My oldest daughter is interested in the history of the Elk County schools, including pictures. Can anyone help her?
Well, I can't. I don't think I have anything that has any Elk County Schools in it, except the Pearl School house. Mother, don't we have a picture of Uncle Bob and Uncle Pat along with their schoolmates standing with Kate Rader's mother, who was the teacher? I can't remember Kate's maiden name. It starts with an S.
I could be wrong, but I think Kate Rader's maiden name was Shanks.
Wilma, your daughter might try checking with each little historical society within the county (Elk Falls, Grenola, Longton, Moline, & Howard) to see what they may have in the way of the small country schools. Other than that, I'm afraid she's probably out of luck, as I don't feel that much preservation of history in Elk County is being done these days. (Not many seem to be interested)
Yes, Kate's maiden name was Shanks. Her mother taught at Pearl which was located about a mile north of where my in-laws lived at the time. Or about 4 miles south and 1 west of Piedmont. The picture was of her students at the time and included Bob and Pat Weyrauch. If I remember right, it also included Shirley (Rader) Winn, Carol (Swonger) Bean, a Powers boy, Pauline (Hamilton) and several others that I don't remember. Probably Richard Rader. Since I lived in that area only a year, I wasn't that well acquainted with the neighborhood.
The picture was one that Gleneva was trying to get identified and thought maybe your dad would know some of them. I later found the same picture in some of your grandmother's pictures and assumed that Mrs. Shanks had given each of her students a copy of it. We never had a copy of our own, only a copy in our hands for a short time.
You and Jimmie Ann could travel to Grenola and check out what they might have at the museum. Here is a link that tells you about the Grenola museum.
www.grenolaks.com
Marcia Moore wrote some history on some schools, cemetaries, and post offices of Elk County. Miss Juanita Anderson here in Howard taught at Upper Paw Paw. She has some good pictues.
Quote from: Wilma on December 27, 2006, 09:49:58 AM
My oldest daughter is interested in the history of the Elk County schools, including pictures. Can anyone help her?
http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/elk/elk-co-p2.html
...hope it´s helpful
Quote from: Wilma on December 27, 2006, 09:49:58 AM
My oldest daughter is interested in the history of the Elk County schools, including pictures. Can anyone help her?
i would say, this page is very interesting and informative.
http://www.kansasheritage.us/orsh/byco/orshcoek2.htm
That is a good map with the schools located on it. It would be great if the schools all had names on the map.Pam Niles, who is a member of this forum furnished that map to the kansasheritage link.
Quote from: michael_glenn on December 31, 2006, 10:14:06 AM
Quote from: Wilma on December 27, 2006, 09:49:58 AM
My oldest daughter is interested in the history of the Elk County schools, including pictures. Can anyone help her?
i would say, this page is very interesting and informative.
http://www.kansasheritage.us/orsh/byco/orshcoek2.htm
It looks like the same map I have in the 1903 Atlas of Elk County. I wish I had the names of all the schools it shows.
it must be possible, to sort out the schools at the map with the elk county teacher list of the year 1927 from mrs. niles.
http://www.kansasheritage.us/orsh/byco/orshcoek1.htm
every teacher is arranged there to his special school district and that must be also the name of the school during that time.
open question can be answered, if you have more as one school in a district, by search engines of the us federal census 1920 and 1930 for example by ancestry.
...it´s just a idea. :)
Okay Elk Countians, it's time for a group project. We have the map showing school locations and the list of schools and their numbers. Let's start matching them up.
#7 Cunningham sect. 32 4.5 miles S. and 1.5 miles W of Elk Falls
#17 Harmony sect. 2 1.5 miles E. of Moline
#26 Pershing/Prairie Gem sect. 7 between Moline and Elk Falls
#37 Bellview sect. 30 2.5 miles S. and 2.5 miles W of Moline
#63 Pleasant Hill sect. 22 1.5 miles S. of Moline
#76 Wildcat sect. 27 2 miles N. of Moline
#139 Star sect. 7 3 miles W. of Moline
#141 Border sect. 26 3.5 miles S. and 1 mile E. of Elk Falls
#160 Wilson/Hardscrabble sect. 24 2 miles S. and 1.5 miles E. of Moline
#18 Boston 4.0 miles S. and .5 miles W of Moline
When we get them all located, then we can make a master listing. Who's next???
okay, thats a nice employment for todays evening,...i will do my very best ;)
...but i must wait till my kids are tired, i´m not the boss of my own computer. >:(
Looks like the project I proposed will be relatively simple. Pam Niles has already done most of it and has it listed out on the following site: www.kansasheritage.us/orsh/byco/orshcoek3.htm. Good job, Pam.
