Johnson St Paris High School - Parisian Yearbook (Saint Paris, OH)

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History of Schools HE first school of the town was held at the home of David Huffman, then in a little log cabin as a dwelling. Mr. David White and Mr. Dan Death are said to have been two of the first just north of our village. Next it was held in a little frame building which is today used directors of the last mentioned school. Thirza Furrow Kiser was the first teacher. The result of an election held January 20, 1859 for the selection of three school directors was as follows: Isaac Stoutemeyer 23 votes, Martin Prince 24 votes, and Joseph Buroker 21 votes. In com- paring the votes with those cast now we are aware of the fact that the town has grown. For a short time in 1867 school was held in the Odd Fellows Hall while a brick school building was being erected. It consisted of three stories and contained five rooms, as the third floor was used for chapel only. The building was not rearranged for some time, but the building being so tall it was considered unsafe and the teachers were forced to dismiss school during storms. The next time the building was changed occured in 1890, the third story was taken off and four rooms added to the west of it, making the structure as it stands today, on the old school grounds now known as the Harmon Memorial Park. This building is to remain the property of the public. It was purchased by A. G. Harmon at a public auction and presented by him to the town for park purposes. It will probably be a great satisfaction to many of the older alumni who spent their school days on these grounds to know that they are not to be used for commercial purposes but will be converted into a beautiful park. An item which might be of special interest is the list of the superintendents we have had: James G. Blair 1868-1871 G. W. Miller 1885-1889 E. D. Whitlock 1871-1873 L. I. Morse 1889-1893 W. W. Evans 1873-1874 J. M. Reason 1893-1897 F. M. Porch 1874-1877 G. E. Stephenson... 1897-1904 G. W. Snyder 1877-1880 D. C. Bryant 1904-1907 A. Powell 1880-1881 James Fortney 1907-1913 T. S. Dixon 1881-1883 W. C. Coleman 1913-1916 W. M. Hawes 1883-1885 James Turner ...1916—Now Mr. Turner has had many responsibilities in going through with the erection of the new school building. In this he has given the public valuable services which it should appreciate. G. E. Stephenson holds the record of time spent as superintendent. He was superintendent for seven years. E. D. Whitlock who served from 1871 to 1873 was the father of Brand Whitlock our for-' mer embassador to Belgium. 42

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“I Love Them for What They Make Me Remember” 41

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History of New Building Note With the kind permission of the News-Dispatch we are using this article, copied from their issue of June 10, 1920. N the ,light of JanualT 19 1917, the board of education for the Johnson-St. Paris village sc 00 district passed a resolution, calling for a special election on February 20 to vote on the proposition of a bond issue of $75,000 with which to purchase grounds and erect a new school building. This issue was carried by a majority of 32 votes. May 1, 1917, the board decided to locate the building upon its present site on East Main street and purchased eight acres of ground, providing commodious play and athletic fields as well as a wide expanse for lawns and landscape purposes. The contract for the building was let to Elmer E. Beckett of Columbus on August 4, 1917, and he completed his work in the fall of 1919. An additional bond issue for $25,000 was voted at a’spe- cial election to provide sufficient funds to meet the advance in prices of material and labor caused by war conditions. The very best of materials and skilled labor were used in erecting the structure which is practi- cally fire proof. A conservative estimate for erecting such a building today is $250,000. Had the project not been pushed at the time it was, it might have been several years before the district would have been able to carry the indebtedness.” Plan of The Building The basement: The manual training and domestic science rooms are now fully equipped In the domestic science room there are ten tables with a gas stove to each table. The manual training room equipped with one table and a set of tools for each member of the class, while there is also an extra set of special tools. The furnace and pump rooms, two lavatories, two large rooms which are not yet equipped now used as store rooms, boys and girls dressing rooms and the gymnasium comprise the rest of the basement. On the first floor are six grade rooms, a rest room, the art teachers office and the auditorium. On the second floor are two grade rooms, three high school recitation rooms, normal training room, a large study hall, physics laboratory, superintendent’s office and a library. Drinking fountains and lavatories are located on each floor and the building is lighted through- out with electricity. —Lucile Hill. 43