Washington County, Illinois - Chapter 10: Common Schools, 1879

Chapter 10: Common Schools

habitation for his family and enclosed a " patch " of land on which to raise the necessaries of life, begin preparations for the erection of a school-house.

Some enterprising individual among them would take the initiatory step of notifying the settlers within a radius of three or more miles, that, on a certain time, at a designated place, they would meet for the purpose of erecting a school-house. Punctual at the time and place, armed with their " working tools," would the settlers assemble; and in a short time, considering the dis¬ advantages under which they labored, their work would be consummated. The structure might not compare with the specimens of workmanship and architecture of the present, but it afforded them an accommodation for their primitive school for which their rural hearts were thankful.

Character Of The Early School Buildings

Buildings constructed in the manner above described could be but rude and primitive in their character. The walls were made of rough logs from the forest, the chimney of earth and sticks: clapboards from the adja¬ cent oaks furnished them with a shelter from the chilling blasts of winter and the sultry rays of the summer's sun; slabs split from trees, the rough edges of which had been smoothed with an axe, constituted the floor. Win¬ dows were constituted by cutting out a log, and pasting a greased paper over the aperture, which admitted all the light that was afforded to the pupils.

School Furniture

The furniture of the pioneer school-room consisted of " benches," made from large " puncheons," which were made from the same material and in the same manner that the slabs for the floor were prepared. " Desks " or writing-tables were formed by placing against the wall at an angle of about 22J degrees boards or "puncheons." Could the pupil of the early school have entered the spacious and elegantly furnished school-rooms of to-day, - could he have sat in the easy patent-seat. - could he have gazed upon the modern school apparatus, and have listened to the sound of the "school¬ going bell," he would doubtless have imagined that he had been magically transported to another sphere.

ROM the earliest period of the world's history, the people of every civilized nation have realized the importance of education. Education, in its fullest sense, comprehends the development and cultivation of the various physical, moral and mental faculties of man. Hence it is that the standard of a people's morals, civili¬ zation and progress, is indicated by the degree of interest manifested in developing and cultivating the moral, social and intellectual faculties of its masses. Society, in every age, and of every nation upon which the refining hand of civilization has been laid, has been ever ready to realize and accept the truth of this proposition. Thus, in Time's epochs, from the "twilight of antiquity" to the present, we find associated with other beneficent institu¬ tions for the elevation and advancement of mankind, the institution of schools; embracing every grade of instruction, from the elementary school, where the rudiments of an education are taught to the University and College, where art, science and literature are disseminated.

The annals of the world sustain the proposition that no nation ever occu¬ pied an exalted or enviable position that evinced no interest in the education of its people. In republican governments, in which all power emanates from the people, and belongs to the people, it is essential to the perpetuation of the people's institutions that the masses should have the mental and moral training that is necessary to qualify them for a high appreciation of the blessings of personal liberty and freedom of conscience. The people of the United States have ever realized this; and in all its history, from the land¬ ing of the Pilgrims to the settlement of the far West, one of the first things to engage the attention was the establishment of schools. The history of the schools of Washington county finds its duplicate in the school history of many counties in the Western States.

How Schools Were Organized

After the school-house had been completed and furnished, (?) a school was the next part of the programme. There were no donations from the govern¬ ment or State, nor any taxes collected for the support of schools. Some one of the settlers would canvass the neighborhood and determine how many pupils would attend the school at a stated sum per capita.

The Teacher

Was the next requisite to the school. His qualifications were tested by the best posted man in the community, who was appointed "committee¬ man," or director.

The qualifications required were that he should possess the physical ability to govern the school, and be sufficient scholar to teach " reading, writing and ciphering," especially the latter, as far as the "double rule of three." His jurisdiction was regarded as paramount to that of the parents. He was not only authorized to command the obedience of bis pupils while at school, but, by common consent, exercised supervisory jurisdiction over their conduct while they were on the road to and from school, and even on some occasions held his pupils to an accountability for their actions during the intermission from Friday evening to Monday morning.

