Early settlers in rural Hillsborough County had to homestead their land just like the pioneers of the West. And like the West, Florida had an extensive Native American population long before the first settlers arrived. Although historical records are inconsistent regarding the degree of conflict between the them and the early settlers, their presence did have a direct impact of the patterns of settlements throughout the state and in Hillsborough County.  Due to the threat (or perceived threat) of attack, most of the early settlements were located in close to forts such as Fort Dade, Fort Pierce, Fort Meade, and Fort Brooke in Tampa.

In the first half-century or so after the establishment of a Hillsborough County Board of Education and a Schools Superintendent, there were many private schools being conducted in homes, churches, community buildings, etc, scattered around the county.  The teachers, if not volunteers, and maintenance costs, were being paid from tuition fees. 

Most were one-room school houses with children of all ages at various levels of achievement.  Some had very few students and were taught in private homes.  Many had students of any age, but could have all been on the same or nearly the same basic educational level, just starting to read and write, and understand math. Some may have had a more advanced course being taught to the older students, but in the same room (if only one teacher) or in separate rooms at the same time, if more than one teacher was available.  Many were exclusively for females or for males.

The students attending those schools became some of the first pupils under the newly developing county education system; a system whose "seed" schools were those private schools, from in the heart of Tampa, to outlying areas of the county--and the county was much bigger than it is now.  It was some of these very same private schools, which over a period of years, appointed trustees, and petitioned the county for funding, and were approved by the County School Board.  They underwent a transition from private, tuition-based funding to county funding.  They went from privately owned buildings, to county financed, newly constructed buildings.  They went from privately employed teachers whose pay came solely from tuition, to partially or fully paid from the county payroll--and this didn't happen at the same time.

Mention of "public" schools in Tampa exists in various records as early as the 1850s,  By 1848, a school was in operation in the county courthouse.  Counts of the student population exist as early as 1866.  In 1868, the State of Florida's constitution provided for a board of public instruction, and in the same year, Hillsborough County elected a County Board of Public Instruction and a superintendent. 

The first written Hillsborough County record of education held in a "public facility" was established in 1848 when an educated Englishman, William P. Wilson, opened a school and was allowed the use of the County Courthouse in Tampa. 

1850 Census of William P. Wilson, Tampa

William P. Wilson was 45, occupation teacher, born in England.  His wife, Mary Wilson, was 34, born in KY.  Their daughter, Mary C. Wilson, was 15, born in AL.

The courthouse he would have used in 1848 was one built by Scotsman James McKay on the property bounded by Franklin St, Lafayette (now Kennedy Blvd.), Monroe St. (now Florida Ave.) and Madison Street. This became known as "Court house square"  and the building referred to as the "McKay courthouse."  There are no known existing photos of this courthouse.  The streets back then were no more than wide, sandy, cleared paths through the brush and palmetto scrub.   

In these years, the Hillsborough County Commission served as the Board of Education until 1869.  Unfortunately, shortly after Wilson's school opened, instruction was halted by the disastrous hurricane of Sept. 25, 1848 that destroyed most of the buildings close to the bay.

Read about this hurricane at The Final Battle for Fort Brooke and This Old House - The Historic Stringer House  (in the process up being updated.)

THE FIRST TWO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COURTHOUSES

THE LOG CABIN COURTHOUSE
The first county courthouse was built in Tampa largely by the efforts of Judge Augustus Steele, soon after the County of Hillsborough was organized from Alachua and Monroe counties on January 25, 1834, during the U.S. territorial period (1822–1845).  The new county was named for Wills Hill, the Earl of Hillsborough, who served as British Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1768 to 1772.

That little log courthouse was burned by the Indians at the outbreak of the Second Seminole War (1835-1842).  At that time, fewer than a thousand people lived in Hillsborough County and cattlemen came to the courthouse most often to complain about stolen livestock. And, of course, judges and attorneys traveled long distances by horseback or stagecoach to cover their “circuit," a name still in use today. 

THE "MCKAY" COURTHOUSE
When the first County Commissioners met in 1846, the general topics were taxes, transportation, a new courthouse and jail, and town development. The next year, the Commissioners accepted the bid of Captain James McKay to construct a courthouse, which was 20 ft x 45 ft. at a cost to taxpayers of $1,358.  This is the courthouse most refer to as the "The McKay Courthouse" or the "First courthouse"  although it was really the second one.  No photos have ever been found of this courthouse.

From E. L. Robinson's History of Hillsborough County:

This courthouse was completed and accepted from James McKay on January 3, 1848 and his bill paid; including ten dollars allowed for additional work.

This, the "first court house" of Hillsborough County, was erected on the block bounded by Lafayette, Franklin, Madison and Florida (Monroe St. back then). The entrance was on the south side and there was one large room for a court room and two small rooms on the west side for offices and jury rooms. The material for this building was brought to Tampa from Mobile by Captain McKay who had come to Tampa in 1846.

This building was soon outgrown and no longer adequate for the increasing business of the county. When a new building was ordered this building was sold to John H. Redbrook** who moved it to Franklin street. Later it was moved to the comer of Zack street and Florida avenue and used as a store house for the Peninsular Telephone Company.

**See correction to this later, in the section on "WHERE DID THIS SCHOOL MEET?"

THE "TAMPA SCHOOL"

The Tampa School was a reference to Haisley's male & female school; the terms were used interchangeably in the newspaper. By Feb. 1871, this school had 55 pupils.

The articles were a reference to the same school, the South Florida Male & Female Institute.  Their ad below was the same one they ran in the previous year, and it ran all year long in 1871, each week, even past the Oct. 17 opening date. No articles could be found about the progress of the school after opening, due to the loss of newspapers from 1872 through 1876. The tuition per quarter was subject to a deduction proportional to the funding it received from the county and state school boards.

