Woodward High School - Treasures Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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The Schools of Cincinnai'i in l83l N the third decade of the nineteenth century, Cincinnati was considered the center of learning for the West and Southwest. It was then the largest city west of the Alleghenies and justified its title, the Queen City of the Westf' Students came from the South, from Indiana, and from farther west. By 1881, the Lane Theological Seminary, the Cincinnati College, and the Ohio Medical College had been established. The Lane Theological Seminary was erected upon a plot of ground on Walnut Hills, which had been donated by Elnathan Kemper. It consisted of three departments, the preparatory, the collegiate, and the theological. The dormitory was in the third story, commonly called the garret. There was one large room with a fireplace, used by all students, and a dining room which the students had to heat at their own expense. The rules were very strict. Smoking was prohibited, and marriage resulted in dismissal. A cemetery was laid out in the neighborhood for the following reasons: ttInasmuch as those Who are studying for the ministry need time and opportunity for meditation and self- examination, a cemetery in proximity to the institution will afford a favorable place of retirement for the purpose. The Cincinnati College instructed students in mathematics, natural philosophy, chemistry, astronomy, mineralogy, and languages, as well as in law. Because of financial difficulties, the academic features were suspended. The law school con- tinued, and is now the law department of the University of Cincinnati. The Ohio Medical College was the center of learning for those who wished to follow the medical profession. This institution is still active as a part of the University of Cincinnati. . Before the year 1828, only private schools were available to children. Dr. John Lockets Cincinnati Female Academy, the Misses Bailey Female Boarding School, and a Female Seminary established by Caroline Lee Hentz were a few of the private schools of this period, in addition to DemingJS Academy, E. Stone Com- mercial Academy, and a technical school established by Milo G. Williams. In 1828, a law was passed providing for public schools in Ohio. Nathaniel Guil- ford, Micajah J . Williams, and Samuel Lewis were leaders in establishing public schools. The city constructed two buildings of brick and stone, of two rooms each. A little later four other buildings were erected, all crude structures. The schools were controlled by a Board of Trustees and Visitors, who, in conjunction with the City Council, levied and collected taxes for school purposes. They had the power to appoint six residents of the city, whose duties were to examine and inspect such per- sons as desired to teach. At the opening of these schools, the total enrollment was about eighty pupils. In 1833, George Graham, a prominent citizen, had built on his own iot on the west side of Race Street, between Fourth and Fifth Streets, 3 model schoolhouse. This was purchased by the City Council. Nine other schools, patterned after this, were then built. They were of brick, two stories high, with four rooms on each floor. In some of the buildings, fire engines as well as students were housed, and when a tire occurred the cianging of the bells put an end to learning and reciting. Some Of the pupils had a chance to pull the ropes of the hre bells, and others ran with the engine. These schools were about as large as a private residence of today. The flrst printed report of the schools appeared in 1834. In this report, we learn that the city was divided into ten school districts, having two schools in each I0071tiwmcd on page 11le Sixteen

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Elements of Population in Cincinnati of l83l HE people who first settled in Cincinnati were from other states. There were representatives here from every state in the Union. Foreigners, too, came to Cincinnati and settled, so that not only every state in the Union, but almost every part of the globe was represented here. In 1831, more than half of the population in Cincinnati were foreign born. Of these, by far the greatest number were Germans. They flocked to Cincinnati by hundreds. In 1831, they formed twenty-eight per cent of the population. The Irish formed the next largest group. Their number was estimated to be 13,831. They lived, for the most part, along the river. The English constituted about sixteen per cent of the population, and the French and Italians, one per cent each. Besides these, there were Dutch, Polish, West Indians, Nova Scotians, Danes, Belgians, Mexicans, Russians, Norwegians, Scotch, Welsh, Spaniards, Greeks, Africans, Turks, Portuguese, Swiss, and Australians. There were also many people whose nationality was not known. Their place of birth was listed as ttunknown or uat sea. Each nationality settled in a little group, keeping its own traditions, ideals, cus- toms, and in some instances, its language. Cincinnati was a very cosmopolitan city, a characteristic which she retains to-day. ELLEN HENSLEY ,31 , . Social Life and Customs of Cincinnati in I83I IONEER Cincinnatians realized that they must toil for the prosperity of their rapidly growing city. In spite of the hustle and bustle for wealth and progress generated by their labor, there was even then real society. It was not, however, an elaborate society with great conventionality; although not as polished as European and Southern aristocracy, it was wholesome, prosperous, and intelligent. In this period there were many clubs, one of the most distinguished of which was the Buckeye Club. This club held social and literary meetings in the parlor of Dr. Drakes home on Vine Street. The members discussed certain specified topics and commented on events of the day. Another popular literary society was the Semi-Colon Club. This curious name has no connection with the punctuation mark. It had been worked out on the theory that he who provides a new pleasure is entitled to half the praise accorded to the discoverer of a new continent. Therefore this club, a center of intellectual and social enjoyment, deserved half the praise of Colon tColumbusi, the discoverer of America. Literary and musical contributions were made by this society. Harriet Beecher Stowe later collected her papers under the title of Mayflower and dedi- cated them to the club. Visitors to the city were frequent guests. The club existed and fiourished until the panic of eighteen hundred and thirty-seven, during which period many of the members suffered losses. Besides these high-brow critical societies, there were also clubs to promote interest in sportsmanship. One of the best-known was the Cincinnati Shooting Club, established in eighteen hundred and thirty-one, which gave frequent dinners supplied with game killed by the members. At the dinners, they probably announced the scores attained by the hunters who had been proved the best marksmen. At the social and club gatherings Mrs. Trollope's Bazaar was the subject of many a conversation. This bazaar was housed in a unique building of brick with Gothic tContinued on page 1251 Fifteen

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1831 Woodward High School AS early as 1819, William Woodward had formed plans for an institution for the education of those children who could not afford to attend private schools. Although Mr. Woodward led a very busy life as farmer, tanner, and owner of a large estate, he found time to take an active part in the civic affairs of this city. He was elected to the office of Coroner, and for several years he was a member of the City Council. He gave to the city a plot of ground on Sycamore Street, north of Hunt, for a jail and other purposes. He was an ardent member of the Masonic fraternity. It was, no doubt, through these activities as a public spirited citizen that he observed the urgent need of a public educational institution. Mr. Woodward was a very close friend of his neighbor, Mr. Thomas Hughes, and when, on October 4, 1824, Mr. Hughes made a will Which gave considerable property ufor the education of poor, destitute children whose parents or guardians are unable to pay for their schooling, he named as executor and trustee of the fund his friend, William Woodward. Among Mr. Woodwardis friends in Cincinnati was his attorney, Mr. Samuel Lewis, Who, though many years younger than his client, impressed Mr. Woodward by his candor and business-like qualities. The two men conferred as to the best use to be made of Mr. Woodwardts wealth. A school was ever uppermost in Mr. Woodward's mind, and the result of one of the conferences with Mr. Lewis was the decision that the school should be founded during the lifetime of the donor. Thus it came about that on November 21, 1826, Mr. and Mrs. Woodward signed a deed transferring certain property for school purposes. Gifts were added from time to time, and finally, in 1830, work was begun on the lot on Franklin Street, now Wood- ward Street. Mr. Woodward himself hauled away the first load of earth excavated for the first Woodward High School building. There was established, according to the provisions of the gift, tta high school for teaching the higher branches of learning and literature, with the arts and sciences, for children who have no parents or other relations of sufficient ability to provide .h-l'i'fnffi'lf