Burney High School - Rehtnap Yearbook (Burney, IN)

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his desk at sunrise and the first pupil to arrive at the schoolhouse would be the first to recite Text books were the American Primer, D1lworth's and Webster's spellinv book, Guthries' or Pike's arithmetics, the Envlish Header the Bible, and sometimes, Jeem's nnlfe of Washington Teachers were hired if they could write, cipher, and read a little In l87O the first County normal School was conducted by C W Harvey at Milford It was six weeks of traininr D S ellinc, Prof G hoss and Prof M H Venable were the lecturers, and held an examination the last week There were enrolled sixteen males and thirty one females Some of whose names are given R J Miers, L H Braden, Magpie Logan, Louisa Marshall, and Mary Qefton A list of teachers as published in Standard October 22, 1897 in Clay Twp Districts l Graham School, Cliff Smalley, hartsville 2 Turner's Corner School, Carrie L Burney, Ewlnrton Horace School, A J Weaver,Greensburg Ewlngton School, Oliver Blackmore, Greensburg Smiley School, Ollie McDonald, Burney diner School, Harry lount, Burney Burney School, Richard Anderson and Linnle Jones, Burney Loran Scho l, Flo E Kendall, Freensburg Brown School, Carrie Applegate, Greensbur Rauch School, Charles O Noise, t Paul Morvoo School, J C Glass, Iilford Hedges Corner, Bert horvan, Greensburg ilford was incorporated for school purposes in about 1859 The early history of the sc ool is given in the words of its pioneer teacnex of Milford nhilford lCliftyD had just been incorporated, the schoolhouse was then new they had school in the lower room and the upper room contained church seats The house stood out in the commons I was employed for two and one half months at forty dollars per month This was the length of the term of the free school Before the year ended there were so many pupils that we needed more room b there was no money in the treasury I started with a subscription list, and to our surprise, in one day I raised one hundred dollars, Ed Marshall leading a list with ten dollars The school was a success During the summer vacation, I provided better seats, fenced the lot, planted the shade trees which make the school yard at Milford to day one of the prettiest in the county In September school opened with two departments, both rooms full Pupils for two or three miles around were transferred to the corporation This school thus organized by Mr Powner, was tauzht by him several years during nine months of the year about three months public school and this re mainder supsorted by subscription In l868, G A Bower was chosen principal and had charge of the school two years, when w H Powner again taught one year John H Bob itt was se lected principal in 1871, and remained in charve of the school three years The priumry teachers for these three years were Niss Josie Barger, hiss Emalene Hedrick and Miss fanrie lucker At this time the enrollment exceeded that of any previous year, and the neces ity for a lar er and better house, and the establishment of a third department, became evident L H iarshall became prir cipal and with J S Ryan, tauvht one term The term of 1875 76 was taught by George A Bower and John S Booths James H Cornelly and Mar ie Berger were employed in 1870, and remained two years The question for a new schoolhouse had been agitated, discussed, and abandoned, but, in 1876, John H Alexander, S D williamson, and A C Russell school trustees, took the lnltiatory steps to provide the money for the build ing In spite of great opposition on the part of some of the wealthiest tax payers, mainly those who had been transferred from Clay Township to the corpor ation Several law suits and the completion for the new house were arnounced in l879 The new building was one of the handsomest schoolhouses 1 this county It cost about six thousand dollars, including two acres of ground 50 O Q u An J ' ' J I I Y I O V0 . . V. r. D. . W W . . ' , Q Vo a M 0 A - O - : . 1. . . - . O --IW. v 1' . N: 3.-- . . ' 4.-- - 5.-- ' 6.--' J fr.-,J 1 8l'- M P I I I t 9.-- 1 g lO.-- L n ' s K ' S . ll.--. . . . S - L 12.--Tanner School, Laura W. Taylor, Horace l5.--. S I J Q , N LI ' 1 S . - ' h I ' I 1 - . , - O I 6 l , ut O O I ' I 4 K O . 0 ' 1 L o I I -, W , I I - O 0 A' 9 , D . I I . . t H . . . - s Q ' ' I O 0 0 Al J' Q o ' ,L c . o o o o A v JS ., A 0 -Q - 0 o ' s Q V , 5. A ' A ' o V I 0 - A . I n O

