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...is physical labor would instill the discipline and determined attitude that Washington would assert to his followers. At the end of the Civil War in April of 1863, Jane and her son were set free. Fortunately for Washington, he had a place to go, unlike many other freed slaves. Jane’s husband had been working at a salt furnace in Malden, West Virginia, after he escaped the plantation in Franklin County. After the emancipation, his step-father sent for Booker and his mother. The family’s attempt at new start was very difficult. The town wasn’t the ideal place to raise a family. Crime was commonplace and Malden’s inhabitants were very hardened. To help support his mother and step-father, Booker began working at the furnace as well, sometimes starting as early as four in the morning. With long hours and poor conditions at the furnace, Washington found himself eager to attend school. When a public facility opened up for blacks in the community, his step-father would not let him abandon his job and attend. Booker managed to persuade the teachers at the school to allow him to come to school at night, until he later convinced his step-father to let him go in the mornings. He would still work all afternoon and into the evening, but his goal was achieved. It was at this school, Booker would take the surname Washington. Viola Ruffner became Washington’s inspiration. She was the wife of the owner of the salt furnace and took Washington into her house to become her house boy. Working for the Ruffners, Booker learned pride in working hard and reaching his goals. He used this “education” as a model to live his life by. In 1872, Washington decided he wanted to further his education. Then sixteen year old, Washington left home for Hampton, Virginia, walking most of the 400 miles to get there. To afford the cost of attending, Booker worked as a janitor for the three years he went to school. It was here, Washington found his talent for public speaking while participating in the debating society. After his graduation in 1875, he decided to return to Malden and found work as an elementary school teacher. But, his real aspiration was to work at Hampton as an instructor. But, to do so he need more schooling so he left Malden to attend Wayland Seminary, located in Washington D.C. Upon his completion, Booker headed back to Hampton and began teaching. Then, in May of 1881, Hampton’s principal sent Washington to Tuskegee after receiving a letter from scholars who wanted to open a school for blacks. At only 25 years of age, Washington succeeded in founding The Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. The institute was established on July 4, 1881. The State of Alabama had sent $2,000 for the teachers' salaries, but had sent no money for land, buildings, or equipment. The school opened with 30 students. Most of them had some prior education, but they did not appreciate household cleanness, which was so valued by Washington. He wanted on-campus dormitories so he could supervise and improve the students' living habits. The school found an abandoned farm nearby, but it had no buildings fit for living or teaching in. Washington and his students raised enough money for construction, and they built the first brick building. They also built a kiln to make bricks for future projects as well as to manufacture and sell to others. Tuskegee Institute and its facilities grew, and so did its courses in agricultural and engineering subjects. The Institute survived its early years only through the perseverance of Washington. In the second month of the school's first year, Olivia Davidson joined ...