TABLE 6.-Dates of establishment of first schools in the several counties in Washington-Continued The establishment of the Territorial university.—January 29, 1855, was a red-letter day in the history of Washington education. On that eventful day the legislative assembly passed an "Act to locate the Territorial university". It was doubtless partly educational vision and partly the desire to realize on a gift made by the Federal Government in donating two townships of land in the new Territory for that specific purpose. The act was of such historic importance that it is reproduced in full in another chapter. The newly created university was destined to pass through many vicissitudes before becoming thoroughly established. The more complete account is reserved for a separate chapter.' TABLE 7.-Statistics of Washington Schools in 1872° •From Puget Sound Courier, Jan. 10, 1873, Superintendent Rounds' report. Laws of Washington, 1854-55, p. 8. 65757°-35-7 First Territorial school statistics in 1872.-Superintendent Rounds in 1872 left the first statistical résumé of education. A digest of some of those statistics is reproduced in table 7. While the State was grow ing perceptibly in educational facilities and utilization it is seen that the proportion of census children attending was very small, less than 50 percent. The number of months taught was also very small, averaging less than 4 months annually for the Territory. The amount expended for teachers' salaries would not reach far in a modern city of 25,000 population, which was the approximate population of the Territory in 1872. 2. Reports from County Superintendents in 1881 General evidence.-The following statements taken from the reports of the various county superintendents to the Territorial superintend ent in 1881 furnish many sidelights concerning educational condi tions.2 County Supt. Smith Troy of Clallam County wrote from New Dungeness: In a broken, sparsely settled county like this, there are, of course, obstacles to a rapid advancement in prosperity which do not exist in more favored localities. We have had no private schools in the county for the last two years. I have been pleased to observe a good degree of interest in educational matters during my tour through the county visiting schools. From Vancouver, Clark County, County Supt. R. R. Robb wrote: In the work of building up schools, the people of Clark County are confronted by many obstacles. The average settler, who is endeavoring to make him a home in this wooded country, and at the same time compelled to support a family of children, finds it exceedingly difficult to build schoolhouses and to otherwise furnish the nec essary means for the support of good schools. This is especially the case in new and sparsely settled neighborhoods *. Last year a tax of seven mills on the dollar was levied for this purpose (education) from which the sum of $5,435.00 was realized. The receipts from this source will be increased the coming year. The good effects of this increased school fund are already apparent. Several districts reported eight months school within the past year *. The public schools of Vancouver have, Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Territory of Washington, 1881. for several years, been supported entirely by public funds. The term has been increased to nine months, but until better school accommodations are provided, our school must remain in a condition not very creditable to our town. About seven hundred youth, of school age, were reported in the district at the last census, yet our school building will not accommodate one-fourth of that number. The school is at present divided into four departments, two of which are held in rented buildings. There are three other schools maintained in the town. Holy Angels' College, a board. ing and day school for young men and boys, has at present about fifty students. The Sisters of Charity have an attendance of about fifty boys and girls, exclusive of about one hundred orphans under their charge. County Supt. Frank McCully of Columbia County wrote from Dayton that 8 new districts had been formed that year, making 69 in all. Nearly all of the recently formed districts had “erected neat and comfortable buildings." The enrollment in some districts was small owing to the fact that a number of the districts were in mountainous country or in sparsely settled areas. Columbia County had formerly been a part of Walla Walla County." Of Cowlitz County Supt. Antoinette B. Huntington wrote from Castle Rock: There are twenty-six organized districts in this county, in all but two of which— these two having less than fifteen children of school age-school has been maintained at least three months during the past year. One district maintained ten month's school, employing two teachers, at a cost of about one thousand dollars, half of which was raised by subscription, which, I think, shows a degree of interest most com. mendable. Our people throughout the whole county manifest a greater degree of interest in educational matters each succeeding year. During the past year twenty-three teachers have been employed in the various schools of the county, thirteen of whom hold first-grade certificates elsewhere, most of them being graduates of different institutions of learning in Oregon or the Eastern States." From Island County, Supt. H. H. Lloyd wrote from Coupeville: Our schools in this county are in a favorable condition, as far as funds and good schoolhouses are concerned. But in regard to our public schools as a place of educa tion, I must say in my opinion they are a failure, considering the amount of money expended. He had reference to poor methods of teaching and the diffuse organi zation of the course of study." From Irondale, Virginia Hancock, superintendent of Jefferson County, reported that, The schools in this county are in a flourishing condition at present, and none but good teachers are employed. There are six organized districts in Jefferson County, in all of which school has been taught three or more months during the year. The district schoolhouses are so distributed over the county as to make nearly every Ibid., pp. 13-14. Ibid., p. 17. Ibid., p. 15. Ibid., P. 18. man in reach of a schoolhouse, and with