| Reprinted by Pikes County Ulna's Schools 1823 - 1995
The first schoolhouses in the earliest days of the settlements of Pike County, Illinois, were built much the same as the cabins of the early settlers according to the HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS, published in 1880 and described on pages 227, 229,238,and 836.
The early schoolhouse, a small log cabin with a mud-andstick chimney in one end of the building, had a hearth and fireplace wide and deep enough to take in a four foot log plus smaller wood. Some times a door was placed on each side of this fireplace and a horse would be used to drag a large log to the hearth by coming in one door and passing out the other one. This big fireplace served not only for warming purposes (and extra light) in the winter, but also as a kind of conservatory in summer. The windows, formed by cutting our a part of a log on either side, were usually covered over with greased paper or a piece of eighty-by-ten glass. The writing benches were made of wide planks or puncheons (unfinished slabs of split timber also used as flooring) resting on pins driven into two-inch auger holes bored into the logs beneath the windows. Seats were also made out of the puncheons. It is understandable that these crude mud and log school-houses were often referred to as "mud Colleges" by the old-timers.
By the year 1880 most of the log schools had disappeared and in their places emerged a frame or brick structure which "for elegance and beauty of design" rival those schoolhouses of the older settled countries and which lasted for almost another seventy years. The role of the teacher changed also from that of a "master" who was looked upon as a "superior being" and was "consulted in all matters of law, physic, and religion" to that of a teacher with more liberal culture, intelligence and progressiveness who developed and disciplined "all that faculties of the human mind." By the year 1950, most of the one-room country schools had been discontinued and school children bused to a larger town school in the township or in another township. Thus the era of the one-room country school in Pike County came to a close ending one of the most nostalgic periods in our history's past and spanning approximately one hundred and twenty-five years.
This book will try to bring back some memories of that "nostalgic" past through pictures and stories from those who attended a one-room country school as well as providing a "history lesson" for those young people not fortunate enough to have attended such a school. The compilers of the Pike County early schools hope that our efforts are rewarded by a good readership and that not too many mistakes will be discovered by your, the readers.
This is the way it was...!"
The first school in Pike County, Illinois, were subscription schools usually taught in someone's home and were in session only a few months of the year. Parents paid tuition for each pupil, sometimes as little as 25 cents for a session. This was often paid by mother knitting socks, caps, mittens, etc. or father helped out by cutting wood for the home. The boys would be let out to play, but the girls were expected to bring their knitting or crocheting and keep busy.
When they started building schools in the 1850s after districts were laid out (numbers were later changed by 1908), these were log buildings with few windows which were often just greased paper or even a wild animal skin which had been scraped very thing as glass was very scarce and expensive. These schools, as were homes, were heated by a huge fireplace. The furniture in the schoolhouse was of the crudest kind made of split logs. Benches had pegs driven in the logs for legs and the teacher's desk was usually a split log fastened on one side to the wall with peg legs on the end to support the log. A wooden stool was provided for a teacher. However, by 1800 most of these log schoolhouses had disappeared.
Reading, writing, and arithmetic were the main subjects taught in the very early years. Grammar was considered beneath a farm boy's dignity, therefore it was only studied by a few of the girls. Pens were goose quills and it was up to the teacher to keep these sharpened. So it was imperative that a teacher be a good pen maker and also a good janitor as well as a good teacher.
The schools were usually in session from 8:30 in the morning until 4:00 or 4;30 in the afternoon or as long as daylight lasted. There was no break for Thanksgiving or Christmas as the school board wanted their money's worth.
In the early years, the majority of the teachers were men and the stricter he was the better he was liked by the parents. Often some of the teachers were younger that some of their students as they could get a teaching certificate after leaving the eighth grade and taking a test at the county superintendent's office. farm boys often had to stay out in the Fall and Spring of the year to help with the crops, therefore they were often 18, 19, or 20 years old and still in seventh or eighth grade.
Transportation was by foot, horseback or horse and cart. Usually there was a rough shelter for the horses until school was out in the afternoon. In the winter when snow was on the ground, a father with a bob 'sled would transport the students between his home and school. Students often got frostbitten feet or hands while hiking to school.
