Madison County, Indiana - Chapter 11: Educational Development, 1914

County Seminary - Public Schools of Anderson - Schools of Other Cities and Towns - Value of School Property - Statistics - County Superintendents - First Graded School - Franklin's Private School - Anderson Normal University - Business Col¬ lege - Parochial Schools - The Press - Struggles of the Early Newspaper - The First Daily - Hardesty's Window Shutter Campaign - Present Day Newspapers - Public Libraries - School Libraries

In the chapters on Township History will be found accounts of the early schools in the rural districts, with statistics showing the condition of the public schools in each township at the present time. The legisla¬ ture of 1828 passed an act providing for the establishment of county seminaries in the several counties of the state at public expense, but nearly twenty years elapsed before such an institution was founded in Madison county. In 1849 a two-story brick building was erected on the northeast corner of Main and Twelfth streets, in the town of Anderson, for a county seminary. This building was forty feet square, with a hall running east and west through the center. The lot upon which it stood was donated "for school purposes" by Andrew Jackson and Robert N. Williams, two citizens who believed in education. School was taught in this building until it was destroyed by fire in 1856.

Soon after the burning of the old seminary, a public school building was erected upon the site. It was used for more than thirty years, but was torn down in 1888 to make room for the present Main Street school. The second public school building in Anderson (known as the Second Ward school) was erected in 1868 at the comer of Seventh and Milton streets, but was torn down in 1895 to make way for the present commodi¬ ous building that occupies the site. In the meantime Anderson had been incorporated as a city in 1865 and a high school had been organized in 1873. After the erection of the Main street building in 1888 it was used for the high school until the Lincoln building was erected in 1890, at a cost of $39,000, when the high school was removed to the new building.

Two buildings were erected in 1891 - the Park place building, which cost $9,000, and the Central Avenue school, located on Central avenue between Twentieth and Twenty-first streets, which cost $20,000. In 1892 the Hazelwood building was erected at a cost of $20,000, and the next year the Columbia school, at the corner of Ninth and Madison, was erected at a cost of $22,500. In 1894 the building at the comer of

Seventh and Delaware streets was erected at a cost of $24,000.' The Washington school, situated on Columbus avenue, between Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth streets, was established in 1896 by the erection of a building that cost $37,000, and in 1897 the Shadeland school, a frame building of five rooms, was built at a cost of $3,000. The first high school building was erected in 1898. It is situated immediately south of the Lincoln building and is now called the grammar school.

Just after noon on December 18, 1901, fire was discovered in the basement of the Lincoln building. Through the ventilating ducts the flames soon found their way to all parts of the structure. The fire de¬ partment responded promptly, but the fire was not under control until eleven o 7 clock that night, when the building was reduced to ashes. It was immediately rebuilt.

$150,000. It is centrally located, on Lincoln street, between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets, and is considered by educators to be one of the best high school edifices in the state. In the building is a large audi¬ torium for public meetings, commencement exercises, etc. The school is also equipped with a gymnasium and swimming pool. The course of study includes the usual high school branches, manual training in wood and iron work for the boys, cooking and sewing for the girls, and kindred subjects. The display of this school at the "Made in Anderson 77 exhibit in June, 1913, attracted a great deal of attention, especially the speci¬ mens of pattern making and needlework from the manual training de¬ partments. The school is open to students from all parts of the county. Those who have completed the course of study in the township schools have their tuition paid from the township funds and all others pay a small tuition fee. In connection with the high school is a free night school, in which is taught the ordinary school branches, shorthand, machine drawing, commercial chemistry, shop practice, pattern making, sewing, cookery, etc. The first high school class, consisting of four young ladies, was graduated in 1876. In 1912-13 there were 626 students enrolled in the Anderson high school. The school board that ordered the erection of the present magnificent high school was com¬ posed of Willis S. Ellis, F. A. Walker and W. B. Campbell.

The present members of the school board of Anderson are H. E. Jones, Austin Retherford and G. E. Nichol. Among those who have been prominently identified with the public school system of Anderson in the past may be mentioned Charles Hewett, T. C. Davis, W. R. Myers, Joseph Franklin, Dr. C. S. Burr, S. M. Keltner, C. W. Prather, George Quick, W. T. Durbin, N. C. McCullough, A. J. Dipboye and J. S. Carr, all of whom served either on the board of education or as superintendent of the schools. The present superintendent is James B. Pearcy.

