USA > Wyoming > History of Wyoming, Volume I > Part 47
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Riverton-The three banks of Riverton are the Riverton State Bank. The First State Bank and the Farmers State Bank. The first was organized in 1906; has a capital stock of $25,000; deposits of $325,000 ; A. J. Cunningham, president ; W. F. Breniman, cashier. The First State Bank began business in 1913; capital stock, $25,000; deposits, $225,000; F. M. Stratton, president; T. H. Stratton, cashier. In 1917 the Farmers State Bank was opened. The capital stock of this bank is $25,000 ; deposits, $70,000 ; E. H. Luikart, president ; H. J. Hall, cashier.
Rock River-The Rock River State Bank was established in 1906 with a capital stock of $10,000. On January 1, 1918, it reported deposits of $40,000! Felix Atkinson, president ; H. A. Thompson, cashier.
Rock Springs-The First National Bank of Rock Springs was chartered in 1888 with a capital stock of $100,000. Deposits on January 1, 1918, were $I,- 500,000. A. Kendall, president ; J. P. Boyer, cashier. In 1892 the Rock Springs National Bank began business. Capital stock, $100,000; deposits, $1.765,000; John W. Hay, president; Robert D. Murphy, cashier. The North Side State Bank of Rock Springs was incorporated in 1912; capital stock, $75,000 ; deposits, $650,000 : C. Juel, president ; V. J. Facinelli, cashier.
Saratoga-In Saratoga there are two banks-the Saratoga State and the Stock Growers State. The former was organized in 1899: has a capital stock of $15,000; deposits of $200,000; J. B. Cosgriff, president ; G. W. Broadhurst, cashier. The latter began business in 1916; capital stock, $10,000; deposits, $75,000; C. A. Cook, president ; F. B. Durrie, cashier.
Sheridan-The First National Bank of Sheridan was founded in 1800 with a capital stock of $100,000. On January 1, 1918, the deposits amounted to $975,- 000. R. H. Walsh is president and C. L. Chapman, cashier. The Bank of Commerce was organized in 1893; has a capital stock of $150,000; deposits of $1,300,000 ; B. F. Perkins, president ; E. B. Allan, cashier. In 1894 the Sheridan Banking Company began business with an authorized capital stock of $50,000; P. P. Reynolds, president ; J. D. Thorn, cashier ; deposits, $520,000. The Sheri- dan County Savings Bank was established in 1903. Capital stock, $100,000; deposits, $532,000 ; P. P. Reynolds, president ; W. G. Griffin, cashier. The Sheri- dan National Bank was chartered in 1906; capital stock, $50,000 ; deposits, $643,- 000; J. E. Cosgriff, president ; C. L. Hoag, cashier. The Citizens State Bank of Sheridan was incorporated in 1910; capital stock, $50,000; deposits, $300,000 ; D. Kahn, president ; T. C. Diers, cashier.
Shoshoni-The First National Bank of Shoshoni was chartered in 1905 with a capital stock of $25,000. A. J. Cunningham is president ; R. T. Linn, cashier ; and the bank carries deposits of $215,000.
South Superior-The Miners State Bank of South Superior was incorporated
426
HISTORY OF WYOMING
in 1911. Capital stock. $10,000 ; deposits, $121.000; A. Kendall, president ; D. E. McCurtain, cashier.
Sundance-Two banks are located in Sundance-the Sundance State Bank and the Citizens Bank. The former was organized in 1895; has a capital stock of $25,000 ; deposits of $400,000 ; L. A. Brown, president ; J. G. Bush, cashier. The Citizens Bank began business in 1913. Capital stock, $25,000; deposits, $103,- 000; A. H. Bowman, president ; J. E. Ford, cashier.
Superior-The First Bank of Superior was incorporated in 1909 with a capital stock of $10,000; W. H. Gottsche, president ; H. L. Levesque, cashier ; deposits, $192,000.
Thermopolis-This city has three banks. The First National was established in 1901 with a capital stock of $40,000. On January 1, 1918, the deposits amounted to $570,000; H. P. Rothwell, president; W. T. Bivin, cashier. In 1907 the Wyoming Trust Company was incorporated. It has a capital stock of $25,000; deposits of $300,000; David Dickie, president; A. J. Lowry, cashier. The Thermopolis State Bank began business in 1908. Capital stock, $25,000; deposits, $611,000; C. W. Ford, president; O. E. Shellburne, cashier.
