Was built in 1909 at the corner of Smith and Pontiac streets, and named in honor of James H. Smart former superintendent of city schools. It opened on April 3, 1911, with an annex built in 1924, and closed in 1971.
Name Changed When New Structure Goes Up in Tenth Ward.
The Fort Wayne school board has closed the deal for the purchase of a new site for the Tenth ward school which is to replace the present Holton avenue building at East Creighton and Holton avenues. The new location is at the southwest corner of Smith and Pontiac streets, comprising a tract 200x350 feet in area, for which the board has paid. Mrs. Margaretha Geptert the sum of $5,700 under authority given it by city council at the meeting on Tuesday evening.
It is also announced that when the new school is erected it will no longer be known as the Holton avenue school. It is to be removed entirely from that thoroughfare, and adhering to the old name in that event will, it is believed, result in confusion. The board has not yet determined on a name for the new school, and is for the present denominating it "Tenth the ward" school.
The new location is five or six squares, southwest of the site of the Holton avenue school, and the change was made desirable from the fact that the Bowser oil tank works/has grown until it reaches the school property and the noise interferes with efficient work at the school. The present property will be placed upon the market when the new school is completed and occupied by pupils.
TWO HANDSOME PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO BE ERECTED IN FORT WAYNE THIS YEAR.
Tenth Ward School, Smith and Pontiac Streets (Replacing Holton Avenue School.)
The city's two new public school buildings the Tenth ward school and West Washington street school are to be structures of which Fort Wayne can well be proud. Both buildings are to be of pressed brick with white stone trimmings and fireproof and modern in all particulars. The plans of the Tenth ward school will be situated at the corner of of Holton avenue and Smith streets were prepared by Architects. Griffith & Fair, and Contractor Paul Kinder has secured the contract for erecting this structure, the figures of his contract being $85,000 exactly. During the erection of the building the pupils will continue their studies in the old structure, at the corner of Holton avenue, and East Creighion avenue.
Henry W. Meyer is the architect who formulated the plans for the Washington street building which will be situated at the corner of West Washington and Union streets. For the erection of this building Contractor James M. Henry's figures of $76,890 were the lowest and he was awarded the contract. The Washington street pupils will attend school in the old high school building on East Wayne street during the building of the new school. It is aimed to have both buildings completed within a year from the coming fall and each of the contractors is making arrangements to take up the work immediately.
Title is Suggested for the New Public School in Tenth Ward.
While no action has been taken as yet, there is a possibility that the new public school to be erected at Smith and Pontiac streets, in the Tenth ward, may be named the James H. Smart school.
This suggestion has been made to the school board, and it is understood that Superintendent Study favors it. The new school will replace the present Holton avenue building that from that thoroughfare, the name Holton, will in all probability pass with it. The board has taken no action regarding a name beyond the understanding that the new school is to be temporarily known as the Tenth ward school. The name James H. Smart is suggested as a tribute to the memory of a distinguished educator who was once superintendent of the Fort Wayne schools, and later became state superintendent of public instruction and president of Purdue university.
For Second Time Disease Is Discovered at Tenth Ward School.
For the second time this year smallpox was found yesterday at the Tenth ward school building, A seven-year-old boy by the name of Coudrey was discovered with a well-defined case of the disease and was sent to his home on Creighton avenue, where the Coudrey family was placed under quarantine.
The school was dismissed for the remainder of the day and to-day to will be fumigated again. Acoording to Dr. H. O. Bruggeman, secretary of the city board of health, the present small epfdemic of smallpox in Fort Wayne originated in this school last spring. Monday morning all children returning to school will, be required to be vaccinated or present a physician's certificate of vaccination before they will be readmitted to their classes. This is the third school in the city in which smallpox has been discovered in the past few weeks, the Precious Blood, Hoagland and Hamilton schools haying already been fumigated for the disease.
The epidemic, although small, somewhat interferes with the school work because of the fact that some parents take their children from school rather than permit them to be vaccinated.
Tenth Ward School to be named James H. Smart School
TENTH WARD TO. BE KNOWN AS "JAMES H. SMART" SCHOOL.
