DARWIN D. MARTIN 1931 Correspondence

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 05: GOVERNANCE
Board of Trustees
Darwin D. Martin
Trustee 1919 – 1934
1931 Correspondence

Reservoir with heavy run-off. { c.1930s} [ kingman_031b]

TAGS: Darwin D. Martin 1931 Correspondence, PMSS Board of Trustees, Boy’s House, Mary Rockwell Hook, Hubert Hadley, Dr. Alfreda Withington, road conditions, Katherine Pettit, Evelyn K. Wells, Dr. Louisa Martin, Pine Mountain movie, the reservoir, Pleasant Hill Academy

DARWIN D. MARTIN 1931 CORRESPONDENCE

DARWIN D. MARTIN 1931 CORRESPONDENCE provides images and contents of his 1931 correspondence. Darwin D. Martin, a member of the Board of Trustees at Pine Mountain Settlement School, 1920-1933, was a generous contributor to and consultant for the School. He was an executive of the Larkin Company located in Buffalo, New York.

This year brought new challenges to the water supply at the Settlement School. Glyn Morris writes to Darwin D. Martin, Chair of the Board

We are facing a problem with the reservoir again. W have been watching it ever ice I have been here, and it has dropped suddenly forty inches. I have gone over all the correspondence in regard to the reservoir on file here. I understand that there is a possibility of our securing some money from the Emory Estate through Mr. Livingood; however, this is only a possibility. I believe that something should be done at once with the reservoir in order to prevent what might be a serious situation this coming fall…

Morris continues to relay the steps taken to remediate the situation to no avail and describes the situation as an emergency for the institution. He declares that there was no time to negotiate permission from the Board. He describes how he has begun to remediate the problems with no approval of the Board due to the immediate need for water the upcoming School session.

This and other crises and other joys during the 1931 year fill the correspondence between the Director and the Chair of the Board, Darwin D. Martin. The lessons in administration from both sides are many. The dialogue is lively and at times competitive but always respectful. Importantly, the School, with two such dynamic leaders, becomes an exemplary model of a rural settlement school.

CONTENTS: Darwin D. Martin 1931 Correspondence

January 3, 1931. Copy of letter to Darwin D. Martin from Hubert Hadley, Director. Correspondence in answer to a series of questions posed by Martin. October 1927 article in Mountain Life and Work was not yet read by Hadley. The average amount of time Pine Mountain holds students was not answered ..”Too difficult for me to answere at this time …” Hadley tries to clear dconfusion regarding dating of correspondence. He advises Martin that he is still waiting to hear from him regarding batteries needed by Pine Mountain but is unable to find a solution to electrical lighting at the School.
January 6, 1931. Martin comments on the rapid receipt of another letter from Pine Mountain and suggests the postmark of January 5 at 6 am is too rapid for credibility?
January 6, 1931. Hubert Hadly to Darwin D. Martin desperately making an effort to get an interview with the Fairbanks-Morse and Company‘s salesman concerning batteries. He apologizes to Martin for any misunderstanding and indicates he will follow through with order for batteries and repair parts and a mechanic from Benham when parts arrive.
January 9th, 1931. Darwin D. Martin to Hubert Hadley regarding the farmer’s short course at the State University. Martin suggests that Peder Moller, the new Danish farmer, might benefit from attending the farmer’s short course at the university.
n.d. Note in handwriting of Katherine Pettit. Country S.S – Sunday. Ruth Cunlick ”’ heel. – Loves part of Open H[ouse] cost $700.00 given to K. Petit by M[arguerite ] Butler and E. McCullough. ??
January 23, 1931. Hubert Hadley to Darwin D. Martin. Notes batteries are on their way. Answers questions of compulsory school age in KY and relates that it is from seven to sixteen. MORE …. LETTER OUT OF ORDER (2 PAGES)
February 16, 1931. Hubert Hadley to Darwin D. Martin. Hadley advises tahthe instructed Miss Conn to itemize the incidental incomes for November and December. Secured Miss [Evelyn Wells ] to take the Directror’s place, beginning on April 19. Miss Motter and Miss Gaines will function as Directrors in their respective fields from April 1 to the 19th. Notes the receipt of $24,000.00 gift from the will of the late Henry C. Munger [Chapel]. Notes that all is well with the electric light problems.