This school had the most complete curriculum, especially for the intermediate and higher level courses, but it was far from being a public school, as the state and county funding would have been minimal at best.  This school was the most consistent over a period of several years in the 1870s, advertising in just about every weekly  issue of the Florida Peninsular.

W. F. WHITE SUCCEEDS A. WATROUS AS SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION IN 1871

In 1871, William F. White was appointed to the position of Hillsborough County schools superintendent by Florida's Governor Reed. 

It appears that White was either a young man, or not a resident of the county for very long, as the Peninsular questioned the appointment by stating,

"...but it does seem strange that no old citizen of Hillsborough County is good enough in the eyes of his Excellency** even for Superintendent of Public Schools.  Capt. W(hite) is, we think, the third new importation appointed as Superintendent of Public Schools..."

**This is sarcasm by the Peninsular.  Reed was a Reconstruction Republican governor, Tampa was a fervently Confederate Democrat town, and the Peninsular took every opportunity criticize Reed, who had previously appointed Ansel Watrous.

READ MORE ABOUT WILLIAM F. WHITE AT THIS BREAKOUT PAGE:  WHO WAS WILLIAM F. WHITE?
 

THE SCHOOL BOARD FORMS A COMMITTEE TO ESTABLISH QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHERS

The first available minutes to exist from school board meetings was one from Aug. 28, 1871.  Continuous records exist of the Board of Education's meetings, took place in the county courthouse on Dec. 10, 1871, at which time the Board recognized that a teacher must have some sort of qualifications other than a willingness to teach.  The Board,  consisting of Chairman John T. Givens, T. K. Spencer , Dr. F. Branch, and W. F. White, Superintendent and Secretary, appointed a committee to examine and to "certificate" teachers. 
 

SUPT. WHITE REPORTS ON THE DEC. 10TH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
Male & Female Academy becomes Tampa School No. 1 with change in one trustee

This article in the Dec. 23, 1871 Fla. Peninsular published the results of a Dec. 10th meeting as provided by W. F. White, the county schools superintendent. Nine schools and their trustees were approved, including Tampa School No. 1 with Trustees E. A. Clarke, W. B. Henderson, and D. I. Craft.  These were the same trustees as the Tampa Male & Female Institute except for D. Isaac Craft in place of Dr. Franklin Branch.

The Board decided to meet on the first of each month so that teachers could be examined and trustees appointed.  Those who wanted a school in their neighborhood were to submit the names of the trustees and teachers to the Board for approval and examination.  Supt. White assured the public that the school funds had NOT been expended in the Tampa Schools and would be distributed among all nine schools.  He was expecting the funding for the next school term would be enough for at least three months of free school in every neighborhood of the county, as soon after Jan 1 as possible.

Franklin Branch had probably resigned as Trustee and was replaced by D. Isaac Craft as it became Tampa School No.1, maybe due to Branch being appointed to the School Board.   In the next years of the 1870s into 1880, it is this school that would grow in attendance and County funding, and finally, move into a building specifically built and paid for by the county and becoming Tampa's first graded public school.

On the same page as the above notice, the Tampa Male & Female Institute announced that it was being funded enough to offer one term for no charge, starting on Jan 2, 1872.  This was a reference to funding by the County and possibly by the Peabody Fund.

THE GAP IN TAMPA NEWS HISTORY There are no Tampa newspapers online for 1872 through 1876.  The issues of the  Fla. Peninsular leading up the gap starting 1872 are in extremely damaged condition. With the resumption of newspapers in Jan. 1877 as Sunland Tribunes, those too are extremely damaged for the first few months. These were the beginning years of a well-organized school system, including the construction of the first public school building.  But all the news of it has be lost with the destruction of the newspapers, leaving only the county school board minutes.

TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS AND FUNDING

During the 1870s, there were very few qualified teachers throughout Florida. However, there is evidence that there was some form of teacher certification at that time. During a Board meeting in 1873, a Hillsborough County teacher's certificate was revoked for cause. The actual number of "certified" teachers in the district at the time is unknown.

On Jan. 6, 1872, the Board of Education passed its first school tax of 5 mils.  At this time, school taxes were used only for the operation of schools. The primary cost of operation was the meager salaries earned by teachers and administrators. Communities typically paid most of the cost of constructing their schools and parents supplied most of the school materials for their children.

The practice of charging tuition was still permitted in most public schools and many did this to supplement the limited funds they received from the Board of Education. Taxing for the purpose of school construction was still prohibited by law.

In 1872, schools were funded based on their enrollment.  Although the minutes do not provide names, their attendance and appropriations were reported as follows: 

Tampa School #1 housed 147 students and received $331.74.
Tampa School #2 housed 39 students and received $91.11. 
School #4 (possibly Grange Hall) housed 12 students and received $28.00.
School #7 (Joseph Casey's School) housed 31 students and received $72.44.

The per pupil allocation in this early record is interesting. Tampa School #I was allocated $2.26 per pupil, while Tampa School #2 was allocated $2.37 per pupil. The rural schools also received a higher per pupil allocations.

JOHN GIVENS BUILDS THE FIRST COUNTY-FINANCED SCHOOL HOUSE IN TAMPA

Between 1873 and 1875, the Board struggled with finding funds for the construction of new school buildings. There is no record of how the funds were raised or of the actual cost of the first school building in Tampa erected by the Board.  However, it would be known as Tampa School (i.e., School #I) and would completed in 1876.  (But was it really? Probably NOT.)

By E. L. Robinson:
In 1872 a tax of five mills for school purposes was asked by the Board of Education. In March of that year a committee was appointed to solicit stock for building a school house and to determine whether it was advisable to build. At a later meeting it was voted to see if help could he obtained from the Peabody fund.  Evidently there had been some difficulty in securing the funds for the school building.  There is no further record as to the method of raising money for the building or how much it cost. But in 1876 the first public school building in Tampa was erected by Mr. John T. Givens and his son, Darwin Branch Givens. This building facing on Franklin Street occupied one-half of the block between Madison and Twiggs Streets about where the Shaw-Clayton book store now is in the "Sparkman block."  

