Ligonier High School - Lance Yearbook (Ligonier, IN)

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Wxx 3..,.1, 'r A l Lb 413 amasse- XJ The High School Building as it looked before the wings were added l FIRST SCHOOLS. The first school building erected on the p1'esent site of Lig- onier was a small hewed log structure rudely and hastily put together, in about 1837, by four or five of the early settlers in the vicinity. One of the men was Jacob Wolf from whose land the logs were taken. Miss Ashca Kent was employed to teach the first school: she received her salary by subscriptions and by boarding around. The second teacher was Henry Hostetter, and the third James Miller. The log school- house was used for almost everything until about 1851, when on account of its dilap- idated condition it was succeeded by a small fram building which was known far and near as the Red Schoolhouse . WHEN THE TEACHER FAILED AND FELL. A few years after thi-s school- house was erected, Mr. Eli B. Gerber was employed to teach the young urchins who assembled there. The first morning he fired up his sinking courage, repaired to the ' school, and began vigorously to ring the bell. Miscalculating either on his strength or on the toughness of the bell rope, the cord snapped off just as he began to ring. What in the world was to be done? A happy thought darted through his bewildered mind. He would ascend into the loft through the small uncovered opening in the ceiling, and tie the rope together, The thought was no sooner conceived than up the 3 loft he went. By this time the children began to flock in, anxious for a good squint S at the new teacher. They saw nothing of that functionary until the latter, making : a misstep above, came thundering down through the plaster, tearing off, on the way, : nearly half of the lath on the ceiling. The students stared in terror at the formid- Q able object, thinking, doubtless, that the old Devil himself was after them, and then, g with one accord ran pell-mell out of the room thoroughly frightened. School on : that day was a decided failure. E THE RED SCHOOLHOUSEH. The old red school house was built in the l E ordinary way, by means of funds raised by direct taxation. This was used until E 1865 when the present three storied brick building was constructed at a cost of about S S12,000. Money certificates or orders on the Town Treasurer, for stipulated sums : were issued by the Trustees, and purchased by the citizen-s. The citizens were sadly : U I ! 2 I A 'J an Page 27

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5 1 ' :lL fl l Nxxx 4 cl l I i s e w l l U At present Mr. Sol Henoch is presdient, Mr. Jonas Schloss, vice presi- dent, and Fred Ackerman, secretary. The Rabbi is William Stern of South Bend. ' UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH. The United Brethren Church of Ligonier was organized January 1, 1874, in an old school house on the North Side, by Rev. F. Thomas, as part of Indian Village Circuit, St. Jo- seph Annual Conference. In the fall of 1874 Ligonier with Burr Oak was made Ligonier Mission Station. In 1878 with Burr Oak and Solomon's Creek, it was called Ligonier Circuit, but in 1888 under the labors of W. M. Burr, D. D., it became a self-supporting station. In the organization then were forty charter members. - During the second year of the Church there was quite a religious awakening and a great number received into the Church. The present Church building was built in 1874 and was dedicated by Bishop J. Weaver, D. D., February 21, 1875. It was in 1888 that the large and commodious parsonage was built. This Church is now one of the strongest in towng the number of mem- bers is two hundred and fifty. Rev. Risley, formerly a missionary to Africa is pastor at the present time. Connected with the Church are the Sunday School, of which Mrs. H. E. Robinson is Superintendent, a Women's Missionary Society, a Ladies Aid Society, a Christian Endeavor, and an Otterbein Guild, a girls' Missionary Society. l ADVENTIST CHURCH. In May, 1875, Elders I. H. Land and H. M. Kenyon, of Michigan pitched a tent on the same lot on which the Advent- ist Church now stands. Six weeks were devoted to a discussion of the more cardinal points of the faith. At the end of this time there were about forty members. At one time the membership reached one hundred and twenty. The congregation soon built a brick church which cost about three thousand dollars. It was dedicated December 23, 1877. In place of a regular ordained minister in charge of the congregation this people have an ordained elder and depend on ministerial help as the occasion may demand or opportunity present itself. Alexander Stutzman was elected Elder when the congregation was first organized. CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST. A comparatively new religious organiza- tion is that of the Christian Scientists. The first ,meeting was held on De- cember 3 1912 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Plank. Some of those Who attended the meeting were Mrs. Lew Dunning, Mrs. Jack Reese, Mrs Jonah Schloss Mrs. Eli Jacobs Miss Olive Galbreath, Mrs. Bessie Gegg and Mrs. Ashton Sedgwick. For one year the meetings were held at the homes of the members, then above Levy's store. ' time Mrs. Lew Dunning was chosen First Reader, and Mrs. Sheets, Second Reader. At the present time services are held in an apartment in the Wier Block. Mr. Herman Blitz is First Reader and Mrs. Charles Dark Second Reader 2 I WI IW Q ll llllllllllllll . , ' Q In Novmber, 1919, the group was organized into a society. At this : I t I J an Page 26'

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r mx U 1- . 1,5 -qt, -ggeaav 6 WI W The present North Side School Building in want of a more commodious schoolhouse, and they advanced the money. In this manner no trouble was experienced in getting money to build the house. The build- ing was to be located upon the pub'lic square, the third story being fitted for a town hall to satisfy objections to transforming the park into a school yard. THE WHITE SCHOOLHOUSE. For a number of years prior to the erection of the brick, the old red schoolhouse was so dilapidated and small that select schools sprang into existence in various parts of the town. Vacant rooms here and there were converted to 'school uses, and the old red schoolhouse was left to the wind, owls and bats. The log and red frame schoolhouses were not the only ones in early years as in 1857, when the north side had become well popul.ated, a frame schoolhouse, a little larger than the old red one, and commonly known as the White Schoolhouse to distinguish it from the other, was erected there and used till 1873 when a new yt one was built at a cost of about three thousand dollars. At this time there were also denominational as well as select schools. The second building was used until 1899 when the present two storied brick building Was erected. HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED. The first movement toward the erec- tion of the high school building was a petition presented to the town trustees in U May, 1875, asking that a special ordinance be passed, to issuel town bonds to the amount of ten thousand dollars. The trustees of Perry Township promised to levy for the same amount, to b'e placed with that raised by the town and applied toward - the erection of the building. Definite action on this subject was deferred until April, : 1876, during which time it was thoroughly discussed. During this time it was de- C cided to put eighteen thousand dollars into the schoolhouse, two-thirds of which was : to be paid by the town on account of the greater benefit likely to be received by it. : However, before this debt was wholly liquidated twenty thousand dollars was paid : by the town of Ligonier. During the year of 1877 this building was completed and 1 two rooms furnished. However the schools were still in the central building with E but little prospect of their removal to the new one. E ORGANIZATION OF HIGH SCHOOL. Professor D. B. Luke of Goshen was em- E ployed to superintend the town schools. Within a few weeks after opening the E school it became apparent to him that under the existing conditions good organization : was out of the question, and he urged this fact on the school board, and asked them E : C I E I t . m . . , an I Page 28