Transcribed by: Cindy Baughman. For an explanation and caution about this transcription, please read this page.
Surnames in this chapter are:
ANDERSON, BALPH, BANCROFT, BLACK, BLAKELEY, BOUCHER, BOGGS, BOWSER, BRANDON, BROWN, BRUGH, BUTLER, COCHRAN, CONN, CRATTY, CRITCHLOW, CUNNINGHAM, DOUTHETT, ELLIOTT, EVANS, FERRERO, GLENN, GRAHAM, GREER, GUTHRIE, HARTZELL, HAYS, HUNTER, IRVIN, JAMISON, LEVIS, MARTIN, MATTHEWS, MCABOY, MCCLURE, MCCLYMONDS, MCCOLLOUGH, MCGEORGE, MCGUFFEY, MCILLYAR, MCJUNKIN, MCKEE, MCNALLY'S, MCTAGGART, MURTLAND, MYERS, NIXON, O'CONNEL, PEIRSOL, PILLOW, PINEO'S, PROSSER, RAY'S, REBSTOCK, RILEY, ROBB, ROBINSON, RUSSELL, SLATER, SMITH, SNYDER, STAUFFER, STREETER, SUTTON, TINTSMEN, WATTERS, WHITE, WISE, WITHERSPOON, YOUNG
The pioneer settlers of Butler County, in common with those of other sections of Western Pennsylvania, were men of limited education. This led them to desire for their children the advantages that had been denied themselves, and to encourage the establishment of schools in their midst. Their dependence was upon the subscription school and the itinerant teacher, a man who made a little learning play an important part in the educational history of those early days. Though content with small pay, he was an autocrat in the community, and, oftentimes, a tyrant in the schoolroom, enforcing his authority and exacting obedience to his rules in a manner that would not be tolerated in the schools of to-day. Save in cases of exceptional cruelty, he was upheld by the parents, who, in their home discipline, acted up to the idea that a sparing of the rod spoiled the child. On the whole, however, the pioneer school teacher did his work well, and sent forth from his log school-house many bright-minded, strong-bodied youth, who afterwards became prominent in affairs of the State and the Nation.
The pioneer school-house, like the settler's cabin, was built of logs. It represented the crudest form of civilized architecture. That on the James HAYS farm was regarded as a better specimen of early school architecture than many others in the county. Professor MATTHEWS, who studied therein, described it as being constructed of hewn logs, while most of the others in the county were built of round logs. In the center was a fire-place, with a hearth eight feet square. At the [p. 186] corners of the hearth were posts, which supported the flue-a thing of poles and clay. To the posts, below the ceiling, boards were nailed on each side, extending downward from the ceiling about four feet, to lead the smoke into the flue, whenever the ordinary draft failed to do so. Oak shingles formed the roof, while slabs formed the ceiling. The front and rear were weather-boarded, but, for some reason, the gables were not so protected. The door was like an ordinary stable door, the floor laid with loose boards, the desks were rough boards, resting on wooden pins driven into the walls, while the puncheon seats were of a backless variety. The presence of glass in the two windows of this cabin gave to it an air of respectability which was not accorded to houses with greased paper windows.
The first observance, within the limits of Butler county, of the school law of 1790, relating to subscription schools, dates back to the closing year of the last century, when a school was opened south of the village of Coylesville, in Clearfield township. Under the school acts of 1802 subscription schools were multiplied. The people giving more than ordinary attention to making provision for the instruction and education of their children. As early as 1810, this interest culminated in the establishment of an academy at Butler, giving a new stimulus to the cause of education in the young village.
In October, 1825, Robert CUNNINGHAM, a school teacher of Buffalo township, asked the court to appoint schoolmen for that district, under the act of March 29, 1824, providing for the education of poor children. His petition was made necessary by the number of poor children sent to him to be educated and the nonexistence of a body to pay him his just dues for such service. The court granted the petition and appointed Francis ANDERSON, William HESSELGESSER and Robert ELLIOTT, schoolmen. This system was not confined by any means to the Buffalo schools.
The act of 1824 resulted in such marked good to the county as to increase the desire of the people for laws giving greater educational privileges to the poor. A similar condition of affairs in the other parts of the State led to a movement having for its purpose the passage of a common school law. "An Association for the Promotion of Education," originating in Philadelphia, in furtherance of this object, soon had branches in all parts of the State, one being organized in Butler county in 1827.
