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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY 239
for the winter of 1848 were Mr. A. W. Nason, principal of the high
school; other teachers and for other schools, Mr. H. Goodwin, Mr. E. P.
Jones, Mr. H. P. Hall. Ladies, Miss M. Johns, Miss L. A. McElwain,
Miss L. A. Jones, Miss E. Moore, Miss L. A. Sprague, Miss S. Irvin,
Miss D. R. Whipple and Miss E. C. Cooper. During the first part of the
fall term of 1848, Mr. S. Minor acted as principal of the high school;
during the last part Mr. Homer Goodwin Avas employed. Miss Helen
Follett, Miss E. LeAvis, Miss M. Barrett, Miss II. M. Hoyt and Miss L.
Barney AA'ere elected as teachers for the fall term of 1848.
It -will be observed from the foregoing sketch that the money and
labors of the school directors Avere mostly expended upon the Avinter
schools. There are, however, allusions to summer schools, supported
partly by public funds, helped through by rate bills, or sustained
entirely by rate bills. It is due to the liberality of the public school
managers of the period just passed over to state that none Avere excluded
from the schools sustained in any part by public funds, and that
bills for tuition or current expenses were never presented to such as
Avere not entirely able to pay.
Before proceeding to speak of the adoption of a more full graded
system, next in order, it is proper to refer to
THE FIRST TEACHERS INSTITUTE IN OHIO
It is due the memory of a feAV persons and is also but simple justice
to the public spirit of this city at that early day of educational efforts
to state that the first teachers institute held in Ohio, specially intended
to benefit teachers of all grades of schools, was organized in Sandusky,
September 2, 1845.
Hon. E. Lane, Rev. L. Hull and C. B. Squires were particularly
active and earnest in procuring instructors and lecturers and in securing
the attendance of teachers from Erie and surrounding counties,
and in other ways contributing to make the institute, then an experiment,
a most undoubted success. While they soon had the satisfaction of feeling
that they had judged correctly and acted wisely respecting the local
and immediate value of a teachers' institute upon the schools of the city
and county, they, proudly, little suspected Avhat radical changes in
school laAvs and school instruction in Ohio might result from this first
right beginning.
Ninety-seven teachers AA'ere enrolled as members of this first insti-
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tute. The instructors Avere Hon. Salem ToAvn of New York; Asa D. Lord
and M. F. CoAvdery of Ohio. Lectures on special subjects Avere given
during the session by Hon. S. ToAvn, Hon. E. Lane, A. D. Lord, C. B.
Squires, Lyman Preston and M. F. CoAvdery. The session continued one
Aveek and closed with a general and cordial expression of opinion that
such meetings of teachers for the discussion of questions of practical
value in the schoolroom Avere deserving of the highest commendation.