Torrington-The First National Bank of Torrington was chartered in 1904; has a capital stock of $25,000; deposits of $305,000 ; H. S. Clarke, Jr., president ; J. T. McDonald, cashier. The Torrington State Bank was incorporated in 1912. Its capital stock is $25,000; J. T. Snow, president ; Frank Cloos, cashier ; deposits, $145,000. A new bank was incorporated in Torrington about the beginning of the year 1918. It is the Citizens National, with a capital stock of $25,000; W. O. Eaton, president ; R. F. Tebbett, cashier.
Upton-The Bank of Upton dates from 1910. It has a capital stock of $10,- 000 ; deposits of $130,000 ; J. L. Baird, president ; C. T. Minnick, cashier.
Van Tassell-The Bank of Van Tassell was incorporated in 1913; has a capital stock of $10,000: deposits of $125.000; W. L. Hoyt, president; Howell Jones, cashier.
Wheatland-The three banks of Wheatland are the State Bank of Wheatland, the Stock Growers Bank and the Platte County State Bank. The first was organ- ized in 1903; has a capital stock of $40,000; deposits of $810,000; F. N. Shiek, president ; D. W. Brice, cashier. The second began business in 1911. Its capital stock is $20,000; deposits, $240,000; George Mitchell, president; Kent Snyder, cashier. The Platte County State Bank was incorporated in 1914; has a capital stock of $10,000; deposits of $136,000 ; D. Miller, president ; L. C. Butler, cashier.
Worland-In 1906 the First National Bank of Worland opened its doors for business. It has a capital stock of $25,000: deposits of $568,000; C. W. Erwin, president ; B. J. Keys, cashier. The second bank to be established in Worland is the Stock Growers State Bank, which began business in 1910. It has a capital stock of $25,000 ; deposits of $450,000 ; G. B. McClellan, president ; J. T. Cunningham, cashier. The Farmers State Bank was incorporated in 1917. The capital stock of this bank is $25,000 ; deposits, $56,000 ; E. H. Luikart, president ; O. F. Drefeld, cashier.
STATE BANKERS ASSOCIATION
The Wyoming State Bankers Association was organized at Cheyenne on September 26, 1908. A. H. Marble, of Cheyenne, was elected president : B. F.
427
HISTORY OF WYOMING
Perkins, of Sheridan, vice president; H. Van Deusen, of Rock Springs, secre- tary . J. DeF. Richards, of Douglas, treasurer. The business meetings during the day were followed by a banquet at the Masonic Temple in the evening. The organization of this association brought the bankers of the state in closer touch with each other and by an interchange of ideas every member of the association has gained information regarding the details of the banking business. Officers are elected annually. The present officers ( 1918) are as follows: S. C. Langworthy, of Buffalo, president ; A. D. Johnston, of Cheyenne, vice president; Harry B. Henderson, of Cheyenne, secretary, W. J. Thom, of Buffalo, treasurer.
There have been but few disastrous bank failures in Wyoming, the most notable ones being the private banks of Morton E. Post and Thomas A. Kent, of Cheyenne, the Cheyenne National and a bank at Douglas. These failures were caused more by a chain of unfortunate circumstances than by dishonesty on the part of the bank managers. As a rule, the banks of the state are well managed. They are large enough and strong enough to serve the communities in which they are located, and most of them are conducted by men who know how to be conservative without being non-progressive-men who know that banks cannot prosper unless the state generally is prosperous, and who therefore aid by every legitimate means the progress and development of Wyoming.
CHAPTER XXVII
HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN WYOMING
FOUNDATION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM-GREAT SCHOOL REVENUES-THE BEGINNING- FIRST LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENTS-THE FIRST REPORT-CONDITIONS IN 1877- FIRST STATISTICS AVAILABLE-STATEHOOD TEXT BOOKS AND CURRICULUM -TEACHERS' INSTITUTES-THE STEEVER CADET SYSTEM-HIGH SCHOOLS-KIN- DERGARTENS-PRIVATE AND SECULAR SCHOOLS-OTHER SCHOOLS-THE PRESENT SYSTEM-CENSUS AND APPORTIONMENT BY COUNTIES-SCHOOL STATISTICS IN 1916-UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING.
