Allegan County, Michigan - Chapter 9: Village Schools, 1907

Chapter 9: Village Schools

Allegan did not have the first school in the county, but education began as soon as the first considerable group of settlers had located here. A school term was held by a Miss Hinsdale, of Kalamazoo county, in 1835, and in 1836 the district was organized and the first important public building in the village was erected. A frame building of rather generous proportions for the time, its ground dimensions being 26 by 40 feet, this schoolhouse, which stood on the south side of Trowbridge street just east of Pine, was the first court house and church edifice. The bell in the cupola called the children together in the morning, and in the evenings and during vacations it rang to summon the officers of law to duty or called the people to town meeting or social event; while on the Lord's day it solemnly convoked to religious observance. The subsequent history of this first public building in the village has been described in connection with the account of the court house and other county buildings.

Some of the early teachers in Allegan, besides Miss Hinsdale, were Miss Eliza Littlejohn, Miss Mary Parkhnrst, Miss Lavia Bingham, Spencer Marsh, G. Y. Warner, E. Parkhurst, and Harvey Munger, all well known names in the pioneer history.

The union or graded school did not find a place in Michigan's scheme of education until during the forties, and the Allegan union school was not organized until 1867. In the meantime the population of the village was about 2,000, and several institutions had been established to supplement the work of the district school. One was the .Allegan Academy, organized in 1846, and conducted for several years by Elisha B. Bassett, a man of thorough education and ability, who is also known through his connection with other phases of the county's history.

Most noted of these schools was Pine Grove Seminary, which was built in 1857 by Judge H. H. Booth, in his time one of the most liberal and public -spirited men of Allegan. He donated the use of this building to teachers who would maintain a school of primary and academic grade. Rev. L. F. Waldo was one of the teachers who used it for this purpose. The structure stood in a pine grove, whence its name, on the eminence where the high school is now located. When the movement to organize a union school took shape. Judge Booth sold the building to the school

Allegan High School

Twenty-five years ago the public school buildings in Allegan were the following: The Central school, which was the old seminary building; the north school, on Race street opposite Water street; the west ward school, occupying the campus with the Central school ; and the south ward school, near Fifth and Bond streets. The three smaller buildings, each containing two rooms, were of brick.

Since then have been added two excellent modern buildings to the school architecture of Allegan, The high school building, on the hill where the old Central school stood, is a two-story brick building, with good equipment and accommodations for the older pupils, while the Dawson building contains besides the rooms for the grades an auditorium seating several hundred persons and used for many public purposes, meetings and entertainments.

The graduates of the Allegan high school, named by years of graduation below, are 386 in number. Man\- of tliem are well known and influential people both at home and abroad,

The history of the educational facilities of this village go back to the spring of 1834, when the first schoolhouse for the Gun Plains neighborhood was built on section 20. A log structure, such as was common at the time, this "Gun Plains schoolhouse" was the meeting place for the early Baptists and Congregatioiialists as well as the first educational center. Miss Sabra Ives, who afterwards married Dr. L. B. Coates, the first schoolmaster and long a prominent citizen of Otsego, taught the first term of school, the first teacher employed being unable to carry on her duties on account of illness.

When the school system, elsewhere described, was formulated by the first state government, the school commissioners elected for the township in 1837 met in September of that year and divided the town into nine districts. Districts 2 and 3, which were consolidated in February, 1841, as district No. 2, contained originally tlie territory embracing the present village corporation, namely, sections 28, 29, 30, 31. 32, 33. For several years the school population in this area was found on the north side of the river, and in 1838 the apportionment of school money was made to only ten children of school age in this district. At the same time there were nineteen school children in district No. 4, in which was located the old Gun Plains schoolhouse, while' in district No. i, in the Silver Creek neighborhood, were twenty-three of school age. District No. 2 had twenty-five pupils in 1843, which showed a relatively larger increase than in the adjoining districts Just mentioned.

The first red schoolhouse was built about 1843, and stood where Dr. Woolsey's house now stands. It was a small frame structure used for schools during the week, for religious services on Sunday, and public meetings, such as singing-schools, spelling- schools and school-meetings on appointed evenings. Some time about 1855 the white school house, then a one-story building, was constructed, and the old red building was moved down Allegan street, and still exists as a part of the house owned by Mrs. George A. Brown. The Junction, as it was then called, grew so rapidly that in the late fifties or early sixties a second story was added to the white building, and two departments were organized. In 1867 the small building, now used for office at the Dewey livery bam, was built beside the white building for the primary pupils and there existed the primary, intermediate and grammar departments. In two more years the intermediate was divided and a grade was seated in a room of the present opera house.

