CCC Camp — February 1936

HOW DOES THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS MAKE BETTER MEN

(One of the several [carryi?] sumbitte by member of the company.)

The young men who join the C.C.C. have often been careless with their future. Their good points have not been brought to light. In the C.C.C. each man is shown or given a chance to prove himself that he has a place in the world of manhood.

His health is guarded carefully and the food that he eats is good and wholesome. Therefore he is able to maintain a healthy body and a clear mind which are essential in making himself physically fit to compete in the daily battle of

[one?] against the world.

There are schools in the camps, which
makes it possible to a young man to complete his school work or to
refresh his mind in his studies. It is possible for him to forge
ahead from where he left off in school. In the schools his mind is
trained to be alert and to function more easily, to enable him to
make use of his learning.

The y0ung men in the C.C.C. only receive
a small allowance each month. Therefor he is trained in the [morne?]

of making the most of his money,, for his allowance only permits him a few luxuries and teaches him to govern himself as well as his money.

The care of the clothing is another essential part in the making of a better man. It teaches them to keep their clothes clean and neat and to keep up their personal appearance. This will help them in the business that they may enter upon leaving the C.C.C.

Cleanliness is another factor in the making of better men. The young men in the C.C.C. are taught the meaning of cleanliness of body as well as the mind. They are taught to keep their barracks clean, their beds the same and to be clean in their talk.

The young men are taught a trade, if they don’t have one. They are shown how to make the best use of their training, to make themselves useful in the work on the camp’s projects. They are trained to be workers and not shirkers, to face work with a smile – will and a determination to forge ahead.

The young men in the C.C.C. are taught to be gentlemen at all times, to govern their tempers and be courteous, to face life’s toils with a smile, to face the world with their heads held high and their shoulder squared, and with a will to do their share in the making of the world of tomorrow.

So with all those things in mind, do you believe that the .C.C.C. Is making better men?

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MR. MEFFORD

I was born December 5, 1899 at Wapakoneta, Ohio. My education includes grade school at Wapakoneta, Ohio, High School at Lima, Ohio, A.B. Degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Michigan.

Served as musician in the army during the World War.

After completing my college work I worked in several landscape offices to acquire diversified experience. They include Etheleyn Harrison’s office, Cleveland, Ohio, Country estate work, Warner and Warner, Civil Engineers, Detroit, Michigan, Landscape development on the 2500 acre Cranbrook School grounds.

I have been in the business for myself for seven years. My office being located at Lima, Ohio. I was planning Engineer and Landscape Architect for the Allen Company, F.E.R.A., one year previous to entering the National Park Service.

I have been in the National Park Service since March 2, 1925, rated as senior foreman, and have been stationed at John Bryan Park to date.

My work here has been very interesting and my contacts with the C.C.C. B0ys has been most pleasant. I think we have one of the best camps in the state, and the boys are contributing some hi9gh class workmanship on the projects completed andunder constructionl. May finishi the job and develop a park which will be the showplace of the state.

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Decorative Details

Anonymous “House” from the Kahoe glass plate negatives has distinctive features: the awnings over the windows and the railing over the porch.

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Forget the Snow

Labelled “Johnson House,” this photo from the Kahoe glass plate collection was obviously not taken in winter. Another picture of the house a family can be found here.

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Compact Comfort

Another anonymous “House” photo from the Kahoe glass plate negative collection.

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Keeping Warm

This photo from the Kahoe glass plate negative collection shows the Carr’s Nursery steam boiler.\

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Quite a Soap Opera

Xenia Daily Gazette – January 17, 1917

SENSATIONAL ARE CHARGES MADE IN DIVORCE PETITION

For nearly tow years, according to his statement in his petition for divorce, John H. Hyde, wealthy farmer of near Yellow Springs, sheltered in his home, under the guise of a “boarder,” a man whom he says he knew was his wife’s paramour.

In his petition, filed Tuesday afternoon by Attorney Harry D. Smith, Hyde names John W. Davis as the “boarder.” He alleges that Davis and his wife, Orpha Hyde, so intimidated him by threats that he feared for his life, and permitted their alleged relationship to continue under his own roof, from December 1914 to Octobr 1916.

