Union Township

Union Township

John ]ioi-i<k, John Jolinson and Charles Dawson trustees. All in Pine from 1840 to 1851; in Oak Grove from 1851 to March, 1855, and in I'rairio until December, 1855, when it was again placed in Oak Grove until the re-formation of Prairie in March, 1861. Present boundaries fixed and township named in June, 1864. Under trustees of the civil townships of Pine, Oak Grove,

Greenberry Savers Trustee Union 1000-1905

The first schoolhouse in Union was built by Epps Johnson in the summer of 1SG3. It stood two miles east and one mile south of where the handsome graded school shown in the picture now stands, and cost $114. The first school in this house was taught by John ^^^ Swan in the winter of 1863-4. Mr. Swan enrolled eleven pupils and received thirty-five dollars a month. Emma Freeman taught forty-three days for fortythree dollars in the summer of 18G4. Mr. Swan taught again in the winter of 1864-5, and Mrs. B. F. Davidson and William Nutt were pupils that term. Jacob Lucas furnished the fuel for 127.75. Maggie Young taught in this school in the winter of 1865-6, and Lydia Dwiggins, Samuel H. Payne and Henry Rommel were her successors from 1866 to 1870. Later the location of this school was changed and the building sold to James Watt and moved onto his farm, where it now stands.

In 1865 the people in the northwestern part of the township asked Trustee Sayers to build a schoolhouse in that corner of Union. Mr. Sayers rode on horseback to Oxford and placed the matter before the county commissioners, who directed him to prepare an estimate of the cost of a building large enough to accommodate the pupils likely to be in the community for several vears to come, and submit this estimate to them for consideration. He did as requested. His estimate was approved, and he erected the house in the summer of 1866. This building was twelve feet wide and fourteen feet long. The total cost of the material in it was |140.04. William F. Swan did the carpenter work and lathed and plastered the house for |37. The seats, desks and stove cost |27.10, making a total cost of 1204.14 for the building and furniture complete. Small as the cost seems, the expense incurred in establishing this school became the leading issue at the next township election.

gins, Avho enrolled eighteen pupils. Her early successors were John ^Y. Swan, Sarah Jane Bugbee and Araniuta Cowgill. Miss Bugbee speaks of the building as "a little coop of a house in which one had scarcely room enough to turn around."" The Center school was established about 1S70. The Monty and Meader schools in 1872. the Lochiel school in ISTo. The other houses were built later, the last being the one two miles east of Lochiel, built by George H. Smith who was elected trustee in 1S82. O. B. Jones, H. L. Woodburn, Leroy Hillis, W. H. Isham, W. L. Johnson, Rhoda Savers, Clara Ladd, Peter Pothouse and W. F. Morgan taught for Mr. Smith in 1884-5.

Many interesting incidents referring to discipline in the early schools of Union have been related to the writer. In one school a small lady teacher had been driven almost to desperation by a large young man of twenty who had become displeased with her and told her that he proposed to do as he pleased, not as she wished. In the evening a patron came for his children in a large sled. Through the window the teacher saw him coming, and noticed that he carried a large "blacksnake" whip. As soon as he entered the schoolhouse she ran out to the sled and got the whip. When she returned to the schoolroom she informed the young man that the question as to whether he or she was to control the school must be decided at once. She then whipped him until he begged her to quit, and promised to do better. He kept his promise, and her pupils yet speak of her as one of ''the loveliest teachers that ever taught in Union."

When Union was organized it contained real estate valued at 1109,795, improvements |1,125, and |5,216 worth of personal property. The enumeration in 1865 v\'as 19, 33 in 1866, 58 in 1869, and 101 in 1871. In 1870-1 the two schools taught enrolled eighty-two pupils, with an average attendance of seventy-four during the seventy days taught. Each teacher received |2 per day, the total value of school property was $735, and there were fifty books in the township library. The school section situated in Union was sold on April 10, 1851, 480 acres bringing $3 an acre, and 160 acres bringing |3.24, making a total of 11,958.40 for the section.