After much deliberation and frequent calls for special school meetings the present brick building in the southeast part of the village was completed and occupied in September of 1870. The south projection was extended in the year 1886. the amount of contract being $1,574.28. It seemed then that there would be sufficient room for years to come, but at this writing the demand is "more room." The present valuation of the school property is $20,000. Leading citizens whose names appear in the records are Giles Sherwood. J. W. Hicks, George Mills, T. V. Rogers. George H. Anderson, A. H. Hill, N. P. Kellogg and O. J. Woodard. It is a matter of interest to find the records fidl and carefully recorded during the administration of Mr. Woodard, he having been continued on the board for twenty-seven

District No. 2 was organized under a board of trustees into a graded school bv vote at the regular school meeting of September 7. t868. There were then three departments. The high school had its beginning in iSfig, under the tuition of Miss May Wright.

Some of the older citizens recall with pleasure the names of early teachers, among them Orlena Beebe and his spelling school, George Brainard,

High School Bui Lding, Plaikwrll History Of Allegan Colxty 525

Mahala Murphy, Edward Phetteplace, a brother of Mrs. Noble Sherwood ; of his sister Sarah, now Mrs. Sarah Thiers, of Mt. Pleasant; Miss Mary Woodhams, now Mrs. W. H. Rouse, of CaUfomia. The superintendents have been May Wright, E. W. Thompson, N. A. Barrett, W. W. Cole, L. W. Mills, L. E. Ireland from '79 to '91, G. E. Rogers, C. H. Norton, H. C. Daley and E. C. Hambleton. J. W. Hicks, Miss Louise Chamberlain and Miss Lon Kennicott were principals before the high school was organized.

The position of preceptress has been filled by the Misses Chart, Stoughton. Hall from '/S-'gi, Mrs. Jennie K. Hill, Harriet MacKenzie, V. Blanche Graham, Adah M. Spalding and Elsie Cooper. _ In the grades many of the home girls have been employed at different times - some of them are still residents - Mesdames Julia Arnold, E. J. Anderson, W. W. Woodhams, F. F. Patterson, Lizzie Gilkey, Frank P. Heath, M. H. Granger and W. E. Forbes. The names of Mrs. Burton and Julia Dibble could not be omitted - neither can one forget the influence of the departed Mattie VanHorn, Mary Hatfield Warrant, Libbie Conine and Dolly Messick Pursel.

Music as a science has been taught since 1891. Miss Briggs was the first teacher. Miss Bingham organized the ladies' quartette. Miss Daisy Sonle taught with inspiring zeal, and Miss Lida Sprau continues the work.

In all the years three hundred and twenty have gone out as graduates. The first was a class of five : Charles Hyde, Susie Warrant. Carrie Hatfield Wright, Mattie VanHorn and Mary Hatfield Warrant. In tlie smallest, class of '74, were Effie Hyde Lewis and Harvey Warrant. The largest class, twenty-nine in number, finished in 1903. Charles Hyde is a practicing physician in Lenawee county, Clemma Woodard Barber was a Bible student and conducted a large correspondence class for several years, Will Hawks is a superintendent of schools, John S. and W. H. Madden are journalists, George Hopkins a judge of probate in Kalamazoo county, and Dwight B. Waldo is president of the State Mormal at Kalamazoo. Our citizens may justly be proud of the work accomplished by district No. 2. It has honored representatives in all the walks of life and their success is gratifying.

There is no more popular social function in Plainwell than the annual meeting of the alumni of the Plainwell high school. The association was organized in 1892.

The school library has grown from six volumes, the remains of the old township library, to more than six hundred volumes. The Plainwell highschool stands on the approved lists of the State Normal and the University and graduates are admitted without examination.

In 1838 there was oiilj' one organized district in all the region of Newark township, with forty-two pupils of school age. In that year ninety dollars was raised for building a schoolhonse. In the following year five hundred dollars was appropriated for building a schoolhouse. A private school, attended by five pupils, is mentioned in that year. The first school in the vicinity is said to have been a private school, held near Singapore. By 1840 three districts were organized in the township, of which district No. 2 eventually became limited to comprise the territory of Saugatuck village.

At a school meeting September 3, 1866, it was resolved to grade district No. 2. Bonds to the amount of four thousand dollars were issued to pay for a new schoolhouse. Thus Saugatuck was one of the first villages of the county to have a graded school. The first board of trustees for the graded district were : James G. Williams, moderator ; Geo. E. Dunn, director ; Frank B. Stockbridge, assessor, and Samuel Johnson, Warren Cook. H. H. Stimson. Dr. Stimson, the last named, is still living and one of the very oldest residents of the village and vicinity. Clara Stimpson and Mary Porter were hired to teach the first term.

