Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 45

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930

USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I > Part 45

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On the release of Dr. Donaldson from fur- ther active participation in the cares and labors of the institution Prof. T. B. Elder, who had been associated with him as an assist- ant for nearly half the time since its organ- ization, was chosen principal. The principals since Mr. Elder have been : Messrs. N. B. Kelly, James Gailey and brother, W. S. A. Wilson, W. B. Elder, R. A. Henderson, Pres- ton Urey and Professor Smith, who has charge at present. The school has been small for a number of years, at present not averaging more than thirty students.

The school became involved financially and was about to be sold for debt a few years ago, when Lucius W. Robinson agreed to give $3,000 to help pay off the debt and turn the school over to the board of trustees in five years, provided the school could be conducted in such a way that it would be self-support- ing. This offer was accepted by the trustees and the school continues to exist.

Jacksonville Academy (By H. B. MeIn- tyre) .- Rev. M. H. Wilson, a minister of the U. P. Church, laid the foundation for Jackson- ville Academy by teaching two young men in his own residence in the village. These young men were Abraham Lowman and a Mr. Kerr. Acting upon the suggestion thus made, some of the fathers set to work to raise a stock company to ereet a building and start an academy. This was accomplished in the fall of 1849, when a board of trustees was chosen to watch over and further the interests of the young institution. These trustees were Samuel G. Miller, John McCurdy, William Robinson, George S. Lowman, William McFar- land, Samuel McCartney.

The principals of this academy in succession were as follows: Rev. M. H. Wilson, five years; Rev. J. M. Jamison, one year; Rev. M. H. Wilson, four years ; Rev. Franklin Orr. two years; W. A. Leggett, A. B., one year ; II. B. McIntyre, A. B., one year: Professor Robb, one year; Rev. Samuel Hood, one year. The term of the last named closed with the year 1867. By this time institutions of like grade had sprung up all over the land, and almost every village had its select school, and as a consequence the academy ceased to be self-sustaining. Some time afterwards the building was sold by the trustees to the school directors of the borough for a public school- house.

The institution was a flourishing one dur- ing the greater part of its existence, and sent out to battle for the right some very valuable men. A very large proportion of them found

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

their way into the gospel ministry, as many, the decisive step which would guarantee a perhaps, as forty, while others are doing good beginning could be made. Meanwhile Rev. service in other professions and callings. Its Dr. George Hill, of Blairsville, after some bell no longer summons an eager band to their daily portion of elassie lore; its name belongs to the list of "the departed"; but it yet lives influentially in the persons of many who once were students within its humble walls.

Blairsville Academy .- In 1868 measures were taken by Revs. II. P. Shepley, A. M., and D. W. Collins, D. D., to found an academy for the "higher instruction" of young men. $6.400 was raised in scholarships of $260 each, and a large and commodious two-story building, with three rooms above and a large room and vestibule below, was erected in 1869. Seventy-five pupils attended the first session in the fall of 1869.

First year, principal, Dr. Collins, assist- ant, Rev. Mr. Shepley ; second year, principal, Dr. Collins, assistant, Rev. J. W. Swaney ; third year, principal, Dr. Collins, assistant, William Bogle; fourth year, Mr. Eaton, prin- cipal, and wife, assistant ; fifth year, Rev. N. R. Johnston, principal, and wife, assistant; sixth year, William A. Vis, principal, and sev- enth year, Mr. Bately, principal. In April, 1876, Maj. A. J. Bolar became principal, and his assistants were William Neuraghan, Harry St. Clair, Austin Clark, D. M. Shedd and W. M. Turner. Major Bolar was fol- lowed by John A. Marquis as principal; Dr. Marquis is now president of Coe College, Iowa.

In 1886-87 the academy was closed and the building sold to the borough of Blairsville for a public school. This brick building, on North Walnut street, has been enlarged and is now a very neat structure.

The public school building on South Wal- nut street was erected in 1837, and first oc- cupied in 1838. Martin Brainard and nephew were the male and Miss Sarah Stansberry and Miss Pollock the female teachers. This build- ing has been enlarged and remodeled from time to time.

Blairsville established the first high school in Indiana county.

