Value of Local History

Trustees of Indiana University
THE CIVIC VALUE OF LOCAL HISTORY Author(s): ARTHUR W. DUNN Source: The Indiana Quarterly Magazine of History, Vol. 4, No. 4 (DECEMBER, 1908), pp. 170196 Published by: Indiana University Department of History Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27785180 . Accessed: 06/11/2013 03:57
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THE CIVIC VALUE OF LOCAL HISTORY.

BY ARTHUR
[Read November before the Ohio Valley Historical
W. DUNN.
Association at Marietta, Ohio,
29, 1908.]
paper to-day has nothing to do directly with research into local history, to stimulate which is one of the primary MY but it has reference to the use of purposes of this association; local history in the school curriculum, a subject which should have an equal claim upon our attention. is steadily gain The research importance of local historical a that local belief and is reflected in growing ing recognition,
history should have a place in the course of study. The ques tion of how to make use of it in the schools to the best advantage, to the Down however, has not yet been definitely answered. has use children of in the education been, for present time its com results and unfruitful of the most part, unsystematic, and value. mensurate with its possibilities This unsystematic and fragmentary use of local history in the On form. in available is due in part to a lack of materials the other hand, a truer conception of the values of local his a better use of tory as a study, and an intelligent effort to make at hand, will inevitably stimulate a greater interest the materials and in putting this ma in the collection of adequate material, form. For example, the attempt to use local terial in available in the schools of Indianapolis during the history systematically a lack of adequate material last two years, and the discovery of Club to appropriate a sum in available form, led the Commercial schools of money
the Indianapolis Water to meet the situation. When were striving earnestly, but in the children that found Company the Indianapolis information regarding vain, to get accurate water supply, this company voluntarily prepared a brief but well of the history of the water written account supply, and the in the now is and its of cooperating system, present organization a complete history of the subject. of preparation
The The real causes
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in
of the difficulties
and
the schools are, in my mind, two: 1. A misconception of what constitutes
in the use of local history useful
local history;
to see how to introduce it in a course of study that 2. Failure is already criticised as being overcrowded. The second difficulty may be largely cleared up by a proper answer to the first. is local history? assert that western you never heard people in theWest have we localities have no history worthy of the name? What re in Indianapolis, that is worthy of historical for example, or sense we matters in Boston that find such search, in the What Have
Indeed, we are inclined to look with envy upon Philadelphia? these because and Marietta and our own Vincennes, Cincinnati a we not. that have What have local conception history places It is due to a common is this that permits such a feeling? notion that local history, to be worthy of the name, must have The a manifest bearing upon some great national movement. our or national of Revolution movement of the beginnings great focused con can not be studied without having our attention
and the story of the and Philadelphia; stantly upon Boston Cincin Northwest Territory must take into account Marietta, in our histories of the United But where nati, and Vincennes. to do we find it necessary States, or even of the Northwest, refer to Indianapolis? I mean What is, that local history is too often considered as to general history; and when that is the case a mere appendage It and inadequate. disconnected it is bound to be disorganized, account into takes that narrow a of local view is only history those events
that are of national importance. On the other hand, there are those who see in local history little interest to only a chronicle of events that have, usually, or their families. in them, anybody but those who participated The sort of thing I have in mind may contain good historical material, but as we find it, it seldom has much value, especially in the schools; though it may be interesting to the antiquarian society. In Indianapolis it has been a subject of serious debate,
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little interest to few, which way this question is settled. to emphasize first idea that I wish The is that every com age or size, has a local history that is in munity of whatever structive. Each has its own life story which is full of vital interest and
for example, whether the first actual settler in that locality was one George Pogue, who was afterward killed by the Indians, or the brothers McCormick. Each of these claimants has violent It is conceivable that something partisans. important might But as a matter hinge on the correct solution of this problem. of fact it is of no importance to any one, and of comparatively
instruction, although from the viewpoint of general it The old proverb may have no apparent significance. history that "a prophet is not without honor save in his own country" to local history. It is a valuable has its application lesson to learn that the homely things of everyday life, the familiar facts of local environment, have truths for us as significant as those
far-away places and remote times.
of
addition to the fact that the history of most communities rarely has a vital relation to the main current of general history as we study it in the public schools, the time limitations of the history it difficult to pause for what work in the schools usually make in the field of local history. At any too often seems a digression rate, I believe I am safe in saying that, as a matter of fact, very
first thing we in the schools need to do, to solve the of local history in the course of study, is to find the problem view proper point of from which to approach the subject. The customary way of approach has been through the general course inUnited States history; or, wre might say more properly, the only use we ordinarly find for local history is for the illumi It goes without nation of national history. saying that there much is opportunity for local history in this connection?indeed, use of. Neverthe we make that commonly opportunity greater In less, it seems to me that the opportunity here is inadequate. The
few history teachers make any systematic and organized use of local history. a considerable body Indeed, itmight often be easier to weave a local of of national history into history, than it is background to the local into the national; to weave just as it is possible
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organize general history about the biography of some public man, when there would be little opportunity to introduce much of the life of theman into the general history of his times. Thus, itwould be
made
