Daughster of Jesse Gove
Removed to Enfield, Conn., to Rutland, Vermont. Served in Rev. War in Col. Swift's Regt Conn Line.
Bill Miner gives birth year as 1757. Enfield, Conn. officials say they have no record of any Miners in Enfield at that time.
Lived in Oswego, NY.
Source: membership application of Mary J. Yandell (4-17-1997)
He married Lucinda Ray when he was 65 and she was 20, on 24 Nov 1859.
Columbia City News - Whitley County, Indiana
Died. - At the residence of his son, Samuel A. Miner, on the 5th day of June, 1862, Samuel Miner, Esq., aged 67 years, 6 months and 15 days.
The subject of this notice was one of the early pioneers of this county, having settled here as early as the year 1837; he was a native of the State of Connecticut, having been born in that State on the 24th day of November 1794. In the year 1816, he settled in the State of New York, near where is now the city of Rochester, from whence he emigrated to Portage County, in the State of Ohio, in 1833, from whence he came to this County; he first settled in Smith Township, where he resided until about the year 1842, when he settled in Union Township, three miles east of this place, where he has continued to reside most of the time since. As one of the early settlers he is well and favorably known, as his Cabin, in early days, sheltered many a weary traveler; his kind and generous hospitalities won for him many warm and attached friends of early days, a few of whom survive him; his temperaments were peculiar to himself, making manifest his warm attachment to his friends; for honesty and integrity of purpose he had but few superiors.His religion was also peculiar to himself, his notions thereof, were formed after mature deliberation, he died in his faith, and is now with the precious dead, hence his faults (who is without them?) go with him to the grave; his better qualities are worthy of our imitation.
His funeral services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Kistler, of the M. E. Denomination at the Lutheran Church, from whence his remains were followed by his six sons, a large number of grand children, and old friends, to the family burrying place, where his remains now rest side by side with his wife of his early life, who departed this life some three years since, where may they be at rest from their earthly cares.
Daughter of Obadiah Hamilton and Lusana Richardson.
Some family members list "Betsey Hamill" as wife of Samuel A. Miner.
Carol Dorward sent a note: " I found her birth record under Windsor, Berkshire, Mass. birth records.
She had five children.
Daeth date according to TMD was 15 Feb 1857
Father: Samuel Gorton Mother: Eunice Austin
TMD reports birth palce as Whitestone, New York.
Daughter of Elias Smith and Eunice Smith of Haddam, Conn.
She was a noted educator and founder of School for Free Colored Children in
Washington, D.C. Its main objective was to prepare young Negro women to be teachers of their own race. She was unmarried.Myrtilla Miner (1815-1864): Woman of Courage; Educator of Conscience
By Christopher Anglim, University Archivist, University of the District of Columbia.A Spirit of Humble Greatness
Myrtilla Miner was a fragile but determined young white woman, who became an iconic figure in the struggle for educational rights for African Americans in Washington, DC. She continues to be highly regarded for her courage, vision, and perseverance.
In pursuing her life’s work, she had a unique role in the educational life of antebellum African Americans, a role that no other white woman of her time had.
She was the only woman to establish a teacher training school for African Americans prior to the Civil War. She also set the precedent for establishing such institutions by the latter part of the 19th century.Early Life
Myrtilla Miner was born on March 4, 1815 in Brookfield, New York. Her father, Seth Miner, was a poor farmer, who grew hops. She had twelve brothers and sisters. Both of Myrtilla’s parents were born in Connecticut and moved to Madison County when that part of New York State. Both parents were devout Calvinists. This part of New York State was referred to as the “burned over” region because religious revivals were so common. Both having very religious parents and living in a very religious area contributed to Myrtilla’s strong religious convictions. She, however, did not belong to any particular Christian denomination.
Ill through much of her childhood, Myrtilla found solace in books and learning. Realizing her call to be a teacher at an early age, Myrtilla wrote to William Seward, then Governor of New York State, asking for advice for young women who sought a liberal education. This was at a time when young women from small villages such as Brookfield were not formally educated. Governor Seward’s responded but offered no assistance. This reply, however, did not deter Miss Miner in following what strongly believed was God’s calling for her life’s work.
