USA > West Virginia > Kanawha County > Charleston > History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens > Part 32
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238
HISTORY OF KANAWHA COUNTY
grocery-two stores; Walter Baughn, general store; and T. S. Chapman, general store.
Pratt is the terminus of the Paint creek branch of the C. & O. Railroad, which extends up Paint creek twenty-two miles to Kingston. It is principally a coal road but has a passenger train. There are about fifteen mines on this railroad. Paint Creek Collieries Company has the greatest number of mines of any of the companies. Standard Splint & Gas Coal Company is located about six miles up the creek; Imperial Colliery Company, at Burn- well, thirteen miles up the creek; Christian Colliery Company, at Mahan, fifteen miles up Paint creek, and one other company about nineteen miles up known as Milburn Coal Company. The nearest gas comes from Shrewsbury and is piped to Montgomery by the Montgomery Gas Company and is used at Pratt. The first mayor of the town was Oscar A. Veazey and the first recorder T. S. Chap- man. The present mayor is Charles B. Cole- man, and the present recorder, Oscar A. Vea- zey. Dr. John H. Hansford is the physician of the town.
About 1870 there was a postoffice at this place known as Clifton and J. B. Johnson, the father of J. M. Johnson, was the post- master. The present postmistress of Pratt is Mrs. Cecil Dickinson, a sister of the post- master at Charleston. About 1878 the post- office was changed to Paint creek and later moved to Hansford. The postoffice was then named Dego from a town in the northern part of Italy selected by the postoffice depart- ment. After Charles Pratt & Co. purchased the large tract of land on Paint creek the post- office was changed to Pratt, this being about 1899.
There was formerly an old Union church in the town but it was deeded to the town for a town hall. Mr. Veazey has a private chapel in his yard and it is used for church purposes, a priest holding services there once a month.
The Baptist church known as the Kanawha Baptist church is a frame building put up about ten years ago. Rev. Ayare is the pastor. The church is over 100 years old; it has a membership of about 150.
The Episcopal minister, Rev. Geo. P. Bent-
ley, of Dublin, Ireland, resides in the town of Pratt. His parish in in Montgomery.
Paint Creek Lodge I. O. O. F. No. 135, was instituted first at Hansford (the Paint creek) and moved to Pratt about 15 years ago. The membership numbers IIO. Thomas Huddleston is noble grand; Nick Robson, vice grand; Solomon Mooney, secretary; and J. A. B. Holt, treasurer. The lodge owns a hall.
HANDLEY
Handley, W. Va., was laid out by the Wy- oming Manufacturing Company and was named for a Mr. Handley who was connected with the company. The company opened up coal mines, opening the Kanawha seam of coal. The depot was built about 1891 or 1892, be- fore that this being a flag station. The land originally belonged to James Morris.
The oldest house in the place is the James Morris residence now used as a hotel. When the town was laid out there were only two houses and some cabins used by James Morris for slaves. The C. & O. Railway Company located yards and round house at Handley early in 1891. The town claims a population of about 1,000. There are two churches in Handley-a Baptist and a Methodist. The Methoidst church was erected about 1890 and the Baptist church in 1893. Handley Lodge, K. of P. (with 30 members) ; Arapahoe Lodge of Red Men; a lodge of American Mechanics; Handley Camp No. 14,986, Modern Woodmen (instituted Feb. 1, 1911, has 25 members), and railway organizations make up the fra- ternal life of the town.
Among the business enterprises in the town of Handley we find the following: Chesa- peake Mining Co. store; Harry Woodruff, general merchant; Hugh Pike, general store; G. W. Brady, general store; F. B. Irvin & Co., genral store; and Dalton & Harbour, general store. Joseph Robson is the post- master.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Y. M. C .. A. was built from 1894 to 1896. The build- ing contains lodging and dining rooms, large reading room, dining room and restaurant open day and night.
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The Morris House, a hotel and boarding house, is conducted by Wm. Arington, and the O'Mally House by Wm. O'Mally.
The Baptist church, whose pastor is Rev. Howell, who resides in West Charleston, was erected about 1893 and is a frame structure. The membership is fifty. The funds were given and raised by the late J. B. Lewis. Mrs. Lewis put in a steel ceiling at a cost of $175 and blinds to the church. The first pastor was Rev. Davids, who was succeeded by Rev. John W. Curnes and he in turn by Rev. Frank Howell. The church is in a healthy condition.