In 1913 the city of Anderson had eleven public school houses, ten of which were of modern brick construction, the value of buildings and grounds being estimated at $544,000. Of the 109 teachers employed in the city schools, twenty-three are in the high school.

In 1876 the town of Elwood had but one school building and employed four teachers. With the discovery of natural gas and the consequent increase in population the educational facilities were made to keep pace, until in 1913 the city had eight public school buildings, viz: High School, Linwoood, Central, Osborne, Washington, Edgewood, North C street, and a small frame building in one of the out¬ skirts. Five of these buildings are of brick and three are frame. The total value of grounds and buildings was $210,000. Fifty-seven teach¬ ers were employed during the school year of 1912-13, nine of whom were in the commissioned high school. It is no exaggeration to say that no city of its size in the state offers better educational advantages to its young people than Elwood.

named are of modem construction and compare favorably with public schoolhouses anywhere, costing over $20,000 each. The corps of teach¬ ers in the Alexandria public schools in 1912-13 numbered twenty-seven, six of whom were employed in the high school grades. The value of all school property in the city was $49,300.

The first schoolhouse in Pendleton stood on the east side of the Big Four Railroad, on what is now known as Tariff street. In 1864 the brick building long known as the Pendleton Academy was erected on the site of the second schoolhouse and was for many years the only public school in the town. Pendleton now has two modern brick build¬ ings - the High School, at the corner of East and High streets, and the West building, at the corner of Taylor and West. In 1913 a large addition was made to the high school building, so that the value of all school property is approximately $45,000. Thirteen teachers were

Summitville has but one school building, which was recently erected at a cost of $22,500. Nine teachers are employed, three of whom are in the commissioned high school. The public school building at Lapel cost $18,000 and the one at Frankton cost $5,000. Eight teachers are employed at Lapel and seven at Frankton, and in both towns there are commissioned high schools.

Thus it will be seen that in the seven principal cities and incor¬ porated towns there are twenty-eight public school buildings, valued at $893,800. The incorporated towns of Chesterfield and Markleville have no separate boards of education and their schools are treated in con¬ nection with Union and Adams townships, respectively. In each of the seven large cities and towns is a commissioned high school. The total number of teachers employed in the county during the school year of 1912-13 was 375, of whom 230 were employed in the cities and towns and 145 in the country schools. The value of all real estate and build¬ ings owned by the, county for school purposes was $1,118,300 and the value of maps and other apparatus was estimated at $23,100. The total amount paid in teachers' salaries during the last school year was $228,184.38.

The office of county superintendent was created by the legislature of 1873. Since that time the county superintendents of the Madison county schools, with the year in w T hich each took office, have been as follows: Joseph Franklin, 1873; R. I. Hamilton, 1875; William M. Croan, 1881; Dale J. Crittenberger, 1884; Willis S. Ellis, 1887; Isaac Y. Busby, 1893; Manson U. Johnson, 1894; Lawrence McTurnan, 1897; James W. Frazier, 1902. Mr. Frazier was first appointed upon the resignation of Mr. McTurnan and has since been twice reelected. His present term expires in 1917.

The first graded county school in the county was taught by W. M. Croan at a schoolhouse in Richland township known as "College Cor¬ ner," and it was in this house that the first "graduating" exercises in the country schools of the county were held. In 1912-13 the average length of term in the various schools of the county was 145 days. At the close of the term there were 177 graduates in the commissioned high schools and 529 in the township schools.

Madison county has never boasted a college or higher institution of learning. The law establishing the state university provided that each county in the state should be entitled to appont two students annually, whose tuition should be free. Enoch M. Jackson, a son of Andrew Jackson, and Augustus M. Williams, son of Robert N. Wil¬ liams, were the first from Madison county to become graduates of the University of Indiana, the former entering the institution in 1845 and the latter in 1846.

Joseph Franklin, w r ho had charge of the one public school in Ander¬ son during the period from 1862 to 1865, erected a frame building on the west side of Delaware street between Eleventh and Twelfth streets in 1868 and there conducted a private graded school for several years, Miss Genevieve Robinson having charge of the low r er grades.