Unless they have changed the townships since 1885, we believe an error has been made in listing the Fiat School in Howard township. Fiat school has been in Paw Paw township every since we can remember.
In looking into this closer, in the Elk County History book, page 119, column 2, it states " The Rural Vale School, located one mile east and one half mile north of Fiat, was relocated in 1921 near Fiat and the name changed to Fiat School District 112." So apparently there was no Fiat School in 1885. But both schools would still have been in Paw Paw township.
With this list and my map, I can locate all of the schools that are on the list. One of these days I will do that and see if any of them disappeared between 1885 and 1903.
i hope it works...
if i made mistakes... sorry...i will change it immediatly,
and if anybody knows the names of the churches and cemeteries i will write them also down.
I have a question about the Fiat School. It is listed in the Howard Township, but the legal description places it straight east of the Cresco cemetery which is 2 miles north of the Howard Township line. I thought Fiat was further south than that. Which is it?
Cresco cemetrey is on Rock Rd. and Fiat is on Pioneer. PQR that makes 2 miles. Fiat is almost east to 19th. We own where Fiat used to be and it is in Paw Paw township.
Fiat School would be 2 miles south of the 1885 legal description. Would that be right on the Howard Township line? My 1903 map shows a school there on the south side of the line, but I don't have any identification for that location.
Just on the south side of the Howard township line, is where the Antioch school used to be, as Don went to school there for the first seven grades. It is the road that goes by Ron Dellinger's residence. The old Rural Vale school was located on what is now known as Quail Road, which was about 1 mile east and 1/2 mile north of where the Fiat school #112 was. So that would put both Fiat and Rural Vale in Paw Paw township. The Rural Vale school was closed and the building was sold to a farmer, and the new school was built in Fiat and named Fiat School #112.
The legal descriptions for both Fiat and Antioch are wrong on this ORSH thing. It has Antioch in Sec. 2, Twp 29 Rge 11 and Fiat in Sec. 3, Twp 29, Rge 11 which would put them both straight east of Cresco and on Indian Creek. Is Antioch about 3 miles north and 4 miles east of Howard? And where would Fiat be from there?
Wilma, that is correct, Antioch is 3 miles north and 4 miles east of Howard. From Antioch, go 1 mile west to 19th Road, then north 1 1/2 miles, then west abt. 1/4 mile on Pioneer Road and that is where Fiat school used to be.
Was it close to a railroad? Seems to me that what I have seen of Fiat was a railroad track. Don't know that I ever saw any buildings there. This 1903 map doesn't have Fiat on it. But there is a lot of other not there either.
Don says the reason of Fiat's existence was because of the railroad. There was a stockyards for shipping cattle out on the railroad, and there were two general stores there at two different times. There should be a picture on the Good Old days board of the general store named Shannon & Templer that was located in Fiat. Fiat also had an Opera that was located on the the top floor of the general store, and there was also a blacksmith shop, in Fiat. There is more information on Fiat in the History Book. Don's great-great grandfather settled approx. 1 mile southeast of Fiat in 1880, and that farm stayed in the family for over 100 years.
Fiat is straight east of the s curve on 99 that's not there anymore! Ha
I would like to suggest that additional research needs to be done before accepting the 1903 Elk County Plat Map to be "100% accurate." Also, careful scutiny needs to be given before labeling/naming each and every school location, as I believe there are errors in the existing data that is out there on the web. (Errors can happen to the best researchers!)
That is correct. There are lots of errors in the 1903 plat book.
So I have found. Frustrating.
Rural Vale School Dist. #112 was formed on July 30, 1873, and the first district meeting was held on Aug. 9, 1873. School sessions were held in various homes until a school building was built. On April 11, 1881, John Johnson, an unmarried man, granted one acre of land to School District #112 for school purposes. This parcel of land commenced in the SE corner of the SW1/4 of Sect. 3, Twp. 29S, Range 11E. A 26' x 40' school building was soon erected on this property located one mile east and one-half mile north of what later became the town of Fiat.
