Pittsboro High School - Progress Yearbook (Pittsboro, IN)

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Pittsboro High School History I n Reirorbecl The history of Pittsboro High School is more than a collection of dates and statistics which inform readers of its begin- ning, growth, and transition into a more complex system. This is, rather, an attempt to picture an era in the life of this community and describe school days which are so much a part of the memory of every man, woman, boy, or girl who were pupils in our school. Omissions and mistakes may occur in this narrative, but its main purpose is to create a certain nostalgia in the heart of every graduate, knowing that this is the last year for the existence of Pittsboro High School. For several years we have been a part of Tri-West Hendricks High Schoolv in name, but now in a few months it will be a reality. Our Beginningr When the earliest settlers in Middle Township, Hendricks County, bought land and built their homes, which in most cases were simple cabins, their first concern was the establishment of Clmrches, the next, provision for the education of their children. Soon log or frame one room buildings were erected, followed in a few years by one or two room brick buildings. The first school in Middle Township was taught in 1835 by a man called John Lineberry who received a salary of S10 a month. The school was located about 2 miles south of Pittsboro on the farm of Samuel Hill, probably near the present home of Tom and janet Love. He had 15 pupils. There is a record of another early school in 1837 taught by a man named Elias Leach, in a cabin one mile northeast of Pittsboro on the Warrick Farm. The building was later moved and is said to be part of a barn on the Ernest Baldauf farm. Boys and girls in the neighborhood attended the nearest school. Under Indianais constitution of 1852, the civil township was the school unit and taxes were levied for school purposes. Within 5 years Middle Township had built nine school houses. Miss Eva Pebworth, prominent primary teacher and an authority in local history, identified some of these schools and their locations. fMiss Pebworth is an aunt of Mrs. Edna McChmgj, She mentioned the Hughes School, on the farm of Charles Graham, Caledonia, on the south west corner of the Edgar Parker farm, Pierson, in the neighborhood of Harold Wayne Broyles home, Quebec, standing south of the Alvin Swain home, Spicklepoint, south of the Boone County line, north of former Troth home, Tamarack, on the farm belonging to Catherine Coleman, and two others which are still standing, Tout School on the farm of lay Warren, Ninn- ber 3 on the Frank MeClung farm, east of Harold Waters home. It is said that at one time country schools dotted the township, proving the eagerness of children and young people for an education. There were also Subscription Schools, made up of pupils who paid a certain sum for a few weeks of extra teaching during the sunnner months. Mrs. Nelle Weaver taught a subscription school at Spicklepoint when she was 15 years old for the sum of 81.50 per pupil. The following is a bid on the building of a school house. The lowest bidder was a man by the name of Dennis Clark. His bid was 327425. Notice I will sell at public auction on May 4, 1860, in the town of Pittsboro, to the lowest bid- der, the building of a school house, said house to be 22 by 28 feet, studdiug 10 feet long 'with center sill. Seven windows, 12 lights, I0 by 12 glass with sufficient number of seats and desks, 2 coats of paint on the outside and black boards on the inside, the builder to furnish all good material, except nails, glass, and locks which will be furnished by the trustee. Said work to be done in a good and workmanlike manner by November 1, 1860.7 The addition of desks and blackboards marked quite an improvement as pupils had used their own slates and sat on benches made of split logs. The teachers all had the same motto, Spare the rod and spoil the child. Their Word was law and when a child was punished at school, he usually received another one at home. School terms seldom exceeded 3 months, then in 1873 were lengthened to 5 months. Teachers pay was usually about 82.00 a day, was increased slightly during these early years. 11

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Fin! School In Pimooro The town of Pittsboro was laid out in 1834, but there is no record of a school in the town until about 1860 when a teacher by the name of B.B. Freeman was paid 34432. Later in that year, C.I. Frenyear was paid S60 for teaching. The school was located west of the present Methodist Church at the intersection of Church and Meridian. This is where the children of Pittsboro went to school during the Civil War. The first school picture ever taken in Middle Township is one of this school and is now in the possession of Mrs. Julia Dillon Miller, whose grandfather, Iacob Hale was one of the pupils. Second Sohool In Pimooro This one room school was soon outgrown by the increasing population in Pittsboro. The township bought a frame build- ing in the south part of Pittsboro, the Wayne Smith property. It belonged to the Pittsboro Christian Church, built in 1854, but outgrown by the congregation which moved to the present site on North Maple Street The building 48 by 54 feet was divided into class rooms and used until 1879. Third School In Pittsboro K1879-1913j By 1879, another move had been made, this time into a spacious new brick building in the east end of Pittsboro, on what is now the location of the Carl Marker home. Almost a century ago, this was a ndeluxeu edifice, two stories, two big classrooms on each Hoor, wide halls and a stairway leading up on each side to the second floor, big cloak rooms, wide window sills just perfect for the depositing of lunch buckets and baskets, high windows with lots of light, black boards on at least two sides of the room. What matter if the big cast iron stoves roasted those who sat nearby, while the others suffered from chills? There was always the metal shield which distributed the heat and the coal bucket was always in evidence. Once in a while that was a convenient spitting place for the more advanced boys who were sneaking chawing tobaccer. Outside was an old iron pump with its handy tin cup. In the front yard were beautiful shade trees and in back a play ground of no mean proportions. Two big rocks in the front yard made a wonderful dining spot in good weather. The school bell which called both the willing and unwilling to school, the old Cooper shop annexed to the north of the build- ing to accommodate the overflow, the fun of sneakily partaking of Mr. Walters apples on one side of the fence and Mrs. Holleys tumips on the other side are but memories. Boys and Girls usually terminated their education when they graduated from the 8th grade, as they could go no farther. except college. In 1884 these are the first graduates from the 8th grade: Hollis NVeaver, Mamie Reynolds, Benjamin Hoak, Virgil Tout, Louise Fowler, Everrett Turner, and WVill VVills. Their picture shows them to be handsome young people all of whom distinguised themselves in some way. It was not until 1894 that steps were taken to form a high school in our town. The trustee was a small, energetic man with progressive ideas, Enos Hornaday. He was a Civil War Veteran who was ambitious for his township and county, but there were many problems in establishing this school of higher learning. First: Who would be the teacher? Where would the high school meet?', It was a known fact that there was no available space in the school in the east end of town. But the boys and girls of 1894 were determined to have a high school. First of all, there was Miss Mamie fMaryj Reynolds who was considered the smartest girl ever to attend Pittsboro School. She had attended Central Normal College where she graduated with honors and had taught there several terms. She consented to be the first principal of the new high school. A hall over the Brumfield Store, known as the CAR Hall, could be used for the time being and with the installation of tables and chairs and other meager equipment, the first Pittsboro High School was off to a flying start. Miss Mamie's favorite song was There is Sunshine in my Soul Todayi' and it was often sung for morning exercises. Somewhere there must be a record of what that early teacher was paid, but money was not very important to her as she was eager to share her knowledge with those enterprising young students. It is important that a record of those first pupils be kept. The following is the list which appears on the first picture taken of the group in 1894. VVhen possible the names of their descendants, who are graduates, are also listed: OSCAR REYNOLDS-father of George Reynolds and Anna Lou O'Donnell. His granddaughter, Sharon Reynolds, is a teacher in Pitts- boro High School. Crandsons are Larry and Terry O'Donnell, Bill and Steve Reynolds. III