Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-07-23
EDUCATIONAL.
HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN
BRADY TOWNSHIP.

BRADY TOWNSHIP.
BY W. s. LUTHER.
The educational history of Brady
township is properly divided into four
periods, viz; The early settlements, or
period Of no schools second, the pc
riod of "Pay schools !" third, the period
Of "Free Schools" before tho County
Superintendency; fourth, the period
of the Superintendency.
FIRST PERIOD.
The first white settler OF Brady
tow nship, or the county, of whom we
have any record, was James Woodside,
of Chester county, Pa. He made the
first settlement on warrant No. $40 on
Stump creek in the year 1885. The
farm is known as the"W oodside Place, {"
and is owned by Capt. l.. B. Carlile,
an OK teacher OF the township. Mr..
Woodside died in 1885, and his remains
lie in an unmarked grave in the
Luthersburg Cemetery. Twenty-Five
years after this settlement. (lS07) Joab
Ogden located farm and settled
about mile farther down the creek.
Shortly after this, George, Michael and
Fred. Shaffer settled in the northern
part of the twp. George settled on the
farm where Dubois now stands. The
other two brothers located their farms
farther up the creek of Sandy Lick.
In 1914 three brothers, James, Benja-
min and Thomas Carson made settle
ments, and in 1920 Lebbeus Luther, OF
Massachusetts,, bought and settled a
tract OF land where Luthersburg now
stands. Benjamin Bonsall was the
next settler and afterwards a teacher
of the township. The southern part
of the township was settled by Ger.
mans, who are strong supporters of
popular education and have done much
in the educational work of the town
ship. All the early settlers remained
citizens Of the township until their
death except Mr.. Luther, who moved
to Ridgway in l845.
SECOND PERIOD.
As large proportion of the early
settlers were men without families,
there was no necessity for schools until
1924, when the first school in the
township was taught in the Union
Church at Luthersburg, a log building
erected forschool and church purposes.
The first house built exclusively for
school purpose, was located at the
Union graveyard, about mile east of
Troutvile. The teachers of th is pc.
riod seitod their qualifications to
teach in an agreement, which was
signed by himself and the patrons.
That is, he would agree to teach Ger.
tain branches as far as certain rules.
For instance, in arithmetic, teacher
would agree to teach as far as the
"Single, or Double Rule of Three !"
and some who considered themselves
masters of the branch would include
"Tare and Tret." The first teacher of
Ds~ay tOwnsLiP .'..s Wilson ovvpoi,
who taught in the Union Church, at
Luthersburg in 1924. There was no
school until 1928, when Peter Hoover
opened a school in the church. He
also taught in 1929. In 1880, David
Hoover taught the school, and in 1881
school was opened by John McGorlic.
There is no record of schools, then,
until 1884, although schools were held
in the township.
THIRD PERIOD.
The Common School law of Penn
sylvania was passed in 1884, and in
1895 this township voted upon the law
and adopted it with a good majority.
This period marks great change over
the "Pay Schools" of few years be-
fore. The school boards examined the
teachers and fixed certain standard
of qualification necessary for teach.
or. Although the plan was not good
one, it was the best that could be had
at the time, and laid a sure foundation
for a better future. The number Of
schools OF this period as yet could not
be ascertained, but among the teachers
we find the names OF John Carlile,
George Gotwalt, Lebbeus Luther, Ben.
jamin Bonsall, John II. Seyler, Joseph
Seyler, John Reams, Elijah Wall, Mary
A. Carlile, A. J. Hemphill, Peter Ar.
mold, Lewis Rishel, Hiram Il. Carlile,
]. @. Barrett, p. W. Barrett and lcre
Miles. There were a number Of good
houses built and the number Of schools
had increased to seven in 1854
FOURTH PERIOD.
In 1854 the County Superintendency
was established and DIR. Schriver was
elected the Superintendent of the
county. The school system in Brady
then commenced wonderful change.
The qualifications of teachers had been
tested by the School Board, but now
this duty belonged TO the Superintend.
ent. Although the looked.ior change
in the schools was slow in being de-
vcloped, in few years the standard
of qualification was raised, teachers
became Interested in the school work
as a profession, and the people, also,
became more interested in the educa.
tional work of the township. Several
new houses were built, and IN 1859
there were ten schools in the township.
By 1868 Brady had 80 increased in
population that il was found the school
Accommodations OF former years were
entirely insufficient for the times, and
more thorough and substantial work
must be commenced. This year is then
marked as the commencement Of the
real and rapid development of educa-
tlona! work in the township, by the
citizens, teachers, and the school board.
The school board commenced the
erection of large and comfortable
buildings with convenient play grounds
and out.buildings. This work was con-
tinucd until every district was supplied
with good accommodations, besides the
formation Of large number Of new
districts and tho grading OF number
Of schools.
TOWNSHIP INSTITUTES.
In 1863 the School Board also CO,
tablished the Brady Township Teach
ers' Institute, allowing the time TO the
teachers. Tho Institute in the town
ship was held at Luthersburg, hold