His Biography

His Biography

``Was author of several school books, which had a short run, as they were in opposition to the innovations which Noah Webster was making in the English language.´´ Author of ``Cobb´s Spelling Book´´ and other school books. 1819 SPELLER was published; written while he taught in a log schoolhouse on the Mulks farm. 1836 Sequel to Juvenile Reader was published.

``the author of Cobb´s readers, spelling books, and other school books extensively used in early times in Central and Western New York and Pennsylvania, formerly lived in the white house near Snyder´s Station, on the E.C. & N. railroad, a little east of Varna. He had his books published at Ithaca and the covers were made of this boards covered with blue paper. He was born in Canaan, CT (or, as some say, in Lenox, MA) in the year 1800, and in his youth came with his father´s family to Berkshire, Tioga, NY, locating about a mile east of Speedsville. He afterwards taught school at Slaterville about three years and it was here that he compiled the first edition of his spelling book published by Mack & Andrus about the year 1819. He was afterwards a teacher in Ithaca. His wife was a daughter of Ephraim Chambers, who at one time resided on the Dan Rice farm in Ellis Hollow, and his sister was Mrs. Thomas Davis, who resided in Dryden from 1840 until her decease in 1860.´´

``The `Cobb´ Series.

The Educational Series of Lyman Cobb have long been out of use and out of date. They however had a wide celebrity in their time and for a quarter of a century were the standards of juvenile instruction in the common schools of this and other states.

Lyman Cobb, Jr., their author, was a native of Lennox, situated among the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts and in his youth removed with his father´s family to the Berkshire hills in Tioga county, New York. Here on a farm half way between Speedsville and Berkshire village, his father had settle pioneer-like and his son grew to manhood. The father died a suicide, and the son began his career as an educator as a teacher of the common school in the back districts of the neighborhood.

It was while teaching school in one of these districts in the eastern part of Tompkins county that Mr. Cobb began the preparation and compilation of the first edition of his spelling book, about the years 1816-17. The work was continued during his spare time from teaching for a couple of years and at its completion ways and means had to be provided for its publication. Several wealthy farmers in the vicinity agreed to unite in furnishing the financial aid to bring out the work. Accordingly the first edition was published by Mack & Adrus of this village in 1819.

Its introduction into the schools here about immediately followed and spread through this and adjoining counties. Subsequently later and revised editions were put on the market and its popularity and use became general in this state and Pennsylvania and Ohio and to some extent among the schools of the New England states also. It held its own until about the middle of the forties when the educational series of Charles Sanders began to lead and soon supplanted it altogether.

Mr. Cobb brought out a few other educational school books, among which were the North American Reader, and Cobb´s Pronouncing Dictionary which had a successful run for several years but never equalled in celebrity his spelling book. Some of his books were published by the Harpers of New York city.

He taught school in Ithaca for a few year in the twenties, immediately following the appearance of his first spelling book. His books did not bring him very great renumeration, some of them proving a financial loss to himself and his publishers. There are men still living who as boys went to school to Lyman Cobb; and remember how he spent his leisure afternoon and evening hours in the writing of his spelling book.

Later in life he resided in Pennsylvania and, there, towards the close of the fifties, he died, at Ulysses, PA, where he was interred.

Though a poor man, he lived a very useful and busy life and deserves remembrance as foremost among the educators of our people in the past.´´

``Cobb, Spelling Book Author, Rests in Unmarked Grave

In an unmarked grave in Potter County, PA, rests one of Tompkins County´s foremost educators of his time, and still sadder to relate, no marker remains to commemorate his worth or to preserve his good memory in Tompkins County where he performed most of his literary efforts and where many of his publications were printed. In order that for once, at least, Lyman Cobb may have due and lasting credit in this day and generation for his untiring and highly successful labors in the cause of popular education in times where educational opportunities were practically unattainable, we submit the following sketch of his life as contained in local histories and standard biographies.

...