The M. E. church was erected about 1890. The present membership is twenty-five and the present pastor is Rev. Grimes. The structure is a frame building costing $1,500, but more than $2,000 has been spent on it in all. The first pastor was Rev. Thomas Everhart; Rev. Waltz followed him; he was succeeded in turn by the following: Rev. Phillips, Rev. King, Rev. Woolf, Rev. Bias, Rev. Beresford, Rev. Leslie, Rev. Dickey, and Rev. A. W. Grimes. The postmaster is Joseph Robson. There is one physician in the town-Dr. J. E. Mus- grave.
The first coal work was by Frank Love, John Smith and J. B. Lewis in the gas and coal in 1875, about 400 feet above the Y. M. C. A. building.
CHARLESTON DISTRICT
Charleston District extends from Tyler creek, Union district, along the Kanawha, up to Black Hawk Hollow, up to Baker's fork of Two-mile, including Two-mile of Elk and Two-mile of Kanawha, and the city of Charles- ton and some of Elk river.
It is the capital of the state of West Vir- ginia and has the courthouse of the county, and a reputation.
The town was founded by George Clen- denin and family and many friends, and is noted for landing the courthouse of the county while William Morris was busy about other things.
It might be said that Charleston and Charles- ton district are about the same, and it is gen- erally supposed to have a courthouse ring that runs things in Kanawha-sometimes.
It includes almost all of the two Bullett sur- veys-the (1030) A. on upper side of Elk, surveyed in 1779, and the Bullett (1240) A. below Elk. It did not grow much until after the war was over. It has always been a ques- tion whether it were not preferable as a town rather than as a city, for the purposes of a home.
See chapter entitled "Charleston-the Coun- ty Seat."
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CHAPTER XIV
EDUCATION
Early Schools and Schoolmasters-Harsh Discipline-Biennial Report of the State Superintend- ent of Free Schools- Inter-District Contests-Introduction of Agriculture-Free Schools of Charleston and Their Teachers-Negro Education.
The value of a good education, or at least one that is sound and practical, is so generally recognized at the present day in every civilized community that any discussion of the question would be out of place in the present volume. Among our pioneer ancestors, also, there were many who recognized its importance but who were unable to secure the advantage for their children owing to the lack of facilities-either of schools or schoolmasters.
The first schoolhouses in this section were crude affairs. They were constructed of logs, usually unhewn. At one end of the building was a fireplace, the wood for fuel being cut and brought in from the surrounding forest by the elder male pupils, or supplied from an annual wood-cutting by the patrons of the school. There were low benches for the smaller boys and high ones for the big boys. These benches were split from trees and had no backs, and sometimes the splinters were not always removed. Along the wall were the writing desks, above which a log had been left out. This opening, covered with greased paper served for a window. The pupils' caps were hung on wooden pegs driven into the walls.
At the opposite end of the room sat the teacher on a high chair before a high desk and behind him was a plentiful supply of hickory withes. The writing pens were of quills. The books used were not uniform; in fact any kind of a book might be used for a reader.
The teacher's word was law and his rule was seldom tempered with mercy. For trivial
offenses he inflicted corporal punishment, which was often too severe. Reading, writing and arithmetic were the principal and almost the only studies, and, indeed, it has been said that some of the teachers knew little else, though as communities before more settled and civilized, other studies, such as geography, grammar and singing were gradually intro- duced.
Notwithstanding his limitations, however, the early teacher did a good work. He labored under disadvantages that would have discour- aged a less purposeful people, and ofttimes, in spite of the severe discipline which was con- sidered necessary in those days, a gleam of kindly humor would break forth in a rough joke or a patient effort to help some backward scholar.
"The master sleeps upon the hill All coated o'er with snow,"
but his method of training the youthful mind has not been forgotten, and the results of his hard and ill paid work were and have been manifested in the character and achievements of the generations that profited by them.
To give a detailed history of all the various schools and institutions of learning that have been established in Kanawha county would - occupy too much space and is not our present purpose. Mention of some of them may be found in other parts of this volume, as also of some of the early teachers. Suffice it to say that from the times we have thus briefly referred to, there has been a gradual but steady
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progress in the right direcion. The quality both of the schools and of the teachers has been lifted to a higher grade; the methods of instruction have been more systemized, the standard of scholarship raised very greatly, so that this county as a whole can bear compari- son with the most favored communities any- where.
Kanawha county has been a strong free school county. There were some good schools at Charleston as early as 1818. About the year 1829, Colonel David Ruffner donated a lot in Charleston for a church and an academy, and contributed to the erection of suitable buildings.
