TWO OLD-TIME GIRLS' SCHOOLS IN LEXINGTON, TENNESSEE

Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith

What Became of Miss Colburn?

 

WEST TENNESSEE WHIG, Jackson, January 18, 1850

FEMALE SCHOOL
LEXINGTON, TENN.

MISS COLBURN'S Female School will commence on Monday the 19th instance. — The Trustees more than confident that they do not say too much, when they inform Parents and Guardians that this school will present all necessary facilities for a perfect English, Latin and French education. The location is healthy, the morals of the citizens good, and the female society as intelligent and refined as that of any other village in the State of its size; in addition our little village is free from all unnecessary extravagance and show.

Miss Colburn is from Burlington, Vermont, and was educated at the Female Seminary of that place, which is in charge of the Rev. J. H. Converse. She comes to this community recommended as every way qualified to discharge all the duties of a highly accomplished Female Teacher, by Judge McLain, of the U.S. Federal Court, Governors Morrow of Ohio, and Shade of Vermont, and the Rev. Mesers. Converse, of Vermont; Maltby(?), Vellvain(?), Elliott, Stowe and Vanlandingham—all of Ohio; and Oleo__(?), of Albany, N. York; Bishop Hopkins, of the Episcopal Church, Burlington, Vt., together with the names of many other distinguished individuals. The Trustees, through the aid of the Board for selecting teachers for national popular education at Hartford, Con., at the head of which stands the name of Judge McLain, and Governors Morrow and Slade, have procured the services of Miss Colburn at a stated salary, which enables them to reduce the price of tuition that every individual in this community can give their Daughters and Wards a finished education for a very small sum of money.

Terms of Tuition
PER SESSION OF FIVE MONTHS

Orthography, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic comm. Need . . . $4.00
Arithmetic, English Grammar and Geography . . . 6.00
Rhetoric, Logic, Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, Botany, Astronomy, and History . . . 9.00
Algebra, Geometry, Mental and Moral Philosophy, Physiology, Geology, Mythology, and Drawing . . . 10.00
Latin and French Languages 15.00
Boarding in the best of families including fuel, ____, washing &c., can be procured for 25 to 30 dollars per session.

JOHN BROOKS
W. H. WARREN
M. L. HAPIN
K. W. HALL
JESSE TAYLOR
Trustees

Nov. 16, 1849—tf.

 

---

 

In the U.S. census, 1850, October 31, Henderson County, civil district ten, page 364, HELEN J. COLBOURN, age 24, is listed, boarding in the household of ROBERT W. HALL, one of Lexington's successful merchants; the census taker carelessly listed her birthplace as Tennessee, but this must be the same young lady mentioned in the old newspaper article to the left. One wonders how long she remained as a teacher in this girls' school, if she moved away or if like many "schoolmarms" of the time, she married a local man and settled into the role of homemaker.

 

---

 

The Covey School

 

 

WEST TENNESSEE WHIG, Jackson, Tenn. November 23, 1849

Lexington Female Seminary
Mrs. Louise Covey, Principal
_____________, Assistant;
Rev. J. V. E. Covey, lecturer and Teacher in Ancient Languages

THE trustees of this Institution would announce to the citizens of this county, and to the public generally, that the first session of this school will commence on Tuesday the 1st day of January next. Ample arrangements are made to give instruction in all the branches of English Literature and the Latin and Greek Languages. The Trustees will spare no efforts to afford every advantage that can be enjoyed in any school of a similar character to the South or West. Mrs. Covey, who is an experienced teacher, and who is distinguished for her devotion to the interests and progress of her pupils, will be _____ (aided?) by an efficient and competent assistant. The Trustees will be happy to render any attention and assistance for the accommodation of those pupils who are sent from a distance.

The scholastic year will consist of two sessions—five months each. The first session will commence of the 1st Tuesday in January and end the last week of May. The second session will commence the 1st Monday in July and end the last week in November.

Classes and Rates of Tuition

ELEMENTARY CLASS.--Orthography, Reading and Writing $7.50
PRIMARY CLASS.--Orthography, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Geography, English Grammar and U.S. History $8.00(?)
JUNIOR CLASS.--Ancient and Modern History, _____ on the ____, Botany, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Algebra, Geometry, _____ (Heathen?) Mythology and Astronomy. $13.00(?)
SENIOR CLASS.--Logic, Rhetoric, Elements of Criticism, Intellectual and Moral Philosophy, Practical Economy, Geology, Evidences of Christianity, Latin and Greek Languages $15.00
Ornamental Needle Work _________ $4.00
Lessons on ___ (two unreadable lines)
Accordion, with the use of Instrument, 20 lessons $3.00
Lessons will be delivered by Mr. Covey, at stated periods, on Philosophy and other branches, with the use of App____. Each student will be charged from the time of entering until the close of the session. There will be an additional charge of 50 cents, for each, to defray contingent expenses. Young Ladies who pursue a regular and systematic course of studies will be entitled to a Diploma. There will be an examination at the close of the second session, when a _______ that parents and guardians will be present. Boarding can be obtained_______________________. For further particulars apply to the Principal.

RICHARD TIMBERLAKE
W. W. GORDON
JNO. WEST
F. W. HESRY, Sectrtary
J. D. SMITH
W. M. C. McHANEY
Trustees

Lexington, Nov. 23, 1849

 

---

In addition to the girls' school, the Reverend J. V. E.COVEY, a Methodist minister, supervised a boys' school in Lexington whose trustees were W. C. McHANEY, FELIX W. HENRY, WILLIAM D. GELESPIE, WILLIAM J. McHANEY and CHRISTOPHER H.WILLIAMS.(Ad for this school appeared in the same issue as that of the Covey girls' school)

The boys' school had been in existence for about a year but the girls' school was scheduled to begin its first session on January 1, 1850. In the U.S.census, 1850, October 31, Henderson County, Tennessee, civil district ten, page 365, is listed the household of J. V. E.COVEY, aged 29, born North Carolina, minister; LOUISA COVEY, aged 28, born Pennsylvania; JANE C. COVEY, aged 3, born Tenn.; F. W. H.COVEY, male, 5 months old, born Tenn.; ANN RENSHAW, aged 50, born in Scotland. The following must also have been boarding students in the Covey school, listed with their ages and birthplaces: SARAH A. EASTWOOD, 16, N.C.; EMILINE ALLEN, 17, N.C.; ELIZABETH CROOK, 15, Tenn.; MARY BOMER, 15, Tenn.; MARTHA LEA, 15, N.C.; AMANDA DAVIS, 16, Va.; MARY ARNOLD, 14, Tenn.; SARAH HORTON, 15, Tenn.; JULIA ROBERTSON, 14, Va.; HENRY ANN JOWERS, 14, Kentucky; JULIA HOLLAND, 14, N.C.; ELIZA HOLLAND, 13, N.C.; CORNELIA CHAPMAN, 13, N.C.; JANE THOMPSON, 13, N.C.; ELIZABETH HERNDON, 13, N.C.