Doctor Winthrop of Boston was called to Wyoming several years ago to assist the Legislature in formulating an educational bill. Among other things he said: "Wyoming can start at once an educational system that has taken Massachusetts and Wisconsin fifty years to formulate and perfect."
Wyoming has been fully alive to its splendid advantages and opportunities in this respect. From its earliest settlement down to the present time its citizen- ship has always taken a keen interest in the establishment and liberal maintenance of its public school system, and today the state stands in the front rank of states for its high intelligence and low rate of illiteracy.
The state constitution requires an intelligence qualification for every voter, and in its legislative capacity the state has provided for compulsory education, for a supply of free textbooks, for physical examination of pupils, and it was the first state in the Union to adopt the Steever system of military training for high school students.
GREAT SCHOOL REVENUES
By one of those romantic freaks of fortune which appear only in the new and wonderful West, Wyoming's public schools will soon have the largest finan- cial endowment per capita of any state in the Union. The state school lands, from which an income is derived, amount to about three million five hundred thousand acres. The value of this land at $10 per acre (and it cannot be sold for a less price ) would be $35,000,000. But a small portion is being sold, how- ever, and the income which is being derived from such sales and from the agri- cultural and oil leases must be devoted exclusively to school purposes. Owing to the recent remarkable oil discoveries, the rentals from that source have been growing by leaps and bounds and a permanent school fund is thus being created. of which only the interest is used, all gross receipts being placed in the permanent fund. The state treasurer is authorized to invest this fund in stable securities
428
HIGH SCHOOL, CHEYENNE
CENTRAAL SCHOOL, CHEYENNE
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HISTORY OF WYOMING
which can earn about 57/2 per cent interest. In the year 1917 about half a million dollars was thus received as interest and distributed to the public schools in each county in proportion to the number of pupils last reported.
For the month of March, 1918, the receipts from rentals and oil leases amounted to about fifty thousand dollars-or $600,000 for one year. This is only the beginning. The fund in the state treasury is $1,500,000. The rapid development of the oil industry will increase this amount over and over until there will be in a few years many millions in the permanent school fund. The interest will not only make all school taxes unnecessary, but it will also give every boy and girl in Wyoming a high school and collegiate education free of expense.
The State University is similarly favored, as its lands have been found to contain many rich oil basins upon which producing wells are fast coming in. The revenue from the university lands, according to good authority, will amount to $12,000,000 within the next ten years and in a short time the University of Wyo- ming will be the most richly endowed state university in the United States.
THE BEGINNING
The educational history of Wyoming dates from the organization of the territory in 1869. At the time when the first census of the inhabitants was taken in 1860, Wyoming then being a part of Dakota, there were but three groups of permanent settlers. Two of these, each consisting of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty people, were located about Fort Bridger and Fort Laramie, and there were several ranches along the North Platte River, in what are now Platte and Goshen counties. The total population did not exceed four hundred, in- cluding the trappers and frontiersmen of divers vocations who frequented this new country. Within the next decade the population increased rapidly, owing to the building of the Union Pacific Railroad. Wyoming had a population of 9,118 in 1870, according to the United States census, consisting of 8.726 whites, 183 negroes, 143 Chinese and 66 Indians not on reservations.
The first school building in Wyoming was dedicated to "free education" at Cheyenne on January 5, 1868, when the thermometer registered 23° below zero. Notwithstanding the weather, nearly all of the citizens of the town were present.
FIRST LEGISLATIVE REGULATION
Provision for the regulation and maintenance of education in Wyoming was made in the first session of the territorial assembly and approved December 10, 1869. This act created the territorial auditor "ex officio" superintendent of public instruction and fixed his salary for this work at $500. His duties were defined as follows :
"The duties of the superintendent of public instruction shall be as follows : He shall file all papers, reports and public dockets transmitted to him by the school officers of the several counties each year, separately, and hold the same in readiness to be exhibited to the governor, or to any committee of either House of the Legislative Assembly ; and shall keep a fair record of all matters pertaining to the business of his office. He shall have general supervision of all the district schools of the territory, and shall see that the school system is as early as practicable, put into uniform operation; and shall recommend to the several
431
HISTORY OF WYOMING
school districts a uniform series of textbooks to be used in the schools thereof. He shall prepare and have printed suitable forms for all reports required by this act; and shall transmit the same, with such instruction in reference to the course of studies as he may judge advisable, in the several officers entrusted with the management and care. He shall make all further rules and regulations that may be necessary to carry the law into full effect, according to its spirit and intent, which shall have the same force and effect, as though contained therein. He shall cause so many copies of this act, with forms and regulations, and in- structions herein contemplated thereunto annexed, to be from time to time printed and distributed among the several school districts of the territory, as he shall deem expedient. He shall make a report to the Legislative Assembly on the first day of each regular session thereof, exhibiting the condition of public schools, and such other matters relating to the affairs of his office as he may think proper to com- municate. He shall make an equal distribution of the school funds among the several counties on the first Monday in December, according to the aggregate number of the days attendance of the scholars attending the common schools, in the several counties, as reported by the County Superintendents of the several counties, who shall make reports of the same on or before the first Monday in November to the superintendent of public instruction."
