VanHoose Dixon Families Pg 4

According to the early tradition of the VanHoose (written Vanhoose)family, one John VanHoose, with a spirit of adventure upon paths unknown to be explored in the new country across the sea, emigrated from Hollandthe Dutch land and landed most probably in at is now the State of Virginia.

The exact date of his arrival is not known; but evidently, was sometime during the period known as the French and Indian Wars or the Seven Years War in Europe. This contest was waged between the English and French, yet the military spirit was high in other countries of western Europe, including Spain and Holland. It has been claimed that this man, though a Hollander or Dutchman, came as a soldier, but in the absence of any historical evidence with perhaps some conflicting contemporary lore, this can only be considered as a bit of family folk-lore.

It has always been definitely stated orally that this man had two sons, John and Levi. Some assert that there was also one named Michael and one named Valentine. John, born about 1762, remained in Virginia with possibly some migrations between Virginia and North Carolina. One of the other sons, most probably Levi, went to Georgia and became the founder of a southern branch of the family. One of his descendants was highly educated and became president of an important southern college. There is no valid history of the other two.

The son, John, married Mary Bryan, daughter of William Bryan of Bryan's Station, West Virginia.

The above record was secured by James B. VanHoose, son of Tom VanHoose above, while visiting Mary George, a daughter of Jesse VanHoose, above.This woman had preserved the old Bible belonging to her father, Jesse VanHoose, and containing the family record written by John VanHoose, the father of the family. James B. VanHoose copied the record verbatim. He showed the record to my grandfather, Henry J. VanHoose, a son of James VanHoose above and they discussed the record from their memory of the above list of uncles and aunts and both agreed that the record was genuine as to names and accepted the dates. My father, Warren M. VanHoose, being quite a young man at the time, copied the record and still has the copy.

The James VanHoose above was my great grandfather. He married Elizabeth Preston in 1811.He located on the Big Sandy River, first, near the mouth of John's Creek, later moving down to near the mouth of Tom's Creek and finally moving to Tom's Creek between Baker's Branch and the Road Branch at a place which later became the home of my Aunt Emma VanHoose, who died recently.

He and my great grandmother both on the VanHoose side are buried on that farm in a small gap a short distance from the house going up the branch from the house.

My grandfather was born March 5, 1835. He married Nancy Baldwin on August 27,1865. My grandmother was born February 1,1844.She was the daughter of Tom and Charity Baldwin, who came from Wise County, Virginia. Grandmother knew nothing of the history of her family except the fact that they lived in Wise County, Virginia. My father met a Mr. Baldwin at Maysville, Kentucky several years ago. That man lived in Mason County and resembled my father's grandfather in many respects. This impression led to a conversation concerning the family tree. That Mr. Baldwin could give very little information excepting the fact that his people came from Wise County, Virginia. Based on the physical resemblances and the fact that both families of my great grandfather and the families of that Mr. Baldwin came from the same locality, my father has always had a strong feeling of an original relationship.

My great grandfather Baldwin was a blacksmith. He retired because of age and when he died, was buried at Paintsville. MY grandmother was uneducated, but could read quite well.

She never learned to write. Much of her reading ability was gained from the Bible in later life, and confined to the Bible, which she read a great deal.

Her people were Methodist but both she and my grandfather were members of the United Baptist Church. My grandfather was a strong advocate of most of the doctrine of the Primitive Baptists. Both he and my grandmother had a strong leaning to much of the doctrine of that church.

They believed strongly in feet-washing as a church ordinance along with the Lord's Supper or Communion Service.

Their theory in the matter of "close communion" was

not a strict application of a rigid abstract formula in every case. They did not accept unreservedly the invitation only to those of "our faith and order." They emphasized the principle of each person "examining himself" so long as his religious standing in the community was good. On the other hand they did not believe in absolutely unrestricted invitations. Their church practiced rather strict discipline even excluding from membership those guilty of flagrant sins and refusing to reform, as well as in the case of certain double marriage relations. Such persons were not in fellowship and in their opinion should not be invited. Their "close communion" was not based entirely on an abstract formula but rather on the facts in each concrete case, even then their belief was that the damnation rested on the offender rather than the church. While some of my grandmother's people accepted "sprinkling" as a form of baptism, both she and great grandfather believed only in "immersion." With the church ordinances of baptism by immersion administered by their own denomination, the communion service, and foot washing, they believed in individual principles based on the precepts and commands of the Bible as a whole.