Wildcat School
from the Moline newspaper
April 29, 1910
School House for Sale
School District No. 76 known as the Wild Cat School District, will sell their school house building at public auction to the highest bidder for cash in hand. The sale will take place at the school house at 2 p.m. April 30. H. S. Adams Clerk District 76
July 8, 1910
The new Wild Cat School house is being built as fast as possible. The foundation is ready for brick work. The floor joists are being laid this week. Mr. C. F. Orvis has the contract to do the work and he is a good workman.
Aug. 26, 1910 (Wildcat community news section)
Our new school house is a beauty and one which any community need be proud. It will seat sixty fine pupils and will be ready for school which will commence September 12th. Miss Christina Walker will be our teacher.
Dan, I am very pleased to see you posting obits, news items, etc. from the Moline area. My grandmother used to teach at the Wildcat school. I think at that time she was using the name of Beulah Sorey. If you should ever come across the names of James E. Hutton or Claude / Beulah Sorey in your researching, I'd be happy if you'd post them, as James Hutton used to live between Moline and Grenola. James was my great-grandfather.
I think it would also be great if we could have a few folks from the Elk Falls/Longton, and Grenola areas that would post news, obits and genealogy info., etc.......as there is lots of info that needs to be covered and it's going to take awhile to get it done!
I noticed that one of the schools outside Longton was not mentioned. The Illinois school house was west of the cemetery. My Aunt Al taught school there. She said that she was just a little older than some of her pupils. She went to school in the summers to get to teach. Most of my dad's brothers and sisters went there until the family moved in town.
I have been communicating with Irene (Wilson) Scheurman. She and her first husband Jack Wilson had the newspaper in Moline for a time. Don't know exactly which years. Anyway she sent me this picture of the old Harmony School. I assume it was around Moline somewhere, don't know anything else about it but will try and find out.
Thanks, Roma Jean
I believe anyone wanting info about some of the Elk County schools could go talk to Beuna Taylor who lives in Howard as she taught in more than one school in Elk County . Even at 89 she is a wealth of info.
Harmony School set right off of the Highway at the "Y" just past the Rodeo Grounds at Moline. It was between Highways 160 and 99.
Frank Winn
I received these 2 pics form Eric Wilson.
PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING, MOLINE KANSAS IN 1912.
OLD STONE SCHOOL AT ELK FALLS, KANSAS IN 1903
Illinois School north of Longton was North of the cemetery -- I went there my seventh grade - my sister Helen was in the fifth grade - my brother Jack was in the eight grade- That was the last year they had school there, 1943 -- the next year Jack and I rode horse back to school in Longton. My sister Helen went to school at Hartford school which was eight miles north of Longton and 1 mile east and 1/8 back north. Some of the stone walls of both school still stand. The last teacher of Illinois School was Doris Evans Foulk and the last teacher at Hartford was Mae Rhodes. Mae Rhodes also taught my Dad when he went to school somewhere east of Howard, I don't remember the name of that school.
Mound Branch school was west of Howard, and that school house now sits on property owned by Sandy Dunbar. Guy Morgan Denton bought that school house and had it moved to town on his property.
And of course there was Busby School - which is listed in the Kansas History Book. And High Hill School. And there was Star School north of Elk Falls -- I went there also. I believe Dennis Crisp taught there, at one time. The teacher that taught there when I went was Paul Beckner.
Does anyone know where Stoney Point Dist. 115 was located? I have a quilt top with that on it and the years 1931 thru 1934 on it. Wasn't the Ohio School in Elk County also?
Stoney Point was located on the River Road just south of the Hitt place. The Kilpatrick place is on the east side of the road. Guy Morgan Denton had it. It was a big 2 story white house. Sally, ask my mother and she can tell you exactly where it was as she and her 2 sisters went to school there. The Hitt place is gone now. Mike and Irvina Harrod lived there in later years; and I believe it was lost in the flood of 1976.
Myrna
Myrna thanks. I need to take the quilt top out to show your Mother. She probaly knows most of the names on it, if not all of them. The women in the community gave it to my Aunt Marie and she never did quilt it. Hope your day goes well tomorrow. My prayers will be with you.
