High-resolution, full color images available online
Search, browse, read, and print yearbook pages
View college, high school, and military yearbooks
Browse our digital annual library spanning centuries
Support the schools in our program by subscribing
Privacy, as we do not track users or sell information
Page 53 text:
“
A RETROSPECT' The Barnard School was founded in the Fall of 1886 at II7 and 119 West 125th Street, New York City. A score of years is seemingly' a small span in the life of an institution. One can realize, however, how long such a period is by noting the changes that have taken place in the immediate surroundings of the school. Harlem in I886'was nothing more than a country town, almost wholly disconnected from New York proper. One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street, now one of the busiest thoroughfares of our great metropolis, resembled then a country lane, shaded by beautiful, wide-spreading trees, and lined on both sides by stately detached homes with spacious lawns. A bob-tail horse car made regular half- hourly trips on this street, and, when fortunate enough to make connections with it. one had the pleasure of ringing up his own fare. The elevated railroads had but recently pushed their way northward, and these, by traversing the intervening goat pastures, brought Harlem in touch with the busy city below. All that residential part of the city on the W'est side between Iroth Street and 59th Street, was made up of vacant lots with the exception of a few fine residences on 72d Street. In Harlem, also, between 120th Street and Central Park there was open country, and here at 114th Street was located the old polo grounds where national base ball and college football games were played. These grounds at times our school teams used for practice in their sports. Above I2Otl1 Street running well to the North was our territory. The Barnard boys looked upon it as such, and the people of Harlem looked with peculiar favor upon the school as its local institution. This section of the city hitherto had not had the good fortune of numbering among its local institutions, a preparatory school for boys. The needs of the com- munity had been brought to the attention of two young men who had just gradu- ated from Columbia College, then located in the lower part of the city, and by them the school was founded. One of these two was the present headmaster, Mr. Hazen, and the other was john Wlesley French, a fine fellow of marked ability, who remained with the school for four years, then 'entered the law, and finally died in Porto Rico in the service of his country. i In seeking a name for the school, it occurred to the founders that the name of the venerable president of their :Xlma Mater would he a fitting choice, and, in a personal interview with him, Dr. Barnard willingly and generously consented to its use. lt might be interesting to note that llarnard College took its name in mem- ory of the same eminent educator. but not until his death. The first home of the school was one of the line old residences on 125th Street. ln addition to the residence which formed the main hall of the school, there were two other buildings on the premises, a carriage house and a barn. The carriage house was quickly changed by the head masters into a gymnasium, and the barn
”
Page 54 text:
“
was appropriated by the boys as the home of their student activities. As we look back upon them now, the boys during the first year of the school, numbering some forty odd. seem to have been a pretty husky lot. They were deeply interested in the school, and, in consultation with their masters. made beginnings which have since grown to be traditions with us. They published the first number of the Bric Cfrom Bric a Bracl, at the end of the first year of the school, and, in refer- ring to it, we find that they must have used their improvised club house to its fullest capacity. The following is a list of their organizations as they are men- tioned in the first Bric: The Barnard School Corps is a military company, consisting of the students of the school. The drill days are Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week.- Its object is to furnish a knowledge of military tactics, and to teach prompt obedience to commands. 'fThe Literary Society is composed of juniors and Sophomores. Its meetings, held on the first and third Mondays of each month, are short business meetings, followed by literary exercises. The latter consist of debates, declamations, and essays, given by members appointed by the Chair. , The Secret Society, Alpha Omega Chi, is a mysterious organization, formed for the purpose of investigation into matters of darkness, gloom and bloodf' The T. A. B. S. is a secret society for' the younger students: it is a corrup- tion of T.-U.-B.-S. The principal object is amusement for the children. The Cat Club, otherwise Feline Society, is an organization, consisting of wealthy and infiuential members of Barnard, to prevent nocturnal backyard con- certsf' The Glee Club is for the purpose of cultivating vocal harmony in the school and discontent among the neighbors. 'lThe Athletic Association is an active, well developed body that can run, jump, pull tug of war, and play base ball and foot ball with the leading associa- tions, etc., of the city. The VValking Club is a body of athletic young gentlemen whose chief object is to promcte pedestrianism in the school, making it a point to take a long stroll through the suburbs on pleasant Saturdays. VVe see by this list of student organizations that the beginnings of the school were evolved from fertile minds. The boys of '86 builded well. Their military organization grew in course of time to be a small regiment, ofhcered entirely by themselves. Qn occasions, the Field and Staff were mounted, and the school had its own drum and hte corps, led by its own dandy drum major. There were also a signal corps and a Gattling gun battery. In the eighties and nineties, it seemed to be the proper thing for the New York schools to include in their curriculum a military drill, and, at the end of the drill season, usually at Easter time, they would give their various exhibition drills on different nights in the armories of the city. f Barnard never suffered by compari-
Are you trying to find old school friends, old classmates, fellow servicemen or shipmates? Do you want to see past girlfriends or boyfriends? Relive homecoming, prom, graduation, and other moments on campus captured in yearbook pictures. Revisit your fraternity or sorority and see familiar places. See members of old school clubs and relive old times. Start your search today!
Looking for old family members and relatives? Do you want to find pictures of parents or grandparents when they were in school? Want to find out what hairstyle was popular in the 1920s? E-Yearbook.com has a wealth of genealogy information spanning over a century for many schools with full text search. Use our online Genealogy Resource to uncover history quickly!
Are you planning a reunion and need assistance? E-Yearbook.com can help you with scanning and providing access to yearbook images for promotional materials and activities. We can provide you with an electronic version of your yearbook that can assist you with reunion planning. E-Yearbook.com will also publish the yearbook images online for people to share and enjoy.