My grandfather was not a school teacher by profession. In his day there were only three months schools in which the curriculum consisted mainly of spelling, reading, writing, and elementary arithmetic, including mainly addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and compound numbers. He had a training somewhat above the average in these subjects. During his young manhood days there was frequently a shortage of teachers. While due effort was made to fill the vacancies, such a condition was not deemed an emergency fatal to civilization as in the present generation. One year there was a vacancy in the school near the home of my grandfather, and all efforts of the superintendent to fill the vacancy had been futile. While on his way to Paintsville one day on some minor errand, my grandfather met the County Superintendent. They were both riding horseback. The superintendent was on his way to engage my grandfather to teach the school and immediately explained the situation and earnestly requested grandfather to accept the position. Excuses and appeals were exchanged somewhat earnestly and quite rapidly for a few minutes. Finally, as a last resort my grandfather protested on the fact that he had never taken an examination and held no certificate.

Instead of closing the matter as he supposed, it only threw all gates wide open. The superintendent said he wrote certificates and was going to examine him then. Reaching into his saddlebag for paper the following questions and answers were soon over. "Can you read?" "Yes." "Can you write?" "Yes." "Can you pronounce from the spelling/book?" "Yes."

"You can add, subtract, multiply, and divide can't you?" "Yes." By this time he was writing, using the flat top horn of his saddle for a desk. In another moment or two he finished writing. Handing the paper to grandfather he said, "You pass." "Here's your certificate with full authority to teach that school, and you must do it." I imagine that a feeling of pride (perhaps justifiable under the circumstances) over being a possessor of a school teacher's certificate overwhelmed all misgivings as all resistance ceased. The superintendent turned his horse saying, "Now, Henry, go back, notify the people that school will begin next Monday. Be there. If you need any assistance let me know. "Grandfather taught school that year.

"Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration." Thomas A. Edison

Years after, when a real professional teaching spirit was beginning to cast its rays across the horizon and my father was advancing rapidly in the ranks of teachers of that day,

My grandfather experienced considerable pleasure in contrasting the improved conditions of my father's teaching with

those he had experienced. Father taught successfully for seventeen years. Begining before eighteen years of age, with a third class certificate. He taught a four months term in a small district rural school, realizing ninety-nine dollars and a few cents for the entire four months term. Out of this salary he paid his room and board at the rate of $l.00 per week from Sunday evening 'till Friday evening, going home for week ends, leaving a net income of approximately $83.00. Even this small salary was quite encouraging for a lad of eighteen, raised on a farm with no renumeration in money except some small coins realized from the sale of an extra watermelon or some other rare surplus garden product or from occasional outside farm work at 25 cents per day. In that time timber was a considerable resource. Extra employment in cutting hauling, and floating the timber down the creek in high tides was quite important. Fortunately for my father this work was centered farther up the creek and the enticement of a 50cents or 75 cents per day job did not tempt my father away from the school and his farm home. Again the interest and encouragement extended to him by my grandfather in obtaining a better education, enabled him to get the maximum benefit from the five months free school, supplemented by two or three months attendance at private select schools in Paintsville, taught by a Professor Randolph.

Father entered school at the age of 5, could read at 6, and was promoted from the second reader to the fourth, then to the sixth. Standard grades with prescribed courses were unknown. He had worked through Ray's Practical Arithmetic (3rd book) at the age of eleven. By the age of fifteen he was far advanced in Ray's Higher Arithmetic and studied Ray's Primary Algebra. By the time he was seventeen the teachers certificate required a knowledge of reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar composition, spelling, geography, history, physiology, civil government, theory and practice teaching. Civil Government was a new subject. My father's training in this at the time of his first examination. was homework except for about three weeks training in a special school to prepare students for examination for a teacher's certificate. He never lost interest in home study between school terms, often carrying his book to the field, where at rest periods he could devote a few minutes to such topics as tracing the circulation of the blood, naming the presidents and important events of their administration, or solving a difficult problem. After teaching the first school, he attended winter term for about three months. Again he took an examination, his one year certificate having expired, and made a second class certificate. At that time, a general average of 65% was required for a third class certificate, good for 1 year, 75% for a second class, good for 2 years, and 85% for a first class, good for 4 years. His first school was taught during the fall of 1890. During the next two years he taught under the 2nd class certificate in larger school with salary remuneration reaching $140.00 or $150.00 for a five months term. During the winter he attended the winter terms of school at various places taking advanced courses in the school subjects, with higher mathematical subjects and sometimes adding one of the sciences using such texts as Steel's Fourteen Weeks in Astronomy or in Physiology.

