More than 4,000 Grads
Editor's Note: We are indebted for historical data used in
this article on the city schools to George Nye, county surveyor,
and for many years science teacher at Warsaw high school.
More than 4,000 students have passed through the academic portals
of Warsaw high school in its 78-year history. It is hoped that
many of them will attend the alumni reunion today at the country
fairgrounds.
The general program is scheduled at 5 p.m., to be followed by
a picnic dinner at 6 p.m. Those planning to attend are urged to
come earlier in the afternoon to register with class chairmen
and to renew old acquaintances. In case of inclement weather,
arrangements have been to use the facilities of the women's building
on the fairgrounds.
The 132 graduates this year (the largest number in the school's
history) little realize the progress that has been made in Warsaw
in the filed of education in the little more than three-quarters
of a century. However, there are a few living who have had the
privilege of witnessing that progress.
Miss Minnie Gary, 96, of 118 South Detroit street, is the oldest
living alumnus of Warsaw high school, graduating with the Class
of 1879. Until recently Miss Gary lived by herself. She is now
a patient at the Beaman nursing home in Warsaw. She knew members
of the first class of 1878. There were only three Belle Weimer,
Alice Carpenter and Mary Shaffer.
Others still living who graduated during the earliest period in
the school's history are Miss Eulalia Everhard, 1886; Miss Lou
Haymond, 1887; Mrs. Logan (Estelle Wahl) Williams, 1889; and Mrs.
George (Mabel Haymond) Stephenson and Jack Shoup, 1890. All live
in Warsaw.
Miss Everhard, of 521 East Center street, was a grade school teacher
for more than 40 years at Center Ward. Miss Haymond, an employee
in the law office of Widaman and Widaman for many years, lives
at the corner of Main and Buffalo streets. Mrs. Williams, wife
of the late Logan Williams, editor and publisher of the Daily
Times, now Times-Union, makes her home at 528 East Main Street.
Mrs. Stephenson, whose husband owned and operated Warsaw's leading
department store, lives in the family home on Main street, next
door to her sister, Miss Haymond. Associated with the old State
bank 36 years and later with the Indiana State Bank and Trust
company, Mr. Shoup is now retired and lives with his wife and
daughter, Miss Mary Kathryn Shoup, at 516 West Center street.
Miss Shoup is a science teacher at the high school.
Others who graduated during the 11-year period could be living.
However, they could not be located two years ago when invitations
were sent out for the alumni get-together.
First High School
The first high school was located on the corner of Market and
Detroit streets and was known as the Union school. A two-story
building, it had four large rooms on the first floor, three rooms
and a superintendent's office on the second. Three class rooms,
rest rooms and a furnace room were located in the basement. High
school quarters were confined to a double room which extended
across the south side of the top floor. Surmounting the top of
the building was the belfry. Each day the janitor rang the bell
8:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. calling pupils to school. Dismissal at
noon was 11:45 a.m., in the afternoon, 4 p.m.
At this time Warsaw was gradually emerging from the effects of
the Civil War. During this transition period, our schools marked
time more or less for want of leadership. Discipline had reached
a low ebb. By 1877, the school board was looking for a new superintendent.
Believing an outsider might prove to be a more effective administrator
W. H. Wheeler was hired.
Mr. Wheeler took charge in 1877. He, too, felt that better discipline
could be maintained if teachers were not local men and women and
acted accordingly. He also applied some psychology and made the
rough and rowdy students his right hand men. He apparently succeeded
because the school buildings were kept in A-1 condition from then
on.
It is believed that Mr. Wheeler was the first superintendent to
give mental tests and to grade his students. Up until this time
pupils were classed according to age and size with little stress
placed on their knowledge or ability to learn. He left Warsaw
in 1880, the year the old frame courthouse was placed on the antiquated
list and construction of the new one started.
Superintendents
Since Wheeler's time many fine men have served as superintendent
of schools in Warsaw.
John Poor Mather (1880-1887) is credited with starting the first
school library; the contents were later tansferred to the present
Carnegie library. T. J. Sanders (1887-1890) was an uncle of Frank
(Candy) Sanders. Mr. Shoup and JudgeWalter Brubaker were pupils
in the school at this time.
James H. Henry served from 1891 to 1897. The last year of his
tenure, commencement exercises were held at the Opera House. Graduates
presented the program. Some of them were John Webber, Carrie Jaques
(music teacher in the city schools for many years), Orta Hendee,
Ollie Stephenson, Bruce Paul, Mabel Thomas, Nora Woods, Malo Amunson,
Donald Biggs, Alta Reed, Louie Chaplin and Mary Nelson.
After Mr. Henry came, Noble Harter (1897-1905) and J. J. Early
(1905-1908). The superintendency was held by H. A. Kaufman from
1908 to 1917. In 1912 the first annual, "Tiger" was
published. Some of the members of this class which dedicated the
issue to Mr. Kaufman were Clem Michael, Joe Ettinger, president
of the alumni association, Orval Phillips, local businessman,
Ezra Graham, local attorney, and the late Frank Lucas, county
sheriff and city chief of police for many years.
