School commissioner's office abolished.-The next important change in the law was an act passed on January 15, 1852, 1 year previous to the act of 1853. This new legislation abolished the office of county school commissioner, as provided in the law of 1849, and placed the duties of this officer in the hands of the county commissioners. Thus we virtually have the county commissioners taking over the powers of the officer now known as the county superintendent. Oregon had a system without either a Territorial or county school executive.

8. The Revised School Law of 1853

This same provision is found in the act of January 31, 1853, which is such a decided change that its other chief provisions will be abridged at this point.

1. Same provisions for school funds as the law of 1849.

2. County commissioners the instrument through which funds were distributed to districts.

3. Districts given power to assess and collect taxes.

4. County commissioners given power to form districts.

5. Provided an annual district meeting in April. People voting had to be "taxable inhabitants."

6. Provided that each district should have a treasurer, assessor, collector and one school commissioner. The treasurer, collector, and commissioner constituted a board of directors with examining and superintending powers.

7. The Territorial tax provided in the previous legislation was abolished.

This law was in operation before Washington Territory was created. It resembles the Iowa statutes in several respects, especially in the organization within the district providing for the levying and collecting of taxes. The Iowa law similarly gave the power of handling the funds to the county commissioners, and like the new Oregon provision, had no Territorial tax.

This is the last legislation previous to the separation of Washington Territory from Oregon.

Chapter V

Early Territorial Schools

1. Fragmentary Records

With admission into the sisterhood of territorial commonwealths one might expect to find a more systematic account of the time than during the previous period. But we must keep in mind that schools were not very well organized at that time anywhere in the United States. In 1853 the population was exceedingly sparse in the Terri tory of Washington. The new school law did not provide for a Territorial superintendent of schools. The county superintendents were untrained, poorly paid, and schools were of minor concern to most of them.

A good deal of uncertainty exists concerning the exact dates of the first schools in each of the counties. Unfortunately legal records were not made of many of those earliest ventures and the memoranda, letters, teachers' registers, etc., have long since been thrown away as rubbish, in too many cases. The files of the early newspapers of the State are very few and the accounts of the schools naturally were not written with the future historian in mind.

The earliest Territorial superintendent's report was published in 1862. The report did not become well known as it was printed only in the journals of the legislative assembly. As the superintendency was abolished a few days afterward and not reestablished until 1871 there is practically no authentic record of the schools of the Territory until the report of 1872 made by Superintendent Judson. That report inaugurated the historical record of Washington schools. Definite statistics were gathered beginning with 1872. The tattered copies still in existence furnish invaluable fragments, but they are fragments and almost as difficult to decipher as the record of prehistoric animals in the rock strata. Some of the statistics are not accurate and most of them inadequate. But a creditable beginning was made in a pioneer field of school administration.

There was no educational paper in the Territory until 1884. The newspapers printed very little pertaining to the schools, but still a number of interesting items are found scattered through the files of the weekly press of that early period.

2. Olympia a Leader

Some of the preterritorial school ventures in Olympia have already been chronicled. In July 1854, Bernard Cornelius, recently from Canada, started a second school. He was a very well-trained man, a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, and a member of the College of Preceptors, London. Before teaching in Olympia he had taught in private schools in California and Victoria, British Columbia. After leaving Olympia he taught in a boys' school in Portland, which later became the Hill Military Academy.' While in Olympia he wrote an important series of articles on education which appeared in the Olympia Pioneer and Democrat.2

It will be remembered from a previous chapter that already there was one school at Olympia, taught by A. W. Moore, which had been designated a "Free School", by the Columbian. They said in regard to it:

A tax has recently been levied and collected by which all indebtedness for the erection and completion, thus far, of the district schoolhouse has been liquidated, leaving a fund in the treasury of some $400 subject to appropriation for school pur poses. This will secure the services of a teacher for three or four months to come, and be the means, we trust, of awakening an increased interest in the all-important subject of education.

The schoolhouse built at that time was destroyed by snow, a fact already recorded. Nothing daunted, the little settlement proceeded to build a second schoolhouse, which was opened as a private school. We read on September 21, 1855:

Olympia school will be opened at the new schoolhouse as a private school on Monday, 24th inst.

Bernard Cornelius had started the Olympia school on June 18 as a private venture, and in September moved into the new building.

A boarding school was opened the same year by George F. Whitworth, later president of the University of Washington. The follow ing notice appeared on March 7, 1855:

Mr. and Mrs. Whitworth propose to open a Boarding School for children of both sexes at their residence, distance about one and one-half miles north of Olympia. Should sufficient encouragement be given it is intended to commence about the 1st of April. The terms for boarding and tuition, which will be reasonable, can be ascer tained by applying to the undersigned. Country produce will be received in part payment if desired. G. F. Whitworth, Olympia.