This county, along with other counties, was named in the special act passed February 25, 1845, to establish free schools in certain coun- ties, and adopted the act in 1847. In obedi- ence to the strong free school sentiment pre- vailing in this county, its representative in the legislature, Dr. Spicer Patrick, took an active part in securing the passage of the act after- wards adopted by this county.
Notwithstanding the fact that Kanawha county had taken a leading part in the move- ment for the establishment of free schools, and had adopted the act by more than two-thirds of the vote of all qualified voters in the county, before it could be put into operation, strong opposition by large property owners had to be met and overcome. In 1853 the firm of Dick- ison and Shrewsbury brought suit against James H. Fry the sheriff of the county, who had levied on the property belonging to this firm to secure the payment of school tax due from it to the amount of $350.82. The suit was decided in favor of the sheriff.
The territory, which was laid off on the south side of Kanawha river opposite Charles- ton some time after the war for a magisterial and school district, is now Loudon district. In that territory there were, or had been, fine old log schoolhouses. At Brownstown, which is now Marmet, the old log schoolhouse had rotted down, and the first school taught there after the war was in the Southern Methodist church.
In 1865 Washingon district had three log schoolhouses, two of them being 15 feet by 16
feet by 7 feet high, built of round logs, a board roof held on with weight poles, chimney built of sticks and mud and a fireplace five feet wide. There was one writing-bench ten feet long, and a log sawed out of the side of the building to give light, the writing bench being used as a shutter for the opening in cold weather. One schoolhouse was built of hewn logs with two glass windows which was considered a model schoolhouse at that time. It was built in 1839, and is now occupied as a dwelling house.
Steven Thomas Teays, of St. Albans, gave the following sketch showing how they did things in Jefferson district when he was a schoolboy. The people were almost all methodists in that community, and built a beech log house 40x60 feet, and used it for a church and schoolhouse. Mr. Teays remem- bered seeing more than a hundred horses hitched near the old beech church on various occasions. The people came from Elk river, Coal river, and from up and down the Kana- wha river, and took part in old-fashioned Methodist meetings.
Mrs. Joplin taught the first school in the old beech church in 1845, and also taught in 1846 and 1847. A teacher, whose name was Kirkum taught in 1848. During that year, Teays, then a boy of ten years of age, full of fun, to vary the monotony of a dreary school day, blew the ashes off the top of the wood stove into the eyes of a boy schoolmate, who yelled considerably, and under the excitement, the teacher seized a piece of stovewood and struck Teays a blow on the head, which dis- abled him for some time. The teacher started for parts unknown, and has not yet returned.
There have been great developments in Jef- ferson district since the days of the old church schoolhouse. The schoolhouses at this time are furnished with patent desk seats, charts, maps and globes and other modern fix- tures, which is also true of the other school districts.
The teachers of Poca district met at Sisson- ville, October 31, 1903, and organized a very interesting teachers' district institute. The school work of the district is progressing very well.
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HISTORY OF KANAWHA COUNTY
STATE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
The biennial report of the state superintend- ent of Free Schools of West Virginia, for the two years ending June 30, 1910, presents the following facts and figures with respect to Kanawha county, as considered by magisterial and independent districts.
Number of Schools in District.
Big Sandy 20
Cabin Creek 125
Charleston
8
Elk
40
Jefferson
19
Loudon
41
Malden
21
Poca
24
Union
3I
Washington 16
St. Albans
2
Total
347
Number of White Pupils Enumerated.
Big Sandy
1,368
Cabin Creek 6,098
Charleston
55I
Elk 2,103
Jefferson 860
Loudon
1,764
Malden
1,152
Poca
1,40I
Union 1,197
Washington 947
St. Albans
336
Total
17,777
Number of Colored Pupils Enumerated.
Big Sandy
Cabin Creek 440
Elk
Jefferson
.96
Loudon
98
Malden
32
Poca
30
Union
76
Washington
St. Albans 46
Total 873
Number of White Pupils Enrolled
Big Sandy 1,003
Cabin Creek 4,426
Charleston 358
Elk
1,679
Jefferson 656
Loudon
1,225
Malden
770
Poca
974
Union
948
Washington
719
St. Albans
273
Total
13,031
Number of Colored Pupils Enrolled
Big Sandy
Cabin Creek
394
Charleston 28
Elk
Jefferson 67
Loudon 67
Malden
Poca
16
Union
37
Washington
St. Albans
35
Total
644
Total Value of All Taxable Property
Big Sandy $ 1,400,700.00
Cabin Creek 12,628,103.00
Charleston 1,031,564.00
Elk
2,886,458.00
Jefferson
1,904,180.00
Loudon
4,914,887.00
Malden 1,490,052.00
Poca 750, 112.00
Union
896,880.00
Washington
527,230.00
St. Albans
800,320.00
Total
$29,329,486.00
The rate of levy for Building Fund is 121/2
Charleston 55
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in each district; the rate of levy for Teachers' Fund 25 in each district.
