HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
CHAPTER 9
GRADING OF THE SCHOOLS
At the meeting of the County Board of Education May, 1876, it was resolved to grade the schools of Orange County. An adjourned meeting was accordingly held June 7, and the following course of study adopted for the schools of Orange County:
PRIMARY DEPARTMENT
First Grade. Reading words at sight - McGuffey’s New Chart. Daily practice, writing script on slates. Reading through First Reader. Spelling words of reading lesson. Writing lessons on slate. Counting and writing numbers to one hundred. Simple lessons in addition and subtraction to tens.
Second Grade. Reading through Second Reader. Oral and written spelling - McGuffey’s Speller to sixtieth page. Addition and subtraction continued. Multiplication and division to tens. Counting and writing Roman and Arabic numbers to one thousand.
INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT
Third Grade. Reading through Third Reader. McGuffey’s Speller to one hundredth page. Writing exercises on paper. Arithmetic - Ray’s Third Book, to compound numbers. Geography - Oral lessons in local geography; map drawing, including, first, the school grounds; second, the section and its divisions; third, the township, civil and congressional; fourth, the county.
Fourth Grade. Reading through Fourth Reader. Spelling through McGuffey’s Speller. Writing -Spencerian Copy - book, No. 3, or its equivalent. Arithmetic to decimal fractions. Primary Geography completed. Language lessons to page eighty-one.
GRAMMAR DEPARTMENT
Fifth Grade. Fifth Reader through and reviewed. Spelling selected words from reader, geography and other sources. Arithmetic completed. Geography (comprehensive) completed. Language lessons completed. Practical Grammar-Harvey. United States History and Physiology.
This course of study was revised, and with very few changes re-adopted by the Board of Education October, 1882, and is still in force. By the year 1881, the course of study having been successfully introduced into all the schools of the county, the Board of Education resolved to introduce a graduating system. Accordingly a plan was drawn up under which the County Superintendent examines pupils who have completed the common-school course. Those pupils who can pass the examination required by the Board receive a common-school diploma, signed by the the County Superintendent, Trustee and teacher. Since that time three of these annual examinations have been successfully held and sixty pupils graduated from the public schools of Orange County.
In the preceding pages we have endeavored to give a fair and impartial account of the founding and progress of the schools of the several townships of the county. In many cases we have not been able to find school records, and have relied upon the recollections of the older inhabitants. We therefore do not claim perfect accuracy for the work, but submit it to the candid judgment of our readers, asking them to take it for what it is worth, but with the confident assurance, that while there may be errors and omissions which should not have occurred, in the main the work will be found to be correct We close with this sentiment: "The public schools of Indiana - the pride and glory of the State - may our people ever sustain them." The remainder of this chapter was prepared by a member of the historical company.COUNTY TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE
The organization of the first Teachers’ Institute or Association, took place at Paoli, Saturday, October 15, 1865, the teachers assembling in the court house. S. T. Lindley was chosen Chairman and W. Lomax appointed Secretary. Prof. N. Boles, Junius Lomax and William S. Shirley were appointed a Committee to draft a constitution and by-laws, which they accordingly did, the following being the preamble: "For the purpose of mutual improvement and the elevation of the teachers’ profession, the undersigned do agree to form an association, to be governed by the following constitution." The constitution provided that the organization should be known as the "Orange County Teachers’ Association," but at the first regular meeting, held for the purposes of drill and discipline, the name was changed to the " Orange County Teachers’ Institute.’’ It was also provided that meetings should be held regularly the last Saturday in each month; that seven members should constitute a quorum; that any teacher in the county, by signing the constitution and paying 25 cents into the treasury, could become a member; and that the exercises should consist in discussions, drills, lectures, the reading of essays, etc. Theodore Stackhouse was elected Permanent President; S. T. Lindley, Vice-President; N. Boles, Secretary; L. B. Cogswell, Treasurer. It was determnined to hold the tirst Teachers’ Institute at Paoli for five days, beginning November 6, 1865. On this occasion the total enrollment was sxty-three, showing the great interest manifested by the teachers of the county in the advancement of their profession. The occasion was important, and justly felt so by the leading citizens of the county seat and elsewhere, who·visited the sessions and took part in the exercises. instrumental music was furnished by Mrs. A. E. Williamson, and devotional exercises by Rev. H. 0. Chapman. Mr. Stackhouse instructed classes in orthography and elocution; Dr. J. C. Stanley, in physiology, penmanship, arithmetic, etc.; Prof. Boles, in geography, history, English grammar, vocal music, etc.; and other teachers gave exhibitions of practical methods in the dissemination of knowledge. The lectures took place in the evenings, and were well attended by town folk. Mr. Stackhouse lectured on "The Schools of Orange County;" Prof. Boles, on the "Means and Ends of Education:" Dr. Stanley, on "Respiration," in its application to the schoolroom; Francis Wilson, Esq., on " The Duties of Parents and Teachers," and Judge Simpson on "Engaging the Attention of Pupils." Great interest was shown by all throughout the entire session, and the teachers parted full of resolution to maintain the organization.
The following year another session was held at Paoli, though not with as satisfactory results. A few earnest teachers, at the head of whom was the County Examiner, met and carried into effect quite an interesting program. The session of 1867 was about like that of 1866. The session of 1868 was better. The Legislature had provided for an appropriation of $50 out of the county funds to be used in defraying the expenses of the County Teachers’ Institute, and this amount was realized and used this year for the first time. It was a great help, small as it was, and no doubt has been the cause of the continuance of the Institute with such uniform success until the present. There were sixty-six members enrolled in 1868, and the session lasted four days. Prof. Bloss was Chairman of the session, and W. J. Throop, Secretary. There were daily recitations and drills in all the leading branches of study, a specialty being object lessons and map drawing. Lectures were delivered by Messrs. May, Howard and Robbins. Since then sessions have been held annually with increased interest and success. In 1869 the Teachers’ Convention of Orange, Lawrence and Washington Counties was organized, a full account of which will be found elsewhere in this volume. The following instructors were booked for the Institute August, 1884:
Prof. 0. P. Jenkins Science of Teaching, Hygiene, Physiology, Good Behavior, Language, Grammar, Geography, Writing, and Indiana in the War. Prof. E. B. Smith Arithmetic, Dictionary, and United States Constitution. Mrs. Helen E. Smith United States History. Miss Jennie J. Throop Reading and Spelling. Miss Bessie Mavity Music. State Superintendent John W. Holcomb and Barnabas C. Hobbs are expected to lecture sometime during the Institute. Other distinguished gentlemen are invited.