Ohio History Journal

SECONDARY EDUCATION IN OHIO PREVIOUS TO

THE YEAR 1840.

 

 

BY W. W. BOYD.

In the report of the United States Commissioner of Educa-

tion for the year 1899, Rev. A. D. Mayo shows Ohio's peculiar

position in regard to education. Each of the thirteen original

colonies of our country nourished its own class of people, differ-

ing from each other in creeds, languages, manners, and original

national ideals. Kentucky and Tennessee were reproductions

of Virginia and North Carolina, while Vermont was carved

from a colony already admitted as a state.

But into Ohio, the fourth state admitted to the Union,

immigrated "all sorts and conditions of people."  Probably no

slate, ancient or modern, had ever received in so short a period

fifty thousand people of such energetic mold and in many ways

so widely varied as the Territory of Ohio at its admission to

the Union in 1803. These people had come in groups from

every portion of the Union and from every civilized nation of

the world. They differed in religious, social, governmental and

industrial ideals. Could a republican form of government weld

them into a common people? The majority of the original set-

tlers were an enterprising and intensely practical body of people.

They had implicit trust in God and worshiped devoutly. They

were seeking new homes and those things which were best for

their homes. They believed in education as a means of develop-

ment. They wanted freedom and believed in the subjection of

individual ideals to the common ideal only. Could they find that

common ideal? That is our problem to-day. In the midst of our

individual clashes, it is becoming more and more difficult to find

the common ideal. We are led hither and yon by vagaries and

find only after bitter experiences that what we thought we

wanted, being misled, we do not want, and what we thought

we did not want is our true need. The differing ideals of our

pioneer fathers in this new western country was to furnish the

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Secondary Education in Ohio Previous to 1840.    119

 

actual test of republican government. The success of Ohio in

its first half century became an object lesson for the making

of the new republic beyond the Alleghenies. This paper is

concerned only with the development of secondary education

as one of the agencies in the fusion of the various classes of

settlers.

Secondary education in this country has passed through

three very distinct stages: first, the Latin-grammar school;

second, the academy; third, the public high school. The aim of

the old Latin-grammar school was to prepare the sons of the

wealthy for college. In the history of our country, it belongs

to the colonial days. About the time of the revolution the

academy was beginning to assert itself. Its aim was to supply

a more practical education to a larger class of our youth, in-

cluding young ladies. It flourished until the middle of the last

century. Now we have the public high school, offering some

kind or all kinds of secondary training to the masses.

Therefore, we find that Ohio was settled within the period

of the academy. There was little to bind the people together

except a common state government. The state was settled in

communities or patches. In local affairs each community began

to work out its own ideals. Therefore, it was commonly found

that higher education in one community differed widely from

that in another. In settlements of New England people, the

classical and literary ideal found expression in the new academy

course. In settlements of Pennsylvania and New Jersey people,

the Benjamin Franklin ideal of a practical education took shape.

In settlements of southern citizens, the ideal of a finishing

school, furnishing culture and manners asserted itself. It is not

surprising, therefore, in the fusion which occurred later that we

should find all these ideals blending and influencing the curricula

of our high schools.

The organization of secondary schools proceeded from three

sources. First, the church seemed to feel the necessity of mak-

ing provision for higher education. All denominations entered

into aggressive campaigns for secondary education either to

strengthen the church or to conserve its membership. Out of

many of these secondary schools grew the splendid colleges

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120       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

which have dotted this fair commonwealth more profusely than

any other has been.   Second, itinerant preachers frequently

established private schools for the instruction of the youth. As

the preacher was usually a better educated man than the teacher

of the subscription school, he took an interest in teaching what

others could not, and the youth took an interest in him, because

through him they came into knowledge. Private schools were

established also by other educated men and some women in their

own communities. Third, local pride and local needs frequently

led wealthy citizens to organize an academy for the youth of

their communities.