Mode Of Teaching

No regular programme of exercises was found in the school-room ; in fact there were none, the order of exercises being regulated by the arrival of the pupils in the morning, it being understood that as soon as a pupil entered the school-room his day'B work began, and that the first to arrive was the first to recite, etc. The manner of conducting recitations was of the truly primitive type, the teachers of those days being fully committed to the "pouring-in" process, believing that the true theory of teaching is to stock the mind with facts and generalities rather than to develop the reasoning faculties. IuBtead of requiring his pupils to analyze a proposition from the premisea«to the conclusion, he would occupy his seat, ask questions, and receive answers.

Branches Taught

The branches taught in the common schools of those days were few in number - reading, spelling, penmanship and arithmetic. In addition to these, in some very rare instances, English grammar, geography and history received some attention.

Text-books Used. The text-books used were almost universally the follow¬ ing: Smiley's and Smith's arithmetics; the old English Reader and New Testament, for reading; "Webster's Elementary Speller;" in schools where English grammar was taught, "Kirkham" was the standard; and for his¬ tory, The Life of Washington or Marion was the book used, - these works being found very often to constitute the libraries of the settlers. The early settlers seemed to regard a man who was moderately acquainted with the subjects of arithmetic, reading and spelling, as a prodigy in the matter of scholastic attainments.

Boarding Around. - It was the custom for the teacher to receive, in addi¬ tion to his per capita subscription price, free board; that is, he would board with one of his pupils one week, the next with another, and so on.

There being no legalized school system, there were no officers who held office or exercised its functions by authority of law; the only officer known being the " committee-man " or director before mentioned. He held his office by consent of the employers, and at their pleasure. His duties were to contract with teachers, examine them as to their qualifications, and to call the employers together to decide questions that arose during the term of school. He exercised a sort of supervision over the school.

Personal Mention Of Early Teachers

Rev. Horatio Burns, Rev. James Walker, Andrew Foster, James Hend¬ ricks, James G. Burns, James Steele, G. W. Cone, Mr. Wehr and Dr. J. C. Yount, were among the Pioneer teachers of Washington County.

Present School Buildings

A majority of these are large, substantial, and in many instances, neatly and tastefully finished. In many districts, the houses are surrounded with beautifully laid out and highly ornamented grounds. They are provided, many of them with wells, with the modern appliances for raising water; a decided improvement upon the old custom of bringing it from the wells of neighboring farm-houses.

The present school law prescribes as the legal branches to be taught in the schools of the State, the following: Orthography, Reading in English, Penmanship, Arithmetic, English Grammar, Modern Geography, History of the United States; and in addition to these the School Directors may require the elements of Natural Philosophy, Botany, Zoology, Physiology and Hygiene. In all the schools the seven branches first enumerated are taught, and in many, the last named sciences constitute a part of the course of study.

Text-Books Used

The text-books in general use in the county are: Harvey's, Monroe's, and the National series of Readers; Worcester's, Wilson's, and the Na¬ tional Spellers; the Spencerian system of Penmanship; Felter's, White's, Robinson's and Ray's Arithmetic; Green's, Harvey's and Clark's Gram¬ mars ; Swinton's, Monteith's, and the Eclectic Geographies; Anderson's and Swinton's Histories; Steele's treatises on Natural Philosophy, Physiology and Hygiene, and Natural History, are the most popular; while Youman and Gray are the standard in Botany.

The teacher of the Public School must be a man of moral character. He must be thoroughly qualified to teach in detail the branches of Reading, Orthography, Penmanship, Arithmetic, English Grammar, Modern Geogra¬ phy, and History of the United States, to entitle him to a license to teach of the second grade of qualifications; and in addition to this, for a first grade he must understand the elements of the "Natural Sciences," Physiology, and Hygiene. His knowledge of the branches must not be merely of a technical character; he must understand the great principles from which all formulas are deduced pertaining to the subjects with which he has to deal. His qualifications must be such, that he is able to demonstrate every propo¬ sition with which he comes in contact, to the inquiring mind, which it is his business to develop and expand.