Mrs. Etta Chandler of Pittsfield, a retired teacher who taught 41 years in Pike County schools, contributed an article about the school, contributed an article about the school institute held in Barry,lllinois, in 1850. In those days, these sessions were long drawn-out affairs. This particular session started September 23 and closed October 5. But during this meeting the curriculum was set and the names of the textbooks given were: McGuffey's Spelling Reader, Ray's Arithmetic, Mitchell's Geography, Frost's United States History, and Ray's Algebra. 'Mrs. Chandler states that when she was teaching, "Two of the most treasured days of the term were the bi-term breaks in Spring and Fall for the Teachers' Institute; form which meetings the teachers came away with a feeling of pride in their profession."
In the 1870s the township started replacing the log schoolhouses with frame or brick buildings. Most of the little country schools were only one- room with an annex in from for coats, books and dinner pails. The schoolrooms were heated by a big round furnace usually in the northwest much improved in regard to desks and seats and with more windows plus real slate blackboards. (Blackboards in the log school, if any existed, was a smooth board painted black.) However, there was still no electricity or indoor plumbing until in the 1930s or later. Toilets ("outhouses") were provided for each sex and was usually as far apart as possible. Drinking water, if there was no well, was carried from nearest farm house with usually one dipper left in the bucket for everyone to drink from. Imagine how fast childhood diseases spread throughout the school students! Later, when people became more conscious of hygiene, a stone water canister was provided and each child had their own cup. Many schools also had a bell tower with a huge bell that was rung by a long rope.
The more densely populated districts had two-room schools with two teachers. The town schools in early 1900s usually had one teacher to 2 grades or 4 grades depending on number of students. The schools were given a regular starting time of 9:00 A.M. and dismissal of 4:00 P.M. with a 15 minute break each morning and afternoon and an hour break at noon. However, at most of the country schools, the teacher was still the janitor until the closing of the schools in the 1940s.
Early teachers were very poorly paid with some getting as little as $18.00 a month and therefore women teachers became more popular. However, the men still drew more pay per month than women, sometimes twice as much a month. The wage, in 1940 averaged only $100.00 per month. These country school teachers taught all eight grades and all subjects and often had as many as 40 to 50 students plus they did the janitor work as well. It's hard to imagine how they coped!
The games played at recess and noon hour were almost universal. They consisted mainly of hopscotch, Andy-over, leap frog, jacks, fox and geese, ringaround-Rosy, tic-tac-toe, rotten egg, London Bridge, clap-in clap- out, roll the hoop, hide and seek, dare base and other. Then there were the sled rides and snow ball fights in the winter. A few of the schools also had baseball teams and played against other schools but it was the major Spring and Fall pastime at every school. In general, each school district had their own form of recreation special only to that school. Therefore, they did not worry about P.E. classes as recess and noon hour provided all the physical exercise the students needed plus their long walk to and from school. The schools were usually situated so that the farthest students was only two miles from school but this was not always the case.
In 1915, the following set of rules applied only to single women teachers (there was also a set of rules for men): 1. Could not get married during school year. 2. Could not keep company with men. 3. Must be at home or boarding place between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless at a school function. 4.Could not smoke cigarettes. 5. Could not leave town at any time, without permission from the chairman of the school board. 6. Could not get in a carriage or car with any man except her father or brother. 7. No loitering downtown in ice cream parlor. 8. Could not dress in bright colors. 9. Could not dye hair. 10. Must wear at least two petticoats. 11. Must not wear dresses more than 2 inches above her ankles. 12. Must keep the schoolroom neat and clean. Sweep the floor daily. Scrub the floor at least once a week with soap and hot water. Clean the blackboards daily. Start the fire by 7 a.m. so the room will be warm by 8.
Just think, if these rules applied to "schoolmarms" today, the school boards wouldn't be able to find one teacher! Thankfully, the schools changed with some changes for the better and then again, maybe some were not for the good. More than a hundred years later the country school was phased out and consolidated with the town schools. The students no longer walked but were bused to school, sometimes quite a number of miles. Thus ended a "nostalgic era" in our county's history.
