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

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Eleven trustees had served the township before the building of the new school, and the following have served since: Ben Jenkins, Charles Irvin. Treat Morton. Pete Klingman, D. L. Maple, Wayne Fye, and Verlin Kling. Until the new school board was organized, the trustees had a major role in the administration of the school. Principals who have served are Harvey Hartley, 1922-1923; T. A. Shivery, 1923-1925; Glenn Nelson. 1925-1930; T. A. Shively, 1930-1946; Robert Curless, 1946-1947; Builford Gurtner, 1947-1951; Leonard Freed, 1951-1959: Max Brewer. 1959-1962: Jonathon Ellers. 1962-1963. There were many interesting things that occurred during the last forty-one years of school. Memories will quickly turn back to class parties, senior trips, or perhaps the cold rides on the hack. Those people who were in school in 1936 remember when several teachers, stu- dents, and the trustee were marooned in the school by a snow blizzard which piled up drifts from three to five feet across the roads. In addition the temperature dropped to a minus 19 degrees. Blankets were brought in from cars, food was brought in from Gerhart ' s, and the students slept on tables and gym bleachers. Some of the high school boys helped shovel coal in the furnace to keep the building warm. The next afternoon the roads were opened enough to get all home safely. In 1925 Tom Mix, noted cowboy star who was in Peru with the circus, came to school. This was a great thrill for all. The large assembly room which was later divided into three rooms was used for good times when the teacher left for a few minutes. One man teacher decided to check on the students. There was one glass out of the west doors, and he went out in the hall and put his head through the opening. Unfortunately he was unable to remove it without help. In 1940 under the supervision of Treat Morton, trustee, a new vocational agriculture building was built west of the school at a cost of $2000. Charles Lash was the first agricul- ture teacher to use the new building. This was a valuable addition to the school. In 1949 under the supervision of D. L. Maple a much-needed gym was built at a cost of $95,000, and the old gym was converted into a cafeteria. During these forty-one years there have been many other changes and improvements to the building that have added much to the school and have kept it in good repair. There have been nineteen annuals published. The first in 1930 was called the Reflector. Since that time they have been called K-EL-A, Smoke Signals, Chieftain, Red Arrow, and Geronimo. The Clay School has had a library, band, glee club, school paper, basketball team, baseball team, track squad, speech club, plays, and many more activities that have left a lasting impression to which the community can point with pride. As the 1963 school year comes to a close, the Clay Township School will have graduated 919 students. Four hundred and ninety of this number were transferred from the surround- ing townships. This school, which bore the name Clay Township Indians, was representative of a far greater area. It represented the united and consolidated effort of both parents and students from Clay and the neighboring townships of Deer Creek, Harrison, Butler, Jackson, and Wash- ington. It has been through the combined efforts of all of these people that the ledger of this school ' s proud record has been written. There are many more memorable and interesting things that could be said about the school, faculty, and students of Clay Township. These memories, however, will fall into oblivion — the victim of Father Time. The one legacy which will be willed to the new Maconaquah School is the dedication to truth and high character which has been such a vital part of this greater Clay School Community. 75

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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

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Clay faculty 1923-24 THOMAS SHIVELY, Principal B. F. JENKINS, Trustee WENDELL LAMB, Assistant Principal CARL JENKINS MRS. JOSEPHINE LAMB MRS. PERRY HUFFAKER MR. PERRY HUFFAKER TO THE SENIORS OF ' 24 by Mr. Huffaker To you seniors I sing this song As you stand in an open door; And fathom the mystic meetings The future holds in store. Your life should be the biggest, And you can make it so By keeping your aims toward heaven. The home of stars you know. Your thots should be of others, That ' s the better way to live. Your happiness should come to you Thru the service you can give. And now, Oh seniors of ' 24, A parting word to you; Just this time I would say more. ' Aim high, dare, and do ! Jit $t Graduating Class — 1924 Roy Zook Edith Frey Mildred Cunningham John Ellers Georgia Powell Allen Childers Cl eta Shrock Ralph Childers Wanita Myers 76