Many teachers employed in the subscription schools, which

were the elementary schools of the early part of last century,

had ability to teach some Latin and algebra and they gladly

added these studies for the benefit of older students. While

the schools taught by these teachers could hardly be denominated

secondary schools, much secondary instruction was given through

these schools as agencies.

The following list of secondary schools organized previous

to the year 1840, with the dates of founding, will give some idea

of the magnitude of the efforts made in the early days to pro-

mote education. The list shows the force of the clause in the

Ordinance of 1787 and in the first Constitution of the state,

"education shall forever be encouraged." In the light of what

was accomplished, the clause does not seem to be so vague and

meaningless as is sometimes charged. The schools are listed

by counties. It is not presumed that the list is complete, as

the writer's research was somewhat hasty and doubtless resulted

in missing some records of schools. It is known, moreover, that

many schools were organized and passed away of which we have

no public record. It is hoped that this list may be enlarged and

the record made more complete:

Ashtabula County:

Grand  River  Institute  (Austinburg)  .........................  1831

Athens County:

Academy  of Ohio  University  (Athens) ........................ 1808

(First legislative act, 1802 - First building, 1807)

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Secondary Education in Ohio Previous to 1840.              121

 

Auglaize County;

Mission School conducted by Quakers....................... 1809

(Taught manual arts and agriculture)

(Continued until 1832)

Belmont County:

St.  Clairsville  Female  Seminary ..............................  1836

St. Clairsville Institute and Teachers' Seminary............... 1837

(Boys' School)

Brown County:

Ripley College Academy .................................... 1828

Ripley  Female  Seminary  ....................................  1832

Butler County:

Dorsey Select School (Oxford) .............................. 1812

Miami University Grammar School (Oxford) ................. 1818

Wallace's School (Hamilton) ............................... 1814

Hamilton    Literary   Society . .................................  1818

(A classical academy)

Oxford     High  School for   Girls...............................                             1830

Hamilton  and    Rossville     Academy .............................                       1835

Furman's Private School (Middletown) ...................... 1833

Champaign County:

Urbana Academy           ........................................... 1820

Urbana   Female Seminary....................................  1824

Clark County:

Smith's Academy (Springfield) .............................. 1814

Torbert's Grammar School (Springfield)..................... 1824

Clinton County:

Taylor's Latin School (Wilmington)......................... 1820

(Taylor was a Presbyterian minister)

Columbiana County:

Salem Academy  ............................................                                         1809

New   Lisbon  Academy  .......................................                                  1814

Friends' School (Salem)      ................................... 1822

Sandy  Spring  School .........................................  1839

Cuyahoga County:

Cleveland  Academ y  .........................................  1821

Young Ladies' Academy (Cleveland)........................ 1825

Darke County:

Swallow Grammar Schools ..................................     1815

(Mr. Swallow was an itinerant preacher)

Delaware County:

M organ  Academy  (Delaware) ................................  1815

The Female Seminary (Delaware)........................... 1820

Quitman's Academic Grove (Delaware) ...................... 1823

(Quitman became Governor of Mississippi)

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122         Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

Fairfield County:

Booth's Brick Academy (Lancaster) .......................... 1820

Howe's  Academy    (Lancaster)................................                               1835

Lancaster Institute .........................................                                                                                          1838

Greenfield Academy (Near Hooker's Station) ................. 1830

Franklin County:

Dr. P. Sisson's Classical School (Columbus) .................. 1817

Lusk Academy (Columbus ................................... 1818

New   Academy (Columbus) .................................. 1820

The Columbus Academy .................................... 1820

A  Female Academy (Columbus)............................. 1820

The Columbus Female Academy ............................ 1829

Trinity Church Schools (Columbus) ......................... 1820

A High School by Horace Wilcox (Columbus) ................ 1832

High School for Young Ladies (Columbus) .................. 1838

Worthington Academy ....................................... 1820

Gallia County:

Gallipolis Academy .......................................... 1811

Geauga County:

Burton   Academy  ............................................  1804

Chardon Academy ..................................182

Parkman Academy ..........      ..     ...................  1839

Hamilton County:

Reily's Academy    (Columbia)................................ 1792

The Lancaster Seminary ..................................... 1815

(Became Cincinnati College)

Locke's Female Academy      (Cincinnati)  ...................... 1823

Picket's Female Institution (Cincinnati) ......................  1826

Kinmont's Boys' Academy      (Cincinnati) ..................... 1827

Woodward Free Grammar School (Cincinnati)............... 1826

(Afterward Woodward High School)

Hughes High School (Cincinnati)

Ohio Mechanics' Institute (Cincinnati)....................... 1828

Western Female Institute (Cincinnati) ....................... 1833

The  Hentz  Seminary   (Cincinnati) ........................... 1834

Institute of Science and Languages (Cincinnati) ............... 1836

Cincinnati Adelphi Seminary ..........................Before 1830

Cincinnati Academy    .................................. Before 1830

St. Xavier Academy (Cincinnati)       .      ............................ 1831

Harrison County:

Alma Mater Academy (New Athens) ......................... 1824

(Afterwards Alma College-then Franklin)

Cadiz  A cadem y  ..............................................  1823

Highland County:

Hillsboro    Academy  ............... .........................  1827

Oakland      Female  Academy   ...................................

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Secondary Education in Ohio Previous to 1840.             123

 

Huron County:

Norwalk Academy ................................ ......... 1826

Norwalk    Female  Seminary...................................  1833

(Eliza Ware)

A Female Seminary ........................................   1837

(Hariet Bedford)

Jefferson County:

Buchanan Academy (Steubenville) ........................... 1814

(Edwin M. Stanton a pupil)

W ell's           Academy       (Steubenville)...............................                                                             1818

Ackerly         Academy       (Steubenville) .............................                                                              1820

Scott Academy (Steubenville) ............................... 1830

Beatty's Seminary for Young Ladies (Steubenville) ........... 1829

(Afterwards Steubenville Seminary)

Richmond Academy ........................................     1833

(Afterwards Richmond Classical Institute and then Rich-

mond College)

Knox County:

Sloan's Academy (Mt. Vernon) .............................. 1815

Kenyon College Academy (Gambier) .......................... 1825

Martinsburgh Academy ...................................... 1837

Lake County:

Huntington's Private School (Painesville) .................... 1816

Painesville  Academy  ........................................  1829

Western Reserve Teachers' Seminary (Kirtland) ............. 1838

Licking County:

Granville      Academy             (Congregational) ......................... 1827

Granville      Female           Institute  (Baptist) ..........................  1832

Denison University Academy (Baptist) (Granville) ........... 1831

Newark Seminary for Young Ladies .......................... 1837

Newark High School (Pay School) ........................... 1838

Creek School (Etna) ........................................ 1830

Lorain County:

Elyria High School ........................................ 1831

(Maintained by a board of trustees)

Oberlin  College  Academy  ....................................  1833

Mahoning County:

Poland Academy     ........................................  1835

Medina County:

Sharon Academy ........................................      1836

Wadsworth Academy ........................................ 1837

Abbeyville Academy ........................................ 1837

Miami County:

Piqua Seminary ........................................      1818

Gramma- School (Troy) .................................... 1826

Select School for Young Ladies (Troy) ....................... 1838

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124         Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

Montgomery County:

Dayton  Academy   ....................... ....................  1807

Miss Dionecia Sullivan's Private School for Girls............. 1815

Glass'  School  (Dayton)  ............... .... .................  1823

Inductive Academy (Dayton) ................................ 1820

Maria Harrison's School for Young Ladies ................... 1832

Muskingum County:

Stone Academy (Zanesville) ................................. 1808

Seminary for Young Ladies (Zanesville) ...................... 1810

Moravian School for Young Ladies (Zanesville).............. 1819

Zanesville  Academy    .......................................                                     .     1824

Howe's       Seminary    (Zanesville) ................................                         1830

McIntire Academy (Zanesville) ................................... 1836

Putnam   Classical Institute ................................... 1836

(Afterwards Putnam Female Seminary)

Muskingum College Academy (New Concord) ................. 1837

Perry County:

Som erset   A cadem y  ..........................................

