Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice School Memorabilia of the Tri-Counties Smithfield Schools, Smithfield Township, 1913 Bradford County PA Chemung County NY Tioga County PA

See Also 1913-14 Smithfield Yearbook Advertisers

School: Smithfield School  Township: Smithfield Township, Bradford County PA Teacher:  Year:  1913-14 Submitted by: Marjorie Templeton Retyped by Elaine Frey Tri-County Genealogy & History Sites Home Page How to Use This Site Warning & Disclaimer Smithfield Township Page Souvenir School Booklets No Unauthorized Commercial Use Contact Joyce

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The village of East Smithfield is situated near the center of Smithfield Township. It is about twelve miles from Towanda, Troy and Waverly, New York. It is equidistant from the Lehigh Valley Railroad stations at Milan and Ulster, either of which may be reached by a drive of seven miles, while the Northern Central Railroad station at Columbia Cross Roads is nine miles distant.

This town is the trading center for the farmers within a radius of several miles. It has five general merchandise stores, a hardware, a shoe store, a pharmacy, a meat market, two blacksmith shops and a bank.

It supports four churches – Methodist, Congregational, Baptist and Christian.

The inhabitants of Smithfield are noted for their thrift, morality and intelligence. By the census of 1910 there were 1343 people dwelling within the precincts of the township. Last year 309 of these were enrolled as pupils in the schools, 125 having attended at the Center. Out of this number twenty-eight were High School pupils.

The area of Smithfield Township is 6 miles square, most of the soil of which is arable. It is distinctly an agricultural community, and the prosperous condition of the two creameries located in East Smithfield, (one of which was remodeled, and the other built recently) verify the fact that much attention is given to dairying.

The first permanent settler in the territory included in the present township of Smithfield was Reuben Mitchell who came here in 1794. Between this time and 1812 the following heads of families came: James and Col. Sam’l Satterlee, Oliver Hayes, Phineas Pierce, Jabez Gerould, Solomon Morse, Sam’l Kellogg, Nathan Fellows, Michael Bird, Nehemiah Tracy, Sam’l Wood, Asahel Scott, Maj. Jared Phelps, Sloan and Isaiah Kingsley and Abner Ormsby.

Most of those enumerated are still represented here by descendants.

The first school house and for many years the only one in the township was a log building constructed in 1806. It stood at the foot of Mitchell’s Hill, east of the village and on the south side of the road. The first teacher was Ephriam B., son of Jabez Gerould, who came into the town from Connecticut in 1801. School was taught here for several years, the teachers being paid in labor by those who hired them. Religious services were also held here before a house of worship had been erected.

The first frame building for school purposes was built in 1818, this was on a low spot of ground just west of the present brick house owned by Mrs. J. G. Waldron. About 1830 the house was moved across the corner to a spot just south of the present hotel barn. It afterward burned and a building was then erected on the corner opposite and north of the residence of the late Dr. Moody. This was used for the school house until 1871 when the present larger building was erected south of the village.

In 1850 a hall was erected on the ground known as the "Old Academy Lot" by the Sons of Temperance who occupied the second floor as a lodge room and rented the lower floor for school purposes. The first teacher in the Academy was Sam’l D. Evans.

At one time, while Rev. C. C. Corss was preaching in town there were three schools in session in the village, a private school by Rev. Corss in the upper room of E. S. Tracey’s store, a select school in the Academy and the public school in the school house.

The school records show that in 1835 the state appropriation was $51.20 and the amount received from the county was $102.36. Last year the school appropriation, including Hich School appropriation of $200 was nearly $2900.

In 1870 three of the school districts were consolidated and plans were laid to build a house suitable to accommodate the pupils in these district6s. The following summer the school house was built by Newton Wood on land bought of W. H. Phelps. The entire cost being about $3400. From August, 1871 to the present time the same building has been in use and from tow to four teachers have been employed, according to the size of the attendance.

A course of study was adopted and a regular High School was organized in 1892, and in the spring of 1894 the first class composed of seven members was graduated.

PRINCIPALS

Section 1414. Every child having a legal residence in this Commonwealth as herein provided between the ages of eight and sixteen years is required to attend a day school in which the common English branches provided for in this act are taught, and every parent, guardian or other person in this Commonwealth having control or charge of any child or children between the ages of eight and sixteen years is required to send such child or children to a day school in which common English branches are taught, and such child or children shall attend such school continuously through the entire term during which the elementary schools in their respective districts shall be in session.

Section 1415. The board of school directors of any school district in this Commonwealth may upon satisfactory evidence being furnished to it showing that nay child or children are prevented from attending school or from application to study, on account of any mental, physical or other urgent reasons, excuse such child or children from attending school as required by the provisions of this Act, but the term "urgent reasons" shall be strictly construed and shall not permit of irregular attendance. Each principal or teacher in any public, private or other school, may for reasons enumerated above, excuse any child from non-attendance during temporary periods.

Section 1428. It shall be the duty of every principal or teacher of a public school to report immediately to the attendance officer, superintendent of the schools, supervising principal or secretary of the board of school directors the names of all children in the list furnished to him who have not appeared fro enrollment, and he shall also promptly report from time to time to the attendance officer, superintendent of the schools, supervising principal or secretary of the board of school directors the names of all children who have been absent three days or their equivalent during the term of compulsory attendance without lawful excuse. Such person shall thereupon serve upon the parent, guardian or other person in parental relation to such children the written notice herein before provided, and if it shall appear that within three days thereafter any child, parent, guardian or other person in parental relation shall have failed to comply with the provisions of this Act, the superintendent, supervising principal, attendance officer or secretary of the board of directors, in the name of the school district, shall proceed against the person so offending in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Bookkeeping and mensuration may be substituted for third year Latin.

