The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-06-11
A HISTORY OF THE AGRIcUL-
TURAL AND MECHANICAL
Il COLLEGE OF N. G.

&BGaVGrSO az the laying OF LC III L
Sd. 1874 by Mr.. w. j. Peele, ofRaleigh' NJ vi
It 5 said that ten years before the
-aD,t;on OF the movement eliminating
p this institution some farmers In
Edeeccnbe county suggested the pro-
1uriety OF an Agricultural College. AS
the benefits of industrial education
have ooen more or less familiar to Ill
wen-informed persons for the past
twentv-fve years, it is quite probable
that the suggestion was actually made
as vas alleged. 1t was either not very
well received or not much insisted
upon. Tor none of the originators OF
this movement aver heard of it.
But it is not the purpose OF this
pspar TO treat of mere suggestions.
It was said of John Huss that II he
had lived a century later ne Woulo
not have been burned at the stake,
and that his reformation would nave
succeeded like Luther's. How this
would have been we cannot tell. All
that we now know is that he did not
live a century later, and that his re-
formation did not succeed Ike
Luther's. and that he was burned at
the stake. 1t is my purpose IN b 1
napar to show that nearly ten years
later than ten years ago the propriety
OF establishing an Industrial Schooi
in North Carolina was suggested
among some young men OF this city;
that then they showed how the thing
could be done, and that then, with the
powerful assistance of many others,
they went ahead and did it.
Il is also the further purpose OF this
paper to record the names Of the prln-
cipal actors in this movement. There
are some like Mr.. Primrose, Mr. Pull
len, DR.. Dabney and Mr.. Page, whose
names will always be i~ndissolubly con-
nected with this institution. There
are also others like Col. Green, Mr.
Williams and Mr.. Leazar, Of the Board
of Agriculture, whose names ought to
be UNDERSIGNED on the cornerstone.
There are still others like Mr. Wins
low, Nj. Leach and Mr.. Ashley, OF
the Watauga Club; Mr.. Dixon, Mr..
B. Winston and Mr.. Fries, in the Leg
islature; Major Harding, Major Tucker,
Mr.. Bailey and Mr.. w. G. Upchurch,
of the citizens, and Colonel Polk, of
THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER, whose SER
vices are a part of the history of in
dustrial education in North Carolina.
On May 26th, 1884, the Watauga
Club. which had just then been
formed, adopted a prospectus of its
principles and purposes, containing
the following clause: awe proceed
upon the assumption, which cannot be
denied, that there is in our community
q serious lack of accurate and practi-
cal information upon the most COM
mon economic questions which arise
for our consideration" In response
TO this sentiment one of the members,
who had been appointed to "address
the club upon any subject he may
elect" prepared and read at the next
regular meeting Of June 18th a paper
upon Industrial Education and the
feasibility of establishing an Indus
trial School in North Carolina. From
time to time other papers were read
and suggestions offered as to the most
practical plans for establishing such
school. On the 18th of December,
1884, a committee vas appointed with
instructions to present to the club at
its next regular meeting, to be held in
January, 1885, a definite report upon
the practicability of establishing an
Industrial School in North Carolina,
"with a view of submitting the same
to the Legislature which should then
be in session"
At the next meeting of the club,
January 7th, 1885, Mr.. Arthur Wins
low, himself a graduate of an Indus
trial School, read the report of the
committee. On the 18th of January,
at q called meeting of the club, MIR.
w. II. Page offered the following:
/" ReSoIUed, That a committee be ap
pointed to memorialize the Legisla
ture in the name of this club to estab-
lsh an Industrial School in North
Carolina, and respectfully offer to the
Legislature, or a proper committee
thereof, all the information on the sub
ject in possession of the club; that the
committee be empowered, if need be,
to publish such information also"
The resolution was adopted, and
Messrs. Page, Winslow and others
were appointed as the committee.
With the assistance of DR.. Dabney,
the committee prepared a memorial,
the substance of which is as follows:
"lst. To establish an Industrial
School in North Carolina, a training
place in the wealth producing arts and
sciences.
"2d. To be located at Raleigh in
connection with the State Agricultu-
raj Department.
"3d. To erect a suitable building
and provide proper equipment.