History of Avondale Youth Center
Prior to the year 1879, the "poor and homeless" children of Muskingum County were housed with indigent adults at the County Infirmary. On May 7, 1879, construction was begun on the John McIntire Children's Home, which was located on Blue Avenue near the present Zanesville High School. This building which housed approximately 100 children, was constructed with funds from the estate of John McIntire, who dies in 1815, and whose will provided that income from his stock and real estate "annually forever" should go "for the use and support of a free school in the town of Zanesville for the use of the poor children of the town". These funds were originally used in 1835 to construct the John McIntire Academy on 5th Street, but after State Public School laws were passed, the McIntire fortune was gradually appropriated to other charitable uses.
At the time of the construction of the McIntire Children's Home, the trustees of the Zanesville Canal and Manufacturing Co., who administer the McIntire Fund, and the County Commissioners, through a joint commission, made a contract by which the county contributed $6,000 for the county children cared for by the home. This arrangement was necessary in view of the special provision of McIntire's will that his estate be administered "in the town of Zanesville for the use of poor children in said town", and was continued until July, 1895 when it was rescinded by mutual consent of the trustees and commissioners after a disagreement about costs and the $6,000 returned to the county.
When the Commissioners contract with the McIntire Home expired in 1899, a new contract was drawn with the Tuscarawas County Children's Home at Canal Dover, Ohio, to keep the orphans and poor children of Muskingum county at a per diem rate of 50 cents per child. Since this arrangement could not last indefinitely, the commissioners considered various sites for the construction of a new home, including the Cox estate in Dresden, Ohio. In July, 1909, the present Avondale site was purchased (35 acres of land) for $7,572 and in September, 1909, a contract for the construction of the present home was given to the E. Mast Construction Co. for $19,356. Apparently the Newton Township location was chosen partly because of the convenience afforded by the inter-urban line which ran through Moxahala, past Avondale, onto Roseville and Crooksville, and partly because a new Avondale addition site has been laid out on the opposite side of the road a year before the Avondale property was purchased. The name Avondale was chosen from the previously named Avondale subdivision. The new home was scheduled to open May, 1911, but not until November 12, 1911 were 41 "little home comers" transported from the Canal Dover home during which trip they were reportedly made "very happy" by the thoughtfulness of Mr. W. A. Wilson, president of the CA & C train line, who presented them with a "great basket of fruit".
On March 6, 1911, the Messrs, John Quinn, William C. Copeland, John Graham and W. E. Guthrie met at the office of W. E. Guthrie as the first trustees of the Muskingum County Children's Home. W. E. Guthrie was elected chairman pro tem and president of the Board. The Board appointed Mr. J. B. Billingsley as superintendent of the Children's Home at a salary of $650 per annum and his wife was appointed Matron at a salary of $250 per annum. Meetings were scheduled for the first Monday in each month.
In April, 1911 the minutes of the Board mentioned that the home is not yet ready for occupancy, although the superintendent and matron were occupying the premises and "as far as possible the ground is being prepared and planted". The Board noted that they were required by law to make requisition upon the County Commissioners for supplies. For the next three months the Board asked for the following items:
1. Food, fuel, and forage $ 1,750.00
2. Clothing 500.00
3. Payroll, Employees, supt., etc. 750.00
4. Books & stationary 200.00
5. Furniture, etc. 3,000.00
6. Transportation 200.00
7. Livestock 100.00
8. Other expenses 1,500.00
$ 8,000.00
A team of horses, harness and other articles have been previously purchased for a total of $559.00
The June 6, 1911 meeting of the Board was apparently the first to be held at the Home as it is recorded that "after dinner the County Commissioners met with the Trustees of the home and plans for the completing of the house were discussed". Manure, lumber, groceries and seed oats were among bills which were read and for which orders were drawn in favor of payment. By August 1911, a telephone had been installed as orders were drawn for payment of $13.72 to the C. U. Telephone Co. Later purchases including fencing, $270.70;tableware, $100; ice box, $70.00; school desks, $97.40; shoes from J. E. McHenry $63.00; butterine, $13.95 and coal, $68.23 - at a later date more shoes and some clothing purchases were made from the Ohio State Penitentiary.
Dr. J. R. McDowell is the first physician mentioned as having provided professional services and Kate Atkinson was apparently the first nurse and later became a visiting agent. A. J. Axline, MD, also provided medical services but by March 4, 1912 Dr. E. M. Brown was appointed home Physician at a salary of $192.00 per annum. Miss Glenna Forsythe is mentioned as one of the early teachers at the home, at a salary of $40 per month.
Construction of buildings and improvement of the Home continued through the year 1912, as the dry well was ordered to be fenced, plans and figures for a smoke house were to be drawn, bids were received for the setting of a boiler in the rear Laundry Building and the Superintendent was instructed to purchase lumber and build a corn crib. The cellar was also concreted for $145.00 by W. W. Tanner. Monthly expenses for the Home leveled off at approximately $1,000.00
In June, 1914, the Trustees of the home wrote a letter to the County Commissioners in which they "most respectfully" called to the commissioners' attention the urgent need for a schoolhouse, as the room in the building was not large enough and not adapted to school purposes. The Trustees stated that they appreciated "the importance for education to these unfortunate ones committed to their charge, realizing they are without money and family influences which are so vital to a boy or girl starting out alone upon life's journey" and asked that the commissioners find some way to erect a school building, "of a size that would be adequate for future needs and of substantial character in construction."