(The History of Hillsborough County Schools adds that it was built on land sold to the County for $400 by John Givens.)

This development was met with great dissent from county residents who felt that the Board had exceeded its authority in constructing the school. The controversy was finally settled through a statement from the Attorney General of Florida, who reasserted the authority of the School Board.

In 1888 the property here was divided into lots and sold. The last three lots were bought by Sparkman & Sparkman for $3,000.

John T. Givens and his family came to Tampa on Dec. 25, 1848, to help rebuild two months after the disastrous hurricane of 1848.  He is credited by some sources as having built Tampa's oldest and still existing house, the old Dr. Stringer/Imboden Stalnaker house.

DR. JOHN P. WALL SUCCEEDS W. F. WHITE AS SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION IN 1876

THE FIRST PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL (According to "The History of Hillsborough Co. Schools)

The first high school was opened in Tampa as Tampa High School. The advertisement in the Sunland Tribune, dated 1-6-1877, documented the existence of the first public high school program in the area**. "Tampa High School" operated with only three instructors, including the principal.

The School Board minutes concur with this newspaper ad.  Board minutes in 1876 appointed Professor Fellows as a teacher of School # 1 and principal of all other schools in Tampa. Later in 1877, Board minutes documented the appointment of Dr. Fellows as the first principal of Tampa School #1, also known as Tampa High School.  Perhaps the introduction of the name "Tampa High School" was an effort to differentiate the first high school program** from grammar school section of School #I.  The high school and elementary school shared the same facility during these early years.

In 1877, W. P. Haisley, who had been the principal at the Tampa Institute, was appointed to the position of State Supt. of Public Instruction. 

This Apr. 28, 1877 editorial below by the Sunland Tribune expresses the dissatisfaction with the current school funding system.  Apparently the whole county was treated as one big school district resulting in the majority of taxes raised in the denser population areas being appropriated to the schools in the less populated areas.  It points to the successful application of individual school districts in the North as an example, and advocates dividing the county into school districts, letting each district be independent in regard to levying taxes and appropriating them in support of its schools.

It also speaks to the lack of a free public High School program.

"Unless it can be rendered more successful than it has proven to be so far, it will continue to prove a positive disadvantage by its debauching effect on a large proportion of parents who depend solely on the school authorities to educate their children... Again, under existing laws, there is but one class of schools, so that all farther advances beyond a mere primary English education must be acquired at private expense."

This is evidence that a High School program in a free public school was still lacking.

 

WHO WAS W. P. HAISLEY? W. P. HAISLEY HIRED TO TEACH IN TAMPA   Although William didn't have an A.M. (Master of Arts), he did have an A.B. (Bachelor of Arts) and an LL.B. (Bachelor of Law) from some rather "high-toned" institutions. Learn more about W. P. Haisley and see just how "high-toned" he was.  See why he came, he taught, he left and returned.   THE BUSY LIFE OF WILLIAM PENN HAISELY   According to the combined research of several contributors, William Penn Haisley was the fourth of at least six children of Alexander Brown Haisley of N. Carolina and his wife Ann Phillips.  Born in Indiana in 1831, he did a bit of traveling before coming to Florida--the FIRST time and the SECOND time.

 

SCHOOL BOARD SETS TEACHER CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER PROCEDURES The County School Board met on Sep. 17, 1877 and set the school term for 1878 at four months with a rate of funding of $1 per pupil per month.  It ordered that all teachers must be examined before teaching, and the necessary paperwork turned in to the Superintendent for teachers to be paid.  Four teachers were examined and given second class certificates.  For areas that wanted a new school, parents and guardians had to petition the board and include names for Trustees to be reviewed and appointed.  Teachers were required to sign a written contract with the county superintendent before teaching, at which time they would receive a register book and necessary forms to fill out so they could get paid.  This would be enforced more rigidly than it had been in the past.  If a school needed to be suspended for a time, it was to be mutually agreed on by the Trustees, patrons, and and teachers, with time to be made up at the end of the term. SAUNDERS AND DUFFEE HIRED AS PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT It was also announced in the same issue of the Tribune that the Public School of Tampa would open on Oct. 1st for the new school year.  The principal was to be C. A. Saunders, a graduate of Emory College in Oxford, GA and the "recipient of the first honor" (class valedictorian.)  The teacher assisting him was to be Mrs. Duffie, who had taught a private school in Tampa during the previous summer, "and the rapid advancement of her pupils gave universal satisfaction to the patrons of her school."  She also had high recommendations from "distinguished gentlemen and classical teachers in Virginia where she had been teaching.  The School Board congratulated the school's trustees for securing the services of such competent teachers. The Board also urged the trustees to seriously consider hiring a good music teacher as soon as possible because it would not only bring in "many girl pupils from the country," there were many girls in town whose musical education should not be neglected.
Even though colored pupils were not allowed to attend Tampa's schools, the Tribune urged colored citizens in town to  lay aside their personal prejudices and start their own school!  The editor considered it "no difficult job to get up a school that could be funded with $200 from the Peabody Fund.

 

READ MORE ABOUT CLAUDE SAUNDERS AND WHAT THE "RECIPIENT OF THE FIRST HONOR" WAS.
Also see a photo of him, and find out what college he became the first president of.  All at "Who was Claude Saunders?"

 

FLORIDA PEABODY FUNDING CUT
In the fall of 1877, a Peabody Fund agent contacted State Schools Superintendent W. P. Haisley to notify him of a pending cut in funding.   .	Haisley had actually asked for more funding for the upcoming year, but in view of Mr. Sears's letter, Haisley responded asking that Florida not be cut off entirely, and be funded with enough so that schools here which have not yet been benefited by the fund could still be funded.  He asked for about one-half of the amount of funding from last year--$3,000.