Sally
Sally, I know that Mother would really enjoy seeing the quilt. She probably will know a lot of them and will probably have some interesting "tid bits" to pass on. So sorry to read about your dog on another thread. It is always so hard to give up a family pet.
We appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we will go to Lubbock tomorrow.
Myrna
While I was researching some stuff in the Howard Citizen, I ran across a list of the schools and teachers for the 1929-1930 year. This was in the September 4, 1929 issue. Is anyone interested in having that list put on this forum? If so, I'll got back on Monday and get it.
Janet, I, for one, would be interested in that list. Also, while you're there, if you could look at the
editions from late January, 1912, there are a couple of articles relating to the Old Boston School. One
written by Tom Thompson and another he reprinted from a Moline newspaper that was written by my
great grandmother, Metta Durbin. I have a copy of the latter, but the left side is 'cut-off'. I'd like very
much to get a clean copy and see fully what the article says. If you could help out, it would be most
appreciated. Thanks, Dan Durbin
Of course she will do that, Dan, because I said.
Janet --- if at all possible I would like confirmation when the last school year of Illinois School --- north of Longton was in session. I think it was in 1942....Thanks, sweetie -- I would appreciate it VELLY - VELLY MUCH !!!
Hugs,
Mama Jo
Welp, I went to the library and printed off the teachers from 1929-1930 school year. I didn't read the forum until I got back, so I will go again tomorrow and see what I can find for Dan and Jody. I am going to type out the teacher list, so that you all can see who was working and who was not. ha ha
