Posts Tagged ‘Dickinson College’

Carlisle Indian School Files (cont’d)

April 16, 2016
Rowe_A_35a

William Newashe in football jersey

Today’s blog deals with one simple search request:  Carlisle Indian School records for William Newashe, left tackle on the great 1911 football team. From perusing the school’s newspapers, I was also aware of a star student named Emma Newashe. So, instead of searching on “William Newashe,” I searched on “Newashe” only to bring up both of their records.  Often, siblings’ records provide information about the person of interest, especially regarding their birth family. This search returned nine items, including student files for both William and Emma. It also returned a photo of William that was donated by Robert Rowe and one of the 1911 football team. Also of interest was an article Emma wrote for The Red Man, Carlisle’s literary magazine, about a Sac and Fox legend, the merman’s prophecy. The last three items were listings of boys enrolled, girls enrolled, and girls’ outings. Even though, Bill’s name didn’t apparently show up on the boys’ outing register, we know that he went on outings.

His student file included “Descriptive and Historical Record of Student” cards that list times spent away from school. He spent two stints with the C. Carwithen family with a Doylestown, Pennsylvania address and one with Henry F. Sickles of Furlong.

Emma’s file listed her as having gone on outings to William Floyd of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Samuel Greene of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, and L. R. Hollingshead or Moorestown, New Jersey. Her file also included an evaluation of the home and her performance, some of which provided information about her personality: “More fond of study than work.” Bill’s file didn’t include evaluations. Both of their student files were more extensive than the average.

To access the site, key in or click on http://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/student-files.

<to be continued>

 

Tags:,
Posted in Carlisle Indian School, William Newashe | Leave a Comment »

Carlisle Student Files

April 13, 2016

Several times over the years I have been writing this blog, people have requested information on Carlisle Indian School students that, if it existed, could only be found in the paper records in the National Archives in Washington, DC. Traveling to Washington to look at the Carlisle Student Records in person is impractical for many people. Even for those of us who live close enough to make day trips, it isn’t easy. Parking garages aren’t inexpensive and learning the National Archives’ procedures for retrieving files are nontrivial. Having photocopies made to take copies of records home with you isn’t cheap either. Plus, the copies are stamped disallowing you from making copies of these copies to give to others. The Archives does allow researchers to submit requests from their homes to have Archives’ personnel retrieve the records of interest, make copies of them, and mail the copies to the requester. Significant time delays and costs are involved.

Fortunately, those of us who want to access Carlisle Indian School Student Files have another option now. The Dickinson College Archives have scanned the Carlisle Indian School Student Files and have made them available to researchers. One need not come to Carlisle to access these files because Dickinson College makes them readily available on their website. I give Dickinson high marks for their site. Retrieval is easy and straightforward and retrieved records can be printed on your home printer.

To access the site, key in or click on http://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/student-files. On the left side of the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center screen, you will see a box under Search All. Enter the name of the student whose records you would like to see in this box and click on the search button. I generally start with the student’s last name to avoid problems with spelling and inconsistent recording of the first name. Also, many siblings attended Carlisle. In their files, information about the person in whom you’re interested can sometimes be found.

<to be continued>

 

Tags:, ,
Posted in Carlisle Indian School, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

The Kidnapping of Frank Cayou

November 10, 2008

Rusty Shunk recently informed me of the existence of “The History of Football at Dickinson College: 1885 – 1969” by Wilbur J. Gobrecht. Why might I be interested in this book? The reason is simple. Several Carlisle Indians attended Dickinson College, its prep school and Dickinson School of Law. Some of them also played on Dickinson’s football team. Today’s piece is about an off-field incident involving one of these men.

In 1898 Francis M. Cayou enrolled in Dickinson College as member of the class of 1902 and played halfback on the 1898 football team – after Carlisle finished its season and only in the game against Penn State. Gobrecht uncovered an interesting story regarding Cayou told in 1930 by Rev. William H. Decker, also a member of the class of 1902, after he discovered a long-forgotten search warrant that had been issued by George W. Bowers, a Carlisle justice of the peace. That warrant gave Constable H. M. Fishburn the right to search the premises of the Mountain House at Sterretts Gap for “one F. M. Cayou, forcibly taken from Carlisle on Jan. 22, 1899.”

Frank had been warned of possible nefarious actions being planned by the class of 1901 but paid no heed to them. Rev. Decker recalled how the handsome Cayou took his girlfriend to the Sunday evening service at First Presbyterian Church on the square and was abducted on departing the church after the service. Members of the class of 1901, knowing he was there, placed a black maria wagon in the adjoining alley and waited for their opportunity. As the Indian exited the church, they tore him away from his girl and threw him bodily into the paddy wagon or hearse, which was used is not clear. Once he was inside, the wagon tore off madly over the icy streets into the dark countryside. “Burlys” of the class of 1902 rushed up, grabbed the horses’ harness and tried to cut it with knives but were unsuccessful.

To be continued …

cayou

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Carlisle Indian School, Football, Frank Cayou | 4 Comments »

The Great Crockery Riot

March 24, 2008

While researching Carlisle Indian School students who enrolled at Dickinson College, I stumbled across a small item that was put on the wire and printed across the country in late May of 1912:

CARLISLE, Pa. –Dickinson College students stoned the house of the dean because they thought the annual per capita tax of $1.95 for “breakage” was too high.

Being easily distracted, this curious item aroused my interest and I did a little research. It seems that in those days crockery breakage was significant. It is not known if students were merely clumsy or had hurled cups, saucers, plates or soup bowls at one another on purpose. Regardless, the total cost of replacing the smashed crockery was substantial. So, near the end of the school year, the total amount of this breakage was computed and divided by the number of male students enrolled at the college. Each young man’s share generally amounted to about $2. Why 1912’s assessment triggered such a response is not known. I don’t think this was an early blow for equal rights for women, so we need to look into other possibilities. Because the assessed amount was lower than it had been in some previous years, the cost of the assessment probably wasn’t the match that set off this tinderbox. A Dickinson professor asked if this happened during President Reed’s time. A quick reference to the records showed that Dr. Reed had retired and his successor, Dr. Eugene Allen Noble, was ensconced in the President’s house but had not been inaugurated. That event was scheduled just days after the stoning. Perhaps the students were misunderstood and were merely welcoming Dr. Noble to the campus. Or, they may have been hazing him as part of the inauguration festivities.

We will not likely ever know what was the cause. However, it is known that Dickinsonians were sensitive to the condition of their crockery. Some years earlier, a German professor at Dickinson College’s preparatory school became so agitated after being served his dinner on cracked crockery that it took three large boys to restrain him in his anger.

Tags:,
Posted in Carlisle Indian School, Dickinson College, Football | Leave a Comment »