 

A RARE DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY-FINANCED TAMPA SCHOOL No. 1 BUILDING

The building was located on the block north of the courthouse square.  It was a 2-story building that could easily accommodate 150 students.  It was being used as a graded public school for a scholastic year of nine months (not yet), and it was being funded from three sources: the County school fund, the Peabody fund, and private contributions, nearly in equal amounts.

If the building was being used for the high school,  the editor of the Tribune most likely would have taken the opportunity to boast about this great achievement.  To this point, no sources indicate that the high school operated in this building teaching a full high school program.

 

THE FIRST COUNTY-FINANCED & BUILT SCHOOLHOUSE
The Tampa School No. 1  building was located at what was in 1911 the 500 block of Franklin Street,1 between Madison and Twiggs Streets.  This is the block just north of the county courthouse as Doris' history states. 1889 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from University of Florida Digital Collections	In E. L. Robinson's "History of Hillsborough County" published in 1928, he states that the schoolhouse was located "where the Shaw-Clayton bookstore is now."  Tampa's 1927 city directory shows this bookstore was located at 509 Franklin St.   1Although the 1889 map at left shows the block north of the courthouse, between Madison and Twiggs, was the 600 block, the 1892 map below shows the addresses along Franklin St. were renumbered by 1892, and shows both the old 623 and the new address 509 Franklin St.  When Doris wrote her history in 1911, that location was 509.   The school's location was at the middle of the block of Franklin St., on the east side of the street around where this map shows "B & S" (which could stand for Books & Stationery.) Since yellow structures were wood frame buildings and the pink ones were brick, the old wooden school building (everything was built from wood in the 1870s) was apparently torn down and replaced by the brick structures seen here in 1889.
Present day aerial view of this block. Recently, this address is occupied by the CI Group. In 1929, E. L. Robinson provided the early history of Hillsborough County's education system in a Tribune article.  Having just published his book on the history of the county, the info would have been fresh on his mind.  This is an edited version with quite a bit of the mid-section removed.  See the WHOLE article here.

 

TAMPA INSTITUTE IS FLOURISHING, BUT LACKS PROFESSIONAL CAREER TEACHERS Mar. 30, 1878 - John P. Wall, editor of the Tribune, physician & surgeon, Mayor of Tampa and Superintendent of County Schools, praised the success of the school, but indicated that the present teachers and principal were not people who were pursuing education as their career: "Considering that it is the first successful attempt made in Tampa to maintain a graded school, the result so far is very gratifying, indeed, and speaks well for the public spirit of our citizens...By commencement of the next scholastic year, the Trustees of the school will be able to provide the Institute with experienced teachers who have followed teaching as a profession and consequently feel more identified with the success of the school than those who take such positions for temporary employment without expecting to follow it as a life business...success must depend on application and devotion to the calling..."
Oct. 5, 1878 - REPORT OF THE Sep. 30/Oct. 1 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING Teachers were examined and other business attended to, including establishment of new schools.  It was found impossible to lengthen the term of the schools beyond three months without running the school fund into debt due to "our population increasing disproportionately to our wealth."  The county taxable property was $600,000 and even with a maximum tax rate allowed by law, 5 mils, it would only yield around $3,000, yet there were between 1,100 to 1,200 children of school age.  (Under $2 per child.)  Citing 1870 Census figures, Florida was contributing more to free schools in 3 months than New York for the whole year, in proportion to their wealth.   In 1878, the "Tampa Institute" or School #1 was the first "graded" public school in the entire area of southwestern Florida.  Soon after, other schools followed with the "grading system," but most were private schools.   Schools' terms in the county were limited to three or four months, except for Tampa School which provided classes for 5 or 6 months. (Teachers were paid according to their "class" (i.e., certification & experience). - Class Two teachers received $30 per month. - Class Three teachers received $25 per month. - Superintendent's salary was set at $100 per year.
Although the above articles speak of a "graded school" it doesn't specifically mention a High School.  If the Tampa Institute had a complete high school curriculum,  its population would likely have been given in two groups, primary and high school.  A graded school is one where students have been segregated into various levels of learning capability and achievement, which generally advances with age:  1st Grade, 2nd Grade, etc.  This is in contrast to the old "Little Red one-room Schoolhouse" where students of all levels were taught in one big class simultaneously.  The High School was still being operated independently of the County School system, and therefore would not have occupied the the county-owned facility yet, as evidenced below in the Dec. 6, 1879 Tampa Journal.
TAMPA INSTITUTE FLOURISHING No article could be found in the Sep. or Oct. 1878 Tribunes regarding the start of the school term, however this Nov. 16 article indicates it had started with Mrs. Duffie as the Principal and Miss P. F. DeLaunay as her assistant, in charge of younger pupils.  Apparently Mr. C. A. Saunders, the highly-touted principal the previous year, was no longer a consideration, and  Mrs. Duffie was promoted. The article states the school was free to all whites in any portion of the county or living in town. There was an offering made of "the classics and higher branches" being taught by Mrs. Duffie, but no specific mention was made as to what the classes were. The Trustees now were Wm. B. Henderson and F. A. Clarke. It would appear that there still was no fully organized or complete high school curriculum, probably due to the teachers still not being professional, accredited career instructors. This is evidenced by the fact that every school term that commences has a different teacher and Principal from the previous term.   The higher classes probably still consisted of Latin, French and Stenography. WHO WERE MRS. DUFFIE and P. F. DELAUNAY? A search of Hillsborough County censuses for 1870, 1880 & 1885 finds no Duffies in 1870, and two Duffie families in 1880 living in a rural area: James M Duffie and wife Mary.  James is a blacksmith, Mary is keeping house.  George Duffie and wife Julia M, George is a farmer, Julia is keeping house.  Both Duffie families are on the 1885 census with neither of the wives having an occupation. It appears that Principal Mrs. Duffie was another non-career instructor who had talent to teach or lead a school.   P. F. DeLaunay was Pauline DeLaunay, a daughter of Tampa's 2nd Mayor and former Postmaster of Tampa, Alphonso DeLaunay, and his wife Victoria (Montes de Oca) DeLaunay. (She was his 2nd wife.)  They are on the 1860 Census of Tampa with "Polene" age 5.  His son, John A. DeLaunay, became the editor of the Tampa Morning Tribune in the late 1890s. 1860 Census, Tampa Widowed Victoria and her children are on the 1880 Census of Tampa with Pauline's occupation showing Teacher.
PUBLIC APATHY Even with the first successful construction of school buildings owned by the Board, great resistance continued from the public. Enrollment and attendance were disappointing, especially at the secondary level. A reporter for the Sunland Tribune appeared to be chastising the public when he wrote, "We regret the fact, but it seems nevertheless so, that a large majority of our citizens do not appreciate the advantage of education. They seem to be careless as to whether their children attend school or not and appear to leave it entirely to the option of the child. " In a later article, he continued in his attempt to convince the public by stating, "All money expended in educating our children is the most profitable investment that parents can make for their children's future." The above portion in bold comes from the Feb. 15, 1879 article below, which is actually in praise of the public for for taking more interest in supporting the schools, citing "a little upwards of 100 pupils on the register of the high school." This doesn't seem to be an attempt to convince as much as it does praise. The earlier article alluded to above has not been located, but the source of the above cites the entire paragraph as being from the Feb. 15, 1879 Tribune article. --TampaPix

