The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-10-15
The Origin and Progress Of the Public
pE school System In West Virginia. 8i

The letter found below was written in
the Centennial year, with the object Of
perpctuating knowledge of the origin and
progress Of the public school system in
West Virginia. It was intended that il
should be given to the public sooner, and
as most Of the persons referred to in the
letter are now dead, and the writer may
SOON he numbered it is deemed
best to publish itnow, that the important
information which it contains may be GER
tainly perpetuated. The original manu-,
script will be found with Judge Cranmer;
WHEELING, october Isl, 1876.
Hon. Gibson l. Crdamtr; ~ n Il anal
DEAR SR:--At your request you arc
hereby furnished with a brief account Of
the origin and progress of our public
school system In Western Virginia. N5gl
In the spring Of 1910, as near Us tho
writer can recollect, he was teaching d
Female Seminaryiin Clarksburg, va, He
invited Rev. Charles Wheeler, then prcsi-
dent OF Rector College, Pruntytown, to ad.
dress his pupils and the citizens Of CIarks.
burg on the subject ofedhcation, which he
accordingly did. While Mfr. Wheeler was
speaking he made some alluSion to sys-
TEN of public schools as something greatly
to be desired in the State OF Virginia, and
suggested the propriety OF calling a con
vetion OF the citizens Of n. W. Virginia
to meet ut Clarksburg, for the purposeo OF
celebrating on the subject. AT the close
Of the address, and al the suggestion OF
Waldo p. Golf, Esq, who was acting MS
Chairman, the writer offered a resolution
to the desired effect, which was adopted.
To carry out the purpose OF this resolution
the Chairman appointed the following
Committee, viz: James III. MCNiechen,
Gideon D.. Camden, William A. Harrison,
James McCauly, and on motion, the name
of Waldo ?. COT was added to the COM
mittee.
Within q few days after this meeting the
committee issued q circular calling u Con.
vention to meet at Clarksburg on the Sth
day OF September following, that being the
time OF holding the Fall Term Of the L.. s..
Court. After a few weeks this circular
was cordially responded TO in a letter from
the city OF Wheeling, signed by Drs. Thos.
Townsend, Calvin Ruter and Ezekiel Hill
drcth. The committee embodied this let
ter in q strong appeal to the citizens Of
Virginia, which was fayorably noticed by
some OF the most prominent papers in the
State, but treated with coolncss by the ma
jority. When the time for the meeting Of
the Convention arrived, II was found that
some 90 or 20 delegates were present from
the different counties In Western Virginia,
many OF whom We're, men OF prominence
and high responsibility. Hon. George II.
Lee was elected Chairman, and Luther
Raymond and James II. McAfechen, Sec
retaries. The delegation from Wheeling
consisted OF NChariah Jacob, Redick
Mckee, Rev VIM. Armstrong, Hon. Geo.
W. Thompson, DR.. Thomas Townsend, L.
Hildreth and G, Ruter.
During the sitting Of the convention,
very interesting papcrs were read, one
prepared In print by Rev. Alexander
Campbell, Of Bethany, and another BY
Hon. g. W. Thompson, OF Wheeling
After much animated discussion, q resolu.
tloI was passed calling a convention 10
meet at Lewishurg the same fall, and dele.
gates were appointed to attend the same.
The ClaTksburg convention then adjourn.
cd sine die, and the Lewisburg convention