The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-04-27

in what Is now the "Old Part or west
Virginia" writes Edmund Conway
in the Huntington. w. Va. Advertiser.
BY this is meant Berkely. Jefferson.
Morgan and the valley OF the South
Branch In which are Hampshire,
Hardy and Pendleton counties.
In 1747 George Washington. while
surveying lands for Lord Fairfax In
the upper Pot omac. made an entry in
his journal concerning a schoolhouse.
This Is the first we know of a build
Ing for such purposes in Western
Virginia. This was 1l8 years before
West Virginia became State.
Those who are students OF State
history will remember that as early
as the Constitutional Convention OF
1829-30, which met at Richmond. that
there was much discussion in regard
TO public education on the part OF the
western representatives. These were
ginia since they did not favor legis-
lation that would benefit the people
In what Is now our State. The peo-
pie of Western Virginia wanted an
educational system that would favor
rich and poor alike since Virginia
had in 1916 inaugurated a system of
common schools which was little
benefit to the poorer classes.
The following statistics for the
year 1888 were taken from Martins
Gazateer of Virginia: In 1898 Ohio
county had forty primary schools,
500 poor children OF whom 2S2 were
in school with an average attendance
of elghty-one days. The following
was taken from the Federal census
of 1850: Marshall county had five
teachers. twenty-five schools and
700 pupils. The same year Marshall
had 1,031 people who could neither
read or write. This number includes
white foreign born and free coloreG.
In the first Wheeling convention,
held May 10, 1861, which led to the
formation of our State, the question OF
education was not neglected. AS it
was said that many people were leav-
ing this part of Virginia since else
where they could better educate their
children.
WEST vIRGINIA's SYSTEM.
When West Virginia became a State
in 1853, 1t had no common school 3ys-
tenn, but work was at once begun to
inaugurate one. June 20, 1853. the
of West Virginia began. On
that day the first legislature of our
State assembled. Four days later the
president of the senate, John NJ.
Phelps, appointed a committee on edu-
cation consisting of senators. The
same day the speaker of the house of
delegates, Spicer Patrick, appointed
a house committee on education. The
Joint work of these two committees
brought about the first school law of
the State. 1t was entitled IAN act
providing for the establishment of a
system Of free schools"
The joint vote Of both branches of
the Legislature on the first day of
June, 1864, elected William Rylapd
White for the terms of two years.
Thus began the work Of our free
school system.
In some parts Of the State the citi-
zens objected to the free school sys-
tenn. since, they said, taxes would
be too high, but West Virginia was
not the only State where such OBJ
jections were made. Indiana and
States which became lead
ers in education. had made trouble in
inaugurating their free school sys-
tenn.
Previous to the free systems of
schools in our State, the people of
the community employed a teacher
who was willing to give instruction
to all for whom tuition was paid
Usually some resident of the neigh
borhood taught the school. but in
this district q few OF our earliest
teachers were from Pennsylvania and
Ohio.
OLD FIELD SCHOOLS.
Schools were few and those who
could attend were not so fortunate
as boys and girls are now. Some
tinea In poipp IN schooI thew had tn