There's a county we call Pike; There's a county we call home;
DERRY TOWNSHIP - 5 SOUTH RANGE 5 WEST, PIKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS Derry Township was bordered on the North by Hadley Twsp., on the West by Pleasant Vale Twsp. It was first, settled as early as 1826 by David W. Howard on section 28 where he built the first house. Derry is mostly a farming district, but in 1880 was thought to be especially adapted to raising of stock and to fruit growing. The first schoolhouse was erected on section 20 in 1837 In 1837. In 1880 there were nine schools in the township and it was not until after 1912 that the tenth school was added. The ten schools in Derry Township were: Stony Point #115, Taylor #116, Crosier #117, El Dara #118, Pleasant View #119, Pleasant Valley #120, Bethel #121, Collins #122, Shaw #124, Diamond Hill #166. STONY POINT SCHOOL DISTRICT 115 Stony Point School, district 115, was situated in Northwest part of the Northeast quarter of the Southeast quarter of section 25 in Derry Township. The school evidently started after 1872, but was in operation before 1884. A deed was made on Jan. 18, 1879 by Franklin Ator to the school trustees for the land. In 1884-85, the school directors were John Brown, B. F. Ator, and Jno Halm. The teacher that year was J. M. Kaylor with 27 pupils. A partial list of teachers from 1910 to 1944 were Mrs. Coy (Myrtle Atwood) Sigler, Leatha Reed, Arthur Lowe, Rena Baker, Nadine Sapp, Mrs. Haskins, Gladys Knox, Alice Myers, Ada Mink, Flossie Praul, Isadore Evans, Mary Grady, Mary McCulloch, Velma Griffeth, (193237), Mary Louise Sutter, Marjorie McCulloch, (1939-43), Edna Steers, and Mary West (1944-48) who was the last teacher. In 1931-32 and 1933-34 there was no school held at Stony Point. In the 1947-48 school year, the directors were Pres. James Nation, Ray West and Wayne Ator. Only one student graduated from the 8th grade from Stony Point at the El Dara Center in 1947-48. The school consolidated after that year and the students were bused to Barry Unit #1. The one-room frame building, coal shed and two out-buildings were sold to C. T. and Cuma Houchins for $400 on the 7th of Sept. 1949. TAYLOR SCHOOL - DISTRICT #116 - Taylor School, district #116, was located in the Northeast part of Northeast quarter of the Southwest quarter of section 27 of Derry Township. The school was started by 1872 and the directors in 1884/85 were A. B. Gates, J. F. Pursley, and G. P. Martin. The teacher that year was Andy Brown with 30 pupils. Mr. Herman Garner was a student at Taylor from 1883 to 1892 when about 40 students were attending. Mr. Garner's son Wendell, also attended school there for a year and half in same building before it burned in 1919. Edward Ducey was the teacher that year. Wendell, happy because he thought his school days were over, unfortunately had to finish the term of school at El Dara A new school was built in 1920 and was one of the first modern rural schools in county as it had indoor restrooms. Other teachers that Wendell Garner remembered besides Mr. Ducey were Keys Robison, Florence Smith, Neita Morrow, Clara Boyd, Mildred Martin, Mary Slater and Wilbur Roadus. Wendell's classmates were Harris Raftery, Dallas Strubinger, and Marie McCallister. Other students at Taylor were Lewis & Loraine Hurst; Reba, Loraine, & Gale Hoskin; Marion & Roy Losch; Jean Strubinger, Maynard; Venita & Warren Scott; Davis Rhebus; Homer, Harvey & Herschel McCallister; Louise Hoskin; and Wendell's five sisters, Winifred, Marjorie, Charlene, Florine and Leola Garner. There were 25 students attending Taylor at this time. In 1947-48, there was no school held at Taylor, but the directors were Pres. Paul Reel, Lyndle Hoskin, and Robert Williams. When Taylor School consolidated in 1947 with Barry Unit #1, the Taylor-Martin Cemetery bought the school property. The school yard is now part the the burial ground and schoolhouse serves as a shelter house. CROSIER SCHOOL - DISTRICT #117 - Crosier School was located near the middle past of the Northeast quarter of section 30 in Derry Township. It no doubt received its name as did the creek (also know as Williams' Creek) which meanders not far from the school from early settler, William Crosier, who emigrated here from the state of Pennsylvania with his family. (Note: There is a William Crosier buried in the Homback Cem. 11/2 miles southwest of El Dara that died at the age of 68 years who is presumably the Crosier who came to this township.) The