taken from the Citizen, Howard, Kansas
ELK COUNTY TEACHERS - 1929-1930
District Teacher Address
1. Union Valley
(Consolidated) Catherine Early....................................Severy
1. Clear Creek Aline Speer.........................................Howard
1. Elk Falls R. H. S. Carl Igle.............................................Elk Falls
Mr. Cooper.........................................Elk Falls
Goldia Harness....................................Elk Falls
May Jo Rogers....................................Elk Falls
2. Union Center Harold Anderson..................................Howard
3. Baner No School
4. Fairview Audrien Wilson.....................................Howard
5. Howard J. W. Wallace, Supt..............................Howard
George H. Sharp..................................Howard
Jessie Bond.........................................Howard
Irma McCollough..................................Howard
J. A. Watson.......................................Howard
Nora Baird..........................................Howard
Warren Jones......................................Howard
Valda Coltrane.....................................Howard
H. A. Gilmore......................................Howard
Gertrude Hamar..................................Howard
Mary Cheney......................................Howard
Mary E. Peterson.................................Howard
Hazel Dudgeon....................................Howard
Mrs. Ethel Yantis.................................Howard
Fern Gitchell.......................................Howard
Minnie E. Whitaker...............................Howard
6. Lower Paw Paw Ralph Young.......................................Howard
8. Busby Vera Bruton........................................Howard
9. Hartford John Trimmell......................................Longton
10. Ohio Susie Duckworth..................................Longton
11. Longton R. L. Conway, Supt...............................Longton
Roy D. Barnes.....................................Longton
Ethel Jolly...........................................Longton
Mrs. E. S. Haworth..............................Longton
Nellie Jackson.....................................Longton
Floribel Lancaster................................Longton
Paul J. Foster.....................................Longton
Jess B. Dodson..................................Longton
Ruth Davis........................................Longton
Irma Ferguson...................................Longton
12. Elk Valley Maybelle Williams................................Longton
13. Clear Creek Gertie Howell......................................Longton
14. Stone Mary Ellen Nelson...............................Longton
15. Elk Falls Nora E. Arnel.....................................Elk Falls
Mrs. Orva Lyons.................................Elk Falls
Mrs. Marie Leckliter..............................Elk Falls
16. Fairview Esther Maben....................................Howard
17. Harmony Mary Fuller........................................Moline
19. Pleasant Hill Marian Sliker......................................Howard
20. Dinger No School Held.
21. Greenfield Gladys Thompson...............................Grenola
22. Canola Marie Stiles.........................................Grenola
24. Highland Margaret E. Brown...............................Howard
25. Morehouse Ruth Peterson......................................Elk Falls
26. Pershing Goldia Barnaby.....................................Elk Falls
27. Grenola H. S. Troup, Supt.................................Grenola
Faye Archer........................................Grenola
Leroy Triggs........................................Grenola
Clark Herrin..........................................Grenola
Anna Tomlinson....................................Grenola
Grace Piner..........................................Grenola
Pauline Davis........................................Grenola
Altha Riley............................................Grenola
28. Starr Hazel Moore........................................Piedmont
29. Lone Star Nellie Davis.........................................Longton
32. Hide Out Marie Scott.........................................Fall River
34. Cove Mary Duckworth...................................Longton
35. Cedar Summitt Mary Lewis.........................................Howard
36. Pleasant Hill Lois E. Royse......................................Elk City
37. Bellview No School Held.
40. Viola Mrs. Beryl Shurtleff..............................Longton
41. Hickory Creek Mrs. Beatrice Stephenson......................Oak Valley
42. West Hitching No School Held.
43. Oak Grove Patti Barnard.......................................Grenola
45. Oak Valley Ruby Hill..............................................Oak Valley
Leona Harris........................................Oak Valley
49. Bunker Hill Cecil Green.........................................Howard
60. East Caney No School Held.
63. Pleasant Hill Mrs. J. N. Clark....................................Moline
64. Victor Clara Evans........................................Fall River
65. Pleasant Valley Lola Sanderson....................................Fall River
66. Rule Ruth Portenier.....................................Fall River
68a. Oak Ridge John Klingel.........................................Howard
68b. Pleasant Plains Howard Reed......................................Severy
70. Lima Lyda Jontra.........................................Howard
73. Independent Ruby Ray...........................................Grenola
76. Wild Cat Leslie O. Thorpe................................Elk Falls
77. Rock Creek Beatrice Kaiserling...............................Howard
78. Fairview LaVina Davis.....................................Grenola
81. Oak Ridge Agnes Weber....................................Longton
102. South Falls Lester Wicker....................................Elk Falls
103. Needmore Grace Gerrard................................New Albany
105. Mound Branch Leah Hebb......................................Howard
106. Green Valley Norman May..................................Howard
107. Upper Paw Paw Pearl Gertrude Neese.......................Severy
110. Antioch Mrs. Nola Nix..................................Howard
112. Fiat (Rural Vale) Lois Speer......................................Howard
115. Stony Point Stella Davis.....................................Howard
117. Excelsior Mabel Neff.....................................Howard
118. Elk Valley Jennie Burt.....................................Piedmont
Porterville Winifred Crane................................Piedmont
119. Frog Hollow Eva Dunbar...................................Longton
133. Independence Fern Cougher.................................Piedmont
134. Forest Opal Moore...................................Piedmont
136. Merry Bell Sadie Ginn.....................................Howard
139. Star Mabel Olson..................................Moline
141. Border Doris Hamilton..............................Longton
142. Hard Pan Vernal Keplinger...........................Grenola
144. Moline C. A. Templer, Supt.....................Moline
Mrs. Vina Fuller Mitchell.................Moline
Helen Evers...............................Moline
Mary Ann Neeland......................Moline
Chas. Rapp...............................Moline
R. K. Jaquith.............................Moline
Gerald N. Weaver......................Moline
Henrietta Mann.........................Moline
Ethel Wooddall..........................Moline
Ethel McCluskey........................Moline
Leona Brown............................Moline
Virginia Spease..........................Moline
145. Chaplin John Bacus...............................Howard
147. High Hill Violet L. Stone..........................Howard
148. Cresco Hazel Clum..............................Howard
149. Pleasant Hill Valetta Clum............................Howard
150. North Pole Marguarite Swartz.....................Fall River
154. Pearl Henry Edwards.........................Piedmont
160. Wilson Mildred Weyrauch.....................Moline
161. Illinois Irris Haggard...........................Howard
Parochial School Sister Mary Anoysius.................Moline
(St. Mary's Convent) Sister Mary de Chantal...............Moline
You might want to look at your previous message and correct your mispelled word in it. Should I tell you what it is? ::) ::)
No, the word welp is not misspelled. I wanted to say welp.
My, my, does this list ever bring back memories of some wonderful people! Some of them I knew by a different name as a lot of these are maiden names. Sure would be fun to talk to them and see what stories they could remember about their years of teaching in the rural schools!
