HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY	85

June election of 1899 by James M. Tilley, of Brazil. Willis E. Akre, of
Brazil, was elected June, 1903, and re-elected June, 1907 (present incum-
bent). Under the truancy system of making attendance at publid schools
compulsory the following named officers have served the county in this
capacity: Absalom B. Wheeler, W. T. Modesitt, A. M. Storm, William
C. Gantz, Edward Scheutz, —— White, William Moore, E. G. Bush,
Carl Baumunk, George K. Dickson.
	Perhaps, the first private school in the county organized and main-
tained by individual effort, of higher grade and instruction than the
public school, was the “Bowling Green Institute,” by Josiah Hambleton,
at some time in the ‘50s, of which but very little can be said in detail
after the lapse of more than half a century. This school was taught
in the Seminary building.
	In the year 1866, there came to Bowling Green a young man named
Canfield, who rented Mozart Hall, which he furnished with the neces-
sary facilities for teaching, including a commercial course. Having
taught several terms, during a part of which time James Willigman
was associated with him as assistant, he abandoned his purpose to estab-
lish his school permanently at Bowling Green and went elsewhere.
	In the year 1865 a private school was founded at Center Point, by
William Travis, which, from lack of better facilities, was taught for
several consecutive terms in the United Brethren church. The special
object and mission of this school, as instituted and maintained by the
founder, was that of preparing teachers, for the public schools by a
course of review and normal instruction.
	The first tangible fruits of the impetus given the cause of popular
education and the interest developed on the part of the ardent friends
and patrons of this school, was the building of the first two-story depart-
ment school-house in the county, in the summer of 1866, at the cost of
$3,000. Of this amount Sugar Ridge township, by Trustee George
M. Moss, contributed $6oo, the cost of a country district house such as
were then built, the $2,4oo having been raised by popular subscriptions
by the people of Center Point and the immediate surroundings. Here,
in the year 1867, was organized and taught the original graded school
in Clay county. This school was frequently spoken of, at large, as a
“high school,” which it was in the sense that it was above the common
or district school, that is, on the second floor. For the year 1866 C. P.
Eppert was associated with Mr. Travis as instructor in mathematics and
U. S. history.
	Among the many liberal contributors to this fund and as patrons of
the school deserving of special mention were Martin H. Kennedy, Daniel
W.	Hays, Watkin C. Davis, C. W. Moss, William Givens, Dr. John
Gilfillan, Zeno Hinshaw, Lewis F. Ambrose, Win. J. Kennedy, John
McCurley and others.
	Only the lower room of this building was completed in 1866, in
which the district school was taught the succeeding winter, by C. P.
Eppert. Previous to this time School Examiner Samuel Loveless had
taught two terms of select school of advanced grades at Brazil—in the
little frame public school building on North Meridian street, in the
summer of 1862, and in the Presbyterian brick church, on South
Franklin street, in 1863.
	In 1859-60 Emery Brant taught several terms of select schocl at
Bowling Green, including the higher branches, very successfully. He