The new Tenth ward school, which is rapidly nearing completion and which will probably be open for occupancy in plenty of time for the new fall term, has been named by the school board the "James H. Smart" school. Mr. Smart was one of the first superintendents of the Fort Wayne public schools.
This school is the first one of the many city institutions to be named for an individual. The others are all named according to their locality, either the street on which they are located or the suburb which they draw their scholars. It is considered probable that the naming of the schools for individuals will be followed in the other schools which will later be erected.
A letter has been received by Fort Wayne friends from Mrs. James H. Smart, widow of the late James H. Smart, in which she states that she is highly gratified to hear the local school board has decided to name the new Tenth ward school butiding after her late husband. She states that he worked hard in the upbullding of the local school system and in after years followed its course with the greatest interest. Mrs. Smart, who now resides at Tryon, N. C., has forwarded to the school board a large picture which will be of Mr. Smart to the school board to be hung in a prominent place in the new building.
The bullding will be open to the public for inspection this afternoon from 9 to 5 o'clock, with Ashbaugh's Anthony orchestra in attendance.
SCHOOL CLASS IN CALESTHENICS IN FRONT OF NEW JAMES H. SMART SCHOOL
The above picture represente the pupils of the James H. Smart school engaged in calesthenic exercises in front of the school building. The pupils will participate in the annual feld day event at the driving park this afternoon and will take a prominent part in many of the exercises.
Forester Carl Getz Will Deliver Two Talks to School Children on Arbor Day (Friday).
Friday will be fittingly celebrated in the city schools as Arbor day, and in at least two of them special exercises will be held, with Forester Carl J. Getz delivering talks. At the James H. Smart school the children will plant nineteen American elms donated for the purpose by the firm Griffith & Fair, who designed the new building. The trees will be planted in the playgrounds directly adjoining the school, and the work will be done by the youngsters under the direction of Mr. Getz, who at 2 o'clock will deliver a talk "Tree Planting" for the children, An extensive program calculated to instill into the minds of the children a love for trees and plants will be followed out.
At 3 o'clock Mr. Getz will deliver a talk at the Miner school on "The Significance of Arbor Day and the Lesson It Should Teach the Children." The parents of the children of both schools hare been invited to hear the lectures and enjoy the programs.
The children of the James H. Smart school are today being vaccinated in wholesale lots by the health department and private physicians, and until they have been inoculated the school will not be released from its closing order, placed on it by the health officers because of a discovery of a case of smallpox in the building. Pauline Bowser, 3115 Holton avenue, attended the school while suffering from an attack of smallpox contracted from the children of the Louis Deck family, 2312 Holton avenue. This is the second school to be ordered closed within a few weeks, the department locking the doors of the St Peter's parochial school for the same reason.
THERE NOW ARE TEN CASES OF THE DISEASE IN FORT WAYNE.
Practically All the Children in the James H. Smart School Are Vaccinated.
There now are ten cases of smallpox iIn the city, the latest patient being Sarah Wagner 3115 Holton avenue. Isabel Campbell, employed as a domestic in the home of the Deck family, 2312 Gay street and living at 911 West Fourth street, is suffering from the disease, undoubtedly having concontracted it while living at the Deck home. Practically all the children attending the James H. Smart school have been vaccinated and are being allowed to resume their school work. No cases have developed in the Bloomingdale school and until some are located wholesale vaccination will not be ordered. Dr. J. H. Gilpin, secretary of the health department, believes that the mild epidemic has been checked.
