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Arrangements with Ada School District

December 22, 1905, V. XXIII, No. 31

CHAPTER 72.

On the 29th day of April, 1878, we entered into a contract with the directors of the union school district for thirty years. I was then forty years old. I am now sixty-seven. We gave that contract to the present board of trustees when we sold the school to the M.E. church. I think I could rewrite much of that contract almost word for word, but it is lengthy and would perhaps not be interesting to the general reader. I will say this however, that no town in Ohio ever made a better investment in every respect, in culture, refinement, renown and financially than Ada did, April 29th, 1878. The free tuition afforded pupils in one of the best universities in the country, is of inestimable value to Ada financially and otherwise.

The contract differed materially from the propositions we made to the citizens at the meeting in the basement of the M.E. church. Before binding myself to remain thirty years I wanted to own a larger share in the school. The town was to pay us $2000 for their part of the campus. Prof. Park who owned a third interest in the school, proposed that if I would give him my share of the $2000, he would sell me a twelfth interest in the school. Now each partner owned a fourth interest.

We wanted the board of school directors to agree to pay all taxes that might be assessed against our part of the school property. Legally they could not bring the district to do so. I had so far managed the tax problem, but I have been so unfortunate as occasionally to have some enemies. I have many warm friends and I have some very bitter enemies and strange to say it so happens now and was so then, that my bitterest enemies were those to whom I had been most kind and accommodating. I felt that the tax problem must be solved then or never. I refused to contract without some guarantee. I had studied on the tax problem to get the new building for which I give myself as much credit as for any act or work that I did in building up the Normal. Now a new problem had to be solved and solved quickly. I proposed that fifty or more citizens should sign such a guarantee as would free us in the future of that burden. We engaged a competent attorney to draw up a paper that would be binding in law. We wanted no loophole for the signers to crawl out. I will here insert the document and the names of those who signed it.

We the undersigned citizens of Hardin county, Ohio, in consideration that the Faculty of the North Western Ohio Normal school located at Ada, Ohio have this day signed and contracted with the directors of the Ada Union school district located in said county of Hardin and state of Ohio to continue the said North Western Ohio Normal school for the term of thirty years from this date at Ada, Ohio, under and by virtue of the said contract herein after referred to, do for ourselves, our heirs, or assigns hereby mutually agree to pay or cause to be paid all taxes, state, county or municipal (except sidewalk) that may be legally levied upon what is now known as the North Western Ohio Normal school building, and grounds located in Ada, Ohio, for a period of thirty years from this date, providing the said Faculty of the North Western Ohio Normal school, their heirs, assigns or successors shall continue said school for said period of thirty years at Ada, Ohio.

Should said Normal school be abandoned or cease to be taught as per agreement with the said school board before the expiration of the said contract herein referred to by said Faculty, their heirs, assigns or successors, then this obligation shall be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue in law and be a lien upon our estate both real and person.

In testimony whereof we voluntarily subscribe our names this 29th day of April A.D. 1878.

C.E. Stumm, Samuel Watt, Wm. H. Trump, John, F. Rice, D.A. Watt, A. Shaw, T.J. Rutledge, James S. Holland, J.I. Bodell, W.L. Reece, J.E. Fisher, J.H. Kemerer, Daniel Griner, A.G. McCamman, W.H. Barker, E.W. Gilbert, R.J. Hill, N. Poling, P.D. Sale, James Bastable, J.B. Watt, Hamilton McElroy, J.N. Mahan, Hugh Dobbins, S.B. Ack, John Sharp, Moses McGinnis, J.M. Gilbert, Wm. Lantz, Baldwin & Meyer, Frank Elberson, S.S. Elberson, John H. Mustard, J.W. Morris, Jacob Leinard, J.T. Cunningham, R.G. Hubble, A.B. Charles, Wm. F. Hufford, J.E. Lowry, Jacob Rees, R.B. Maxwell, D.J. Wood, William Comes, J.H. Ballard, Wm. N. Bryan, J.S. Black, L.L. Dobbins, David Davisson, J.W. Geesaman, Geo. D. Sousley, H.S. Shannon, B.W. Rutledge, A. Ream, V.C. High, Richard Rutledge, P.W. Ream, L.F. Stumm, J.C. Riddle, W.J. Conner, Robt. Arbuthnot, A.C. Dobbins.

Accepted April 29th, 1878.

H.S. Lehr & Co.

Received January 8, 1879
Recorded January 11, 1879.

I certify that the above is a true copy as recorded in Volume B. pages 111 and 112 Hardin county, Ohio, Lease Records.

December 28, 1904

Francis L. Runser R.H.C.O.

C.E. Stumm, E.W. Gilbert, and Jacob Leinard carried around the paper to procure signers.

Some time in April the citizens voted on the proposition to tax the Union school district for $22000. I think that was the amount. We wanted not less that $25000 and eventually that amount was invested and probably a little more. There were only twenty three votes recorded against the tax. Five voters made it known that they opposed the tax because they did not like Lehr. One farmer came to me and said, "I am your friend and a friend of the school. I paid forty dollars on the first building, but I can't afford to pay the tax." Others said it would make rent higher and for that reason voted "no." The day after the vote, the butcher who said to me that I would be mobbed if I would leave Ada, called me into his shop and fixed up one of the finest roasts I ever ate. He said, "This is a dollar roast." He was as friendly as one could be. Milton Nelson, a warm friend said, "Now, Lehr, we will lay you to rest a mile south of town."

I must relate one tax experience. About ten or twelve years after the above guarantee had been signed, a friend for whom, for a certain reason, I could not vote, stirred up the tax subject. He remarked to people that the faculty did not pay any tax and that it was an outrage. He was not a resident of Ada. Two noted talkers who still reside in Ada stirred up quite a breeze. We heard more and more talk about the tax. One of my associates got quite nervous about it. One of the two talkers had signed the guarantee, but had forgotten it, the other man's name was not on the paper, but he had bought a lot of one of those who had signed and had built quite a good house on it. He was the principal talker. I still had the paper and what was equally good it was recorded. I called to see the one who had signed the agreement and said, "I understand you think that the tax on the Normal building and campus still belonging to the Faculty ought to be paid. He replied with emphasis, "Yes sir, I do. I pay my taxes and you fellows are making money and don't pay a cent on that school property. It's an outrage." I quietly remarked, "Mr. _____, I beg pardon, but you don't pay all your taxes." "I Don't, eh! But I do!" I pulled the guarantee out of my pocket and told him to read it. When he got to his name became somewhat profane the only time I ever heard him use profane language.

Next called on the loquacious fellow. Remarked that it was reported that he thought that some one ought to pay taxes on the Normal school property. He became eloquent and read the pedigree of several of the owners. When he was told that he ought to pay his share, he wanted an explanation. I told him there was a lien on his property, showed him the guarantee and informed him that it was on the records. He examined his abstract of title, growled a few words, but became quiet. It was the only time in all my experience with him that he appeared beaten. Ever after that, he was quiet about the tax.

For the benefit of abstractors let it be remembered that one does not only want to look for mortgages at the Recorder's office, but also for liens and leases. The abstractor should also look at the records of all the county offices. Many, many circumstances occurred during the school year '77-8, but the reader must not be burdened with a longer story.