Education of a Teacher
Although always frail in health, Myrtilla earned enough by working in the hop fields near her home to further her education. In 1830, at the age of 15, Miss Miner began teaching at a rural school near her home. In 1841, Myrtilla attended the Young Ladies Domestic Seminary in Clinton, Oneida County, New York. Poor health, however, prevented her from completing her course work. While at the seminary, Miss Miner first met African American female students, and learned of the struggles they faced. This experience made an indelible impression on her.
Ms. Miner taught at various schools, including the Clover Street Seminary, in Rochester New York. She also received training despite being hindered by sickness and little money. In 1845, she taught at the Providence Public schools.Epiphany in Mississippi
From 1847 through 1848, Miss Miner taught at the Newton Female Institute at Whitesville, MS, a school for the daughters of wealthy planters. While in Mississippi, Miss Miner discovered her life’s mission. She offered to teach the slaves of one of the planters. Being summarily rebuffed, she was told it was a crime to teach slaves. In Mississippi, then, Miss Miner encountered the brutal and cruel evil of slavery.
Forced by serious illness to cease teaching and return to Brookfield, Myrtilla was nonetheless committed to fight the evil of slavery through education. She vowed that, “if God allows me to live, I will devote my entire life to teaching slaves.” Miss Miner, moved by this faith and a fierce determination, then sought to open a “normal school” for young African American girls in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC.Acting Upon a Vision
In seeking to start her school, Miss Miner asked Frederick Douglas for assistance. Douglass responded: “I pointed out to her, the dangers she would encounter, the hardships she would have to endure and what seemed to me at the time certain failure of the enterprise after all she might do and suffer to make it successful.”
Douglass several years later admitted that Miner’s school was successful, and that his initial advice was incorrect.
Remaining steadfast in her determination in the pursuit of her mission, she told Pastor David Payne that “I am prepared , and must go if I die in the attempt.”Washington, 1851
Washington, was the capital of a still young nation, then composed of 31 states. Millard Fillmore (of NY) was President. Most Americans perceived their country as a land of freedom and opportunity. For some, this may have true.
Slavery, however, had existed in Washington since Congress created the city in 1790. Its strategic location made the city a major center of the domestic slave trade in the early 19th century.
The District had also home a large number of free African Americans. In 1800 more than a quarter of DC was African and nearly 20% of the blacks were free. By 1820 the number of slaves had doubled, and thereafter declined. The population of the city’s free African Americans continued to increase.
Free African Americans were not completely free. For example, in 1808 the city passed “Black Codes”, which included fines for African Americans out after ten pm, requirement that freedmen carry documents, fines for playing cards or dice, and forty lashes for slaves caught at disorderly meetings. The law also required cash bonds for Freedmen.
In opening a school for African American children in Washington in 1851, Miner faced the intractable and formidable obstacles of: 1) finances, 2) intense pro-slavery opposition, and,
3) negative public sentiment.The Kindness of Friends
With a donation of $100 from Mrs. Ednah Thomas, a Philadelphia Quaker, Miss Miner started her school. Ever resourceful, Myrtilla transformed donations of old papers, books, weights, and measures into useful teaching aids for her new students.
Throughout the school’s history, Miner relied heavily on financial support from northern anti-slavery supporters, especially Quakers. Supporters included: future DC Mayor Sayles Jenks Bowen and Educator, Johns Hopkins. In addition to Quakers, she was supported by Unitarians and Republican public officials.
Harriet Beecher Stowe was a prominent supporter and donated $ 1000 from the royalties that she earned from Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Mrs. Stowe was not only one of the school’s largest donors for its permanent site, but she also hired Lydia Mann to teach at the school, while Miss Miner recuperated. Because of Mrs. Stowe’s interest in the school, Miss Miner suggested it should be named in Stowe’s honor.A School Is Founded
In the Autumn of 1851, Myrtilla Miner opened School for Colored Girls in Washington, DC. She would serve as principal teacher at the school from 1851 through 1860. It was the first normal school in the District, and the fourth normal school in the United States. A normal school is an institution developed in the early nineteenth century to train teachers of young children.