KINDERGARTNERS OF JAMES H. SMART SCHOOL ENJOY THEIR ANNUAL OUTING AT WEISSER PARK WEDNESDAY
Under the supervsion of Amelia Kohler and Gladys Welker, teachers, the kindergartners of the James H. Smart school enjoyed their annual picnic Wednesday afternoon at Weisser Park. The camera man interrupted them while they were eating their box lunches. Those who appear in the picture are: Andrew Grüber, Jr., Paul Ayers, Robert Bill, Russell Brenneman, Kenneth Cornelius, Harold Dammier, Earl Fousnaught, Gordon Goodrich, Walter Hillig, Robert Kruften, Joseph Leedy, Ralph Meyers, Jack Morris, Richard Peterson, Richard Pinkham, Robert Reiman, Carl Revert, Theodore Sampson, Dale Schulte, Gilbert Sloan, Walter Stoppenhagen, Lawrence Wiley, Bernice Allen, Dalma Anderson, Margaret Casey, Melba Fonner, Irene Grane, Vera Grodrian, Mildred Habig, Louise Hahn, Edith Ladd, Lavon Sherrick, Marguerite Smith, Dorothy Steldte, Esther Robinson, Earl Bolyard, Robert Caines, Edward Gerke, Walter Hammer, Melvin Hendricks, Raymond Lepper, Garland Meyers, Hilbert Norwald, Merlin Pattee, Norman Schlink, Harold Schulte, Morris Schoephe, Virgil Saurer, Oren Simonds, Lester Stevens, Richard Todd, Homer Walda, Robert Wass, Clarence Welch, Harry Wright, Howard Kriesch, James Magee, William Galentine, Charles Bobilya, Arthur Emerson, Howard Stephan, Ruth Ballard, Violet Becher, Velma Heger, Bernice Hoffman, Dorothy Jones, Elsie Keller, Mildred Lee, Frieda Leith, Cleo Shatter, Maurice Sommers, Carmen Thomas, Evelyn Rose.,Verna Weitfelt, Linda Weldemann, Lena Weldemann, Dorothy Yarian, Janiece Kunberger, Adelle Witte, Ruth Rouch, Velora Repine. Elisabeth Kelty, Mildred Christman.
Small Boy, in Good Health, Spreads the Disease Germs.
The spread of diphtheria in the James H. Smart school is halted. It stopped with the removal of Lawrence Wiley, aged seven, 2403 John street, who is now quarantined in his home.
Lawrence is apparently well and hearty and yet in his throat thrives thousands of diphtheria germs. His case is one of the eniginas of science and he is termed by medical men as a "disease carrier." His freedom has been the menace of the boys and girls who played with him and he has been the source of the epidemic of diphtheria, which has swept the lower grades of the east end school.
Reports of diphtheria from pupils in the James H. Smart school arrived at the city health board office in alarming numbers last week. When every precaution had been taken to protect children no apparent reason for the continued epidemic could be located.
Dr. L. P. Drayer, secretary. to the health board in the absence of Dr. J. H. Gilpin, began working on the theory that there might be a "disease carrier" in the school. He ordered that a culture be taken of every boy and girl in the first three grades of school.
A health officer was sent to the building on Friday to make the test. He examined all the throats in the first grade without locating a diphtheria symptom. Lawrence Wiley, frail but bright eyed, formed in the line of the second grade pupils. The doctor could scarcely believe what his eyes told him when he examined the boy's throat and then made a careful culture. Wiley has diphtheria germs, his throat is filled with them, but not diphtheria. He has been carrying the germs to other boys and girls.
The lad was placed under quarantine. Health officers ordered that his tonsils must be removed and all symptoms of diphtheria eradicated before he can return to school.
This is the first case of its kind ever exposed in Fort Wayne schools. Epidemics have caused many deaths in the past which might have been checked if the "disease carrier" had been located, physicians say, The theory that many diseases are spread by carriers, who themselves are not made ill by the germs, is growing among health men.
In the future a hunt will be made for the "carrier" whenever more than three cases of contagion are reported in any locality of the city. Disease germ carriers are the bane of army physicians. Fevers and other forms of illness are often spread along the line by some fellow who is well enough himself and yet carries a host of typhoid or scarlet fever or some other illness germs on his body.
"Get the carrier" is the cry of the army surgeons. It is being taken up by the Fort Wayne health board with gratifying result.
Every Preparation Made for Defensive Against Disease.
School board members were asked by the health board officials, Wednesday, to colaborate in preventing an epidemic of contagious disease in Fort Wayne schools. The board of education will join in combatting the growing forces of diphtheria and scarlet fever.
Every pupil in every grade of every city school is to be examined by physicians as soon as possible. It is hoped to have the cultures and examinations completed by the week end.
The school physicians will be used in the work and health officers will help in making the tests.
