Ring, who was followed by several English teachers from Bucks County, Elias Keiper (of Allentown), Joe Pike, and others. Among the teachers who taught common school here were Charles Leiser, Lavinius Holben, Emina Seiberling, and others. Gottlieb Souders often taught summer school here.
Centre School .- Centre School was started about the year 1830 in an old house on the premises of John Bleiler, tanner. The building was an okl dwelling-house that had become too dilapidated to be rented. The first two years the school was taught by Wilhelm Schreiber, a German. Then came Samuch Wagner. In 1834, the buikling having become too poor, the school was removed to another old house on the premises of Rev. John Helffrich. Here the school was kept up two years. The teacher was Orlanso Knapp, an Englishman. In 1836 the school was again
472
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
removed, this time to an old hatmaker's shop on the premises of Jonathan Xander, where it was kept up two years, the teacher being Amandas Stettler. But the shop becoming too small, the school was moved to an old house at Holben's (now Frank Knerr's), Mr. Stettler continuing as teacher. During these ten years the furniture of the school consisted of the rudest kind. The teachers received a certain amount per day for each pupil, and most of them boarded aronnd.
About the year 1840 a school district was organized by Henry Kramlich, Benjamin Bear, Andrew Hart- man, Joseph Bear, Christian Kramlich, Benjamin Zimmerman, and others. Andrew Hartman gave the land, and Benjamin Bear and Christian Kramlich were the builders. The school-house thus built was a stone structure, about three-fourths of a mile northeast of Heynemansville, on the road to Lyon Valley, and re- ceived the name Centre School-House. It continued to be used for a period of thirty-three years, until the Seipstown school-house was built, in 1873, when the Centre school was discontinued.
The teachers who taught at Centre were William Wittemeyer (a German), William Tippe Cramer (an Englishman, from Philadelphia), Frank Haines, Amandas Stettler, David Stettler, Elanius Kramlich, and several others prior to the adoption of the common schools in 1849. After the adoption of the common schools, Mr. Gottlieb Souders, an educated man from Germany, taught here for many years, and the school had a very high standing. Franklin Bender and some others also taught here. O. D. Quier was the last teacher. During the time of the Township Institute it was mostly held here. A debating society also held its meetings here during the winter of 1872 and 1873. The house has since been torn down, and not a ves- tige of it now remains to mark the spot.
Private Schools .- Besides the district and church schools, there were also a number of private schools at different periods in different parts of the township. Sometimes it happened that men of means had a large family of children, whom they wished to edu- cate better than was usual, so they fixed up a room and got a teacher, and had school in their houses for their own and their neighbors' children. Among these were the first English schools. Sometimes, also, it happened that persons of some education got out of employment, and, finding a room at a suitable place, opened a school. Thus, about the year 1825 or 1826, Mr. Jesse Grim fixed up a room on his spring-house, got teachers from abroad, and had English school kept for a period of about ten years. Killian Leiby, Jr., also taught English school in his house some time after the year 1800. This man was a sort of "Jack at all trades." He cultivated a small farm, was some- thing of a horse-doctor, taught musie, and is said to have been an expert player on the violin. He was also a nail-maker, having made all the nails used in building the second Ziegel Church. In his later
years he was known to go around casting tin spoons. At the time when he taught school he lived where George Kulins now lives. Nathan Moser also taught school of this kind some time about the year 1830, in a small shop at his home, on lands now owned by Aaron Stettler, about a quarter of a mile south by east of Clanssville.
Henry Busse, the veteran teacher at the Weissen- berg Church, taught school at one time at Feldi Werly's, in the kitchen. At Dewald Werly's there was school for several terms in the garret of an old distillery.
Some seventy years ago, one Martin Brechall, a Ilessian, taught school at John Nicholas Werly's, in the kitchen. Here the bustle of the school-room mingled with the bnm of the busy housewife's spin- ning-wheel. He seems to have been an expert with the rod and pen. He wielded the former with an iron hand. His pupils were mostly grown-up boys with some grown-up girls. They sat on both sides of a table, ranged through the middle of the kitchen, while he sat behind, with his back to the pupils and his face towards the wall. Yet whenever a pupil did the slightest mischief he was sure to be detected and punished without mercy. Occasionally some young sharper would think, " Well, now, he won't see me," and begin to make fun. The next moment "whack" came the hickory. For a long time the pupils could not see how he detected them so soon, but at last they found out that while he sat with his back turned to- wards them, he was looking at a mirror which reflected the whole room. He was an excellent German pen- man, and many of his pupils attended school merely for the purpose of learning to write. When he was not teaching he went around filling out baptismal certificates.
