Cleveland Past and Present: Its Representative Men / Comprising Biographical Sketches of Pioneer Settlers and Prominent Citizens

by Unknown

Citizens of Cleveland are justly proud of their Public Schools, and of the system of education under which they are conducted, but yet the history of these schools, until within a few years, was one of struggle against parsimony and prejudice. It was only by persistent efforts on the part of a few public-spirited citizens, who believed that money spent in educating the masses is the best investment that can possibly be made, that the Public School system of Cleveland has attained its present excellence, and the miserable make-shift school buildings, in which the children of the city were taught have given place to the large, convenient and elegant buildings of the present.

The first public school of Cleveland, the "Cleveland Free School," was established in March, 1830, "for the education of male and female children of every religious denomination," and was supported by the city. It was held for years in the basement of the Bethel church, which was then a frame building, measuring forty by thirty feet, situated at the corner of Diamond street and Superior Street hill. In 1837, the average number of pupils in attendance was ninety males and forty-six females. There were also the Young Ladies' Seminary, or the old "Academy," on St. Clair street, presided over by Miss Harrison, and the Cleveland Female Seminary, in Farmer's Block, corner of Ontario and Prospect streets, incorporated April, 1837, with Henry Sexton, Benjamin Rouse, H. H. Dodge, A. P. Smith, and A. Wheeler as trustees. At that date, Ohio City supported two district and one free school, but the attendance is not recorded.

The story of the growth of the school system of the State and of its local development in the city of Cleveland is mainly told in the biography of Mr. Harvey Rice, on pages following this, and in the preceding pages which sketch the history of Mr. Charles Bradburn. All that is necessary to be given here, is a brief summary of some of the leading events in the history of the Cleveland Public Schools as prepared by one who took a leading part in their organization and development.

The Public Schools were organized under the city charter in 1837, and the control vested in a board of five school managers, elected by the Council. The chairman of the board was styled the acting manager, and was secretary and Superintendant of repairs and of discipline. This original arrangement was succeeded in 1853, by a board of seven members, appointed by the Council. In 1854, when Cleveland and Ohio City were united, another change occurred. One member of the school board from each of the eleven Wards was chosen by the Council. In 1856, the number was reduced to five, and finally, in 1859, by authority of a law of the State, the members of the Board of Education, one from each Ward, were elected by the people, for the term of one year, which was extended to two years in 1862, and so remains to the present time. The powers of the board were greatly enlarged by a law passed in the Spring of 1869.

Charles Bradburn was the first acting manager, secretary and superintendent, assisted and encouraged by a few warm friends of education, chief of whom, at this time, was Geo. Willey. In 1840, Mr. Andrew Freese was employed as principal teacher, and soon became actual superintendent, though not formally clothed with that authority until several years afterwards. In the meantime, school buildings were erected on Prospect street, Rockwell street, West St. Clair street and Kentucky street, (West Side).

For several years the course of instruction was quite limited, and of low grade. The school buildings, then supposed to be large and commodious, were soon crowded with scholars very much mixed, as to standing, and moving forward amid much confusion. In 1841, the second stories of the Prospect street and Bockwell street buildings were converted into grammar schools of a higher grade. The West St. Clair street school was the first one arranged for the improved grading of primary and secondary schools in separate departments.

In 1850, the board directed Mr. Freese to exercise a general superintendence over the classification, instruction and discipline in all the grammar and subordinate schools, but no superintendent was authorized by law, until 1853. It was full time that some authority should be introduced to correct the abuses which had insensibly and unavoidably crept into the discipline and course of instruction, and vigorous enforcement of strict rules brought out a fierce opposition from anxious, but ill-informed and partial parents, who felt provoked and discouraged by the discovery that their children were in classes far ahead of their actual qualifications and must be put back to be more thoroughly drilled in preparatory studies. Gradually confusion gave place to order, scholars were ranked as near as could be according to their actual standing; the grades arranged as Primary, Secondary, Intermediate and Grammar departments, the entire course consummated in the East and West High Schools. But all this was the work of immense labor, extending through years of ceaseless effort and expense, little anticipated by the people, or perhaps by the hopeful projectors of the system, when they so manfully entered upon the undertaking. Twenty-six years ago the entire corps of teachers numbered only fifteen. In 1848, they had increased to twenty. In that year, children under six years of age were excluded, to the great disgust of many fond mothers who thought the public school the very best place to keep the troublesome young ones out of their way.

Under the general school law a portion of the taxes collected was set apart for the support of the schools, while a special fund for school buildings was raised, from time to time, by direct taxation, or by loan, and buildings erected in the different Wards as the city increased in extent.

In 1846, the East High School was opened in the basement of the old Universalist Church (now the Plymouth Church) on Prospect street, near Erie street. A strong opposition was made to this advanced step. It was objected to as illegal, which it actually was, though that was soon remedied; and as unnecessary and unreasonable.

It is gratifying to know that many of those strenuous opponents are now among the warm friends of the High Schools, and justly proud of their success.