Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-11-23
ONE MORE CORRECTION
BY one of First ResIdents and Mem
Der OF First School sosrd.

Editor Republican: Having noted
the error in your article with reference
to the first schools in Audubon, | was
pleased to note its correction by Mrs.
Cameron. But now comes Mrs. Paul
with an article correcting Mrs. Cam
erOn, and the reader who is not in
formed 10y personal knowledge, is
left to wonder who is right. Having
been on the ground from the beginning
and taken an interest in these things,
| can make the matter plain to all.
Mrs. Pauls memory does not serve
her well.
The school house which was located
a block south of the Northwestern
station, was built in November or
December 1873. AS | remember, it
was not completed on Dec. Sth, as on
that day few of us gathered there
for religious service But the minister
Rev. j. w. Lewis the NJ. f. Pastor
who lived at Hamlin, having learned
the house was not in condition for
service did not come. think the
plastering was completed but the
house had not been cleaned. But
was put in condition, the desks placed
| III lbs anu blllIIh SSl'JOl 'IJtuGu IlldJ
week. At any rate on Dec 18th Rev.
Lewis preached in it to - of us. all
men.
Robert Hunter was the first teacher,
and Mr.. Frank Root, now a resident
Of Audubon, was the director who
employed him. | sold the school
books used in the school. The pupils
were nearly all from families who had
! ingt laI in tho NJ,
! Pearl attended during the latter
part of the term, it being his first
school experience.
quote the following from Vol ]
| No | of the Audubon Advocate dated
Jan. /, 1879.
Robert Hunter son of James
Hunter of Melville township is teach
ing the first term of school in the city
with 40 pupils in attendance. Mr..
! Hunter is quite young man, and
without previous experience as a
teacher, but he is having excellent
success, and giving complete salts
faction, all of which we are pleased to
note" 1t is true Mr.. Hunter was en-
ployed by Leroy township director,
and paid from the township school
funds, and the same was also true of
Mrs. Paul Nee Cameron) when she
taught the term in the spring of 70:
but both schools were composed al
most exclusively of residents of the
town.
On May 3lst 1879, a meeting of the
electors was held to vote upon the
proposition of organizing an indie
pendent district. f. j. Freeman was
chairman and | was secretary of the
meeting. +. Baxter, +. w. Beghtol,
and NJ. f. Marbel were judges. rs
votes were cast, III being for the
organizing of an Ind. Dist. and |
against. July 9th board of direct
ors consisting of f. M. Funk, T. G..
Lundy, A. II. Roberts, Noah Keller,
+. II. Burr and w. Burnside was
elected and we held our first meeting
the same evening, II. G. Lundy being
elected the first president.
| When the question of division of
the property and school funds be-
tween the Ind. Dist. and the Dist.
township came up we were not able to
agree with the Dist. township board,
and after making two trips to Luc-
cocks grove to meet the township
board and failure to agree, the
matter was settled by arbitration,
Mr.. |. X. Johnson of Lincoln town,
ship being chosen by our board as
one of the arbitratOrs. July 18th the
| question of issuing 81 800 schoo
bonds for the erection of new build.
ing was voted upon and carried Aug
l4th Geo. n. Funk and Mrs. Sarah
Dustin (nOw Mrs. Cameron were
elected teachers. The four room build
ing which was recently torn down
was erected that fall, and occupied
the following winter.
Much more might be written con
corning these early days when eact
day made history for our little city
and this institution that has been such
a factor in blessing our town anG
surrounding country, but | refrain
from occupying more space.
Very truly yours,
a. IL, ROBERTS.