Franklin School and Fairfield High School

HANEY, PARSONS, SCHAFER, STUBBS, JORDAN, WELLS, LIGHT, WALLACE, MCLEAN, CRANE, DAVIS, THRASHER, WEST, SWEENY, GILSON, SPARR, MONLUX, SCOFIELD, DERBY, WILLIAMSON, POWER, ROBINSON, FLOYER, CHESTER, OTHERS

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 2/24/2009 at 19:38:17

"The Fairfield Town Crier", August 23, 1994

"Fairfield Reminiscences", by Lillian Thada

School Days
By a week from today, students will have shown off their new clothes, school bus drivers are comfortable in their runs, children are buying school supplies that are needed according to teachers' requirements, and students are still in the excitement of sorting out what to expect of the 1994-1995 school year. Where has the summer vacation gone? What changes occur in households when school begins!

Recently, Christine HANEY gave me a copy of a Fairfield Ledger news release written by John PARSONS sometime after 1913. This serves as a good springboard for a history of early franklin School and a chronological listing of all the Fairfield high schools. Here is a good picture of Franklin School given to us by Florence SHAFER. [Ed. note: See bottom of article.]

The movement to establish a suitable schoolhouse was started March 3, 1863. That day the school board of the district of Fairfield met and passed a motion by C.W. SLAGLE to levy a tax of two mills for the purpose of securing a site and building a suitable schoolhouse. The motion carried and a committee was appointed to select the site. The members chosen were D.P. STUBBS, Fairfield's most famous criminal lawyer; W.H. JORDAN, one of four JORDAN brothers who bought out the W.R. WELL's General Merchandise Store; and Solomon LIGHT, a jeweler.

They chose the spot known as the WALLACE Property lying immediately south of the railroad between Washington and Jefferson streets which today are known as North Court and North Main streets. The price was $900 and by the spring of 1864, it was fenced and planted with trees. Many people of the community contributed trees and people "in the know" say some of the trees are standing today. Now that area is known as Howard Park, one of the city's playground areas.

In 1865, a vote authorized a building not to exceed $20,000. Over $5,000 of that was raised by private subscriptions. With that amount on hand the board contracted for a building. Clay from the excavation was baked into some of the bricks from a kiln right on the lot; the rest of the bricks were made by a Mr. McLEAN who lived east of town and made bricks. When the building was completed, it was 84 feet long and 50 feet wide. There were three stories with 12 rooms and a basement. It was crowned with a white cupola.

Originally, the building was heated by an old-fashioned soft coal stove known as the Connon stove. In that day, the building was considered a very magnificent one. It was finished in 1868 for a cost of $18,000. George CRANE was the contractor and the builder. School started September 1868 in the new building. Four hundred and twenty-two pupils were enrolled the first day. The smallest number assigned to one teacher was 47 and the largest number was 135.

The first year only, the first four rooms on the first floor and one on the second floor were used for all the grades. One room on the third floor was used for high school and one room was the superintendent's office. The other two rooms on the third floor were used for assembly of all the students.

Each room had a stove for heat. Beside each was a coal box, filled after each school day by the janitor. The teachers tended the fires during the school hours except in the higher grades where a boy was occasionally delegated to do the job. One day a wrathful teacher was shaking a boy, when her outward thrust became so violent that she lost her grip. The shaken victim fell flat on his back in the coal box, so it must have been of good size.

Franklin School had all the grades in it, but in the early years this meant only six. Later there were four primary grades and three grammar school grades. The four high school grades were gradually added and in 1879-80, four high school years were offered. The first graduating class in 1883 consisted of 10 girls.

W.C. DAVIS was the first superintendent and he served for one year. William THRASHER was next for 1869-71; N.N. WEST followed for two years, 1871-73. Then John SWEENY served for one year and R.G. GILSON served from 1874 for a short time. W.M. SPARR followed for four years and then J.B. MONLUX from 1881-85. The first woman to be elected as superintendent was Julia SCOFIELD who served from 1885-1889. Then came L. DERBY until 1892 followed by J.E. WILLIAMSON who served the longest, 1892-1904. S.A. POWER served for four years, then Mr. ROBINSON for one year and the last to serve was Mr. FLOYER.

Some of Franklin's teachers were Flora CHESTER, Sue BLAIR, J. Wilbur DOLE, Charles CARTER, Katherine BONFIELD, Nellie JORDAN, Mrs. Wilson REED and Cora PORTER. Many of these stayed on and taught in other buildings later.

The girls in the first graduating class in 1883 were Kate BARR, Emma BOYD, Maggie CASE, Flora CHESTER, Minnie GANTZ, Mary JONES, Georgia McELDERRY, Mary OLIVER, Daisy SHAFER and Fanny TAYLOR. Each girl in the graduating class had to offer a declamation for her commencement.

In 1912, the high school moved out of Franklin into the larger building on West Briggs where the Highway Commission offices are today. According to records, Franklin was sold to Leslie HARPER for $500 in 1913 and was razed sometime later.

So our F.H.S. history goes from Franklin School 1877 to 1912. Then to the West Briggs location until April 22, 1938, when it was completely destroyed by fire. Until January 1940, classes were held around the square and the current building on East Broadway went into use in 1940. Thus ends my history lesson on F.H.S.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Jefferson Documents maintained by Joey Stark.
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