in impossible to write the life of James G. Blaine without volving most of the important political events of his time; but a general history of Blaine's time would afford little space to his life. He would lose his identity in the general movement. This suggests the possibility of introducing into the curricu lum a specific course in local history. Such a course could be to unfold the fundamental principles as well as any other course to human contain the universal motives almost of historical
ment
develop in history. It wrould the universal action; conditions and influences; the law of development geographical to the from the simple to the complex, from the homogeneous to meet human the evolution of institutions heterogeneous; The fact that it deals with the near at hand and the needs. familiar would tend to arouse a vital interest, as a study of the remote
local history of most com The open to two serious objections. to warrant and extensive not varied is munities sufficiently course of as on an in and the it time end itself; spending much to the criticism of over-crowding. study is already subjected It seems to me clear that local history in the schools must find to an end, rather than as an end in its opportunity as a means itself. We must find an economical way of utilizing it to further other ends in education, but of utilizing it in as systematic and I wish to offer a suggestion as to coherent a manner as possible. how this may be done, and I shall draw upon our experience in the public schools of Indianapolis. First of all, let me say briefly that local history is furnishing for some of the English work of the Junior year the materials In this case the word local applies in Shortridge High School. to the locality of Indian to the entire State, and not merely are doing creative work along the line of classes The apolis.
it would afford oppor and unfamiliar does not. And as weave to in many phases of general tunity, already suggested, that not dealt in the regular be with would perhaps history course in United States history. But the introduction of a specific course in local history is
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history in simple dramatic form. The pupils are doing more in dustrious and enthusiastic work in local history that I have ever seen done in connection with an historical course, and they are
and they have been turned into the field of local dramatization, for the incidents to be reproduced. The work is under history the direction of an able and enthusiastic teacher, and her aim is to have produced at the end of the year a pageant of Indiana
most
skilful teachers of geography, Mrs. Ida Stearns Stickney, use own for her to young in local prepared teaching geography children a simple account of the founding and early years of into it well-selected of the Indianapolis, descriptions weaving
for a definite object. doing it in order to get materials use Another illustration of the of local history for other than historical ends may be taken from the lower grades?about the fourth grade, as I remember it. A few years ago one of our
conditions, derived from the accounts of the early geographical settlers themselves. The idea was to give to the children a vivid picture of the natural conditions of the land in their relations to
the life of the people. the time that this local geographical About work was well under way, a reorganization of the courses in the eighth grade and the first year of the high school occurred, and a course in elementary civics was introduced in the eighth grade. The nature of this course in civics will appear as we proceed, but its pur of the nature of pose is to develop in the child an understanding
Mrs.
This course community life, and a sense of his civic relations. use to the of local history was planned with definite reference the fundamental to illustrate, in the simplest terms possible, was to therefore It life. of suggested community principles Stickney that she elaborate her account of early geograph ical conditions, telling the complete story of the first few years and emphasizing of the existence of Indianapolis, every import result of her life as seen there. The ant phase of community
which The
labors was the delightful little brochure, "Pioneer Indianapolis/' is now doing excellent service in the schools. literary merit of Mrs. Stickney's work was such (a thing that itwas adopted as supplementary in local histories) unusual in sixth the Thus, we now have in use in our grade. reading
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of its publication with the Board of School Com of missioners, copies being distributed to all the 1,600 members as the first number in a series of It was published the club. other numbers of which are to be Civic Studies of Indianapolis, historical, and some of which 'The
influence of this little local history extends even farther The idea interested the directors of the In to such an extent that they shared Commercial Club dianapolis The than the schools. the expense
civics and reading, schools, as an aid to the work in geography, in the fourth, sixth and eighth grades, a coherent and well-organ ized history of a certain period of the growth of Indianapolis.
in illuminating fundamental civic ideas, itmay find its own in connection with a well-organized opportunity for development ness
course in civics.
are in course of preparation, as, for example, Indianapolis Water Supply, Past and Present." My chief purpose is to showr how local history may be utilized as a means of civic instruction; and how, because of its useful
is to train for great function of the public school of the not the which means, merely preparation citizenship, in the of the transformation but for political activities, youth And yet, into an efficient member of the community. dividual in our work of education we fail to give enough attention to The one the real civic end, and to arouse in the children a consciousness in the child the habit of of this end. We neglect to develop a community, and the habit thinking of himself as a member of entire of acting with reference to community efficiency. The of the school work of the school, and the entire organization
in the mind of life, should contribute to the end of establishing of his civic relations in this broad sense. the child a consciousness But there is need for specific instruction along this line; and
this is the function of civics. Our work in civics does not begin with an objective analysis from its relations to of the machinery of government, abstracted the community life; but it begins from the subjective standpoint The child of the child himself as a member of the community. been de have is led to see that the community arrangements their to wants; in order to aid him (and others) satisfy veloped such as the he is led to see that certain of these arrangements,
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to the com it, and with a sense of his own responsibility as a its and in benefits obligations. munity participator I am aware that this is attributing to civics a broader scope but I believe that this is right. For good than is customary; is nothing more nor less than efficient membership citizenship does