James Woodburn was the first teacher in the Meader school. In this school on March 5, 1882, the first common school diplomas issued in Benton county Avere presented to Mary H. Pelton, Frank Meader and Herman Pelton by their teacher, Sarah Jane Bugbee. Ever filled with the spirit of the born teacher, Miss Bugbee was very proud of her pupils, and invited every one in the community to be present at tlie graduating exercises. The pupils exhibited their work in arithmetic, grammar, spelling and drawing by means of quick woik on the blackboard, and a progiani of recitations and essays in which the graduates took a part was given. The diplomas were presented at the close of the exercises, and the well-pleased people went to their homes little dreaming that the interest awakened that day was to grow so rapidly. Twenty years from that spring more than six thousand people attended the common school graduating exercises in Benton county.

The first high school work in Union was introduced by William Johnson in the fall of 1892, Mr. Johnson died in the winter and the term of 1892-3 was completed by Benjamin F, Scudder. In 1893 a two-story building was erected and a two years' high school course organized. Mr, Scudder remained at the head of the school until the spring of 1895, when he presented to Nellie Gray, Mary Humphreys and Oliver Nutt the first township high school diplomas in Benton county. The two years' course was continued until the erection of Union's beautiful graded school building. This building was erected by W. S, Kowe in 1900, and is now known as one of the best township school buildings in Indiana, Some substantial improvements were added by Mr, Sayers, The total cost of the building, grounds and barns was about |12.000. Oscar Xoe was employed as principal of the Union high school in 189T and had charge of the school in the new building until the spring of 1902. He was succeeded by John T. Titsworth in 1902-3-1, and George Bugbee in 1901-5. A three years' high school course was organized in 1900, which gave way to the county course adopted in 1903. The school now has a good library and a fair amount of apparatus. The school libraries of the township contain 1,180 books. Almost all of the common school graduates of the township have been taking at least a three years' high school course, and nmny of them have attended a commissioned high school in either Fowler or Goodland. The people have always manifested a commendable interest in their schools and are striving to keep them as good as the best. ^Ir. Gaylord and his high school pupils have recently given a jday for the benefit of the high school library,. and Mr. Finnessy is looking carefully after the interests of this; and the other schools in Union.

Organization: All included in the civil township of Pine from 1840 to December, IHOfi, when Ihe boundaries of Gilboa were completed. Rang(^ six organized as a school township in January, 1850, with George Wiggins, James O. Denton and Kinaldo Sutton trustees. Range seven, see Union. Under trustees of Pine until the Gilboa succession, which has been as follows: 1800, James Withani; 1807, John Garretson ; 1872, John Mc- Murtry; 1880, Henry C. Bugbee; 1884, W. I. McCullough; 1888, E. A. Hunt; 1894, W. H. Clieadle; 1900, John V. Bartoo; January 1, 1905, James H. Gilbert.

Seven miles directly north of the 1831 summer campingground of the first settler in Benton county stands Mount Gilboa. It was so named by Simon Brown, a minister of the gospel and its former owner, while he was standing on its summit. This eminence commands a magnificent view of the surrounding country, and, as one stands where the christener stood, it is not only easy to recall the biblical mount of old, but seems easy to imagine that in days long gone by Miamies and Pottawotomies watched the chase from this height or sent up the signal smoke of war from its summit. Tw(Jmiles east of this elevation is a grove in which James O. and William Denton settled some time previous to 1840. possibly as earlv as 1832. The first home of William Denton was a one-room cabin, built about one-fourth of a mile east of where the Grove school now stands. He prosjjered, his family grew, and a larger house was built in the forties. Other settlers had come into the community when, in 1850, Stephen Cheadle opened a school in the abandoned cabin. His patrons were William, James O. and Josei)h Denton. Samuel B. Trenter and George D. Wiggins, who were the fathers of four boys and ten girls between five and twenty-one years old at that time. These all lived in range six. In range seven there were but three boys and four girls of school age, the chiklreu of Francis Dawson, John Southard and Ezekiel Dawson. Within the next two years Minet Kidney, John Dawson, Joseph Culthain. Theodore Davis, Daniel Thompson and Mary Stevid moved into range seven and the number of children of school age was increased to ten. Meantime L. D. Timmons, John Mussen, J. Southard and James and William Elmore had settled in range six, and it was decided to build a schoolhouse. A new frame was built about three-eighths of a mile east and one-eighth nortli of the present grove school, and a six weeks' public school was taught in the winter of 1853-1. There were eleven boys and thirteen girls enrolled and the teacher received f 1.371/. per day.