The petition sets forth the Hydes were married in Springfield, May 10, 1908.

In December 1914, Hyde says, his wife persuaded him to permit John W. Davis to come into their home on a farm near Yellow Springs, as a boarder. Shortly after the arrival of Davis, he asserts, he learned that Davis while in his house as a roomer and boarder, was there for the purpose of continuing illicit relations with the plaintiff’s wife, “with the consent and connivance of the defendant.”

When he discovered the alleged illicit relationship, Hyde says, he confronted his wife with the facts, which she admitted, and asserted furthermore, that she intended to continue it, for the purpose of obtaining money which the plaintiff could not afford to give her, and threatened to kill him if he interfered with her or Davis. The defendant continued the unlawful relations with Davis, the petition asserts since December 1914, and “during all of the said time, by means of threats and assaults on plaintiff, has so intimidated plaintiff as to prevent him taking any action against defendant of said Davis.”

In February 1915, the petition recites, and “on many other occasions, the defendant assaulted plaintiff, and called him vile names, and threatened to kill him.”

It is alleged that in May 1915, the defendant and Davis went to Springfield together, and stayed there three days. That for many months during the year 1915, Davis and Mrs. Hyde made weekly Saturday trips to Springfield, and on many occasions stayed there all night together, and in May 1915 frequented a certain house in that city together.

In December 1914 early in January 1915, plaintiff alleges, his wife engaged in an altercation on the street in Springfield, with a former female associate of Davis, which was aired in police court.

The “open notorious and illicit relations of defendant and Davis have caused a large amount of comment and complaint in the neighborhood of the plaintiff’s home, and have been a constant source of annoyance and shame to the plaintiff,” the petition recites.

Continuing her alleged persecution of the plaintiff, he declares that his wife in the summer of 1916, refused to live longer at the plain tiff’s farm, her said conduct having cut her off from all decent and respectable association, and she demanded that that plaintiff buy a home at Akron, but, strange to say, e refused her demand. Whereupon, he says, the defendant herself went to Akron, procured a house upon a contract of purchase and in October 1916, moved from plaintiff’s home to Akron, taking with her the said “boarder,” who is now “boarding” with her at Akron.

Hyde’s plaint continues. He says that since their removal to Akron, the defendant and Davis, by means of threats have compelled the plaintiff to sign certain notes to Davis at different times, and that they are now threatening Hyde with suits on the notes unless he complies with their demands as to the purchase of the Akron property.

Ever since December 1914, the plaintiff declares that he has been kept in fear of his life, by reason of the actions and threats and malicious conduct defendant and Davis.

He makes a specific charge against his wife of adultery with John W. Davis, near Yellow Springs, from December 1914 to October 1916, and at Akron from October 1916 to the date of filing his petition. He asks that he be given a divorce and his wife barred from dower in this real estate.

Hyde was formerly very wealthy, but is said to ave lost much of his wealth, About 500 acres of farm land and about a dozen pieces of property in Yellow Springs are still in his name. His first wife secured a decree of divorce and large alimony from him several years ago. Last fall Hyde held a sale of personal property on his farm and is living in Yellow Springs.

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Semi-Hidden House

Another anonymous house photo from the Kahoe glass plate negative collection is half concealed by the magnificent trees (maple?), so the upper story can only be guessed at. What is visible of the lower story certainly has distinctive window features.

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J. Peery Miller Memoirs — Part 40

More about teaching in local schools…

Township school on Hyde Road, later converted to residence

A few of the advanced young ladies might be persuaded to study Latin, but very seldom could a boy be thus persuaded. The latter did not take kindly to the study of the languages, not even English, their native tongue. They were satisfied with their ability to talk, they could understand and express ideas fairly well, and why waste time studying the rules and regulations of grammar?

The state of Ohio dd not provide for high school instruction at public expense; until late in the 70’s of the last century. Hence all work of this grade was gratuitous on the part of the country school teacher. The teacher who was prepared and willing to teach high school branches was at a premium, and if he possessed the numerous other qualifications, he had no trouble in securing a position.

I herein insert a statement relative to my teaching service in Miami Township, Greene county, O., which the committee in charge of the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the public schools of the township requested me to submit. By it the reader will notice mention of my transfer to Antioch College at the opening of the school year of 1882.