Although the common school system may be traced to Pestalozzie, at Zurich, Switzerland, in 1746, it was not adopted in Pennsylvania until after a long struggle, nor was the law willingly acquiesced in by many of the districts in Butler county until the lapse of several years after its passage. It took time to wean the people from the old system and convince them of the many advantages and beneficent results of the new. In October, 1834, meetings were held and the law made the subject of denunciation. Resolutions were adopted declaring it to be unjust and impolitic, and asserting that it never was intended by the Constitution that the education of other than the children of the poor should be at public expense. The most pronounced opposition came from the landed interests because the principal burden of taxation necessary to carry its provisions into effect was borne by the land.
The first tax levy, under the new law, for school purposes was made in 1835, [p. 187] the amounts collected in each township being as follows: Butler borough, $122.19; Butler township, $108.14; Centre, $214.47; Slippery Rock, $191.84; Mercer, $69.77; Venango, $57.32; Parker, 103.37; Donegal, 128.43; Clearfield, $63.13; Buffalo, $106.15; Middlesex, $175.51; Cranberry (where John O'CONNOR was collector), $123.52; Connoquenessing (where William PILLOW was collector), $264.29, and Muddy Creek, $204.41. The total tax levy this year was $9,393.45, which included county, state and school taxes; but the auditors considered only a total of $6,279.82.
In spite, however, of denunciation and opposition the new law grew in favor, and many who were its bitterest opponents afterwards became its most fervent champions. In 1854, twenty years after its adoption, there were in Butler county no less than 175 school buildings, most of them a decided improvement upon the log cabin of the subscription school days. With better school buildings came better teachers and a better system of instruction, keeping pace with the growth, the advancement and the changed conditions of the people.
From the report of the first superintendent, Issac BLACK, made in 1856, it is learned, that there were 182 school-houses, eighty-four of which were unfit to enter; forty-one could be made tolerable, and fifty-seven were tolerable. Eighty of the buildings showed ceilings not over seven feet in height; seventy-nine were log structures; 108 were destitute of furniture (save the backless benches, so high that the pupils' feet could not reach the floor), while only fourteen had suitable furniture. The number of schools reported in January, 1861, was 212, and the number of pupils, 6,555. Eight years after, Superintendent WATTERS testified that all the new school buildings were well furnished; in 1869, Superintendent CRATTY expressed his satisfaction at the progress in building and system of instruction, and, in 1872, Superintendent GLENN stated that of the 220 schools in operation, not one failed in reaching the statute standard. In 1875 Superintendent YOUNG was satisfied to compare the condition of the schools with those of twenty years before, bringing forward the modern furniture, found in a few of the schools, as examples of progress.
Summarizing Prof. J. B. MATTHEWS' report, it is learned that at the close of the school year of 1876-77, there were 246 schools in existence, which were opened for an average of 5.65 months that year. There were 177 male and 175 female teachers employed, the average salary of the former being $38.12, and of the latter, $30.01 per month. The number of male pupils was 6,997 and of female 6,254. The average number attending school was 9,583, or about seventy-eight per cent of the total. The average cost per month was seventy cents per capita; the tax levied for school building purposes was $69,912.02; the State appropriation amounted to $11,829.64, and the total revenue for school purposes to $89,574.05. Fairview then had eleven schools, exclusive of two in Fairview borough, two in Karns city and three in Petrolia. In Butler borough were nine schools; in Greece City, one; in Harmony, two; in Harrisville, two; in Millerstown, six; in Portersville, one; in Prospect, two; in Saxonburg, one; in West Sunbury, one and in Zelienople one.
The reports of Superintendent D. F. MCKEE from 1878 to 1881 and of his successor, J. H. MURTLAND, bear testimony to continued advancement. At the [p. 188] close of the school year in 1881, there were 260 schools in operation, with 169 male and 168 female teachers employed, at an average salary far exceeding that of 1876, though the number of pupils was not so large. The number of female pupils then enrolled was 6,162, or 92 below the number in 1876, while there were 135 less male pupils enrolled. The total revenue was $82,245.56 and the total value of school property $235,304.
The report for the year ending June 6, 1892, showed 289 school-houses, 137 male and 211 female teachers-employed at an average salary of $37.20 for males and $33.24 for females-6,708 male and 6,452 female pupils, of whom eighty-four per cent are said to have attended school; the average cost of each pupil was ninety-six cents a month. The total tax levy for school and building purposes was $87,384.98; State appropriation, $22,205.48, and total receipts from all sources $123,894.50. The schools were open on an average of 6.57 months for the year. Seventeen new public school-houses were erected during the year in the following townships: One in Adams, four in Donegal, six in Middlesex (supplied with bells), one in Muddy Creek, two in Parker, one in Penn, one in Saxonburg (a brick, which cost $3,000), and one in Worth. The Superintendent, N. C. MCCOLLOUGH, in his report, congratulated the county on the condition of her common schools and the satisfactory progress made in equipment and system of instruction.
