PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1825 – Establishment of the state public school system. One-half mill as a school fund, barely enough for three months of school each year.
1838 – Public school introduced. First board of Education: Dr. C.C. Beatty, Dr. John Andrews, and Mr. James Means. Two lots were purchased one on North 4th St., and one on South 4th St. Two brick buildings, each 40 by 50 feet were built at a cost of $2,000 each. The one at 228-332 South 4th St. is still used as a residence today.
1839 – First public schools were opened Nov 11.
1846 – Schools ran continuously through the year.
1853 – Thomas McGrew was elected as acting manager of schools. Teachers were required to attend Institute for 2 hours each week or quit. Textbooks were required and no others were permitted.
1854 – Schools now had four departments: Primary, Secondary, Grammar, and High School. The lower story of Kilgore’s new building on Market St. was used for school.
1855 – Teachers’ certificates required for the first time. W.D. McClain was hired to teach vocal music.
1857 – First free public school library was established.
1858 – More than half the pupils attended school in rented rooms.
1859 – Teachers requesting a raise in their wages. Joseph Buchanan became superintendent of the schools.
1864 – Thomas Clark was employed to teach colored children in a building on Third St., between North & Dock Streets. It accommodated 160 pupils.
1868 – School children gave pennies to help erect the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Union Cemetery.
1870 – Graveyard lots at Forth and South Streets were obtained in 1867 where Grant School was built. It was finished in
1870. The high school was then moved to the third floor of Grant.
1873 – Stanton School was built. Reunion of Female Seminary graduates with 700 alumni present.
1874 – First night school was formed with Dr. D. W. Matlack as teacher.
1882 – Tenor drums were introduced for regulating entrance and exit of children.
1883 – Colored schools were abolished and pupils were distributed among other already existing schools.
1884 – Washington School was built. Garfield School was built.
1888 – 33 scholars were graduated. The High School Commencement Exercises were held at the Opera House on June 14. A total of 505 students graduated from 1860 to 1869.
1891 – Lincoln School was built. It contained three rooms to accommodate 150 children.
1896 – The school board had 12 members. Two of these were Mrs. Sarah Viers Croskey and Mrs. Isabella Humble, who were the first women ever elected to public office in Jefferson County.
1898 – Female Seminary Closed.
1903 – The board bought a site for a high school.
1906 – Old Wells auditorium was ready for annual graduation. W. R. Maurer, high school principle; Josephine Hammon, grammar school principle; Anna Bustard, later high school principle; Edward M. VanCleve was superintendent. The present Wells was built in 1916 and was known as the Wells Annex. It now houses the elementary grades. The original Wells building was destroyed by fire in April 1941.
1911 – A one room school was built on La Belle in 1904. An 8-room school replaced this in 1911 and addition was built on in 1929. It was named Roosevelt School. Buchanan School was first used.
1914 – McKinley School was built on Pleasant Heights.
1918 – Flu epidemic closed all schools from Dec. 3 to 30. Almost 400 reported absent. A class of 84 was graduated from high school, enrollment was 4,026. Largest in history of Steubenville schools up to that date.
1926 – New Harding Jr. High School was built. It had a cafeteria. It was dedicated in May of 1926.
1927 – The new Grant School was dedicated. It was remarkable that it was built in sections so that 900 children still attended school during its construction.
1928 – The Harding Stadium was built at a cost of $28,000.
1932 – Normal School was discontinued because of the depression. Miss E. Core Linch was director from 1926 – 1932. She is now student placement at Bethany College, and the College of Steubenville.
1933 – City schools closed May 12 as an emergency economy move because of the depleted treasury.
1940 – New million dollar high school was dedicated, Steubenville High School (Big Red). It was erected on the old Stanton School site on which school buildings have always stood. It was built to accommodate a maximum of 1,500 students.
1942 – The board voted a retirement age of 70 for all teachers. The city schools played a big role in the war effort. An impressive grand total of $526,287.07 in bonds and war saving stamps was sold in the Victory Loan Drive. The board authorized the use of Harding School siren for air raid warnings; draft boards were permitted to use the H.S. community room for registration draftees; the Red Cross was allowed to set up emergency headquarters in a number of schools.
1955 – By this time, an effort was made and 90% of Steubenville children attended Kindergarten. Classes for slow learners began in 1929; a class for crippled children was started in 1937; then for sight saving class, and 2 classes for deaf were added. There were health services by school nurses, doctors and dentists. There were opportunities for both choral and instrumental music.