On August 29, 1896, the Anderson Normal University, a private institution founded by W. M. Croan, was opened in the second and third stories of the Opera House block at the northeast corner of Main and Eleventh streets, in the city of Anderson. The institution started off in a rather pretentious manner, as may be seen by the following faculty and list of subjects to be taught: W. M. Croan, president; George H. Colbert, higher mathematics and astronomy; J. C. Black, pedagogy; J. P. Mullin, language; Lottie N. Mullin, literature; J. Good¬ win Perkins, principal commercial department; E. E. Copple, geography and mathematics; W. C. Rousch, chemistry and pharmacy; Ellsworth L. McCain, penmanship; Charles Nelson, musical director; Laura Quick, elocution and delsarte; Grace S. Langell, voice culture; James F. Wysong, conductor of band and orchestra; Louis J. Weichman, short¬ hand and typewriting; Kenneth M. Burr, military science; John E. Wiley, law; Margaret Beachley, drawing and fine art. No appeal to the general public for financial aid was made, the aim of the founder being to make the school self sustaining. The expenses, however, of maintaining such an institution were greater than the income and after

The Anderson Business College, located on the third floor of the Decker building at the southwest corner of Tenth and Meridian streets, was formed in 1904, by the purchase and consolidation of the Bliss Busi¬ ness University and the Anderson Business School, two institutions that had been previously established. It is now a branch of the Indiana Business College, which maintains schools of a commercial character in thirteen of the principal cities of the state. The Anderson school is under the management of Prof. J. Phillips.

Parochial schools are maintained by the Catholic church at Anderson, Alexandria and Elwood. The first parochial school at Anderson was taught in 1858 by Mrs. Maggie Ryan. After the completion of the present Catholic church the old edifice was converted into a schoolhouse and the school is in charge of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. At Elwood St. Joseph's parish has recently erected a school building at a cost of some $50,000. It is one of the most modern schoolhouses in the county and an ornament to the city of Elwood.

As a factor in the educational development of any community the newspaper plays an important part. The first newspaper published in the county was the Federal Union, which was started in 1834 by T. J. Langdon, said to have been the oldest printer in Anderson. He was assisted by Charles D. Henderson in the editorial work, but after a few months the paper was suspended. Shortly after that Charles D. Henderson began the publication of the Western Telegraph and was fortunate enough to secure some of the legal printing, which enabled him to continue in business until about 1838, when he was forced to suspend the publication.

In 1840 Dr. Thomas Sims established the Atheneum , which, as its name indicates, was devoted to literature and the sciences, rather than to the news of the day. Dr. Sims was a clever writer and something of an enthusiast on the subject of phrenology. After a time the public tired of his dissertations upon this and kindred subjects and the Atheneum died for want of patronage.

Joseph G. Jones was the next journalistic knight to enter the lists in Madison county, which he did soon after Dr. Sims retired from the field by the establishment of the Whig Eagle. This paper was an ardent supporter of the principles of the Whig party and in the campaign of 1844 carried the banner of Henry Clay. In the spring of 1846 Mr. Jones removed his printing office to Indianapolis, leaving Madison county without a newspaper until Gardner Goldsmith began the publi¬ cation of the Madison County Journal, which was also an exponent of Whig principles. The existence of this paper was brief.

John Q. and William L. Howell, who had been running a paper in Marion, Indiana, removed their office to Anderson in 1848 and com¬ menced the publication of the True Democrat. Peter II. Lemon was employed as editor and in 1849 the paper was purchased by Mr. Lemon and Dr. Townsend Ryan, who changed the name to the Weekly Demo- crat. It was an unswerving advocate of Democratic principles, and as that party was then in power in the county, it was a surprise to many that the paper was suspended in 1850. Mr. Lemon said it "died of a broken heart.''

Not long after the suspension of the Democrat Dr. James W. Men¬ denhall, who has been described as "a young man of some ability but of little experience," commenced the publication of the Anderson Gazette. Under Mendenhall's management it was neutral in politics, but it was purchased by J. F. Henry, who made it a Democratic organ. Henry was assisted in the editorial work by Colonel Thomas N. Stilw'ell. About 1855 it passed into the hands of Charles I. Barker and soon after¬ ward expired.

About this time W. H. H. Lewis founded the Madison County Republican, a paper which advocated the doctrines of the old Whig party and later the Republican party. Subsequently the name was changed to the Central Indianian, with John Patterson as editor, but it went the way of its predecessors.