conflict of interests; step by step he community is best to live in where the wants of each individual are most fully satisfied, and where there is as little conflict of The aim of civics is to impress the child interest as possible. with a sense of what the community does for him, and how it
school, and especially government, have his own needs by securing harmonious
action, by preventing is led to realize that that
in the community in the relationships of neighbor, of the family, Govern of business, as well as in the political relationships. a and State national,?is ment, however,?local, unifying thread the entire course, and it is constantly that runs throughout brought into the foreground?but tive, and in its proper relations The in its proper perspec always to the varied life of the com
munity.
first step in a course of civics of this kind is to try to in the child's mind a conception of the nature of com develop In order that the conception may munity life and its relations. in be vivid, the child's study is directed, not to communities in which he lives. the abstract, but to the particular community and analysis observation direct is placed Reliance upon largely of the concrete facts with which the child is familiar, working out from this to the less familiar and the general. for local history comes in this connection. The opportunity in the ex is complex The community fully developed modern its details of to child the for not grasp easy treme, and it is to own relations his or to understand and function, organization sense rela a these of to establish it. It becomes imperative tions with reference to a community of simpler form. This may be done in part by constantly using the class itself, or the school, for these social groups, especially or the family, as illustrations; of the full characteristics the essential the family, do possess idea endeavor to keep the community fledged community. We this for our classes and conduct of prominent in the organization
The purpose. of which But
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since the object of study is the larger community the child is a member, the problem is to present its a in form for to comprehend. him relationships simple enough This can be done by the use of local history. In order to illustrate this idea, let us suppose that we have an eighth grade class in civics. We in Indianapolis have begun by an attempt to develop in the minds of the class a preliminary, of "community." It is fairly clear, idea of the meaning out a discussion and of consideration various brought by by kinds of communities, that there must be first of all, of course, a group of people; that this group of people must occupy a common but
area of land, that is, have a common territory; that the group of people have come together in this common territory because of common interests; and that their conduct as a group is regulated by common laws which emanate from some form of constant presence of these factors in com The government. munity by the class, the school, the family, the the the It might be State and the nation. city, neighborhood, course said that the word is this used in because community to the nation or of its elasticity, and its equal applicability the city, the State or the neighborhood. But since we are a class in a city, we center our attention the upon the the class, the idea of the city family and the life is illustrated
school, community, using frequently by way of illustration, and broadening neighborhood our view to include the State and the nation as we proceed? from the near to the distant, from the familiar to thus passing the unfamiliar. to learn is that the One of the first lessons that we wish land is not merely a place where the community life goes on, but that it is a factor that enters vitally into the life of the com the nature and course determines that it in a measure munity;
the of the community life; that, as the community develops, one the of functions of that and land becomes transformed; gov ernment is to aid the people to get proper control of the land. and the control of environment, extent of the present The more our is made enters into it extent to which life, present emphatic by contrast with, the conditions of pioneer so we send the children to Pioneer Indianapolis, where life; and they read
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as this: such passages "Yet with all these natural advantages, a corn crop was secured by a fighting chance only. There were other creatures interested. Wild turkeys scratched for it; wood took the peckers sprouting plants; raccoons ate it on the ear; but the worst enemies were the squirrels." "One reason Or, again: for locating at this point was that it was nearer the center of the State
landing.
Another
than either of the other points [under consideration]. was that this point furnished the best location for boat
. . . ; and, as a further reason, Fall creek was on
the east side [of the river] and was the stream upon which the mills were to be built, and the town and mills should be on the same side of the river." And, once more, in an advertisement "It is situated of the first sale of lots in the new capital site: on a high, dry, uninterrupted plain of several miles' extent, per
fectly free from inundation, marshes and ponds. The site of the town and the surrounding country is in an eminent degree beau the best body of land in the tiful and fertile, and is probably to insure the health, town is of the calculated The State. plan . . . Good its inhabitants. and of convenience comfort
up the population of the State of Indiana, and that of the the diverse shall have to consider We of Indianapolis. city these groups, the process of transform elements that compose the influence of the communities, ing them into homogeneous citizens of of the and various foreign elements, process making in its begin our own local we them. But community begin with of diverse the gathering together nings and try to understand of the group resulting. elements here, and the characteristics that the people came mostly We read, in Pioneer Indianapolis, in family groups, and that they came from widely separated characteristics. them with the of varying Union, bringing parts Caro Thus: "Christopher Ladd moved all the way from South on lina on a sled." "Mrs. Nancy Forsythe traveled from Kentucky makes
water may be had at the depth of twenty feet in any wholesome part of it in a sandy stratum." life?the group of people? The second factor in community In the is taken up in a similar wTay for a preliminary study. course of our study we shall have to deal with the great group of people which constitutes the American nation, the group that
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horseback, carrying a baby on her lap, who in turn carried the In 1821 Andrew Pierce walked to "the New Pur family cat." "In May, chase from Pittsburgh." W. 1821, Col. Alexander a in Russell keel-boat from with Frankfort, provisions brought
He descended the Kentucky and Ohio Rivers without Ky. Rivers he ascended trouble. The Wabash and White by what ... to ascend It took him six weeks is called cordelling. these two rivers." In this connection the children gain an idea of early transportation; but this is developed more at length in
a later connection.