few exceptions, these schoolhouses are comfort. able buildings. There is one graded school in the county, situated at Port Townsend. E. S. Ingraham, superintendent of King County, later the first superintendent of Seattle city schools, wrote on September 30, 1879: Seattle, which is embraced in District No. 1, has 974 children between 4 and 21 years of age. Of this number nearly one-half may be found in attendance upon our public schools when in session, and none under six years of age are allowed to attend. The schools of this city are thoroughly graded and the course of study adopted by the Board of Education strictly followed. At the close of each school year examinations are held in the different grades under the direction of a local board of examiners, selected from among the teachers. Only those pupils who obtain an average standing of 70 percent are allowed to pass into a higher class at the beginning of the next year. Monthly examinations, also, are held throughout the school year. The schools of Seattle give employment to ten teachers, five of whom are males, at salaries ranging from $55 to $100 per month. During the year closing August 31, 1879, there were thirty weeks of public school. Thirty weeks are not enough; there should be at least forty. The coming year the schools will be about the same length as in the preceding. The county commissioners levied a six-mill tax, the maximum fixed by law, for the support of public schools. This would give a forty weeks' school if there were no incidental expenses. I think there should be an amendment made to the present school law, requiring districts to levy an annual special tax, sufficient to meet all incidental expenses. The county fund should only be used for the payment of teachers. The schools of the county outside of Seattle have improved much since my last report. In White River Valley the schools are kept up from six to nine months during the year, and every child in the county now has the opportunity of attending at least a three months' school annually. Hasten the time when this Territory shall become a State, and our school lands so disposed of as to give a school fund large enough to maintain a six-months' school within reach of every child of the Territory. If there are any amendments made in the present school law, I hope they will be such as to give a larger school fund, to secure better supervision and to compel parents or guardians to send their children to some school. I would also strongly urge the enactment of a law allowing a teacher, who may be called to account for thrashing an unruly boy, to be tried by his peers, not by a justice of the peace whose decision is based upon his own notions and the amount of his fees.' In 1881 Mr. Ingraham said he believed that the schools were progressing satisfactorily. He said, The schools of Seattle were long since thoroughly graded. Their rapid progress since then shows the advantage of the graded system. With the University located in our city, our pupils have the opportunity to take a thorough graded course of study from the primary to collegiate course.10 County Supt. L. M. Ordway of Kitsap County wrote from the county seat, Port Gamble, saying that, * Ibid., p. 19. Report of the Territorial Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1879, p. 37. 10 Ibid., p. 40. at Seabeck the school has numbered some thirty-four with an average attendance of twenty-seven. The schoolhouse is the finest in the county, with desks of modern make and convenience, and everything for the pleasure and improvement of the pupils. No. 4, Port Orchard, numbers less than the other districts, and the attend. ance is very irregular. The children, with the exception of some half dozen white children (only two of whom now remain) are half-breeds, and, as might be expected, are lacking in ambition, and it almost seems a waste of money to try to support a school there. When I visited them I found on the first day but five in attendance and the second but three! There had been a rush to hop-picking and fishing, and school was but a secondary consideration.11 From Goldendale, Klickitat County, Supt. J. T. Eshelman reported 28 organized districts employing 22 teachers. The average school year was 4 months. The total school fund for the year was $4,328.68. The average salary for men was $42 per month, for women $29. One graded school with 3 teachers was maintained, the "Goldendale Academy", which had been built by stockholders at a cost of $3,000. Eshelman was principal of this school and also county superintend ent.12 Robert Watkinson, county superintendent of Mason County said, This county is small, sparsely populated; staple product, lumber. We have ten (10) school districts, with a disposition and inclination, on the part of the people to educate the children. In my ten years' experience, as tax collector, I have never heard a single complaint against the paying of school tax, even by the lumbermen, who are single men, hence, have no children. There is too much stress laid upon the amount of school tax, and not quite enough private energy displayed, to lengthen the three months, to say four months' school, or the year; however, we actual settlers are of the pioneer class, absorbed in the building and improving of our homes-slow work in a timber country.18 Mrs. A. L. Bush, superintendent of Pacific County wrote from Bay Center that educational interests seemed of secondary interest to the people of that county. At that time there were 15 schoolhouses in the 22 districts, employing 19 teachers to teach the 312 pupils enrolled. The number of pupils in the county was 497, indicating some justifica tion for the interpretation of the people's attitude made by the superintendent. No figures are available showing the daily attendance. Schools were in session 3 months in the year.14 County Supt. C. A. McCarty of Pierce County wrote from Sumner: I have visited nearly all the schools in the county, and find that the teachers have little or no helps in the way of maps, charts, etc. The schools, with the exception of three, are mixed schools. There is not a thoroughly graded school in the county. This is owing to the small amount of funds given to each district, and not to a lack of interest |