Thomas W. and Ira H. Cook began the publication of the Democratic Standard in 1855. On January 1, 1858, Thomas W. Cook retired from the paper, having sold it to Charles I. Barker, who conducted it until 1863, when he disposed of it to Calvin C. Moricle, of White county, Indiana. Mr. Moricle edited and published the paper for about one year, when he was succeeded by 0. C. Willitts. Afterward, F. M. Randall published the paper for a short time, with E. V. Long as editor, when the property was purchased by W. E. Cook and A. S. McCallister. These gentlemen published the Standard until the fall of 1866, when they sold it to Fleming T. Luse, of Warsaw, Indiana. Mr. Luse continued the publication of the paper until it was consolidated with the Anderson Democrat , under the editorial management of M. Y. Todysman, when the name Standard disappeared. Mr. Todysman sold the Democrat to William R. Brownlee in the fall of 1877. Brownlee in turn sold it to Glasco Brothers, which resulted in the consolidation of the paper w y ith the Review, under the name of the Review-Democrat. It was not long, however, until 'the first part of the name was dropped and the paper continued as the Democrat .

In 1863, in the midst of the Civil war, H. J. Brown launched the Loyal American as the organ of the Republican party in Madison county. He remained as editor and publisher until in 1865, when he was appointed postmaster at Anderson. John C. Hanson then took charge and issued a few numbers, when the publication was suspended.

The Democracy of Fleming T. Luse, who purchased the Standard in 1866, was not of the type to suit the radical leaders of his party. As a result of this condition a stock company was formed in 1867 and the Anderson Plain Dealer appeared. Under the editorial management of Edwin P. Schlater and W. E. Cook it soon came to be recognized as the party organ in the county. In 1868 George D. Farrar, of Green¬ ville, Ohio, purchased the Plain Dealer and conducted it until 1871, when he sold it to William C. Fleming. Mr. Fleming published the paper until 1873, when he sold to Charles L. Zahm, who published it hut a short time, when he was succeeded by Todysman & Pyle. Thomp¬ son & Myers also conducted the Plain Dealer for a short time.

The first daily paper in Anderson, however, and also the first in Madison county, was the Bulletin , which made its first appearance on March 25, 1885. It was started by Dory Biddle, James W. Knight and Charles R. Craven. Knight and Craven were practical printers, who had been thrown out of employment by the consolidation of the Demo¬ crat and the Review a short time before. The Anderson Review was started by George Winter in 1880 and conducted by him as a weekly for about three years, when George Ross and Thomas P. Harris bought a controlling interest and adopted a Democratic policy. W. S. Diven soon after purchased an interest and had charge of the editorial policy until the paper was merged into the Democrat in the latter part of 1884. On the afternoon of March 15, 1885, Biddle, Knight and Craven were sitting in George Winter's printing office in the Odd Fellows' building, when Craven suggested that they start a daily paper. The following Monday Craven and Knight went to Elwood and bought the outfit of an old printing office there, shipped it to Anderson, established an office in the basement room in the northwest corner of the court¬ house, where the first number of the Daily Bulletin was "struck off" on the afternoon of March 25, 1885, as above stated. Dory Biddle was editor and Knight and Craven were the business managers and com¬ positors. It is said the three men had exhausted their combined capital of $27.00 before the paper was ready to go to press, and that John L. Forkner went security for the paper bill for the first week, which amounted to $7.40. This puny infant thrived from the start and in a short time the Bulletin was on a paying basis. When natural gas was discovered in the county, this paper was one of the most influential factors in advertising the advantages to be derived and in bringing new manufacturing establishments into the county. On September 1, 1907, the Bulletin was consolidated with the Democrat, but is still published as an afternoon daily under the old name.

In the summer of 1868 John O. Hardesty purchased the material of the old Loyal American and began the publication of the Anderson Herald. Hardesty has been deseribed % as a "live wire journalist," and as his advent into Anderson was right in the midst of a political cam¬ paign he soon found an opportunity to do some active work for the Republican cause. In looking over the annual statement of the receipts and disbursements of the county, he found a total of $37,000 - not much for a county like Madison, but the way he played up those figures before the taxpayers was a caution. The only expenditure for improve¬ ments on public buildings was a small sum for a new window shutter on the courthouse, but Hardesty referred to it as the $37,000 window shutter, had a picture of it made and ran it in his paper through the entire campaign. His paper was known as the "Red Hot" Herald , and while he did not defeat the Democratic county ticket at that election, he paved the way for the election of a majority of the Republican candi- - dates for county office in 1870.