Total Amount of Building Fund
Big Sandy .$ 2,011.61
Cabin Creek
17,064.05
Charleston
3,434.58
Elk
5,716.45
Jefferson
3,920.84
Loudon
10,635.72
Malden
2,720.05
Poca
2,460.61
Union
2,545.48
Washington
3,505.73
St. Albans
12,729.30
Total
$66,744.45
Total Amount of Teachers' Fund
Big Sandy
$ 6,264.74
Cabin Creek
46,911.83
Charleston
3,724.58
Elk
12,082.77
Jefferson
10,130.22
Loudon
18,917.29
Malden
6,719.58
Poca
4,221.72
Union
5,899.64
Washington
4,603.74
St. Albans
3,745.60
Total
$123,221.7I
The rural school work of Kanawha County for the year beginning July Ist, 1909, and clos- ing June 30th, 1910, opened with a concerted effort on the part of superintendent and teach- ers, with the following in mind :
The importance of finishing the eighth grade work.
The value of written composition.
The study of agriculture emphasized.
The value of pleasant acquaintance with the patrons.
The value arising from completing the eighth grade work was held up before the schools by the writer, and with the co-operation of the splendid teaching force in the county the re- sult was gratifying, as is evidenced by the fact
that seventy-three bright young people finished this work and received their diplomas in 1910.
It is very apparent to the superintendent that one of the real weaknesses of the schools of Kanawha County is a lack of ability on the part of our young people to command fit words and properly arrange them in sentences in an attempt to clearly express their "thought- life" in written work; hence a new movement was inaugurated known as Inter-district Con- tests in Composition, Spelling and Oratory. The winner in each instance was to be awarded twenty-five dollars in gold. Considerable in- terest was manifested in this work throughout the county and some good accomplished.
The introduction of agriculture into the schools necessitated some special reading on the part of our teachers, so as to be able to effi- ciently instruct in this subject. Thus a Kana- wha County Teachers' Reading Circle was or- ganized in the office of the county superintend- ent and Saturday meetings were held in the of- fice, to which the teachers of the county were invited. As a result of these meetings several books on agriculture were read prior to and after the campaign by Professor D. W. Work- ing and in this connection it gives the writer real pleasure to make mention of the splendid work done during the ten days' campaign by the above named representative of the State University.
Knowing so fully the benefits of a more per- fect co-operation on the part of all educational forces, the teachers of our county were urged to come into friendly touch in every way pos- sible way with these forces in their respective districts; for it is a well-established fact that in most instances where the teachers come short of the mission, a lack of friendly relation with these forces is apparent.
FREE SCHOOLS OF CHARLESTON
The free schools of Charleston were organ- ized in the fall of 1864, the year following the admission of the State into the Union. Mr. J. T. Brodt taught the first school for white children. In the same year a school for col- ored children was taught by Miss Olive Spar- row. These schools were small and poorly pat- ronized, and they were taught in buildings
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HISTORY OF KANAWHA COUNTY
1
wholly unsuited to the purpose. The first school was taught in the basement of the Meth- odist church, while even as late as 1868 the best accommodation for schools was a rickety frame building, scarcely fit for a stable.
In this year the Board of Education, com- posed of progressive men, determined to secure a better building. Although they met much opposition they were eventually successful in erecting the Union School, a two-story build- ing on State Street, then the center of the town. When completed the building could accommo- date three hundred pupils. All the white schools of the town were then consolidated in the new building.
In 1871 by an act of the Legislature the con- trol of the city schools was given to the city council, with whom it remained for ten years, when it was again transferred to a city board of education. Mr. S. H. Patrick was princi- pal of the schools from 1873 to 1878. During his term of office he drew up a course of study, -the first standard for grading the schools.
Mr. George S. Laidley was appointed su- perintendent of Schools in 1878. With the ex- ception of the years 1881-1883 he has held this position continuously until the present time. From 1883 to 1895 there is little to be said of the history of the schools except that they continued to grow in enrollment and in adaptation to the needs of the city. In these years several of the school buildings at pres- ent in use replaced the older structures, now grown inadequate for the increased population. The houses built at this time were brick. and furnished with modern appliances. Ample grounds around the school houses were secured at a time when land was comparatively cheap. As a result of this farseeing policy the schools now own valuable play-grounds.