school was located on part of the Crosier land and only record of a deed found was made on 28 September 1936. It is not sure when Crosier School was established but is is shown on the map in the 1872 Pike County Atlas. According to the Frank McMullen obituary furnished by Dick & Mary McMullen, Frank attended Crosier School by subscription. He was born 14 October 1853 and at age eleven was on his own. This was the early way to obtain an education - from a teacher who usually went around the neighborhood with a subscription paper. The charges were from $1.00 to $2.50 per school month for each pupil. The teacher took his/her pay in different ways - produce, wheat, tallow, skins, wool, young cattle, or whatever the family had to offer that the teacher could use as money was very scarce. The first known school building was a large one-room with many windows on the south and the children's desks faced the west. Situated some distance from the school was a big spring which gave the school its water supply. Teachers kept a roster of the pupils' names who would go daily to carry the needed water in buckets. A traumatic experience for the community occurred on 23rd November 1935 when the schoolhouse burned. According to Pike County Republican newspaper, the Crosier School building located southwest of El Dara and six miles northwest of Rockport was destroyed by fire about 10 o'clock Saturday. The teacher was Mrs. Edna Steers, knowing it was impossible to save the school, sent the smaller children to Stephen Williams' home. The teacher, older pupils, and Floyd Williams succeeded in saving the piano, desk, some texts and Reading Circle books. Five tons of coal, stored in the basement was lost. An ironic note concerned the piano saved from the fire. The piano moved out of the school building required only the strength of Mrs. Steers, Mr. Williams and an older school boy. But when it was later moved, it took five men to do the job! By November of 1936, the Crosier District #117 had rebuilt a new school and a dedication of the new school building was held with a program and a box supper. Among the prizes to be awarded during this dedication service was a "coke for the prettiest girl, a pie for the ugliest man, a box of candy for them most popular girl, a pair of socks for the man with the biggest feet, and a jar of pickles for the most devoted couple." The school directors had worked diligently to replace the burned building with a more up- to-date one situated on a different location which was just a little south of the first Crosier School building. In 1947-48 there was no school held at Crosier. The last school directors were George Motley. Gerald Walker, and Robert Willams. The last employed teacher was Henry Motley. The school was sold in 1949 to James H. Sidwell for $410. As of March 1995 Gary Schneider and Rodney Whelan of Quincy owned the ground. However, the name of Crosier still remains in the neighborhood and the name Crosier Creek still reminds people that there was a Crosier School near there. And on the 5th of May 1991, former teachers, student, friends and the families of Crosier district gathered in the El Dara Historical building for a "returning home' event. Richard Garner, former student, was masters of ceremonies. Several former teachers were in attendance - Juanita Reel Walterscheid , Winifred Garner Motley (now deceased), Mary Ellen Dolbeare Shannahan and Henry Motley. PLEASANT VIEW SCHOOL- DISTRICT #119
BETHEL SCHOOL DISTRICT #121 DERRY TOWNSHIP
COLLINS SCHOOL DISTRICT #122
WHITTLETON SCHOOL DISTRICT #123 HADLEY TOWNSHIP
Whittleton School, district #123, was located in the Northeast corner of the Southeast quarter of section 30 in Hadley Township. The school apparently started before 1872 as it is shown on the 1872 map. In 1884 there were 35 pupils attending Whittleton School with J. F. Lacy as theft teacher.The school directors at that time were W. A. Peck, H. A. Graybail Long, and Mac Brown. Some of the other teachers at Whittleton School were Effia Kendall, Carrie Hoyt, Margaret Hale, Lila Boyd, Mary Dilley, Ruby Leeds, Bertha Baker, Gladys Gray- bail Long, Jennie Gleckler, and Caroll Johnson. In the school year 1947/48, the teacher was Mrs. Leatha Gallaher Bollan and the directors were Pres. Harold Furniss, Chester Roberts, and Ralph Churchill. When consolidation occurred after the 1947/48 school year, Whittleton consolidated with The Whittleton school was still standing in 1993 when this picture was taken.
