Clay Township High School - Geronimo Yearbook (Peru, IN)

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History 73

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Kokomo Keller Arena Kink GL 9-9710 1200 East Morgan KOKOMO, INDIANA IDYL WYLD ROLLER PALACE Phone No. Marion 6053 4011 South Meridian Marion, Indiana

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Mist or y of the Clay Zwp. School Public education began in Clay Township in 1842 when a log school house was built one half mile east of Wawpecong. This was on the present site of the D. L. Maple residence. After the township was organized in 1846, it was divided into districts with a school in each district. The school term ranged from thirty to ninety days and was based on what the parents could afford to pay. Three trustees were elected annually to operate the schools. Among their duties were hiring the teachers and deciding the amount of their salary, both in money and farm produce. Each teacher hired was expected to have a general knowledge of reading, writing, and arithmetic. In 1859 the trustees ' office was consolidated into one office with one man to be elected annually. He was to receive a salary of twenty-one dollars per year. In 1913 there were ten grade schools in the township valued at $10,600. The ten teachers received a combined salary of $3,760. During this time any student d esiring a high school education attended the Amboy, Bunker Hill, Howard Township, or Kokomo Schools. These ten schools formed a close family relationship between neighbors and teacher. The students enjoyed the many good times they had in these small schools. Then a new era came along. It was decided that the small school must go, and there was to be one new school building near the center of the township which would combine and include all twelve grades. With the supervision of the trustee, B. F. Jenkins, and his advisory board, Emerson Dunlap, Charles Irvin, and Joseph Anderson, a new site on the 0. C. Kling farm was chosen. A new school building, Clay Township High School, was erected at a cost of $120,000. This was a great advancement in education, not only for the students in Clay Township, but also for the surrounding townships. These included Harrison, Deer Creek, and Washington. In the fall of 1922 school was delayed for three weeks to allow completion of the new build- ing. When the first day of school did arrive, it was a thrill for the students to ride on hacks. This truly was a beginning of a new school experience. Two of the hacks were drawn by horses and four were Model T Fords. The first drivers were Sherman Kendall, Forest Glass- burn, Walter Wolf, Willis Hostetler, John Christner, and Elmer Warfelt. All students living within a mile of the school had to walk. When the students finally arrived at the new school and entered the beautiful building, there were many mixed emotions as they walked through the large halls wondering which room would be theirs. They were surprised to see so many modern conveniences that they were not accustomed to. The first teachers were Harvey Hartley — principal, Wendall Lamb, Josephine Lamb, and John Bart Conn. They taught the seventh and eighth grades and the first three high school grades. There was no senior class the first year. The high school enrollment during the initial year was forty-two. Miriam Shrock taught the first and second grades; Ada Wright taught grades three and four; and Edward Lippold was the fifth and sixth grade teacher. Miss Ethel Ellars sub- stituted several weeks for the third and fourth grades during that first year of school. The next year she started teaching full time and has taught at Clay every year since. Curley Clymer was the first janitor. 74