Called Great Educator

Appleton´s says: ``Lyman Cobb was one of the greatest educators of his time, and was also active in charitable enterprises, being a member of numerous benevolent societies. He was author of numerous textbooks, including ``Just Standard for Pronouncing the English Language´´ (1825); ``Spelling Book´´ (1826); with ``Introduction´´ (1831) and ``Expositor´´ (1835); several readers (1831-44); ``Miniature Lexicon of the English Language´´ (1835-54); ``Arithmetical Rules and Tables´´ (1835) and ``New Pronouncing School Dictionary´´ (1843).´´

In the Cornell (City) Library is a set of the ``Dictionary of American Biography,´´ in which appears the following sketch of Lyman Cobb:

``Lyman Cobb (Sept 18, 1800-Oct 26, 1864), educator and author, the son of Elijah William and Sally (Whitney) Cobb, was born in Lenox, MA, but lived chiefly in New York State. Little is known of his early life and education, but in some of his publications Cobb mentions himself as ``Mast of Arts.´´ He was author of numerous texts, chiefly in spelling, reading and arithmetic, millions of copies of which are said to have been sold. His spelling books created the greatest stir. The first of these appeared about 1821 (American Journal, Ithaca, Oct. 17, 1821), and was followed at intervals by revisions, introductions and sequels. He published a ``Critical Review´´ of Noah Webster´s ``Spelling-Book´´. The ``Critical Review´´ was answered by Webster in an eight - page pamphlet, ``To the Friends of American Literature.´´ Each side was able to point out numerous errors in the other, though Cobb´s agents defied ``anyone to show a variation form the true dictionary of Walker,´´ an abridgment of which, by Cobb, was published in 1829. In the early 40s Cobb had another controversy over spelling - books, this time with Charles W. Sanders.

``In the North American Reader (1835) he made a patriotic appeal, the ``pieces´´ being ``chiefly American.´´ Cobb married Harriet Chambers of Caroline, Tompkins County, NY in 1822. He died at Colesburg, PA, where he lies in an unmarked grave. His books are the most reliable evidence of his life, and his only monument.´´

Taught at Slaterville

``Landmarks of Tompkins County,´´ in a section devoted to Caroline history, says: ``Caroline has the honor of being the home of Lyman Cobb, author of ``Cobb´s Spelling Book,´´ which is remembered by persons 50 years old and upwards. Mr. Cobb taught school at Slaterville in a small schoolhouse which stood on the farm of Charles Mulks, now (1894) owned by John Boice (now know as the John Middaugh farm). Mr. Cobb taught there about two years and during that time compiled his spelling-book, the first edition of which was issued in 1819. Several of the neighboring farmers helped him to publish the book, among whom were Levi Slater, Erasmus Benton, of Berkshire, Isaac Stillwell and Charles and John Mulks. Mack and Andrus, of Ithaca, were the publishers for New York and the middle states, and millions of copies of the book were printed in this and other states. Cobb sold the copyright to several parties in New England, and Southern and Western states. Mr. Cobb afterward compiled other school books.´´

These spelling books had wooden covers covered with blue paper. A few copies remain in the possession of collectors and older residents. Goerge Hoch of Ithaca has a fine copy of Cobb´s Dictionary, now rare. Leon Goodrich some years ago found a copy of the blue-covered ``Cobb´s Spelling Book´´ in the old grist-mill near Rawson Hollow creek at Speedsville. There may be several other copies in Tompkins county, but they are quite difficult to obtain.

Lyman Cobb and Charles W. Sanders were both engaged in publishing school books, and while they differed sometimes on questions of proper spelling of words, we assume that they were friendly, since both were residents of Tomplins County. Charles W. Sanders lived at and published his books at Peruville, in the town of Groton, where a state historical marker records this event. Such a state historical marker once stood on the Middaugh farm, where Lyman Cobb and his neighbors compiled his spelling book. This marker should be replaced to permanently honor the memory of Lyman Cobb and those who assisted him in his successful endeavors to aid in the education of Americans of his time. Possibly, some day, a historical marker will keep vigil over his final resting place in the beautiful Cowenesque Valley in Pennsylvania, in the grave so long neglected and almost forgotten. We contribute this sketch in that faith.

