Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 12: Educational, 1887

Chapter 12: Educational

HEN upon that cold and stormy day in December, 1620, the noble band of pilgrims landed upon the bleak and desolate shore of New England, their first thought was of religious duty, the second of schools and academies. They came fleeing from the religious intolerance of the old world, to found a commonwealth of their own in the wilds of America. Scarce had they landed when all were assembled, and prayers and religious services were held, the echos of which still reverberate around the world ; for in their prayers they sought the Divine assistance to found a colony where freedom and education could go hand in hand ; and, if in after years their stern creed of morals and religious asceticism led them into intolerant acts towai'd their neighbors, still the general movement was toward the light of libert^y and education.

There, on the stony soil of old Massachusetts, these stern and rigid moralists first planted the seed of our grand system of educational facilities. There they originated the district school that has outlasted them and their other institutions, seen governments wax old and pass away, and survived the throes of revolution, when these colonies revolted from the galling yoke of Britannia. In the land of its birth the system of district schools, with its board of selectmen, still survives, with but little change from that of the original plan that was planted two centuries and a half ago. The sons and daughters of New EnglantI, in their journey toward a home in the West, carried with them the precious seed, and planting it in fruitful soil

It flourished and grew until it far overshadowed the parent tree. In Minnesota such has been the fostering care of our ofovernment. it has reached the very acme of perfection. In the constitution of the State is ' distinctly declared, that " The stability of a Kepublican foi'm- of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools." In accordance with this, laws have been passed, amended, repealed, others passed, until the present school-law of the State stands unequaled in the world, a monument to the care and labor bestowed upon it.

When the county was first organized the system of a superintendent of town schools was in vogue, but that proving nnreliable and too cumbersome, it was soon changed to the present system of

County Supebintendent Of Schools

The first to occup}' this important and responsible position in Waseca County, was Rev. Elijah S. Smith, a Baptist clergyman, then laboring in the village of Wilton. He was appointed to the position on the 8th of March, 1864:, and was to receive for his services the sum of $100 jper annum. Mr. Smith had come to this county from Illinois in 1856 or 1857, and had built up a church, and now he wanted to try his hand at religion's twin-brother, education. He did his work well, and was succeeded in 1867 by James E. Child, who ably carried on the work of his ])redecessor. He held it for onl}'^ one year, liowever, his other business interests interfering with its successful advancement.

In the spring of 1868 Jesse Poland came into this office, but did not continue therein for any length of time, for in the month of September of the same year the board of commissioners, finding it vacant, appointed the Rev. S. T. Catlin, a Baptist clergyman, to the place, at a yearly salary of $300. On the expiration of the time for which he was appointed, in the fall of 1869, he was elected to this office, but declined to serve, although the board offered to raise the salary, so much had he pleased them and the people. He removed to Wisconsin.

At their April session, 1870, the board of county commissioners seeing that Mr. Catlin refused to quality for the office, appointed Dr. R. O. Craig to fill the vacancy, and he served until the expiration of the term.

In 1871, at the regular election, Dr. M. S. Gove was chosen to fill this position, but declining to serve, the board appointed H. G. Mosher one of their number to the vacancy. This gentleman, filling the office to the satisfaction of the people of the county, was elected and reelected to the position, occupying it until 1880.

Dr. M. Y. Hunt, one of the leading physicians of the county, was elected to the office of superintendent in the fall of 1879, and fulfilled the duties of that position through the years 1880 and 1881.

In 1882 Dr. D. S. Cummings, another of the prominent members of the medical profession of Waseca County, became the occupant of this responsible office, and served the people in the capacity of superintendent for four years.

J. B. Dye, the present efficient superintendent of schools of Waseca County, entered upon the duties of his office with the beginning of the year 1886. He is a native of Montgomery County, N. Y., born July 13, 1834. He is a son of Rev. E. P. and Lovina (Bailey) Dye, both natives of the Empire State. Rev. E. P. Dye was the pastor of several Baptist Churches for a number of years in New

York State, then in Hebron, Jefferson County, Wis., then in New York again. Rock County, Wis., Sheboygan, the same State, Steele and Dodge counties, Minn., were each the scene of his labors for Christ. He is now at Clinton Junction, Rock County, Wis. J. B. remained with his parents until he was sixteen years old, when he learned the trade of wagon-making at North Brookfield, Madison County, N. Y. When his parents returned to Wisconsin he came with them, and for a time was in a store at Hebron. Not liking his situation he secured a place as school teacher and taught four months, and then decided to follow and fit himself for that profession. He then attended the Milton College, entering the teachers' class, and remained there several terms, teaching during the winter and going to school during the summer. In the spring of 1855 he came to Minnesota and bought a quarter section of land in Rice County, paying $200 for it. He returned to Wisconsin and resumed teaching, and in the following spring came back to Faribault. Selling his land in 1857 for some $900 more than he paid for it, he returned to Wisconsin and took chai'ge of the high school at Palmyra for one term. From there he moved to Centerville and remained there teaching until 1873, when he came to Waseca. He taught the school in the city for one year and then removed to Dodge County, where he taught school and carried on a farm he haVl purchased there. Four years later he sold out there and came back to Waseca, where he has since resided, teaching every year but one. In November, 1886, he was elected county superintendent of schools. Mr. Dye and Georgianna Chesebro were united in marriage April 3, 1862, and they have four children : Alice L., born May 10, 1864 ; Burt U., born January 18, 1868 ; Nellie G., born May 26, 1877, and John E., born April 6, 1880. The eldest, Alice L., is the wife of John C. Young, of Waseca. Rev. E. P. Dye was born in Onondago County, N. Y., in November.

The Development

From the time of the first settlement of the county, and the time of the organization of the 1st district, the number of school districts increased very rapidly, and educational facilities became more and more efficient. Every decade showed a marked contrast to the preceding one. The following abstract will show the status of educational matters of the count}' in 1871, sixteen years after its first settlement, and just sixteen years ago :

One of the county superintendents of this count}' in his report, uses the following Ian. guage in speaking of the matters committed to his charge :

" The most interesting feature of improvement is the fact that teachers are more fully awake in a common-sense matter, viz : That their pecuniary interests demand better qualification ; that demand is ever regulated by supply, and that the world is not indilTerent to the result of skilled labor ; and that the interest our school officers are evincing in our school work increases. "Where last spring one director said to me : ' She will do to teach our summer school ; we can get her cheap,' - the same man said to me this spring, ' Eecommend us a good teacher, money is no object.' And I am fully convinced that in man}' districts of this county a known poor teacher cannot get employment at any price, while a known good and faithful one will be secured regardless of cost. This is progress ; the laborer is worthy of his hire, and in no department more than ours."

Present Condition

From the last statistical report a number of items have been collected, which will show conclusively the present condition of educational matters in Waseca County : No. of scholars entitled to apportionment.. 3,740