SECTION 
NORWOOD'S SCHOOLS.- pages 35-37 -
FEW less than a score of years ago the jurist who now occupies the bench in the Probate Court of Hamilton County, was the young pedagogue in charge of the Sharpsburg district school. While Howard Ferris was teaching there he devoted his spare moments to the study of law, and he abandoned his first love to enter the bar. When named for a judgeship the old Sharpsburg teacher received one of the largest majorities ever given a man in the county, and his re-election was even a greater triumph. Judge Ferris is not the only man identified with Norwood's early school system who has attained distinction. Captain Joseph B. Foraker, twice called to the Governorship of Ohio, once filled the modest but responsible position of school trustee in a district that has become one of the proud boasts of Norwood—a system as nearly perfect as it is possible to be. Prior to 1868 this was a sub-district under the control of the township trustees, but on February 18th, of that year, under a new enactment, a call was issued and signed by Moses F. Buxton, Jas. A. McKee, Wm. B. Ferguson, Jas. G. Langdon, John N. Siebern, Wm. M. Langdon, Columbus Williams and Jackson Slane for an election to vote on the establishment of a separate school district. Ten days later the election was held, and Columbus Williams, Jackson Slane and John N. Siebern were chosen members of the first independent board of education of what was afterwards known as the Sharpsburg district, now Norwood special school district Nos. 3 and 17 of Columbia and Millcreek Township. The census at that time showed sixty-one families in the district, with a total population of three hundred and eighteen and a tax duplicate of about $350,000. The building then was a plain, two-story brick structure, on the site of the present central house. One teacher at a salary of $537.50 per year and a music teacher who drew $35.10 made up "the faculty." The following year, 1870, an extra teacher was employed, but the music time was chopped off. Until 1884 Sharpsburg plodded slowly along and two teachers were sufficient. The present term of 1894 sees fifteen teachers employed in looking after the welfare of Norwood's rising generation!
It was 1884 that $7,000 were expended for a new four-room building on the pike, but three years later it was again necessary to branch out, and $9,000 were spent in remodeling the building and adding four rooms. The district is a large one, covering three and a half square miles of territory and in the face of the rapidly increasing population in all directions, it was deemed wise to provide for the primary pupils at centers nearer the extremely distant portions of the district. The Board of Education submitted to the people the proposition to divide the district for primary purposes, and establish branch schools therein. This was approved in March, 1891, by authority to issue $20,000 worth of bonds, which was afterwards increased to $25,000. The district was divided exactly in the middle, good lots were secured near the center of each division, and handsome, substantial brick buildings erected on each lot. The plans were made for four-room buildings, but only two-room, with the halls, were erected at that time. The total cost of that improvement was $25,016.91. These buildings are now full, and under authority granted April 17, 1893, the additions of two rooms to each building have been made, which, with the necessary improvement to the grounds, furniture, heating apparatus, etc., cost $10,000. In 1892, the action of the Platting Commission, in straightening Elm street, east of Montgomery pike, left a strip of 17 feet, south of school house, which was leased by the Board of Education, with privilege of purchase at $2,000. This carries with it the title to school house, 20 feet wide which has since been vacated, thus adding 37x300 feet to the central school lot, and making that lot 187 feet wide by an average depth of about 240 feet, and worth, with the improvements, about $35,000. The retiring board included: President A. C. Strobel, Harold Ryland and A. P. Hagemeyer. During their term an unfeeling court ousted W. S. Cadman and Chas. H. Weisenfelder, after finding that five constituted an illegal board. The people afterward voted to increase the membership to six. A. C. Strobel retired in April, 1894, and at that election, Harold Ryland, Jno. P. Zimmerman, Jr., E. R. Edwards, Chas. H. Weisenfelder and A. W. Maurer were chosen. Mr. Hagemeyer is now president, and Mr. Zimmerman, treasurer. Prof. C. M. Flowers has been the principal for several years, and the corps of teachers include Sallie G. James, Jennie B. Stickney, Carie A. Hunt, Isabella Kolbe, Julia A. Kolbe, Elizabeth Fairweather, Kate Cullen, Julia Ryan, Mrs. Lida Shaw, Orma Martin, Honora Jacob, Eleanor Storch, Louise Wilts and Nellie O. Burnett. ——— – ——— |
SECTION 