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Retrodpect lhe educational history of Decatur founty falls into two divisions, the period from the organization of the county until 18o3, when the present system of public schools was adopted, and from that date to the present Tree schools were provided for by the onstitution of 1851, but it was not until two years later that they went into operation Prom 1822 until 1855 there was not a single free school in Indiana The old academies were supported, in dart, bv tuition paid by students All education, prior to 18o1, was obtained in what was known as subscrip tion schools, pare ts payinr the teacher a specified amount per pupil Teacher were not exanined and taught 0417 the rudiments of readin writ ing, and arithmetic In rore pretentious schools some geography and history were taught During the early days the usual school term in Decatur county was three months The school day began early in the horn? ually sunrise, and con tinued until sundown The teache vould be the first to arrive at school axd to recite Early schools were held in vacant loo cabins, chinked with mud, provided with puncheon seats and oiled paper windafs In those days schools were not provided with bells When the teacher wished to call the pupils to come into udy, he stepped outside and pounded on the building and shouted, Books! One young lady applied f r a school in those days and after a few ques tions were answered she was given a certificate which read, nThis certifies that Miss Brooks can read a little and write a little' The first free school in the county was established in Greensburg in 1857 and was conducted in the basements of the churches The first grade school was established in 1801 In 1870 a normal school' was conducted at Milford CC1iftyJ for profes sional teachers Ralph Alexander william A Manlove was elected trustee of Clay losrshio in 1866 and served four years He was succeeded by John L Miers, who served two years, John B Trimble from 1872 1876, Richard wright for two vears, George . Byers for two years, william E Burney from 1880 1882 Clay lownship had thirteen school districts, all had good brick buildings Five were built by Trustee, hanlove, two by Niers, three by Trirhle, two by Wright, and the Thirteenth District established and the house built by myers The estimated cost of the houses was w14OO each They were finisded with good desks, blackboard, maps, globes, charts, etc The school term for 1880 was 120 days The number of children enumerated was 485 and the number in school was 426 The first schoolhouse was built on Dodridge A11ey's land in 1825 It was built of logs, with a fireplace occupying one end Loas were sawed out at each side, then greased papers were inserted to admit light Middle Fork schoolhouse was built in 1826, Buck Run and Duck Creek school houses were built in 1827 These schoolhouses were used for preaching and for various other purposes In 1836 the township was divided into districts 1857 a frame schoolhouse was erected in Milford CCliftyl. Frame schoolhouses were built in some districts. Later they were replaced by brick schoolhouses over the township. All schools in Clay Township, as in other parts of Indiana, were on the subscription basis. Parents paid the teacher so much a term for each pupil they sent to school. Teachers taught only the ruoiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The usual term of school was three months and the school day began early in the morning and lasted until sundown. The teacher would be at 49 .. . 1 V . A I F Y I fi , ,. ' 0 ., r Q . A ' I -I , r K - H G ' v 1 . f S L Q A I H 7, . - , . .. . W, J , . rv- A f' . . . V ' .. .ng 11:1 - . r n I z be at his desk at sunrise, and the first pupil to arrive would be the first one . . ,J 'i . . I J. ' . st ll ll ' e . . n v - O uv , v m :A 2 I 0 I - A .U U v .z. H, . - . m ' Q .J ' , , L li A- 1.1 D as . 1 . . I O ' v Q 0 I , . In

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the furniture, bell, pavements, etc The house was of brick with stone founda tion, sixty by sixty feet, with front hall entrance, fourteen by twenty eight slate roof, contained four ash finished rooms, oiled The upper rooms were separated by folding doors, affording, when desired, a hall capable of seating two hundred and fifty persons A course of study covering primary, intermediate and grammar school departments was adopted, and P Ricketts, ex County Supt was employed as prin cipal, with Mrs Eva M Powner, an Miss Maggie Berger as assistants Next yea? C E White took the place of Mr Ricketts, and the present one is James C ulse For school year 1865 1884 Milford School J P Rouse, Principal 51 pupils Mrs Eva Powner, Assistant 4l pupils Trustees Jes e Stafford H Alexander Eb Butler John H Bobbitt came from Virginia to Decatur County in 1870 He taupht both in Clay and Adams Townships and was County Supt of Schools from 1881 1887 William F Powner, the first County Supt from 1871 1877 In 1850 he was the principal at Milford Charles T Powner, his son, was a teacher in Clay Twp Boyd Todd his connection with the town of Nllford CCl1ftyl here he spent several sum mers when a boy and came to know the people and happenings of the locality Later these same people and actual events of the neighborhood were incorporated in his novel, 'The Hoosier Schoolmast Although biographers point out that George Cary Eggleston, a brother of Edward Eggleston, was the original Hoosier Schoolmaster, local tradition avers Edward Eggleston himself taught his first school in Clay Township in Milford vicinity harie Shannon During the hitch rack and horse and buggy days in the fall of 1899, Clay Township, Decatur County a three year high school course was started in Mum- d CC1 iftyy The board of education consisted of Elmer Jerman as county superintendent, Os Trimble as township trustee, and Owen Burton, a Franklin College graduate, as principal and sole teacher He taught all the subjects, English, Latin Mathematics, History, and some Art, in one large room in the grade building There were students from Milford, lCl1ftyJ, Burney and the surrounding farm communities Some of the Milford students were Claudia Trimble, Gertrude McCullough, Grace Barnes, Mable Tansey, Bill Dor ey, Ray Miers, and the Burney students were Icy Burney, Harry Luther, Clyde Russell, and Ned Burney In the fall football practice was much in evidence during recesses and noon hours The coach was the principal, Mr Burton Many of the first students discontinued high school to go to work, or go into some business, or to attend a teachers' training school The following four people completed the two year high school course Claudia CTrimbleJ Kuhn Grace CBarnesJ Givin, N A Dorsey, Mable KTanseyD Maderis Also Claudia KTrimbleD Kuhn and Mable CTanseyJ Maderis graduated from a three year course The first high school graduation exercises were held in the Methodist Church in May 1902 The story is told of Montanini, an Italian harpist of Indianapolis, having been enraged to furnish the music at the commencement When he arrived in Adams via interurban, he was met by someone with a horse drawn phaeton He was rather indignant in his response of having to crowd in to the phaeton with his big golden harp on his lap, by saying, 'Don't people in Milford know that a harp costs a lot of money 2 During the high school years at Milford, teachers and students came and went Some of the teachers were Owen Burton, John Todd, Everett Wiley, William Molloy, Sallie Wright, Harry Weirman, and Alva McGraw. A few students finished the three-year course, but many discontinued 51 . . --S. . One of the legends of Clay Township is the story of Edward Eggleston and ' ern. W in ' .I - : , N