"The contagion list among children is growing every day," said a health board member, Wednesday. "The only way of preventing a sweeping epidemic is to get at the source of the germ life: We will take all pupils out of school who are sick or have sore throats."
The value of the examination of pupils is shown in the case of Clarence Beatty, 3718 Holton avenue, who was taken from the James H. Smart school when it was discovered that his throat was inflamed. The Beatty lad was removed the class room on Friday and on Wednesday it was announced that he had scarlet fever.
The boy had been taken from school before his disease had reached the contagious state. In another day he would have been spreading the fever germs and many more cases would have resulted.
Three new cases of diphtheria were reported from the ranks of the James H. Smart school pupils on Wednesday. Another case is that of Arnold Lee, 2145 Fox avenue, eighteen years old.
Attendance is 612 More Than During First Month of Last Year.
CLASSES AT HIGH SCHOOL HOLD 958
James H. Smart School Has Record Grade Enrollment of 708 Pupils.
The city schools of Fort Wayne have an enrollment of 8,481 pupils, according attendance report for the opening month. The number is an increase of 612 over the largest school attendance of last year.
In the high school there are 958 stddents which is a gain of more than sixty students over last year or any previous term.
There are 7,473 pupils in the grade schools, the open air school and the vocational school of the city. The James H. Smart school has largest attendance and the banner attendance for any grade school has the largest attendance and the banner attendance for any grade school in the history of Fort Wayne. There are 708 boys and girls in the James H. Smart school. In the Bloomingdale school there are 682 pupils.
The attendance by schools, compiled from the September report, follows:
School. Attendance.
High school 958
Normal school 27
Vocational school.
111
Open Air school 18
Adams132
Bloomingdale 683
Clay. 415
Franklin 196
Hamilton 546
Hanna 543
Harmar 666
Hoagland 465
Jefferson 497
Lakeside 350
McCulloch 190
Miner 517
Nebraska 463
Rudisill 220
Smart 708
South Wayne 358
Washington 375
Total enrollment 8431.
1916-1917, same month. .
.... .. 7819
Sixty Tons Thrown Out of James H. Smart School; Claimed to Be Slate:
There was a hand grenade thrown into the meeting of the school board in session yesterday afternoon, when Conrad Leidolf, janitor-in-chief, presented a sample of the coal which had been delivered to the James H. Smart school, informed them that there were sixty tons, which would not measure no much better than the samples of slate that he brought in to demonstrate his statement. The school hoard will lose no time in making a thorough investigation. When the coal contract was let the bidding was spirited among practically all the prominent coal dealers of the city and the contract, along with stipulation as to grade and kind of coal was carefully gone over and thoroughly understood.
#TBT James H. Smart School was located at Pontiac and Smith streets. It was built in 1909 and by 1931, it housed 1,100 students. The building was closed in 1969 and replaced with Whitney Young Elementary.
#TBTJames H. Smart School was located at Pontiac and Smith streets. It was built in 1909 and by 1931, it housed 1,100 students. The building was closed in 1969 and replaced with Whitney Young Elementary.
Comment: Built in 1910 and had an addition in 1925. Closed in 1971. Named after the first superintendent after the high school began. He became the State Superintendent, then the fourth president of Purdue.
A class at James H. Smart School in 1969. The school had a main building (built 1909) and annex (built 1924). #TBT
A class at James H. Smart School in 1969. The school had a main building (built 1909) and annex (built 1924).#TBT
The Allen County Public Library recently posted several issues of the Smart Messenger, the newspaper of James Smart School. You can take a trip back in time at https://bit.ly/2FiEr8I. #TBT
The James H. Smart School was an elementary school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, located at the corner of Smith and Pontiac streets, and named in honor of James H. Smart, former superintendent of city schools. It opened on April 3, 1911, and at the time was hailed for its modern construction with fireproof materials. An annex was added in 1924 as the population grew. Over time, the school’s student body became largely African American, and it became a target for a boycott in September, 1969 on account of its being segregated. After the school system was reorganized to better integrate students, the James H. Smart School closed in 1971.
James H. Smart School as it looked in 1946. The structure was built between 1914 and 1924 and had 1,100 students in 1931. #TBT
