Jackson High School - Jacksonian Yearbook (Westport, IN)

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il-1-. ' ,E 51' A . ,, 'G' FU' X .4 'H-fI'nnt'P ru' 4 t . V gt f HISTORY OF JACKSON TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS 5 ,-, .iv El mlilgli Q-n 71' .'!. 4 5 - E. ,U ..f' ' fi 1, f' 2 63? '1 Ye t by pg Suzanne Fulton Jackson Townsnlp, now a part of Decatur County in the State of Indiana, was a part of the Northwest Territory. In 1816, when Indiana became a strte, Decatur County was not on the map, being organized in 1822. When the organization of townships began, Jackson Township was not one of the first five but was laid off later by taking a part from Clay and Sandcreek Townships There is very little data relative to the earlier schools but, from various sources, the following story has been acouired October 1874 three settlers f the northeast corner of Jackson met to consider the possibilities of a school They concluded, if they could get John WgLeary a young settler to te h, they would build a schoolhouse They found him hauling fodder from a little corn patch to s shed near his house Here, by the side of this shed the first school meeting in Jackson Township was held, he was hired at nine dollars per monthe This salary was not exceeded for the next ten years wlth1H a few days schoolhouse was COmDl0ted,be1nv made of logs roofed with clapboards, and heated by e large open flreplcce with a stick and mud chimney The floor was made of split logs and the windows were of greased paper placed on a crude frame In 1839 section sixteen was sold at five dollars per acre In a few years a little interest had accumulated which gave S0 le public money Although no authority seemed to exlst for it unt11 1851, three men were committee that acted trus ee in e administration of township schools According to records, the fi st trustee was A'nos Miller, elected in 1851 Before 1860 Sardinia was incorporated for school purposes By 1803 there were eight district schools besides Sardinia with a total township school enrollment f 606 representing 180 families Newburg, was incorporated 1867 Forest Hill formerly The five consolidated schools were Newburg, Waynesburg, Alert, Bighorn, and Sardinia The building at Sardinia was constructed 1903, consisting of two rooms and having two teachers An additional roon was added about 1910 With the extra roon a third teacher was added About 1902 the Alert Schoolhouse was finished, Waynesburg and Newburg came about two years later The building at Newburg was built by adding a new room to an old one Bighorn was constructed in the same fashion as the Newburg school and was completed in 1909 There were eighteen teachers in fourteen buildings in Jackson Township prevlous to 1900 Ten buildings consi ted of one room each wh1le four scnools h d two rooms with two teachers An eight grade course was taught until 1901 when a two year hlvh was added lhe flve consolidated schools taught the two years of high school After 1906 transportation was furnished After 1908 school was taught only in the five consolidated schools these belng vacated when the new The first connencement in Jackson High School was held on May 16, 1924 The event in addition to marking an eooch in the h1story of education i Jackson Township and Dec tur County, realization the struggle of years the pert of southwestern Decatur County for a connunitf center and consolidated township school Nearly 700 residents of the conmunity crowded into the new high school auditorium, demonstrating the conmunity spirit f the citizens of the township and appreciating the significance of the historic occasion The class of fifteen seniors which graduated was the largest of any of the year brought to the people of township schools of Decatur County that fad 'b ik rx -5' Y4 Ya. 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