Clark County, Indiana - Chapter 36: Schools of Clark County, 1909

Chapter 36: Schools of Clark County

In common with the struggle for homes and for the necessities of hfe, the hardy pioneer also toiled for the establishment and maintenance of schools for his children. Rude almost as Indian wigwams, low and dark and gloomy, with greased paper for a window, and a split log for a seat, with a huge stone chimney built on the outside of the building. The log school-house, built in the wilderness of Indiana, served its purpose well, and was often the center around which clustered scores of cabin homes. It served the threefold purpose of an intellectual center for the community, a place for a general business meeting, and as a house of worship for its builders. No sooner had the hunter, the trapper and explorer opened up tire road into the wilderness of Clark county late in the eighteenth century and prepared the way for a handful of early pioneer settlers than the itinerant school master, uncouth and uncultured, pitched his tent among them and boldly plead for patronage among the lads and lassies of the little settlement. Some of them came from Kentucky and Virginia, but many of them from New England. Often the double profession of preacher and teacher was practiced by some of these men. No qualifications, no experience, no training were required and only a very elementary education consisting of reading, writing and ciphering, was essential. Yet these men had lofty ideals, and much of the spirit of the real teacher. From these most humble beginnings amid conditions and surroundings unfavorable and unpromising, the early log school-house took its stand on the outskirts of civilization, on the borderland of the Indian savage. The curling smoke from the hut of Indian warriors gave place to the more cheerful fires of the log cabin school-house. The war-whoop of the Indian savage had not ceased to echo amid the hills and tree-tops of the Indiana forests until the glad shouts of the school children were ringing through the woodlands and fields of the settlement.

The foundation for the present system of education in Indiana was laid before Clark county was settled. As far back in history as the year 1785, after the conquest of the Northwest Territory by George Rogers Clark, Congress passed an ordinance which declared that one square mile in every township in the Northwest Territory should be set apart for the maintenance of public schools. Two years later in the "Ordinance of 1787," Congress declared that "religion, morality and knowledge are essential to good government and the happiness of a people, and that schools and the means of an education should forever Ije encouraged in the new territory." The famous "ordinance" passed before Indiana had either organization or a civilized people has been the basis from which grew one of the strongest and most practical school systems of modern times. And this is due in a very large measure, to the wisdom and foresight of the fatliers of another century and of other states, the splendid school system the Clark county boy enjoys today. This ordinance, reaching down through more than six score years, has furnished the basis and inspiration for favorable school laws to the builders of two state constitutions and to the patriotic members of every General Assembly convened within her borders. As early as 1808 the territoritorial Legislature of Indiana passed a law giving courts the pov.-er to lease the lands which had been reserved in each township for school purposes. These leases were not to be for a longer period than five years, and the persons leasing the school lands were to clear not less than ten acres on every quarter section.

The constitution adopted in 181 6, provided for township schools, county seminaries and state university, ascending in regular graduation, with free tuition and equally open to all. With these and many other favorable laws the school system had its beginning. The early years of progress were slow indeed. Buildings were poor, and teachers without training, and those who attended had tuition to pay. The day of free schools for all was still afar off. The earliest schools in Clark county were usually not taught more than three months in the year. The teacher's pay was small, indeed and he usually boarded around with the patrons, staying a week at each home.

As early as 1801 a school was kept in Silver Creek township by Richard Slider. This school w-as taught from six to eight weeks annually and was in existence for a number of years. Among the first teachers at the Slider school were James McCoy, Andrew ^IcCafiferty, George McCulloch and Spenser Littell.

In 1803 a school was opened on the old Hester farm near Charlestown, and was taught by a Mr. Epsy. Teaching then began with the rudiments of the language in Dilworth's spelling-book. Epsy was rather deficient, even in the knowledge of correct reading and pronunciation. His pupils were taught to give nonsensical names to vowels whenever one of them formed the syllable of a word. Reading books furnished little useful information, and were in no sense adapted to beginners. Two books wdiich were used as readers were Gulliver's Travels and a dream book. The rigid discipline exercised, the cruel penalties inflicted upon delinquent pupils, and the long confinement to their books - from a little after sunrise to near sunset - are all now considered as detrimental to intellectual as well as physical advancement.

In 181 1 in Utica township on the James Spangler fann. a rude log school-house took its place among the still ruder lob cabins of the early pioneers. Among the first teachers in this old log school-house were William Crawford, a Mr. Blackburn and a Mr. Scantlin. These men taught most of the children of the families in those days. As far back as 1820 a dwelling was converted into a school-house on the Charlestown and Utica pike road. It stood near where the residence of Peter H. Bottorff later stood. A Mr. Kincaid was one of the teachers. Perhaps the next school-house in Utica township was the one put up on E. B. Burtt's place some time in the thirties. The teachers who taught here were Messrs. Brown, Fellenwider, John Randolph, Jonas Raywalt and George Ross. It was at this school that the Swartzs, the Jacobs, the Epsys, the Patricks, the Spanglers, the Prathers, and the Ruddles, received their early instniction.

