HARVARD SCHOOLS
Pioneers of the Harvard area were interested in education in spite of hardships and handicaps. Shortly after the settlement of the section began, a school house was built in what is now Dunham Township in June 1839. This school was a log cabin built on the Jerome farm and was taught by Miss Helen Diggins. It was used for many years as school, church, and a place for political meetings. During the troublous times before the Civil War, it was the scene of Abolitionist meetings, some not at all peaceful.
A school was built in Chemung on Section 24 in Dolp Hutchinsons district in 1840 which was also a log cabin. There is no record of the first teacher or the number of pupils. It is known that this log school was used until 1859. A Harvard school was opened in the summer of 1859, in the store building belonging to Hall and Julius, the principal being J. E. Young assisted by Miss Mary Ballow.
The first building to be built in Harvard for school use was built in 1860, on the lot that is now Smith and Green Hardware. The building was enlarged several times, a wing being added in 1871, and the district bought the house directly north fitting it up to be two grades in 1880. Prior to 1876 H. B. Coe was principal, followed by William H. Knox until 1880. C. C. Grand was principal in 1880 and 1881, then Mrs. C. G. Hayner, R. E. Cutler, and in 1885 Ed Sweeney had assumed this task. At the time, there were nine teachers and an average daily attendance of 457.
At one time children went to school in four houses, on the block where Central now stands. One of the houses we know as the Mary D. Ayer Apartments, now moved across the street. Howard Ferris went to school there. This school was supplanted by Central school which was built in 1888. An interesting fact is that the first school bell was moved to the Central School where it was used into the 1950's to call Harvard children to school. Central served the town as both grade school and high school for many years. The first high school class graduated in 1881 after a four year course. There is no record of who the first Superintendent was, or who the first teachers were, and graduations were held in livery stables, the Opera House, Churches and Saunders Hall.
The first mention in official records of a Superintendent of Schools was Charles W. Grons who served for the school year 1896-1897. Grons served as principal of the high school division and Anna M. Morrow of the grade school.
The Board of Education at that time was :
J. D. Clark - President
W. D. Truax - Secretary
D. Davidson
Milo Munger
H. H. Megran
A. J. McCarthy
R. J. Marshall
John A. Brazier was the next superintendent and served from 1897 until 1902. He was succeeded by R. G. Jones who served five years. Some of the teachers at that time and subjects they taught in the high school were
Minnie L. Jones - Latin
Lella Kelsey - English
Helen Jones - Science
Bertha Higman - Mathematics
Margaret Salisbury - Music
R. A. Folk became superintendent in 1907, and was followed in 1910 by J. H. Light. School population had so grown that Central was no longer large enough to hold the students. After a long and lengthy debate between the North and South sections of the town as to building on to Central school or building a new school, it was finally resolved to build a school in the south section of the town so that children from that section would not be forced to cross the Northwestern railroad tracks.
Ground was broken in 1910, and Washington School was opened in September 1911. The staff of the school system at that time was
J. H. Light - Superintendent
John E. Alman - Principal of the High School
Margaret L. Duncan - English
Elizabeth A. Timme - Mathematics
Matilda T. Pinkerton - Latin and Physics
Alda Dewitt - German and Biology
In the Central Grade School the staff was according to the grade taught:
1st - Cora Whittleton
2nd - Belle Peters
3rd - Gertrude O'Brien
4th - Nora Howard
5th - Alice Cook
6th - Elizabeth Nolan
7th - LuLu Hagan
8th - Fannie Webster - Principal
At the Washington school the first staff was :
1st - Anna Conway
2nd - Nellie Hurlstone
3rd - Mayme Greene
4th & 5th - Lucy McCarthy - Principal
Drawing - Bessie Ferris
Music and Grammar - Georgia Ford
The upper grades from 6 up still attended Central School. The school board at the time of the building of the Washington School had :
President - B. F. Manley
Secretary - E. L. Axtell
E. P. Felbeck
F. C. Smith
J. H. Vickers
H. L. Ferris
A. J. McCarthy
Gertrude O'Brien was made principal of the Washington School in 1913, a position she held until retiring in 1954. Miss O'Brien held the longest tenure as a teacher in the history of our school system, beginning at Central in 1909.