202. P. E. Goodrich Talks About Schools.

RCHS Blog Post Number 202.  

P. E. Goodrich Talks About Schools.

 From a Winchester Journal-Herald article dated July 2, 1946.

    P. E. GOODRICH thinks we should have a Randolph County Historical Society and that it come into being. Phillip KABEL, well known historian of Winchester, would be an ideal director. To both we agree. Joe HAMILTON, publisher of the Lynn Herald, told us the other day about the Greensfork Society and what it has done to create interest and keep a true record of historical events in that township and suggested a county-wide organization. Maybe, as Mr. Goodrich says, someone will take the lead and get this program going. In a letter to the Journal-Herald he says: Read with a great deal of pleasure the account of the annual meeting of the alumni this year and note that Phillip Kabel was on the program. Philip is our Randolph county historian and is a good one. I hope some rich person with some money they don't need and with a property they can't take with them, would contribute a home for the Randolph County Historical Society, and when it is organized, I hope Philip Kabel will be alive, and can be the first custodian. There are few men that know as much about Indiana's early history as he does.

   Being so much older than Philip I can remember more about the Winchester schools than he seems to. The first log school house undoubtedly was on the corner where the Brenner Clinic is. (NW corner of East St. and E. Washington St.) That is farther back than I can remember so it must have been there, but the Central school was not the second school by some distance. The old seminary at the west end of Washington street was a school that must have been established before 1850. I can remember it when I was just a child that my Aunt Sara MACY, Judge Macy's mother, took me to school with her, which was a common thing at that time and long afterwards. It was in the big brick building that was called the Winchester Seminary, which finally became the home of the Winchester Wagon Works.

      My great uncle, Calvin Goodrich, who died in Minneapolis, was one of it's teachers. The last president of the seminary so far as I know was John COOPER. Who the other teachers were I am not certain, but I think one of his daughters was one and Mary LAMB another. Seward WATSON told me a good many years ago there was a school on North Main street in the first block across First street. (Third street today, 2021.) A little brick building on the west side of the street which now stands there is occupied as a home. I can't remember back when it was a school but I can remember when Dr. HIATT live in it. (Terry and Nikki ALFREY live there today, 2021.)

     I think he was a bachelor, anyhow, so far as I can remember, he didn't have a wife and Densin COPELAND and his wife kept house for him as long as he lived. I think both Densin and his wife lived there until they died. The Copelands, former slaves in the South, were the parents of Ben Copeland, one of our fine citizens and a good man.

     Central building was the building that Philip talks about and that was where I went my first day to school. Uncle Jimmy FERRIS, the father of Charley Ferris, who worked for years in the Randolph County Bank, was superintendent of the school. John Ferris, editor and general manager of the Muncie Star, was the son of Charley. The teacher that I went to, I think, was Mary Lamb, there were two Lamb girls in the school at that time. James Ferris, the superintendent, was a good educator and he sure didn't spare the rod. Uncle Jimmy was quite a character, when he punished a kid he got him across his knees, then smacked him and made the kid repeat, "the way of the transgressor is hard" every time he smacked him until he commenced to cry, then he quit punishment, and the kids soon knew that, and didn't get hurt very badly if they hollered enough quick.

     Then John Cooper, a wonderful educator, followed Mr. Ferris as superintendent. How long he was here I don't know, but he was here in 1870. I remember how scared I was when he came to our house on my father's birthday and had dinner with us. I made myself pretty scarce around where he was. Of course, he had never punished me or even scolded me but he did look austere and he surely was, and the boys and girls were sure afraid of him. He was followed by Lee AULT. I think Philip can remember all of them after Lee Ault's time.

______________________

Want to learn more?
Visit The Museum.
     Hours vary with volunteer availability. Check the website or Facebook for current open to the public hours or call/message/email to arrange an appointment.
Facebook group: Randolph County Indiana Historical and Genealogical Society

Visit the website.
     Here is a link to the website:  https://rchsmuseum.org

Follow the blog.
     Scroll to the right or below the article to click "FOLLOW" to get email updates as soon as a blog is uploaded.  This is a great feature to share with family and friends who are not active on social media.