; another set to gratify the intellectual (that men call wealth) sets of activities to fulfill the desires for other still and wants; and for sociability. The for beauty, right living (religion), that the all activities of not community are only pupil learns all the institutions of com traceable to these motives, but that munity life, such as schools, banks, churches, railroads, streets, in order that these wants and government itself, have developed for. may be provided The story of the pioneer community shows most interestingly the presence of all these interests, and it shows how they were the stimuli for the development life; but it shows community tions of pioneer life, isolated also
suffice to say that the purpose, at this stage of the course, is to get vividly before the pupils the motives of community life. They learn that there is a certain set of activities for the preservation of life and health; another set to satisfy the desire to own things
It is then observed that the group of people who occupy the are in a great variety of activities for the land together engaged purpose of satisfying the different kinds of wants that all have in common. I wTish I could take the time to make clear by illustra tion how this subject is brought before the children; but itmust
of the various phases of the early how, under the hard condi as it was, the from civilization To watch satisfaction. received interests several only partial the unfolding of the community from this standpoint is fascinat a conception of the nature of the community ing, and gives in any other way. can be relations that acquired hardly interest life In the story of pioneer naturally centers in the is the of life the is because This pioneer community family.
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ments
to provide for the interests of the people But the with greater efficiency than the family could do alone. even ultimate is that, under the com lesson to be emphasized life, the family remains one of the plex conditions of modern most The
pursuits were carried on, education was pro the esthetic, religious and social interests were satisfied, vided, almost wholly itself Even government by the family group. was at first largely a matter of family life. And then it is easy to trace how, as the community grows, other special arrange after, industrial are developed
is available, as will of material largely a family life. Abundance be seen farther on, to illustrate the important fact that the chief agency for providing for the wants of the individual in the be life is the family. Health was looked ginnings of community
in the home is lacking." little good result if proper government Let us now suppose that we have passed the preliminary con sideration of the elements of community life, such as have been the im have observed in this inadequate way. We suggested have a as life. in We factor land the of community portance com made a preliminary examination of the group of people?its the into etc. looked have We its its origin, growth, position, con a have and motives of community life, preliminary gained for the pur ception of how community life has been developed considerable have wants. We given pose of satisfying human attention to the family as a little community which has im portant civic
a great responsi thing else. No matter how efficient the schools, on the the for education of the children. rests proper family bility there may be in the No matter how many social organizations community, the social life of the home is the most important of in its results. No matter how all and the most far-reaching a of excellent the government community may be, it can have
forces for good or evil in the community life. powerful that the virtues" "the school of has called all been go family to make good citizenship. "No matter how good the doctors" nor how efficient the board of health, "the health of the people in any community depends more on the family than on any
clear the need for functions; and we have made to the community life. government, and its relation And now the next idea that we wish to make plain is, that in
The order to assure
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the successful development of the community be permanent and definite relations established be tween the people and the land. This idea has already been sug but gested when we were studying the site of the community; now we wish to develop itmore systematically, and to introduce there must the governmental functions in this respect. The particularly topic includes, among other things, what the formal text-books call the "territorial functions" of government. We may turn at once to local history as a means of approach Indians
to the subject. We life of the may notice, first, the unsettled in our locality at the time of settlement. Their relations to the land they occupied were unsettled and indefinite, and so long as this was the case, the life of the Indian must of neces taken by uncivilized step that was sity be uncivilized. Every man to establish more definite and permanent relations with the
the Indians p. 6) : "In
in three years again would By its terms the Delawares It is to lands and become their surrender be forced pilgrims. was of the several chiefs said that when the treaty wept. signed The government paid the Indians for their lands in annual pay river. the agent. He was strictly honest into the account by a descrip Indians "The the payments were made: tion of the way the family groups sat in a and families in themselves grouped circle on the prairie which surrounded Mr. Conner's home. The in half-dollars, and men were to be paid in dollars, the women little were all First in children the given as many quarters. ments. with them." William A Conner was little color is put As Mr. Conner passed they were to receive coins. the sticks were returned coins out the around the circle handing Indians knew that they were the the sticks to him. When gone to them." was had received all that coming how is to help in explaining But the value of this episode and its territory by purchase our nation has acquired by con sticks as
by the national government (Pioneer Indianapolis, 1818 our national government bought of the Indians river valley. The the entire White treaty, called the Treaty in Ohio at the head waters of White of St. Mary's, was made
soil wTas a step in the direction of civilization. Then, the children may read of the purchase of the land from
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homes and beginning the exploitation of who, by establishing the natural resources, not only benefited themselves, but per formed a service to the entire nation by fixing definite rela tions with the land. We read (p. 8) : "They had no legal right as yet to the land, but itwas generally understood that if a man built a cabin and blazed the trees around his land he would be the time of Indian permitted to enter the land in 1821, when . . . a Within year settlers' cabins occupation would expire. on over had risen choicest sites the whole valley." "The whole of central Indiana was then owned by the general government, unsurveyed, Incidents mostly unoccupied" such as these are