This article specifically speaks of the success of the Tampa high school, now in its 5th month, which would indicate it started in Oct. 1878.  A page by page inspection of all the Sunland Tribunes finds no mention of school starting in Sep. or Oct.		This article refers to the Tampa High School as being independent of the "present school system" and expresses optimism in that regard.  Citizens of Tampa were growing dissatisfied with the present system of funding the schools as one school district.
		WHO WAS REV. W. F. NIGLES? See his censuses below.

1870 Census, Hillsborough Co, Pct. 4 Although this census shows his middle initial as "S," he was William F. Nigels as seen on his 1900 Census. William was a farmer, age 37, born in Prussia.  His wife was Harriet, age 23. 1880 Census, Hillsborough Co., Pct. 4 William F. Nigles Again, we see Mr. Nigles/Nigels was a farmer, born in Prussia (soon to become united as Germany.) He also appears on the State of Fla. agricultural census. 1900 Census of William F. Nigels, Pct. 4 Here Mr. Nigels had no occupation, age 66, married 37 years to Harriet, born in Germany, immigrated in 1850, was a naturalized citizen. His reputation as being a "good teacher" was probably in his church, but he was no career educator with a degree.

SUPERINTENDENT HENRY L. CRANE Before 1877, the school term was seldom more than three months, except in Tampa School No. 1 where it was sometimes five or six months.  In 1877 the minimum school term was fixed at four months and the teachers' salaries at $30 per month for 2nd class teachers and $25 for 3rd class teachers.  The county superintendent's salary was $100 per year. In 1879 Henry L. Crane became superintendent and secretary to the Board, serving until 1881.  In 1880, Crane illustrated the problem faced by the Board in NOT owning the facilities used for public education. He stated to the Board, "There are but few permanent buildings over which the Board has any control, and schools are often dependent and subject to the will of those owning the buildings, and are not always conveniently located. This makes a necessity for two schools sometimes, where one would be sufficient if the convenience of the whole community was looked to by the trustees."

Henry Lafayette Crane Photo from The City Council of Tampa, etc. HENRY L. CRANE - TAMPA CITY COUNCILMAN Councilman, August 11, 1873 – August 1874 President, August 14, 1877 – August 14, 1878 President, August 14, 1883 – August 13, 1885 President, August 13, 1886 – July 15, 1887 Councilman, March 4, 1892 – March 10 – 1893 Councilman, March 10, 1893 - March 9, 1894 Henry L. Crane's father, Henry A. Crane, was born in New Jersey in 1811 and worked as a clerk in Washington DC.  He came to Florida during the 2nd Seminole War and had a modest but successful military career in the 2nd and 3rd Seminole Wars. H.A. Crane was a man of moderate means, but his literary abilities provided him with the opportunity to serve in many minor political positions. After his enlistment expired, he settled in St. Augustine where he met and married Sophia Allen. Their only son, Henry Lafayette Crane, was born there on Sept. 25, 1838. In the 1840s the Cranes settled Orange County, near Fort Mellon, now part of Sanford. H. A. was a Clerk of the Circuit Court and in 1844, Gov. Moseley nominated him for judge of probate at Orange Co. In 1852 H.A. Crane brought his family to Tampa, gave up farming, and founded the Tampa Herald newspaper in 1852,  working full time as its printer and editor.  Later he was editor of the Florida Peninsular newspaper. H. A Crane was intelligent and inquisitive enough to profit from his readings about new inventions elsewhere in the world. He became interested in photography during its early development, and six years after ambrotype photography was introduced, he listed his occupation as an ambrotype artist. During the Civil War H.A. was a Unionist, a captain and later a major in the Second Florida Cavalry, U. S. Army.  After the war, the Republican H.A. settled in Key West where he served as clerk of the circuit court and as state senator. He was also editor of the Key West Dispatch and, subsequently, founder and editor of the Key of the Gulf.  But his son, H. L. Crane joined the Confederate forces as Chief Musician of the Fourth Florida Infantry, CSA.  H.L. Crane and the Ferris brothers, Josiah and William, had been members of the Tampa Brass Cornet Band, organized March 31, 1860, by J. A. Butterfield.  H.L. was captured near Spring Hill, Tennessee, Dec. 21, 1864, confined at Camp Chase, Ohio, and released Feb. 18, 1865. H. L. Crane later owned and operated the Orange Grove Hotel with his wife for many years in the 1870s and 1880s.  It was located near the present day intersection of Madison St. & East St. There is a historical marker in downtown Tampa where hotel was once located.  The hotel was built in 1859 originally as the home of cattleman William B. Hooker, Florida's pre-Civil War "cattle king." During the Civil War, it was used as Tampa's Confederate Headquarters. It is where Tampa pioneer Joe Robles marched his captive Union soldiers in the winter of 1863.          Judge Henry L. Crane and his wife, who operated the hotel in 1876, are said to be standing on the left side of the second floor porch. Poet Sidney Lanier has been identified by contemporaries as the man standing on the far right side of the second floor porch with his leg propped on the rail. But D. B. McKay in the Tampa Tribune, March 6, 1955, said Lanier is standing at the left end of the first floor veranda. Located at 806 Madison Street. The original of this photo was owned by Mrs. Samuel E. (Mary Hooker) Hope, later Mrs. Clara (Hope) Baggett and then by Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Vinson of Tarpon Springs.

