School Districts Established
The first division of the county into school districts was made in April, 1822, by an order of the County Court. The land of the Militia Company of Capt. Wm. Harrison composed District No. 1; of Capt. Wm. Hogan, District No. 2; of Capt. W. P. Thomas, District No. 3; of Capt. Chas. Ruddell, District No. 4; of Capt. James Elliston, District No. 5; of Capt. Andrew Myers, District No. 6.
AdsThe school-houses and the schools taught in these several districts were similar to the first one we have described. In February, 1838, an Act was passed by the Legislature of Kentucky establishing a State system of Common Schools. This Act directed that the several County Courts appoint five Commissioners to lay the counties off into school districts, to contain not less than thirty nor more than one hundred children between the ages of seven and seventeen.
In pursuance of this Act, Thomas Clark, James H. Robinson, R. L. Clements and T. J. Daniels, were appointed to assist the County Surveyor in laying off our county into school districts. Since this division many changes have been made in the boundaries, and several new districts formed. There are now fifty-three school districts and four thousand four hundred and seventy-three children, between the ages of six and twenty, reported by the Trustees. Our common schools are now in a good working condition under the systematic and careful management of our present efficient Commissioner of Common Schools, H. D. Stratton. We must not leave this subject without mentioning one of the most energetic and warm friends of popular education that the State has furnished, and who was a citizen of our county. We refer to Burwell Y. Carter, for many years Common School Commissioner of this county. He ably urged the remodeling of the school system, both by writing and speaking, and, especially, the increasing of the school fund by additional taxation.
The people of Kentucky owe the passage of the recent law appropriating the additional fifteen cents to the hundred dollars for school purposes, probably as much to the zealous efforts of Mr. Carter as to any other men in the State. He never ceased to labor in behalf of the common schools and the diffusion of general education, for which he won the especial gratitude and warm friendship of the people of his county. He death, which occurred in 1874, was very much lamented by every one.
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