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Tyler County
West Virginia Genealogy Trails
A part of the
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Tyler County Schools
History of Free
Schools
In submitting this my third annual
report, the Free Schools of Tyler county show a healthful and
permanent growth, which will compare very favorably with
preceding school years. The enumeration has increased 112 over
last year's report, the enrollment 324 and the average daily
attendance 436 over the school year ending, June 30,
1887.
During the school year ending June 30, 1888, I
visited all the schools in the county with the exception of
two which had closed before I reached them. Out of the
eighty-seven teachers employed last year, none were from
beyond the borders of West Virginia, and few from outside
Tyler county. The students growing up are beginning to realize
that we are no longer dependent upon foreign teachers to be
employed to teach our Free Schools; having just as good talent
at home and all that is necessary is its cultivation, which
out teachers and those preparing to teach are now doing by
attending the West Virginia University, State Normal Schools
and select normal schools near home. This is the inspiration
and cause of the good work accomplished within our schools,
and myself, in connection with the school officers of the
county, are trying to foster and encourage such principles
among our students, and if in course of time we older teachers
fail to respond to the call, the younger citizens and
associates of West Virginia, may come to the front and take
our places.
Source: Biennial Report of the State
Superintendent of Free Schools of West Virginia, by Benjamin
S. Morgan, State Superintendent, 1888 - Transcribed by C.
Anthony
The Tyler Academy, at
Middlebourne, in Tyler county, incorporated January 30,
1827.
Source: The History of
Education In West Virginia, by WV State Dept. of Education, 1907 -
Transcribed by C. Anthony
BY D. L. TALKINGTON,
SUPERINTENDENT.
Education in Tyler
County previous to the establishment of the free school system was in a very crude condition.
Agriculture was the chief Industry, and it required about all of the
time of the hardy farmer to acquire the necessities of the home.
Education was then a luxury which but few could enjoy. Though the
farmer wished to educate his children, he had not the means to pay
for their tuition, and In many instances the children could not be
spared from the farm. But as the years passed by conditions changed.
Other industries sprang up; oil and gas were discovered. Dame Nature
smiled graciously on all. Many farms, whose chief products were
greenbrlers, ragweeds and tax bills, soon were spouting forth
abundantly streams of rich yellow liquid bringing Immediate wealth
to the poor farmer who had for years been toiling hard and earnestly
over the rough and rugged hills.
Before the free schools were established the
only opportunities offered the youth for intellectual improvement
were In private schools, and very poor ones they were. There Is
nothing that shows progress more vividly than to contrast one of the
"old field" schools with one of our schools of today. The private
school was established usually In this manner: Some teacher, or, as
he was more commonly called, a master, would wander Into the
community from Ohio or Pennsylvania; a contract would be circulated
around among the citizens, who would sign a certain number of pupils
and agree to pay a certain sum of money to the master for tuition.
If there was no building in the community that could bo used as a
school house, a crude log structure would be hastily prepared. The
heating apparatus was usually a huge fireplace occupying most of one
end of the room. A broad slab supported by wooden pins in the wall
formed the writing desk, the seats were constructed from sapplings
about six Inches in diameter spilt and cut Into pieces five or six
feet long; two holes were bored In each end and wooden pegs
Inserted, forming the legs of the seat. The master was a person well
qualified to keep school, but unqualified to teach school. He was an
absolute monarch In governing, and from stories oft related by our
fathers and grand fathers, the lads in the old school had to "toe
the mark."
So little was done In educational affairs while
this county was a part of Virginia that it need not be mentioned in
this sketch. Free schools were established In 1865. The first
examination was held in Sistersville. Miss Emlllne Jones, the first
applicant, received a second grade certificate. The schools did not
make much progress till about 1880. At that time the county was
supplied with buildings sufficient to accommodato the pupils. By
that time all the old log houses had been abandoned and their places
filled by more comfortable frame buildings. Since then we have made
steady progress.
Our schools are In very good condition at
present. We do not boast of an ideal school system. We see the need
of many improvements, many which we are now making and others which
we hope to see made in the near future. Great improvement has been
made In buildings, and much useful apparatus has been supplied
during the past few years. The School Improvement League Is
organized in this county and has done good work. The school boards
have been interested and have responded by selecting more beautiful locations and
erecting better buildings. The rural school buildings that are being
built In this county at the present time are not surpassed If
equaled In any other part of the State.
