The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-09-18
One OF GARRETT'S FIRST
SCHOOLS, THE ACADEMY
Established At the Request of
John Hoye During the Early
Years of the Last Century

being deeply interested in the welfare
of the pioneers of western Allegany
county, where his family owned large
tracts of land, and especially in the
education of his brother Williams
children, induced William Warren,
school master, an Englishman, to pro-
coed from Cumberland and establish a
school, known as "The Academy" This
was one of the first schools in what is
now Garrett county and as indicated
by it's title was designed as the edu-
cational center for the western dis
trict, its founders doubtless hoping
that it would one day rank with the
Academy at Cumberland and similar
schools of the day.
John Hoye himself paid large part
of the masters salary, whose expenses
were not heavy, since he boarded
around" among the patrons, and was
not tempted to buy non-essentials, the
nearest store being forty miles away
and the moving picture theatre one
hundred years in the future.
Our Academy was a comparatively
large log house, clapboard roof,punch-
con floor. There was no sawmill in
the vicinity and the furniture consist
ed of logs split and supported on
wooden legs, rough hewn desk and
stool for the master, and blackboard
of slabs split from pine log, planned
and painted black on the exposed side.
It was built by the first settlers on
the Hoye lands at "Crabtree Bottom"
near the present village of McHenry.
Later the school was transferred to
a new log house at the "Cross Roads"
on the Enlow farm, where James War
rem, brother of William, taught
many years. The Warrens possessed
that most necessary qualification for
a teachers "credential" in those early
days-the ability to use the hickory
rod. Milder methods of discipline in
cluded standing noisy pupils on the
stumps in the school grounds and
sending the obstreperous big boys out
to gather the fruits" and other fire.
wood from the clearings. Switch
ing" was an effective remedy for tar
diness.
Settlers were few and far apart, but
children were many. William Hoye
reared seventeen. They all at some
time attended the academy-perhaps
forty or more of all ages and many
grades of advancement. Pupils in
cluded the numerous Hoye family;
children of Meshach Browning-Mary
(DeWitt), James, William, Priscilla
(Hone), Rachel (Friend), and James
Dolan, an adopted Irish boy; children
of jeremiah Enlow-John, Allen, Jer-
ry and William; John Friends family
Willis, Elijah, Joseph, Cornelius,
Samuel, Elizabeth (Hoye), Harrison,
Rebecca (Johnson), Sarah (Savage);
John DeWitt's family-Joseph, John
and Arch; Dominick Mattingly's FAM
ily-Mashach, Washington, Richard,
Ann (DeWitt), Mary (Sebold); the
Townshend family-Jeremiah L., Pris-
ella (King), Ann armstrong;, Sim
gIeton L., Louisa, Mary (Townshend).
Subjects taught were chiefly the
three "R's," with emphasis on the. diff
ficult English spelling, and English
grammar for those prepared to take
it. Contrary to the practice of the
early New England schools the teach
ing of religion seems to have been
omitted, but Sunday school and church
services were early held in the school
house.
Little has been told us of games
and play at school, but doubtless rae
ing through the woods at the noon
hour, long walks to and from the
school and the chores at home gave
the young pioneers ample physical eX-
ercise. A favorite sport Of the big
boys was "a fight" No gloves used
and accompanied with more or less
real anger. One story Of such an en-
counter informs US that as Harrison
Friend sat down to eat his lunch one
oay obliging school mates informed
him that William Browning was wait
ing outside "to lick him."
"Pester to it," said the future min
lister and judge, "I'll attend to him
right away"
Putting away his lunch, he promptly
met William in the woods nearby
where they chad it out" before an adj
miring and cheering audience. Re-
ports of who won differ, depending OH
which family is telling the story.
Judge D. Harrison Friend, pupil
of this school, writing of his school
mates, said: 'T appreciate the men,
DRY of the scholars who attended that
old school more than I can express.
They were a credit to any community
intelligent and studious, jealousy
trying to get all the information they
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