1 From a personal interview with George H. Himes.

See Pioneer and Democrat, Nov. 19, Dec. 3, 10, 17, 25, and Jan. 6, 1853-54.

The Columbian, Jan. 1, 1853.

Evidently the school was a success. The following year another advertisement announcing the opening of school stated that the tuition per quarter of 11 weeks was $8 in the primary department; more advanced scholars, $10 to $12.

In 1856 another private school started in Olympia. This was for girls. The following advertisement on April 24 announced its opening:

Miss Babb will open a school in the Masonic Hall in this place on Monday, May 5th, at 9 o'clock a.m. Tuition per quarter of eleven weeks: Common English branches, $5.00; Higher English branches, $6.00; Drawing, extra, $3.00; Painting, water colors, $3.00; Music, Piano, $20.00. Young ladies and little girls from the country are invited to attend as board is very cheap.

On October 3, 1856, was published a notice of the opening of Puget Sound Institute at Olympia, to begin November 10. The Reverend Isaac Dillon, principal, and Mrs. Isaac Dillon, preceptress, who taught French, drawing, painting, music, and needlework. Tuition for a quarter of 11 weeks was as follows: Primary, $5; common English, $6; higher English, $7.50; music, $20; ancient and modern language, drawing and painting, $3; incidental expenses for fuel added.

The school was open for young men, ladies, and children. "We solicit a fair share of patronage at the opening of this Institute, hoping thereby to build up a school of high grade, which will be second to no other on the Pacific Coast." Signed J. F. Devore.

This school was reorganized January 3, 1857, under the name of Puget Sound Wesleyan Institute. In a letter of Governor McMullen of November 17, 1857, he said that the institute had 60 students.* Also a notice of the institute of February 9, 1858, shows B. R. Freeland, principal, and Miss Babb, preceptress. They add the interesting item that "the government will be paternal, but strict". This indicates that Miss Babb's private school was absorbed by the Wesleyan Institute. Freeland was from Willamette University. The Reverend Mr. Dillon was forced to give up the work on account of ill health. By this time there were three departments in the institute-primary, scientific, and classical; and one observes: "Phonography taught free of charge." A building was erected during the summer of 1858, Hall and Taylor being the contractors.

During the 4-year period, 1852-56, it is to be seen that there had been started four separate school organizations in Olympia. These were, the public school of Cornelius, the private schools of the Whit

'Pioneer and Democrat, Nov. 27, 1857.

worths and of Miss Babb, and the Puget Sound Wesleyan Institute. The Olympia Public School was being taught by G. H. Whitworth and M. E. Whitworth. On October 10, 1856, the notice appeared:

OLYMPIA PUBLIC SCHOOL

Reopened on the 3rd of Nov. next for a term of five months. Tuition per quarter as heretofore-$5, 6, 8, and 10. No extras.

The course of study embraces all the branches usually taught in High Schools.

It is designed to procure a Philosophical and Chemical apparatus for the use of the school during the next term.

A few boarders can be taken. Terms moderate.

G. F. WHITWORTH,

M. E. WHITWORTH.

This establishes rather definitely that the early schools were only partially free schools. The cost for tuition was nearly as great as it is today at the university, when the difference in the value of the dollar is taken into consideration. Possibly the first voice that was heard on the subject of free schools was that of Chief Justice Lander. The weekly paper commented on the address by saying, "The lecturer concluded by strongly advocating the adoption of the free school system throughout our Territory."

In the early part of 1857 the public funds of the Olympia district were sufficient to reduce the tuition for the common branches to about one-half the amount it had been previously.

Much light is shed on the early situation by an editorial in the Olympia paper, Pioneer and Democrat, of October 31, 1856. In commenting on the public examination at the Whitworth School it said in part:

The schoolroom was crowded to overflowing, and the advancement made in education by pupils of both sexes gives ample warrant of the ability of the instructor and instructress, as also of the close application to study of the scholars under their charge. Notwithstanding our citizens have had an Indian war on their hands for the last year, the cause of education has not been neglected, nor is it on the wane. Aside from the two schools that have been sustained in Olympia during most of the summer, we are informed that some four or six others have been kept up in different portions of Thurston County, and as an evidence that our citizens are determined that our children shall be educated, war or no war, it is only necessary to observe that when the people of Mount Prairie were driven to forts and block-houses for safety, a school was established at Fort Henness, which has been continued, we believe, throughout the season; and with the blessings of peace and of God, it has been projected that an Academy will be established at this place during the year, at which a good classical education may be obtained.