Lyman H. Gallagher. Ithaca Journal, May 5, 1942´´

``Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York by John H. Selkreg, 1894; D. Mason & Co., Publisher ``Lyman Cobb, author of one of the first spelling books, advertised that he had a horse stolen..Lyman Cobb, before mentioned, published the copyright of ``a just standard for pronouncing the English Language.´´

From the History of ``The Town of Caroline 1794-1994´´

1819 Lyman Cobb published the Cobb´s Spelling Book

An old schoolhouse originally stood by Uncle Charles´ gate.

The gate to the [Mulks} homestead at the time must have been opposite the creamery on that road. Such a gate would also allow easy entrance to the Mulks sawmill. In 1819-29 Lyman Cobb taught school there. This old schoolhouse was torn down in 1828 by a group of mischievous boys. Eli Boice was one of a group attending a husking bee at Stillwell´s the night that the plan was hatched. ``Quite a lot of us agreed to go tear down the building, but to keep it a secret´´. Matthew Jansen was very angry about it and threatened to prosecute the rascals. But nothing was ever done about it, and a new red schoolhouse was built farther east in the village...located near the bridge over the Six Mile Creek and across from the future site of the Fountain House.

In the early 1800´s, there was no consistent way of spelling, and many of the educated, including Daniel Webster, tried to rectify that. Lyman Cobb taught at the school house, which stood on the Charles Mulks farm in Slaterville, for about two years. During that time he compiled other school books, including Cobb´s First Book, or Introduction to the Spelling Book, Cobb´s Expositor, Cobb´s School Dictionary, a reading course, and an arithemetic course. The Cobb´s Sequel to the Juvenile Readers was comprised of a selection of prose and poetry from American and English writers.

The Cobb Family of New England, by Isaac Cobb, page 202

Lyman Cobb, Elijah William, Elijah, Judah, James, James, Henry, third son of Elijah William and Sally (Whitney) Cobb, married Hannah Chambers, in Caroline, NY, April 7, 1822. It is stated that at nine years of age, Lyman started out in life to seek his fortune. The history of Westchester, NY, speaks of him as ``one of the greatest educators and most indefatigable authors of his time. He began teaching at sixteen, and published his famous Cobb´s spelling-book at nineteen years of age, which went into all the schools in the country.

His subsequently-published books are very numerous including five reading-books, a speaker, a Dictionary, an Epositor, a Minature Lexicon, and many other volumes. At his death he left unfinished a Concordance, a National Dictionary, and a Pronouncing Testament. He was as active in human enterprises as he was in educational and literary work. He was a member of each of many benevolent societies of prominence, and a leader in them all. He was noted for intelligent zeal, for promptness in action, for kindness of hear, and simplicity of conduct.´´ In religion he was an Episcopalian. The last five years of his life was passed in Yonkers, NY, with his son Lyman Cobb, Jr. He died in Colesburg, PA, October 26, 1864, of typhoid fever, he having gone to that place to make a visit, expecting to be absent a fortnight.

From the Virtual Museum of history.com, Edited by Appletons Encyclopedia: Cobb, Lyman, author, born in Massachusetts about 1800; died in Colesburg, Potter County, Pennsylvania, October 26, 1864. He was one of the greatest educators of his time, and was also active in charitable enterprises, being a member of numerous benevolent societies. He was the author of ``Evil Tendency of Corporal Punishment´´ (New York, 1847), and numerous textbooks, including ``Just Standard for Pronouncing the English Language´´ (New York, 1825); ``Spelling Book´´ (1826), with ``Introduction´´ (1831); several readers (1831-1844); ``Miniature Lexicon of the English Language´´ (1835-1854); ``Arithmetical Rules and Tables´´ (1835); a new series of spelling books (1843); and ``New Pronouncing School Dictionary´´ (1843).