Hamilton and Oneida Indian Nation: historically failed integration but future collaboration
By Lizzie Herr ’24, Investigative Editor
The Spectator
·
Follow March 29, 2024 https://spec.hamilton.edu/hamilton-and-oneida-indian-nation-historically-failed-integration-but-future-collaboration-62c2d9648580
Parallel with Ithaca - known for education.
On variety of schools read rudd p. 21.
Then term "academy" corning free academy A Century of Schoolsi in Clinton Helen Nelson Rudd. Clinton Historical Society pubication number one. Cinton 1964 p. 1: it "somewhat resembles a game of musiczl chairs" Schols "in at least thirty-five locations and schools by more than forty different names. P. 5: school realy opened in 1798 p. 6: 20 children,. Girls and boys separTely, only two Indians a record of having attended.p. 6 for the entire period of its use it was never finished. In the nineteenth century, Clinton, because of Hamilton College, was an educational center. The only negative was the Oneida boys. But it was a center for more than the college: it was a village with a profusion of schools at the primary and secomdary levels. First one hamilton-oneida academy. Gerrit smith studied there
It 2: giis no simple matter to provide an inventory of the schools in Clinton. Different figures - chs publication. There was no authority in Albany keeping track of or setting standards for the schools. Most were small, and plenty of them were one-room schools, run in people's houses. There was a public school on East Park Row, but it was poorly funded and did not even cover the six years we think of as primary school.
Rudd p. 7: Clinton Grammar School had four different names, though, p. 9 old name of grammar school clung to it. Documents in Clinton Central School Box 2 - 1890? Announcement of Clinton Grammar School
P. 13 union graded school opened 1891
Rudd p. 12 girlsbecame a tenement, in 1903 suold stones to Hamilton College for Carnegie Dormitory' school, then boys' school, in old Liberal Institute building, then it became a tenement. In 1903 sold to Hamilton College for Carnegie Dormitory
Clinton union school and Academy Clinton, n. Y. 1892 p. 7: "The village of Clinton, known throughout the United States fir the variety and excellence of its schools" p. 38 enrillment of 414, of whom 42 non-resident
Those schools that had separate buildings were
Schools had classical languages, Latin annd Greek Regents exam what they did not hahve were experimental sciences, business, modern foreign languages, and music and art. (Music and French were sometimes taught as add-ons in the Girls' schools. Social studiesi The Hamilton-Oneida Academy had given Clinton a reputation as a city of schools. Mental arithmatic, cobb's juvenile reader, geography, history, theoretical science (no experiments), English
Behind houses now locdated at 86 and 88 college street
From young ladies' domestic seminary 1835: junior class history ancient and modern, geometry, arithmatic, natural philosophy Senior class: geography, physics, physiology, rhetoric, astronmy, moral philosophy, natural theology, "analogy of religion" teaching, ancient literature
The schools all charged tuition, and therefore w ere limited to the children of those families with the ability to pay tuition, and also to do without the children for farm work. The schools were relatively small, by today's standards. An enrollment of 40 was a good-sized school. In contrast, when the Clinton free school, with state funding, opened in 1891, there were 190 students the first day. So by and large the schools were educating the upper middle class.
Give example of courses.
After the Hamilton-Oneida Academy and the foundation of Hamilton College, the first school established was the Clinton Grammar School, located far out on College St.
This was the school future President Grover Cleveland studied in, his last formal education. Elihu Root also studied there. It ended up having two buildings.
Beyond the primary level there was a great deal of confusion. Schools named Academy, like Corning Free Academy, had there on understanding of what a college preparatory education was. There was no state control or even standards; the only control on wuality is what the colleges would accept as sufficient preparation.
The Historical Society has a good collection of materials from the schools: mailings sent to parents ("Circulars"), programs of graduations and other events, photographs, dance programs, correspondence and photographs. Besides the names of all the instructors, various schools, no doubt to stimulate enrollment, published the names of all the students, by class, and it can be seen how many were from Clinton or remained in clinton after graduation. ,the Cottage Seminary 1888: 74 pupils, 31 in the Collegiate Department, 33 in the Preparatory Department, 10 in the Primary. P. 13: 2 0 students boarded with the family.