Courtsey of Leslie Reynolds of Barry. SHAW SCHOOL DISTRICT #124
According to Mrs. Foster, the school building was used for nondenominational Sunday School for many years as well as having special revival services, funerals and other community meetings there. One of the most noteworthy meetings ever held at shaw school was probably the services of the famous hatchet wielding Carry Nation (social reformer and fanatic believer in temperance movement) in the 1890's. The last school at Shaw was 1946/47 and its consolidation with Barry Unit # 1. The directors at that time wer William S. Welborne, Edward Moyer and Glenn Foster. The building was sold on 7th September 1949 to G.W. Redman for $1,200. It has since een made into a residence. Picture above is an early picture of Shaw School.  This picture was taken in 1939. Back Row, L/R: Teacher Elden Fesler, Loyd Nichol, Harold Harris, Lawrence Alexander, Marjorie Washington, Ruby Washington, Charles E. Washington, Alden Hazelrigg. Front Row: Robert Gleckler, Wathena Hazelrigg, Mary Jo Cooley (Baughman), Betty McPherson, Mary Dell Zikle, James Washington, Juanita Washington. Photo contributed by Robert Gleckler, a student in the front row. DIAMOND HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT #166 DERRY TOWNSHIP Diamond Hill School, district #166 was located in Northwest corner of the Northwest Quarter of Section 30 of Derry Township. The school sits on the west side of the road that mainly divides Derry Twsp., section 30 from Pleasant Vale Twsp., section 25 and the school is almost in Pleasant Vale Twsp. After researching and finding no deed, Mrs. Juanita Reel Walterscheid of Peoria, IL., (who attended school there in 1910-18) learned that J. C. Harlow's grandfather, John Fester, loaned the land to the school district and the land was returned to his estate in 1950 when the building was sold. Diamond Hill, next to last school district to be formed, was listed in the 1908 School Journal but was not marked on the 1912 Atlas map. During 1910-20 these families had children attending Diamond HIM: Albert Trautwein, Louis Chamberlain, Tom Tittsworth, Harry Dolbeare, Tom Breckenridge, Arthur Lewis, Harry Fessler, Fred Reel, Edward Fox, Arthur Easley. Early teachers were Maude Hoskins, Florence Harlow, Addie Wood, Mary Braddy, Russell Rainwater, Eva Shaw, Harry Cox, Edna (Easlely) Steers, Hester Easley, Lois (Reel) Collier, and Alice Myers. In 1947/48, the teacher was Constance Wilson, and only 2 students Edward Williams and Berlyn Thomas, graduated on 28 April 1948 at the Barry Attendance Center. The school directors in 1947/48 were Arthur Easley, William S. Dolbeare, and Dale Pryor. After the consolidation of the school the school building was sold on 7 September 1949 to Russell Croxville for $300. The picture above of Diamond Hill School was taken in April 1943 and the teacher was Mrs. Frances Young. Students were Billie Mae Dolbeare, Starr Williams, Nadine Williams, Audrey Smith, Troy Smith, Ilah Jane Williams, Mary Dell Williams, Melba Williams, Delores Pryor, Dolline Williams and on the slide Keith Williams and Tom Fesler. Two boys were absent from picture, Loren Williams and Richard Gorton. 
Mrs. Juanita Reel Walerschaid, daughter of Fred and Lenna Reel, who lived in section 30 of Deny Township, went to school at Diamond Hill from 1910 to 1918. She shares her memories about the school and the families that attended during the time she went to school. The textbooks were furnished by the parents. The only other books in the school was an eight volume set of encyclopedias, home bound in oilcloth. In the 1920s, her father Fred who was an avid reader influenced the board of education to start establishing a school library. If a school program or box supper was held at night, it was thought that the families attending brought lights they used in their homes. As in most rural schools of that time period, the teacher was also the janitor, and often the cook as well. On extremely cold days, the pupils helped the teacher some kind of soup with ingredients brought from home. One mischievous episode that Mrs. Walterscheid recalls was when the boys locked Mrs. Lois Collier, the teacher, out of the building. But, she outsmarted them by climbing a pole she secured from the coal shed to reach the window and entered. She pretended not to know of their trickery. The boys, however, did not give up easily and they did it again. Mrs. Collier waited their appearance, ordered them to clean the floor, wash the blackboard, start the fire, and scrub the toilets (Oh yes, the place where the thick three-inch Sears Roebuck yearly catalogs were displayed!). The boys also had to stay after school to write a five hundred word theme about the incident and what it should teach them. Needless to say, there was never a third lockout for Mrs. Collier. The girls, however, had a different slant on ways to have fun. One spring day at noontime, they went into the woods and found mushrooms. HADLEY TOWNSHIP 4 SOUTH RANGE 5 WEST, PIKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Hadley Township is in the
northwestern part of Pike County
and is bordered on the North by Adams County, on the West by Barry Twsp. The land was principally prairie suitable for faming and stock raising with some good timber and plenty of springs. The first settler was Frank McWorter (a free black man) in 1829 on section 22, who also laid out the town of Philadelphia. He was followed by Joshua Woosley, a white settler, on section 19 in 1830. Other early families were Hazelriggg, Peterson, Clingensmith, Shipman, Wilkinson, Watson, Gray, and Farmer.