The new law providing for free school books went into effect in July, 1893. Under this law it is the duty of the directors to make provision for furnishing and equipping the schools with the text books and the supplies generally needed by pupils for daily use in the schools-such as slates, pencils, papers, pens, ink, tablets, etc.; that whilst it is no doubt wise to urge pupils to use the books in their possession for the purpose of lessening the immediate outlay of money, they cannot be compelled to use their own books, and that in all the required branches of study, books are to be provided by the directors, and for all grades of the public schools, including the high school.
The act of 1854 provided for the election of a county school superintendent to serve for a term of three years. The first election was held in June of that year and Isaac BLACK was elected, his salary being fixed at $300 a year. The names of those who have been elected since are as follows: Thomas BALPH, 1857, Eugene FERRERO, 1860; Asa H. WATTERS, 1863; John CRATTY, 1866; Samuel GLENN, 1869; Robert H. YOUNG, 1872; J. B. MATTHEWS, 1875; D. F. MCKEE, 1878; J. H. MURTLAND, 1881; W. G. RUSSELL, 1884; J. L. SNYDER, 1887; W. G. RUSSELL, appointed in 1888 to fill vacancy caused by Mr. SNYDER'S resignation; N. C. MCCOLLOUGH, 1890 and 1894.
The Butler County Teachers' Institute was organized November 19, 1855, with Isaac BLACK, county superintendent, president; A. J. REBSTOCK and Matthew GREER, vice-presidents; Thomas BALPH, recorder; Jacob P. MYERS, treasurer; Isaac BLACK, S. P. IRVIN, Mary MCTAGGART, M. Louisa BUTLER and Emma PROSSER, executive committee. The school books recommended were MCGUFFEY'S pictorial primer, spelling-book, first, second, third, fourth and fifth readers; RAY'S mathematics, MCNALLY'S geography, and PINEO'S series of grammars. Early in 1856 meetings were held to abolish the office of county superintendent, but the teachers and friends of the office were better organized than the opponents and the question was [p. 189] defeated by a small majority. Every year since the organization, teachers' institutes have been held with more or less success. The thirty-ninth annual session held at Butler, December 18-22, 1893, was attended by 286 teachers. S. F. BOWSER was re-elected president; Elliott ROBB, vice-president, and W. P. JAMISON, secretary. The Institute proves, by its popularity, that it holds the key to practical information for all interested in the common school system of the State.
The Butler County Teachers' Association was organized May 26, 1881, with J. C. TINTSMAN, president; T. F. STAUFFER, vice-president; Louise MCCLURE, recording-secretary; P. S. BANCROFT, correspondent and treasurer; J. A. BRANDON and O. P. COCHRAN, enrolling secretaries. This organization was short-lived, the Institute proving of more practical value. Many local associations of teachers exist, having for their object the promotion of the interests of the teachers and of the cause of education. They also tend to increase efficiency and the adoption of the best methods of instruction in the rural as well as in the borough and village schools.
February 22, 1877, an "Intellectual Fair," was held at the court house in Butler, for the purpose of discussing educational and scientific topics. The novelty of it caused it to be largely attended, and great interest to be taken in its proceedings. It was presided over by D. B. DOUTHETT, with Leander WISE, secretary. The judges were L. J. LEVIS, H. H. GOUCHER, J. J. MCILLYAR, J. H. SUTTON, R. C. MCABOY, Walter L. GRAHAM, W. I. BRUGH, Samuel MCCLYMONDS, S. H. PEIRSOL, Mrs. CONN and Miss N. MCJUNKIN.
