of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 342-344
EDUCATIONAL. During the summer of 1833, Major George Davenport, who was trading with the Indians at Rock Island, sent a man named Farnham and two assistants to erect a log trading post at "Sandstone Bluffs" or "Grindstone Bluffs," the present site of Muscatine.
In May, 1836, Colonel Vanatta and Captain Benjamin Clark, who had bought the claim of Davenport, employed Major William Gordon, then a resident of Rock Island, to survey a town on their claim. They called the town Newberg, but this was soon changed to Bloomington. This name was retained until about 1848, when the town received its present name.
The year 1839 is noted in the history of Muscatine county and the town of Bloomington as the beginning of their educational system. In section 2, Wapsinonoc township, in 1839, Valentine Bozarth opened a school in an unoccupied log dwelling.
J. A. Parvin, in May, 1839, leased a small cabin and opened the first school in the county. In 1839-40, he moved to a building near the court house square and in the spring moved into the "town house" on Iowa avenue. During the eleven years which succeeded the establishment of the first school, there were several private schools, of greater or less importance, a record of which has not been preserved. The earliest concerted action of the people in regard to schools dates from 1848.
G. B. Denison says: "Under the provisions of the school laws of Iowa up to 1858, the formation of school districts was left entirely with the school fund commissioner, and for some unexplained reason, Muscatine was early divided into two school districts. District No. 1 occupied all that part of the original town east of Sycamore street, and No. 2 all west of said street. Nothing could induce them to unite the two districts until the passage of the revised school law, March 12, 1858, when they were consolidated 'nolens volens.' In 1848 District No. 2 commenced the agitation of building a schoolhouse. Up to that time there were no schoolhouses in either district. After much canvassing by about a dozen friends, a public meeting of the electors of District No. 2 was called at the old Methodist church, standing on the ground now occupied by the Muscatine Journal printing office and a vote was taken which was in favor of building a schoolhouse. The house was not completed and ready for occupation until May, 1851."
This house was erected on the same lots on which the First Ward building now stands. In 1850 District No. 1 voted to build a larger house than the one in No. 2. The house in No. 1 was 40x45 feet. No. 1 was built on the same site as that of the present Third Ward school.
District No. 1 in 1850 elected John A. Parvin president, Ansel Humphreys secretary , and Absalom Fisher treasurer. The house was completed and school commenced March 7, 1853, with D. Franklin Wells principal, at $500; Miss Margaret M. Lyon, first assistant, $250; Miss Malinda Davidson, second assistant, $200; Miss Emeline Fisher, third assistant, $200.
May 12, 1851, No. 2 opened, with G. B. Denison, principal, $500; Miss Lydia A. Denison, first assistant, $250; Miss Mary A. Stiles, second assistant, $225. N. L. Stout was president; Henry O'Connor, secretary; and Pliny Fay, treasurer. The school year in both districts consisted of three terms of fourteen weeks each. The districts had contracted to pay a certain sum to their teachers. About one-third of this would be received from the annual state apportionment, but there was no provision for the other two-thirds. At that time there was no law permitting a tax or a rate bill for this purpose. However, rate bills were established and no child was admitted to the school whose parents refused to pay the assessment. The rates were as follows: Primary department, $1.50; intermediate, $1.75; higher department, $2 per term.
In 1853 a law was enacted making the rate bill legal, also increasing the directors from three to six (optional with electors) who served three years instead of one. No. 2 adopted the law in the spring of 1853 and elected the following directors: Rev. A. B. Robbins, president; Joseph Bridgman, secretary; James S. Hatch, treasurer; Jacob Butler, Joseph P. Freeman and Franklin Thurston, directors. On account of some disagreement as to the management of this school, in the spring of 1854 this board resigned and an entire new board was elected as follows: S. G. Stein, Henry Reece, J. P. Freeman, S. B. Hill, Alexander Dunsmore and Alfred Purcell. Alva Tuttle was elected principal of No. 2, but at the end of the second term Mr. Denison was recalled as principal. Nathan Hoag succeeded Mr. Denison and after a year's service, Samuel McNutt was chosen principal and Moses Ingalls succeeded Mr. McNutt. Mr. Wells had continued as principal at No. 1 till the close of the school year in 1856, when he was elected principal of the normal department of the State University of Iowa. Thomas Beaham became principal and he was succeeded by Dr. D. H. Goodno. In 1858 the revised school law went into effect and one board served both districts. In 1860 the board dispensed with all male teachers except Dr. Goodno, who served as principal or superintendent of the two schools.
Previous to 1858 the office of county superintendent did not exist as such in this state. In April, 1858, at the first election for this office, William F. Brannan was chosen. He held the office till 1860, when Rev. Charles Woodhouse was elected and served till January 1, 1862, at which time Dr. D. H. Goodno was elected to this position. Dr. Goodno was therefore principal of the two schools of this city from the spring of 1860 to October 1, 1862, and county superintendent from January 1, 1862, to the 1st of October of the same year, when he resigned both positions to accept the position of major in the Grey Beard Regiment under Colonel Kincaid.
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