W eddell    Select  School  .......................................

St. Mary's  Academy    ....................................... .  1830.

(Now St. Mary's of the Springs-Dominican)

Pickaway County:

Circleville  Academy  ................................... Before  1837

Ross County:

Chillicothe Academy ......................................... 1808

(A Lancasterian School)

Chillicothe Female Seminary ................................. 1820

Scioto County:

Wheeler Academy (Portsmouth) ............................. 1818

Seneca County:

Senaca County Academy (Republic) .......................... 1836

Stark County:

Canton Female Seminary .................................... 1838

Summit County:

Western Reserve University Academy (Hudson) .............. 1827

Joyce's   Private   School  (Akron)............................  1836

Mrs. Dodge's Private School (Akron) ...................... 1836

Akron High School conducted by Miss B. Hawkins (Private).. 1837

Cuyahoga    Falls  Institute......................................  1837

Richfield Academy ........................................... 1836

Warren County:

Robinson Grammar School (Lebanon) ........................ 1810

Washington County:

Muskingum   Academy (Marietta)............................. 1797

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Secondary Education in Ohio Previous to 1840.                             125

 

Institute        of Education        (Marietta)  ............................                                                              1830

M arietta       Collegiate            Institute..................................                                                             1833

(Afterwards Marietta College)

Wyandot County:

Mission School at Upper Sandusky ............................ 1823

(Manual training, agriculture, domestic science)

 

The federal census of 1840 gives the relative standings in

regard to secondary education of the states in the Ohio Valley

as follows:

Kentucky ...... 116 academies and grammar schools with 4906 scholars

Ohio .......... 73 academies and grammar schools with 4310 scholars

Indiana ........ 54 academies and grammar schools with 2946 scholars

Illinois ......... 42 academies and grammar schools with 1967 scholars

 

At the same time Michigan had 12 academies and grammar

schools with 485 pupils and Wisconsin two with 65 pupils.

From  this list of schools, it will be inferred very readily

that the nearest type to the old colonial Latin-Grammar school

was found probably in the preparatory departments of the early

Ohio colleges. It was the distinct province of the Latin-Grammar

school to prepare boys for college. Colonial secondary history

does not repeat itself in Ohio. The boy from the Latin-Grammar

school of one of the early New England colonies was looking

forward to a college course in the old country. Very few Ohio

youths in the early days of our state ever thought of leaving

the state for education.   They were content with what the

academy could give them or they sought the college courses of

the few home colleges. The local academy offered a broader

course of study than the preparatory course of the college. But

the latter led finally to better training as well as to more special-

ized work.   Consequently, we find in the preparatory depart-

ments of the early colleges the narrow classical course of the

New England Latin-Grammar school.

It is evident that secondary education was maintained dur-

ing the first fifty years of the existence of Ohio largely through

the instrumentality of academies and private schools. Certain

localities seemed to give an especial impetus to these schools.

Among them may be mentioned Delaware, Lancaster, Burton,

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126        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Columbus, Cincinnati, Steubenville, Norwalk, Dayton, Zanes-

ville, Chillicothe, Akron and Marietta.     These seem   to have

been centers toward which focused the endeavors of New Eng-

land teachers and the early graduates of Ohio University and

from which radiated an atmosphere of learning which permeated

and encouraged other portions of our state.      A  writer of the

history of Fairfield County gives the following account of sec-

ondary education in Lancaster which may fairly picture other

centers:

"The first advance to better educational facilities in Lancaster was

in the erection of the Brick Academy (Booth's) on Wheeling St. by a

number of the most wealthy citizens. The building was erected shortly

before 1820. Mr. Whittlesy was the first man to teach in it. After him,

and about 1825, the late John T. Brasee taught a six months term. After

Mr. Brasee, Professor Howe occupied it for a number of years, when the

trustees sold the building to Dr. Bigelow for a private residence some-

time between 1834 and 1839.