that it is the national government that made the that the land became public domain to be con purchase, trolled and organized by the national government. After the acquisition of the territory, however, the work of actual settlement was carried on chiefly by family groups
of the public development in the Homestead minating
land laws, cul land, enacted various It also introduces the subject Act. for the same of the congressional survey which was undertaken course the of the survey method of in this connection purposes; our own and maps of is explained, locality, showing the lines
established, examined.
(p. 16). used, not only to illustrate the relations with the land, service of the family in establishing but also to show how the national government, in order to assure the families of their rights to the land, and also to secure the
the in organizing function of the national government the for into territories domain purposes, governmental public can be clearly shown and territorial State of boundaries, fixing into Territory, of its division by the history of the Northwest smaller territories, and of the final admission of these territories The
as States.
in 1816. The State needed Indiana was admitted to the Union And so we read land for its own uses as a seat of government. was in 1818, made St. : of the "When Mary's Treaty (p. 21) land the miles of four to the State the government gave square se to the be location the for of the New Purchase capital city, ten commission chose lected by the State. The State legislature
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instructed them to select a site as near the center of as possible/' General Tipton was a member of this is quoted commission, and we have his journal, a part of which the State in Pioneer The site. Indianapolis, giving the details of the search for a suit
able
capital site having been chosen, it must be surveyed and into lots for homes, for business purposes, and for public This was done by the State government. "Mr. Alex buildings. ander Ralston was appointed as one of the surveyors. He had assisted in laying off the city ofWashington. of the much Very entered into the the for of Indiana. plan Washington plan capital divided The four square miles that had been given by the government for the city was deemed altogether too large; the plan as made included but one square mile. The rest of the land was known as "out lots," and was fenced in for pasture. The early settlers the square mile the "Corporation" and the the "Donation" In connection with (p. 26). the pupils examine maps of the original survey. "I remember well the surveyors early settlers said: called four square this account One
miles
of the
I can not refrain from reading the following statement about from the pages of Pioneer Indianapolis, not only be Mr. Ralston the cause it illustrates how important the work of surveying land was considered by the people of the community, but because it also illustrates howr local color is added to the work we are
showing the to town I of the remember the talented father. how my diagram the in the of the dilated future old Scotchman upon capital ever half of the survey bt im He remarked that should woods. a beautiful town itwould make." proved, what
doing, how we endeavor to make the children acquainted with the the builders of our own community, and how we emphasize means local of service of value biographical by community "Most of the pioneers have felt that we have not sketches: lived and Mr. Ralston Ralston. yet paid our debt to Alexander Mr. Samuel died in this city; he was buried in the old cemetery. in 1827, edited The Journal He urged the people at that Merrill, in the beginning had asked time to remember that Mr. Ralston old Another for the reservation of land for a spacious park." settler writes: "I was four years of age; I often saw Mr. Rals
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him as a venerable and refined looking man, fine with over his in profusion silky gray hair that flowed . . . An incident told me shoulders. by my mother attests his benevolent In the winter of 1821-'22 the cold disposition.
was
solid, so that the cows and other beasts could not obtain water. Each morning during this severe weather Mr. Ralston would be seen at his well drawing water for his neighbors' cattle. This a supply of done he would into his house obtain and go being
exceedingly
severe.
All
the
streams
were
frozen
corn and bread, which he would scatter to the birds that came around hundreds his by dwelling." The land having been surveyed, preparation was made for in the Indiana Sentinel, the sale of lots. The sale was advertised published at Vincennes. came. "At last the ninth day of October It was a bleak, deso late day. The one-horse wagon of Mr. James Blake was backed of the cabin to be used as an office. Old up against the window
Carter soon mounted the wagon as auctioneer. . .
Tommy
was
. . . The sale con clerk of the sale. James M. Ray was of any There was not the least disturbance tinued one week. kind. Their money was almost entirely gold and silver, and
left in leather bags wherever they could procure shelter, as as it safe would be now in the vaults of and was considered . . . five our banks. The highest price paid for a lot was
dollars. . . . This was an uptown lot . . . and
hundred
was
the choice The
lot because
opposite
court-house.
into a place for comfortable living." the people and the land is set of relations between Another "The settled parts of Thus: for political purposes. established as in other States, chiefly into were the State counties, organized was Purchase to the New 1821 Previous for judicial purposes. the with Delaware enormous one all a part of county, county, ness
the residence portion of the city, with many business centers, sold for ten, twenty and . . . The constant arrival of people, the lay thirty dollars. the out of town, and the sale of lots, brought new life, and ing the people wrent to work with fresh courage to turn the wilder thirteen dollars.
average price paid 'out lots/ now The
site for the the proposed for lots was one hundred
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To county seat at Connersville, sixty miles from Indianapolis. this distant place the citizens of Indianapolis went if for any reason they had to appear before the court. In 1821 the citizens of the settlement held a public meeting in Hawkins's to Tavern consider the matter appointed the organization. erection of a court-house provided for in the court-house square. . . . At first and a large part of Boone, Johnson, Hamilton, were Madison and Hancock attached to Marion counties, county . for judicial purposes. to attend
of organizing a county. Two citizens were the legislature at Corydon and petition for On December 31 the act was passed, and the
took place. incorporation wards created, as follows"
the building of roads, etc. to 1832 the little community of Indianapolis had no coun for local the from separate organization government apart . . . a and in But State of 1832 ty governments. September was to held in the court-house consider the in public meeting The corporation of the town under an act of the legislature. "Down Five trustees were given]. elected, (Pioneer [boundaries Indian
