Schools

Winfield Township

              The first schoolhouse was built on Section 21, on Eagle Creek. It was constructed of unhewn logs and covered with clapboards. In size, it was 12 x 14 feet. It had two windows, one door, a puncheon floor, and seats made of split timbers, with legs of tough, strong sticks. The chimney was of sticks and mortar, while the fire-place was large enough to take cord wood, and such large back logs were used as to keep fire through the long intermission, from dismissal in the evening to school-call in the morning. This house was built about 1842, and taken down about 1850. Mr. Taylor taught the first term therein, or some say James Dilly did. Caroline Soul was among the first teachers of the township. The desks in the above-named house were ranged around the wall on pins placed in the logs at different elevation to suit size of pupils. As an instance of the expedients adopted to shield people from the cold in early times, this same house was ceiled after a few years, and above the rough board ceiling was filled in with sod, which, of course, made it warm overhead. This house, doubtless, held the largest schools ever taught in the township. It is stated that fifty or sixty pupils, ranging in age from five to thirty years, used to congregate here for instruction. One time, at recess, the pupils at play dislocated the elbow of one Chester Grout; as there was no doctor near, the teacher and Loren Hixon, one of the pupils, succeeded in setting it. The boy got along without further medical attendance. There was a pond near the house; one day at noon the boys became so busily engaged at skating as not to hear the heavy ruler as it drummed on the door, nor the oft-repeated call of books! Books! Books! as the master pounded harder and called louder. Finally, they came and were brought up in a row for punishment. The row was so long as to take the shape of a fish hook. The master took a heavy leg from a puncheon seat and began business at the head, and soon came to the point. To the first boy he gave a ‘smart’ box; to the second, who is now Gen. Cameron, he was going to give the bench leg, but the young showed fight. The boys came to his rescue; the teacher hesitated, and the boys all marched out in single file under the leadership of young Cameron. The first teacher got $13 a month and boarded around. Since then, in a period of twenty years the wages have run, for winter schools, $16, $25, $28, $40, $45, $30, the last being the present pay. Summer schools used to run from $2.50 to $3 a week and board, while now the average is about $20 a month, without board. The second school was taught two miles north and west of the above-named is a hewed log house. The third school was established in the Methodist Church at Hickory Pint. There are now six houses and seven districts in the township. Five of these houses are frame and one is brick. Another brick is to be built this fall at Palmer.

Source: Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana. Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor. Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor. F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1882.