Blairsville Ladies' Seminary .- In January, 1851, there were only two female seminaries or academies in western Pennsylvania. These were situated in Pittsburg and Washington. In the previous year there had been consider- able talk of establishing a seminary of this character at some town in Westmoreland or Indiana county. Saltsburg, New Alexandria and other places were agitating the question, but it had not yet reached the point where

conversation with the members of his con- gregation and a friend of "higher education of young ladies," secured a house, made arrangements with Porter Turner and wife to board the pupils if there should be any, obtained the cooperation of Miss Sarah Knott, afterwards the wife of George S. Mendel, and Miss Cornelia Clark, now Mrs. Col. Campbell, of Altoona, as assistant teachers, and inserted an advertisement in the "Presbyterian Advo- cate" of March 5, 1859, and other papers, which announced the commencement of a sem- inary for young ladies in Blairsville on the first Tuesday of May, 1851. The school opened in May, as announced, with forty pupils.

After the first session he made an effort to secure a permanent building, which would have the requisite accommodations for a school of this character. He foresaw the possibility of a flourishing school, provided that in its inception the foundation should be laid upon a substantial basis. He had able and experi- enced teachers at command. But the accom- modations for the school were so meager that he resolved to have a building appropriate for the purposes intended. With him to re- solve was to act. Without a subscription paper, or written bond or contract, he secured $7,000. Ile himself pledged $500 to the proj- ect, and the friends of the school, as they were approached on the subject, gave accord- ing to their means. John Graff acted as treasurer and the several sums were paid into his hands.

The brick main building was commenced in the winter of 1851-52 and was completed in time for the ensuing fall session. James Mc- Kee of Jacksonville was the supervising builder. The house is three stories in height and 80 by 44 feet in dimensions. Its cost was about $1,000 in excess of the money already raised, but this was provided for amicably.

After having placed the school on a solid foundation Dr. Hill retired, and Rev. S. H. Shepley. A. M., assumed charge in October, 1852. The latter added the south wing, 50 by 44 feet, and two stories in height. Another story was added by Rev. J. Jewett Parks, a later principal of the school. Under Mr. Shep- ley and wife, Mrs. P. P. Shepley, and the Misses Sherrard and Howes, the seminary in- creased in numbers and influence. It was his desire to make it the equal of Mount Holyoke and other noted New England schools. How well his labors were appreciated, the fruition

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

of his hopes gratified, we leave to the many graduates of the school to speak.

Mr. Shepley was succeeded (in March, of the same, that Porter Kinports, E. B. 1865) by Rev. J. R. Hughes, (August, 1867) Rev. J. Jewett Parks, (August, 1878) Miss Mary A. Homans, Rev. T. R. Ewing, Hubert Rex Johnston, N. S. Fiscus, S. B. Linhart and Miss Hays.

The assistant teachers have been Nancy Sherrard, Abbie Hawes, Emily Bennett, Mary Martin, Elizabeth N. Pond, Jane W. Baird, Elizabeth L. Clark, Annie Conwell, Julia R. MeClosky, Marcia A. Cutler, Margaret Mc- Laren, Sarah MeLaughlin, Julia A. Parker, Harriet Hawes. Martha Hazlett, Olive A. Ba- ker, Emma A. Noyes, Anna S. Noyes, Har- riet A. McFarren, Elizabeth A. Shepley, Julia A. Berry, Mary Martin, Catherine Mc- Ferren, Mary A. Homans, Jennie L. Atkin- son, Marie D. Parks, Zilpha DeForrest, Mary Pellock, Mary R. Jenks, Hattie Corbett, Lizzie H. Dever. John W. Trabert, Helen U. Sturte- vant and Ella Williams. Of these twelve were from the New England States, and the best results of "eastern culture were added to the native judgment of the Pennsylvania work- ers."

In 1880 the teachers were Rev. T. R. Ewing and Mrs. M. H. Ewing, principals; French and German, Prof. John W. Trabert : English branches and penmanship, Miss Ella Williams ; English branches and calisthenics, Miss R. M. Gallaher ; vocal and instrumental music, Miss Zipha DeForrest; and drawing and paint- ing, Miss Hattie A. Hill; matron, Mrs. Mary P. Craig.

Among the missionaries who were pupils of the seminary we find: Catherine C. McFer- ren, who went to Bogota, S. A .; Martha Tor- rence, wife of Rev. T. F. Torrence, Bogota, S. A .; Elizabeth Culbertson, deceased, wife of Rev. Hunter Corbett, Cheefoo, China; and Ilattie J. McCoy, Tullahassee, in Indian Ter- ritory.