"The county commissioners to divide the county proceeded into thirteen townships, four of which into afterward went were other counties. for each the elected of town Magistrates The commissioners also ships, and constables were appointed. authorized
and five
apolis, pp. 64-66.) But the government has done a great deal more to establish and definite relations between the people and the permanent land laws, surveying the public lands, and land besides making for political It has territorial divisions purposes. organizing it has the people to get control of the natural resources; it has protected against drained swamps and preserved forests; it has built roads; it has set floods by the building of levees; it has granted aside land for parks, schools and public buildings; it con for the use of public property; franchises to corporations aided ercised cised it has ex trols the use of private property for the public good; are tremendously These the right of eminent domain.
important functions of government, and are sometimes exer
by the national,
sometimes
by the State,
and
sometimes
186
Indiana
Magazine:
of History
familiar, and to show how community life takes these interests of the community is planned into account, how the organization is related to these with reference to them, and how government I the of and the of individual interests community as a whole. can only give
the course.
or less im forms of local government. More by the various portant illustrations of all these points may be drawn from the local history of our own community. is to From this point in our course the method of procedure interests with which take up the several the pupils are now
a partial
idea of the development
of this part of
both of the pe pressive by showing the origin and development of protection. life and of the means culiar dangers of modern the from the of The standpoint community subject importance summer [of 1822] "In the the introduced be following: by may . . . was the work of surveying interrupted by the visita that a sickness tion of brought great suffering and strange There was an epidemic, and settlers. to the almost starvation not enough that were well were Often there very few escaped. to care for those that were sick, and many were entirely without that had, shared with those that had not; Those provisions. and they cared for one another with a devotion that bound them co as one family. unspecialized [Note unorganized, together
operation.]
The aim under this topic is to make Interests. on the importance of the child regarding impression lasting for watchfulness the health, against necessity peculiar public of modern to health under the conditions life, espe dangers of the individual upon others for cially in cities; the dependence for of each individual the responsibility his physical welfare; of the community, includ the public health; and the mechanism for the protection of that has been developed ing government, one a that easily inter and field This is rich the public health. of the work done by the But the magnitude ests the children. im is made much more community with reference to health 1. a Physical
"The sickness was not confined to Indianapolis, In Indianapolis ed to all parts of the forest region.
but extend alone there
The were Each
Civic
Value
of Local
History
187
. . . seventy-two deaths (one-eighth of the population). returned month of the sickness the year during July or never a frosts in but such fatal form. When the August, again came it would cease. called at first the of October It was In two sickness, and was dreaded as a pestilence. From months of every summer little labor could be performed. to location, it continued and twenty to forty years, according The popular name for it in defied the skill of the physicians. autumnal
later years was "chills and fever" or "fever and
It is well and
that we should know the great sacrifice of the pioneers the bitter cost to them of the healthful conditions that we
ague."
enjoy here to-day. "The growth of the town was
much
decay of leaves in the forest, and too little opportunity and germ-killing. for the sun to do its work of evaporation use of drainage The gradual clearing of the wet lands, and the tiles in later years, proved the remedy, and now a case of fever and
in those It was not known very home of chills and fever/ water of and marshes from is malaria carried that pools days was there was soil The wret; everywhere by mosquitoes.
of the Mr. Holloway gives this explanation dense forests sheltered the soil from the sun, the broad and swampy it to retain its moisture, and, compelling this the the and the marshes bottoms, frequent freshets made fever-laden soil. sickness: 'The
interrupted and its reputa tion suffered. Many came, but as many others passed people David says the Turpie through to the prairie settlements. cause of the sickness was the turning up of too much fresh and
ague is almost unknown." "The people, many of them, were too poor to pay the doctors. out in pulling through They (the doctors) would wear themselves . . . and all for the charge of roads the almost impassable fifty cents and pp. 30 ff.) "Our town, the price of medicines." (Pioneer Indianapolis,
like all newly settled places, requires seasoning before a person can be strictly healthy." Later we read that in 1832 the town was incorporated, and in the were With 1836 and 1838 new incorporation acts passed.
188
Indiana
Magazine
of History
of government we read of the establishment of development and of other organized measures for the pro underdrainage, tection of health, accompanied by a cessation of the "autumnal
fevers."
preparation, the pupils take great interest in the observation and analysis of present health conditions and the means of health protection. In order to indicate the possible effectiveness of the work done, I may say that last winter the discussion of this topic of public health in the eighth grade in by the led directly to a movement, classrooms participated of our city, and with the active cooperation civic organizations of the proper government officials and the street railway com a in that resulted pany, thorough cleaning up of the street-cars and the sidewalks. I read, in a re this morning Interests. 2. Economic Only
of this historical
referred to the history of the Indianapolis water sup now a discus is that in This includes ply preparation. naturally sion of certain phases of sanitary history, and will be of great use in connection with the study of public health. On the basis
I have
for Self-Govern Steffens' book, "The Struggle view of Lincoln in "If it is true, as is so stoutly contended, that morals ment": is certain to commerce and industry are low, this condition of the intimate relations of government affect politics, because in public life must to business. Permanently higher standards
in business with higher standards be accompanied obviously in the a civics of life." It is public schools, legitimate function in our pupils a indeed a most important function, to cultivate it life. Again proper conception of the civic aspects of business is impossible at this time to enter into the method of doing this; but it may be said that it is not to be accomplished by mere relations the community moral precept, but rather by making The life a living thing in the minds of the pupils. of business structure of the business world is complex, and its rela But the funda difficult to understand. to government its relations to and of industrial mental principles organization, the life of the community, together with the function and ma for regulating it, may be clarified to a chinery of government modern tions