James Leffel, East Main street, served 26 years as city school
superintendent 1917 to 1943. He saw the building which was used
for basketball until the armory was built in 1930; the construction
of the new East Ward in 1922; and later the enlargement of Center
Ward to accommodate junior high school. Last of all, Mr. Leffel
saw the remodeling of the old high school building. Two wings
were added. It is now modern and fitted to take care of greater
numbers of students and activities centered around a larger curriculum.
Also during his years as superintendent, Mr. Leffel saw the construction
of the athletic field which for 40 years had been the site of
a dumping ground.
Board Members
School board members during this period were Estil A Gast, road
contractor, the late Flint Bash and J. Edward Headley, Allan Widaman,
local lawyer, Lloyd Johnson, Ray Miner, and the late Wilbur Maish
Sr., businessmen and industrialists.
Carl Burt became superintendent of the city schools in 1943. Under
his guidance the education system continues to make great progress,
is considered one of the finest in the state.
Oldtimers tell us that in the earlier years, pupils brought books
from home to study. The Bible was often used as a reader. McGuffey's
readers were used in the schools for several decades. They were
later revised and were known as Eclectic readers.
The idea of anyone wanting to go to high school was a source of
amusement. "What's the use of studying algebra, geometry
and such?" was the general concensus of opinion. As a result
of this attitude toward advanced schooling, an extremely high
standard of work was turned out by high school students, inasmuch
as those attending did so because they wanted to. School terms
were from the middle of October until the middle of March. There
was no compulsion.
New subjects introduced home economics, agriculture, physical
training, shop work, manual training and eronautics were laughed
at. People said, "girls could learn to cook at home; boys
could learn to farm from their fathers."
At the turn of the century, anyone who wanted to teach in the
country schools could do so if they had some training above eighth
grade. Almost every summer, some of the leading school men would
hold normal school. One year it was conducted at Pierceton. Any
person could attend for a fee that was not prohibitive. For six
weeks those who wanted to teach received instruction.
In town schools, the teacher was usually required to have some
college training. It was considered quite an accomplishment in
those days to hold a life license. Jesse Bruner was issued such
a license in 1916; J. D. Lee Cline in 1914. Others were Jesse
Eschbach, Allie Linam, of Leesburg, T. J. Sanders, Richard Vanderveer
and H. F. Wilke, of Milford.
Highly Respected
No teacher was ever more highly respected by his students than
was I. W. Sharp, veteran of the Civil War. "Dad" Sharp,
as he was known, was in charge of West Ward. His daughter, Miss
Frances Sharp, of East Fort Wayne street, taught in the high school
many years. Miss Sharp and Mr. Early numbered the rooms at the
high school in 1905, the first year it was separated from the
grades. In the fall of 1906 an art exhibit was held in the new
school. Some of the pictures are still to be found at the high
school.
Many mentors were outstanding in their service to school and community.
In addition to Miss Everhard, one might mention George Nye, Miss
Mary Simons, L. N. "Pete" Thorn.
Fun and recreation did not come "canned" in the early
history of our town. If you wanted entertainment, you created
it. Mr. Nye tells of one instance. A group of young men, "The
Funny Boys," who kept things moving in their heyday fostered
a circus and parade. One cage was filled with all the cats they
had been able to catch for a week Bill Peterson, lion tamer, cracked
his whip too sharply in another cage, and the "lion"
turned on him. Gene Boydston was the lion!
Fourth of July celebrations, excursions, Sunday school picnics
and balloon ascensions helped fill the amusement need. Lack of
entertainment might have accounted for some of the hazing of freshmen
that went on for a number of years. This practice ended tragically,
however when Floyd Bibler, a sophomore, was killed while helping
to take a group of freshmen to Palestine cemetery where they were
to be tied to tombstones. The boy suffered fatal injuries when
the car struck a pole at Zimmer's corner.
The first high school band, was organized in 1920. Phil Farren
was the director. Later Frank Meredith took his place.
When basketball was first introduced, it was considered a girls'
game. Boys were supposed to play he-man's games such as baseball
or football. The first basketball tournament in Warsaw was played
in the old Opera House. Only a few were played here as the building
was condemned. In 1922 the late Merl Hodges built the community
building on the north side of Fort Wayne street, north of the
present armory. In the flood of 1927 the floor was ruined and
had to be reconstructed. Many will remember this building, heated
by four furnaces, set up in the corners, used as stoves. It served
the purpose until the armory was built in 1931.
Anyone attending school while George Fisher was coach and teacher
will recall his pep talks at assemblies-a real highlight. Some
of the members of an earlier football team 1911-1912 were Red
Maish, Lewis Meyers, Frank Lucas, Francis Bowser, Ed Anderick,
Clem Michael, Pete McConnell, Walter Brant and Ernest Allen.
Athletic fields were, through the years, located east of Scott
street; Riverview Park west of West street; Hillery's field in
the south part of town; and Beyer's field east of the Beyer home
on East Center street.
Warsaw Times Union Sat. June 23, 1956
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