In 1895 the territory on the west side of Elk River was added to the City and the schools in that section were joined with the city schools. The limits of the City were further extended in 1897 by the addition of the territory for- merely known as Ruffner, southeast of Charles- ton. The school in this district was also in- corporated with the city system.
The growth of the Charleston High School in the last thirty years has been substantial.
In 1882 Mrs. Mary R. McGwigan was chosen principal, with Mrs. Coleman as assistant. For twenty-four years Mrs. McGwigan filled this position with credit. The High School now occupies a handsome building on Quarrier Street. Although it was erected in 1903 the growth of the school already necessitates an addition, which will be built this year. There are at present 375 pupils in the High School, and the teaching force numbers fifteen.
The Alumni Association of the Charleston High School was organized in 1899. Yearly meetings since that time have brought the grad- uates in touch with each other and with the school, and have added to the interest of the community in the school.
At the present time the Charleston schools occupy thirteen buildings and have an enroll- ment of 4,921 pupils. There are 137 teachers. In the last four years four handsome new build- ings have been erected, one building has had an addition of four rooms, and at present two new additions are in process of construction.
In addition to the ordinary school branches there are special teachers for music, drawing, and domestic science. In all respects the schools meet the present requirements.
The schools are directed by a board of edu- cation consisting of nine members. Much of the present prosperity of the schools is to be attributed to the broad-minded attitude of this board, whose acts have been determined solely by the needs and best interests of the schools.
The following is the present membership of the board of education :
J. E. Chamberlain, president,
A. T. Cabell
J. F. Bedell
D. T. Farley
Val. Fruth
M. Gilchrist
A. G. Higginbotham
L. L. Price
IV. W. Venable
W. O. Daum, secretary.
Mr. J. E. Chamberlain has served the board as President since 1903. He has held the posi- tion longer than any preceding president has done. His loyalty to the interests of the schools and his activity in their behalf has
NORTHERN METHODIST CHURCH, CHARLESTON
-
UNION SCHOOL, CHARLESTON
MERCER SCHOOL, CHARLESTON
KANAWHA SCHOOL, CHARLESTON
LINCOLN SCHOOL, CHARLESTON
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
done much to give them the standing they now have.
SCHOOL BUILDINGS NOW OCCUPIED AND THE PRESENT TEACHING FORCE
Geo. S. Laidley, Superintendent Special
Mary B. Fontaine, Assistant Superintendent and Supervisor of English Nina M. Owen, Music in Grades Myrtle N. Stalnaker, Penmanship
H. Madeleine Keely, Drawing in lower grades
A. W. Croft, Drawing in upper grades and high school
J. H. Francis, Music in High School Hallie B. Corsett, Domestic Science H. C. Lounsbery, Sanitary Inspector Anne L. Riggs, Clerical Assistant
High School
Morris K. Turner, Principal
Mary R. McGwigan, Mathematics Mary Maud Patrick, English Bettie K. Starke, Algebra Paul E. Demmler, Science Nancy H. Powell, Latin Clara Hinz, French and German Minnie Lee Goff, English and French C. L. Smith, Algebra and Civics Mabel E. Belcher, Stenography and Book- Keeping Mary E. Reber, English Ellen M. Brown, History and English.
The High School building, Quarrier St., was erected in 1903. The cost of the building and grounds was $50,000. It contains 17 rooms, all of which are used at the present time. The office of the Board of Education and the Su- perintendent of Schools is in this building.
Union School
Ettie S. Walker, Principal Louise S. Truxbury, Kindergarten Josephine R. Estill, Primary Elizabeth C. Keely, Primary Eunice Plunkett, First Mazie O. Walker, First
Cora Hopkins, Second L. Belle Michaelson, Second Winifred Brown, Third Eunice P. Withrow, Third Lulu G. Stoffel, Third Carrie Holt, Fourth Mona Snyder, Fourth Della D. Grass, Fourth Nellie E. Mason, Fifth M. Alice Martin, Fifth V. Rosa Shelton, Sixth
Alice J. McChesney, Sixth
Elberta Rogers, Seventh Russell R. Bell, Seventh Gertrude M. Reynolds, Eighth
Jennie W. Hutchinson, Eighth Elsie Rippetoe, Assistant.
The Union School was built in 1892. It is the largest building in the city, and cost, to- gether with the land, about $60,000. It is situated on State Street. Miss Walker has been principal of this building ever since it was erected. She has taught continuously in the Charleston schools for forty-four years, during which time she has exerted a wide and bene- ficent influence.
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