In 1866, Hooker converted his home into a hotel and sold it to D. Isaac Craft, father of Isaac S. Craft.  D.I Craft, who at the time was the Sheriff, was in charge of the jail.  While he tended to the prisoners in the jail, his wife ran the hotel.  Later, he sold the hotel to Judge Crane, whose wife was Meroba Hooker, dau. of Wm. B. Hooker.  Meroba was widowed for several years from her first marriage as Mrs. Solon B. Turman.  Together, Henry L. and Meroba Crane  operated the hotel for many years into the 1880s. H.L. was elected as Tampa’s City Clerk in 1869, but like the council members who were elected from 1869-1973, he never served due to the dissolution of the government when the City of Tampa intentionally let its City Charter elapse. Along with fellow council members Edward A. Clarke and Josiah Ferris as well as former council member William Gould Ferris, Sr., Judge Crane was one of the founders of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.   On Aug. 11, 1873, the registered voters in Tampa held an election and voted to establish the Town of Tampa. Crane was elected as one of the new council members and go on to serve a total of six terms on Tampa’s City Council.  In 1879 Henry L. Crane was elected as Superintendent of Public Education and served until 1881. He was also appointed to U.S. Commissioner in the 1870s as judge, a position he held for about 40 years.

MORE COUNTY-OWNED BUILDINGS AND BETTER PAY NEEDED TO ATTRACT PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS Throughout the late 1800's, the salary teachers received from the Board remained very low. In most cases, these wages were not sufficient for the living expenses of the times. To compensate for this, teachers commonly received a range of "fringe benefits" from the community in which they taught. For example, in the rural areas of the county, teachers commonly lived in a home of a school trustee, or in the home of one of their students. In many of these "living arrangements," teachers also were provided with their meals. However, the problem of this living arrangement was the lack of freedom and privacy in the personal life of the teacher. In addition to room and board, schools were still permitted to charge some form of "tuition" even though they were considered "public schools". It is likely that this "tuition" varied greatly based on each family's socioeconomic status. Tuition, along with other forms of contributions from the participating families, was used to supplement the meager salaries provided by the Board. AN IMPASSIONED PLEA FOR SCHOOL BUILDING FUNDS - May 3, 1879 A Tribune reader wrote the editor of the Tribune addressing the need for funds to build a school house on Nebraska Ave.  Apparently a circular was being passed around soliciting aid for this purpose.  There weren't enough residents in the area to provide funding themselves and states that everyone should be interested in the need, not just the local residents, because it would benefit the community at large. The necessity was made known about a year earlier, by the women of the community, and "the wheel revolved very well until some of the spokes fell out and the tire tired out."  Fearing a complete abandonment of their need, they had a meeting, elected officers, made some rules and regulations, and prepared themselves with determination to have a building constructed before half the summer was over. Joe Robles, early Tampa pioneer, merchant, and civic leader who lived in the area, donated land for a school building. The writer praises Robles, and adds "long may he live to see his good work increase and 'flourish like a green bay tree.'" He pleads for support not just in word, but to "put your hands in your pockets giving us liberally, knowing after many days it will come back to you ten-fold, for this building is intended for all purposes of public benefit." He apologizes for asking the Editor directly in this way, and adds "but you may hear from us gain."   TRIBUNE EDITOR CRITICIZES MOTHERS FOR OVERDRESSING THEIR CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL Dr. John P. Wall, Mayor of Tampa and Editor of the Tribune, turns his sharp tongue from criticizing political opponents, to criticizing mothers who "have been too busy with their [children's] clothes, to pay much attention to their [children's] brains.  He says the purpose children being in school "...is not the display of the wealth or tenderness of their parents" and that anything that diverts attention from learning is an injury to the student, instead, working against them.  Even teachers would agree that "fine clothes oftener work mischief to their wearers than mean clothes do."  He believes simplicity should characterize their dress, that the "highest-minded children are oftenest found in plain garb, while these be-ringed and be-ruffled and otherwise showily attired are generally quite destitute of intellectual home culture."  He stresses personal cleanliness over dress, and in that regard he suggests the student have two suits, "for in the crowded school-room the clothing soon becomes saturated with the exhalations floating in the atmosphere, and an airing of the clothes every three days is necessary to keep them fresh and sweet."     TEACHERS CHOSEN FOR THE FALL TERM OF 1880 The fall school term for 1880 was to start on Oct. 4 with Mrs. Scull and Mrs. Nunez as teachers. WHO WAS MRS. SCULL? Her obituary in 1904 would reveal that she was the widow of Rev. William D. Scull, and a daughter of John M. Verdier of Beaufort, SC.  This means she was a sister of Miss Verdier, the teacher in charge of the aforementioned "Miss Verdier's School."   The missing Verdier "puzzle pieces" linking the two ladies are found on the separate page, "The Search for Miss Verdier" and her school of 1876. WHO WAS MRS. NUNEZ? The other teacher was  Arabella Helen Nunez, widow of early Tampa settler and merchant Robert F. Nunez.    ROBERT F. NUNEZ Robert Flournoy Nunez was born in 1826 in Appling Co, Georgia and came to Florida during the late 1840s. There was a great influx of settlers to Tampa just after the devastating hurricane of late Sept. 1848, mostly because of the need to rebuild the city.  