The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 20, Milford, Kosciusko County, 1 July 1987 — Page 52

THE MAIL-JOURNAL —Wed., July 1,1987

4

Warner or Gill was first Syracuse teacher

By JACK ELAM Education, from the beginning, has been a top priority in Syracuse. Records show that, as early as 1840, the people of Syracuse signed an agreement to hire Mr. Thomas K. Warner to teach school. The subscribers were to pay $2 per scholar plus room and board. The subscription was for 17 students. The school was to be conducted from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday for a period of three months. The townspeople also agreed to furnish firewood and find a school house. Historians believe this school was located on the southwest corner of Huntington and Pearl Streets. It is possible that an earlier school on West Washington Street by Jane Crosson Gill, a daughter of Samuel Crosson. Jane may have taught school at the Huntington Street location also. Syracuse residents who signed the agreement with Warner included: John Baird, Squire M. Cory, Samuel Crosson, George Phoebus, Mr. Roisan, Sarah Sulsar, Harvey Veneman, Henry Ward, and George Weaver. The third school was a log cabin, located on the southeast corner of Harrison and

-TWBBWDDIP \ ; / ''V A \ < W1 Ilh/K y /' .w w/ llKj' /' 4 *»■ f / ; \ /■■ /HL-'f' . V \s( I/Xm fl AX V.UIW KAOj.lJti. k W 1 IW-AfcAwlkb V■. .41 Sliih Lil'

‘MODERN’ SCHOOLHOUSE — A new “modern uptown” school building prepares to meet its first students in 1908. The school, located in front of the former school on East Main Street, housed all Syracuse students until 1928, when a high school was built. The brick building featured four rooms on the first floor that could seat 50 pupils each, a principal’s office, and a teachers lavatory. Two stairways led to the second floor, which contained two classrooms, an assembly room that seated 90, a recitation room, and a laboratory.

VIDEO WE HAVE ALL THE LATEST HIT MOVIES! Movie & VCR Rentals — Sales & Service featuring Huasar. "The Greatest Name In Electronics" • Televisions • VCR's • Camcorders • Blank Tapes 2,3& 4 HEAD VCR'sl VMII AC CAMCORDERS Quasar Video Cassette Recorder VMS • 14-day, 2 program timer Reg. $1,595 • 14-pushbutton electronic TV tuning •_ _— _ • 5-function wired remote control Special *1,199”* FREE MEMBERSHIP Open 7 Days A Week located: Back Os Wawasee Realty. All Zizx iz-j . ™ Across From Hook* Drugs All (K) Kids Movies SI.OO Parking Lot Next To Dairy Queen Jack A. Lewallen (Owner) 457-5322

Washington Streets. It was later replaced by a frame building that was considered up-to-date for its day. Syracuse children were educated at this location from’the early 1850 s through the 1874 school year. The last teachers at this location were Mrs. Whitehead and Miss Guy. In the fall of 1874, Syracuse students were privileged to attend school in a new four-room brick building. It was located on the lot south of the Church of God, with a long sloping school yard extending to Main Street. Joseph Kindig, Turkey Creek Township trustee, is credited with making this advance in education a reality. He was severely criticized by many for being so extravagant. During 1887/1889 a high school course began. In the spring of 1889 Miss Blanch Sprague had the honor of being the first high school graduate of Syracuse. Leading citizen Joseph P. Dolan, who had come to Syracuse as a timekeeper on the B & O railroad, was principal of this school for 18 years. He was the first to teach algebra and geometry and operated a “Normal” during the summer to train young teachers. By the turn of the century Syracuse outgrew its school room space. To delay the inevitable, an old building (Kern Building) was

moved onto school property, facing Main Street, to house the overflow of students. By 1907, classes were also being held in the old Progressive Church on the mill race and the Moore home on West Main Street. The school system had a total of eight teachers conducting classes in four inadequate buildings. In September of 1907, ground was broken and a cornerstone was laid for a new school. The new building was built on the lower part of the schoolyard, in front of the 1874 building. It faced the public library on East Main Street and had a basement and two upper floors. The first floor consisted of four rooms that could seat 50 pupils each, a principal’s office, and a teachers’ lavatory. Two stairways led to the second floor, which contained two classrooms, an assembly room that would seat 90 students, a recitation room, and a laboratory. In the fall of 1908 the first classes were held in this modern building. n the early 19205, population of the town and township increased to the point that the “modern uptown” building was too small to house all of the students. It was decided to build a new high school building and use the existing building for a grade school.

iifl' rifUFaUn r i iiif. m■■

FORMER HIGH SCHOOL — A date etched at the top of Syracuse Middle School gives proof to its origination, having been built on Brooklyn Street to house all Syracuse students in the fall of 1928. An addition was added to house the grade school in 1954, while a “modern gymnasium” was also constructed. The building was again added to in 1957, while it saw its last high school students in 1967.

■a I WMMMi — ~ 1 ' Sa a**--a ITnT# Dab -- FRIDAY NIGHT GAME — Syracuse High School basketball players compete on the gymnasium floor that now serves Syracuse Elementary School students. In its day, this basketball court was among the best in the area, with teams competing regularly."-. A new gym was built 1954 and that gymnasium saw its last high school game with the completion of new gyms at ftrea consolidated high schools.

The site for the new building was east of South Main Street on Brooklyn Street, near Turkey Creek. Classes began in the fall of 1928. In 1954. an addition was added to house the grade school and a new gymnasium. The building was again added to in 1957. In 1958 the control of the school system was taken,-, from the township trustee and the Metropolitan School Corporation was formed: In 1962 the Lakeland Community School Corporation (now the Wawasee community School Corporation), which included North Webster and Milford schools, was formed. Classes began at Wawasee High School, which was a con-

solidation of Milford, North Webster, and Syracuse, in 1968. The Syracuse High School became a middle school and all Syracuse students completing high school have graduated from Wawasee since 1969. Wawasee High School was built on land purchased from Bertha Phoebus Searfoss, widow of Charles E. Searfoss. Through this sale, the cycle seems to have been completed concerning the schools of Syracuse. Mr. and Mrs. Searfoss were direct descendants of George Phoebus and Samuel Crosson, who were signers of the agreement for a subscription school in 1840. (Continued on page 5)