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branches, and this may have had its influence in the election of a male teacher. There was, also, nothing to prevent any one from opening a school, if he or she could obtain the scholars. In this settlement, like its parent stem, at Marietta, the people were well enlightened, vigorous thinkers, and hence only an educated person could hope for success. Mr. Mayo, combining all the requisite qualities, could easily secure the necessary number of scholars and teach during the winter. He followed this avocation several sessions, from which it must be inferred he gave satisfaction. During the summer months he labored on his lot, as he could when not molested by the Indians. Eventually he married a daughter of General Israel Putnam, and settled in Newport, Kentucky, where his descendants yet live.

These two pioneer teachers obtained their support by what is, and what became for many years the usual means of support-subscriptions. Each parent subscribed one or more scholars, the tuition being graduated in price by the studies pursued. These subscriptions were paid in the only money current at the time, that is, any articles of barter the teacher could use. Board was provided by the patrons, among whom the teacher "boarded round," generally staying a week at a time. This practice prevailed for many years after in the schools of Ohio, and in some localities is not unknown yet.

The same winter that Mr. Mayo began his school in Colonel Battelle's cabin, Major Anslem Tupper taught school in the northwest block-house, at the garrison of Campus Martius, having for his scholars the officers' children and such families as

were living there during the winter. Down at the Point, Jonathan Baldwin taught in a room in the block-house near the Muskingum river, and a Mr. Curtis also taught in a cabin that had been built for a cooper shop. Each of these teachers obtained what support he could, and each, no doubt, found his small improvised school-room full of scholars.

Across the river, at Fort Harmar, where were by this time a number of settlers, a school was also opened, but by whom tradition does not now record. Afterwards Mr. Baldwin taught here, and authorities are not wanting to claim his school to be the first at this place.

Schools were maintained in all these places during the summer of 1790, and as the Rev. Daniel Story was now on the ground, regular religious services were held, the minister dividing his time among the settlements as circumstances demanded. In July of that year the agents of the Ohio Land company appropriated one hundred and fifty dollars out of the public funds to be divided among Marietta, Belpre and Waterford, the last named a settlement on the Muskingum, established that summer on a fertile tract of country, north of Marietta. The money aided very much in enhancing the value of instruction, and was, as the directors intended, wisely used. Schools were continued at each of these points during the winter of 1790-91, the increase in emigration greatly increasing the number of scholars.

The Indian war that had been slowly gathering and greatly feared by the settlers, sudenly broke out, January 4, 1791. Immediately every settlement was put

under martial law, and strict military discipline enforced. Nothing but prompt, decisive and effectual measures saved the settlements. At Belpre, "Farmer's Castle," a secure fort and stockade was built, while at Waterford settlement, Fort Frye bade defiance to the savages. At the Point a stockade was erected, block-houses built; and here, at Campus Martius, and at Fort Harmar, extreme measures of safety were secured and enforced.

These measures necessarily shut the people into small but safe enclosures. During the long war that followed, the schools were never once abandoned. The children were measurably safe in the school-rooms, usually some part of a block-house, and while there were not idle. The settlers firmly believed that

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and acted accordingly. In April, 1791, eighty-four dollars was appropriated for the support of religion at Marietta, fifty dollars for the same purpose at Belpre, and twenty-six dollars for Waterford. condition stipulated that Marietta should support the minister one year, Belpre seven months, and Waterford three and a half months. At the latter place Joseph Frye and Dean Lyler, well-educated men, taught school in one of the block-houses in Fort Frye, and on the Sabbath, when Rev. Story was not present, conducted religious exercises.

At Belpre, where Farmer's Castle was built, to which the most of the pioneers in the upper, middle and lower settlements gathered, Colonel Battelle's house formed one of the corner block-houses, and in this school was regularly main

tained during the entire time of the war. When it could not afford room for all who desired to attend, a cabin was fitted in a rude but comfortable manner and used.

The settlements mentioned were the chief ones made prior to 1795, the close of the Indian war. But one other, that of John Cleve Symmes, who purchased a tract of land between the Miami rivers, similar to the purchase of the Ohio company, was made prior to the close of this war, that, during its continuance, almost stopped immigration into the Ohio country.

Symmes selected his purchase as early as 1786, but did not complete his arrangements till 1788. That summer he brought his first band of settlers and endeavored to found a great city at the bend, as it was called, in the river a few miles below the present site of Cincinnati. The projectors of Cincinnati outrivaled him, and the establishment of Fort Washington at that place decided the fate of the future city of the Miami valleys. No schools were attempted before the summer of 1790 in this part of the state. June 21 of that year John Reilly began a six months subscription school in Columbia, five miles above Fort Washington, in a cabin prepared for his use. It is probable that he pursued his calling during the next winter. By the next summer or fall his school had grown so that part of his scholars were taken by Francis Dunlevy, who taught the higher branches and who afterwards became a prominent teacher in Lebanon. This was continued till 1793, when Mr. Reilly gave the entire school into Mr. Dunlevy's charge and removed to Mill Creek. His cabin is men

tioned in Dr. Goforth's diary as "Reilly's School-house," and as such is the first mention of a school-house in the American settlements in Ohio. Mr. Reilly kept a journal, in which he records many incidents illustrating the life of the colony. He says:

In the month of August I boarded twelve days with Mr. Patrick Moore; in the month of September, twelve days with Hugh Dunn, and in December, six days with John McCulloh.

A number of settlers had gathered in Cincinnati by the year 1792, at which date a log cabin was built so as it could be used for a school-house, in which about thirty pupils were taught.

The foregoing narrative closes the beginning of the public schools of Ohio and the northwest. It shows that by the year 1792 there were three settlements in the Ohio company's purchase and two in the Miami country in which schools were taught. The congregation of the families caused by the dangers of the Indian war gave greater facilities of gathering the children together. It made an enforced idleness on the part of a few of the men, who improved the opportunity to teach such scholars as they could secure. many of the settlers were educated men,

As

they were all the more willing to encourage such efforts, and when a suitable per. son presented himself or herself, they were sure to gather all the children of school age (and the age was not closely scrutinized) who were not already subscribed. Their pay was whatever they could get, and was almost entirely in such articles of barter as the parents could secure.

The schools mentioned comprised all those taught in the territory until the close of the Indian war in 1795. Different teachers were employed, and the number of schools sometimes varied, according to the number of pupils who could be secured; but these settlements were the only permanent ones attempted until the close of that dangerous period. The influence of these schools was of a formative nature.

They instilled into the minds of the youth the knowledge possessed by their parents, that an educated man is to be preferred to an uneducated one in any community, and that in the race of life the one with his faculties trained in a good educational course has a far superior chance of not only winning in the race but of doing infinitely much good while he runs.

A. A. GRAHAM.

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