Miss Miner began teaching in a small room, about 14 square feet square, in the frame house owned and occupied by Edward C. Younger, an relatively well-off African American. The school was established on present day 11th and New York Avenue, in what was then the outskirts of Washington DC. The school began with six students.The Courses
The Miner school offered primary schooling and classes in domestic skills. Its students learned spelling, reading, geography, penmanship, composition, analysis of authors, and moral philosophy. Miss Miner also stressed hygiene and nature study.The Students
The students ranged from age 8 through 16. Within two months of opening, school enrollment grew from six to 40.School Under Siege
On February, 1852, Miss Miner’s school moved to a house of an African American family on F Street, between 18th and 19th Streets NW. The school continued to face fierce opposition from some parts of the community. By March, the school was forced to move again, because of threats of arson. Being the target of constant harassment, the school was forced to relocate at least four times.Visitors
Many prominent people came to visit the school, including Congressmen, educators, and even the first lady, Mrs. Franklin Pierce. They were all favorably impressed.
Professor E.N. Horsford of Cambridge University, for example, wrote:“Few out of Washington can duly estimate the difficulties of organizing and sustaining there of such a School. It requires on the part of its head, the rarest union of qualifications. There must be, beside varied accomplishments, the more important good sense, discretion, tact, and energy, which wait upon all successful enterprises.
In addition to these, Miss Miner has the deep religious faith, that united with other attributes, gives the fullest assurance, that while her life and health are continued, the school must prosper. I do not hesitate to add, that I have never attended a School exercise that “interested me more deeply than that of Miss Miner’s at Washington, nor can I escape the conviction that if the School can be maintained, its usefulness in the great cause of humanity will be more marked than if the pupils were white instead of colored.”
Gammaliel Bailey, editor of the National Era, an abolitionist newspaper in Washington, DC ,
provided the following account of his visit to the school:
They (the girls) read to us; recited their lessons for the day, in grammar, history and philosophy. They sang for us and then charted the constellations by the diagram, and then the anatomy of the human frame. In order to test what this was worth to them, we took the wand from the pupil who led the exercise and asked the names of the several stars we pointed out, and the constellations to which they belonged, all of which were correctly answered; next we gave the names of the bones, without any of their connections, and they told us their names, assigning to each its proper place.
What we regard as the distinguishing feature of Miss Miner’s instruction, is her analytical method of teaching, making her scholars, from the youngest to the oldest, know why the facts are as they are, in grammar, philosophy, and arithmetic. We would be most happy to believe teachers in the highest of our seminaries for young ladies, (those which are regarded as preeminent), were as competent and as faithful as Miss Miner, and that their classes would as well bear the scrutiny of review; where the why was to be given for the various facts affirmed in the school books. These recitations were very long and very carefully made.
The Founder Assesses Her Work
In an address, given on December 3, 1854, Myrtilla Miner reflected on her work: “Two years have been allowed to pass, that we might ourselves become fully satisfied with the feasibility of the plan and the probability of its permanency and usefulness….”A Permanent Home
On March 1, 1855, Miss Miner’s school moved to its permanent location, a three acre property was located on the present day intersection of 20th and N Street. At the time, this was considered the edge of the city, and is now a part of the Dupont Circle neighborhood. The property was described as beautifully landscaped with flower beds and fruit trees.Flourishing In Its New Home
The school was housed in a small wooden building (two stories, 25 by 35 feet) There was also a residence for the teacher and resident students. The dormitory was in the attic of the building. Miss Miner lived there with her students. As many as sixty students lived at the school, even though the school was at full capacity with forty students. Students were charged $ 15 per school year.Needed Rest
In early 1856, Suffering from worsening health, Miss Miner reduced her teaching duties. On October 28, 1856, Emily Howland offered to teach at Miss Miner’s School. Miss Miner eventually stopped teaching because of poor health.Success Yields Success
By 1858, six of Miss Miner’s former students were teaching in schools of their own.Opposition to the School
The school from its beginning was controversial, and attracted fierce opposition. Often, the opposition came from prominent individuals. Walter Lenox, Mayor of Washington (from 1850 through 1852) , at first assured Miss Miner that he supported the school. Perhaps yielding to pressure, he reversed course and denounced Miss Miner and her school in the National Intelligencer. Lenox wrote that it was:Not humane to the colored population, for us to permit a degree of instruction so far beyond their political and social condition…With this superior education there will come no removal of the present disabilities, no new source of employment equal to their mental culture; and hence there will be a restless population, less disposed than ever
To fill that position in society which is allotted to them.
