West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 140 by Charlie Miller
Early Schools cont'd
- 1856 – Early School Districts. A number of School Districts were set up. These were the one-room brick schoolhouses. Known districts in 1875 were #1-located at the corner of Plain City- Georgesville and Morgan Road. #2- On the corner of the Lilly Chapel Road and the Wilson Road. #3,#4-#9 unknown. #5- On the Plain City-Georgesville road south of U. S. 40, known as the Hambleton School House. #6-On the Middle Pike, a newer school was later built on this location and was known as the A School. It is now a residence. #7-On the Middle Pike several miles north of #6. #8- on State Route 29, now the site of several warehouses. #10- Just northeast of the corner of Blair Road and U. S. Route 42. A better building was later built and was called the Gillivan School House. Your writer’s grandfather was the school bus driver for that school. It probably was discontinued in the 1940’s.
- The West Jefferson Board of Education, located at 906 W. Main St. was formerly “B” School. This school was for students who lived ‘in the country’ until they reached the 8th grade when they transferred to the West Jefferson High School.
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- The Village Lamp Lighter. - Jimmy Clark was the old lamp lighter of West Jefferson. He started in 1904 and had to carry the gasoline with him on his route to fill the lamps as they burned gasoline instead of natural gas. In 1908 the lamps were converted to this natural gas. He walked 4 ½ miles twice a day, once at night to light the lamps and once in the morning to put them out. He also averaged 3 miles a day repairing them. During the period of 12 years, he walked 52,560 miles with but 10 days off the job. In 1920, the village owed the Sun Vapor Light Company $1,500.00. Subsequently, the lights were turned off. Mr. Clark then went to work for the West Jefferson Lumber Company. (Murray’s elevator on N. Walnut Street next to the railroad.
- Electricity comes to West Jefferson. - From 1900 to 1901, the Ohio Electric Railway Co. (Interurban) was constructed through West Jefferson. They were to furnish the electric current to light two 320P lamps in each block on Main St. They were also to furnish electricity to the Village Hall at no cost. On May 17, 1915, an ordinance was passed granting the Ohio Electric Railway Co. to supply the inhabitants with light, heat, and power by means of an electric current for a period of 25 years. Lighting had already been made available to the cannery and elevator, as well as businesses and residents along Main Street. One of these lights was mounted in the West Jefferson Historical Society Museum, now a room taken over by the Village.
On September 19, 1932, an ordinance was passed allowing the mayor to contract with the West Jefferson Power and Light Company for electrical service for the lighting of the streets in West Jefferson.