August, 1867, R. Barnard was hired as principal and continued until 1872. His successors have been: W. L. Swan. 1872; W. P. Sutton, 1875; G. W. Bellows, 1878; Ida Shotwell, 1881 : E. G. Trowbridge, 1882; James Warnock, 1892; E. H. Calhoun, 1896: P. A. Latta, 1897 to the present time. Mr. Latta is one of the strongest, as he is perhaps the oldest of Allegan county's educators. He has been engaged in school work almost continuously for forty years.

The old school building, together with a ward school, was in use for thirty years. In September, 1896, district No. 2 voted a five thousand dollar bond issue, the bonds payable at intervals through eight years. A bid of six thousand two hundred and thirty-two dollars for construction of a twostory brick building was accepted and the school was accepted and has been in use since the summer of 1897.

. The following record of graduates of the high school has been taken from the alumni book, there being no list of graduates in the official records of the school officers :

In 1898 fractional district No, 2, of Manlius, was organized for high school work. Up to that time the old building west of the village had served as the school home, but in that year a new brick building was erected in the village on the north side of Main street, and the old structure abandoned. The high school has been brought to rank with the schools of the other villages in the county. The principals and graduates from 1898 to the present time are as follows:

Bumip's Corners district school was organized in 1856 and the school building, or log house, was erected at Salem Center. In 1876 a new frame building was erected one-quarter of a mile north of Salem Center in what is known as Burnip's Corners. The present two-room brick building was erected at a cost of three thousand dollars in 1886.

The first commencement exercises were held in 1890. There has been a class each year since, with two exceptions, namely, 1894 and 1898. The following is a list of graduates by years :

The Wayland graded schools have developed, as other such schools in the count}', from the district system. When the township was divided into school districts in 1844, district No. 2 was made to contain the entire northwest corner of the township, namely, sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, rS, 19, 20. The log house previously inhabited by Nelson Chambers, located at Chambers Comers, within the limits of the present village of Wayland, was coriverted into the first school house. Miss Belinda Eldred {later the wife of Ebenezer Wilder of Martin; her death occurred July 2, 1905) taught a summer term in 1844, among her twelve scholars being children of Nelson Chambers, Joseph Heydenberk and John Parsons. District No. 3, comprising a large part of the south side of the township, had much the greater number of school children, in the fall of 1848 having forty-six against sixteen in district No. 2. There were twentv scholars in the latter district in 1850.

The next school house was the little red school house built about 1850. Its size was about sixteen by twenty feet, with desks on either side and long benches made stationary for seats and was capable of seating about twenty scholars. This was at a time when those who sent children to school had to pay their tuition and when the teachers received for their services about three dollars per week and waited for their pay until the end of the term. The teachers made what was called a rate bill or an assessment roll and the parents paid a ratable proportion of the teacher's wages according to the number of children sent to school, and it was the duty of the teacher to make collections. The parents had also to furnish their proportion of wood needed to warm the school house. Among the early teachers were Mary West, Amanda J. Chambers, Margaret Mosher, Augusta K. Harrison (now Augusta K. Hunter), Addie McMartin (now Addie E. Hoyt). After 1862 the following persons were among the. teachers : Emily Chambers, William Mason, Otis Parsons, Cornelia Chambers, Mary J. McMartin (now Mary J, Clark), Deborah Parsons, Ida Loomis, Mary Beach, Fannie Coleman, Minnie Everson, E. W. Pickett, E. S. Linsley, Samuel Hendricks, E. Congdon, George Gable. Ed Gene Arnold and James W. Humphrey. Mr. HiuTiphrey began teaching in the Wayland school in 1877, and it was throiigli liis influence that the school was graded, when the new brick school house was first occupied in 1879. Tliis building was burned in 1896 and was replaced during the same year by the one now in use. In 1883 Mr. Humphrey succeeded in establishing a Normal class which lasted as long as he had charge of the school. When he began teaching there were only three teachers employed, but before he finished his work there were five. He left here after ten years' successful work to take a position in Hope College at Holland. The teachers associated with him were Ellen Clark, Elva Clark, Jettie Euskirk, Ellen M. Camer, Nettie Conrad, Hattie Wallbrecht, Estella Rathbum, Metta Rawson, Libbie Sooy, Mary Hayes, Lucy Avery, Franc Smith and Jessie Hoyt.

The present school building is a fine two-story brick structure with a large basement. It is steam heated, well lighted, ventilated and furnished. Besides the high school, intermediate and primary rooms tliere is a large recitation room, laboratory and bookkeeping room. The physical laboratory contains about $400 worth of apparatus, most of which has been added through the efforts of the present superintendent.

During the past year the enrollment has been about two hundred and forty, of which one hundred and twenty were in the high room, with about twenty-five per cent non-resident pupils. Last year the twelfth grade was added to the curriculum. The school is now on the approved list of Normal schools of the state and it is hoped to place it on the University list in the near future.