[P1050708 & P1050709] March 7, 1931. Handwritten letter to Evelyn Wells from Mrs. Inghram D. (Mary Rockwell) Hook, Kansas City, MO. Pages 1 & 2. Regarding Boy’s House [upper] porch: “…The porch never did belong to the house…remove the eye sore….” Hook suggests a small balcony instead. [Not part of Martin corresp] {?]

[P1050710] March 11, 1931. Typewritten letter to Mr. [Hubert] Hadley [PMSS Director] from Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY. Martin quotes an update from Dr. [Alfreda] Withington concerning improved road conditions over Pine Mountain and from PMSS to Big Laurel. Martin asks for confirmation and details concerning this “good news.” Also asked whether Hadley called a doctor during Withington’s absence.

[P1050711] May 1, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Dr. Louisa Martin [? of Darwin ?] in New Orleans, LA. from Evelyn K. Wells, PMSS Acting Director. Wells thanks Martin for package of seeds; “Miss Pettit is no longer connected with the school except as a very valued trustee. She is sailing today for South America on an extended trip….”

[P1050712] June 2, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Evelyn K. Wells, PMSS Acting Director. Wells asks whether Helen de Long sent Martin the Pine Mountain movie. “It has two speaking appointments this summer,” with Miss Kitty Russel of Grosse Pointe Village, MI, and Mrs. James R. Joy of Plainfield, NJ. Russel wants to show it at a Pine Mountain Assn. meeting.

[P1050713] July 15, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director. Enclosing a copy of letter to Mrs. Holton. Morris describes problems with the reservoir; may get money from the Emory Estate through Dr. [James] Livingood; describes recommendations from an engineer from The Wisconsin Steel Company at Benham. Plans to take money from the “Flood Letter” excess receipts saved by Miss Melville for this kind of emergency.

[P1050714] & [P1050715] August 7, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director. Pages 1 & 2. Morris updated Martin on the work on the reservoir, almost completed after 2 weeks; took out 75 tons of gravel and rock to increase the capacity; cost will probably exceed $650 due to charges by the Inter-Mountain Coal & Lumber Co. that owns the railroad; the engineer from Benham supervised the laying of the concrete bottom. Stated advanatages of a road over the mountain.

Morris thanked Martin for letter re: Pleasant Hill Academy; has meetings with Mr. Fogel, the school’s new head. “One phase of the work at Pleasant Hill developed by Mr. Elder is “The Atmosphere of Controlled Freedom. This interests me particularly and is one of the ideals which I should like very much to see developed here.”

Plans to visit Hon. D.C. Jones at Harlan. “…I believe that by this time he has been put right in the matter of which you speak. One certainly needs a tolerant and understanding attitude to work here….'”

[P1050716] August 18, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director. Work on reservoir has been competed; walls were built so that they can be made taller in the future; Morris hired a young man from the theological seminary who is helping Mr. [Peder] Moller & Mr. [Oscar] Kneller with teaching agriculture.

[1050717] November 6, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Mr. Martin in Buffalo, NY, from Glyn Morris, PMSS Director. Morris will issue a monthly bulletin at Martin’s suggestion; encloses a copy of a letter from the KY Utilities Co.; Morris has asked the County Schools Superintendents in the area for a list of their high schools to help with selection of PMSS students; Morris will use one of the rooms at the Medical Settlement “as a school for educating some of the older boys down at Big Laurel, with a view of having them come to Pine Mountain.

[1050718] December 16, 1931. Carbon copy of letter to Morris, PMSS Director, from Martin in Buffalo, NY. Martin circulated a plan “a la Antioch” proposed by Miss Melville and waits for Board suggestion. As of now, “The school is still maintaining 5th and 6th grades and is still rejecting applicants of whatever age who can not matriculate for 5th grade.”