The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-04-14
Educational.
HISTORY OF PINDLAY SCHOOLS.

Findlay Schools has had no fables o
Romulus or the Seven Kings of the Sever
Hills to puzzle over, yet scarcely les
perplexing have been the efforts to har
monte the accounts of the Oldest inhab
itants concerning those times of whicl
the memories of men runneth not to tn,
contrary.
Findlay was laid out in 1921, and de
rived its name from old Fort Finley
built short distance north of the city
during the war of 1912. The spelling
was subsequently, changed to FindIay
The history of its schools, at this early
date, was similar to that 5f most places
of like origin. A small log school house
where school was kept, supported by
| public funds, succeeded the little ''pay
school" which offered the only educa
tional advantages of the early settlers.
This stood on the present side of the C.
3. 4 G. depot, and answered the double
purpose of church and school house un-
til about 1885, when a building was com
| pleted where the National Bank now
stands, ON the southwestern corner OF
Main and Crawford Streets. This build
ing was also used for a Court House.
there being two stories. This alliance
continued until 1910, when the present
Court House was completed, and the
old building was converted into hotel.
The school was moved from one place to
another until the completion of the new
building on the corner of East and
Crawford Streets in 1910. This was a
twc-story building Of four rooms.
Among the earliest teachers of note
may be mentioned the name of John
Bowman. He was a man of moderate
attainments, but he had that peculiar
fitness and aptness to teach, which, with
his genuine good nature and perfect hon.
esty, gained him the respect of both
parents and pupils. He died in 1873,
near Carey, Wyandot county, having
left the teachers profession for that of
farming after service OF about thirty
five years.
In 1852, under the law of 1Si9. the
schools were divided into four independ-
ent districts, two ON the east side of
Main Street, and two on the west side,
and school-houses were built in each,
the northeastern continuing to occupy
the old building. Three of these soon
abandoned their separate organizations,
but the southwestern still continues to
exist under the name of District No. 9,
although several attempts have been
made to unite it with the other schools
These buildings, however, continued in
use. There was no system of grading
at this time, except that a few OF the
more advanced pupils were gathered
into the old buiiding, where in connec-
ton with more advanced classes in the
common bran ches, algebra, natural
philosophy, and the like, were some.
times taught Otherwise the pupils at
tended that school which was most con-
venient. There were no changes of con-
sequence in the management of the
schools for number of years. The
enrolment slowly increased, and other
small buildings were from time to time
erected for their accommodation. These
were, some of them, rather disreputable
affairs, with long seats around the walls,
and tables in front instead of desks,
while the smaller pupils were not sup
posed to need anything but small seat
without any back. Upon seats of this
kind many of the men and women of
to day dragged the long hours away, in
terrupted by an occasional monotonous
exercise in alb alb. But the more for
tunate little fellows, who attended one
of the buildings, sometimes varied the
exercises by creeping out hole in the
wall, which afforded convenient egress,
and running the risk of getting back
again before the leaeher should find it
out; otherwise they were not so fortu-
nate.
Among those who had control of the
schools during this period may be men
toned Alonzo Kimber and w. h. Leon
ard. Both were in Office considerable
length of time, and discharged their du.
ties to the satisfaction of all.
In 1850, Mr.. Ephraim Miller took
charge of the schools. He devoted his
time to teaching in the High School
grade, giving very little TO the work of
supervision.
There were classes at times in most of
the ordinary High School branches, but
there was no prescribed course of study.
A considerable nurAber of resident pupils
were in attendance, and these, together
with the others, each pursued whatever
course his fancy dictated, without much
regard to personal fitness or the efficient
working of the school To a very great
extent, pupils in the lower grades con-
tinued to be ranked according to their
size, the reader they were ''in," or the
section of the town in which they hap
pened to reside, and other things being
regarded as subsidiary to these, were
warped to suit the conditions of the
basis. The fact that two pupils were in
the same reading class was no proof that
they were in the same class in arithmetic,
or, in fact, that they were even pursuing
that study at all.
The schools also continued TO occupy
the same buildings as before, until the fall
of 1868, when the Central building was
completed. This is still the principal
structure. 1t is four stories high, in
cluding the basement, and is surmount-
ed by two towers, which give it a very
commanding appearance. Avery pleas
ant and commodious hall occupies a por-
ton of the upper floor, and is used for
general exercises of the schools. The
basement is used for play rooms in in
clement weather and for the furnaces by
which the building is heated. The
remainder is devoted to school rooms
which are well fitted up with modern
appliances.
The old building was moved to the
west end of Crawford street, where it
now stands, and is occupied by the Pri-