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Seriously, it is useless to expect any teacher to impart instruction to so large a number of pupils as are crowded into our public schools at this place. The interests of all concerned should call for the creation of two or three new school districts at once. O.N. Worden’s Chronicle, 1848. ANOTHER VIEW OF THE SCHOOLS IN 1848— A perfect description of the manners or customs of the schools beggars my pen. The school numbers say sixty of both sexes, of all sizes, abilities, habits and tempers, and of ages, from three to thirty. This medley of raw material with the “master” make up the school. They have all kinds of books, pieces of books and no books. The “big ones” have been through their book before and just come to finish off. The middle class have all “larnt” to read, write and cypher. Most of them wish to commence in the “single rule of three” and the aversion of these ripe scholars to turning back is remarkable. The infantry are sent to be out of the way at home, thus giving the teacher about a dozen fit only for the nursery. The manners are emphatically loud. They enter the house, hat on head, with all the assurance of aged gents, planting their iron heals and strutting like the heroes of the journals. The teacher’s share of the play is to break and drill them, and it requires that resolution which conquers or dies to succeed. CHRONICLE, Nov. 3, 1848— Mr. Daniel Heiser tells us when he was a boy, he went to school near Kratzerville, now Snyder county, but then Union. The seats were on pins driven into the walls. The desks were two running the lull length of the house. There was no passageway between the bench and the desk, so that when a boy was called out, the only way to reach the teacher was to go over the top of the desk, and to return to his seat, he had to go the same way. The stovepipe in this schoolhouse extended only through the ceiling and discharged into the loft. This place was used by many of the neighbors as a smokehouse for their hams and flitch. Mrs. Michael Wolfe says that her grandparents held a consultation in reference to sending one of their three boys, John, Adam and Jacob, to the old log academy. It was decided to send Jacob, the late Capt. Jacob V. Gundy. On the evening of the first day the teacher, the elder Hickok, gave Jacob a note in English to deliver to his father. This note being in English, neither the father nor mother could read, and the boy was called in to read it. It read, “Keep Jacob, the blockhead at home, and send Adam to school.” The mother, however, insisted that she knew the boys, and that to school Jacob should go. At the end of the term, he took the highest prize offered. Capt. Gundy was 18 years of age when he attended the log academy. This would make it in 1825 that he was a blockhead the first day of the term and was the prizewinner the last day. During the term the teacher called up a young woman to receive a whipping. Young Gundy saw that the girl was about to be unjustly punished, and placing himself between the teacher and the pupil, said the punishment could not proceed. He argued the case with the teacher and saved the girl the disgrace. The girl’s name was Betsy Green. HISTORY OF THE MIFFLINBURG SCHOOLS— Mifflinburg was laid out by Elias Youngman in 1792 and incorporated April 14, 1827. Mr. Youngman and his family were driven off by the Indians and went to Reading. After the Revolutionary war, they returned to Mifflinburg, put up a little cabin, plastered it between the logs, and papered it with the, “Reading Audler.” About 1814 the town was greatly excited on account of witches and supernatural appearances, so that women and children were afraid to venture out at night. Mr. Fries, a German preacher, tried to convince the people that there was no reality in these things. The school history of Mifflinburg is also the school history of West Buffalo Township up to the incorporation of the former as a borough. The first school of which I can find any trace was kept in an old house on Walnut Street, a little east of the Thomas Gutelius residence. Here the teacher was named Hazlitt, about 1808. A Midd Daring taught in an old building on Chestnut Street in 1810. A Mr. John Hubbs, said to be a very bright teacher but cruel and fond of his “bitters,” after teaching a few years rented a tavern stand and acted as landlord. In 1818 Mr. Resser taught. In 1819 Mr. Young taught a German school in what was known as the upper district, in the house in 1834 occupied by Josiah Henry. In 1825 Henry Hickock was teacher. In 1827 Mr. Adam Gensel taught. In 1830 Rev. Nathaniel Todd, a Presbyterian minister, taught a private academy in what was then known as the Franklin School House. One part of this was used for the academy, the other part for a public school. George Lehman taught about 1830 and for several years thereafter in both the upper and lower districts. He was considered a good teacher, but took too much fire-water and practiced some singular methods of punishment, as many of our citizens recollected, who had experienced in riding the triangular wooden horse. He was a fine penman and did much writing for the people. The borough of Mifflinburg accepted the common school law in 1838. After the free school system came into force the list of teachers from 1838-1844, followed successively by David Meizner. a Methodist Minister from Iowa, John Sprogle, B.F. Eaton, Esq., Philip Cronmiller, Esq., J.M. C. Ranck, Mary and Eliza Calvin, and Nettie Montgomery. Those who taught in the old German Schoolhouse were: Levi R. Durant, Henry Greyman, J. Wesley Penning-ton, Henry W. Crotzer, J.T. Smith, Ada Beckley, (Mrs. John Moss), Susan Cronmiller, (Mrs. Jospeh Boop), and Miss Sarvey. In 1857 the Board of Directors purchased from the Trustees of the Lutheran and Reformed Churches the Elias Church property for $1,000. Mr. Joseph Boop took the contract for making partitions and re-arranging the building for school purposes, and it was occupied the same year by all the schools of the borough. Looking over the list of teachers, we find the following, most of whom were successful: Rev. W.C. Hesser, John Bucher, Susan Cronmiller, Kate Gast, John McLarney, B.F. EAton, Esq., C.E. Haus, Esq., J.D. Passmore, Mary Haus, Mrs. Cummings, L.W. Anspach, Martha Ranck, Ada Herr, Ella Finney (Mrs. B.B. Young), Miss Piper, Mary Eilert, Jane and Mary McAlarney, R.H.Orwig, Frances Shriner and Emma Barber. The increasing size of the schools made it necessary to procure an additional building and as the Acadmey was available, two of the schools were removed to it in the fall of 1870. The teachers in this building were: A.S. Shadle, F.L. Burrows, Susan Cronmiller, Mary McAlarney, R.H. Orwig, Emma Barber, and Frances Shriner. In the spring of 1873 the school directors purchased of Rev. Mr. Anspach, three acres of land for $1,500 and in the fall of 1875, let the contract for the erection of the school at the foot of the hill, overlooking the town. The cost of the property, including the ground, furniture, grading, etc. was nearly $13,000. This building was dedicated and opened for school purposes February 22, 1877. The directors who had the honor of starting and carrying forward this noble enterprise were: John Badger, John S. Stitzer, S.B. Hoffman, Dr. Charles Gutelius, James Zellers, Jacob Zimmerman, Robert Wendell, Andrew Katherman and Albert Foster. Note: The author assumes this was the old Mifflinburg High School building— the one which was removed and in 1983 became lots for homes. The names of the first school officers after the adoption of the free school system were not found, but the following named persons have served as Directors at various times: Daniel Moss, David Faust, Mader, Joseph Boob, Samuel Stitzer, George Gutelius, Frederick Gutelius, Rev. J.G. Anspach, George Youngman, Esq., James Sands, Esq., Hon. William Young, Henry Strunk, Capt. J.R. Orwig, Dr. D.M. Brubaker, Dr. D.H. Miller, Henry Condon, C.E. Haus, Esq., Samuel Getgen, Esq., Henry Wolf, Augustus Heiter and Henry Lebkicker. Many of these were firm supporters of the public education and did noble work in the cause. John Badger was a director for 15 years. © Copyright 2010 by Mifflinburg Telegraph Weekly Newspaper Top of Page |
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