Old Stone School House

This is a picture of the first public school building in Princeville, also known as the Old Stone School House.  It was one of the oldest buildings in Princeville and was erected in 1846.  It was located on the northeast corner of Canton and French Streets (now West Main St. and South Cottage Grove).  It was built from donations of stone, lime, lumber and labor and a small amount of money.  The gable on the south had 1846 carved in stone to signify the year it was built.  The stone school house replaced the first public school which was established in 1834 in a log cabin southeast of the Rock Island Depot.  The first teacher at the the old stone school building was Benjamin F. Slane from 1847 to 1848. 

In 1866, the school district rented the vacant Princeville Academy building (Princeville Academy closed for a few years in 1866 because the war took students away from town) because the old stone school building was not large enough.  The first public school building (known as "Old Brick") on the West Main Street school property was built in 1872.  That building was replaced in 1907 with a larger brick structure that was dedicated in February of 1908.  That building housed the high school and grade school until the current school buildings were built.

The Freshman Class of 1892

It has been a few months since we have posted on the blog.  Since our last post, we have celebrated the 175th Anniversary of the Village of Princeville during Heritage Days in June and hosted the 4th Annual Heritage Harvest at the museum in July.  To celebrate the start of the school year, today's blog is about enrollment in 1892 at Princeville Academy.  Imagine what life in Princeville was like 120 years ago!

This spring, I mentioned that the Lillie M. Evans Library shared some documents from their archives.  In the collection were numerous Princeville Academy Sols (school newspapers) and catalogues from the late 1800s and early 1900s.  During that time, there was a Princeville Public High School as well as the private Princeville Academy.   According to the local history books, the Princeville Academy was located a few blocks south of the park.

From the catalogue:
"Princeville Academy is an Evangelical Christian school offering superior advantages of location, instruction and moral and religious influence, designed to fit students for entering college or for teaching and, in general to aid them in their preparation for active, useful lives.  There will be nothing sectarian in its conduct or management."  According to the catalogue, there were a total of 93 students enrolled in the Princeville Academy in 1892.  Those students were studying either academics or music, or both. Tuition ranged from $1 to $12 per term (3 terms per school year) based on courses taken and what year in school in which the student was enrolled.

The faculty in 1892 included:
Edwin B. Cushing, Principal
Miss Mary Francis
Miss Georgie L. Kinney
Miss Alice Peters
Miss Luella Gray

The following is a list of names of students enrolled in Princeville Academy in 1892.  After their name is the town in which they resided.  Some students boarded with local families while they attended the school.

Princeville Academy Enrollment in 1892
Linus Aldrich, Akron
Anna Auten, Akron
Charles H. Auten, Princeville
Edith R. Auten, Akron
Edward Auten, Jr, Princeville
Esther R. Auten, Akron
H. Louis Auten, Princeville
Julia Auten, Akron
Laura Auten, Akron
Maria E. Auten, Akron
Nellie Auten, Princeville
Peter Auten, Princeville
Sarah Auten, Princeville
Emory Barnum, Princeville
Lois Blanchard, Princeville
Fred Bliss, Princeville
Luther Bliss, Princeville
Guy Bouton, Princeville
James Byrnes, Akron
Merle Burdick, West Hallock
Frank Butts, West Hallock
John Butts, West Hallock
Robert Campbell, Alta
Arthur Carman, Princeville
Carrie Chase, Akron
Virginius Chase, Wady Petra
Pinkey Cheesman, Arlington
Emma Conrad, Princeville
Merritt Cornell, Akron
Rosa Cornell, Akron
Charles Cornish, Princeville
Bert Cutler, Princeville
Bernice Debord, Princeville
Leatha DeBord, Princeville
Mamie Dickinson, Akron
Agnes Dowdall, Princeville
Guy Edwards, Princeville
Irma Evans, Princeville
Myrtis Evans, Princeville
Lena Ferguson, Princeville
Anna German, Princeville
Frank German, Princeville
Leatha Gordon, Princeville
Martha Gordon, Princeville
John Graham, Akron
Herbert Hakes, West Hallock
Nellie Hammer, Princeville
Byron Hare, Princeville
Bessie Herriott, Monica
Ora Herriott, Monica
Addie Hopkins, Princeville
Dena Hopkins, Princeville
Mamie G. Hopkins, Princeville (it is noted that Mamie died 07/20/1892)
Maude Hopkins, Princeville
Harry Houston, Akron
Myrtle Irwin, Princeville
Cora Kingery, Akron
Florence Kingery, Akron
Clyde Livingston, West Hallock
Ella McDermott, Akron
Maggie McDermott, Akron
Beulah Metzel, Princeville
Albert Moffit, Princeville
Willard Morrow, Akron
Ethel Nelson, Princeville
Leo Nelson, Princeville
Lewen Nelson, Princeville
Annie Parents, Princeville
Nettie Potts, Princeville
Mamie Pullen, Dunlap
Neva Prouty, Princeville
Calvin Rice, Akron
Luther Searl, Princeville
Daisy Shane, Princeville
Alice Sheehy, Radnor
Mamie Sheehy, Radnor
Burnham Sloan, Princeville
Maza Sloan, Princeville
Harry Smith, Princeville
Mary Smith, Princeville
Howard Stewart, Akron
Lillie Sussex, Laura
Ethel Todd, Monica
Vora Weaver, Princeville
Myrtie Wear, Princeville
John Whittaker, Laura
Harry Willard, Akron
Maude Williams, Princeville
Lennie Yates, Dunlap
Willie Yates, Dunlap