The teaching fraternity of Tyler, we think
second to none In the State. Several of our teachers are trained
graduates of the Normal Schools of the State. Many others are
graduates of recognized high schools or denominational schools of
standing, others have attended the normal schools, but have not
graduated. Most of our teachers are young, but they are enthusiastic
and Industrious and do very excellent work.
Tyler has now 130 schools, with an attendance
of 4,230 pupils. The total enumeration being 5,375; over 80 per
cent, of the enumerated youth of the county are In attendance In the
public schools. This is a great Improvement over the conditions that
used to exist and shows that, although the compulsory school law Is
not aa effective as It should be, it has done much good. The average
term In Tyler is six months, and the average wages throughout the
county for first, second and third grade teachers are, respectively,
$45.00, $35.00 and $30.00 per month. The average number of pupils
enrolled In each room of the county and village schools Is thirty;
In the graded and high schools, forty-two.
The Sistersville
public schools employ thirty teachers and have enrolled over 1,000
pupils. This Is an ideal school from the primary rooms to the high
school. For completeness and thoroughness of the work done In all
the grades and in the high school the Sistersvllle schools have few
equals south of Mason and Dixon's line. This school has developed
during the last fifteen years from a poorly graded four-room school
to Its present proportions and efficiency. Professor J. D. Garrison
is City Superintendent. He Is a good school man and is maintaining a
very high educational sentiment in the city, as Is evidenced by the
many improvements made during his administration. The high school
course has been strengthened until It Is now one of the accredited
schools of the West Virginia University. Two courses are given — the
Latin and the English. The Latin course prepares for the University.
The English course Is designed for those who are not expecting to
continue longer in school. Five teachers are employed In the high
school, including the superintendent. The departmental method of work is In operation.
Miss Anna N. Elliott Is principal of the high school and In charge of the
department of mathematics. Miss Elliott la a graduate of the
Wheeling High School, a student of the West Virginia University, and
one of the best teachers in the State. Miss Mary D. Hutchinson, a
recent graduate of Mount Holyoke College, has charge of the Latin
and German languages. Miss Florence M. Ramsey, another Mount Holyoke
graduate, Is teacher of English, Miss Henna Shriver, a graduate of
Washington (Pa.) Seminary and Marshall College, has the department
of history. There are no teachers employed In the high school or in
the grades who are not graduates of a recognized high school, normal
school or college.
Music and drawing
have been added to the curriculum in Slstersvllle and are in charge
of a special teacher. Miss Mary L. Peck, a graduate of the Oberlln
Conservatory of Music, has charge of the work and Is doing
nicely. A new high school building Is In process of erection
at Sistersville, costing about 45,000.00—a beautiful two-story buff
brick building of fifteen rooms, Including a large assembly room and
a room fitted up with modern apparatus as a laboratory for teaching
chemistry and physics. The building will have a large campus, which
can easily be made one of the most beautiful in the State. The Ohio
River and the hills to the west form a very picturesque landscape,
viewed from the building.
The Middlebourne Graded School employs four teachers and has
enrolled 140 pupils. Professor Frank Haught la principal and Is
doing all that can be expected. The building Is too small to
accommodate the pupils properly. Miss Hallle M. Swan Is first
assistant. Mr. C. B. Hamilton has charge of the intermediate room
and Miss Maude Carpenter is primary teacher.
The Friendly Graded School employs four teachers and has
enrolled 120 pupils. Professor B. S. Lively is principal and Is
doing good work, ably assisted by the following corps of teachers:
Mr. J. E. Morgan, third room; Miss Maude Martin, second room; Miss
Eleanor Horn, first room. Friendly has secured a very suitable
modern school building.
There are several other schools In the county I would like to
give special mention, but space will not permit. The schools of the
county are all doing nicely; I congratulate the teachers, pupils and
patrons on this fact and hope that the progress of the past will
continue, greatly augmented In the days that are to come.
The proposition for the establishment of a county high school
in this county, submitted to the voters at the last election,
carried by a large majority. The Board of Directors have secured a
beautiful site for the building at Middlebourne and have adopted
plans for the erection of a building costing about $40,000.00. I am
proud that Tyler is the first to establish a county high school, and
hope that the future of the school will be such as to lead other
counties to emulate our example.
Transcribed by C. Anthony From: The History of Education in
West Virginia,
1907
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