Cherrytree Male and Female College .- The accompanying copy of an Act of Assembly ex- plains itself. That the feeling for the pub- lie good was general in the community is evidenced by the fact that even at that day, a quarter of a century ago, twenty-seven of the citizens subscribed to the stock of the pro- posed school.

AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE CHERRYTREE MALE AND FEMALE COLLEGE

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Common-

wealth of Pennsylvania in general assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority

Camp, John E. Johnson, Jackson Patchin. R. H. McCormick. Jesse M. Harter, Robert Me- Keage, Templeton Hazlett, John F. Notley, B. F. Douglass, John Curry and Robert Hughes, of the counties of Indiana, Clearfield and Cambria, and their associates and successors forever, be, and the same are hereby, made and constituted a body politic and corporate under the corporate title of Cherrytree Male and Female College of Indiana County, and under that name shall have perpetual suc- cession, and are hereby empowered and made capable in law to purchase, take hold, and enjoy to them and their successors land, tene- ments and hereditaments, stock, goods, chat- tels, and effects, and to sell, demise, convey, assure, transfer and dispose of their estate or interest therein, and also to improve, aug- ment and apply the same with rents, issues and profits thereof to the purpose of their institution ; and the said corporation, by the name aforesaid, may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and he defended, in all courts of law and equity ; and to have power to make, have and use a common seal, and the same to change, alter and renew at pleasure, and also to make and execute such by-laws, ordinances and regulations, not contrary to the laws and constitution of this Commonwealth, as to them shall seem meet for the successful management of said institution.

Section 2. That the said corporation be authorized to establish and maintain a school and college for the purpose of imparting to persons of both sexes knowledge in the vari- ous branches of science, literature and the arts, and the board of managers shall have power to confer upon the graduates of the said college, and upon others, who by their proficiency in learning may be entitled thereto, by the regulations and by-laws of the said board of managers, such degrees as are conferred by other colleges or universities in the United States.

Section 3. That the original capital stock of said corporation shall be $10,000, divided into shares of $25 each, with the privilege to increase the same to any amount not exceed- ing $40.000, and the said school or college may go into operation when the sum of $3,000 has been subscribed, and 10 percentum of the same paid in, and the stock shall be trans- ferable in conformity with the rules and by- laws of the corporation. The meetings shall

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

be held on the first Tuesday of January in at one term, but when talk of a State normal each and every year, and a majority of the school at Indiana began to be indulged in stockholders either in person or by proxy shall the promoters of the local school seemed to lose heart, and the school was finally aban- doned in 1874. constitute a quorum. Special meetings shall be called by the managers at their discretion, but notice shall be given of the annual meet- ing and special meeting, in accordance with The Greenville Academy .- The school at Greenville was a regularly organized academy. It was founded as a union enterprise in 1877, with Thomas McMullen, M. D., William Fair, Giles Stephens and William Evas as trus- tees. The first principal was William T. Gal- loway, who taught two years. He was suc- ceeded by John P. Hearst, who taught five months and then became a Presbyterian min- ister and a missionary to Siam. The third teacher was Rev. A. N. Mccullough, a Luth- eran minister who remained in charge two and a half years. Under these teachers the the rules and regulations of the board of di- rectors. The persons named in the first sec- tion, or a majority of them, shall constitute the board of directors until the annual meet- ing on the first Tuesday of January, 1869, at which time the stockholders, or a majority of them, shall proceed to elect five of their num- ber to serve as directors of the said corpora- tion for the term of three years, or until their successors are elected, each stockholder to have one vote for each and every share he owns. Any vacancy that may occur in the board of directors shall be filled by the re- school prospered, but afterward declined, and maining members thereof until the next tri- ennial election. No failure to elect a board

is now open only in the summer as a select school. The sessions of the school have been of directors on the day fixed by this act shall held in the public school building erected in work a dissolution of the corporation, but 1876. the directors then in office shall continue to discharge the duties thereof until a new board be elected. The board of directors shall have all the authority, and do and perform all the duties, of boards of similar institutions, in the State of Pennsylvania. They shall elect a president and secretary out of their own num- ber, and a treasurer, who may or may not be a director, and shall appoint and employ pro- fessors and other officers, and shall have the full and entire control of the institution and shall make an annual report of all their opera- tion to the stockholders.

ELISHA W. DAVIS, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JAMES L. GRAHAM, Speaker of the Senate. Approved the 14th day of April, A. D. 1868, JOHN W. GEARY.

