Good Evening Fellow Listers: This just came through the PA Cambria Co. List. Thank you Marilynkwash@aol.com for submitting and posting this - it's very interesting! I hope others will enjoy it as well. Donna HELLER ZINN of Newville, Cumberland Co., PA.. **************************************************************** Some time ago I mentioned that after the Civil War, Pennsylvania founded schools for the children of Civil War Veterans. A child was considered an orphan if the father was dead, as most women had no income to support children. Unlabeled Clipping, 1995 [For the one hundredth anniversary of the Scotland School] ORPHANS OF WAR TOUCH THE GOVERNOR'S HEART One breezy November evening in 1865, two scantily clad children begged for food at the front door of the Pennsylvania governor's mansion. Gov. Andrew Gregg Curtin [of Civil War Roundtable fame] spoke with the children and discovered their father had died during a battle. They were orphans with no place to turn. [Note: Gov Curtin was a cousin of General Gregg and Lt.Co. Gregg of the 4th Pa Calvary. The family had roots in Huntington and Hollidaysburg.] Earlier that same year, the Pennsylvania Railroads donated $50,000 to the state. Curtin decided to use the money to place needy veterans' children in homes and schools. He appointed a Superintendent of Soldier's Orphans to organize this task, locating 44 homes and schools for the children by 1912. State inspectors found that many of these children were discharged at age 16 with very little work skills. They suggested that the children be transferred to a state-owned facility to learn a trade. In 1889, legislation replaced the superintendent position with a Commission of Civil War Veterans and Legislators. They decided to build a trade training school in Scotland [Pa, near McConnellsburg.] The purchased 100 acres from Colonel Alexander Stewart for $12,000. John A. Burgner and Sons of Lancaster built the administration and industrial buildings. Today, the school encompasses about 185 acres and consists of 60 buildings. Trains brought the Soldiers' Orphans School's first students on June 1, 1895. [This is the Scotland School for Veteran's Children.] In November 1900, 75 cases of scarlet fever struck the student populace and an on-campus hospital was built the following year. Fire destroyed the industrial building in February 1901. Several new buildings and students' cottages were built over the years. The library/ssciencee wing and the gymnasiums were constructed in 1972. Gov. Robert Casey revealed his 19991-1992 state budget, which included plans to phase out Scotland School over a two year period. Alumni groups, parents and veterans protested and the school was kept open. Budget cuts forced the school to eliminate first and second grades and cut some programs. As I mentioned, there is a book on this topic, which I used at the Hostine Rental Genealogy Library in Hollidaysburg, Pa. I am not sure if they are still in operation. The book contains pictures and descriptions of the schools, and lists of orphans registered over the years in each school. Both boys and girls were included. I first discovered the existence of the book from articles in the Bulletin of the Blair County Genealogy Society, so you might get the bibliographical details from them. There was a school near Huntington, and students were sent to St. Vincent Prep School at Latrobe. I am unable to remember any other schools. ==== PACAMBRI Mailing List ==== http://www.rootsweb.com/~pacambri/ To unsubscribe from the PACAMBRI-L list, send the message Unsubscribe to PACAMBRI-L-Request@Rootsweb.com. If you wish to unsubscribe the Digest mode send your message to PACAMBRI-D-Request@Rootsweb.com