Cottage Seminary for Girls no date shmows approach from Southeast. 1886-1887 hasprepare for Vassar, Wellesley, and Smith Also in "the Cottage Seminary-1888" also 1887
P. 1: opened Marvin Street School as the first union school in 1893. HOAcademy ened in 1793. P. 1 "epidemic proportions, bringing students from a wide area of central New York and from even farther afield."
P. 2: 1802 old brick school P. 5: Samuel Kirkland had idea of educating "Indian lads" first year: twenty-five white and four Indian children Cornerstone of building laid by Baron von Steuben this was in 1793. "Real opening" in 1798. P. 6: seth Norton only teacher. P. 7 grammar school closed in 1892, had four different names
P. 6: 1812 Academy became Hamilton College. "No local school where advanced students could prepare to enter the college, nor was there any building available" grammar school opened in 1816.
Pilkingtn walter p. 19: of 30 Indian students "only four soke English with any faciity" p. 31 school underway by end of 1793" p. 33 in 1794 early wooden schl burned. No school for several years after P. 34: 1795 "frame of an edifice...partly enclosed. P. 37 1797 "the nadir" P. 38 opened "its doors for almost twenty students. P. 39 one teacher Niles p. 59: Murdock came in 1799. Building unfinished but about 50 students, 20 of them girls taught separately. Only one Indian. P. 41 1804 "Regents established a prescribed form in which the academies of the state were required to submit their reports" English grammar, ciphering, mathematics, bookeeping, dead languages, logic, rhetoric, composition, etc., moral philosophy, etc.; French and natural philosophy Fifty to sixty of both sexes P. 43 "By 1805 the Academy was well established." Fifty students paying $12 each. So encouraging petitioned Regents for a change of status from academy to college.
P. 46 support from Utica
P. 47 1811 the last report, of 150 students: 5 in reading and writing, 76 in English grammar, 30 in mathematics, 30 in the dead languages, 25 in logic, rgetoric and composition, and 2 in moral philosophy.
P. 51 need for a college in Western New York P. 56 first meeting of Hamilton trustees 1812 Rivalry of medical college at Fairfield, Herkimer County p. 57
P. 64: H-OA ended under its original name in 1812. P. 65: histories diverge in 1815
Following from Rudd A Century
P. 8 handsome building at Elm and Nortoon Avenue. Opened 1857. In 1865 destroyed by fire. Moved to College St. ; additional building purchased and old building renovated. High School and Houghton Seminary. P. 9: both schools received public money. P. 9: graded union school opened (when?) with 191 studebnts. P. 15: the Cottage Seminary
Pilkington p. 41: latin, greek, arithmetic, geography, english grammar, and surveying p. 41 in 1804 Regents established a forn M: reading amd writing, English grammar, cipheribg etc., mathematics, bookeeping &c., dead languages, logic, rhetoric, composition, etc., moral philosophy etc., French, and natural philosophy [science?] pp. 45: for the first two decades of the century, (p. 46) Utica appeared to be the coming city in the region, potentially one of the most importatant trabsportation centers in the United States. ... The bubble did not long surviive, but the College was founded when it was at its plumpest.p. 50 fairfield trustees started a medical department
Percy L. Wight "clinton's Schools Hamilton Alumni Review vol. 2 May, 1937 pp. 117-121 In foldee "Domestic Seminary clinton grammar" p. 118: clinton liberal institute torn down in 1903 has map
Home cottage seminary has map of schools. Undated clipping says the female department of the grammar school moved to Home Cottage.
Circular of Home Cottage 1856: Clinton is "well known for the healthiness of its situation, the beauty of its scenery, and its literary advantages" 1857 circular: 100 winter term, 112 summer P. 11: merged with Clinton Grammar School Circular 1856: 159 pupils. We have for a few years the notebook with all students and their addresses. "The Cottage Seminary at Clinton, N.Y.: had a tennis court