Bedford County Schools

The following story should be of interest to school teachers, school directors and administrators. I had the opportunity to look through two County School Superintendents' records for the years of 1874-75 and 1875-76 terms. H.W. Fisher was the Superintendent for 1874 and J.H. Hughes in 1875. School terms at that time were four and a half months.

These two note books were statistical reports under the many headings which included 'grounds'. Here were two items-were the grounds of sufficient size and next were they suitably improved. Next was headed 'houses'. There were nine items to check to indicate if the building was log, brick, stone, or frame. Under the 'teachers' column were fourteen items, then the number of visitatons. This indicated the number of times the school was visited by local school directors. For every school building in the County were a total of 58 items to be checked by the Superintendent. In addition there were two blank pages for miscellaneous notes. Here could be entered remarks which described the classes observed, courses taught and the number in each room.

The first entry was for Bedford Borough. There were two brick school houses. Eight teachers were employed. The youngest was 22 and the oldest was 32. The average ages were even computed to be 26 years. There were 399 students enrolled. Ambrandan Sanson was the teacher in the colored school number 8. There were 36 pupils. 48 were enrolled in the grammar school with G. H. Weimer and Miss Stodart as the teachers. Grades one through five had the remaining 315 pupils. The other teachers were Zora Mower, Miss Welhouse, Ettie J. Irving, Maggie Mower and Maggie McCleery.

The subjects taught were-reading, writing, mental arithmetic, written arithmetic,geography on maps, grammar, composition, drawing and vocal music. Algebra wastaught in the grammar school department.

There were 14 schools in Bedford Township. We noted that the Superintendent reported there were five without suitable privies. The township had seven male and eight female teachers. The average age was 22 years.

Broad Top Township had nine schools and ten teachers. Seven of these did not have suitable privies.

Cumberland Valley had twelve schools. Five of the teachers were men. Frank Fisher was the teacher in the Centerville school.

Colerain Township had 8 schools with eight teachers. Four were women. All schools were reported to be without suitable privies and only two were visited by the local school directors. The schools were-Harclerode, Charlesville, Laurel, Shaffer, Harmonia, Brick Church, Jacob Bowser and the Otts. In the last school it was noted that the furniture was worthless and antiquated. The benches were too small for the small children. Also, the district wants a new school house and rnore playgrounds.

Coal Dale had one twenty year old male teacher. The Superintendent visited this school on February 24,1875. He noted the school had been used by the Methodists for a 'big meeting' and was therefore very dirty, however, the room contained mottoes and wreathes and pictures adorned the walls to make it attractive.

Everett had two male and one female teacher in what was called the Everett Union Schools. Visits were made October 13 and December 2. Miss Alice Black, Abm. Weisel and Professor J.W. Hughes were the teachers. Professor Hughes became the County Superintendent the following year. It seemed the teachers were having trouble in teaching because of overcrowding. Room three had 92 pupils room two had 82 with 37 in room one. Only an average of four minutes per day could be devoted to each child, and only one minute a day to each pupil in each branch. The difficulty seemed to be that time was taken to teach 'the few' the higher branches while the many were kept below in crowded large classes. The notes indicated the school wanted another teacher or that fewer branches be taught so that more pupils could be moved to another room. (Wonder why the teachers did not strike).

Hopewell Township had nine schools. Six were frame, one brick and two of log construction. The average age of the teachers (eight men) was 22 years. The teacher in the 'Florence school' was working under pressure as the building was totally destitute of apparatus.

Harrison Township had eight schools. Half of them were of log construction with two listed as having injurious furniture. Two of the teachers were women. The superintendent spent an average of one and one half hours in each school observing the classes. Only two reported visits by the school directors.

The Manns Choice school had an enrollment of 97. Jas. A. Mullen was the teacher.

Juniata had eight male and two female teachers. Two buildings were logs and all ten schools were without a suitable privy. In only six was the Bible read daily and only three were visited by a school director. Aaron Garber was the teacher of the New Buena Vista school.

Liberty Township's five schools were visited by the Superintendent on January 5 and February 22 and 23, 1875. All the teachers were men. One school was asking for more blackboard surface. Another report indicated the children were 'backward' in reading. The two meetings in February were to try to adjust difficulties between the school board and a teacher who had been dismissed because of his cruelty to the children.

Londonderry Township consisted of nine schools. It had three female teachers. Two of the school houses were log and seven were frame. One was marked unfit to use. Eight of the schools had Bible reading. The Superintendent, on January 19 reported that he did not reach the "Wagerman School" on this date. He almost perished with cold trying to get there.

Monroe Township had 14 schools, all frame construction. Twelve of the teachers were men and eleven had taught five years or longer. Nine intended to make teaching a permanent business. Three held professional certificates, but none had permanent ones. Charles Barkman was the teacher in the Clearville school with 56 pupils,

Napier Township had thirteen male teachers and no females Their average age was 23 years. The youngest was 18 and the oldest 35. Two had no previous teaching experience while four had taught more than five years. Two had attended a State Normal School but no one had graduated. Twelve teachers read the Bible daily. J.M. Moore was the teacher in New Paris. He had sixty pupils.

Apparently one school in West Providence Township (steam tannery) was visited. The Superintendent on December 1874 entered the following comments over the two pages- 'did not visit the schools in this district, cause, the school board refused to keep their schools open five months according to law'.

