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CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 117 CHAPTER XIV EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS THE EARLY AND LATER SCHOOL SYSTEMS-SCHOOLS AT CARROLLTON -LIST OF PIONEER TEACHERS-STYLE OF SCHOOLHOUSES-UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT FORMED-CENTERVILLE ACADEMY-HARLEM SPRINGS ACADEMY-FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE 1N CARROLL COUNTY- COMMENCEMENT NO. 1-COUNTY SCHOOL STATISTICS FOR 1920. With the early settlement of every new country among intelligent immigrants, the first thing after locating, building a cabin for the family and getting in a crop for the first season. and getting acquainted with the near-by neighborhood, the settler looks about to see what the sentiment is in his new-found home as regards church and school privileges. He wants his children to be educated and he wants his wife and children to attend some church, for they used to "way back there" where they moved from. While the settler himself is not educated to any considerable extent he wants his sons and daughters to have better chances than he or his wife ever had. Hence the situation is canvassed and it usually results in the community coming to an understanding by which some kind of a building is converted into a schoolhouse, and possibly religious services are also held in the same structure. Many of our great men have first attended the log schoolhouse with a dirt or puncheon floor with nothing better than slab seats' and desks for book rests. The same conditions obtained in Carroll and Harrison counties in the '20s and '30s. The first regular schoolhouse within Carroll County was in what is now Lee Township, and as an outgrowth of this school came the Harlem Springs College which flourished many years, until the establishing of Carrollton Academy. at the county seat town. After the advent of the common free public school system had been made in Ohio, between 1835 and 1840, the subscription schools and select schools largely went out of existence and a general school tax has ever since supported the public schools of the county and State. By this, the rich and poor-all alike-have an opportunity to gain an education. Our school system has come to be our pride and universal boast. NOTES ON EARLY CARROLLTON SCHOOLS Some of the early educators of Centreville (Carrollton) were Professors John MacCormack, Samuel Howey and William Coleman. who taught in the old Centreville and Carrollton academy when kept in the house then located where Hon. Edwin Ferrell later built on Canal street. Some of the famous Dan McCook family were educated here. Rev. Alex Sweeney and wife, conducted the Carrollton Academy in their residence on Liberty street, east of the 118 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES present Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. H. S. Lazarr taught a high school in the Stidger building and Revs. Samuel Martin and W. H. Buchanan in the McCook building oyer George J. Butler's store. James Gallagher taught in the old jail located on lots now occupied by the residences of Scott and Orton Tinlin. In 1845 Carrollton was divided into three school districts. The Canal street schoolhouse was located on the lot later occupied by John Shepherdls residence. John D. Archbold, of the Standard Oil Company, went to school in this schoolhouse on Canal street. The "Sheep; Hill" schoolhouse was built upon a lot donated by Dickinson Roberts which still bears the name of "Roberts Park." And the Lisbon street schoolhouse on the corner of North Lisbon and Grant streets is PICTURE OF NEW HIGH SCHOOL, CARROLLTON used as a dwelling. All the sub-district schoolhouses were built of brick by William and George Woodward. Among the schoolmasters who wielded the birch in these several schools were Armstead Ready, A. L. Billman, John McVicker, James E. Philpot, R. F. Williams, Gov. B. F. Potts, Mathew Atkinson, Lizzie Morrow, Anna Lawler, J. K. Moore, Eliza Jane Baxter (Lytle), Eliza Jane Beatty (Barlow), Eliza Jane Jackson, John Smeltz, Arthur Conlin, William Cheetham. Kezziah Cox (Cheetham), Cassie Poole, Samuel Powell. In 1876 Carrollton was constituted a union school district and a large brick building was erected with a capacity sufficient for the entire town at that time. Prof. J. R. McAdams of Washington and Jefferson College, was chosen as the first superintendent. The heads of the schools since that time are likely remembered by those who read this. SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT FOR 1920 The following statistical report made for the State by the county superintendent of public schools in and for Carroll County for the year 1920 is as follows : NOT SHOWN CENTERVILLE ACADEMY The Centerville Academy became the "Carrollton Academy" when the Ohio Legislature changed the name Of the town on January 9, 1833, to Carrollton and many men who afterwards attained to places of much prominence throughout this country, received their first inspiration towards eminence at these early institutions of learning. Louis Jackson became the Court Advisor to the King of Belgium which position he held for many years'. Several of the McCook family also attended the Carrollton Academy, preparatory to attending KenyOn College at Gambier, Ohio, and the military and naval schools at West Point and Annapolis. The following is a list of those who attended this academy here in 1858 as copied from the "First Catalog of the Philomathian Society" of the academy: G. R. AtkinsOn, F. E. Boegel, A. Birch, H. G. Brown, R. C. Baxter, J. K. Bower, Wm. Cheetham, S. E. Cook, J. M. Crumrine, 0. Cummings, 0. F. Cameron, J. H. Catteral, James Cameron, J. W. Crooks, G. H. Ebersole, J. E. Ebersole, J. M. Ebersole, F. B. EatOn, H. J. Eckley, G. C. Ganyz, W. P. Hall, J. C. Hampson, F. E. HarSh. Thomas Henderson, G. W. Iden, B. F. Lefever, G. W. Meister, W. A. McAllister, William McCoy, J. S. McGill, R. B. McGuire. James McLandsborough, J. S. McMillen, A. McQueen, John McVicker, David Nivin, F. H. Price, J. M. Smeltz, G. C. Stidger, V. V. Stroder, Levi Stemple, J. T. Smith, W. H. Sterling, A. J. Thomas, J. H. 120 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES Thomas, E. T. Thompson, W. H. Tripp, J. S. Toland, A. Z. Thomas. George H. Teeters, P. R. Ward, G. W. Woy, J. F. Warner. COMMENCEMENT No. 1 The first annual commencement of the Carrollton Union school was Friday evening, June 27, 1879. in the school auditorium. The graduates were Misses Mattie Atkinson, Maggie Rukenbrod. Lillian McCoy and Flora Mortland. THE CARROLLTON ACADEMY The following notice appeared in the Carrollton local paper. concerning the opening of what was styled the Carrollton Academy : Opened October, 1858, in the Stidger building. Terms, $8.00 to $10.00; good boarding and rooms cheap. Object of this academy is to the attainment of an elevated Standard of education for young men and women. Carrollton has a site as healthy as any other town of its size and its inhabitants are as hospitable and social. It contains five Protestant churches-Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran. United Presbyterian and German Reformed. William H. McCoy is principal and A. J. Thomas assistant teacher. The advisory board of this institution is composed as follows : Rev. William Eaton, R. M. Smith, Dr. C. A. Boegel, Dr. D. A. Arter, G. W. Barlow, Thomas Lyons, Hon. E. R. Eckley, J. Weyand, E. McGuire. James Huston, Dr. Samuel Stockon and J. P. Cummings. What had been styled the Harlem Springs Academy of this county. by the same president, was closed at the opening of the Carrollton Academy. The first schoolhouse in Carroll County was created in Lee Township. It grew in interest until Prof. A. D. Lee established his Rural Seminary, which later was changed to the Harlem Springs College. |