Rupp's School .- This district is in the eastern corner of the township. The school-house stands on a hill onee wholly overgrown with chestnut woods, but now mostly cleared. For a long time this district had no school. That part west of the school-house belonged to the Moyer's district, while that part lying east of it belonged to a district of which the school- honse stood in Macungie, on the hill, above Fogels- ville, at the public road leading from that place to Seipstown. The school-honse above Fogelsville must have been built a considerable time before the year 1800, for persons who attended the school there be- tween the years 1810 and 1820 say that it was an old building then. It had two rooms and a cellar, and served also as a dwelling for the teacher at various tines. When this school was removed to Fogelsville, this part of Weissenberg had no school until Nathan Moser opened his private school abont 1830. This was not continued longer than a few years. While the Moyer's school was at Schumacher's, the children of this district attended there. About the year 1839 a school was opened in an old house on the farm of Samuel Heffner, the teacher of which was Joe Pike.
473
WEISSENBERG TOWNSHIP.
A few years later it was removed to an old building on the farm of Jonas Kern (now known as the David Peter's farm), about three-eighths of a mile south of the present school-house. This building was one that had been used as a distillery. The school room had no desks, but some old tables and a carpenter's bench, at which the pupils sat. Here the school was kept up until the spring of 1852.
The principal teacher before the common schools was John Hossey. Jonas Kunkle taught common school here for two terms, and Levi Haas one term. In the summer of 1852 a new school-house was erected by the township. It was built by David Moser, for three hundred and seventy dollars. It was built by the side of the road, in the middle of a large forest, upon land of Jonas Kern, hence the sehool was long known as Kern's school. Recently it has been called Rupp's. It is a stone structure, twenty-six feet long and twenty-two feet wide. At first the desks were ranged around the wall, but they have since been changed several times. The room was originally very cold, and many children have had their feet frozen in school. It was repaired some eight or ten years ago and made more comfortable. For the first two terms the school was taught by Jonas Kunkle. In the fall of 1854 it was taken in charge by Oliver Holben, since a professor in various Euro- pean and American colleges; now engaged in a New York eollege. He boarded in the school-house, and slept in the garret. He taught one term, and was a successful teacher. The school then numbered some seventy pupils. The next teacher was Henry Knerr, one term, then again Jonas Kunkle two terms. He was a good teacher for those times. Next followed Daniel Kuhns, one term. He is now a country mer- chant at Weidasville.
son of Dr. Haberacker, of Fogelsville. He taught one term. Ile is now a physician at Tyrone, Pa. Next came Milton Bernhard, of East Texas, one term.
In the fall of 1864 the school came in the charge of John Rupp, now an attorney-at-law at Allentown. He taught here three terms. Then came Benjamin Rupp, who taught two terms. The two last were pro- fessional teachers, and both of them law students at the time. The next teacher was Solomon F. Rupp, one term. Then came Uriah Sieger and Owen D. Quier, each one term. In the fall of 1872 the school came in charge of Henry F. Rupp, by whom it has been taught the last twelve winters.
The Common Schools .- When the common schools were first established in Pennsylvania the people of Weissenberg were bitterly opposed to them ; hence, whenever the question came up at the annual town- ship elections, the people voted them down, though a few men like Joshua Seiberling made strenuous efforts to have the system adopted. But when the law was changed, so that the minority in a township could accept, things took a different course. In 1849, Joshua Seiberling drew up a petition asking the County Court to appoint a board of school directors for the township. This petition was given into the hands of George Muse, who obtained some twenty signers to it. It was then presented to the court, when Joshua Seiberling, George Muse, Paul Bleiler, Frederick Wallace, George S. Eisenhard, and John Gehringer were appointed as a board of school di- rectors. They organized a system of public schools for the township. The first school board was, how- ever, in power bnt a short time, for at the next elec- tion they were all defeated, and an entirely new board was elected.
The second board consisted of Henry Werly, Jacob Walbert, Samuel Heffner, Daniel Leiby, John Griffce, and Jeremiah Derr.
