Blue River Academy
Athens of the West
The first emigrants to the county were well educated for that day. Many were college graduates who believed strongly in the importance of education. Washington County gained a reputation in the 1800s as an educational center, and the town of Salem became known as the "Athens of the West." During this time many students traveled from adjoining counties and from other states to attend the Washington County Seminary under the scholastic leadership of John I. Morrison, Rev. M.M.C. Hobbs and James G. May.The Quakers Advocate for Education for All
Quakers were always strong advocates for good schools and did much in early times to place Washington County in the front rank along educational lines. They believed in education for all, no matter what the gender or ethnic background of the person. The same source that evidenced the care of Native Americans states the need “to consider the establishment of an institution for the instruction of our youth”. The Hicksite Friends Meeting House itself was used as a schoolhouse for a period of time soon after it was completed.The Washington Academy
The Washington Academy was the forerunner to the Blue River Academy. It was built in 1817 by Quakers at the west end of Canton. Quakers built a brick school house in 1831 just east of the present meeting house. By 1860 that school was too small and in 1864 they built the current Blue River Academy.The Blue River Academy
In 1831, the Quakers built and operated a brick building named as the Blue River Academy located about one mile east of the Hicksite meetinghouse. This school gained widespread acclaim for its high academic standards, and students came from as far away as New Orleans to attend. The original Blue River Academy became overcrowded, so a larger schoolhouse was built in 1864. It was a "graded" school, offering four courses of study: primary, intermediate, grammar school, and high school. The cost of each twelve-week term ranged from $5 to $9. Students at the academy could obtain room and board in private homes nearby at a cost of $2 to $3 per week. The following is a fairly complete list of teachers at the Blue River Academy 1837-1838 - Joseph Trueblood and Barnabus C. Hobbs (assistant) 1839-1840 - Barnabus C. Hobbs and Samira Lindley (assistant) 1840-1841 - Benjamin Albertson 1848-1849 - Aquilla Timberlake, Jane Moore and Joanna Morris 1849-1859 - Aquilla Timberlake and Abram Trueblood 1850-1851 - Timothy Wilson and Catherine Trueblood 1851-1852 - Joseph Moore 1852-1853 - Cyrus Bond and Abigail Wilson 1854-1855 - Luther B. Gordon, Nathan White and Elizabeth Albertson and Samira Trueblood 1856-1857 - Emeline Trueblood and Rebecca Trueblood 1858-1859 - Robert Style and Emeline Trueblood 1860-1861 - Calvin W. Pritchard 1862-1863 - Thomas Armstrong, Dorcas Armstron & Sarah Trueblood 1864-1865 - Thomas Armstrong & Hannah Roberts 1866-1867 - Joseph Hunt & Angelina Harvey 1867-1868 - William P. Pinkham & Lydia StantonListing Details
Year Established
1831
Element
School House
Status
Plaque Only - No Building
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