Columbian High School - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Tiffin, OH)

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and day to provide flour for the community and was oper- ated until the l87U's, then converted into a cider press, and later torn down. The first railroad reached Tiffin in l84l-the Mad River arid Lake Erie Railroad, now known as the Big Four. The first bank was formed in l847, located where the City Nat- ional Bank now stands. When the Methodist Epis- copal Church was built on - , at W g Market Street in l83l, it fl, ,I Q5 t was the largest building in Y f ' town, and the supreme and Q, 3 . I L . l ' x circuit courts were held ., -1 W . 1 V :Hug-Q.. there for five yeqrsy gifs ' ' ,silk-.1. . .5 -- -. 3 QA. s . .5 Q Ll, --Q ,jf-rugs. .. '. f '2fs--1: . ' .-.E . ' f' First Protestant Church Built in l83l Times of Disaster The first fire company was organized in l845, with an engine house built on the courthouse square. William H. Gibson was the leader, and S. B. Sneath his assistant. The old fire engine which is at the Seneca County Museum was purchased in 1866. It played an important part in the fire of 1872, when 72 buildings were destroyed from San- dusky and Miami Streets to the river,-loss, SlUU,OO0. 1 Perry Street Bridge before l9l3 An earlier disaster was the cholera epidemic of l837, which claimed 63 lives. Many of these victims were buried in the cemetery which later became Hedges Park, How- ever, that was not the first cemetery. There was an Indian burial ground on Franklin Street, where some white people also were buried. A third catastrophe was the flood of l9l3. Nineteen persons perished. Property loss totalled Sl,UOU,O00, includ- ing 46 houses, two factories, and six Sandusky River bridges. William H. Gibson One of Tiffin's citizens who ac- quired farne outside the local community was William H. Gib- son, who held several state of- fices. During the Civil War he became brigadier-general. He was much sought as a public speaker, being known as the sil- ver-tongued orator. His statue stands on the courthouse lawn. William H. Gibson l TIFFIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS-A CENTURY OF PROGRESS The Little Red Schoolhouse Tiffin's first schoolhouse was a one-room structure erected in the l820's at what is now 20 East Market Street. It was commonly called the town hall since it was also used for many types of public gatherings. The population of the village on both sides of the river was about 300, with few children of school age, but the need of a permanent school building was recognized. A brick school house was erected in l832 on land donated by losiah Hedges, on the northwest corner of Market and Monroe Streets. Benjamin Crockett was the first teacher. Courthouse Built in l884 Finally the room became too small for the increasing number of pupils, and an additional room was rented in the frame part of the jail building. ln 1844 a two-story build- ing with four rooms replaced the orfe-room schoolhouse. Mrs. William H. Gibson, who had formerly taught in the jail- building school, became teacher in the east room upstairs, receiving S14 a month salary. PAGE SIX

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Iosiah Hedges Born in Vermont, Iosiah Hedges came as a young man to Ohio and then in 1820 to this section, where he purchased land oppos- ite the river from Oakley. For the town he intended to estab- lish, Mr. Hedges had a plat made. To this new town he gave the name of Tiffin, in honor of his friend Edward Tiffin, first gover- Josiah Hedges nor of Ohio. Founder of Tiffin Seneca County was formed in 1820, with land selling at 51.25 an acre. Only 25 votes were cast in the county in 1821. Mr. Hedges secured the selection of Tiffin as the county seat after buying out Mr. Spencer's land in Fort Ball. There were but six cabins in Tif- fing the greater number of settlers lived on the Fort Ball side. Edward Tiffin First Governor of Ohio I Early Courthouses First Courthouse Built in 1822 On the north side of Court Street, then called Virgin Alley, Mr. Hedges erected a frame building which served as courthouse, Masonic hall, offices, and stores. Later this building was removed to the foot of Iefferson Street, where it stood until the flood of 1913. The county's first real court- house was built in 1836 but was destroyed by fire in 1841. The walls were used in rebuilding. The poesent courthouse was built in 1884. It was in the second courthouse that Oliver Cowdery, pioneer Tiffin attorney and one of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon, practiced law. His opposition to polygamy brought him into disfavor with other Mormon leaders. Tiffin Incorporated ' Until 1836 Tiffin had no government of its own but was governed by the of- ficials of Clinton Township, which had been organized in 1820 and named after Governor DeWitt Clinton of New York. Tiffin was in- corporated as a town in 1835. Dr. Henry Kuhn, a Whig, became the first mayor. First Brick Building, 1824 I In 1840 Tiffin had 728 inhabitants, five grocery and nine dry-goods stores, one foundry, two newspaper offices, and seven churches. The first newspaper was the Seneca Patriot, printed on a hand press. Fort Ball was incorporated in 1849, but a year later it united with Tiffin and became the second ward, Tiffin was incorporated as a city in 1850, with William Lang as first mayor. New Enterprises losiah Hedges did more than found our city. The first Washington Street bridge, meant for foot passengers, was built by him. It was shortly taken away by a flood. Then he constructed a better one and charged toll until a free bridge was built by subscription on Market Street. Washington Street, 1840. Courthouse on the left As early as 1822 Mr. Hedges erected a grlst mill where Bacon's Mill now stands. Across the river he constructed a saw mill, the same dam operating both mills. In 1862 he built the city mill, which stood at the northwest corner of Perry Street and Clinton Avenue. This mill was run night PAGE FIVE

