Ward-Thomas Museum
Origin of Niles City Schools
Ward — Thomas
Museum
Home of the Niles Historical Society
503 Brown Street Niles, Ohio 44446
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Frank O. Robbins |
History
of Origin of Niles Schools. “In the limited time I have taken to look
up the history of the Niles schools, I have been unable to learn
anything of the actual organization of School District No. 8,
nor have I found anyone who could tell anything of its history
previous to 1842. The earliest record now in existence is a minute
book of the directors’ meetings and the first entry therein
is as follows: This done, the oath of office was administered
by James Dempsy, Esq. Meeting adjourned Friday, September 16th,
1842. WM. McKinley, Clerk. |
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Drawing of “White School
House”. |
William McKinley, who signed this record, was the father of our martyred President McKinley, who was born in the following year. I have not been able to learn whether the building known as the “White School House” standing west of the Presbyterian church, had already been built, but presume that it had. as it is referred to frequently in the records as a meeting place for the directors. At this time teachers were hired for short terms,
three months, or a little longer. Wages varied from $5.50 to $15.00
per month, part to be paid out of the school fund and balance
to be paid in bar iron at a specified price per pupil and to be
furnished by the patrons. There was but one school, ‘the
White Schoolhouse’, in the district at this time, and the
branches taught were thoseof a common English education: writing,
reading, arithmetic, geography and grammar. |
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William McKinley’s first grade teacher,
Miss Sandfordriding in carriage in front of the Allison Hotel,
later the Antler Hotel, at the corner of Main Street and Park
Avenue. |
It is interesting to note the names of some of the people who either taught the school or who served on the school board: In 1844, we first meet the name of H. H. Mason as director and clerk; in 1845, we find on the Board, the name of J. G. Butler, the father of J. G. Butler, Jr., known to all of our citizens. Under the new school law, in 1849, three directors were elected.In the fall of that year, Amos Allison, H.H. Mason and J. G. Butler. The first instance in the records telling of the hiring of two teachers was in March, 1847; these teachers were Alba Sanford, known to the old citizens as ‘Santa Anna’ and his daughter. Their compensation was $20.00 per month. I can not learn whether they both taught in one building but the presumption is that they did. In the fall of 1851, an enumeration of the white youth over four and under twenty-one in District No. 8, showed that there were within the district 110 males and 92 females between these ages. You will notice that in those days there were no boys and girls, only males and females. In a meeting of the house holders April 12, 1852, held at the White School House, a committee consisting of William Ward, William Hunter and J. G. Butler was appointed to inquire into the propriety of having the school divided and conducted thereafter upon the Union system; we can say nothing relative to this report but it is probable that at this time, the school house later known as the Niles High School, was built at the western end of what was then known as James Street(Church Street). “The Ohio legislature passed a modified
Ohio School Law in 1853. As a result of the new law, the state
collected a uniform property tax across the state, which it then
redistributed to each school district based upon the number of
students enrolled. The Ohio School Law of 1853 also provided money
for school libraries for the first time in Ohio’s history”. |
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