The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-09-02
OLD Time Schools in Augusta.

OlQ 1liU0 SSCuOClS aug
Chas. Grattan, Esq, superintendent of Pub
lie Schools for the county, has sent to the State
Superintendent of Education the following in
teresting historical sketch of the Schools of
Augusta county:
| From the close of the Revolutionary war
down to about 1910 or 1912 nothing was
| taught in the common or "old field' schools
save the three Rs" Reading, Biting and Ritz
2eetac and this by class of men in many cases
carcely less ignorant than the pupils they at
| tempted to teach; as illustrating this and the
methods by which they were selected, re-
member an old story related by my grandta-
Their as happening about the beginning of the
century.-My grandfather was one of the gen
tlemen in the neghborhood in which he lived,
who were generally consulted as to the ac-
quirements of the candidates to teach. On one
occasion he was called upon by an applicant
who desired to get his endorsement, when the
following dialogue ensued: what can you
teach" "Well, most anything" "Do you
know your letters ?" ooh! yes "Can you
spell? "Oh yes" "Can you read?" "No; I
cannot, but think | can learn while the
scholars are learning to spell" This particu-
lar applicant was not endorsed, though doubt
less there were many like him, laboring in the
but they were rare, and up to 1910 or 1912 if a
young man of the county desired to acquaint
himself with the classics or study the higher
mathematics, there was no other way but to
hammer it out himself or procure the private
tutorage of some of the ministers of the Pres
byterian church who, were scattered in most
of the neighborhoods and were all men of edu-
cation.
About 1912 George Alfred taught at Col
Anderson's near the present village of Verona,
English grammar bookkeeping and survey
ing; Francy Johnston taught the same at
AIowry's, in the neighborhood of New Hope.
There were other schools | suppose of this
class in the country at this time, as there was
nothing in the two localities to give them
higher intellectual advantages than other
points, so that about this time we may reckon
an advancement from the ''three Rs curricu-
lum.
About 1910 young man named George
Bolen taught at Bells Grove Academy on the
lands Of William Bell, about miles northeast
of Staunton. In this school Latin and mathe
MATES were taught, and here DR.. John Hang
er and james Nelson, both, through long lives,
useful and influential citizens Of the county
were taught.
LII 1918 OF 1919 DR.. Hendren, them young
man, came to the county from Amherst. He
had two or three years before graduated at
Washington College and married, been licensed
to preach and gone to Amherst to take charge
of an academy there, where he remained
for a year or two and came TO Augusta and
settled near the present village of Parnassus,
and took charge of one or two churches. Here
for a period Of 30 years he taught an excellent
classical school, having generally from 20 to 25
young men with him annually. They came
from all parts of the State, drawn by his rep
utation as teacher and disciplinarian. sup
pose he is entitled to the credit of curing and
licking into shape more crooked sticks and
cross tempered cubs than any other teacher in
the State and SO sensible was his course and
admirably administered his discipline that
while they feared they loved him and the eve
ming of his long and useful life was gilded
By the loving light reflected from the eyes of
his pupils wheresoevcr he wandered in his
State. His liberality to poor young men, es-
pecially those preparing for the ministry, was
noted and not a few of them owe him the help
that has enabled them to be useful and honor
ed men. Very many Of Virginia's noblest and
best men owe their training in youth to this
excellent man. Time torbids to name them,
yet cannot omit to mention one, who has
shed so much lustre on learning and gone
down in green old age to an honored grave
DR.. Gessner Harrison, late of the University
of Virginia. John G. Slower, one of Dr. Hen
drens pupils succeeded him, when, about
1888, he gave up at the school, and Mr.. Slower
removed it to Churchville, where he continued
it successfully until, and for some years after,
the war. Mr.. S. is now living and is an active
business man, being the County Surveyor.
About 1920 DR.. Wilson, who had previously
taught in Stanton, removed to the neighbor
hood of Waynesboro, bought the place now
known as the Grove place, and opened a
school, which he continued while he was pas
tor of the Thinking Spring church. am not
quite sure whether this was exclusively for
girls or was mixed. The DR.. taught boys in
StauntOn and was noted for the pleasure he
seemed tie take in administering the birch |
This school lasted until near 1940 from which |
period this neighborhoOd has never been with |
out q fine school, taught by DR.. Ben. Smith, |
Mr.. Richardson, Mr.. Jones, Mr.. Phillips, Mr.. |
Kemper and others that | cannot now recall, |
and has turned out some useful men in the |
world of letters notably the Massies and Fish |
burns.
About 1888 the Rev. Enoch Thomas estab- |
lished a school for girls and boys at Shemariah |
church, which after short time drifted into |
male classical school, 1t was considerably |
patronized and continued until near 1885, |
when the Rev. Mr.. Emerson took charge oft |
and it was continued think until about the |
commencement of the war.
In 1916 the Rev. D. F. Bittle established a |
school near Mt. Tabor Qutheran) church on |
rhe farm of B. F. Mailman. This was Luthe- |
can school, and was known both as the Luth- |
tran Institute and as Hailmans Institute It |
was successfully carried ON until about 1850, |
when it was removed to Salem and become |
Roanoke College. 1t was very good school |
and well conducted, having some 30 or 40 pupils |
About 1850 classical schools sprung up in |
many sections of the county and indeed in the |
State about this time there seems to have been a |
sort of revival of learning. Among them we
may particularize Hotchkiss at Messy Creek,
succeeded by L. j. White, who conducted for |
a few years there one of the best schools the |
State has ever had-Hotchkiss at Loeb Will |
low and Packer at the Augusta church. Du- |
ring this whole interval from 1900 to 1860 there
was the substratrum of the old field schools, |
slowly improving, out very slowly, and taught
tune for more active outdoor life.
Respectfully,
CHARLES GRATTAN |