The
Civic
Value
of Local
History
189
large extent by a judicious use of illustrations from local history. from Pioneer Indianapolis: For example, the following quotations "The men were most of them poor, very few having money enough to enter a section of land at once; yet they did not come so much to acquire wealth as to establish homes" (p. 8). and family en "In November, 1821, William McLaughlin camped on a quarter section three miles southeast of Indianapo lis. When they arrived they had just four dollars in cash left to . . . Mrs. McLaughlin sent her most a support large family. "Like the settlers coverlet to help pay for the corn." valuable
these western Pilgrims were sustained during their of Plymouth first months of hardship by the Indian corn. One pioneer goes could have so far as to say that he does not see how Indiana "The pioneers been settled at the time itwas but for the corn." were farmers here represented the trades and professions, yet all in the beginning and the first crop was corn" (p. 10). "Give the pioneer farmer an axe and an auger, or in lieu of the last a burning iron, and he could make almost any machine his sharp axe he could not he was wont to work with. With but he only cut the logs for his cabin and notch them down, it wooden with a close-fitting door and supply could make roots of an oak or ash he a the From neat latch. and hinges an axle-tree fashion his hames and sled-runners, make could
for his wagon, make a rake, a flax-brake, a barrow, a scythe
corn into meal, the settlers being no mills to grind the substituted wdiat was known as lye hominy, and a kind of meal . . . made by pounding the corn inwhat were called mortars. and who had brought with Mr. Bush, who wras a Vermonter, river some fromWhite him quite a variety of tools, procured and then pre stones, out of which he made two small millstones, same in running the for woodwork the putting necessary pared "There
a reel, a washboard, snath, a grain cradle, a pitchfork, a loom, a dresser and a cradle in a stool, a chair, a table, a bedstead, If he was more than ordinarily clever which to rock the baby. and adding a drawing knife to own his he repaired cooperage, so even far as to make his own casks, went his kit of tools, he his own shoes" (p. 11). mended tubs and buckets. He made and
190
Indiana
Magazine
of History
condition, and fastened the mill up to a hackberry tree on the west bank of the river, the motive power being a long beam a raw-hide rope being used for belt operated by horse-power, ... No toll was All that was ing. charged at this mill. that each person should furnish his own horse. required was " This was the firstmill built inThe New Purchase' (p. 17-18).
was very scarce, and what they had, except the big Money or was Mexican One settler who money. copper cents, Spanish some out said that he worked from the village distance lived for all day cutting down trees, and all night hunting raccoons, raccoon skins alone brought money. Most of the business was carried on by trade or barter" (p. 32). be and blacksmiths and tanners, cabinet-makers "Coopers were distributed. to town. Industries every widely longed taxed the power of every running mills and woolen Cotton to accommodate stream, and the jolly miller was omnipresent . . . to The one had who any village merchant grind. grist found The and furnished the dry goods countryman groceries. was shoemaker Sir for his stuff. The village ready market for to those who visited for cobbling or to be measured Oracle Beef In those days food was home grown. a new pair of shoes. The bacon were home cured and clothing home spun. honest blue-jeans which most of us wore came from the skilful from also spun the wool indigo dye of good Mrs. Crow, who was to sent afterward which carded rolls the by John Manly, the weaver" cloth into be transformed (p. 33). by Billy Smith, "The Gazette, in February, 1822, said that improvement had had and several workshops been going on. Forty residences were in been built, a gristmill and two sawmills operation, and four thirteen carpenters, There were more were in progress. two tailors, four shoemakers, cabinet-makers, eight blacksmiths, one hatter, two tanners, one saddler, one cooper, four bricklayers, and
two merchants, three
from Whitewater, for the "They bought as little as possible distance made prices high. A single yard of coarse cotton cloth cost forty cents, and a bushel of salt, two and one-half dollars.
preacher,
one teacher and seven tavern keepers"
grocers,
four
doctors,
three
lawyers,
one
(p. 41).
The These
Civic
Value
of Local
History
191
ly related to the economic life of the community. suggest its importance: quotations
selected from many, give an idea of the quotations, economic the of division of labor, cooperation, life, beginnings etc. The subject of transportation and communication is close The following
White
in fact" out of the mud-holes, had its foundation was "In the village gradual improvement (p. 9). taking place. The old forest trails wrere being changed into roads, very muddy, to be sure, and full of stumps, but they made a beginning" (p. . . . were filled with brush. little "The streets, used, 36). . . . The The first roads to the outskirts were county roads. one hundred thousand dollars for roads legislature appropriated in 1822" (p. 41). We also read of the attempt to prove the the vehicle river navigable, and of the act of legislature declaring and finally, "The stream Indiana in navigable; nearly every our of modern period community's growth may be said to have that year the first railway reached the com begun in 1847. In munity, connecting itwith the outside world, and introducing it life. In that year, also, Indianapolis to the spirit of modern the city stage of government" (p. 66). the following extract has an inter In this same connection est: "One very constant source of trouble in the settlement for two years facilities. Connersville was the lack of postal entered had
"In nothing else/' says Judge Banta, "is there a more marked change than in the condition of the roads. The old jest of the and carrying a fence-rail to pry passenger walking stage-coach
the outside on for communication with to be depended miles and was the nearest it away. Dur sixty world; post-office, in the was months nine season which of muddy roads, ing the ... first At to or four days get through. year, it took three a roundabout in reached the settlers here way, very (letters) on the road, and passed one who lived any by being brought of citizens, held in from cabin to cabin, but a meeting along a private car in their employing resulted Hawkins's Tavern, at into the village usually galloping the to echo through horn beginning nightfall, the sound of his as soon as he reached Pogue's run, and all the people woods rier. ... He came
192
would
President
Indiana rush out to meet