Apparently the commissioners were unable or unwilling to honor this request because in June, 1915, plans were discussed and requests made for the purchase of a fire escape which would be required in order to occupy the second floor of the Laundry Building for a schoolroom. The Trustees took leave to suggest specifications for the proposed school building and in closing their letter to the Commissioners regarding this matter added their hope that their communication would be "duly considered as representing" their needs, and "not be reduced in amount".
In June, 1916, the Trustees of the Home, not being easily discouraged, sent to the President of the Board of Education of Newton Township a letter advising that under section 7676 of the General Code of Ohio the Board of Education was responsible for the erection of a suitable school building to be situated reasonably near the Muskingum County Home for the education of the children of said Muskingum County Children's Home". The Board of Education was further advised that "compliance with this request at once will save any further trouble in the matter". The Avondale Children's Home School was eventually built in 1924 according to Norris Schneider in his book Y Bridge City. Mr. Jesse Hutson, who became superintendent of Avondale in 1945, recalls teaching in the school prior to his appointment as superintendent and states that it was "one of the nicest buildings" in which he ever taught. Mr. Hutson also recalls that children from other schools, possibly Rolling Plains School, were transferred to the Avondale School due to overcrowding. As late as January, 1926, the Trustees were in dispute with the County Commissioners regarding payment of a bill to the Adams Construction Co. for work done on the school building in 1923.
In September, 1916, the Trustees of the Children's Home were authorized to purchase an automobile for the use of the Home and purchase was made of a "Chevrolet Machine" from the Buckeye Motor Sales Co. for the sum of $560.70.
The employees of the home petitioned the Trustees for an increase in salary in December, 1916; the Trustees at that time moved that the petition be "laid over till a full meeting of the board". An increase of 10% was granted the following April. In May, 1918, the Trustees, County Commissioners and Probate Judge met in the Probate Courtroom to consider salary increases. Salaries for other employee's of the home were increased an additional 10%, but "on account of the qualifications of Mr. Billingsley as a expert electrician and also of his having an engineer's license, which enables him to render much service accordingly to the board" a resolution was offered and passed to compensate Mr. Billingsley $100.00 per month. Mrs. Billingsley as matron was to earn $40.00. The board also recorded that "it being understood that this increase was in compensation was made for these parties named and is not to be established as a precedent for other employees".
The records of children placed in the Muskingum County Children's Home begin with the first child being committed in September, 1911, and it seems to include the 41 children transferred from the Canal Dover Home. Children were committed by the Juvenile Court as dependent children, a record was made of their height, weight, coloring, sex, race, their parents names and occupations and status, whether or not the parents were intemperate, whether the children had attended Sabbath School, were profane or used tobacco. Judge Harvey C. Smith was apparently Probate Judge when these early commitments were made. Older children were indentured from the home and funds earned by these older children were held in trust for them until they left their indentured homes. Brief records were kept making note of the return of children to parents or relatives, and of returns to the Children's Home. Children from the Home were also committed to the Girl's industrial Home at Delaware, Ohio to the State hospital in Columbus, and to the Crittenden Home in Akron.
Under a section of the records entitled REMARKS, Superintendent Billingsley recorded brief statements regarding the children's lives after they left the Children's home, for example: Wilbur served with the American Expeditionary force in France", Katie was placed with a family as a nursemaid", "Lewis is attending a school in Ann Arbor, Michigan and making his own way", Emmit died at the State School for Feeble minded", or simply, "Freda is dead".
Medical certificates for children committed to the Children's Home were completed by a physician for the court prior to placement of the child and included such questions as:
1. Has the child perfect vision?
2. Has the child full use of his limbs?
3. Is the child of sound intellect?
4. Has the child sufficient physical strength to receive instruction?
5. Has the child any tendency to scrofula?
6. Has the child any tendency to consumption?
7. Is the child perfectly free from any cutaneous disorder?
8. Is he subject to epileptic or other fits?
9. Has the child been vaccinated?
10. Has the child had smallpox or cowpox?
At times the judge committing the child would comment regarding a child's "offense", such "none - a good boy with no one to care for him".
In November, 1912, a 4 year old girl died at Avondale and was buried on the Institution grounds. Minutes of February, 1913, trustees meeting records authorization of payment to the People's Undertaking Co. of $25.00 for funeral expense, presumably for this child. No mention is made as to the cause of her death.
Meeting of the Trustees were held at the Muskingum County Children's Home at the convenience of the members, with regularly scheduled meetings on the first Monday of every Month. On occasion, special called meetings were held to discuss major purchases or salary increases, and at such times the members met at the office of w. e. Guthrie or at the Probate Court. In November and December, 1918, the Trustees prudently removed children from the Home on "account of the Influenza Epidemic" and the problem was reflected in the bills which were approved for payment in December in that six persons and Good Samaritan hospital were paid for nursing fees.
Sometime in 1913, a Mr. E. K. Rankin was apparently appointed as trustee to replace Mr. John Quinn. Hr. H. H. Collins also served in the early 1900's, and Mr. Clyde Reasoner was appointed to complete the unfinished term of Mr. John Graham, who resigned in June, 1920. Mr. and Mrs. Billingsley continued in their positions as superintendent and matron until December, 1934, when they resigned in order to recover their health. A motion was made by Mr. e. B. Graham that their resignation be accepted with regret, the board expressing their "gratitude to their serving the County in the management and operation of the home in such an efficient manner that it was recognized throughout the state to such a degree of efficiency that the State Officials after investigating the home would order other Homes in the state to establish certain rules and regulations that the Billingsleys had established upon their own initiative in this home".
