|
Page 58
EARLY SCHOOLS
CHAPTER XIII
THE first school, of which we have any knowledge in
Brady Township, was held in the bar room of the tavern of Lebbeus
Grath, Luthersburg, about 1827. Amos Bonsall, the son of Benjamin
Bonsall who moved to Brady Township in 1824, stated that he had
attended this school when he was a small boy. During one of the
sessions of this school, an Indian and his squaw were passing
through Luthersburg, and Mr. Luther thought it would be an
educational feature for the school to demonstrate an Indian war
dance. Accordingly the dance was put on, in which Mr. Luther took a
part. The entertainment didn't have the effect intended by Mr.
Luther, for the children were scared of the Indians, and were much
alarmed for fear they would be scalped.
About 1832 a hewed log building was erected near the
middle of the cemetery at Luthersburg for a Union Church, which was
used for school purposes.
At New Salem, two miles east of Luthersburg, a Mr.
Carson, the owner of the land, donated two acres for a church, a
school, and cemetery, one acre ofwhich was for a cemetery, and the
other acre to be used for the church and school. A hewed log school
house was erected on this lot, replaced some years afterwards by a
frame school building. No church was ever erected on the land. When
the school board of Brady Township erected a brick building, which
now stands in Salem, the acre, donated by Mr. Carson for church and
school, was put into the cemetery. Another hewed log school house
was erected in the Union Cemetery, near Troutville, for church and
school purposes.
Up to 1848 there were five hewn log school houses
erected in Brady township, for church and school purposes
The first school house built in the township by public
money was known as the Beightol school house, located about one mile
south of the city limits, at the intersection of south Main Street,
extending to the road that leads from the George Sloppy farm, west
past the John Hand and William Wayne farms. This school house stood
on the south side of the road, and was said to be about twenty-four
feet square. The interior of the building was furnished with slab
seats. The slabs were obtained from a neighboring saw mill, and the
flat side turned up, in which were inserted hard wood legs, usually
two at each end, and one at the center for support. The desk was a
board, smoothed off with a plane, and rested on supports against the
wall. On these benches the pupils sat with their faces to the center
of the room, and when the pupil wanted to use the desk he had to
turn his back to the center, and face the wall. This build-
|