Monroe
Magazine
of History ...
. .
him and hear the news.

the town a post-master.
In 1822
. The
mails coach" The
were
gave
carried
on horseback
until
the days
of the stage
following will suffice: "In that most interesting book on pioneer days, 'Sketches of Mr. Turpie My Own Times/ gives a pretty picture of his lesson days. Mr. Turpie did not live in Indianapolis, but pioneer life was about the same all over The New Purchase: was but one schoolhouse "'There in the settlement; it was used The it was only in winter; weather was cold and
(p. 39). functions of our governments in protecting property, in commerce and in the building of roads, in regulating industry, means are de and of communication, establishing regulating in the as of such facts the veloped light preceding. 3. The intellectual interests of the early community and can be illustrated by many their satisfaction extracts. The
four or five miles from our place. too long. Children were the way and Sat taught the rudiments of learning at home. Thursday were sat at the lesson in mother afternoon. days My urday learned to read, to the end of the table; we at the sides. We The pens were write, and to cipher as far as long division.
it made of goose or turkey quills, the ink from walnut hulls; our was was and work dark brown, had a good flow, quite legible. " 'Those some book of us who were old
read in turn from enough, He had about thirty books in my father's collection. ?a these were and the time for place. Among library large of the Weems's United A States, History Progress, Pilgrim's The Life of Marion, Hume's Life of Washington, English His The exercise and Robinson Crusoe. Poems, tory, Cowper's lasted about three hours. My mother was an excellent teacher; to please her. On Sunday fair progress, anxious we all made in the same manner, either the Old or we read from the Bible New Testament. She tions, plain our memory. and
the reading with explana accompanied to test asked questions afterwards and simple, the children from a neighbor's house Sometimes
The would join us their visit/
Civic
Value
of Local readings
History and we would
193
return
in these Scripture
This descrip tion of a similar schoolhouse will give an idea of the school room of pioneer days in The New Purchase. 'It was of round a about feet with square, twenty logs, fireplace in one end eight The outside was a bank of dirt surrounded by logs. feet wide. to transform On an appointed day the neighbors all assembled was cut out it into a schoolhouse. of the side for light, One log little sticks were fastened across at intervals, and then greased A door was cut in one end, paper fastened on instead of glass. then the splinters were shaved from a puncheon, large wooden
Fletcher
avenue "About where Kentucky enters Illinois street, and near a pond, a log schoolhouse was built during the first year. It was used for church services on Sunday, and also as an as sembly room. Mr. Reed taught the first quarter. The next year for a permanent school. Mr. Calvin arrangements were made was chosen as one of the first trustees.
laid on them pins were fastened in the wall, and the puncheon seats were made The and fastened clown for a writing desk. of saplings about eight inches in diameter, split, and wooden
see the writing had there been any. It was very fortunate for the health of the children that the school term lasted only about Sometimes twelve weeks. they had good teachers, sometimes and ones, poor occasionally they could get none at all. but these pioneer learned a little in the schoolroom, in the great out-of received most of their education door school, at work with their parents, or playing with their in forest and by stream. They grew strong and companions and, like them, their eyes straight and tall like the Indians; "They children
legs fastened in. On the morning that school opened the parents came with their children from all directions, cutting paths and trees as guides for the children, some of them having blazing as far as three miles to come to school/ nor was there light enough to "There were no blackboards,
were
quick to see, their ears eager to listen, and their hands training, ready to do. There was plenty of arithmetic, manual and physical culture for the boys in the work they did with their
194
Indiana
Magazine
of History
fathers, building and plastering cabins, making furniture, rolling and cutting down and hauling logs, chopping wood, deadening the fences and roads, plowing trees, splitting rails, making and curing the meats, tanning the leather, meas fields, weighing uring the corn, planning a wagon, carving horn, and whittling in helping to "The girls learned as much with their mothers and in dip do the spinning, weaving, cooking; sewing, knitting mats the and the the candles, braiding hats, picking geese, ping sunning the feathers and furs, caring for the garden, hunting the eggs, feeding the chickens, calves, and young lambs, making the butter and cheese, cutting ^and sewing the rags for the car see the the herbs, and picking the berries. You pet, gathering were educated and the children the teachers parents were
toys.
and shearing the sheep, driving and In washing through work. and the cows, harvesting the crops, in climbing planting milking the trees for nuts and fruits, in feeding the stock, trapping the the sugar game, catching the fish, gathering the honey, making in and picking the apples, in studying the sky for the weather, in and and for relics river banks the shells, driving searching the cows through the wooded paths, they gained so much knowl and animals, edge about soils and stones, plants and trees, birds us ever since been moon have and stars, that they and teaching
(Pioneer Indianapolis, pp. 44-48.) through books they wrote." In the light of these facts our present educational system derives new significance, and we have a new point of view from which to approach the subject of the civic value of education, and for the educa the work of local, State and national government are still too busy in America, We ap to And civic attention to much beauty. systematic give parently, im life that is extremely yet this is one phase of community more more attention and is receiving portant and, fortunately, It is one of the interests that need in our cities as time goes on. It is not surprising to find that in the hard condi cultivation. tions of pioneer life little positive attention seems to be given is seldom recorded as having to the subject, and government tion of the people. Interests. 4. Esthetic
The
Civic
Value
of Local
History
195
done anything for the esthetic interests of the people until com we find the esthetic interests paratively recently. Nevertheless, even the in present early days. Thus, we read that "every cabin had a garden which sun and soil gave over to luxuriance. The rivermen had brought
from the south the seeds of a strange or in these tomato, and it was grown plant?the love-apple, as a it was never gardens curiosity, and used for decoration;
eaten."
of community life in its varied principles see led to and him is brought in how the citizen phases, having contact with government in every phase of this life, and how to the end of State and national?operates government?local, on of fullness life the part of every citizen, our course securing concludes with themselves, of successes civics of how the people govern and failures of our system of self-gov and of a more or less detailed, though elementary, of the governmental State and machinery?local, a discussion
5 and 6. Religious and Social I shall not take Interests. to dwell upon these, nor to read extracts from Pioneer to were in the how show these interests prominent Indianapolis in Illustrations could found be abundance. early days. great now carried the pupil through a course of training in Having time the fundamental
ernment, analysis
national.
For example, we hope to have in a short time, a of our work. of the Indian complete but simple history of the development
this connection, local as well as general again, history us greatly to an understanding of the nature and organi zation of government, and of the reasons underlying our Amer are now planning the ican system of division of powers. We us on some to assist of brochures this side special preparation In assists
apolis city government. In concluding my paper, allow me to say that I greatly fear left some false impressions with you. My that I may have own personal interest is primarily in the problem of civics in the as an end in itself. public schools, rather than in local history I wish, therefore, that I might have leftwith you a more coher ent and complete notion of the plan of civics work that I am es
196
Indiana
Magazine
of History
the child, and to make plain principles of civic life. Our classes give most of their time to the observation and analysis of present
conditions.
interested in. On the contrary, I have not only failed pecially to do this, but I have run the risk of giving you a positively erroneous impression of what we are doing in this line. As I read over this paper I feel that the impression is likely to be left that the civics is a mere incident woven into a substantial course in local history. is not the case. This The local his is as used but to illustrative material interest tory freely, only
to an end ; priate and effective use for local history as a means and that, because of its utility in this connection, local history thus finds its own opportunity for a more systematic and organized treatment than it can well receive in any other connection in the course of study.
Please bear in mind that my purpose has not been to discuss the subject of civics, and that I have gone into the subject at all only because it has been necessary in order to make clear my claim that in connection with civics we may find a most appro

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Trustees of Indiana University

THE CIVIC VALUE OF LOCAL HISTORY.

The The real causes

the schools are, in my mind, two: 1. A misconception of what constitutes

in the use of local history useful

of History been evolved to meet

action, by preventing is led to realize that that

The purpose. of which But

The order to assure

the Indians p. 6) : "In

of the public development in the Homestead minating

The ers and

the choice The

average price paid 'out lots/ now The

took place. incorporation wards created, as follows"

idea of the development

but extend alone there

The were Each

enjoy here to-day. "The growth of the town was

one teacher and seven tavern keepers"

Indiana rush out to meet

him and hear the news.

mails coach" The

The would join us their visit/

History and we would

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