My work at the College as a member of its faculty for thirty-three year is well known to my children, so a detailed account of it need not be written. The Antioch College catalogues and bulletins covering that period (1882-1915) mention all that is necessary in regard to the work assigned and its classification.

This renewed association with Antioch gave me an opportunity to work and study toward the completion of my college course, which had been so abruptly cut short—first, by my own careless disregard of the importance of continued attendance; secondly, because of business misfortune. The A. B. degree was earned though not formally confirmed because I did not insist. Early a full professorship was granted me by vote of the board of trustees. Later (1902) I received the degree of A.E. From the same source on the basis of scholarship and professional success. This recognition of my services was highly gratifying to me as well as to my friends.

=======================

To the Committee in Charge of the
Miami Tp., Greene County Schools Reunion

Gentlemen:

It is certainly a pleasure to r ecall my experience as teacher during the 70’s and 80’s of the last century—now over fifty years ago. Like many other students of Antioch College, I took advantage of the Hyde school district as the most convenient and otherwise desirable school in which to get my start. Experience must be acquired by all pedagogues aspiring to a professional career, and some body must tolerate the beginner and suffer the consequences. The Hyde district, charitably disposed, willingly lent a hand. The salaries paid were not large—in fact, they were astonishingyl small when compared with modern pay for like service, but the pittance was cheerfully received and many an Antioch student replenish his depleted funds, met his college expenses and graduated because of the aid received by teaching in the Miami township public schools.

The “Boarding around” custom on the part of the teacher as a part of his compensation, prevalent during the first half of the 19th century, was abolished and monthly cash salaries were paid. These ranged from $20 to $40 per month during and for a short time after the Civil war period. In some districts a higher price might be paid to secure a man whose physical development insured ability to govern the unruly scholars. In many places this qualification on the part of the teacher was at a premium.

Occasionally a local school-director would take the stand the all work would be placed on a common basis. A teacher as an employee, like a farm hand, deserved no greater compensation for his labor than that paid for farm labor, especially since he worked fewer hours per day. I was told flatly by one school committee that their district had never paid a teacher more than $1.50 per day (27.80 per week), and, what was worse, it would never pay more.

I taught the Hyde school several terms in the 70’s—a school famous for having among its early teachers Hon. Isaac Sherwood, distinguished as a General in the Civil war and as a member of the National House of Representatives since the War; Dr. William A. Bell, editor of the Indiana State School Journal, Superintendent of the Indianapolis city schools and later—1899-1902–President of Antioch College; Dr. Amos R. Wells, Editor of the Christian Endeavor World, Boston, Mass.; Mrs. Charlotte Pursselll Moor (Lottie Purssell), an enthusiastic Christian missionary to India, losing her life in this service at Tika, Assam, May 3, 1908; Marion Lawrence, the great Sunday school teacher and organizer. As General Secretary of the International Sunday School Association Mr. Lawrence is known all over the world.

In this same decade (the 70’s) I was employed five years in succession as teacher of the Confer district of this township (Miami), following which I served the Beehive district for three years in the same capacity. It is well to remember that the country schools at this period were ungraded and it was a perplexing problem for the teacher to know how to care best for the needs of forty or fifty pupils of all sizes and grades and do effective work A few of the older scholars could be interested in advanced work of high school grads, viz., higher arithmetic, algebra, physics and beginning Latin. This range added interest to the teacher but consumed time which required extra recitations out of school hours. Generally older boys refused flatly to study English grammar. They “ couldn’t see no use in grammar no how” and they didn’t care to bother with it.

After two years’ service in the Union schools of the village of Yellow Springs I was chosen a member of the Faculty of Antioch College. My years of service at the institution lasted from 1882 until the end of the school year 1914-1915, thirty-three years in all. This time added to the eleven years of public school. Work makes forty-four years of continuous teaching in Miami township, Greene county, Ohio.

Respectfully yours,

J. Peery Miller

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A Large Gathering

This photo from the Kahoe glass plate negative collection has the note “Bailey Family Gathering.” The pandemic waves of the 2020’s make it seem dangerous.

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Happy New Year

…from the Yellow Springs Historical Society

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