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S. S. Rickly First Superintendent of Tiffin Public Schools One Hundred Years Ago In September, 1850, the Union School system was in- augurated. Professor S. S. Rickly became the first superin- tendent at a salary of S400 a year, with the provision that he be allowed to teach one class each day at Heidelberg College, which had been recently opened here. Land was purhased from losiah Hedges, and the pres- ent Monroe Street building was completed in 1856. There the first high-school class was organized on the third floor. All the pupils in the public schools then on the Tiffin side of the river, and those in the higher grades on the Fort Ball side, attended Monroe School. Pupils in the lower grades in Fort Ball had a two-room frame building on Franklin Street. Early School Catalogues In the early years, the Tiffin Public Schools published annual catalogues, which provide information concerning school procedure then. The eighth annual catalogue, for the year 1868-69, listed all pupils in each grade, the courses of study, reports pertaining to enrollment and attendance, and a lengthy annual report of the superintendent to the board of education. After each pupi1's name was given the number of half days present, the number of half days ab- sent, the number of minutes lost by tardiness during the year, the record of scholarship, and the department. The names of pupils who failed to be promoted were printed in italics: names of those who gained an extra class during the year were printed in small capitals. In his report in 1868 the superintendent recommended that some provision be made for instruction in drawing and vocal music. In the Monroe building, in addition to the principal and nine teachers, there were four teachers listed for the German-English primary, secondary, and intermedi- ate schools. Three terms comprised the school year-from August 31 to Iune 10. These early school catalogues contained rules and regu- lations for the government of the schools, as prescribed by the board of education in 1860. These make interesting reading now. One rule, pertaining to teachers, says: They shall attend 'Teachers' Meetings,' which shall be holden on the Saturday before the beginning of each term, and each alternate Saturday during the term, and take such part therein as the superintendent shall assign, they shall also attend such special meetings, from time to time, as the superintendent may deem expedient to call, One of the ten rules concerning pupils follows: Scholars are required to refrain from all profane, low, and indecorous language at all times, from all loud talk and boistrous mirth, romping and rudeness in the schoolrooms, halls, and on the stairs, to be kind and obliging to each other, respectful and obedient to their teachers, and cleanly in their persons and dress, and to abstain from all practices having a pernicious influence upon the morals and manners of the school. New Buildings Erected Two new buildings, College Hill and Miami, were con- structed in 1871 at a cost of 37,500 each, including sites. The Franklin Street building was then sold. The Minerva Street building was erected in 1878 at a cost of S5,800. As the city grew, the old school buildings were out- grown. Miami School was replaced in 1884, and College Hill in 1912. In 1931 Noble School was built, replacing Minerva. The Monroe Street building housed all twelve grades of elementary and high school until 1893, when Co- lumbian High School was built. This was enlarged in 1932. The lunior High School was built in 1924 for seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade pupils. 5' Note-Much of the material in the foregoing historical sketch was adapted from Lang's History of Seneca County and from two books by Frank Dil-dine: From Wildemess to City and Facts from the History of Tiffin Public Schools. Washington Street at Madison PAGE SEVEN