His duties, as defined by the statutes, were almost identical with those of the present superintendent, except that the apportionment was made on aggregate attendance instead of on the census basis.
A further act of the assembly created the office of county superintendent of schools, though no provision was made for the manner of election. The county tax for the maintenance of schools was fixed at not more than two mills on the dollar and the county superintendents were required to report annually to the state superintendent. Should they fail to do so, they were to forfeit the sum of $100. It does not appear that this provision was ever enforced or even noticed, for year after year the state superintendent of public instruction, in his annual report, bemoaned the laxity of the county superintendents. The blame, no doubt. rests quite as much upon the district clerks as upon the county superintendents, for the former were by law required to supply annually a report of the affairs in their respective districts, containing practically the same information which district clerks are now required to include in their reports to the county superin- tendent. Failure to make this report was punishable by a fine of $25, but there is no record of such a penalty ever being imposed.
The result was. naturally, an entirely inadequate record of the early schools. which has made difficult the compilation of a detailed history of this period.
The board of district directors were empowered to determine the site of the school houses, the expenditures for the erection of rent of the same, and the curri- culum to be followed in the lower schools. In the matter of secondary and high school education the determination of the last-named feature was left to the county superintendent, acting in conjunction with the district board.
Provision was also made that, when there were fifteen or more colored children within a specified district, the board might, with the approval of the county superintendent, provide a separate school. Apparently, however, no such segre- gated schools have ever been established, negroes being admitted to the schools with whites.
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HISTORY OF WYOMING
The district treasurer was to keep two distinct funds, one called the "teachers' fund," comprising all monies paid for school purposes, save only local taxes collected in the district, which comprised the "school house" fund.
The Educational Act of 1809 remained in force for two years, then a few minor changes were made. The state auditor was relieved of his "ex officio" duties as state superintendent of public instruction ; the office was abolished for a time, the county superintendents during this time reporting annually to the governor.
In the legislative session of 1873 the whole system of education was reviewed and altered. The acts are of singular importance, being the true foundation of subsequent legislation and of the system now in force. The act of 1869 was in most respects repealed and provisions relative to the duties of the various school officers replaced by more explicit regulations. The state librarian (an office created two years previously ) was made "ex officio" state superintendent of public in- struction. With statehood the state superintendency became a separate office.
THE FIRST REPORT
The first report on public instruction was made in 1871 by Dr. J. H. Hayford, of Laramie, the territorial auditor for the preceding biennium. Doctor Hayford reported good schools in Albany and Laramie counties, fair schools in Uinta and Carbon counties, but in Sweetwater County neither superintendent nor schools. The report embodied two summaries for Carbon and Uinta counties, prepared by the respective county superintendents, R. W. Baxter and R. H. Carter. There were only five counties at that time. These summaries follow :
Counties
School Houses I
Teachers Male Female
Pupils
Carbon
2
I
74
Uinta I
2
2
II5
At this time the population of Wyoming was scattered along the Union Pacific Railroad for a distance of 500 miles, with a school wherever enough children were congregated. The provision for support was liberal ; it came entirely from taxation, the school lands not yet having come into market. The five counties had county superintendents. Laramie City and Cheyenne had graded schools of three departments each, to which high schools were later to be added. Schools in other districts, though small, were efficiently managed.
The report of the commissioner of education in 1872 supplements the above statistics by listing five private schools, with a total income of $5.500. Among these was the Wyoming Institute, a Baptist school of secondary grade, founded in 1870 by Rev. D. J. Pierce at Laramie. In 1872 it had four instructors, one man and three women.
