The West Liberty Academy - Part 2

Before the West Liberty Normal School, and before West Liberty State College, West Liberty’s higher education began with an academy. An academy was a school that one would go to in order to achieve a higher secondary education. With the absence of high schools in the area, West Liberty would function as a pivotal force in the higher education of those whom resided in the northern panhandle. The West Liberty Academy was founded by the Reverend Nathan Shotwell and the charter was obtained from the Virginia Legislature on March 30, 1837. It is not known when the West Liberty Academy opened, but it is assumed that it was during the year of 1838. Classes were held in a white to story house which was called the “Doyle House.” While classes were being conducted a curtain was pulled through the middle of a room which created two separate rooms. This allowed Mr. Shotwell to instruct the boys while Mrs. Shotwell instructed the girls. The first class consisted of sixty-five students. Some of the courses offered by the Shotwell’s included: Algebra, Latin, Oil Painting, Logic, Arithmetic, and Geometry. Soon after its opening, money was raised by the community to build a brick school house, which was completed, but sadly destroyed by fire in 1841. This proved to be a devastating time for the young academy, but classes were still held at the Doyle house until 1857 when Academy Hall was erected.
The Reverend Nathan Shotwell served as principle of the West Liberty Academy until 1854-55. According to the Wheeling “Times and Advertiser” Shotwell was, “one of the best teachers in the western country.” Shotwell was a student at Princeton College. It was said that after his Princeton days, Shotwell took up a “prosperous” career in Louisiana; but upon being converted to religion he immediately sacrificed the bright prospects there to take up the humbler walk of life in the Christian ministry. Shotwell attended the Western Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh from 1833 to 1836 and then served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in West Liberty in 1837. It is not known exactly why Shotwell started the West Liberty Academy, but one unidentified writer described Shotwell as an “intellectual force, of earnest piety and deep convictions of truth and duty.” Clearly, the town of West Liberty owes great debt to Shotwell for his determination, founding, and loyalty to the West Liberty Academy. After Shotwell’s departure as principle, A.F. Ross held the position from 1857 to 1861. Ross is noted for his high level of energy and determination to serve the publics interest. Before taking the position, Ross had been professor of Ancient Languages at Bethany College which is located a few miles north of West Liberty. Ross was responsible for many of the early expansions that helped the young academy grow. For example, it was Ross that made several key real estate purchases. This allowed for Ross’s most important accomplishment, the construction of Academy Hall which was completed 1857 with aid from the state of Virginia and donations that were acquired from loyal West Liberty residents. The cost of Academy Hall was $30,000 and would serve as a strong foundation for the school to build on. With an official building, the West Liberty Academy was starting to see its potential. One obstacle that stood in the way of its growth was the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Greater attention was given to the war itself than education. Therefore, attendance declined because many of the young men who were students or prospective students went to war. It is not known if the school ever closed during the Civil War, if so, it could not have been for more than one year, mostly likely between 1863-64. During the Civil War a debt of approximately $6,000 accumulated which put the academy and its trustees at great risk. In 1867 the trustees suggested that the academy be sold to the state for the amount in which they were indebted. The school would then be transformed into a state normal school, a school with the purpose of training teachers. This proposition was accepted by the state legislature on February 24, 1867. Although the sale of the academy solved financial troubles, the academy itself was not up to normal school standards. The Annual Report of the Regents of the State Normal School of West Virginia stated:

The Regents are of the opinion that an appropriation of $2,000 for salaries of teachers, and $1,000 for furniture and necessary repairs, would be sufficient to start a Normal School at West Liberty, with a good promise of future success and prosperity.

The Regents noted the geographical location of West Liberty as “being one of the best regions in the State.” On March 1, 1870 the state legislature passed an act approving the establishment of a state normal school at West Liberty. The first semester of the West Liberty Normal School (WLNS) began on May 2, 1870.

The Story of West Liberty - Part 1

I earned my undergraduate degree from West Liberty State College, and since doing so I’ve been interested in doing some research about the town and school that helped me along my way. WLSC has approximately 2,000 students and is located about 8 miles from Wheeling, but it’s the longest 8 miles you’ll ever travel through the winding hills of West Virginia. West Liberty may inhabit a few hundred residents itself, but it’s by large a college town. And when I say town, I mean it has a post office, and that’s it. Because of its seclusion, one has the feeling of going to a small private school, truly a unique experience. I had the pleasure of commuting, but those 11 mile (one way) drives (that took at least a 1/2 hour on a good day) gave me time to appreciate the land that I was driving through, so here’s a brief story of the town and school.