We note from the minutes that there was a strong determination in the beginning to make the institution a success. For instance, when the treasurer reported a deficiency, a motion to accept his report was lost, but at the next meeting, when he managed to find a balance of $8.08 in the treasury, the report was ae- cepted and agreed to.

For some time the school seems to have pros- pered, there being some eighty pupils entered

Select Schools .- Since the academies have closed their doors, select schools have been held continuously during the summer in all sections of the county. These schools are attended principally by those who are prepar- ing to teach. At first the term was twenty weeks, but it has been shortened from time to time until it is but ten weeks. This is due to the fact that the public school term has increased from four or five months to seven months.

The select schools have been a decided suc- cess and have been taught by the most com- petent educators of the county. The schools have been a great benefit to those who were in moderate circumstances, as it gave them an opportunity of securing an education at home at very little cost.

Recently the largest and most successful select schools of the county were conducted

The first board of directors organized by electing R. H. McCormick, president; I. A. at Armagh, Mechanicsburg, Greenville, Pine Hollister, secretary; R. C. MeCurdy, treas- urer.

Flats, Grisemore, Cookport, Purchase Line, Hillsdale, Glen Campbell, Dixonville, Marion Center, Marchand, Covode, Smicksburg, Rich- mond, Plumville, Shelocta, Parkwood, West Lebanon, and Saltsburg.

Since teachers now receive free tuition at the State Normal School the select schools of the county are not so numerous. The high schools that have been established in Salts- burg, Indiana, Blairsville, Homer City, Cly- mer, Cherrytree, Glen Campbell and Heilwood are substitutes for the old academies and af-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ford young people an opportunity of secur- ing a college preparatory education.

Covode Academy .- This school was orga- nized by the congregation of Mount Pleas- ant. At a meeting of the session in the spring of 1862 it was determined in order to meet the educational wants of the community to build an academy. A meeting of the trus- tees of the church was called April 26, 1862, and a building committee was appointed con- sisting of John Gourley, A. J. P. Crawford, and William G. Lewis, with George H. Mc- Combs as treasurer. In this movement the congregation at a meeting expressed hearty concurrence. The academy building is located on a lot belonging to the congrega- ation and was erected in 1862-63. It is named for Hon. John Covode of Westmore- land county, who about the time the school was founded was a prominent member of the House of Representatives at Washington, D. The Saltsburg Academy was established in 1851. In that year the brick building, 52 feet long by 30 wide, and two stories high, with a cupola, was erected at an expense of thirty- three hundred dollars. The stock was divided into shares of twenty-five dollars in order to permit persons of limited means to become in- terested in its operations. The incorporators were : Adam Robinson, William Stewart, J. W. Robinson, S. S. Jamison, Rev. W. W. Woodend, J. S. Robinson and John M. Mar- shall. The school opened in May, 1852, with seventy-five scholars, Rev. W. W. Woodend being the principal and president of the board of trustees: J. Allen Brown and wife, Mrs. Amanda C. Brown, assistants. Rev. Mr. Woodend (afterward Dr. Woodend) contin- ued as principal for seven years. His succes- sors were: J. H. Stokes, principal; Bell Dun- C. He recognized the compliment intended in lap, assistant; Dana, principal; G. W. Chal- the name by presenting an excellent bell to fant, principal; Lewis L. Williams, principal; the academy. This academy was under the Albert Brown, principal; J. W. Foster, prin- management of the session and trustees of the cipal; S. B. Mercer, principal; Rev. Dr. Wood- Presbyterian Church until 1870, when in or- der to unite the interests of all in its support, and widen its field of influence, an equal share in the management of the school was offered to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Covode and was by same accepted. Since then, the board of trustees has consisted of six persons, three being selected from each church.

If this school has not been one of the most famous of the land it has yet done a good work in its own sphere. It has had a yearly en- rollment of from thirty to forty students and has enjoyed the services of many competent and faithful teachers, most of them, however, for only short periods. From 1864 to 1872, in- clusive, the teachers in their order were the following: W. A. Leggett, J. B. MeIntire, J. A. Richey, David Brown, S. Miller Davis, Joseph T. Gibson, W. J. Moore, M. T. Howe, Mr. Sloan. After these, the teachers in order were as follows: J. MeGaughey, 1873-74: A. Forbes Irwin, 1875; W. E. Oller, 1876; F. Swartz Crawford, 1877-78; Rev. W. F. Gib- son, assisted by Rev. D. H. King, 1879; On motion of Mr. William I. Sterett, it was resolved that a public meeting be called, April 3, 1871, for the dedication of the Memorial building. At this time, the name was changed to "Memorial Institute." Rev. George P. Hayes, D. D., delivered the dedicatory sermon. Gifted with rare descriptive powers, he por- trayed in a graphie manner the dedication of Samuel Taylor Lewis, 1881; R. II. Hood, 1882; J. M. Boggs, 1883; S. A. Saxman, 1884; Rev. W. F. Gibson. 1885; Samuel T. Lewis, 1885; W. F. Shields, 1886; M. J. Money, 1887 ; D. Elder Craighead, 1888. Of the fore- going, Messrs. Brown, Davis, J. T. Gibson, MeGanghey, Irwin, Oller, Crawford, W. F. that grandest of temples projected by the Gibson, King, Boggs, are Presbyterian min- "sweet singer of Israel" and completed by 15