"After the abandonment of the Brick Academy, Professor Howe

built a frame house on Mulberry St. and reopened his school. This school

was known for many years as Howe's Academy and was conducted about

ten years. In this school and as pupils of Mr. Howe, General and Secre-

tary Sherman, P. B. Ewing, Boyle Ewing, J. C. Kinkead, and many others

of Lancaster's young men and young ladies attended.

"In an old copy of the Lancaster Gazette, bearing the date of July 5.

1838, appears the following remarkable notice:

"Lancaster Institute, for the instruction of young ladies, corner of

Columbus and Mulberry Sts., conducted by Mrs. and Mr. McGill, A. B.,

R. H. A. The principals beg leave to announce to their friends, and the

people generally, that they have opened the above institution.

"The course of instruction comprises the Latin, French and English

languages; music and singing on the Logerian system; drawing and the

elements of perspective; geometry; fruit, flower, figure and landscape

painting, in oil and water colors; oriental painting on paper, satin, velvet,

and wood; Grecian and glass painting: Japaning, mezzotinting and trans-

ferring; orthography; reading; English grammar; composition and letter

writing; history, ancient and modern; writing on a free beautiful and easy

system, in which legibility and elegance are combined; the ornamental

hands; arithmetic and book-keeping on an improved system adapted to

domestic accounts; geography, use of globes, construction of maps;

astrology; mythology: chronology; practical chemistry, as it relates to the

useful arts dependent on that science; natural and moral philosophy:

botany, with instructions for drawing and coloring plants, flowers, etc.;

plain and ornamental needle and fancy work.'"

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Secondary Education in Ohio Previous to 1840.  127

 

The Greenfield Academy, at one time an important institu-

tion near Lancaster, was built by Jacob Claypool for school and

church purposes about the year 1830. Dr. Williams, a ripe

scholar and a well-known writer and author, taught the school

about ten years, and many of the leading men of the county

were educated there.

The early struggles in the establishment of secondary edu-

cation received some encouragement from the experiments of

Dayton Academy. It was incorporated in 1807. In 1808, a two-

story brick building was erected on the lot north of the Park

Presbyterian Church. Wm. Smith, the first teacher, according

to his contract, proposed to teach "reading, writing, arithmetic,

the classics and the sciences."  Mr. Smith, after a period of

about ten years as principal, was succeeded by Gideon McMillan,

a graduate of the University of Glasgow, who was according

to his own advertisement an accomplished scholar.

This school presents an interesting chapter in its attempt

to make use of the Lancasterian or "mutual instruction" system

of education. Joseph Lancaster, an Englishman, was deeply

impressed with this system, when a Dr. Bell imported it from

India to England. Mr. Lancaster opened a school at South-

wark; but Dr. Bell, claiming to be the founder of the system,

supplanted Lancaster.  At that, Lancaster, disheartened, emi-

grated to the United States in 1818. He soon aroused a wide

interest in his system. The trustees of the Dayton Academy

were enamored of the Lancasterian method and adopted it for

use in their school. It was necessary to build a new building

especially adapted to the purpose. This they did just north of

the old academy building, erecting a brick structure sixty-two

by thirty feet in size. The floor was of brick and heated by

"convolving flues" underneath.

The school was opened as the Dayton Lancasterian Academy

in the fall of 1820. It was claimed for this system that by

promoting scholars in each class to the position of monitor on

the ground of good scholarship and conduct, one teacher, who

needed only to act as a general supervisor, might control and

instruct five hundred scholars, thus saving great expense. The

plan soon failed in Dayton as it did in other places. The lesson

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128       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

which we learn from such experiments may moderate our en-

thusiasm for fads.

