Henry Wilson Storey's History of Cambria County, V.II, p.412

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History of Cambria County, V.2

412 HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.

elected in 1857 for a three-year term. Mr. McCormick died in Oakdale, California, May 1, 1903.
    The superintendents who followed were: Thomas A. Maguire in 1860, succeeded by James M. Swank, February 7, 1861, who resigned within a year. William A. Scott, of Ebensburg, who was appointed January 4, 1862, was killed at Fredericksburg the next December. Henry Ely was commissioned August 13, 1862. J. Frank Condon was elected in May, '63, re-elected in '66, and resigned in the next year. Thomas J. Chapman completed the unexpired term, and was elected in May, '69, and re-elected in '72. Hartman Berg was chosen in May, '75, and was re-elected in '78. Lewis Strayer, chosen in '81, was re-elected in 1884. W. J. Cramer, elected in May, 1887, and died in the following January, when J. W. Leech was appointed to serve the unexpired term. Mr. Leech was elected in May, '90, and re-elected in '93. T. L. Gibson was elected in May, '96, and '99. Herman T. Jones who succeeded in 1902, was re-elected in 1905.
    The salary of $400 was paid for the first three years, but in 1857 it was increased to $800; in 1866 to $1,000; in 1884 to $1,500; in 1893 to $1,700, and in 1905 to $2,000.
    The earliest record is that of 1853, which shows seventeen districts in the county; the average number of months the schools were open was four; the average salary for men was $21.37, and for women, $15.06 per month. There were 110 schools for 4,561 scholars. In 1877 there were thirty-nine districts with 170 buildings and 215 teachers, for an average attendance of 7,000 scholars. The wages had increased to $37 and $31, respectively. The total expenditure for school purposes in 1876 was $74,613.86.
    Mr. Swank was commissioned superintendent of the common schools February 1, 1861, and during the next six weeks visited twenty-one of the twenty-six districts. The schools in Johnstown, Ebensburg and Richland township were not in session a sufficient length of time after that to permit him to visit them without skipping more important duties. In Conemaugh borough they had been closed the previous fall, and in Blacklick and Chest townships and Summitville borough they had closed before he reached these districts. The terms were from three to five months. In the nineteen remaining districts he found the condition of the schools and public sentiment as follows:
    Wilmore. – There was one school with Adam George as teacher; 50 pupils present and 114 enrolled. The system was popular.

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412	HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
elected in 1857 for a three-year term. Mr. McCormick died in Oakdale, California, May 1, 1903. The superintendents who followed were: Thomas A. Maguire in 1860, succeeded by James M. Swank, February 7, 1861, who resigned within a year. William A. Scott, of Ebensburg, who was appointed January 4, 1862, was killed at Fredericksburg the next December. Henry Ely was commissioned August 13, 1862. J. Frank Condon was elected in May, '63, re-elected in '66, and resigned in the next year. Thomas J. Chapman completed the unexpired term, and was elected in May, '69, and re-elected in '72. Hartman Berg was chosen in May, '75, and was re-elected in '78. Lewis Strayer, chosen in '81, was re-elected in 1884. W. J. Cramer, elected in May, 1887, and died in the following January, when J. W. Leech was appointed to serve the unexpired term. Mr. Leech was elected in May, '90, and re-elected in '93. T. L. Gibson was elected in May, '96, and '99. Herman T. Jones who succeeded in 1902, was re-elected in 1905. The salary of $400 was paid for the first three years, but in 1857 it was increased to $800; in 1866 to $1,000; in 1884 to $1,500; in 1893 to $1,700, and in 1905 to $2,000. The earliest record is that of 1853, which shows seventeen districts in the county; the average number of months the schools were open was four; the average salary for men was $21.37, and for women, $15.06 per month. There were 110 schools for 4,561 scholars. In 1877 there were thirty-nine districts with 170 buildings and 215 teachers, for an average attendance of 7,000 scholars. The wages had increased to $37 and $31, respectively. The total expenditure for school purposes in 1876 was $74,613.86. Mr. Swank was commissioned superintendent of the common schools February 1, 1861, and during the next six weeks visited twenty-one of the twenty-six districts. The schools in Johnstown, Ebensburg and Richland township were not in session a sufficient length of time after that to permit him to visit them without skipping more important duties. In Conemaugh borough they had been closed the previous fall, and in Blacklick and Chest townships and Summitville borough they had closed before he reached these districts. The terms were from three to five months. In the nineteen remaining districts he found the condition of the schools and public sentiment as follows: Wilmore. – There was one school with Adam George as teacher; 50 pupils present and 114 enrolled. The system was popular.