Woodward High School - Treasures Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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'u'u'uH'nW-HW-Wn'um'n'. i gt Woodward f . At the landing 01' the Sy-amm'e Street stairs, there - is a linigniticent stained glass window. From a dis- tance, it seems 011e gr at splash 01 light and calmn- hlue, green, red, purple; s but on approaching 11101-0 closely, we find that these colors form a picture drama. The large and mast ccnt'al palit represents three men in a boat. One man is standing in the front 111' the boat and seems to be looking for sniiielhing. XV'e 1' 'alize that the hoatman is William XVnmlvard, and that he is seeking the little settlement of L0- sa111iville, 1111 the hanks 01' the Ohio. The story that makes up this window is one 01' great Vision, saeritiee and hardshipwr a story 01' so much interest to us that, at this point. we like to recall it. It was the year 1791. XVilliam 'Womlward had eume all the long, dangerous way from Plaintield, Connecticut, to Iind himself a home in the wilderness as many before him had done. When he reached Cincinnati, he built not only a homct but later a school. for which w1 are must grateful. He had been living Stal'eely a year in his new home, when he joined an expedition which was in preparation under tieneul ttMatl'i Anthony Wayne to stop the Indians3 annoyance and murders 01' the white settlers there. 'n'u'h'u'u'u'u'n'h'uk'u'uHHH'hau'n When he returned, he settled down on his farm. He was 1101 only a tanner. but also a tanner. The stone on which he curried hides is one 01. the most prized relies at VVoodwanl. This rough, old stone is set in the wall directly above the t'uuntain therews an interesting and striking contrast to that exquisite , hit 01' RonkwnmL In 1803. William XVnndward married Abigail Cut- teI'. They lived a long. happy life togethen until the year 1833, when William VVnndward died. His re- mains and those 01' his wife. who died nineteen years later, are buried in the last side 0t the VVoodvard High School grounds. Now that we have reviewed the story of William Woodward, let us look again at the window. We see. in various placesn in its hunter, small houses. One 0t these, which is in the lower left hand eor- ner, is a dear, little nltl-l'ashinned house. It is the Plaintield home 01. the XVmleartl family who had come to America 1 1'0111 England, in the seventeenth century. In this little house in Plainfield1 Connecti- cut, XVilliam Woodward was born. March 8, 1768. But what else is there in the picture? Down in the lower right haml corner we spy a quaint little red- hl'iek house. This is the Cincinnati home 01' VVil- liam 'Wootlwal'd and his wife Abigail, 011 Main and VVehster streets.

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As we glance farther upward on the left side of the glass picture, we see a house surrounded by a wooden fence. This tiny place is the first VVoodwal'd High School; it was founded by XVilliam Vt-Toodwarcl. It is a small. lwo-story. brick house which was opened on October 21, 1831. It had an enrollment of just l'ol'tywtwo students and three teachers. All the pupils were boys, no girls having been admitted until 1851. The ground on which this original Woodward High School was built was given by Mr. XVomlward. The. school did work of such a scholarly cha 'acler that it was chartered. in 1836, as stWoodward College and High School, but later it he 'ame again a high school onlxn The next little house that we discover in our window seems something like the one we have just seen. It is a picture 01' the same school, only this time, look! it boasts of a third story, which was added in 18-1-1. The last house which is in the center of the border, is also a school, but it is entirely different from the other two. It is much large ' and finer. The great inei'iase in the number of students had made neces sary the erection of a new building which was opened in 1835; which took the place 01' the original VVood- t'artl High School building. This building has now been torn down, and the present Woodward High School takes its place. We continue to gaze at the. beautiful window and wonder if something is not missing. Ah! oi course there is! Where is our building of to-day? It is miss- ing. We wonder why that is, until we remember that, as VVehster says, iteulogies belong to the deadf' and we realize that a building must be scrapped before its picture is put in a stained glass window. iVe realize, however. that in the future. this building will be standing only in the Iilemories of those who knew and loved it and that some member of a future generation will point to its picture in a stained glass window and tall it old-fashioned. But how much rather we would have our building as is than have it torn down so that its picture might he put in a magnificent stained glass window. When we sp -ak of the laying of the. eorner-stone tor the present building on November 4, 1908, we never fail to say that the orator for the day was Ex-president William Howard Tal't, of the Class of 7-4, who is now Chief Justice of the United States. This new building, live stories high, with every modern convenience, accommodates over1,500pupils. What a contrast it is to the lirst Woodward High School! Ma r it row till it meets our rowinu needs! k K a CARRIE KOHRMANN.