150. Jericho Friends School History

As Given In A Pageant At The Jericho Friends School Reunion Held August 23, 1927.

Plat Book noting the location of the school. 

Modern map noting the location where the school would have been. 

  Let us open the book of memories and cherish the spirit of the old school days. As I look at that old blackboard I recall the faces of those with whom we recited our lessons and wrestled in our games ten, twenty-five, fifty or sixty years ago. Those spelling lessons in which Wick CHENOWETH would spell "w-a-r-e, war;" those Physical Geography cloud explanations which caused many to lose some play time; those games of "Rabbit" among the trees and the tombstones; the rush at noon to the old cat-pond across Joe THOMAS' woods where we played "Shinny-on-the-ice"; the parting words of our teachers, and the expression of gratitude of the parents after the program and the big dinner on the last day of school-our feeling of regret because we felt that it would be ages until school would open again. No, we shall never forget the hard bumps we received in play, the patches on the seats of the boys' "jean" pants, the stodgy leather boots, nor the long dresses, high-topped shoes and the braided hair of the girls. There were holes in the wall where the cold came in, and how hot it was on the side next to the stove! But our Exhibitions and Debating Societies developed the thinking powers and oratory of our "to-be" professors, lawyers, preachers and lecturers. Then there were our ciphering-matches and spelling contests where the boys did their courting while helping the girls through the mud and snow on the way home.
  I wonder if we can find in this book of memory anything about the origin of the Jericho school?
  The school established here was not named for the old Biblical city, but for "Uncle Jerry," Jeremiah COX who was the first of the line of settlers to come here from Randolph County, North Carolina, in order that they might live "free in conscience and practice" from the growing curse of slavery.
  1816, 1818, 1830. Whose names are these? Benoni HILL, Henry HILL, Elijah COX, Abram and Amos PEACOCK, Francis FRAZIER, Benjamin PICKETT, Elihu CAMMACK, John PIKE, Jeremiah COX, John SMITH, William ROBINSON, Nathan FREEMAN? Among the Friends, education has always gone hand in hand with religion. These Jericho Friends established the first church and school in Wayne Township. The first school, composed of twenty or twenty-five pupils, was taught by Miriam HILL in the old log church house, thirty rods west of the old cemetery on what is now Jim CHENOWETH's farm. Soon they built a schoolhouse, southeast of the cemetery, opposite Roscoe HARRIS' lane. Here school was conducted for many years. This house had two windows, one door and a large fire place. The desks and seats were slabs of logs with wooden pegs for legs. As was the custom of the Friends, their pupils went in a body to the meeting-house every Fourth day at ten o'clock for an hour. Daniel HILL used to tell an interesting experience he once had as a boy attending one of those regular mid-week meetings. When all had been silent for quite a long while, a large house snake appeared at the northwest corner of the ceiling and wound itself slowly down over the logs to the floor. It glided across the floor under the gallery seats and disappeared in a hole in the floor.
  Amos PEACOCK taught several terms in this first school of the community without compensation save only as Friends divided their household provisions with his family. Later the teachers were paid by the subscription plan, the meeting making up the deficiency. The Elders and Overseers of the meeting prescribed the curriculum and assisted in guarding the morals of the school. This meeting and school were conducted in these buildings for about fourteen years, or until about 1831. A new school was then built on the southwest corner of section thirty, just east of the present Jericho meeting house.
  An extract from the journal of William Robinson which was written in 1898 well illustrates the spirit of those early Friends;  "Sixty years ago I gathered with these venerable Fathers and Mothers for the purpose of worshiping God. Like Jacob of old, many of who were very feeble were leaning upon the tops of their staffs. So united were they that should one be absent from public worship, inquiry was made at once to learn the cause and to render assistance where needed."
  To show their attitude toward strangers who came to look for a home in this vicinity we quote from the reminiscences of Steven SHOCKNEY;  "When we came to this community we meant Jonah PEACOCK who told us that the Quakers had taken most of the land on White River. He suggested a place for our buildings. This good Friend assured us that he would announce at meeting the next day that we had arrived. Accordingly the next morning many of the Friends came to our camp well provided with axes and various tools for the "houseraising." Later the women wearing their Quaker bonnets came I wagons bringing a bounteous dinner. Before the night the house was ready for us to occupy. The Friends all shook hands and departed wishing us much joy and prosperity in our new home."
  This was the beginning of the Salem settlement. Such deeds as these caused others to become interested in the school. Thus many pupils began to come to the school that were not the children of Friends. This shows how closely the history of the church and that of the school are connected.
  Before the Civil War, when the more conscientious of the Jericho Friends refused to use the products of slave labor, eating sorghum molasses instead of sugar and using linen and woolen goods instead of cotton, the meeting divided into the "Pro-slavery: and "Anti-slavery" Friends. This division was naturally reflected in the school.
