History of the Chester Schools (Hancock County, WV) ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** submitted by Valerie Foren Crook History of Education in West Virginia, 1904 pgs. 146-147 History of the Chester Schools BY JAMES M. MILLER, SUPERINTENDENT In 1897-8 what is now the town of Chester consisted of two or three houses located on fertile, well-cultivated farms. The school was com- fortably housed in a one-roomed frame building. The pupils were the young sons and daughters of the surrounding farmers. Since that time a prosperous manufacturing town of about 2,500 in- habitants has sprung up and the schools now enroll 400 pupils and employ nine teachers. In the First Ward a comfortable building of two rooms ac- commodates all the pupils below the eighth grade. The Central building, a recently erected structure of eight rooms, furnishes barely sufficient room tor the High school, and the grammar and elementary schools of the re- maining wards. A comfortable office building for the superintendent was completed in the fall of 1903. It is conveniently located near the Central school. The following teachers have been in charge of the schools since 1898: 1898-9—Earl Carman, Virginia Hobbs. 1899-1900—Thomas Bambrick, Virginia Hobbs. 1900-1—Ruth Baxter, Virginia Hobbs, Lucy Fowler, Annie Milady. 1901-2—Jas. M. Miller, Mary McBane, Ruth Baxter, Jane Stewart, Nellie Carman, Rachel Baxter. 1902-3—G. A. Allison, Principal; Nannie Brown, Ruth Baxter, Florence Manning, Jane Stewart, Edna Joseph, Alva Campbell, Rachel Baxter. 1903-4—Jas. M. Miller, A. B., Superintendent; Jane Stewart, Ruth Baxter, Elmer Campbell, Pearle Stewart, Florence Manning, Elinor Done- hoo, Nellie Carman, Rachel Baxter. Prior to the term of 1901-2 no effort had been made to grade the schools as the several rooms were widely separated. Two of them being rented storerooms. The new central building was ready for the term of 1901-2, but even then although six teachers were employed the Board of Education did not organize a graded school. The Central school of four rooms was controlled by one board of trustees, and the older West End school of two rooms, by another. Although Mr. Miller did not possess the legal authority of a principal, yet with the consent of the board of edu- cation and the cordial support of an efficient corps of teachers, an excel- lent graded school was built up during the term. The next year at the request of the county superintendent, G. A. Allison, the board of education abolished the office of trustee tor the Chester schools and themselves assumed direct control. They declared the schools graded and elected G. A. Allison principal. The work in the schools was carried on very much the same as it had been during the previous year. In the meantime an entirely new board of education having been elected, a high school was formally organized in July, 1903, and Mr. Miller again became connected with the school, being this time duly elected superintendent and receiving full authority to organize, grade and control the school for the term of 1903-4. A number of changes were made during this year. The Compulsory Attendance Law was strictly enforced. Fire drills were introduced and the pupils taught to march out of the building to the beat of the drum. Punctual and regular attendance was Insisted upon. The work in penmanship and mental arithmetic was systematized and given a more prominent place in the grammar and elementary schools. Teachers' meetings were regularly held each Tuesday evening. At these a general outline of the work for the ensuing week was presented by the superintendent and troublesome questions of discipline and methods were presented and freely discussed by both superintendent and teachers. But possibly the greatest change effected by Prof. Miller was the Intro- duction of a high school curriculum. The following course of study was adopted and strong freshmen and sophomore classes organized. First year—Algebra, English, Physical Geography, Latin. Second year—Algebra, 16 weeks; Rhetoric, General History, Botany, 20 weeks; Latin—Caesar. Third year—Geometry, Physics, English Literature, Latin—Virgil, German, Elective; Greek, Elective. Fourth year—Latin—Cicero; Civil Government, 16 weeks; Chemistry, Elective; German, Elective; Greek, Elective; Review, 20 weeks. The schools of Chester are at present overcrowded. The much needed new buildings will probably be erected soon, especially if the bill now be- fore the State Legislature to make Chester an Independent District should become a law.