Wayne Township
Armstrong County Pennsylvania
Dayton Union Academy

About 1815 the first school was opened in a building, perhaps not at first designed for a school house, on land of Benjamin Irwin, near the Indiana county line, and was taught by "Crooked" William Marshall. Some of the pupils traveled three or four miles daily to acquire education. Robert Marshall, of Dayton, the last surviving pupil, died Oct. 1, 1881. Another school was taught in a primitive schoolhouse, built somewhat later, near the present site of the Glade Run Presbyterian Church, one of the teachers was Bezai Irwin.

In 1832 David Scot and David Lewis were assessed as schoolmasters. When the common school law went into operation in 1834-35 four school houses were located, one in the Calhoun settlement in the northwestern part, another two miles north of Dayton, and one about the same distance southwest of that borough.

The school board in 1856 purchased of David Olinger two lots in the village of Belknap on which to erect schoolhouses Nos. 3 and 4, the former 60 by 80 and the latter 60 by 75 1/2 feet, both fronting on the Kittanning, for $19.25.

In 1876 the report of this school was: months taught, 5; male teacher, 1; salary per month, $35; male scholars, 36; female scholars, 19; average number attending school, 41; cost per month, 68 cents; tax levied for school and building purposes, $151.27; received from state appropriation, $37.20; from taxes etc., $184.98; paid for teachers wages, $175.08; for fuel, etc., $69.37.

Source: History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

If you have any additional information on this school, please send an e-mail to Amanda Foringer.

Contributed by Amanda Foringer for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)

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