The school attracted opposition and hostility from many local whites, forcing Miner to purchase and practice using a pistol. She confronted constant threats from petty criminals, the school windows were often broken, and the students were frequently assaulted. In the Spring of 1860, a mob set the school building on fire, which Ms. Miner quickly extinguished. Once threatened by violence, she shouted:Mob my school! You dare not! If you tear it down over my head I shall get another house. There is no law to prevent my teaching these people and I shall teach them even unto death!
California Respite
Due to the strain of teaching, fundraising, and defending herself and her school, Miss Miner traveled to California in 1858. She hoped to regain her health and vitality. Miner had hoped to reopen the school if her health and successful fund-raising permitted. She, however, would never be able to reopen her school.Period of Dormancy and Hope
Between 1861-1871, The Miner School became inactive because of inadequate funds, Miss Miner’s absence, and the pressures of the civil war.
Several events seemed to foretell of a promising future to come. On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the DC Emancipation Act, ending slavery in the District of Columbia.
On May 21, 1862, Congress authorized the first “colored elementary school”, in enacting a law calling for 10 % of taxes levied on property of African Americans to support a system of education for African Americans in DC.
President Lincoln, on January 1, 1863, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in states in rebellion against the federal government.
On February 17, 1863, the “Institution for the Education of Colored Youth” authorized by Congress was incorporated. Myrtilla Miner became its first president. The Directors included Henry Addison, John C. Underwood, George C. Abbott, William H. Channing, Nancy M. Johnson, and Myrtilla Miner.Tragedy
During much of the Civil War, Miss Miner recuperated in California. In 1864, Miss Miner was injured in carriage accident, and returned to Washington, DC. On December 17th, 1864, Myrtilla Miner passed away shortly after her arrival in Washington, DC. She died at the home of Mrs. Nancy M. Johnson, President of the Board of Trustees for the Institute of Colored Youth. Rev. William H. Channing, a close friend and counselor of Miss Miner’s officiated at her funeral. She is laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery in Washington, DC.
The Work Continues
In 1871, the Miner School reopened in connection with Howard University. The school was operated and controlled by Howard, but supported by the Miner Fund. From 1876 through 1879, the School operated independently. In 1879, the DC Public School System began operating the Miner Normal School. Miner Normal School is a predecessor institution of the present day, University of the District of Columbia, in Washington, DC.The Legacy: Remembering Miss Miner
Firm in the belief that education benefits all; Miss Miner used every opportunity, not only to develop herself, but teach those who had the least freedoms and the least opportunities.
An idealistic product of an idealistic age, Miss Miner had the unbounded faith that African Americans can and should be educated. This accompanied by dauntless courage and sound judgment guided Miss Miner to what seemed to be an impossible goal.
In so doing, Myrtilla Miner is an inspiring figure, because set her goals high, and would not permit any obstacle or evil, deter her from achieving of purpose of educating an oppressed people, and to ensure that the United States lived up to its promise of liberty, justice, and equal opportunity for all.Bibliography of Myrtilla Miner and Miner Teachers College
Biographies of Mytrilla Miner, 1920-1975
Journal Articles:
Wormley, G. Smith. “Myrtilla Miner,” Journal of Negro History 5 (Oct. 1920): 448-57.