At the expiration of his second class certificate in the summer of 1893, he successfully passed the examination for a first class certificate. He taught under this certificate in the larger rural schools during the falls of 1893 and 1894.He attended the training school in the winter of 1893-94,but at the close of the 1894 term he went to Valparaiso, Indiana to complete the work of what was then a "scientific" or B. S. course.

At one recitation in mathematics the class was required to demonstrate by geometrical theorems and compute algebraically the formula for finding the area of a triangle when the three sides were given. This included a demonstration of the theorems (1) that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenus is equivalent to the sum of the square arms, (2) in any triangle, the square of a side subtending an acute angle is less than the sum of the squares of the other sides by twice rectangle contained by either of these sides and the projection upon it of the other side and (3) any triangle is equivalent to half the rectangle by its base and altitude. No student was permitted to bring any textbook or notebook to the recitation room - nothing except a yardstick serving as a blackboard ruler. (Notebooks were used generally in the higher schools but slates in the common schools). At the recitation every member of the class of about 55 was sent to the board, instructed to stand with back to the board until each member understood perfectly what demonstration was required. Then at the signal of the instructor, each member was to turn face to the board, draw the geometrical diagrams, with letters designatin, the lines, and work out the algebraic formula. The entire class was given twice the time required for the swiftest; one. My father was first turning and announcing ready in 7 minutes. This fixed the time at 15 minutes for the class. At about 9 minutes another one finished, at about 11 minutes another, and at 14 minutes a fourth one finished. At 15 minutes the period ended.

Naturally father was requested to recite, which he did, going through the demonstration step by step without a single error, quoting the theorems from memory. The second student was requested to recite, which he did with a perfect score. The work of the other two was examined by the instructor and the class and announced as correct. Four passed the recitation with perfect scores, the others made an "X".

In dismissing the class the instructor, a Professor Bogarte, requested my father to come to his desk immediately after the recitation. He said, "You have one bad recitation mark during your class work in mathematics for this term, but your very excellent work today justifies an erasure of that and I am doing so now, giving you a perfect record to date, which record I feel sure you can and will maintain during the remaining few days of the term. After discussing father's plans and ambitions, he urged him to finish the work of the "scientific" or B. S. course, then specialize in mathematics, advising him that such "chairs" were vacant in many of the colleges at that time. Father intended to do this by teaching the five months terms of common school during the fall and returning to Valparaiso for the winter and spring terms. Professor Bogarte advised him to do this because of personal finances, He explained that it would require more time but that he could do it. After teaching the first five months term, Prof. G. B. Stapleton, who was County Superintendent when father took his first examination, but who was now the Principal of the Paintsville Graded School, persuaded father to assist him in the extended winter term at a salary of $50.00 per month, an excellent salary for that day. Father concluded that this income added to his fall earnings and to be supplemented by earnings during the next fall term would enable' him to return to college and take the special course without interruption.

The next year Prof. Stapleton was succeeded by a Prof. Wheatley, who insisted that father assist him at a salary of $75.00 a month and postpone his special mathematical course another year. My father did this, teaching a fall term in the rural schools and teaching in the Preparatory Schools during the winter and spring when teachers' courses were given. This work became so successful that time passed away and after 17 years of successful teaching he had not returned to school. After realizing that the opportunity for a high grade professional career had passed he felt lasting regrets; however, these regrets were equally balanced with emotional reactions absorbed unconsciously from early social and religious milieu to the effect that such a career is not the whole essence of an ultimate life ideal.

"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways a re ways of pleasantnes 5, and all her paths are- peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens. By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.--

Father met and married Mom early in his teaching career. As the children came along he realized that his income was insufficient as a schoolteacher even after 17 years of experience. He was attracted to Government work as a storekeeper gauger and moved his family to Alton, Kentucky in Anderson County about January 1910. A transfer made it necessary for father to move his family again, . . this time to Thorn Hill, a small community just outside the city limits of Frankfort.