Thanks, Janet, for taking the time to post this on the forum.
Myrna
Your welpcome. LOL
I noticed Norman May teaching Green Valley. That must have been his first teaching job. He was my 8th grade teacher. He had a very good sense of humor.
Oh my goodness, that was a lot of work for you Janet, but it is so appreciated. There are many, many ladies that were teaches before they married, it seems. I recognized a lot of names.
Thanks again.....
Mama Jo,
In the 1941-1942, Doris Evans was listed as the teacher for Illinois school, District 161. On 9-17-1942, in the County Superintendant of Schools news, Dist. 161 is not listed as being a school. So, Jo, you were right. It stopped having school there in 1942.
I did find in May of 1942, listed in the Elk County Diploma Examinations, Jack Workman, from District 161, took the diploma examination. His name was the only listed for that district.
Quote from: ddurbin on October 14, 2007, 03:17:32 PM
Janet, I, for one, would be interested in that list. Also, while you're there, if you could look at the
editions from late January, 1912, there are a couple of articles relating to the Old Boston School. One
written by Tom Thompson and another he reprinted from a Moline newspaper that was written by my
great grandmother, Metta Durbin. I have a copy of the latter, but the left side is 'cut-off'. I'd like very
much to get a clean copy and see fully what the article says. If you could help out, it would be most
appreciated. Thanks, Dan Durbin
Taken from the Howard Courant, February 1, 1912, front pageTHE OLD BOSTON SCHOOL HOUSE(I contributed a "piece" to last week's Moline Gazette about the Old Boston school house now soon to be torn down. I attended the first term of school taught therein, in the winter of 1873-4, but left that neighborhood soon afterward. The following sketch was sent to the Courant this week. It was written by Mrs. Durbin of Moline, who as Metta Webb attended the first school at Old Boston. I remember her as a sweet-faced, quiet little girl who wore her hair "bobbed off" short, and was the hardest girl in the school to spell down on Friday afternoon. -- Tom E. Tee.)
Moline, Kansas, Jan. 27, 1912.
Publisher Howard Courant: After reading the article published in the Sedan Times-Star, and the subsequent contribution "Tom E. Tee" sent to the Moline Gazette, I am wondering if another chapter, of a little later date, and relating to events some of which happened after "Tom E. Tee" had outgrown that rural community, would be of interest to any of the readers of the Courant. All my school days excepting a very few were spent in the Old Boston school: but I also remember the summer term referred to, which was held in a house which Mrs. Johanna McBride had moved to town from her claim, after the departure of her husband Tom McBride to regions unknown, that she might rent it while she and her family lived in a little old structure which had formerly been used for the chickens. The most vivid recollection I have of that school is of the day Mrs. McB. brought her son Jack back to school dressed in his sister Katy's clothes, as a punishment for his playing hookey, and that his screams and her admonitions took the place of lessons for the remainder of that day. I remember the bench all around the room which served as a seat, with our books, one of a kind, beside us (no desks,) when not in use. We "country children" all carried our lunch and boiled eggs was perhaps the chief article of food. And one boy, Denny O'Herrin, had a habit of smashing the shell of his egg against the forehead of the unlucky child who happened to be nearest him. More than once have I slipped away and remained outside until I thought Denny's egg had been disposed of.
After the terms of school taught by R. A. Mattingly, and one by John B. Vancleave, Mary Lavelle came to teach her first school. She was a little sixteen-year-old girl, and while she bravely stood her ground, I realize now that the big unruly boys and girls must have driven her almost distracted and made her glad when that short term came to a close. She taught a good many terms after that and was perhaps the best primary teacher in the county. But she finally married the afore-mentioned Jack McBride, and her career as a school teacher was at an end. Miss Nanny Lewis was our next teacher, and a good one. She was followed by a Mr. Cox from Indiana, who brought the first algebra into the school, and we felt that we were becoming quite advanced. E. W. Keiser was perhaps our most widely known teacher and taught for several winters. He would come from his home which was three of four miles from the school in a lumber wagon, starting with two or three of his own little girls and picking up others all along the way until by the time he reached the school house he could have about half the scholars with him, usually about ten o'clock. He would make up the time in the afternoon, and during the short days if we didn't reach home until after dark our parents were not alarmed.