Wells, Lester G. “Myrtilla Miner,” New York History Quarterly 24 (1943) 358-75.
Preston, Emmett Jr. “Myrtilla Miner,in, “Negro Education in the District of Columbia,” 12 Journal of Negro Education 12 (Spring 1943): 189-198 .
St. Clair, Sadie Daniel . “Myrtilla Miner: Pioneer in Teacher Education for Negro Women,” Journal of Negro History, 34 (1949): 30-45.
___________________. “Myrtilla Miner,“ Dictionary of American Biography[?}, n.d. copy on file with Archives .
Parry-Hall, Joseph. Miner Past Recalled, Columbian, June 1964, at 1.
Flusche, Michael. “Anti-Slavery and Spiritualism, Myrtilla Miner and Her School,” New York Historical Society Quarterly 49 (1975): 149-72 .
Monographs:
O’Connor, Ellen M. Myrtilla Miner: A Memoir. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, 1885.General
Journal Articles:
Thomas, Bettye Coller, “The Impact of Black Women in Education: An Historical Overview.”. Journal of Negro Education 51(1982): 173-80.
Cooke, Paul P, “Whence Cometh the University of the District of Columbia.” American History Kit, Associated Pub., 1991.
Lane, Russell A. “The Legal Trend Toward Increased Provision for Negro Education in the United States Between 1920 and 1930.” Journal of Negro Education 1(October 1932): 396-399.
Wormley, G.S. “First Half Century of Public Schools of the District of Columbia.” Journal of Negro Education 17(1932): 124.Monographs:
Anderson, George Lestor. Land-Grant Universities and Their Continuing Challenge. [East Lansing]: Michigan State University Press, 1976.
Hines, Marion E. 200 Years of Public Education in the Nation’s Capital, 1804-2004. Washington, DC: Delta Chapter, Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, 2004.
Holmes, Dwight. Evolution of the Negro College. New York: Columbia University, 1934.
Nelson, Bernard H. Miner Teachers College: The First Century, 1851-1951. The Biography of A School. [s.l.], 1973.
Woodson, Carter G. The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861. New York: Putnam’s Sons, 1915.Government Documents:
A Report to the President on Public Higher Education in the District of Columbia.
Washington, DC: GPO, 1964. [aka, the Chase Report]Theses and Dissertations:
Goodwin, Louis C. “A Historical Study of Accreditation in Negro Public and Private Colleges, 1927-1952 – with Special Reference to Colleges in the Southern Association.” (Ed.D. Dissertation, New York University, 1956).
Orr, Clyde Lynn. “An Analytical Study of the Conference of Presidents of Negro Land-Grant Colleges.” (Ed.D, University of Kentucky, 1959).
Taylor, Joseph Thomas. “An Analysis of Some factors Involved in the Changing Functions and Objectives of the Negro College.” (Ed.D. Dissertation, Indiana University, 1952).
Thompson, Daniel C. “Teachers in Negro Colleges (A Sociological Analysis).” (Ed.D. Dissertation, Columbia University, 1956).
Wright, Chester W. “A History of the Black Land-Grant Colleges 1890-1916.” (Ed.D. Dissertation, 1981).Manuscripts:
Biderman, Albert. “Higher Learning in Washington, A 175 Year Crisis”, 1966. Manuscript. On file with UDC Archives.Addresses:
Bond, Horace Mann. Wilson Teachers College Commencement Address, Cardozo High School, Washington, D.C., June 16, 1955. Manuscript. On file with UDC Archives.
Halberg, Anna. Wilson Teachers College Commencement Address, Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C., June 16, 1955. Manuscript. On file with UDC Archives.
Parker, Marjorie H. District of Columbia Teachers College Commencement Address, Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C., May 13, 1976. Manuscript. On file with UDC Archives.
He served the Stockbridge Indians at the Green Bay, Wisc Mission.