In the fall of 1859 the school was placed in the hands of James Schumacher. He was an educated and experienced teneher, but rather too severe, and The present board consists of Charles Kramlich, Benjamin Grim, Daniel Zimmerman, Frank Fritz- inger, Lewis Bachman, and Levi Herber. often unreasonable in his punishment of pupils, hence he had great difficulties here. He taught one term. ' When the civil war broke out he became a soldier, School-Houses .- During the first two or three years the common schools were held in the old buildings. In the year 1852 the township was divided into school distriets, and, with few exceptions, new school-houses were built during this and the few following years. These buildings were stone structures, poorly built by contract, about twenty by thirty feet in size, with rooms eight feet high, and desks ranged around the wall. Some time later an independent district, called Grim's, was formed ont of parts of this and Maeungie townships, also a joint district with Lynn. Here larger and better buildings were put up, made of brick. and gave his life as an offering to his country. The next teacher was George Gosman. He was a gradu- ate of Heidelberg College, Titfin, Ohio, and was an able teacher, but he soon fell into a misunderstanding with some of his patrons, and had a vast amount of trouble. When the term was over he went to Mary- land, thenee back to Ohio, and afterwards to Europe. He spent a considerable time in Switzerland, Italy, and Greece, serving as professor in colleges at Rome and at Athens. He married in Switzerland, and re- turned to Tiflin, Ohio, where he practiced law for some time. When last heard from by his Pennsylvania friends he was in California. During the winter of In 1873 the Seipstown district was formed out of parts of Rupp's ( then called Kerns'), Ziegel's Church, and Centre. The school-house at Seipstown was built by contract, by Peter Seip. It is built of bricks, 1861 and 1862 the school was taught by David Y. Shaub, of Hereford, Berks Co. He was a professional teacher, and afterwards became a German Reformed minister. The next teacher was Engene Haberacker, , about twenty-six by thirty-two feet in size, with room
1.
474
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
about eleven feet high, furnished with board desks. The house is not very durably built, and the room is eold. At the Weissenberg Church the school was kept in a room in the dwelling-house until 1877, when a new brick school-house was built. It was built by contract by William Bear, one of the directors.
At Ziegel's Church the school was also kept in a ! room of the dwelling-house until 1878, when, a new dwelling-house having been erected by the congre- gation, the old house was repaired, the school-room was enlarged, and furnished with patent desks. At present about half of the school-houses of the town- ship are old and dilapidated, and unfit for use.
Terms and Salary .- When the common schools were first started in this township the term was fixed at four months, of twenty-four days to a month. The salary paid to the teachers was eighteen dollars per month in the winter of 1852-53. From that time it rose until 1860, when they received twenty-eight dol- lars per month. In the fall of 1863 the term was in- creased to five months, of twenty-two days each; two days of each month being granted to the teachers for holding institutes. At the close of the civil war the salary had risen to from forty to forty-five dollars per month, according to the grade of the certificate. This was during the times when Jonas Ettinger, Jacob Madtes, David Peter, Solomon Knerr, Henry Ger- man, Peter Seip, Charles Ziegler, and others formed the school boards.
During the war this township furnished its quota of sokliers by way of substitutes raised by the school board. These cost an immense amount of money, which had to be raised by means of taxes, called bounty taxes, levied and collected by the school board. For this the direetors were blamed, though unjustly, and other men elected in their places; con- sequently the school suffered. The salary was de- ereased, the term diminished, and the institute stopped. After several years had elapsed the term was restored, the salary again inereased, and through the efforts of some of the teachers the institute again started. Then the schools again flourished. At the beginning of the great panic the salary was thirty- right dollars per month for the professionals. hu 1880 it had dwindled down to twenty-four dollars per month all through, and the institute had died ont. The past winter the salary was twenty-nine dollars per month.
Teachers and Progress .- Before the common schools were organized the teachers were mostly Ger- mans, and the schools nearly all conducted in German, but with the advent of the common schools came the English language. At first it was taught in its ele- ments, that is, in a small way, but gradually it ob- tained a firm hold and crowded the German out. Be- fore the common schools the schools were few, and many children received only a few months' schooling in all their lives. The common-school system made schools more numerous, and brought the children
into the schools. For when a person had to pay taxes he wanted to have the value of his money. The teachers at first were no better qualified than before. Several amusing anecdotes will illustrate this. It is I said that the first county superintendent for Lehigh once examined an applicant for a school, a German, in a neighboring township. It was in arithmetic. First he gave him a problem in addition, then in subtraction ; these he solved, but when it came to multiplication, there he stuck. The superintendent asked, " Mr. - , did you never study this?" The teacher replied, " Das addiren und das subtrahendire das habe ich gelernt, aber das multiplicire und das diffidiren habe ich noch nie gekant,"-(" Addition and subtraction I learned, but multiplication and di- vision I never knew"). Another one, on being asked, " Herr M-, was wissen sie von Grammar ?" re- plied, "Ich hab mein lebtag nie gekrämert,"-(" Mr. M-, what do you know of grammar?" "I never was a pedlar in my life").