I believe it was during Mr. Mattingly's time that we "revelled" in spelling schools, which were my special delight. But Boston, as well as "Flat Creek," had its "Jeems Phillips," and I usually went down. Debating was Mr. Keiser's strong hold, and the literary and debating society met every Friday night, and was attended by people from all over the country. I recall one night in particular when I had carefully and laboriously prepared a "piece to speak;" but when a BIG BRASS BAND from Grenola appeared and the members took front seats, my courage failed and the "piece" was never "said." I wondered then what could have ever brought that band all the way from Grenola, but afterward learned that election time was near and that the then now town of Grenola had several candidates in the field.
By the time Mr. Keiser's reign was over my bobbed hair had grown into braids and after a year at another shcool and a month at the teacher's institute at Sedan, I began to wonder if I couldn't teach school myself, and I made the attempt. And after a term or two in adjoining districts, I taught two winters in my own Old Boston, and they were the best days of my teaching. The big scholars helped me and the little ones were good. I knew them well and did not expect too much of them, and they did not expect much of me. Many of them I still see often, and they are still my friends. Among them are Minnie White, ex-Co. Supt. of Chautauqua, and her brothers, Willie and Encell; Ashby Chaffin, now cashier of the Moline National Bank, and his sisters Mary, mattie and Effie, and brother, David; the Walker boys, George, Hugh and Ed, all well known and prosperous; Miss Irene Walker of the First National Bank; Hanmie (?) and Carrie Mills who are now in the far west; Richard and Willie Speed, both now dead, Richard having been shot by an outlaw in the Indian Territory while serving as deputy U.S. Marshal. There are others of whom I have completely lost track but in whom I shall always feel an interest.
After the close of the year 1884 or '5 I left the old school house, never to return. Perhaps some one can take up the thread and add another chapter, but the years hold many pleasant recollections, and even Old Boston has turned out some prominent men, among them "Tom E. Tee," who used to recite "The Smack in School," and whittle out many wonderful things, such as long chains of pine links, and cunning little wodden lanterns, with just a pocket knife; and out of school hours, with the help of his brother Johnny, edited and printed a small "yellow" paper called "The Skedunk" or some such name, thereby shaping and developing his mind to become the future editor of The Howard Courant - M.W.D.
(Dan, I didn't have any micro film on the Moline Gazette and I did not find anything in the Howard Courant that Tom E. Thompson had written on the Old Boston School.)
Janet, Thank you so much for finding that article and posting it. It makes a whole lot more sense now
that I've been able to read the entire text. Sounds like Thompson's article must have been printed in
either the Sedan or Moline or both newspapers. If and when I get back to looking at old Moline papers
I'll have to watch for it.
Tom says the Boston school was about to be torn down.
Instead it was moved to the Walker farm located a short distance away in Elk County and became a barn or a granary. It was still in use in 1977.
A couple years ago, Neva Walters said she thought it might still be there.
Does anyone know ?
Busby - School #8 (I believe)
Does anyone have pix or info on this old schoolhouse and/or the
community?
Thanks so much!
Marla Knight Gifford
Quote from: frawin on September 25, 2007, 08:00:38 PM
Stoney Point was located on the River Road just south of the Hitt place. The Kilpatrick place is on the east side of the road. Guy Morgan Denton had it. It was a big 2 story white house. Sally, ask my mother and she can tell you exactly where it was as she and her 2 sisters went to school there. The Hitt place is gone now. Mike and Irvina Harrod lived there in later years; and I believe it was lost in the flood of 1976.
Myrna
Probably should have put the picture here. This explains where it is. On the back of the picture it says Stoney Point School. Sally could you posssibly take a picture of the quilt top you have and post it. That would be interesting!
This is a great map!
The School House in # 34 is Cove, and the one in #31 is Pleasant Hill. I've sent the map to Janet Hadlock, and Robert Megredy, both grew up in the Cove District, to see if they can identify the two schools west of Cove.
It would be interesting if someone with the "know how" could place the names of the schools on the map! And, that wouldn't be me!
We lived a half mile east and a mile and a half south of the Cove School house, for "many years!" We own a hundred and sixty acres in # 35.