The condition of the schools and school finances on June 5, 1893, is set forth in the following table:
[p. 190]
(1) Whole number of schools
(2) Average number of months taught
(3) Number of male teachers
(4) Number of female teachers
(5) Number of male pupils
(6) Number of female pupils
(7) State appropriation
(8) Total receipts
DISTRICTS (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
Adams.............. 10 6 3 7 230 209 $ 1,451 10 $ 5,558 05
Allegheny.......... 6 7 6 .. 151 160 1,242 30 4,076 29
Brady.............. 6 6 2 4 98 85 849 93 1,679 81
Buffalo............ 4 8 4 .. 110 119 1,371 64 2,633 00
Butler borough..... 32 8 4 35 980 998 7,196 76 28,986 10
Butler township.... 6 8 3 3 119 108 1,299 08 3,360 56
Centre............. 5 7 5 5 138 92 921 35 1,605 59
Centreville........ 4 10 1 .. 78 70 480 25 1,378 57
Cherry............. 8 7 4 4 158 165 1,603 12 3,172 21
Clay............... 6 8 4 11 161 166 1,200 50 2,692 50
Clearfield......... 6 7 1 5 103 83 991 58 1,935 13
Clinton............ 6 6 4 2 116 124 1,050 32 3,021 12
Concord............ 8 8 5 11 177 153 1,036 50 2,573 77
Connoquenessing.... 7 6 5 2 157 144 1,281 81 3,235 27
Cranberry.......... 6 6 4 2 124 106 953 58 2,072 88
Donegal............ 9 7 4 5 228 201 1,699 86 5,259 52
Evans City......... 3 7 1 2 85 80 563 17 2,082 96
Fairview borough... 2 7 1 1 38 41 424 96 874 64
Fairview township.. 11 7 5 6 222 222 1,999 45 4,224 15
Forward............ 8 7 2 6 203 276 1,254 16 2,905 66
Franklin (Ind.).... 1 6 1 1 26 16 120 92 990 62
Franklin........... 5 7 4 4 113 89 829 20 1,719 03
Harmony............ 3 7 1 2 67 83 625 36 1,832 64
Harrisville........ 3 7 2 1 60 59 614 99 1,907 31
Jackson............ 7 6 4 3 168 119 1,119 17 2,983 66
Jefferson.......... 4 7 4 .. 129 107 1,337 08 2,943 90
Jefferson Centre(Ind) 1 7 .. 1 27 34 200 39 444 12
Karns City......... 2 8 1 1 38 61 469 88 910 95
Lancaster.......... 7 6 4 3 142 113 922 49 2,466 88
Marion............. 6 8 3 8 146 115 1,060 69 1,943 06
Mercer............. 4 7 2 6 78 75 614 99 1,685 64
Middlesex.......... 7 7 5 2 133 135 1,181 61 4,178 81
Millerstown........ 6 8 1 7 160 177 1,205 80 4,759 01
Muddy Creek........ 6 7 6 8 100 99 1,226 52 3,015 40
Oakland............ 6 9 5 10 102 119 1,280 81 2,614 98
Parker............. 11 6 3 8 193 185 1,775 78 4,233 34
Penn............... 8 7 6 2 273 211 1,727 50 3,414 90
Petrolia........... 3 7 1 2 85 54 701 36 1,401 21
Portersville....... 1 8 1 .. 24 25 238 39 436 46
Prospect........... 2 6 1 1 46 34 504 43 4,552 60
Saxonburg.......... 2 7 1 1 44 38 411 15 1,368 79
Slippery Rock...... 9 6 4 7 164 120 1,267 98 2,843 46
Sunbury, West...... 1 8 .. 1 23 22 345 50 681 42
Summit............. 6 7 .. 6 133 102 1,071 05 2,229 55
Venango............ 7 8 2 6 135 133 1,178 15 2,000 75
Washington......... 8 8 5 3 181 191 1,540 93 3,903 74
Winfield........... 5 7 1 4 97 109 1,261 08 2,249 58
Worth.............. 8 8 3 9 113 78 1,029 59 1,954 57
Zelienople......... 3 8 1 2 77 86 601 17 2,137 68
295 7.17 140 220 6,747 6,381 $55,435 38 $151,293 84
While the total is large, it is far from representing all the money expended on education within the county. The stranger in Butler, beholding the large buildings devoted to Catholic education, is inclined to ask if that sum of $151,293.84 is not fully twenty-five per cent below the actual expenditures for common and denominational instruction.
[p. 191]
Besides the opportunities afforded by the public schools of the county for the instruction of the children of her citizens in the ordinary English branches, the cause of education has been still further advanced by the maintenance of other schools, academies and colleges of either a secular or denominational character. All of these are noticed in the various chapters devoted to the townships and boroughs of the county. Among the more prominent may be mentioned the Butler Academy, WITHERSPOON Institute, St. Peter's and St. Paul's Catholic schools, and the Orphans' Home, at Butler; St. Mary's College, in Summit township; the academies at West Sunbury and North Washington; the select and Manual Labor schools at Harmony; the select school, academy and Orphans' Home at Zelienople, and the Normal School carried on under the auspices of the State at Centreville.