It is generally accepted that the true theory of teaching is to develop and cultivate the reasoning faculties, and not to store the mind with isolated facts, like stocking a cellar with fruit and vegetables to be brought forth and used when the occasion requires. It is the province of the teacher to teach his pupils to think - to think systematically; to follow the path of reason from cause to effect; to search after truth, by applying to all things the test of reason ; and not, that hy following a certain rule prescribed, cer¬ tain results will be obtained, or that by turning certain screws, certain effects will be produced ; but we must teach them why certain causes produce cer¬ tain effects - and in truth he must be a man that can use his reasoning powers - not constitute himself, like the ancients did the oracle at Delphos, a mere answerer of questions.

School Officers

The school officers of the county are Superintendent, Township Trus¬ tees, Township Treasurer, and School Directors. The County Superin¬ tendent's. duties are, to examine teachers, distribute public funds to the townships, advise and counsel with school officers and teachers, make and transmit to the State Department a report of the condition of the schools in the county yearly, and to visit schools when required to do so by the County Board.

The duties of School Trustees are, to form and alter the boundaries of school districts, and distribute public funds to the school districts. They have the control of the school funds of their respective townships, and the title to all school property vests in them.

The School Treasurer is the custodian of the township and district funds. He pays them out upon the order of the School Directors and Trustees. He is also Clerk of the Board of Trustees, and is required to keep a record of all their proceedings. Directors are required to see that comfortable and well furnished houses are provided foy the use of the school, employ teachers, etc.

Graded Schools School Statistics

Below will be found a table of statistics showing the condition of the Public Schools of Washington County, for the year ending September 30th, 1878, as shown by the report of the County Superintendent of Schools.

In nearly all the districts, the school-houses are provided with the " patent desk seat," a luxury in comparison to the seats occupied by the pupils of "ye olden time schools."

Blackboards, upon which are elucidated the exercises of the day, greet the eye of the visitor, upon his entrance to almost every school-room in the county. It is no uncommon thing to find the walls of the school-room adorned with maps and charts, to facilitate the labors of the pupil. Globes and scientific apparatus are found in soma of the be9t regulated schools.

Foremost among the manufacturers of school office and church furniture of the United States is the firm of A. H. Andrews & Co., 213 Wabash Avenue, Chicago.

Simply as an industrial establishment, it is one of the most successful in the entire West Their names have literally become a household word, not only throughout the length and breadth of thiB country, but also in many foreign countries.

They have done much for the cause of education by beautifying and rendering attractive the school-rooms of the country, and not only that, but in providing for the physical comfort and bodily rest of the pupils.

In this special field, Mr. A. H. Andrews, the senior member of the firm, has always been an enthusiast, and to-day hundreds of thousands of pupils are reaping the benefit of his enthusiasm; while other hundreds of thousands, who have finished their school course, look back upon the school-rooms fur¬ nished with luxuriously easy seats, convenient and comfortable desks, as the pleasant accompaniments of their school-life, that it will always be a joy to remember. And the house of A. H. Andrews <fe Co. were the pioneers in this elaborate and beautiful style of school-house furniture. That they have imitators and copyists is not Btrange - business success in any line will always attract competition and attempted imitation.

For the benefit of patrons of this work, cuts are inserted, exhibiting more clearly than words can express, the beauty, convenience and durability of the modem styles of school furniture.

Folded Book-Box Locked

The patent dovetailed "Triumph" desk is the most perfect in its propor¬ tions, and much the strongest and most durable school desk made. The seat and back are so curved as to enable the pupil to maintain an erect and healthful po3ture,and to perforin his work an ease and comfort unknown in the use of chair-desks, or even in most of the folding-seat desks. By the improved method of construction, the "dovetail" process, and the use of steel wire rods inserted into the slat-like continuous dowels (see cut of desk in process of setting up), a degree of firmness, strength and durability is obtained that is not equaled or approached by any other method, and which more than doubles its value.

Boards of directors or persons wishing school or office furniture may be sure of finding what they need, at fair prices, at the great establishment of this firm in Chicago.