The quotation which follows in the next paragraph is from a letter of Governor Hoyt, 1877, printed in the report of the commissioner of education for that year. This throws more light on the educational situation in Wyoming during early territorial days and in part makes up for the entire lack of statistical data in this period.
=
-
Natrona County High School.
Park School.
Central School.
SCHOOLS OF CASPER
CATHOLIC ACADEMY, CHEYENNE
Vol. I-28
434
HISTORY OF WYOMING
CONDITIONS IN 1877
"Of the school system now in operation, as well as of the schools themselves, I am able to speak in terms of high commendation. The gradation is complete from the lowest primary to the end of high school, which last is able to fit its pupils for admission to the ordinary college of the country; so that when the college or university comes to be established it will rest upon the existing public schools of the territory. The schools are directed, and taught by persons well qualified for their responsibilities by study in academies, colleges, and in several in- stances, normal schools of the East, and in general are doing excellent work. In- deed, after careful inspection of nearly every school in the territory and attendance upon some of the examinations and public exercises at the end of the last school year, I am constrained to say that the graded schools give evidence of an efficiency that would do honor to the older cities of the East.
"It is also worthy of note that the public at large feels a great pride in the public schools of the territory, and is ever ready with liberal means, as well as with active moral influence to promote their advancement. In fact, I have never known a community, whether in this country or in Europe, more zealously devoted to the cause of popular education than the people of this new territory."
Many authorities since Governor Hoyt so lauded the schools have stated that, undoubtedly, he had in mind the schools of Laramie and Cheyenne, also that his words were spoken rather oratorically. Conditions were excellent among the schools of the territory at that time, but were not entirely beyond criticism.
FIRST STATISTICS AVAILABLE
Beginning with the year 1883, statistical information becomes available. The following figures are taken from the manuscript reports of the superintendents of public instruction, preserved in the state archives at Cheyenne.
1883
1885
1888
1889
Number of School Houses
39
77
I3I
138
Number of Schools Taught
83
132
190
230
Number of Pupils --
Male
1,675
2,252
2,511
3,492
Female
1,677
2,153
2,893
3.560
Total
3.352
4.405
5,404
7,052
Number of Teachers-
MIale
19
32
56
58
Female
70
116
163
201
Total
89
148
219
259
Cost per Pupil per Month
$2.87 $4.14
$2.78
The total population of the territory had increased in this period from 20,789 in 1880 to 60,705 in 1890. Thus the population had trebled while the school population had only a little more than doubled. This indicates, of course, the obvious fact that the bulk of the immigration, on which the territory chiefly relied for its increments, consisted of adults. It will be observed, however, that in the six years from 1883 until 1889 the number of school houses increased from 39 to
435
HISTORY OF WYOMING
138. With the doubling of the school attendance in this period the cost of in- struction per pupil, however, was kept reasonably low-$2.87 in 1883; $2.78 in 1899. A rather marked increase in the cost of instruction is shown in the year 1885, but this is probably accounted for by an increased equipment and by an im- proved quality of instruction procured. The last factor is indicated in a measure by the average monthly compensation of teachers. In 1883 it was, for the whole territory, $57.25; in 1885, $58.06; in 1889, $61.67.
The character of the school buildings in this period may be gathered from the following list, compiled from a variety of sources. The list is in no way complete, but is a fair indication of the conditions which prevailed a quarter of a century ago. Schools were conducted in the following: Log building with a dirt roof ; upper room of a railroad section house ; rented building ; spare room of a ranch ; vacant office of a mining company ; blacksmith's shop ; basement of the town hall ; and a sheep wagon.
STATEHOOD
On November 5, 1889, the people of the territory ratified the constitution framed by the state constitutional convention and on July 10, 1890, Wyoming was admitted to the Union. The constitution and the first session of the Legis- lature virtually accepted the system of education in vogue during territorial days and from this point may be said to date the modern history of education in Wyo- ming.
The following table shows the growth of school house construction since state- hood :
1800
198 houses
1895
305 houses
1900
372 houses
1905
5.03 houses
1910
640 houses
1916
1,10I houses
The following table showing the number of teachers, both male and female, and the enrollment for each decade since 1870 will be found instructive :
Years
Teachers Male Female
Enrollment
1870
2
2
. .
1880
31
39
2,079
1890
58
20I
7,875
1900
89
481
14.512
1910
141
968
24.477
1916
253
1,482
32,630
TEXT-BOOKS AND CURRICULUM
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