All of these various schools, academies and colleges are eloquent witnesses of the interest taken in the cause of education by the people of the county. The large, costly and beautiful buildings erected by the Catholic congregations of Butler and by the fathers of St. Mary's Monastery, are evidences of the willing sacrifices made by the people of this faith to have their children educated in accordance with their religious convictions. In the Normal School at Centreville provision is made by the State for the education and special equipment of young men and young women for the work of teaching in the public schools of the State, while in the other academies and colleges students are prepared either for entrance into the higher educational institutions of the country, or for the practical work and duties of every-day life.
"Old Times at No. 3," was the text for Col. Archibald BLAKELEY'S discourse, at the Happy Day Convention, held in Penn township, September 21, 1877. The discourse was simply a word painting of his school-teaching days at Number 3, when the brick building, with its shingled roof, was the pride of Middlesex and the envy of all the other townships of Butler county. After describing many things leading down to his engagement as teacher, he dwelt on the subject proper as follows:
There was but one room in it, a parallelogram; there was but one door and that at the south side, and a window on each side of the door, three windows on the opposite side and a fireplace in each end, the chimneys so arranged that when one drew up the other drew down. The girls sat in the west end and the boys in the east end, except where they met in the middle. This school house, take it all in all, was one of the largest and best in the country at that time and stood down the valley from the Old Adam BROWN house on the left side of the run, near the intersection of the farms then owned by Robert, Adam and John BROWN; as owned in 1877 by Nathan BROWN, William BROWN and Samuel RILEY. I need not tell you of the disappointments and sorrows of that beginning.
One of the most difficult things was to learn the names and relationships of the children, and this led me to the names and relationships of the parents. To illustrate, commencing with the BROWNS: there was Old Adam, Joe's Adam, Johnnie's Adam, and Adam's Adam; there was Old Joe and Adam's Joe; Squire Robert, Squire Robert's Bob and Adam's Bob; Squire Robert's Nathan, Adam's Nathan; Joe's Billy and Adam's Billy; Uncle Johnnie and Adam's Johnnie. Then I came to the DOUTHETT'S and here I [p. 192] found Old Alex, Alex's Alex and Ben's Alex; Old Benjamin, Young Benjamin; Alex's Ben, Joe's Ben, and Young Dave's Ben; Benjamin's William, and Major Dave's William; Major David Joe's David, and last, but not least, Young David, which last was a clear case of misnomer. I commenced on the WHITE family and found that plain old Johnson WHITE had been compelled to name one of his sons Brown WHITE.
The nomenclature of the female portion of these families was a most intricate study; the Clarissas, Esthers, Sarahs, Agneses, Nancies, Marthas, Elizabeths, Janes, Tabithas, Matildas, Ruths, and Rutheses. I had not time to unravel these feminine mysteries and turned the subject over to my brother William, and I am impressed with the idea that he succeeded. To me, a stranger, the labyrinth of names was marvelous and sorely reminded me of Jim MCGEORGE'S recitation of genealogy to Dr. GUTHERIE---"and Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat sons and daughters"---until Jim's memory failed him, when he cried out in despair---"and after that they begat one another." Then there was Young David DOUTHETT, and when I saw him first he looked old enough to be the identical David who slew Goliah. Squire Robert BROWN was the only Robert; all other Roberts were Robs and so on to the close.
A debating society was organized, which evidently drew into its angry vortex all the contentious spirits around the country: ---Simeon NIXON, Thomas ROBINSON, the WHITES, the BROWNS, the DOUTHETTS, the IRVINS, the SLATERS, Samuel CRITCHLOW, Irwin BOGGS, ANDERSONS, STREETERS, EVANS, HUNTERS and others. Had it not been for the dominating, centripetal forces of Young David DOUTHETT, Captain MARTIN, Squire Robert's Robert, Joseph DOUTHETT, Hamill HARTZELL and John SMITH, I verily believe that these young wranglers would to-day, be whirling, in ever widening circles, through infinite space. Well do I remember the night these giants debated the Fugitive Slave Law till the cocks crew in the morning. Well do I recollect the resolution: ---"Resolved. That the Democratic party has done more than the Whig party for the welfare and development of the country." At the stroke of 12, on Saturday night, Captain MARTIN adjourned us by a thump of his immense fist on a writing desk, sixteen feet long, which split it from end to end.
Many other reminders of the Fifties were brought vividly forward on the occasion of that Happy Day Convention, but none gave greater joy than Colonel BLAKELEY'S reference to "Old Number 3."
[End of Chapter 13 - Schools and School Laws: History of Butler County Pennsylvania, R. C. Brown Co., Publishers, 1895]
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