Continued from December 24, 2012
Nine-year-old Joshua Lovejoy's
feelings would have been mixed as he marched up Buffalo's Pearl Street on July
13, 1829. The day was glorious, with bright sunshine glistening off the waves
out in the Niagara River, whipped up by a breeze that kept temperatures
comfortable. Joshua and his fellow students marched proudly through the crowds
lining the street as they headed off to opening exercises for the new Western
Literary and Scientifick Academy. Lead by the Buffalo Band, the procession
stepped off when the bell from First Church rang three times. Captain Randall's
company of artillery, Captain Jordan's rifleman, and Captain Wilgus' light
infantry followed immediately behind, then came the 55 boys of the school's
inaugural class lead by principle Captain James McKay. Teachers and trustees,
joined by honored guests brought up the end of the procession. Winds were too
high for parasols and fancy full-length skirts, so many of the invited ladies
had chosen to go ahead to the school by carriage.
North they all marched. Past the
customers and staffs of the downtown businesses; past the half dozen Seneca
Indians in front of the Farmers' Hotel, past farmhands in front of the Plough
Inn, past relatives, canal workers and many more of the city's remaining 8,000
citizens.
As the procession passed Court
Street cadet Lovejoy's mind probably imagined a day sixteen years earlier,
before he was born. The first Niagara County Court House stood on this site, as
well as the nearby stone jail, two taverns and a number of log cabins. All that
remained as the first week of January, 1814, ended was the smaller tavern, the
walls of the jail and parallel rows of chimneys standing guard over open
basement holes filled with charred bits of timber. Most of the inhabitants had
fled at the approach of the British and their Indian allies. Joshua's father
Henry was off with his militia company. Henry's wife Sally, Joshua's
stepmother, stayed behind when she couldn't find a wagon to carry away her
belongings. The enemy would not harm a woman. She would stay.
A neighbor saw her though a
window when an Indian entered the Lovejoy house, saw her grab a knife, saw the
tomahawk slash downward. Henry Lovejoy was a widower.
Joshua's thoughts were interrupted
as his two sisters and their friends called out from the sidewalk and he
returned their waves. He marched along with the rest of the cadets, headed for
the new academy. Although the term 'high school' was not commonly used, the new
school had its beginning two year earlier when the Buffalo High School
Association raised pledges of $10,000 for a new institution. Many of its
backers remembered the destruction that nearly wiped out their community,
remembered the whole war with the British and all of the disasters and
near-disasters that had loomed so largely during its drawn-out existence. One
faction reasoned that the country could quickly raise an army of unconquerable
patriots steeled to meet any threat. They proposed the new school be based on the
popular 'monitorial' system with its standard classical course curriculum. The
opposing faction held out for a model that added military drill and courses to
the standard mix. Winners will be announced next time.
© 2005 David Minor / Eagles Byte