Many were carpenters and laborers.  Robert probably came in the fall of 1848 or in 1849.  According to his 1850 Census in Hillsborough County, Robert was living in the 19th Division at the Manatee settlement, which was the area around the Manatee River, now the Bradenton/Palmetto area.  It wasn't until 1855 that Manatee County was created from the southern part of Hillsborough County.  On his 1850 Census, Robert was 24 and listed as a laborer. 1850 Census 19th Division, Manatee Settlement Robert was living among many unrelated persons with varied occupations--shoemaker, Methodist minister, laborers, and teachers. In the 1850s Robert came to Tampa and was working as a clerk (in the general store of Kennedy & Darling where he was known to have worked) when listed on the 1860 Tampa census. 1860 Census, Tampa Robert, Nancy & Emma Nunez In Robert's home was 40 year old Nancy Nunez, born in GA, and 14 year old Emma Nunez, born in LA. This census didn't list relationships or marital status, but additional research reveals who Nancy and Emma Nunez were.  Find out how they were related on this separate page, Nancy & Emma Nunez.  No family connection to the Irish Methodist preacher W. L. Murphy has been made. In 1860, after the census, Robert rented a store room on the ground floor of John Darling's new building at Washington and Tampa St. and started a general store of his own.  He offered everything you could imagine, "ENTIRELY NEW and WELL SELECTED," "NO OLD OR SHOP-WORN STOCK ON HAND" including goods "never before brought to this market," but did not sell liquor.  He even sold his sundries "VERY LOW for CASH" or in trade for country produce.   This short ad indicates he was still in business in April 1861.   The business center of Tampa back then was at Washington and Tampa Streets where there was located a number of establishments.  Among them, the general stores of John Jackson, Christopher L. Friebele and Robert F. Nunez, which carried all human needs from the cradle to the grave.  To supply the needs of settlers in a greater surrounding area, Tampa boasted of having seven more large general stores in those times: W.G. Ferris & Son, Capt. James McKay, E. A. Clarke & Co., Kennedy & Darling, Michael Wall, L. G. Covacevich  and Jose Vigil.   All these establishments advertised that they were wholesale and retail dealers in fancy and staple dry goods, hats and caps, boots and shoes, ready made clothing for men and women, hardware and crockery, plantation tools, Yankee notions, woodware and hollowware, ship chandlery and paints, a complete line of provisions and fine groceries, wines, and liquors (except Nunez). Robert F.  Nunez married on July 26, 1862 to Arabella Helen Craft, a daughter of Samuel Charles Craft and Margaret S. Mathers.  Samuel was pastor of the First Baptist Church, private school teacher, editor of the Fla. Peninsula in the early years, and later a lawyer.   .           Arabella was born Feb. 21, 1846 at Jefferson Co., Fla 1850 Census, Jefferson Co, FL Sam Craft family In 1850 Sam Craft was a school teacher.  Arabella was age 4 and the second of four children listed here.    1860 Census, Madison Co, FL Sam Craft family Now in 1860 the Craft family was in Madison County.  This record was pieced together because Sam Craft was the last line on the page and the rest of his family on the top of the next page.  The enumerator wrote "Craft" for the first entry on the next page, instead of Margaret, Sam's wife. Margarite, age 9 and May, age 6, were born between the censuses so in all, Arabella one of six children.   Robert Nunez and Arabella Craft had two children, Ruby, who was married to I. S. Giddens. a pioneer grocer of Tampa, and Robert F. (Jr.), who was married to Ellen Hale.  Ruby Nunez and I.S. Giddens had three children: Genevieve Giddens, who married Dr. Sheldon Stringer, Daisy Giddens and Mary Giddens. The children of Robert F.  Nunez, Jr. and Ellen (Hale) Nunez were: Robert (III), Mary, John and Paul. R. F. NUNEZ JOINS THE CSA Robert (I) joined the CSA on Mar. 10, 1862 in Tampa as a 3rd Lieut. of Co. B, 7th Florida Regiment. A year later on Mar. 10, 1863 he was promoted to Captain.  He fought in Tennessee and Kentucky and was in Bragg's famous march. Not accustomed to the colder climate, he contracted pneumonia from which he never fully recovered. Because of his illness he was released from the army on Aug. 8, 1863 and returned to Tampa. **Grismer says that R.F. Nunez sold his store and joined the Confederate Army.  Image from Find-A-Grave by Jerry Barnard     MRS. NUNEZ'S SCHOOL According to Education: From Its Beginnings in the Territory To Present, by Norma Goolsby Frazier, The Sunland Tribune, Vol. 19, Nov. 1993, Journal of the Tampa Historical Society, Mrs. Nunez opened her school in 1862 shortly after marrying Robert F. Nunez. The year coincides with Robert's enlistment with the Army, so this may have been Arabella's means of support due to Robert selling his store.  There are no newspapers available from the Civil War period 1862 to 1865 so any ads placed by Mrs. Nunez during this period are unavailable.   AFTER THE CIVIL WAR - A CIVILIAN NIGHT WATCH ESTABLISHED In 1866, due to the civil government having been dissolved during the Civil War, the people decided that the city government would have to be revived.  This was largely motivated by crime and disorder.  According to the Peninsular, freedmen with no means of support were burglarizing homes and businesses at all hours of the day and night, causing Tampans to fear leaving their properties unguarded.  (This is putting it mildly.) On October, 25 1866. Ed Austin Clarke was elected mayor and Dr. L A. Lively, R. F. Nunez , Josiah Ferris and B. C . Leonardi, councilmen. One of the first actions taken by the city officials was to appoint Louis Bell, Jr. as City Marshall. Below is a portion of Ordinance No. 5 authorizing a citizens night watch of the city.  