Pittsboro High School - Progress Yearbook (Pittsboro, IN)

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NORMAN WORRELL-father of Dorothy Worrell Watson, Doris Cline and Woodrow Worrell. CARY JOHNSON KIRK-mother of George and John Kirk, and Ruth Servies. Grandmother of Glen Servies. IENNIE QANEQ HALFAKER SLAGLE-mother of Vivian Slagle Myers. WILLIE WORRELL HARRY HOAK GRACE BRUMFIELD HENSLEY-Aunt of Ion Bromfield, TV star. EFF IE WILLS WATERS-mother of Lucille Waters Wood, Leon Wa- ters Gregg, Harold Waters, Hollis Waters, grandmother of Charles Wa- ters, Mary Lou Waters Fox, Duane and Donald Waters. MARY QMOLLIEQ TOUT ASHBY-mother of Blanche Ashby, Inis Ashby Bach, Ruth Ashby, Hollis Ashby, and Clarence CBabej Ashby. DAISE DILLON BUERGELIN-aunt of Edgar Parker, Chester Parker, Marvin Weaver and Frances Fisher. GRACE IANES HYER-sister of Alice lanes Kirk. ALICE IANES KIRK-mother of Mary Kirk Iordan, Claire Kirk West, Sam- Kirk, Morris Kirk and Wallace Kirk. None of them graduated from PHS. SALLIE PHILLIPS WATTS-mother of Melville, Necillus and Hazel Watts, aimt of Elizabeth Yeager Dillon. CHARLES KRESS-uncl of Carroll Kress and Crystal Kress Halfaker. IDA IORDAN DARNELL-sister of Cary Iordan Kirk, mother of Mar- garet Martin. NORA WILLS DUDLEY-aimt of Maxine Wills Carter, jean Myers, Lester Wills, Lawrence junken, Elmer, Marvin and Wayne Wills. ELSIE RICH MCCOUN IAMES FLAHERTY-afterward a high official in Fidelity Trust Com- pany in Indianapolis. EDGAR BEAMAN-father of Doris Beaman, Lawrence Beaman, Edgar Eugene Beaman and Frances Beaman Parsons. CHARLES JONES Miss Mamie Reynolds continued to be the teacher for the first two terms. After the first year over Bmmfield's store, the high school was moved to the hall over the Sawyer block, fthe present storehouse of the Gregory storej on the south west corner of the intersection. Professor A.L.H. Miller became principal. In the fall of 1897, the high school was finally moved to the public school building in the east end of town and it remained there until 1912 when the building known as school number 6, was condemned and torn down. 1897 was a momentous year in the history of the high school for the first class graduated: Oscar Reynolds, Charles Kress, james Flaherty, Norinand Worrell and Maude Hughes Newman. IV

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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

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Maude had the distinction of being the first girl in Indiana graduated from a certified high school. Two members of this class lived to observe the 50th year of their graduation, and were honored with a special program at the Alumni Banquet, and presented with a volume of Ernie Pyle's books. They were Norman Worrell and Maude Newman. In 1898, under the principalship of Professor j.M. Matheny, another class of graduated, 4 boys and a girl: Tom L. Dillon, Murat Keeney, Fred Worrell, Dr. Aubrey Pebworth and Miss Mary Dugan. Miss Dugan was the last surviving member having died a year ago. Teachers during these early years include, in addition to the ones named, j.C. Smith, F.C. Thomas, T.C. O'Mara, john Moore, and john Sullivan. Graduation exercises were always a very important social affair as well as an exhibition of high caliber education. Formal programs were sent to friends containing a list of faculty members and the entire program. The local paper, The Pitts- boro Sun always gave eloquent descriptions of these impressive ceremonies. Usually held in the Christian Church due to its being larger, the procession of faculty and graduates entered to a burst of music, Qsometimes violin music by the Montani Brothers of Indianapolisj In the program of 1898, County Supe1'intendent j.C. Hostetter, Trustee Bnnnfield, and Professor Matheny added dignity to the procession. Invocation was by Professor Alonzo Norman of Central Normal College. Following are the speeches which the graduates of 1898 udeclaimedv so impressively. Dr. Aubrey Pebworth spoke on uThe Mighty Hopes that Make Us Men. Tom L. Dillon ably discusses, according to the news item, The Mormtains Would Not Go to Mohammed, so He Must Go to the Mountainsf' Fred Worrell who was destined to die while still a very young man spoke on The Thermopylae of Life,', emphasizing the necessity of a good education to be a winner in the struggle of life. Murat Keeney was the hit of the evening with his subject The Mill Streams that Turn the Clappers of the World, Arise in Solitary Placesf, Miss Mary Dugan dealt with social questions on the theme More Worship the Rising than the Setting Sun. The old building, Number 6, erected in 1879 was showing definite signs of deterioration by the middle of 1900's and there was agitation for a new building. Richard Lee Dillon, trustee, thought the school should be more centrally located so he selected the present site, a very unpopular choice with most of the tax payers who called it a frog pond because of the poor drainage. Construction was begun and the cornerstone was laid in the summer of 1913. It was a gala day for Pittsboro, with a speaking, a band and a parade from the old building in the east end of town to the new structure. In September 1913 the high school started in the long frame building called the Cooper shop which had been used as an annex. There were 27 pupils, 16 freshman, 5 sophomores, 4 juniors and 2 seniors. james William Wester-field was princi- pal and Edith McCl1mg, an alumni from PHS was teacher of Latin, English and History. It was fun for the pupils with 2 teachers conducting classes at the same time. In spite of the confusion, occasionally boys went to sleep and dropped their books in the coal bucket. Or the Physics class placed their equipment to pump water into Mr. Westerfieldis stiff Katie . QA hatj The new building was completed by the New Year and the grades as well high school made the big move. It was the finest building anyone had ever seen. Four large classrooms downstairs were for the grades, Q2 grades to each roomj. Two large class rooms and the long assembly room upstairs were used by the high school. There was a stage for plays, small rooms for offices, spacious halls and wide stairs, a well equipped Domestic Science and playroom in the basement. A new Claypool piano was purchased from proceeds made from a production Abe Martinis Weddingi' put on by parents and friends of the school. Box suppers, beauty contests, and other entertaimnents brought in more money for added equip- ment. Credit can be given to Mr. Dillon for his good judgment and excellent choice of materials. The grade building although 52 years old, has served well. Although the enrollment was small, Pittsboro entered all the county contests and won first in most of them. One girl took drama lessons in Indianapolis and won first with Ben Hur's Chariot Race , Paul jordan sang i'When the Bell in the Light House Rings Ding Dongn and won county wide fame, Carroll McDonald, a tall senior, excelled in many things, singing orations, and did equally well with high jump and shot put. Sarah McClain Money was the music teacher during those years and she has been followed by many outstanding music teachers to whose dedication and interest the students owe much of the success they have had in county musicals, district and state contests. We mention Mrs. Lucille McRoberts Baker, Miss May Nennecker, Mrs. Aleta Thompson Schultz, Miss Barbara Beatty. The present teachers, Miss Barbara Wilson and Mr. Robert Lang are setting high standards for music students. Another era began for Pittsboro High School in 1921 when the present high school building was completed. Mr. Otha Dale was trustee and therehad been a big debate about whether to build or not to build. Classes met in the fall before the building was finished and teachers and pupils had to compete with the noise of hammers and the smell of new plaster and paint.