In 1800 another Ikmisc was built afioiil ouc mile east and a little south of where the McCullougli school now stands. This was known as the Miller school. It was taught in 1800-1 by Joseph Hollin«,^sworth, by I). Reed in 1801-2, by G. A. Haskell in 1802-3, and by Carver Stanfield in 180:i-4. The latter taught for three months at 130 per month. His enrollment was sixtyfive and his ])ui»ils were seated four in each seat. Mrs. B. P. Davidson, Orlando Johnson and Philip Fisher were pupils in that school. The latter says the "teacher did not whip any, but shook up the pupils pretty lively sometimes." Mr. Stanfield was educated in a log schoolhouse in Tippecanoe county and attended Asbury University (now DePauw) one term. He thinks the college course then about the same as a high school course is now. When he applied for his license he reached the examiner's home about noon and was told to "put up his horse and come to dinner." Dinner over, he was told that his license would cost him one dollar. He paid it and was given one year's license. "A good day's work," says Mr. Stanfield, "a fine dinner, niv horse fed and mv license, all for one dollar, and no questions asked." E. A. Hann appears to have taught in Denton's grove in 1800-1, and Anna Magee in 1802-3-4.

Gilboa's portion of Pine was land valued at $110,104, improvements |10,200, and |41,044 personal property. The amount of special school receipts for the first year was |1G7.50. tuition $304.57. The two schools in the township were taught the first year (1807-8) by P. D. Corkins and J. S. Gilpin, each receiving |101..50 salary. About 1805 a school called "Antioch'' was built a mile and one-fourth west of Denton's Grove. From 1807 to 1871 three new houses were built. The enumeration in 1808 was 157, increasing to 120 males and 108 females in 1871. In 1871-2 five teachers wei*e employed for $1.50 per day each; 108 pupils were enrolled in the five schools, with an average daily attendance of 101. The total value of all school property was $1,050, and there were fifty library books in the township. The five teachers were Daniel W. Osborne, J. W. Forney, Louise Parris, Jennie Brown and Upton ^latthews. Gilboa settled so rapidly that by the close of 1875 ten schools had been opened and the enumeration was 303. The ten teachers in 1875-0 were William Corkins, Hattie C. Smith. Daniel Fraser, W. I. McCullough, P. D. Corkins, P. S. Corkins, Rosa Brown, Clara Brown, Clara Engler and Ima Brown. Mr.

Fraser began teaching in 1874 and speaks of a year in which he taught the McCullough school as being ''the happiest in his life." ''That year," he says, "I began teaching as soon as I got to school in the morning and quit when I got tired in the afternoon, sometimes at three, and sometimes at four or five o'clock. I knew very little about arithmetic, but was counted a great success in mathematics because I was able to get Will Hollingsworth and the Sheedy boys to solve the hard problems tiiat 1 could not get myself. When some little fellow got restless and made too much noise, I had one of the big boys raise the nearest window and drop him out to get some fresh air. I thought it a great sliame to keep little children cooped up too

The school section in Gilboa was sold on October 3, 1874. One quarter sold for flG an acre, another $10, and the remaining half |2() an acre, making a total of |12,0()0 for the section. The interest on this amount is prorated to all children of school age residing in range six, in both Benton and White counties.

Trustee Cheadle early became imbued with the high school spirit that began to arise in 1897 and soon endeavored to establish a high school in Gilboa. The effort failed until 1900. Soon after the common school commencement that year about sixty-five per cent, of the jtatrons in the township petitioned the trustee and advisory board to establish a high school. During the fall and early winter the Gilboa High School shown in the illustration was built at an original cost of about §4,000. Edgar L. Penn was the first principal, assisted by Mabel Woodburn (Bugbee), since deceased. November IG, 1900, Mr. Bartoo became trustee and a high school course was established. George Bugbee was principal in 1901-2-3, and E. H. Carter in 1D03-4. At the close of the latter year Mr. Bartoo held the firr>t high school commencement in Gilboa, E. H. Carter presenting the diplomas to Huey and Nettie Lambert and Ada and Ethel Hollingsworth, members of the first graduating class. All of this class taught in Gilboa in 1901-5. The picture is fr*im a flash-light photograph taken at Gilboa's first high school commencement. The people of Gilboa are quite proud of their high school and over twenty students enroll in it each year. The house and grounds have been improved and are now valued at |5,500. George Felder was principal in 1904-5, with Grace T. Crandall assistant. Mr. Gilbert re-employed E. H. Carter for 1904-5, and both are making an earnest effort to keep the Gilboa high school up to the standard of the best. The school has a good reference library and about |300 worth of apparatus. The school libraries in Gilboa contain 1.2G0 books, at least 1,200 of which have been purchased by means of the liberality of the people attending school socials. An excellent school spirit exists throughout the township.