In the fall of 1872 Stephen Metcalf purchased a one-half interest in the Herald and in August of the following year purchased Mr. Har¬ desty's interest, becoming sole owner. Mr. Metcalf made substantial improvements in the mechanical department, including the purchase of a new press. Various changes in ownership and management occurred during the next fifteen years, W. M. and Caleb H. Kinnard, George McKeown, Charles H. Ewing and Mr. Metcalf all holding an interest in the paper at different times. In April, 1888, A. A. Small became the owner, but in the fall of the same year sold the office and good will to H. G. Doggett. Chase Brothers soon after that became the owners and publishers. They disposed of the paper to J. H. Lewis, who in turn sold it to J. Q. Donnel, a man of considerable ability, but as he was not always in accord with his party he lost both prestige and patronage, and in 1895 sold out to Wallace B. Campbell. In the meantime several at¬ tempts had been made to establish a daily edition, but all were unsuc¬ cessful until the present morning Herald was started in April, 1887. The Herald is now published every morning, except Monday, by the Herald Publishing Company and is the oldest Republican paper in Madison county.

George Winter, who has been mentioned as the founder of the Anderson Review, was also interested in other newspaper ventures, among which were the Evening Star, the Daily Review and the Satur¬ day News . The first two were forced to suspend and the last was absorbed by the Anderson Democrat in 1887, when Mr. Winter went to Washington to accept a place as printer in the government printing office. He died in Washington in 1889. He was a fine printer but lacked executive ability.

Pendleton was the second town in the county to boast a newspaper. In 1870 T. B. Deem came from Knightstown, Henry county, and started the Pendleton Register, a weekly Republican paper. Accounts vary as to the ultimate fate of the Register, one authority stating that it was conducted at Pendleton until 1876, when it was removed to Greenfield, and another says the office was purchased by C. B. Caddy in 1878 and the name of the paper changed to the Pendleton Republican.

The Pendleton Enterprise was started in the spring of 1871 by B. Gregory, but after a precarious career of nine months it gave up the ghost. In 1896 Robert E. Maranville began the publication of the Pendleton Record, which was devoted chiefly to the interests of farmer and stock raiser. Subsequently he acquired the Pendleton Republican, but both the Record and the Republican have passed out of existence and the only paper now published in Pendleton is the Times . It was founded in 1904 and is published on Friday of each week. Will E. Witmer is the present editor and proprietor.

The first paper published in Elwood was the Review, which was established by George Winter in the early spring of 1877. It was short¬ lived and in 1880 Roy Hannah, S. T. Legg and Allen Wilson formed a stock company and commenced the publication of the Free Press, with Mr. Hannah as editor and manager. Some time later another paper called the Review was launched by L. H. Emmons, who sold out to A. W. Ross in 1888. The following year A. J. Behymer bought and consolidated the Free Press and Review and continued the publication under the former name. M. H. Geyer & Son later purchased the paper, but after a short time sold it to J esse Mellet, who started a daily edition in 1892. The paper is now owned by A. D. Moffett, who published the

The first number of the Elwood Leader made its appearance on March 19, 1891, bearing the name of W. J. Spruce as editor and pro¬ prietor. E. E. Fornshell issued the first number of the Elwood Daily Call on November 14, 1891, and on February 1, 1894, these two papers were consolidated under the name of the Call-Leader . This paper is now published every afternoon except Sunday by Fornshell, Carpenter & Fornshell, and a weekly edition is issued every Thursday.

In 1877 Joseph Fenimore established the Alexandria Bee, the first paper in Alexandria, but it seems the Bee stung the founder, as after a few months it expired for want of patronage. Eight years later, in 1885, T. A. French started the Alexandria Times and announced his intention to make the paper a success and boom the town. It seems that a paper called the Tribune was started in Alexandria a little later, as the Times-Tribune dates its existence from 1894. It is issued every afternoon except Sunday, R. M. Yelvington being the present publisher.

The Alexandria Record was established by Moore & Myers in 1892. The following year Harry E. Manor bought the paper and converted it into a Republican organ. Weekly and daily editions were issued for a time, but the paper is no longer in existence.

