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History & Genealogy

Culver, Marshall, Indiana

Culver Schools 1836 - 1899

culver Public Schools history Reaches back to 1836.

Records at the Citizen office and the high school contain reams of interesting information concerning the develeopment of the local schools.

They include names of graduates in 48 classes and princepals and teachers and vividly portray the histour of our local school society

An intersest fact found in this historical coverage of Union township schools was that the first school was started in the winter of 1836-1837, with Thomas Mc Donald as the first teacher

1848 - the question of 'free schools' was presented to the voters of Indiana for adoption or rejection. The question was voted on in Marshall county, August 7, 1848, with the tabulation showing 38 persons in Union township favoring free schhol and 21 opposing the idea.

1870 - there were twelve schools in the tosnwhip valued at $6,ooo.

The early years of the high school found it housed in a building located on Ohio Street between Jefferson and Washington Street (the Osborn hotel location) and the house of Dr. Witham. Rather which was located in what is now the middle of Ohio Stree just north of the post office. ! The account of what happened to this school house is that it was sold:

to the father of Drs. Wiseman who moved it to the corner where Henry Zechiel's house now stands and it was made into a private home; after which was moved a second time to become the home of the Adams family. 5 March 1919 Cuvler Citizen.

The third school house was a two story building - It is said that Walter Hand bought the building and had it moved to the southwest corner of Main and Jeferson where his family ised it for a residence until 1919 when he had it remodeled into a store. In 1926 it was torn down.

Early memories of this school by David Burns was give to Fred Karst as follows:

The first Culver school was built between 1898 and 1902. Many think it was the grade school before it became the hotel. It was probably only two stories when it was the grade school. Known to recent Culverites as the Osborn Hotel, the three-story frame building that stands as a landmark at the northwest corner of Ohio and Jefferson was called the New Culver Hotel in its heyday.

David Burns, now 81, recalls attending the first grade in the building in 1915 at a time when it was used as a school. The building at that time was only two stories high, Burns said.

The elementary school building, located about where the two-room addition is being built at Culver Elementary School, had grown crowded, and the school board had spent most of the available funds on construction of a high school. Consequently, Burns said, the first grade met in the former hotel building, and the second grade also used temporary quarters nearby.

Burns said that the building was constructed by a member of the prominent Osborn family -- the same man who built the Osborn Block in downtown Culver.

Burns believes it was built in 1902, although a Civil War veteran he knew claimed that it dated from 1898. The hotel was remodeled by John Osborn, and during one period of reconstruction the third floor was added. High hopes for the building remained until fairly recent times. In February 1975, it was dedicated as the Osborn Center in honor of William 0. Osborn. It was planned as a center for senior citizens.

At the time when Burns was a student there, the first grade had a great many students, but enrollment declined in the higher grades, he recalled. Most students, he said, left school to enter the work force after 8th grade. Burns didn't leave school until after his sophomore year of high school, when he left to lay brick with his father. He continued in that occupation.

The following is a phot of the 1893 grade school:

Here is the larger (photo only)

The first high school course offered to students of Union Township came in the fall of 1896 when Culver High School was organized with I. S. Hahn as superintendent and was superintendent until 1911 and Edith Schewermen as principal. Only a three year school course was given.

The first class to graduate was 1899 and these first graduates were: Otto Stahl, Florence Barber, Daisy Voreis, Hettie Grubb, and Nell Garn [Otto Stahl, Florence Diee, Nellie Woodward, Daisy Davis and Hittie Grude].

Last updated 22.11.2009

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