Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/159

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

hall, A. J. Evans* Williain M cK elvy, J. J. Brower* B. F. Hartman, S. H. Miller, J. M. Chamberlain, Philip Unangst, Jcssc G. Clark* A. Witman, Michael Henderson* John G. Freeze, Levi L. Tate* Peter Billmeycr* M. C. Sloan, Jonathan Mostcller* Alexander J. Frick, E. B. Heidlcman* Robert F. C lark, A. M. Rupert, R. B. Menagh* W. I. Beidlcman* Robert Cathcart, A. C. Mensch* H. C Howcr. T he charter provided for the establishment and maintenance o f a school to be known as the "Bloom sburg Literary Institute*” for the promotion o f education in both the ordinary and the higher branches o f English literature and science, and in the ancient and modern languages. Under the articles o f incorpora­ tion Rev. D. J . W aller, William Robinson, 1eonard B. Rupert* William Snyder. Elisha C . Barton, William Goodrich, loseph Sharp­ less. John K . Grotz and I. W. Hartman were constituted trustees. F o r a time after the granting of the charter the school w as conducted with varying degrees o f success by William I.rOwrcy, Daniel A . Bccklcy and Henry Rinkcr in the old "acad­ emy,” and by others in the Episcopal church building, until it w as for a time stispended. T lie "church building^’ w as the first building erected as the Episcopal church upon the present property of that denomination. Being a fram e building it w as moved to the back part of the lot on the southwest corner of Main and Center streets* and in it Feel E . Bradley and subsequently William l.ow rey conducted a school. T he need for a higher school than the regular public institutions w as becoming more acute, however, and at this critical period the right man appeared on the scene in 1866. Henry Car>’^r, a native o f Binghamton, N . Y ., came through the v a ll^ on a pleasure tour and w*as introduced to l^ev. D. j . W aller and others. The fact that he had been principal o f an academy and in the preparatory depart­ ment of the University o f California induced the citizens to persuade him to remain and re­ open the school in the old academy building. H e did, and his success exceeded all previous records. A fte r continuing the school for a year Mr. C arver refused to carry it on longer unless M t c r accommodations were made for the ra]>tdly increasing classes. The general confidence in his mctho<ls caused the townspeople to de­ cide to revive the charter of the Literary In­ stitute. *l^is was done* the elected officials being Rev. D. J. W aller, president: I. W, Hartman, secretary; John G. Freeze, R. F,

D ark* William Neal, trustees. A committee was appointed to secure money and another to decide on a suitable location for the insti­ tute. A fte r much discussion the site offered by William Snyder w as accepted and plans drawn fo r a building to cost not exceeding $tSj00o. T h e selection of the final site was de­ cided by the agreement of the town authorities to remove the old "F o rk s H otel" from the cen­ ter o f Main street. T he building was finally completed in 1867 and de<licated on A pril 4th o f that year, the occasion Ixing made a gala one by the citizens of the town. T he total cost of the building and its furniture w as $24,000. The following year a bell, costing $t,2oo and weighing 2,i/K pounds* w as secured by sub­ scriptions through the efforts o f D. J. W aller (son of Rev. D. J . W aller), George E. Elw ell and Charles Unangst. the memliers of the class o f that first year of the new school. T w o of them are prominent residents o f Bloomsburg. Rev. D. J. W aller heads (he institution so ably promoted by his father. M r. ElwcU’s father w as president of the board o f trustees fo r eighteen years, and he succeeded his father as a trustee, fo r nearly twenty years. M r. Unangst resides in New Y o rk City, where he is a prosperous law yer. The first faculty in the academy was composed o f Professor C a r ­ ver, mathematics and the higher English branches; Rev. J . R . Dimm, l*atin and G reek; M iss Sarah Carver, the lower English branches. T w o courses of study were a r­ ranged and four years allowed to complete them. Thus the school opened under local control aiicfore steps were taken to add a State Normal school to the one just completed. A meeting was held in 1868 at which it was re­ solved to establish a State Normal under the act o f 1857 and to procure grounds and erect a building as soon as $70,000 had licen sub­ scribed. Rapidly the plans develo]>cd and on June 25, 1868, tfic cornerstone of the Norma! School building w as laid by Gov. John W. Geary. Hon. William Ehvcfl spoke in behalf of the trustees and Hon. Leonard B. Rupert read the history of the Institute. Within nine months the dormitory building was completed at a cost o f $36,000. and the school w as fo r­ mally recognized by the Stale Feb. 19. i8f>9. None of the functions of the "I.itcrary In­ stitute” were canceled when it liccame a nor­ mal school; the charier name is still "T h e Bloomsburg Literary Institute and State N or­ mal School” and the courses o f study orig­ inally provided for the Institute are still main-