Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-02-26

Il
winter Of lsO9-l0. In the summer OF
1910, this school was taught hy Miss
Esther McDanels In the winter of
1901, Ezra Kellogg, Esq, taught
this school. In the summer of 1911.
this house was burnt. In the fall Of the
same year, large house was erected in
this district Oh the southeast corner. AT
the crossing of the North Ridge and
East Jefferson roads. 1t was the third
school house erected in Ashtabula. IL
was used for a school house, n meeting
house, a town house, and Tor other public
uses for eight years, and then. like its
predecessor in this district, it was burnt.
This may be called District No. 2.
The 4th school house, used also for a
Church, was erected near VIM. Fosters.
| on the north road to Sheffield, and an
other on the south road to Sheffield. near
Joseph Mann's. During the So log house
days the schoo districts were voluntary
locations, dictated by convenience. The
9th and last of these log school houses
recollected by the writer, was on the
corner next east of the present church
in Plymouth, which succeeded the one
near Joseph Mann's.
In these ,hools we had many good
teachers, who instructed their pupils III
spelling, reading, English grammar wri-
ting, arithmetic, and geography. These
schools were supported bv assessments
on the individuals who sent scholars,
levied in proportion to the number sent
by each. The money thus raised was
applied to the payment of moderate
monthly wages to the teachers and of in
ciden.al expenses. Each person furnish
ed board for the teacher and fuel for the
fire, in proportion 10 his number of pu-
pills. Ii scholars were sent whose pa
rents or guardians " ere too poor to pay,
the tuition aud wood bills were levied
on the rest and included in their bills.
The poor were thus enabled to give their
children common education, enabling
them to transact the most useful and
necessary ordinary business OF life, in
capacities Of farmers, mechanics, mer.
chants, clerks, common magistrates, DC,
&c, and to lay tie indispei sable tounda-
tiOn Tor liberal education, if they should
be disposed and capacitated for learned
professions. The indispensable inStitu-
tion If common schools has never been
better sustained in this township, than
in the early time, here contemplated
Legislation and oppressive taxation have
not improved the usefulness of the com
mon schools. The school terms are
shortened, and the dependence of the
people OH the public funds for the sup
port of the common schools, has abridg-
ed and diminished the amount Of private
eXerilon, so necessary to sustain them
well, and so requisite to keep up n lively
interest in them. Let the laws require
common school districts to comprise con.
veniert areas, and a sufficient number of
inhabitants; to employ competent teach.
ers of the branches above named to
keep the schools in operation ten months
in the year; the school children of the
poor during the school terms in the
branches enumerated, at the expense Of
the holders of taxable property within
the district, equally assessed to build,
repair, and furnish school houses, by like
assessments, this would be legislation
sufficient. The people might safely be
left to manage their common schools, in
other respects, for themselves.
In 1916 an attempt was made to erect
in the West Village frame building,
which should be convenient for meet
ing house, town house, and school
house, for District No. l, by subscrip-
ton. Some subscriptions were made,
but not more than fifteen dollars paid,
and that by Moses Hall and Thomas
Whelpley. Noah NJ Bronson, Esq,
also drew one of the longest timbers first
upon the ground. With this assistance
oulv, Messrs. Amos Fisk, Hall Smith,
Matthew Hubbard and Philo Booth,
erected the frame of the bnildng which
is now the Town Hall, commonly called
''Firemen's Hail." on Main street, in
front of the present Baptist meeting
house. The frame remained uncovered
until the summer of 1877, when the
four gentlemen last named, feeling the
great need of such public building,
with very commendabe public spirit,
enclosed the frame, laid the upper and
lower floors, erected chimney with n
fireplace in each story, and put some
partitions in the lower story. This
house was used until 1882, T. G. about
fifteen years, for a school house, town
house, house of worship, and Free Mason's
Hall
In the winter lsl7.-is; the present
writer taught the first school in this |
This school was long contin-
ued by this teacher. /. was of mixed |
combining the characteristics
Of common and an academic school. !
The scholars attending it daily, came
from an area not less than five miles
square, cOmprehending the families north !
and south from the extremties OF the |
settlement on the west Jefferson and |
Austimburg roads, down to the
lake on the west side OF the Ashtabnla,
and five miles along both the Ridge
roads in Ashtabula and Saybrook; com
pretending, at various times; most OF |
the scholars in both the East and West
Villages. In the winter term OF lS2O-2l,
the population within these boundaries
had so Increased as to furnish this school |,
scholars. Miss Lucy Hall
was employed as an assistant teacher.
In 1880 the same teacher occupied this
house, with Mr. Richard Robert for his
assistant; one Wintet term! The West
Village furnished him more than 100 pu.
pills during this term. To the common
'chool branches taught by this teacher
I