All white males over 18, regardless of age, were subject to be chosen by the City Council to serve on a team of four (or more if needed) that would "watch over the safety and good order of the city" within the city limits from 9 p.m. to sunrise. Those chosen would be notified privately between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. of the day they had to report for duty, for three designated but separate days of the week. There would be no exceptions to serve except due to sickness, and at that, it had to be certified by a physician within 6 hours of duty time. Sec. 5 authorized the watch members to be armed, at the discretion of the City Marshall. Due to its length, much of Sec. 2 and all of Sec. 3 & 4 have been deleted.  If you wish to see all of Ordinance No. 5, click here, then click the image to see it full size.     THE NUNEZ FAMILY AFTER THE CIVIL WAR If Robert sold his store before the war, he must have started a new one because he continued to advertise and was listed among Tampa dry goods and grocery merchants after the war.     R. F. Nunez was listed in the Peninsular's business directory for each issue through Jan. 18, 1868.  On the day of his death, his listing did not appear. DEATH OF ROBERT F. NUNEZ Robert F. Nunez died on Jan. 25, 1868, leaving his 21 year old widow Arabella and two children.  At right is all that was printed in the PENINSULAR concerning his death. (Three months of ensuing issues were inspected carefully, page by page.)  The brevity of this announcement is highly unusual especially for Tampa merchants and especially CSA veterans, who were always given more than just one sentence.   One's first guess might be to say that maybe Arabella couldn't afford an obituary.  But the Peninsular often included a news article consisting of a paragraph of several lines concerning the death of someone who lived in Tampa, or even in a distant county, and who had very little connection to Tampa, if any at all, so it's very doubtful that those were paid announcements.  Also, Robert was Rev. Samuel C. Craft's son-in-law, who at one time was editor of the Peninsular, a private school teacher, and attorney. TampaPix has a theory.  It may have something to do with Robert's possible heritage.  See more at the end of  Who were Nancy and Emma Nunez?           First rule of tombstone-making: Spell the deceased's name correctly. OAKLAWN CEMETERY photos from Find-A-Grave by Janet McCrary     Two months after her husband's death, Arabella had some women's wear to sell.  It appears that she was continuing to operate Robert's store.  She ran this same ad again on Apr. 18, 1868. On Aug. 1, 1868, Arabella advertised more new merchandise just received; this time in addition to ladies items, some dry goods and staples such as lard, coffee, rice and butter.     The first private school ads for Mrs. Nunez appeared in the Peninsular on Aug. 28, 1869, announcing her new school for small children opening on Sept. 6.  She planned to teach in one room of her home.  The Peninsular included their own recommendation: "Mrs. Nunez is in every respect well qualified to teach..."  Arabella was 23 years old at this time.           1870 Census, Tampa Arabella Nunez and her children, Ruby & Robert On this census, Arabella was living next to her parents, Sam C. and Margaret Craft, and some of Arabella's siblings.  Among other occupations Sam Craft had (newspaper editor, preacher, private school teacher,) Sam was also a lawyer. 1880 Census, Tampa Arabella Nunez and her children On the 1880 Census of Tampa, Arabella was listed as a teacher for the first time. Arabella Helen Nunez died Jan. 16, 1932 at age 85. She was living at 1707 N. Fla. Ave. at the time.  Her obituaries in the Tampa newspapers contained  some historical errors.  She didn't open the first private school in Tampa and her husband wasn't killed in the Civil War. OAKLAWN CEMETERY photo from Find-A-Grave by Janet McCrary It was the next superintendent, Wesley P. Henderson, who began reaping the benefits of the strong arguments that Crane presented for more facilities owned and directed of the Hillsborough Board of Education. Wesley P. Henderson was elected Superintendent of Hillsborough County Schools in 1881 at the salary of $150 per year.  Under W.P.  Henderson's administration a more businesslike management of school finances was established, and there was clear evidence that he county schools were growing into a real system. The county experienced major growth and expansion including the first professional, accredited career teacher/principal, a full high school curriculum, the purchase of facilities for schools and the new construction of school buildings. The Hillsborough County public school system and High School begins to take a shape. In 1882 it was estimated that the cost of the 57 schools in Hillsborough County would be $4,775.  The length of the term for these schools was fixed at five months and in the Tampa schools at six months. The meager salaries of the teachers were paid at the end of the year in one sum.  An effort was made to have monthly payments for the teachers but the Board voted to continue yearly payments.  It must have been difficult for a teacher to work six months with no pay and then at the end of the years' work to receive as payment in full $150, or possibly $180 for the year.  This made it necessary for the teacher to have some other source of income or occupation for the remainder of the year, and it made it almost impossible to secure well-trained teachers.  Yet there were in those days men and women who, as public school teachers, were a splendidly constructive influence of training the boys and girls who, partly because of that training, were the leaders in the development of the sparsely settled expanse of Hillsborough County into the great center of agricultural, commercial and industrial life of a great part of the state of Florida. We find mere mention in these records of the names of a few teachers, as Stephen M. Sparkman who for many years afterwards was the chairman of the important Rivers and Harbors Committee in Congress; William P. Haisley, who in later years was a strong influence in Florida as state school superintendent; Marietta Cuscaden, Miss Prevatt and Mrs. A. H. Nunez, whom great numbers of the leading citizens of the county have remembered with gratitude and affection because of their wise guidance during their childhood school years.