Hornbaker School a short history
Hornbaker School (a short history)
from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools. Some of this information was given to Ruth McCormick by Sarah Hornbaker, who was a student of Charles Smith. Other people who provided information were Phylis Dunlap and Gordon Crowder. Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
On October 9, 1928, Phillip Hornbaker entered land from the U. S. Government, the W 1/2 of the SW 1/4 Section 4, Township 18 Range 5 West, and a total of eighty (80) acres in Ripley Township, Montgomery County Indiana. In the deed record book 10 page 377 November 22, 1833 Phillip Hornbaker a parcel of land to the Township trustee so a common school could be constructed.
In 1828 Phillip Hornbaker came to Indiana from Canton, Ohio. He traveled on horseback and settled near Yountsville, Indiana. He returned to Canton and in 1830 he came back to Indiana bringing his wife (Mary Ann Runyon Hornbaker) and his two sons, John and William. They came via a covered wagon bringing all of their possessions with them.
Phillip was born 1795 and died in 1836. Mary was born 1795 and died November 3, 1866 at he(r) age of 71. They are buried in the Thompson Cemetery north of Yountsville.
A school was constructed in 1833-34 but was abandoned about 1894. The Yountsville School was built in 1893 and the children were transferred to that school. The Ripley Township trustee , Samuel E. Gilkey, sold the land at an auction January 20, 1900. Albert T. Hornbaker bought the land for $1.00.
The little one room school faced south. Inside were two rows of desk and seats. The girls sat on the East side and the boys on the West side and the smaller and younger children were seated in the front of the room.
After the school was abandoned, Albert Hornbaker used the building as a tool shed. The farm was sold to Mr. and Mrs. James Harkrider and the building was torn down. Some of the sills were used to repair the barn.
Some of the teachers who taught were:
| George Cooper | John Davis | Fred Weighand | Ivan Fink-January 1869 |
| Jeff Cheffer | Ora Olin | Tom Band | C. W. Schleppy |
| Mr. Campbell | Mr. Munn - April 1869 | Charles W. Smith | Mr. Mark |
Some of the students were:
| Charles Yount | Oscar Wilcox | Anne Yount | William Norman |
| William H. Morrison | Dora Wilcox | Sallie Snyder | Nettie Yount |
| Flora Wilcox | Jane Thompson | Edward Lawton | Andrew Yount |
| William Hornbaker | Allen Love | Clarence Fink | Glennie Brown |
| Henry Thompson | Levra Wilcox | Willie Hearet | Walter Yount |
| Herbert Larsh | Sallie Hornbaker | Eva Love | Annie Thompson |
| Addie Fink | John Sulivan | Kate Sulivan | Willie Lawton |
| Willie Walters | Squire Gilkey | Andrew Thompson | Robert Swearington |
| Maggie Callhehan | Katie Callehan | Willie Larsh | Charles Callehan |
| George Leebolt | Hattie Percell | Pearlie Hearst | Sallie Thompson |
| Irvain Norman | Jennie Sulivan | Enoch Lawton | Annie Sidell |
| Floyd Fink | Clinton Thompson | Mary Sulivan | Daisy Leebolt |
| Dora Callehan | Anna Bemer |