Plymouth High School - Mayflower Yearbook (Plymouth, IN)

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THE SENIOR ANNUAL 9 HISTORY OF THE PLYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Eva -Ieftirs. COMMON SCHOOLS. Our schools are charctericltic of the lfiheral spirit of that educa- tional policy which was contained in the Compact of the Ordin- ance of 1787, and which in a large measure has produced the pres- ent int+ell'ectual condition off the Northlwest Tenriwtory. Religion, morality afnd knowledge being necessary to good government and twhe happiness off nrankinidf' schools and other means of education have always been encouraged. Whiavt is norw the City of Plymouttib was plartted in 1834, and in t'he Reference, Loft 131 on Plu-mb street was dofnialted for at school. One and one-'half acres adjoiulintg on the west was given for a coun- ty seminary. Not until 185-L, however, was the record off fthe platt- ing acknowledging and recording the Platt of Plymouth properly certified to. Although the lots were n-ever used for the purpose for which they were donnateld, ample provision for etlucaltion had been made in accordance wi-th the spirit of the Ordinance of 1787. The first school in Plymou'th was conducted 'by O. F. Norrton in the lVVlll1ltCI' off 1837, but there is no evidence thalt he taughlt more than onle term. The school was held in the old count house, wlhiclh then stood on the west side of Michigan street, near Adams. Flro-m 1841 to 1846 it 'is said that Mr. Palrfsons and Rev. Austlin Smith fauglrt in this Court Hou-se. In 1840 Mrs. Erksiue erected a' build- ing for school purposes, where she taughlt for several yea-rs. From 18-I-5 fto 1854, school was held ini a building lwlhich stood on the lot in the rear of the Lutheran chlurch on Adams street. This building was also ow-ned' 'by private parties. Until the Cousntituttion of 1850. fthle schools orf the State' were dependent upon local and volluntalry enterprise. VV'hen the Consti- tuition was aldopsted in 1850, the Legislaltiure immediately too-k steps to establish a ulnrilform State system, bu't not until 1865 was the present syvtem fairly sltanted, due to adverse decisions of the Su- preme Court. Prior 'to 1850, the people did little towards support- ing the schools through taxaltfi-ont. Schools in organized communi- ties were unwder fthe jurisd-iciti-on of the Townshlip trustee, but his du- tlies were confined for the moslt part to assisting any one desiring to start a school by donlatuing what lititle money he might obtain through the School Fund. This amount was entirely inadequate to support a tefacl1er:anld the bailance was obtaintefd by charging tuition of each pupil attendlinlg. Alt the time that Plymouth was incorporated as a town. in 1851, nlo special atitenltion was given 'to free schools, and not until 1853 d'icl the real awalkeni-n-g to the value of free schools com-e -to the peo- ple of Plymouth. Alt this time the population of the town was six

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rmi STCNIK JR ANNUAL

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10 THE SENIOR ANNUAL hundred srevenfty. May 26 an election was held, the 'purpose fbeinrg to see ilf thae people favored a school tax. Tfhe vote stood eight against and five in favor. June 23 a townlslhip election was held for the saline purpovse, at which the vote stood thluteen opposed to seven Hin favor. In Mfarch, 1854, the loft given to the county for a 'seminary was solid to 'tihe -city for one hunldred dollars, anid on the thirticth 0-f the same month Mr. S. Morgan was given, the contract for erect- ing a school houtsle. This 'bufilding was completed in Decemfbefr of the saime year. It conta'in1ed'th'ree school rooms and onle. 1-e'ci'tat'ion -room and wvars consli-dered an excfell-ent fn-uilding for 'its time. Mr. VV. J. Moir 'was chosen' prin-cipal of the schools and had as alssistlanhs Mrs. E. Crum anid 'Miss E. Adsalms. The -enrrollment numbered one hun- dreld fifty. Mr. M'Ulf wars succeeded 'by Mr. C. H. Blair, who was princi- pal, 'part olf one year, when H. C. 'Burlingalmle :took charge of the schofols. Mr. Mfank Cummings succeeded hlim 'in 1861. He wtas fol- lowed by Mr. D. D. Luke, who remained prinlclipal until August, 1870. In 1868, a school building wa-s erecteld in the third ward. Upon the rehiremfenft of Mr. Luke in 1870, Mr. R. A. Chase was chlosen as superintendlent, EU position which 'hc held until 1903. During the adminlis'tra'tion1 of Mr. Chiase, manly important changes -took place in our schools. A system'a'tic course of study was aldopted: the schools were grade-dg a school library was start- ed: HI high school course of study introduced for 'the first -time, and business methods used. wlh'ich hroughlt afbout a rapid development df proper school facvilities. In 1874 a new 'buildling wtas erected on Plumb street. July 4th thfe corncrstonc was laiid -With Masonic ceremlonies. On November 26th of the same year, the fbuildting was dedicated and school open- el four days later. In 1893 a si'mlil'ar hulild'inrg was constructed 'adiofininrg the first 'and the two buildings are now known as the Wlalshinfgton l'311'illflfin,ff. To satisfy the conditions olf a ualptidly increasing p0p'u'l'a- tion, it was found necessary 'in 1897 to construct a more commodi- ous burillding in place of 'tlhte Vila-rd huiilding ont the South Side, anfd 'this is now known as the VVe'bst1er. Mr. Chaise was succeeded in 1903 by R. A. Riandall. Upon the advenlt of Mr. Randall some changes w'ere'n1rade in keeping with the ge-nrefral trend of the educational policy of the State. High School. The hiistory of the High School begins wlith the 'advent of Mr. Clhase as superinftendenit of schools. At this time 1872-1874, Mis-s Clteveland talughit the higher 'branches in 'the Plymouth Schools: and when the High School was organized, Sepltemher, 5, 1873, Miss Clievelanld and Mr. Chase were the High School in'sttruc't- OUS. ' The High Schlool proper may he said to have 'begun at the time t'he new 'buillding was 'entered in 1874. Wm D. E. Prescott of Man- chester, Iowa. was the H1-st nrincinal and he with Mr. Chase con- sttitutied the High School instructors.