Soon, however, young men began to go to semina- ries, academies, and later to normal schools, to pre- pare for teaching. Then the schools improved. The introduction of the English language into the schools was soon followed by the introduction of ge- ography and grammar in some schools as early as 1852. The children studying geography and gram- mar were, however, the exception, not the rule, as late as 1860. About that time mental arithmetic was introduced, followed ten years later by history. The teaching of grammar was not a very great success in most of the schools until the introduction of " Read & Kellog's Grammar," about eight years ago. Recently, also, algebra, book-keeping, and human physiology have been introduced into some of the more advanced schools. In some of the schools occasionally some children studied German exclusively, as late as 1870. In many of the schools the children still learn to read German, while from others the German has been banished entirely. The Sunday-schools and churches are still German ; but the children, nearly all of whom learn to talk English, are beginning to understand less of the High German than of the English, because they learn everything in school in English, and talk the Pennsylvania German, which is a mixture of the two, into which they bring more English words every year.
The two things which hinder the progress of the schools are irregularity of attendance, eansed by in- difference of parents, and low salary to teachers, which annually forces some of the best teachers into other employments, thus making teaching only a stepping- stone to something else.
Other Educational Institutions. - At every church, and at some of the school-houses, there are kept up Sunday-schools, which serve to prepare the children to become members of the church. There also have been at different times and places debating societies in the township.
475
WEISSENBERG TOWNSHIP.
About seven years ago the teachers of the township started up a township library, intending to make it a permanent institution, but not being properly sup- ported, it collapsed after an existence of about four years. At present there are eleven and one-half school districts in the township, of which the follow- ing is a list, together with the teachers and the num- ber of pupils enrolled during the last term :
District and Teacher.
Number enrolled.
Rupp's, Heury F. Rupp .. 37
Seipstown, Solomon F. Rnpp ....
Moyer's, Peter F. Brar ...
41
Ziegel's Church, John Kaiser
14
Apple's, Cyrus Held ...
Smithville, Samuel W. Hacock ..
26
Seiberling's, D. W. Benedict ....
Grim's, Penrose Grim ..
Hackenback's, Benedict P'. Weiss.
22
Buck's, loel 11. Bittner,
-27
Weissenberg Church, Amandas Holben.
Miller's (joint with Lyr.n), Henry Kistler ...
Grim's Independent (mostly in Macungie), Mr. Frey.
Justices of the Peace .- Prior to 1840 the justiees having jurisdiction over this territory were cleeted by districts, and their names will be found in the civil list of the general history.
Commissioned. Commissioned.
Jonas Sieberling. ... April 1.1, 1840 1 Joshua Sieberling .. April 30, 1861
Geo. S. Eisenhart ... 11, 18-10
Francis Weiss ... ..... 11, 1865
John W. lehtrich. 11,1813
Joslma Sirberling .. 17, 1866
Joshnn Sirberling .. 15, 1815 Francis WrisH ..... 8, 1870
Kred. A. Wallace ... 11, 1818
Jacob Lichty .. 9, 1872
Francis Weiss .. 9, 1850 Francis Weiss .. ...... March 13, 1875
Jobn 11. 11elftrich ... 15, 1851
Samt. W. lacock ... 21, 1876
Francis Weiss ... 10, 1855
Jacob Lichty ... 19, 1877
Henry P. Grim. 13, 1858
Saml. W. Hacock ... April 9, 1881
Francis Weiss. 10, 1860 Francis Weiss ... ... .. March 30, 1882
Graveyards .- There is a graveyard on the land of Jesse Grim, in Weissenberg township, which was started in 1801. The first persons buried there were Daniel and Catharine Grim, who died only eight days apart. There are not many persons buried there. This is the only graveyard in the township, except those at the churches. In the carlier times per- sons were buried on their own farms, but the places were not fenced as graveyards, and are generally not known at the present; and those which are known are farmed as any other land. There are also places visible in some parts which are said to be Indian graves, particularly upon the lands of Jesse Grim.
Manufactories-Mills .- Grim's grist- and saw- mills are situated at New Smithville, on Silver Creek, on a tract of land surveyed Aug. 12, 1783, for John Gaekenbach, Sr., who built a log grist-mill and saw- mill on it, and sold it, July 21, 1794, to John Gacken- bach, Jr. Several years later (1797) he sold it to Abraham Smith, who had it till 1808, when he sold it to Gedion Grim, grandfather of the present owners. Gedion Grim built a stone dwelling-house there in 1810, and a stone mill in 1817, both of which are still standing. From Gedion Grim the property passed to his son, Benjamin, from whom his sons, Jonathan, ,
still in a good condition considering that it has been built over sixty years ago. It has a good water- power, being run by water all the year round. It has
a good run of business. Being active and energetie business men they have built up a good reputation, and are well patronized by the community, which they faithfully serve.
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