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We are indebted to Mr. H. Marvin for so much of his address at the closing exercises of the High School as serves to place upon the record the history of our schools from A.D. 1821 to the present time, a period of over fifty years, and doubt not our readers will peruse it with as much interest as we have.  We are sorry we had not room for his entire address

Mr. Marvin said:

In the year 1817 commenced the settlement of the "Blackfork" that designated this particular locality.  During the seasons of 1818, 1819, 1820 and 1821, it was raised to that dignified condition, that a school must needs be had.  During the year A.D. 1821, the school house became a reality.  It was built "over the run" in that part of our town now known as "Texas".  The first teacher in that log cabin school house was 'Aunt Debby Moyer', as she was familiarly called.  Terms, nine shillings per week, and board herself.  During the second term of the school, the house was burned down.  The second building was erected on the corner now occupied by Messrs. Lybarger, Farrar & Co., during the year 1822.  Like its' predecessor, it was a log cabin, and not a very pretentious one either, but served its' purpose until 1831, when it too became a victim of the devouring element.  The third and last of the log cabin series was upon west Main Street, where now stands the barn of Benjamin Orton.  It was in this log cabin that we took our first lessons as a school boy.  During these years, the settlement on the Blackfork had changed in name and took on that of Gamble's Mills, by reason of the erection of a log cabin horse mill, on the corner where now stands the Drug Store of Kerr & Marvin, where at, the neighbors were wont to assemble, and while waiting for their grists, discuss the new arrivals in the neighborhood.  In the year A.D., 1834, the settlement had so prospered and increased in numbers, that a village was proclaimed, laid out upon the joint lands of James Gamble and Henry Whitney and "Shelby" was the name given to the infant village. **

It was soon apparent that a new school house, one more commodious, must take the place of the round log cabin one on the "west road".  Accordingly a new frame edifice was erected in the year 1835, on the north road, upon the premises of Jay Smiley (the building now owned by Wallace Moore) who, ever a friend of progress and education, granted a free lease of the ground, "so long as it shall be used for school purposes".  Into this new school house were moved the desks ad the five legged benches of the old one.  The desks were ranged around the outside, fastened to the wall in true primitive style.  One material improvement placed in this new school house was a ten-plate stove.  No old fashioned fire place could obtain here.  The march of time demanded this.  That particular ten-plate stove was cast at the "Mary Ann Furnace".  We know that, because it said so in large raised letters, that were quite as conspicuous as the stove itself.  During the warm and sunny days of summer, our juvenile eyes thought that Mary Ann not particularly handsome;  but when in the cold winter it glowed with radiant heat, and kept our little toes so warm and nice, we then thought her beautiful, nay more, we resolved to call all our stoves in future, "Mary Ann".  But time proclaimed a war against those old desks and slab seats.  They were replaced by wooden seats and desks combined.  A blackboard of small size finally found its way into the school room, and for a long time it was thought a wonderful feat for a scholar to walk up to that blackboard and work a question in the rule of three, and demonstrate the same before the whole school;  few there were, having the courage to dare and do.

There is little improvement to note in our schools from that period, until the adoption of the constitution of Ohio of A.D. 1850, wherein was embodied the principle of the right of taxation of property for the support of common schools.  The Legislature during the winters of 1851, '52 and '53, passed what is known as our free school law, considered by many of our best educators as the best school law in the United States.  The passage and publication of this law, dated May 3d., 1853, had a most wonderful and vitalizing effect upon the interest of education in Ohio.

After the building of the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark Railroad, in 1846, it became evident that increased facilities must be furnished.  Accordingly about 1850 a new building was erected in East Shelby (for such a place had developed by reason of the new railroad) giving two schools to Shelby village district.  In 1854, the two buildings now occupied as primary and secondaries in both east and west town, were erected, and all the youth of the village were gathered therein to receive lessons of learning and wisdom, the other and older buildings being disposed of as of no further use.

Another ten years go by, and yet another building is demanded, and a lot purchased of Eli Wilson, and a building erected thereon known as the Shelby High School building.

Then followed the grading of the schools, which in its inception was imperfect of course, but it was a step in the right direction, and that once taken, leads on to beneficent results, the fruits whereof we are now but beginning to realize.

During the summer of 1869, the Junction School building was erected. 

The enumeration of the youth in Shelby between the ages of five and twenty-one for the years named were as follows:

Thus we note a gradual increase from year to year, until the fall of 1874, gave us mails 297, females 318.  Total 615.

At the election for a Board of Education in 1854, there were 63 votes polled, of which John Mack received 17, Wm. Hiles 17, and Charles Gamble 16, whereupon they were declared duly elected and installed under the official term of the Shelby Board of Education.  At the spring election of 1856, there were twelve votes cast of which Thomas Mickey received five, and was thereby elected.  In 1856, six votes were cast, of which Stephen Marvin received three, and was declared duly elected.  If the interest in the cause of education could be measured by the number of votes cast at these elections, it might be said not to be alarming for its intense earnestness! but a year later 131 votes were cast.

The greatest number of votes cast at any election for a member of the Board of Education took place at the spring election of 1870, whereat 283 votes were polled.

The most exciting elections were those of June 2d. and 26th., 1872, respectively, whereat the subject of building our new school house was finally settled.  First by some misunderstanding and side issues, the building was defeated.  At the second election, June 26th., 335 vote were polled of which 189 were for, and 146 opposed, giving a majority of 43 in favor of going forward in this noble work.

On September 13th., 1869, the Board in establishing a course of study to be pursued, with rules and regulations for the government of the schools, issued this promise:  "Any scholar completing the course of study prescribed, shall be entitled to a certificate of graduation" and this night witnesses the second fulfillment of that promise, of which every citizen of Shelby must take a just pride. If with the facilities heretofore vouchsafed, this much of a good work is accomplished, what may we not anticipate in the near future, when we shall have moved -- 'out of the old house, into the new' and beautiful edifice preparing for us, by and through the will of the people, who toil and sacrifice for this magnificent gift so soon to be a reality.

** The name Shelby was given in honor of Isaac Shelby, a distinguished Revolutionary officer, from near Hagerstown, Maryland, afterwards Governor of Kentucky;  who performed valuable services in the Harrison campaign against the Indians in this section in 1813;  consequently Mr. John Gamble honored him with the name of their new town. -- Editor, NEWS

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