Wheeling Public Schools, Ohio County, West Virginia This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm Source: History of Education in West Virginia Prepared under the direction of the State Superintendent of Free Schools 1904, Charleston: The Tribune Printing Company, 1904 pg. 165 - 168 Wheeling Public Schools The history of the public schools of Wheeling as a separate and in- dependent district begins in 1849 when an act was passed by the General Assembly of Virginia separating the city from the county and placing it under the control of a separate and independent board. The first record of any school meeting to be found is the minutes of a meeting held March 27, 1849. These minutes began as follows: Pursuant to an act of the General Assembly of the State of Virginia entitled "an act concerning district public schools in the county of Ohio passed February 23, 1849, the clerk of the city of Wheeling, whose duty it became, under the law aforesaid, issued a writ for an election to be held on the fourth Monday of March, 1849, for one school commis- sioner and two school trustees for each ward in said city and the officer whose duty it was to conduct said election, having made due return thereof as required by said act, and it appearing from said returns that the following named persons had been duly elected school commissioners of said city, viz: For the first ward, Thomas Johnston, Sr., For the second ward, William S. Wickham, For the third ward, Morgan Nelson, For the fourth ward, Richard W. Harding, For the fifth ward. Henry Echols, to continue in office until the fourth Monday in January, 1850. Mor- gan Nelson was chosen as the first president of the board of Commission- ers, and Geo. W. Sights, clerk. Among all those named as commis- sioners and trustees at the organization, there is nof one now living. The record shows that the commissioners during the first years had very much to contend with. New houses were to be built, and the schools were to be equipped. Money had to be borrowed, rules provided, courses of study mapped out, text books to be agreed upon, and in fact everything taken from the hands of individuals and done by officials. It is worthy of nofice and remark that very wise provisions were made. The rules for the government of the board and the schools have come down to us with some modifications and additions. One of the first subjects considered by the board of 1849 was the establishing of a high school. The following is found as part of the minutes of the first meeting. "On motion, Messrs. Johnston and Wickham were appointed a committee to select a proper site for the erection and establishment of a central high school, and make report to this board." Subsequent minutes show that the site was secured and finally sold, and the city still without a central high school. At the time the free schools were first organized the population of the city was 9,952, and the tofal available fund for school purposes was $5,921.52. In order to continue schools in session from the "first Monday in October to the second Friday in July," all were required to pay for each pupil one dollar per term or three dollars each year, to supplement the Literary Fund and levy. West Virginia became a State of the Union in 1863, and by its constitu- tion a free school system was provided tor the whole State. In the State of Virginia this matter was left to certain counties. The Legislature of West Virginia passed an act on the 2nd day of March, 1865, constituting the city of Wheeling an independent school district, to be known as the School District of Wheeling. The act provides tor a Board of Educa- tion to be made up from three members from each sub-district The mem- bers of this board are elected for slat years, one being elected every two years, much the same as the U. S. Senate. Under the old regime there was no city superintendent, and in many respects the system was faulty and imperfect. When the schools were organized under the new law in 1865, there were six school districts as follows: Washington, Madison, Clay, Union, Centre and Webster. Ritchie was added in 1872. The first Board of Education was composed of the following members: WASHINGTON DISTRICT A. J. Sweeney, Geo. W. Robinson, John Muth, J. M. Bickel. MADISON S. McClellan, Geo. E. Wickham, Dr. E. A. Hildreth. CLAY Geo. K. Wheat, James Bodley, James Launder. UNION O. J. Crawford, Harvey Hall, Andrew Wilson. CENTRE John Hubbard, Robt. Pratt. WEBSTER DISTRICT Wm. Clohan, Wm. Hastings, Andrew Glass. F. S. Williams, formerly a principal of one of the schools, was ap- pointed Superintendent for the district of Wheeling, August 2, 1865. This position he filled with marked ability until October, 1875, when he resigned his office. He lives now in Minneapolis, Minn. In No- vember, 1875, John C. Hervey was chosen Superintendent of city schools. He was a member of the graduating class of Washington College of 1847, of which James G. Blaine was a member. He filled the position in a most satisfactory manner until bis death, which occurred in May, 1881. John M. Birch, formerly principal of Linsly Institute in this city, was chosen Superintendent June 16, 1881, by a unanimous vofe of the board of educa- tion. As Superintendent he was active and energetic, and under his administration the schools progressed rapidly. Superintendent Birch resigned in July, 1885, having accepted the position of Consul to Nagasaki, Japan On July 17, 1885, W. H. Anderson, formerly principal of Union School, was elected Superintendent. His administration was quiet and successful. He resigned and was succeeded July 16, 1903, by the election of David E. Cloyd, formerly School Visitor for the General Education Board of New York City. A new course of study for the High School, modern in every respect and equal to the courses in other city High Schools, was adopted August, 1903. The Board of Education at its regular meeting in December, 1903, voted to build a new High School to replace the old building which is inadequate in every respect. The board of education has always shown a liberal spirit toward the schools. The principals and teachers have kept pace with the school work- ers in the other cities of the land. Our school houses are good and com- modious, some of them are new and have all the comforts and conveniences known to architects. Comparing the present status of the schools of our city and State with that of ante-bellum times it will readily appear that we have made great progress. Our Wheeling schools were the first free schools established on southern soil, and now they will compare favorably with the schools of other cities and States. The colored school of our city now employs a principal and five assistants. This school is doing good work. Considering all the conditions which surround them, the pupils of our Lincoln School (colored) have proven that the efforts put forth in their behalf have nof been in vain. Many of the graduates from this school are now successful teachers, while others are filling honorable positions of various kinds. Much honor is due to Virginia for the advanced positron which she took in the matter of education, and that West Virginia stepped upon a higher plane by providing free education for all her youth. A generation has now arisen having grown up under the influence of our free schools, and this generation by its intelligence and general ad- vancement in knowledge fully sets forth the great benefits of the free school system.