On September 25, 1893, the first number of the Alexandria Press was issued by C. F. & C. H. Meyer. It has had a successful career, is Democratic in politics, but is one of the best local papers in the county outside of Anderson. It is issued on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week, the Friday issue being a weekly edition intended for rural circulation.

In November, 1895, George B. Mickler commenced the publication of the Gas Belt News at Alexandria. It was a weekly, published every Friday, and was devoted to the industrial interests of the gas belt, par¬ ticularly Alexandria and the immediate vicinity. With the failure of the gas supply the mission of the paper was ended and it was suspended.

The first paper in Summitville was started by a young man named Pinkerton, but little of its history can be learned. In 1888 the Sum¬ mitville Times was started by A. J. Wertz, who had formerly been con¬ nected with the Anderson Bulletin, but it was short-lived. George P. Louiso began the publication of the Summitville Wave in 1890. It was independent in politics, well edited, and soon built up a circulation that made it a profitable venture. In 1902 the Wave and the North Madison Democrat were purchased and consolidated by L. P. Moore under the name of the Summitville Reporter .. In the fall of 1906 this paper was sold to W. A. Wimmer, who in June, 1913, disposed of it to F. D. Durham, the present proprietor.

The Frankton Leader was established by E. A. Kemp in 1890. It has been superseded by the Frankton Critic , which was founded in 1901 and is issued every Thursday by the Smith Printing Company. The Lapel News was established in 1891 and is now owned and edited by Lawrence E. Fair. In 1909 the Call of the Moose, a fraternal monthly devoted to the interest of the Loyal Order of Moose, was established in

Subscriptions amounting to $270 were reported by Mr. Metcalf and an association was organized with John W. Pence, W. T. Durbin, Stephen Metcalf, J. F. Wildman, Garrett W. Brown, Jonas Stewart and E. P. Schlater as a board of directors. The library was opened on November 8, 1879, in the office of Amzi W. Thomas, on the north side of the public square, with 374 volumes. In February, 1882, it was removed to the office of Walker & Walker. Until October, 1885, the library was kept open but one day each week to give patrons an oppor¬ tunity to exchange books. About that time a Young Men's Christian Association was organized in Anderson and offered to assume the man¬ agement of the library. The offer was accepted by the directors and the library was removed to "Reeve's art gallery," on the west side of the public square. The Young Men's Christian Association did not last long and the books went back to the board of directors. For about a year the books were stored away and the library was then reopened in the office of Judge Chipman, where it remained until in 1889.

Late in the year 1888 eight young men organized a club, with Claude S. Burr as president, and Charles Platter as secretary and treas¬ urer. This club held its meetings in the Robinson & Lovett block, on the north side of the public square. Its members secured a majority of the shares of the old library stock, took control of the books and removed them to the club rooms. Donations were received about this time from various persons that brought the number of volumes up to 650.

On February 12, 1889, the Anderson Reading Room and Library Association was incorporated with the following board of directors: John W. Lovett, John F. McClure (then mayor), Stephen Metcalf, Martha V. Underhill, John E. Canaday, Mattie V. Berg and Mrs. E. B. Goodykoontz. These directors, in connection with the club above men¬ tioned, continued in control of the library until the spring of 1891, when a proposition was made to the city to take charge of the books and established a city library. On May 11, 1891, the city council resolved "That the books, papers, furniture and effects of the Anderson Reading Room and Library Association be accepted by the city of Anderson, in accordance with the action of said association transferring said prop¬ erty to the city, and that the same be hereafter maintained as a city library / 9

Anderson now had a city library, but had no place to put it. The books were removed to the Newsom block and Marcus Kilburne was installed as librarian. He was soon after succeeded by Anna B. Myers. In April, 1898, the library was removed to the Masonic Temple on Meri¬ dian street. In the meantime a tax had been levied for the support of the library and the purchase of new books. By this method the library was increased until it became evident that the quarters in the Masonic

Temple w r ould soon become too small and in 1901 M. M. Dunlap, then mayor of Anderson, wrote to Andrew Carnegie, asking for a con¬ tribution that would enable the city to erect a lilirary building. Mr. Carnegie was at that time in Europe, but the following year the mayor wrote again and this time was successful in securing the promise of a donation of $50,000, on the condition that the city would furnish a suit¬ able site and appropriate $5,000 annually for the support of the institu¬ tion.

