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A
History of Black Education in Gibson County
It
is very difficult to find a real beginning for Black education in Gibson
County, but I should like to start with the provision of the Constitution
of 1816, when Indiana became a state, it was
stated
that Negroes were not to be permitted to attend any school. Under the
provisions of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, every 16th section of
every township would be granted to the people for the use of the schools
of that township.
“
Some Negroes and their friends petitioned the legislature to set aside
a fair share of the school revenue for the education of their children.
The state refused and even passed a law in 1837 that excluded Negro
children from school. Again the legality of the law was challenged and
an appeal was made to the State Supreme Court. The Court handed down
a decision upholding the law and it was interpreted to mean that schools
were for white children only.”(Lyda, John W. The Negro in the History
of Indiana pp.41 &43.)
To get schools for Negro children was a fight that lasted for 53 years—from
1816 to 1869. During this period Negroes were regarded as a race apart—one
that was weak economically. Their opportunities for progress were very
limited and socially they were a people apart. However most Negro parents
wanted more for their children than they had.
The U.S. Census of 1820 listed 30 Negroes living in Gibson County and
the Census of 1850 showed 2,150 living there, but they were not citizens—they
were still classified as slaves. There were 3 areas of black population.
Lyles and its surrounding suburbs, Patoka and White River Township,
and Princeton, Indiana.
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The first schools were started about 1865 and were known as subscription
schools. The teacher was paid through monthly subscriptions from the
patrons. The fee was $1.00 or $1.50 per month per pupil.
The first school was at the Switch Settlement (Lyles). Class was taught
in the log building used by the Hardshell Baptist Church as a place
of worship. The teacher was Mr. R.A. Halleck, a white man.
Over in the Roundtree suburb (Black Bridge area) or the White River
Township the first school was in the residence of Mr. Bill Newton and
his wife was the teacher.
The first
school of the Sand Hill Settlement was in the log building used by the
A.M.E. Church as a place of worship and it was located on the site where
the late Marvin Hardiman and wife Sylvia Hardiman now reside on the
north side of Highway 64 West.
Negro children were first admitted to the public schools in 1869. The
Civil War had come and gone and the 13th , 14th, and 15th Amendments
to the Constitution had been enacted. The law that provided for the
admission of Negro children to the public schools provided for separate
or segregated facilities. It permitted school corporations, if they
chose, to provide schools to which all pupils, regardless of race might
be admitted, or for separate schools in districts where ther were enough
Negro children for a school. If there were not enough children, they
might attend a white school.
After the law of 1869 was passed , the subscription schools were replaced
by Township Schools but they retained their same names.
The Switch School was replaced by a 3 room school across the road from
Wayman Chapel A.M. E. Church. Then in 1919 Lyles Consolidated School
was built while Mr. W.A. Dill was Trustee of Patoka Township. In 1922
the white children were enrolled in Baldwin Heights School and Lyles
Consolidated School became an all black school. It continued in operation
until 1958 when a dwindling enrollment caused it to be integrated into
Baldwin Heights in Princeton, Indiana.
Written
by Mrs. Loretta Freeman
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