One resolution passed by the board of trustees in 1821,

in my judgment, would not be without service, if it could be

enforced to-day, viz., "That any scholar attending the Lan-

casterian school who may be found playing ball on the Sabbath,

or resorting to the woods or commons on that day for sport,

shall forfeit any badge of merit he may have obtained and

twenty-five tickets; and, if the offense appears aggravated, shall

be further degraded as the tutor shall think proper and neces-

sary; and that this resolution be read in school every Friday

previous to the dismission of the scholars."

No public examinations were conducted in the Lancasterian

schools, as each recitation constituted an examination and the

public were welcome at all times.

The histories of two schools at St. Clairsville in Belmont

County fairly present what has occurred in many communities

of our state, viz., dreams have been dreamed only to prove their

own effervescence. St. Clairsville, being on the great National

Pike, had begun very early to picture its own future glory and

to prepare for it by establishing educational institutions. When

railroads were built, it was soon discovered how inaccessible

St. Clairsville is.

St. Clairsville Female Seminary was established in 1836.

Its three-year course of study may be taken as a fair index of

what was going on in other academies.

Primary year:   Reading, spelling and defining, writing,

mental and written arithmetic, English grammar, modern and

ancient geography, history of the United States; modern and

ancient history; improvement of the mind; geography of the

heavens; Sullivan's political class book; natural philosophy;

botany.

Junior year: English grammar, rhetoric, human physiology,

Euclid's geometry, chemistry, astronomy, philosophy of natural

history, intellectual philosophy, algebra.

Senior year: Outline of geology, ecclesiastical history, logic,

natural theology, moral philosophy, Butler's analogy, evidences

of Christianity.

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Secondary Education in Ohio Previous to 1840.        129

 

The Latin, Greek and French languages and painting and

drawing were offered as optional studies.

Similarly Abbeyville in Medina County had its dream. 'The

historian of Medina County has this to say:

"In 1837 or thereabouts, Abbeyville had reached the highest point in

all its greatness. The village gave great promise at that day, as much so

perhaps as any other village in the county five years after its origin. It

was in the last mentioned year that an effort was made, mainly through

the influence of Solomon F. Holcomb, to institute at Abbeyville either a

branch of Oberlin College or an educational enterprise of a similar

character. Professor Amos Dresser of Oberlin came to Abbeyville for the

purpose of taking the initiatory steps looking to the founding of a

college. Quite a large class was obtained, and for a number of months

the future of the little village was cloudless and serene. The principal

object, or one of them, upon which the institution was founded was a

scheme to promote manual labor. The education to be furnished was

industrial in its nature, a scheme which since that day has developed the

industrial universities and agricultural colleges scattered throughout the

United States. But, alas for Abbeyville! the attempt proved abortive, and

the good-looking professor took his departure."

 

No account of secondary education would seem to be com-

plete without a mention of the first academy established in the

Northwest Territory. This was the old Muskingum Academy

in Marietta.  Although a Mr. Reily is said to have opened an

academy in Columbia earlier, it ig probable that Mr. Reily's

school never attained more than an elementary school character.

There was a meeting of Marietta people held on April 29,

1797, for the purpose of considering measures for promoting

the education of youth.    General Rufus Putnam     was chosen

chairman and Return Jonathan Meigs clerk. It was resolved

"that a committee of six be appointed to prepare a plan of a

house suitable for the instruction of youth, and religious exer-

cises, and to make an estimate of the expense and the most

suitable means of raising the necessary moneys, and to fix upon

a spot whereon to erect the house, and report on Saturday next

at three o'clock p. m."

On Saturday, May sixth, the committee reported a plan.

an estimate of cost of one thousand dollars and a method of

raising the money. At a meeting a week later, it was decided

Vol. XXV- 9.

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130        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

to call the school Muskingum Academy. The man subscribing

the largest amount was General Rufus Putnam. His gift was

three hundred dollars.   If there were no other reason for re-

membering Gen. Putnam, this first largest gift to the cause of

education above the elementary school in the Northwest Terri-

tory should entitle him to a lasting place in our affections. The

subscription not being large enough, eighteen pews were sold

to the highest bidders. These pews could be occupied by the

purchasers on all public occasions.