Approved for Smithfield High School August 27, 1913.

W. M. Denison, H. S. Inspector.

To be used in connection with reading, and to be used in the work in English and a part of the program of the literary exercises of special days. Each teacher to review the work of the previous grades. One selection should be memorized each month.

The following is a partial list of books that should be read by pupils through the grades:

Mother Goose Rhymes, Aesop’s Fables, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Mother Stories, Nature Songs and Games, Nature Myths and Stories.

Stepping Stones to Literature, Hiawatha, Eskimo Stories, Child Life.

Seven Little Sisters, Fifty Famous Stories Retold, In the Days of Giants, Each and All, Old Greek Stories.

Water Babies, Alice in Wonderland, Adventures of a Brownie, Norse Tales, Tent Dwellers, Tangle Wood Tales, The Pied Piper.

Black Beauty, Knights of the Round Table, St. Nicholas Magazine, Greek Heroes.

Tales of the Wayside Inn, Joseph and His Brethren, How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix, A Man Without a Country.

Christmas Carol, The Gold Bug, Horatius at the Bridge, The Great Stone Face, The Spy, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, A Hunting of the Deer, and other essays.

Evangeline, Snow Bound, Tale of Two Cities, Sir Galahad, The Use of the Mountains, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Brown’s Schooldays, Little Men, Little Women, The Cotter’s Saturday Night.

The Smithfield Library Association has recently presented their library to the school. It contains many valuable historical works, reference books, and a full set of Thackery’s works, along with many other volumes.

The addition of this library to the school library makes a very valuable collection of books for our school and one of which the school can justly be proud in having in its care.

Pupils are urgently requested to avail themselves of this opportunity and derive all possible benefits accruing from this store of knowledge which is accessible to them.

The school also extends a cordial invitation to all patrons and citizens and welcomes them to take advantage of the library.

The local W.C.T.U. for the past two years have presented prizes for the best compositions on temperance questions.

Last year the first prize of $2.00 was awarded to Inez Percy of the Senior Class. Her theme was "The National Government and the Sale of Intoxicant Liquors." The second prize of $1.50 was awarded to Frances Von Wolffradt of the Junior Class. Her theme was "Alcohol and Crime."

And the third prize of $1.50 was awarded to Mary Loller of the sixth grade, the theme being "Why Business Men Demand Total Abstinence on the Part of their Employees."

These essays were taken to the W. C. T. U. county convention held in Milltown, where Inez Percy received the first county prize of $3.00 and Frances von Wolffradt the first prize in her division of $2.00. These essays have now been taken to the state convention where they will be compared and judged with similar ones from all parts of the state.

To perpetuate old time associations two annual celebrations are held. The Junior picnic which is attended by the teachers and students of the graded school between 1883 and 1893 and the High School graduates from that year to the present time, is held on the second Friday of August. The Senior picnic which is attended by the teachers and students between 1871 and 1883 is hed on the third Friday of August. The twenty-ninth gathering of this body was held this year. These picnics are held in Cowell Park on the school grounds and are well attended.

To the class of 1912 much credit is due for establishing the custom of visiting the national Capitol at the completion of their High School course. The class of 1913 followed this good example and the classes now in the school are anticipating the time when they may have the same privilege.

A visit to the national Capital produces indelible impressions on the minds of our students, infusing a spirit of patriotism into their lives and making better citizens of those who visit this great center of our nation’s law-making activities.

It is an education to our boys and girls which can never be gleaned from books when they see for themselves the magnificent architecture, colossal statuary and wonderful beauty of the city of Washington.

It is a lamentable fact that a large number of pupils leave school too early in life. Many of these are pupils who have failed to make promotion and because of the disheartening outlook of repeating a grade they leave school, thus depriving themselves of the preparation for life which an education imparts.

The causes of failure may many times be found in some physical disability, other times it is because the pupils are required to assist in farm work. Parents should use great precaution that their children will not have to be detained from school more than is absolutely necessary. With the advantage of present day skill in medical science most physical weaknesses which may be responsible for the failure of pupils are easily remedied. Many children suffer slight defects in vision and hearing. Defective teeth and enlarged tonsils often cause misery to children and retard normal mental growth. Many of these ills can be conquered by vigilance, and the progress of the child made certain.

On an average, the span of eleven years is required to complete the course of study from the first grade to the end of the High School. It is an established fact that irregular attendance and lack of application are the most prevalent causes of failure in the upper grades and in the High School. It is the duty of the parents to co-operate with the school authorities in their efforts to secure regular attendance and proper application to studies.

Practically no home study is required of pupils in the four first grades. Beyond these a reasonable amount of work outside of school hours is required. The parent who finds that his child is doing nothing along this line may conclude that the work is not being properly done. This is true in Smithfield as well as other places.

See Also 1913-14 Smithfield Yearbook Advertisers
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Bradford County PA Chemung County NY Tioga County PA

Published On Tri-Counties Site On 12/06/2003 By Joyce M. Tice Email Joyce M. Tice Relocated 16 MAR 2010