  These "Anti-slavery Friends" were zealous to see justice given the Black Man. They established a station of the "Underground Railroad" at Sorghum Corner a mile east of Jericho and assisted the run-away slaves not only by giving to them of their means but also by hiding and hauling them on their way to freedom.
  A little later in the community history some of the Pro-slavery people, Jeremiah COX, John KEYS, William Robinson, some of the HILLS and others , built another school for their convenience on the corner of what is now Frank THORNBURG's land and called it "West Jericho." The East side retained the first school house that had been built in 1819. Some of the teachers in this new school were Susanna BOND, Rachael PUCKETT, Lydia ROBINSON and Ann COX. Later this school was absorbed by the Roundtop and No, 12 schools which eventually became a part of the McKinley consolidated school.
  During the agitation connected with the discussion necessary to the settling of the question of human slavery, despite the fact that the whole nation was torn in civil war, these Friends maintained their piety and close communion with their Savior and their strict adherence to the laws governing men's relation to each other. In all these years the appearance of an officer in the community was very rare.
  A frame church and a frame school had been built on the present Jericho grounds along in the early 1830's. The church house was located just back of this present house and the school house in front on the east side of the drive. These buildings served up until the early sixties. Friends sponsored this school through all these years, and although Wayne Township had organized district schools in 1838, Jericho Friends cared for the education of this community. Many of the older people report that in the years 1860 to 1865 great harmony prevailed among Friends here. The school and meeting prospered in every respect. At this time it was decided to build a more substantial brick house in which to worship. By subscription a sum of one thousand dollars was raised. Sixteen of the subscribers had been pioneers of the community. This fact shows that even in their old age these Friends were eager to see education and religious worship promoted. The most of the brick for this house were made and burned on what is now Mollie COX's farm, north of here. This school grew in attendance until it was soon necessary to build another schoolhouse. The township could not put a building on the Friends ground with public money. Most of the pupils being Friends, an agreement was effected in which the township was to build the house on the crossroad, opposite the present cemetery, and the Friends were to chose the teachers and have the school attend meeting every Fourth day morning at ten o'clock. Thus the Jericho school we so vividly remember was built. Unity continued to prevail and the school soon became so large that it was necessary to add another room to the building and to hire two teachers instead of one. During this time the first lyceum, literary and debating societies of which we have record were organized. The records of these meetings make very interesting reading.
  About the year 1878 during the Wilberite and Guerneyite division of faith, the Conservatives, as they were commonly called, built the white church across the road, south of the brick church. They also established a school near the center of Levi THORNBURG's farm. Later this Conservative school building was moved to the hill on the north side of the road just west of Ora ROBINSON's house. This building is now part of the Emma HINSHAW house. Emily HADLEY, Susanna COX, Mattie COX, Sally KENDALL, Charley HINSHAW, Adeline MACY, Abe PEACOCK and Abbie BLACKBURN taught here. This part of the Jericho school was finally absorbed by the township district school and by other Friends schools in other communities.
  The organization of this school had caused such a decrease in attendance of the township district school that the trustee refused to hire more than one teacher, and the two rooms were thrown together.
  Some time before the abandonment of the Conservative school, a Sabbath school was organized in the new brick church.This attracted many young people and greatly increased the attendance at the church there. Later, others than the Friends came and a Union Sunday School was organized. It was at this time that Reverend Esther COOK conducted a series of meetings here and gathered so many into the service of the Master. The young people organized a Christian Endeavor society and took the lead in the religious affairs of the community. The day school was by this time completely controlled by the township. Nevertheless the spirit of union and harmony in the church influenced the school that it soon became one of the largest district schools in the township. The literary and debating societies were revived; spelling and ciphering matches became very common and people came from miles around to attend the plays and other forms of entertainment given by the pupils of the school.
  Along about 1890 a dispute arose between the two township trustees concerning who should bear the burden of school expense, since the school was on the township line between White River and Wayne. The majority of the patrons favored keeping the school in the old place while the trustees preferred to move the school to Sorghum Corner, one mile east. A compromise was effected and the school was built half-way between the two places. During the history of this school other literary societies were carried on. The Prohibition constitutional amendment question was the chief subject of debate.
  When Wayne consolidated school was organized, the Jericho school was the first to petition for admittance. Thus it is lost in the Wayne school and were it not for these reunions it would forever cease to be.