The following articles adopted by the board of trustees

relate to the education in the academy:

"ARTICLE 3.- It shall be the duty of the preceptor to teach the pupils

writing, reading, arithmetic, geography, English grammar, and the Latin

and Greek languages; the different branches in which a pupil is to be

taught to be signified to the preceptor by the parent or guardian of the

pupil."

"ARTICLE 4.-It shall be the duty of the preceptor to pay due atten-

tion to the language and manners, particularly, and to the deportment of

the scholars generally, that they may be instructed to be civil and obliging

to each other, and respectful everywhere to all."

"ARTICLE 5.-It shall be the duty of the preceptor to cause some or

all of the pupils to learn select, entertaining and instructive speeches and

dialogues, adapted to their several capacities and ages which they shall

pronounce in the academy before such audience as may attend on the

quarter day, which shall be the last day of every quarter."

"ARTICLE 7.-The hours of tuition shall commence at nine o'clock

in the forenoon and end at twelve, and commence at two in the afternoon

and end at five, except during the winter when they shall begin at half

past one and end at half past four, at which time the preceptor shall cause

the bell to be rung."

"ARTICLE 8. The prices of tuition to be paid to the preceptor for

each quarter shall be: for reading and writing two dollars, for arithmetic,

English grammar, the first rudiments of astronomy, and geography two

dollars and fifty cents. Latin, Greek and mathematics, three dollars."

 

In addition a small fee was charged for repairs on the

building.

The academy was opened in 1800. David Putnam, a grad-

uate of Yale University, was the first teacher.    The academy

building was sold at auction October 8, 1832.

Another school, which may be called the successor of Mus-

kingum Academy, was established in Marietta in 1830 as the

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Secondary Education in Ohio Previous to 1840.         131

Institute of Education. It embraced an infant school, a primary

school, a ladies' seminary and a high school. In 1833, the high

school was chartered as the Marietta Collegiate Institute and

this institution was chartered in 1835 as Marietta College. The

college at once established a preparatory department which was

continued until last year.

The ideals from which our academies were formed would

not seem   to contribute great enthusiasm   for education.   The

eastern patterns, after which our western academies were copied,

find some comment in the remarks of an early teacher in Newark,

New Jersey, Mr. Nathan Hedges. He says:

"In 1807, I became a pupil in the New Warren Academy in Morris-

town, then under the direction of James Stevenson, a Scotchman. The

school was both English and classical, and may be justly regarded as a

favorable type of the best schools of that day.

"In the English department, the simplest elementary branches re-

ceived but little attention.

"Writing was well taught by an accomplished master."

"Arithmetic was taught from Dilworth, a book making no allusion

to a decimal currency, and having little or no adaptation to the ordinary

requirements of business. Arithmetic was taught here about as inef-

fectually as in other schools. When a boy left school and was required

to make almost any simple business calculation, he failed, giving the

stereotyped reason, "There a'nt no such sums in my book."

"Reading was taught mechanically."

"English grammar could hardly be said to be taught in this school.

I doubt whether the teacher knew anything about it.

"Geography was not taught. I think there was neither book, map

nor globe in the school.

"Book-keeping. This was a branch taught at the Academy by a

master who was a good book-keeper, but who had no proper ideas of

teaching.

"Admission to the classical department was by promotion from the

English department. Here English branches were still pursued; but the

emphasis was upon Latin. The text books were poor. Memorizing was

the great method."

"In reading, forty or more would stand up and read in concert."

 

Private  schools  for teaching   secondary   branches were

opened by itinerant ministers or young college graduates from

New England, or by educated men and women who had settled

in these pioneer districts and could leave their business or homes

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132        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

for a portion of the time. Their pupils were obtained by an-

nouncements in the public press, of which the following adver-

tisements, taken from an Akron paper, will show the method:

"May 20, 1836.-M. and A. C. Joyce respectfully inform the in-

habitants of Akron and vicinity that they have opened a school in South

Akron where they will instruct a few young ladies in Arithmetic, Orthog-

raphy, History, Composition, Natural Philosophy, Astronomy, Botany,

Rhetoric, Chemistry, Drawing in Crayon, Mezzotinto, Pencil, India Ink,

Japaning, Flower Painting, etc. Terms made known on application."