In 1830 Clark county had its first institution of higher learning located at Charlestown. and known as the "Charlestown Seminary." The school was opened by D. Baker, an Englishman, and was in the old Masonic hall. Mr. Baker was the father of Hon. E. D. Baker, afterwards United States Senator from Oregon. This school had rather a successful career covering a period of nearly twenty years. The annual enrollment reached at one time three hundred students. In 1849 the school was bought by the Rev. H. H. Cambern and was changed to a female seminar}-, under the supervision of Rev. George J. Reed. After a successful career of some fifteen years the school passed under the control of Prof. Zebulon B. Sturgus, a scholar of superior worth and attainments. Students were enrolled from several states along the Ohio river, and the school was in a prosperous condition during the active life-time of Professor Sturgus. He called the institution "Barnett's Academy."

One of the early schools in the county was in Wood township. Moses Wood, a brother of George Wood, the founder of the township was the first teacher. In 1825 a Mr. Ransom taught and he was followed in 1826 by Tilly H. Brown. In 1827 \\"i!liam Sparks had the school. Other early teachers were Joshua W. Custer, Charles A. Carpenter, Asa M. Bellows and Evan Baggerly.

In Bethlehem township a school was carried on before the Antioch church was thought of. It was very near the place where later the church was located, and was a log afifair about sixteen by eighteen feet with a door which swung to the outside. Cyrus Crosly was the first teacher and after him came Thomas J. Glover, Dr. Solomon Davis. Rev. Benjamin Davis and others. In 1832 a new hewed log school-house was presided over by Martin Stucker. Charles Smith, Samuel C. Jones. Joel M. Smith and Thomas S. Simington followed, and it was while the last named was the pedagogue that the building burned. This was about 1840, and a new building was soon erected and the school presided over by George Matthews. The

Baird S History Of Clark Co., Ind

The second institution of higher learning in Clark county was Borden Institute, founded in 1884 by Prof. William W. Borden. This was located at the town of Borden, and had a very successful career for more than twenty years. Three distinguished educators have been at the head of the faculty of this institution : Prof. Francis Stalker, Dr. W. E. Lugenbeel and Prof. H. A. Buerk. This school ranked high among the better institutions of learning in the state. The museum in connection with this school had a collection of geological, mineral, archaeological and historic specimens not surpassed by any other institution in Indiana. Under the present laws of the state the county school system has developed into a complete system of graded schools, including a four years' high school course in which tuition is free and attendance is compulsory. The minimum term in the district school is six months, and in some townships this is extended to eight months, while the town and city schools have a full term of nine months. Clark county has two commissioned high schools, one in the city of Jeffersonville. and one in the town of Charlestown. It also has one certified high school at New ^^'ashington and six other high schools doing two or more years' work.

The original public schools of Jeffersonville consisted of two buildings, both of which have disappeared. The old Mulbern' street school which stood about opposite the end of Chestnut street, was a two-story brick building, built about 1850. It served its purpose until 1904. when it was torn down to make room for the interurban viaduct. The other school-house, a duplicate in design, stood on the northwest corner of Maple and Watt streets. It was torn down in 1907. In 1870 the oldest of the present school buildings was opened for use. It was built as a graded and high school and marks the beginning of the high school system of the city. For four years thereafter the girls and boys had separate high schools, but after that they were united and have remained so until the present time. W. H. Parsons was the first principal of this Chestnut street school, and held that and other positions in the public schools of Jeffersonville for years.

In 1874 the Rose Hill school was built and ^V. B. Goodwin became the first principal. The present high school building was erected in 1882 and for several years several of the grades were taught on the lower floor, but it is devoted wholly to high schnnl use now.

In 1904 the Spring Hill building was opened for use. and its construction has marked a decided change in school matters of the city. Public sentiment has of late years been directed toward the sanitary and structural details of the school buildings and as a result these features have made notable improvement. The city of Jeffersonville of late years, under the management of Supt. A. C. Goodwin and more recently Supt. C. M. Markle, has developed one of the very best city school systems in Indiana. The graduates from the city high scliool take high rank in the higher institutions of learning in the state.

Clark county now has one hundred and two school buildings, which, together with equipment and grounds, are valued at more than a quarter of a million of dollars. Our enumeration of school children is now more than ten thousand, with an annual enrollment of five thousand nine hundred. Clark county employs one hundred and eighty-five teachers and pays them an annual salary of more than seventy-five thousand dollars. While many of our buildings are old and unsanitary, those built in recent years are beautiful, sanitarv. modern in every particular. All of our teachers have had normal or college training and many of them are graduates of higher institutions of learning.

Our pulilic schools have kept abreast of the progress of the age. Public sentiment sujjports them to the fullest extent. The people love and cherish our schools as they do no other institution of modern life. Xe.xt to the family hearth-stone in the hearts of our citizens is the little school home of our children. Within the walls of each school room, whether it be a modest building in a rural district, or a magnificent structure of beauty and convenience, we are striving to kindle and develop in the heart of every child who enters there the best that it is possible for it to experience. The tendency in recent years has been to make the school more natural ; to make the school and the home work together for the same common end : to make school experiences real life experiences, and to include in the course of study in the public schools manv of the problems of the real outside experiences of the child. \\^ith this thought in the mind of our ablest teachers we have faith that our success will be assured and that the citizens of the next generations in Indiana will be more practical and skillful ; will be stronger, lietter and more able to fill their places in the destinv of the race that nature intended for tliem.