West Liberty State College is located in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. The town of West Liberty resides about eights miles from the city of Wheeling which is located along the Ohio River. West Liberty is a small town, but in spite of that is home to one West Virginia’s first institutions of education. West Liberty serves as an example of early American education and its transformations. As time progressed, so did the nature of West Liberty’s education. The goal of this essay is to explore the history, development, and expansion by looking at the history of the town, its schools, and their relation to the national issues regarding education throughout the discussed time periods.
In 1776 the state of Virginia named territory west of the Allegheny Mountains the Augusta territory. This was then divided up into three counties; the Ohio, Yohagania, and Mononaries. West Liberty would be part of the Ohio County. The first person to settle in what is today West Liberty was a man named Mr. Black, between the years of 1769-1772. Black was sent to Ohio County by Abraham Van Metre, a wealthy planter from Berkeley County, Virginia to make a claim in the area. Black’s “tomahawk” claim was most likely because of the regions strong geographical attributes; such as a good spring and suitable farm land. Upon Blacks arrival he immediately built a cabin which would become known as “Blacks Cabin.” Soon after Blacks arrival two other men would follow, James Curtis, who was also making a land claim, and Mr. Hood. These men were said to have lived together in Black’s Cabin. During this time period it is important to note that Ohio County was the edge of the frontier and susceptible to Indian raids. Black’s Cabin and the nearby Fort Van Metre served as important garrisons in the newly formed Ohio County.
During the American Revolution the name West Liberty was decided upon because of its western location and from the dedicated love the early pioneers had for the patriot cause. In 1776 the General Assembly of Virginia decided that landowners in the Ohio Valley should decide on a place for holding courts. On December 27, 1776 landowners agreed that Black’s Cabin would be the best place to hold courts. This location is important because the court would be protected by Van Metre’s Fort, and Blacks Cabin was located away from the Ohio River which meant that it was less likely to be attacked by Indians. It is also important to clarify that West Liberty was chosen as the county seat because Wheeling, located on the banks of the Ohio River (a much larger and accessible town) was enduring numerous Indian raids. It was a good decision because the year 1777 was nicknamed the “The Bloody Year of the Three Sevens” due to the severity of the Indian raids. The first court session was held at Blacks Cabin on January 6, 1777. West Liberty was known as one of the first courts west of the Allegheny Mountains and would remain so until 1797 when it was moved to Wheeling.
An early unknown writer described West Liberty as a “early attracted settlement by its fabulous fertility and was appropriated by horse racing, fox hunting, jolly Marylanders and Virginians – some of them, men of education and refinement, and early given to hospitality, good living, fun, and inner-marriage.” West Liberty was described as a growing metropolis that catered to the early pioneers who were settling in the territory. People traveled to West Liberty for legal matters, to make land claims, attend worship, visit taverns, and shop. West Liberty was officially organized in 1787. Oddly enough, during the war of 1812 a raid in Richmond, Virginia by the British destroyed many public documents. This included the incorporation papers and charter for West Liberty. Until 1902 the only record of the town’s existence was in the post office guide. In 1902 a Greater West Liberty club was formed to reincorporate West Liberty. A vote was taken and West Liberty was reincorporated, but not without opposition from those who were unhappy for tax purposes.
From its early days, West Liberty saw the importance of education. One of the first schools in West Liberty was started by Thomas Ewing in the year 1800. Education was not Ewing’s main profession; he also worked as a cobbler and taught to pay for his room and board. Ewing was described as a strong disciplinarian and was said to have commonly used the rod. During this time period there was no organized education system, a subscription school such as Ewing’s was common for the time period.
While most eastern towns were starting to develop more formal means of education, West Liberty was just beginning the subscription school stage. Simply said, a subscription school could be started by any man who wished to teach, as long as he obtained the signatures of those willing to enroll their children in his school. M.D. Lewis came to West Liberty in 1816. Lewis’s contract stated he, “agrees to use his utmost endeavor to instruct all those who are committed to his charge in spelling, reading, writing, and arithmetic.” His salary depended on what subject the pupil was to be taught. For example, “spelling, reading and writing, two dollars; and for English grammar and bookkeeping, three dollars; and for each branch of mathematics, five dollars.” These fees applied per student and were meant to cover a time period of three months.
Jacob Curtis was a student during the 1830’s in West Liberty. The school he attended was held in a log cabin. His description of the dwelling provides graphic insight as to what education was like for those living in a small country town.

It was about twenty feet square with a log left out on the east and south sides, filled with a long narrow slash of glass…Along these narrow windows was a broad slanting shelf for the writing class and over the balance of the unplanked oak floor were benches made of slabs, flat side up with four to six pegs driven in augur holes for legs, no backs, no footrest, and many of the little legs not long enough to reach the floor… A wooden paddle hung at the door with Out on one side and In on the other. We had to turn the paddle as we went in or out. The seats were highly polished by the constant friction of jeans pants, and linsey dresses. The books we used were the Olney’s Geography, Kirkhams Grammar, United States Reader and Spelling book and the Western Calculator.

Curtis’s first teacher was Billy Pinkerton and according to Curtis he “ruled with the rod.”
Curtis added that many of the early teachers enjoyed their “toddy” and were not monitored by school officials. In other words, as long as there were no complaints, the teacher did as they pleased.

Due to the fact that my truck was stolen last week in Morgantown, WV on the WVU campus I have also been robbed of my precious time these past few days. It’s like on Sanford and Son, when someone stole Fred’s truck, and Lamont couldn’t work (trucks are a vital part of the junk business). Lamont can’t work, Lamont can’t earn no money, Fred can’t eat. While my situation isn’t quite that drastic, its all been pretty annoying to say the least. On the bright side I still have my family, health, and good looks.. haha. On the downside, along with my truck they stole my Learn Spanish on the Go CD set. I can just picture those bandits driving down the road singing Estoy Bíen ¡Gracias! ¿Y Tú? So it may be awhile before I turn out another post, hopefully I’ll be writing to say that my truck has been recovered, without it it’s sorta hard to go hunting for junk and old goodies. And I also have like 6 million lesson plans to write.
Hasta luego!