These conditions were complied with, the lot at the northeast corner of Tenth and Jackson streets was purchased for $17,400, and work on the building was soon afterward commenced. It was completed in the spring of 1905 and was formally dedicated with appropriate ceremonies at the Central Christian church on the evening of April 20, 1905, the dedicatory address being made by M. M. Dunlap and the building accepted for the city by Mayor John L. Forkner. The total cost of the grounds, buildings and furnishings was $72,200. Miss Kath¬ erine A. Chipman is the librarian and Miss Carrie E. Lake, assistant. The library now numbers about twenty-two thousand volumes and is one of the points of interest in the city of Anderson.

The following extract concerning the Elwood public library is taken from a little booklet issued by the Library Association: "The Elwood Public Library had its inception in 1898 in the thought of Mrs. A. D. Moffett and has been brought to its present status of usefulness and efficiency by the Elwood Library Association.

4 4 The association had its origin in a committee, composed of Mrs. Moffett, Mrs. D. G. Evans, Dr. H. M. Brown, Rev. L. C. Howe and Rev. George Chandler, which was appointed in October, 1898, by Mr. J. T. Alexander, of Greensburg, Indiana, to select a book list for a small subscription library, owned by the International Library Association, installed by Mr. Alexander in Room No. 1, of the building at the cor¬ ner of South B and Anderson streets, then known as the Fitz Williams building.

"The committee met at the library room and pursuant to the sug¬ gestion of Mrs. Moffett, that a free public library be established, the librarian, Mrs. Eva Gilmore, was instructed to send postal cards to twenty persons, inviting them to a meeting at the library room, to confer with the committee upon the feasibility of the plan. In response to this invitation Mr. George Haynes, Mr. W. S. James, Mr. A. H. McKenzie and Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Willkie met with the committee November 26, 1898, and it was decided to solicit subscriptions at $10 a share to a fund of $1,000 for the establishment of a free public library.

"January 10, 1899, sufficient funds having been subscribed to insure the fulfillment of the plan, a mass meeting was held in Odd Fellows 7 hall and a temporary organization was effected with Mr. F. N. Simmons as chairman, and Mrs. H. F. Willkie as secretary. Mr. H. F. Willkie was authorized to draft articles of incorporation and secure a charter.

"January 25, 1899, the charter having been obtained, and the required fund being guaranteed by subscriptions, the permanent organi¬ zation was effected in Odd Fellows 7 hall by the election of a board of fifteen directors for a period of one year. 77

Popular interest in the movement to establish a public library was manifested in the subscriptions to the stock. Among the subscribers and contributors were most of the leading professional and business men of Elwood, a number of lodges and trades unions, Sunday school classes and the children of the public schools. In April, 1899, the library was opened in a small room at 1414 Main street, with 1,150 volumes, twelve magazines in the reading room department, and Mrs. Eva Gilmore in charge as librarian. In June, 1899, the library was turned over to the city and a tax was levied by the city council for its sup¬ port. The following spring the library was removed to the new city hall building. In 1901, at the solicitation of the Women's Club, the American Tin Plate Company made a donation of $1,000.

In December, 1901 Andrew Carnegie, in response to a communication from the librarian and secretary of the association, Mrs. F. L. Saylor, offered to donate $25,000 for the erection of a building, provided the city would furnish a site and levy an annual tax equal to 10 per cent, of the gift. The proposition was accepted, a further gift of $5,000 was received from Mr. Carnegie in 1903, and on June 1, 1904, the building was dedicated and opened to the public. In the meantime Mrs. Hannah B. Leeds had given the library $500 and D. G. Reed had donated $100 as an endowment fund for a men's room in the library building.

In June, 1909, library privileges were extended to all the residents of Pipe Creek township, and about a month after this action was taken a branch library was opened at Frankton. J. L. Clauser was president of the board in 1913; Mrs. M. E. King, secretary, and Miss Henriette L. Scranton was librarian.

The present library association was organized in 1901 and soon after it was chartered steps were taken to secure the asistance of Mr. Carnegie in the erection of a suitable building. A donation was promised under the usual conditions that an appropriate site be furnished and an annual tax equal to 10 per cent, of the donation be levied by the city council for the library's support. A lot was accordingly purchased at the cor¬ ner of East Church and Wayne streets, the council levied a tax that would bring in about $1,400 annually, and Mr. Carnegie sent in his donation of $12,000, which was subsequently increased by a supple¬ mentary gift of $2,000. The building, a neat little structure, was opened to the public in 1904 and in 1913 the library numbered over five thousand volumes.