"July 27, 1836.-Mrs. Susan E. Dodge announces", etc. Term

eleven weeks. Each study from $2.50 to $5.00.

"Jan. 2, 1837.-Miss B. Hawkins announces the course of study for

the Akron High School," etc. This seems to have been a chartered school.

Among the private schools was Wheaton Select School,

maintained in the basement of Trinity Church, Columbus, just

opposite the State Capitol on Third street.    A  pupil, twenty

years after leaving this school, wrote:

"When that old fence was built around

The State-House yard you know,

'Twas there we played our school-boy games

Upon the lovely green,

And happier hearts-some silent now-

The world has never seen;

'Twas Wheaton's school just o'er the way,

Methinks I hear the bell

That called us from our sports and play,

Its ringing seemed a knell."

 

One of the interesting schools was the Western Reserve

Teachers' Seminary founded at Kirtland, Ohio (Lake County),

in 1838, of which Asa D. Lord was principal for eight years.

It seems that about 1836 a professor, C. E. Stowe, of Lane

Theological Seminary, was making preparations for a tour of

Europe. The General Assembly of Ohio was informed of this

contemplated trip and immediately passed a resolution asking

Professor Stowe to investigate secondary education in Europe.

In reporting afterwards to the General Assembly Professor

Stowe recommended:

I. That the science of teaching should be a branch in

academies and high schools.

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Secondary Education in Ohio Previous to 1840.   133

2. That a model school for practice should be organized.

3. That there should be a teachers' seminary organized

near the center of the state.

These recommendations took root partially in the organiza-

tion of the school at Kirtland.

Some of the elementary schools fulfilled the purpose of

secondary schools by providing a place of association for the

young people and in the development of discipline and self-

control. Dr. Thos. Cowgill gives the following account of a

school taught about a mile from his father's residence, which

was near the town of East Liberty, Logan County:

"During the winter of 1817-18 a school was taught by the

late Judge Daniel Baldwin about one mile south of our house

in a house similar to our dwelling except there were some joists

and an upper floor. This school was largely attended by the

young men and women of our neighborhood--a number of

them coming four miles to school. There were at least ten

young men attending this school over six feet high and large

in proportion and weighing about two hundred pounds each.

There were about the same number of young women attending

the school. And those large and tall young men exhibited more

signs of humility than some of the smaller scholars; for in

walking across the floor they must bow or they would bump

their heads against the joists every time. A number of these

young men and women were in their spelling books.

The school books consisted of Webster's Spelling Book,

Lindley Murray's Works, the Introductory English Reader,

Sequel, the New Testament, with Walsh and Pike's Arithmetic."

There were certain valuable courses offered generally in

the early secondary schools of Ohio which seem to have fallen

into disfavor. These were music, drawing and painting, religion

and morals, and public rhetoricals. The quarter-day presenta-

tion of dialogues, debates, "Pieces", and essays served an ex-

cellent purpose in arousing interest in the school and in awaken-

ing public discussion on questions of the day.

A few facts stand out rather prominently. It is evident

the people believed in a school higher than the elementary.

Every community considered, as a first essential to its own pros-

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134       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. perity, the founding of an academy. While the secondary schools offered preparation for college, practical studies were receiving especial recognition.  Education was provided for young women as well as young men. It can not be doubted that the very generous contribution of leaders which Ohio has made to the affairs of the nation be- came possible through the training of the secondary schools. Whatever criticisms we may make upon the crude beginnings of secondary education in the West, it must be admitted that the early academies furnished the opportunities for earnest effort, intellectual struggle and moral discriminations which, after all, are the qualities of the true man.

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