Each month, we profile an alumnus/ae who has been recommended by fellow classmates for his or her activities, accomplishments and/or outstanding contributions. If you have someone you would like to recommend, send us the information and why you think they should be "Alumni of the Month."
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The Minersville Area Alumni Association is an organization that was started approximately two years ago and was founded to promote social events... ( More)
The money for this project will be raised by a number of activities including donations from businesses and organizations, private person donations, raffles... ( More)
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For a long tfme after the first settlements were made, the only schooling a child had was that given by the parents. Some did not believe in education at all, saying that it inclined the possession to indolence and vice. They simply believed that to read the Bible and Catechism, also how to ask (keep accounts), was all that a child had to know. At the turn of the century, 1800, they began to gather their children into groups in private houses. After a few years, crude log houses were built for school purposes, their furnishings typical of pioneer Iife. Day schools were inaugurated as the first type of formal education, fifty cents per month being the usual fee. In some cases, the instructor, was obliged to take his salary our in board. Branch Township adopted the "Common School Law''. passed in Orwigsburg in 1834, at a relatively early period, being one at the first in the area. Thus it established a chance for a free education. The first building. of any size, used for a school was the Clouser Church. It was a one-story log structure. (1819) The interior was divided into two rooms by a partition which could be raised half-way to the ceiling. One room contained a pulpit and altar for church purposes; the other room had desks and benches. The building had but one stove which was moved back and forth as needed. The instruction was in German and included reading, writing, arithmetic, psalm singing, and cathechism. Philip Delcamp was the pioneer teacher. In 1831, John Clark of Lower Mahantongo Township and Henry Miller of Friedensburg were teachers in the old log church. Miller served both as teacher and pastor.
The next school was held in Llewellyn proper, in an abandoned private dwelling, a log house. owned by Abraham Faust. (1834) This was located near the present Neidhardt home, being part of Faust's farm. When cold weather came. school was moved to the second floor of the Daubert Building on Willing St. Another private school, taught by Lucy Sherman, was held in the basement of the Faust property on Bunting Street.
In September, 1837, the school on the Faust fram, became a free school under the public school act with Edmund (Edward) Holt as teacher. He was a horse tarrier and built a shed behind the school house, where he carried on the duties of a veterinarian. Horses from all over the country were brought to him to be treated. Near the school he also planted a large garden, and it is said weed-pulling and stone picking were not uncommon punishment for wayward pupils. Mr. Hold taught for ten years, having come here with Johannes Cockill, a foreman on the Mine Hill R. R. Construction project. Mr. Holt also taught in the Sabbath School, and those who misbehaved on Sundays received their punishment on Mondays. He later moved to Cressona and operated a flout mill.
The earliest obtainable records of a school board meeting are those from 1839. The board consisted of Jos. Dobbins, Jos. Milis, John F. Thun, Dr. Wm. A. Robbins. Martin Weaver. D. R. Bennett, Sec; Johannes Cockill, President.
Also in 1837, Willing, Bunting and Shober donated a plot of ground for a free school and church As funds were low, the citizens cleared the land and built the building with timber found on the plot. W. H. Bressler was the builder, and the dimensions of the building were 32' long x 22' wide The seats and desks extended halfway across the room, with a center aisle. The desks had seats on both sides so that two rows of children faced each other. A frame ran across the counter of the desks, on which caps were hung. One hundred and fifteen children were crowded into this room Edmund Holt was the teacher. Cobb's First and Second Reader were among the first books used.
In 1839 the township operated four schools: Two in Minersville, taught by P.H. Lyman and Miss Eliza Bacon; one Llewellyn taught by Edmund Hold; and one Swatara taught by Jeremiah Reed.
After Minersville became a borough on April 1, 1839, Branch continued as a district school district until 1851, having jurisdiction over the schools within the borough.
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