The same entry was made for the schools in East Providence Township, yet it was recorded that the Foor school was taught by Miss Jersey A. Schenck. The Superintendent also met here with the teacher and citizens of the community because the teacher had whipped several pupils and the parents wanted her dismissed. The pupils claimed they could not pronounce certain words in their lesson, while the teacher claimed the children were very mischevious and could not be controlled without corporal punishment. After careful examination the school board reprimanded the citizens and retained the teacher.

Rainsburg had one 25 year old teacher who had five years teaching experience. There were 74 pupils enrolled. The Superintendent spoke to the class for thirty minutes. Two school directors were also in attendance. He noted too, the school had greatly improved over the previous year.

Southampton Township had eleven male and three female teachers. There were twelve frame and two log school buildings. Only nine teachers read the morning Bible service. There were thirteen school age children who were not attending.

St. Clairsville's only teacher was Frank Oster. He had 56 pupils enrolled. The remarks indicated that the school should never have been built where it is as there was not sufficient playground and was hemmed in by stables.

Saxton Borough also had one teacher, Frank Fletcher. The Superintendent made his visit here on January 7, 1875. The enrollment was 67. The report showed that Mr. Fletcher was progressive and earnest. He wanted a class in History.

St. Clair Township had 16 schools. Twelve were frame and four of logs. Twelve teachers were men. Six had no previous experience.

The Fishertown school was taught by Mr. W. Mock. 43 pupils were enrolled. The Eight Square school had G.W. Blackburn as its teacher. There were 47 pupils here.

There were three teachers, two male and one female teachers in the one-three grade rooms in Schellsburg Union School. They were Sue E. Gates, Elwood Lukins and Wm. R. Vaughan. A note appears 'School lacks life', yet another entry shows the school was orderly and progressive.

Snakespring Township had four teachers. All buildings were frame construction. One school was reported to be well organized and doing considerably well. Another school was described as 'Pupils only employed part of the time gives occasion for disorder and neglect of the little they have to do,' while another was described as 'dirt and dust everywhere. Outline maps enclosed in case, look as if they had not been used during the winter. Teacher not competent for position, cannot govern the school-lacks firmness and amuses many of his pupils'.

S.M. Beckley was the only teacher in Pleasantville. He had 53 pupils in an old frame building. Mr. Beckley reported that he had done all he could do to induce more to take the study, but to no purpose. The school system lacked life and proper appreciation of the school system.

In the small Township of Union there were fifteen schools. Only eight teachers had five or more years teaching experience. One school was reported as 'very dull' and the teacher 'antiquated'. Another school was marked 'good', while another was 'improving'.

Middle Woodbury Township had twelve male teachers with an average of slightly over 20 years. Twelve teachers read the Bible in school. Not a single teacher had attended a State Normal School Two new buildings were erected in the past year One school was reported as not doing as well as the previous year Another school was well organized and progressive.

Woodbury Borough had two men teachers who had five or more years of teaching experience. There were 93 pupils in the two rooms. The principal had control of the whole school at a salary of $100 per annurn. Out of this he had to pay his assistant. The school house was recorded as being in more healthy condition that the previous year and the interest and deportment much better than formerly. South Woodbury had eleven male teachers with only two who had attended a Normal School. R.C. McNamar was the teacher at New Enterprise. He had 52 pupils. J.F. Snyder was the teacher at Pattonsville. (Now Loysburg). The Superintendent noted the latter school had not been doing as much this winter because quite a number of pupils had been sick.

In browsing through the two record books a hundred years old they brought out many problems which the County Superintendent, teachers, pupils and school directors had to solve. A few statistics also brought out many interesting facts. There were 225 teachers, 171 male and only 54 female teachers in the 214 school buildings. Only two teachers in the county had graduated from a State Normal School although 14 had attended Normal School classes. 91 had five or more years of classroom teaching and 17 had permanent certificates. In the 214 school building count were 27 old log houses converted into schools. The amusing point was that the majority of teachers were either in their late teens or early twenties. Very few were past forty years of age.

The Superintendent also used his notebook to write down a few notes to obtain answers for someone. We found a note in which he wrote 'Is there any law exonerating crippled soldiers (civil war) from paying school tax? Can school directors close a school at the end of the four months on account of pupils leaving school rendering a school to three or four pupils and still get their appropriations? Is a collector entitled to his commission for collecting on the State appropriation? We failed to find any notation as to whether he ever found the answers to these questions. We also found many comments on and about the County Schools made after each visit. Most were made in pencil and the writing is exceptionally small. Time and much handling have made many notes and reports so faded that they cannot be read. The comments were school too large and noisy, house too small for the number of pupils, needs new school. House comfortable but needs better seats and more furniture. Desks are poor, too small. Seats too high for small children, room too cold for pupils, needs new stove. One now in use smokes so much the pupils can hardly stay in the room. School house unsuitable, needs a new one. Not sufficient apparatus to operate efficiently. Teacher intends to close at the end of December to enter the Prothonotary's office as a clerk. Pupils not as industrious as they should be. School should be graded-too much work for one teacher to do justice to himself and school.

Not all the Superintendent's written comments were critical. There were numerous reports such as 'teacher doing real good job. Relations good. School clean, orderly and pupils attentive. Teacher moving along steadily. Back a hundred years ago there were no teachers strikes. We wonder how many teachers today would remain in the class room if they had to teach under the conditions that existed at that time for a salary of thirty dollars or less per month?