Organization: All iii(liid(;<J in I'aiish (irove township from 1840 to March, 1855, wlicn it waH lilaccd in WaHhington. All In Washington until December, 1855, when it was aguin placed in Parish Grove until it became a part of York in ISOO. Present boundaries completed in 1808. Undei- the trustees of J^arish Grove, succeeded by the trustees of York until the Kichland succession, which has been as follows: 1808, James Coulter; 1869, Michael Sigal; 1870, Anthony Dehner; 1872, Kobert Kelley; 1874, Edward M. Stout; 1870, Anthony Dehner; 1880, Gustavus W. Jewell; 1884, George Tinsman; 1888, John Flynn; 1894, Bernard Funk; 1900, William C. Compton ; January 1, 1905, P. C. Benner.

Isaac Hall settled on the southeast quarter of section eleven, township twenty-six, range nine, now in Richland, in 1857. In October, 1860, as trustee of Y'ork, he received |14.40 of tuition funds which could be used in range nine. Soon afterwards he hired Margaret Zumalt to teach a fourteen days' term of public school in his residence and paid her the |14.40 for her services. Mr. Hall and A. D. Packard were the only patrons of the school and but three pupils, two sons of the former and a daughter of the latter, were enrolled. The books used in the school were McGuffey's Speller and Readers, v^mith's Arithmetic, Morse's Geography, and the New Testament.

Anthony Dehner settled in Richland in 1861. On June 18. 1862, he was visited by John Fleming, trustee of York, who arranged with him for a term of school to be taught in his '-best room," agreeing to pay him nine dollars for the use of the room. Lucretia Helen Williams, now living in California, taught this school, enrolling six pupils and receiving a salary of |20 a month. Mary Parker taught in the same room the three years following. In 1867 Mr. Dehner, while trustee of York, built the Washburn and the Dehner schoolhouses. The first teacher in the latter was Mary Xorthrup. The Dehner

(now the Hall) school was soon moved a mile east to where it now stands and the; Schleutenlieofler school was established. Carrie Dehncr tau<;ht this school in 1870-1. Another school (probably I lie llardcbcck) was now built and James H. Keyte, David Golli-y and F. A. Guinonj* were other teachers in Richland abont this lime.

The enumeration in Richland was 5 in ISfiO, 7 in 18G1. IG in 1865 and 137 in 1SG9. The latter year the real estate was valued at 1197,037, imj>rovements 117,381. and personal property $214,421. In 1871 the enumeration was 110 males and 70 females, the enrollment in the four schools taught was 105, the daily average was SO, and the length of the term was GO days.

Two male and two female teachers were employed, the latter receiving |1.50 and the former |2.00 per day. The total value of school property was |2,005, |5 of this being invested in school apparatus.

Lizzie James, Joseph Reisel, Mattie Parker and J. D. Woodburn taught in Richland in 1871-2; Joseph Dehner, George W. West. Libbie Dodge. David Keyte and Emma Broadie in 1872-3;

John H. Mathis, Allen Case, Nannie D. Jones (Kaub), Henry Boers, Tempie Brokaw, Emma Shear and C. L. Davis in 1873-4, and E. Boutin, Joseph S- Vanatta, Maggie M. Parker, INIellie Taylor (Vanatta), Sarah A- Henry (Dinwiddle), Jacob Yaste and Robert L. Cox are among the well-remembered teachers in the eighties.

On October 17, IStjo, oiKj-lialf of the school section in Rich land was sold to William R. Johnson for $2,05 and the other half lo Jfciirv L. Ellsworth for |2,13Vii an acre, making a total of |t;{:J9.20.

Tlio school libraries in Richland contain 090 books. Mr. Benner is doing much to improve the township school property. Interest in the work of the schools is growing, and there are now but a few common school graduates in the township that are not attending high school in either Earl Park, Fowler or Goodland. It has been very difificult to obtain much reliable information about the early schools of this township. The man who did so much for them in an early day is gone, and there seems to be no one left who can give much information on matters so well known to that sterling pioneer of Richland, Anthony Dehner.