The board of directors of the Alexandria Library Association for the year 1913 was as follows: Dr. F. G. Keller, president; Rev. G. A. Little, vice-president; Mrs. Minnie Malone, secretary; Rev. F. P. Faust, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church; E. P. McMahan, representing Monroe township; A. L. Custer, superintendent of the public schools; Mrs. F. C. Jones and W. H. May, the last named being an ex officio director, by virtue of his office of township trustee. Miss Zada Carr is the librarian and Miss Bessie Bertsche, assistant.

A library association was organized at Pendleton on November 8, 1877. Dr. 0. W. Brownback was elected president and James W. Hard¬ man, secretary. Articles of association and a code of by-laws were adopted and it was decided to solicit subscriptions to a capital stoek of $1,000, divided into two hundred shares of $5 each. Subscriptions amounting to $110, or twenty-two shares, were made at the meeting and the work of soliciting was commenced. J. B. Lewis, W. F. Morris, O. W. Brownback, Charles E. Goodrich and Benjamin Rogers were elected directors to serve until the annual meeting of the stockholders as pro¬ vided for in the articles of association. Among the stockholders were Hervey Craven, A. W. Cook, B. F. Aiman, G. A. Phipps, J. R. Silver, J. F. Silver, Isaac P. Rinewalt, F. M. Hardy, W. R. Kinnard, S. F. and J. L. Thomas, J. W., H. F. and W. H. Lewis, and a number of others whose names cannot be ascertained. The library was established in what was known as the Red Ribbon reading room in the Commercial block, but the records of the old association appear to have been lost and the history of the library cannot be obtained.

The present public library in Pendleton was first conceived by Mrs. Sarah Skillen Cook and her ideas were carried into effect by an organ¬ ization known as the Independent Social Club, Mrs. Cook being aided by Mrs. Ida Parsons, Thomas M. Hardy, Sr., and her club associates in the establishment of a circulating library of their own, supported by contributions. The library was kept in Tank's drug store, but as inter¬ est in the work increased it soon became evident that more commodious quarters would have to be secured. A mass meeting was therefore called at the Methodist Episcopal church in the early part of 1910, to discuss "ways and means'' of making the library a permanent institu¬ tion. Thomas M. Hardy, Sr., offered to donate a lot on East State street, near the high school building, if money could be raised for the erection of a building. This fact was made known to Mr. Carnegie, who offered to donate $8,000, if the town board would guarantee an annual fund of $800 for the support of the library. His proposition was accepted and a tax levied in accordance therewith, and on March 1, 1912, the building was formally dedicated. Jacob P. Dunn, of the state library commission was present and delivered the principal address, Major Henry Post, Grand Army of the Republic, presented the library with eighty-four volumes of war history, the Saturday Club gave 110 volumes, the churches also contributed a number of volumes, and on March 4, 1912, the library was opened to the public, with Miss Margaret Wade, as librarian. The library now numbers about 2,200 volumes.

In addition to the public libraries above described, every public school in the county has a small library composed of works of reference, history and travel, and the books prescribed by the young people's reading circle, supplementary to the regular course of study in the com¬ mon schools. It is impossible, in the absence of official reports, to give the number of volumes in these school libraries, but Professor James W. Frazier, county superintendent, estimates that there are ten thousand volumes in the township schools alone. There are probably as many more in the school libraries in the cities and incorporated towns.

With school property valued at over $1,100,000; with more than a quarter of a million dollars expended annually in teachers' salaries; with almost a score of well-edited local newspapers; with four public libraries housed in buildings erected especially for their accommoda¬ tion, and some twenty thousand volumes in the libraries of the public schools, the reader may see that the educational development of Madi¬ son county has been at least equal to that of the other counties of the state. As a rule, the teachers employed in the public schools are men and women of inherent natural ability, supplemented by training for their work, and many of them hold teachers' licenses of the highest grade. The parents generally believe in education, newspapers and magazines find their way into a majority of the homes, the school and public libraries are well patronized by the students in the public schools, and everything points to a still higher educational standard in the county in the future.