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--A SHORT HISTORY--
[edit] BEGINNINGBy 1865 Governor Andrew Curtain had taken an interest in the welfare of soldiers' orphans created by the Civil War. In 1866 the state began a nearly 150 year history of providing care and education to orphans of Pennsylvania's soldiers. In 1866 thirty-eight institutions were funded by the state to provide for orphans of Civil War Soldiers. The history of one of those schools is being commemorated here.
[edit] ATTENDANCE
[edit] GRADUATIONNot much different happened to the graduates as opposed to the removals. The exception being that they may have been a little more educated and therefore more able to earn a good living. Male students that graduated at 16 usually became apprenticed or went back to farming the family farm. Female students in that era usually married, became domestics or occasionally became employed in dress making or millinery establishments. However as the 19th century progressed, students of both sexes increasingly attended the state “Normal Schools” and became teachers.
[edit] MANAGEMENTInitially the Schools were not operated as military schools. However in short order it became obvious that the physical care and cleanliness of the institution was not being maintained. Therefore retired officers were brought into supervise the schools. They instituted military training and discipline to solve the problem. White hall was no different.
[edit] DEMISEThe School closed in the spring of 1891. White Hall and the majority of the other institutions were closed and consolidated into four and finally into a single institution by the beginning of the 20th century. The Scotland School was the only remaining school to operate into the 21st century before being closed.
[edit] WHYFor the most part the schools had served their former purpose. Given the narrow construct of the admittance policy, by 1890 there were few children that met the admission criteria. Schools began to vie for the limited applicants. Additionally, changing social mores resulted in a reduction of orphanage type institutions in favor of the foster home support and adoption model. Establishment and growth of the public school system chipped away at the need for these schools. The consolidated School at Scotland lasted only because the criteria were eventually expanded to Soldiers from subsequent wars and Fire and Police personnel.
The most significant incidence of corruption was the use of students by unscrupulous land speculators. After the civil war the railroads and the US government encouraged the settlement of the west by offering free land parcels to those who would occupy and farm the land. Students were, for a fee, made wards to these people. This allowed the speculators to claim more land, often contiguous parcels, thereby increasing the power and wealth of the speculator.
[edit] STRUCTUREThe physical plant was a clapboard building on Market Street that was converted into row houses and existed well into the 1980's at which time it was demolished and a modern office complex built.
[edit] MEMORIAL
[edit] STUDENTSClarence Kieffer-------------Louisa Drinkwater---------Leah A. Beltz Valentine Kieffer-----------Samuel Drinkwater---------Elmer T. Beltz William Welsh------------------Mary Drinkwater----------John A. Bash Carrie Welsh---------------------Millard Allison-----------Mary Ann Cleckner Richard Kelley-----------------William Allison-----------Frederick Cleckner Millard W Straley-------------Daniel Allison-----------John Martin Cleckner Dennis Kelley--------------------Amanda Smith-----------William Henry Cleckner Anna Clara Kelley------------------Fredrick Smith-----------Charles Parker Beaverson Abner Wilson Agle------------------Morris Smith-----------Alice Amelia Beaverson Edward Tobias Agle----------------Frances Smith-----------Ella Lydia Beaverson Annie Yost-------------------------William Smith-----------James Absolom Barklow Percilla Yost-------------------George Smith-----------John Fry Barklow William Yost---------------------Miller S. Smith---------George Lewis Duncan Jacob Yost-------------------------Margaret J Dietz------William Duncan Salla English-------------------William Dietz------Benjamin F. Duncan George English----------------Caroline Albright---William Duncan Lucy English---------------------Rebecca Albright---Clara A. Derstine Ephraham Drinkwater-------Olivia Albright-------Maria Rebeca Dence Ida Albright---------------------Josiah L Baird----------Joseph H. Dence Catherine Cleckner--------George Cleckner-------William Dearmont Mary E. Dearmont-------Lydia M. Dieffenderfer------George Henry Derstine Anna E. Diener------John A. Diener------Mary L. Diener Catharine Diener-------William C. Donahue------Laura Catherine Duncan Josephine Duncan------Jacob Durham------Levi Leonard Givler Samuel Harvey Givler-------Catherine E. Griffith------Alice A. Griffith William Erb-------Emory Ellsworth Erb-------Adeline E. Farrah Arthur T. Farrah------John W. Dyer-------William J. Dyer Samuel B. Edmondson-------Hezekiah Edmondson-------Fannie Edmondson John Edmondson-----------Robert Fetrow----------Horace Fetrow Jennie M.S. Griffith-----Emma Kepford----Elizabeth Fickes George Fickes-----Andrew Fickes----Ida J. Lawyer Charles O Lawyer----James Amsley----Rebecca Amsley----William Aaron Amsley Ella Kline----Mary Kline----Benjamin M Kline William Ross Kline----Jane A Kline Willis H Hollinger----James A Hollinger Lena J Lemmon----Leo Lemmon----William E Lemmon Joseph M Lemmon----St Clair Stenner----Robert E Stenner Mary Amanda Trott----Andrew David Trott----Christina Trott Myrtle May Auker----Robert I Auker Mary Ann Berrier----William Berrier----Elizabeth Jane Berrier Adam E Bohn----Charles William Bohn----Rachel E Bohn----Nancy Belle Bohn Charles Franklin Brown----Elmer Scott Brown----Sarah E Brown John Dockey----Henry Dockey----Almeda K Herring----James M Herring Mary V Herring----William F herring----George washington Herring----Charles O. D. Hollinger Abram K Hollimger----Mary B Radabaugh----Henry E Radabaugh Susan Ruhle----George Shatto----Warren W. Stiteler Samuel Stiteler----John Stiteler Susan Beishline---- Emma Beishline---- Ida Beishline---- Franklin Beishline Westanna Lindsey----Emment N Lindsey---- Tolbert T Lindsey---- James M Lindsey Harriet Benner---- Clara Lindsey----Margaret P Berger---- Emily I Berger John N Berger---- Emily Bettleyon---- Henrietta Bettleyon----John Bettleyon Sarah Biggart---- Marion Simmers----John Simmers----Abraham Simmers Eliza A Simmers---- John Wesley Blair----Sarah Margaret Blair----Thomas Emory Blair----Charles Ervine Blair James P Black----Lewis Bair----Roseanna Blair Joseph Sharp----George Sharp----Sarah E Wyant George Wyant----Agnes Wyant----Samuel L Duck Emma R. Duck----Mary Ann Bowman----Emma E Bowman----Sarah C Bowman----Eliza Bretz Edward T Taylor----Francis M Taylor----Ida J Test----William H Test----Mary A Test----James C Huff----William S Huff Belle J Heller----Jane E Heller----Ellen M Heller Calvin R Heller----Samuel D Heller----Mary V Heller James L Reed----Robert Reed----John Reed [edit] Documents
[edit] OBJECTIVEWe plan to memorialize the school on this page with additional photos. We are also constructing limited genealogy records for the Soldier, his wife and the children with emphasis on those children that attended the school.
[edit] HELPWe have detailed lists of students and will gladly search for the record if you feel you have a relative that attended White Hall. In return we are always looking for possible attendees for which we have no record mostly deaths and “Removals on Orders” subsequent to 1876.
[edit] REFERENCES:1. Paul, James Laughery, Pennsylvania Soldiers' Orphan Schools, 1877, Harrisburg: Lane S, Hart, 1877
4. Paul, James Laughery. Pennsylvania's Soldiers' Orphan Schools Claxton, Remsen, and Heffelfinger, 1876 Philadelphia Digitized on Google |