isters. Mr. Hood is a United Presbyterian minister.

end, principal, and Frank E. Dow, M. D., as- sistant ; Robert Harvey, principal ; S. B. Mer- cer, principal; G. C. MeJunkin, in 1879; Wil- liam J. Alexander, principal, and John M. Leech, assistant (the last mentioned were graduates of Lafayette College in 1878) ; Miss Sarah L. McGee, J. H. Ellwood, S. B. Mercer, E. L. Earhart, E. B. Earhart, J. M. Foster.

After the Presbyterian reunion, in 1869, the General Assembly having decided to raise a memorial fund of $5,000,000, theological semi- naries, colleges, etc., were designated as ac- ceptable objects for offerings when chartered and donated as property to the Presbyterian Church. In accordance with this ruling, the Presbyterian congregation of Saltsburg pur- chased the Saltsburg Academy and appurte- nances. Several hundred dollars were sub- scribed to repair and furnish the building, the late W. W. Woodend. D. D., superintending the work. The building and grounds were put in proper order, pastor and people desir- ing to present a clean offering unto the Lord.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

King Solomon. Having donned its new dress in honor of the first president of the board and new name and charter, the institute was of trustees it is known as John Sutton Hall. donated as part of the Saltsburg Presbyterian In 1893 there was erected upon the campus Congregational memorial offering. When this a brick residence for men students. The building was 40 by 100 feet and consisted of

change was being made some of the original stockholders who were not members of the a basement and three stories. In Febru- ary, 1906, this building burned to the ground. There were excellent fire escapes, so not only were no lives lost, but there were no serious injuries.

Presbyterian Church voluntarily transferred their stock in whole or in part to the commit- tee having the business in charge. Public wor- ship was held in the Memorial Institute while the new Presbyterian Church was being built.

This institution has been closed for a num- ber of years. The building was afterwards used for the public school until the present school building was erected in 1912. The old Memorial Institute building is now used by Mr. A. E. Ray for a carpenter shop.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, INDIANA, PA,

The plan of this institution was conceived in the sixties. In 1870 a meeting was called in the office of J. T. Gibson, who was then the superintendent of the schools of Indiana county, and had his office on Sixth street, just south of the "Indiana House," Indiana. In response to the call John Sutton, A. W. Wil- son, Silas M. Clark, Harry White, John II. Lichteberger, Prof. McCreery, principal of the schools at Indiana, and J. T. Gibson, county superintendent of schools, met and or- ganized the Normal School Association, elect- ing John Sutton president, Silas Clark vice president, and J. T. Gibson secretary. During the following winter joint institutes were held throughout the county and were addressed by Silas M. Clark and others, in behalf of the normal school. During the winter, they raised $40,000 in subscriptions.

The first recognition by the State was through an Act of the General Assembly in 1871, but the school was not opened until May 17, 1875. Its first principal was Dr. E. B. Fairfield, who afterwards as the first chancellor of the University of Nebraska so largely influenced the future of that institu- tion.

Among the notable men present upon the opening day of the school was one of Pennsyl- vania's most famous educators, then State su- perintendent of public instruction, James P. Wickersham, who stated in his public address that it was his opinion that Indiana's first building was the largest, finest and best planned structure devoted to normal school education in the United States. A monument to its founders, that building still stands, and

The ruins were not cold before the trustees were planning for a larger and better dormi- tory for the young men, and in January, 1907, the Indiana boys took possession of one of the best school residences for men in the State. The building stands upon the site of the old one, but is somewhat larger and is known as Clark Hall in honor of the board's second president, the late Justice Silas M. Clark of the Supreme bench.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 45

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930