The first school was built on section 19 in 1836 and James Frier was the first teacher.
The 8 schools in Hadley Township, are: I. Pleasant Hill #3, 2. Brick #4, 3. Whittleton #123, 4. Philadelphia #125, 5. Kirkright #126, 6. Hayes #128, 7. Oak Grove #129, 8. Buckeye #130.
PLEASANT HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT #3 HADLEY TOWNSHIP
Pleasant Hill, district #3, was located in the Northwest quarter of section 3 in Hadley Township.
It is not known when the school was founded but it apparently was after 1872 as it is not shown on the 1872 atlas map but is
shown on the 1895 map.
A partial list of former teachers includes: Ethel Higdon, Hazel Wagy, Delite Stauffer, Lucy Test, Tina Allen, Ruby Potter, Alma Dunston, Helen Rusk, Leta Sibert, Cora Godfrey Bertha Dennis, Mildred Noble, Lydia Hull, Nellie Fudge, Claude Stauffer and Ina Hull.
A former student, Eleanor (Kelley) Lightle remembers attending Pleasant Hill the last few months of second grade. Although this was not the district that the Kelley children (Barbara, Scott, and Eleanor) were in, their father, Charles Kelley, sent them to district #3 to avoid crossing a branch of Hadley Creek where the bridge had washed out on the road to Budkeye School which was their district. Eleanor's family had moved from Hull, Illinois, area in the spring of 1938 because of the flooding in the Hull area that year and the previous year. Miss Ina Spencer was the teacher during that school year, and also the 1938/39 school year.
In the 1947/48 school year, the teacher was R. E. Hoover
and the school directors were Pres. Gayland Pearn, Lawrence Grimsley, and Albyn Pearn. The school consolidated with Barry Unit #1 and the Hayes School was made a attendance center where grades 1 thru 5 went and grades 6 thru 8 went to the Barry attendance center. Later, all sturinnte wPrP bused to Barry.. Hill School dist. #3 in Hadley Twsp. taken in 1939 with teacher Ina (Spencer) Hull. Front row, left to right: Kenneth Schussler, Bobby Sykes, Junior Schussler, Melvin Sykes. Back row: "Girl" Orabaug (or Means), teacher Mrs. Hull, Charles W. Sykes. Picture courtesy of Eleanor (Kelley) Lightle. BRICK SCHOOL DISTRICT #4 HADLEY TOWNSHP
After the school was closed, the building was used for farm storage. Apparently it was named "Brick" because it was a one-room brick school-
house. The building was still standing in October of 1993 when Ruth Cole took the picture.
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Pleasant View was located in Southeast corner of the Southeast quarter of Section 14 of Derry Township. The school existed before 1872 as it appears on the map of that year. A cemetery is located Northwest of the school. Methodist Church services were also held at Pleasant View School. No other information about the school was found.
Some of the teachers were Ora I rick Fish, Mary Grady, Nadine Ruse, Clarence Kaylor, Edna Steers, Edith !rick (Royality), Ada Diamond (Mink),
Grace Kick, Mildred Coughlin, Viola kick (Barley), Margaret Rafferty, Katherine Hoskins, Fern Carnes, Delores Goodwin, and Billie Jones Johnson.
The school, a frame building, was sold in September 1949 to Clay kick for $240. It is still standing, in excellent condition, and is being used for the kick-Scherer Family Reunions each year reports Darlene Arnett.
Pictured below is the Pleasant View School building as it looks today operated by the I rick-Sche re r Reunion Corporation which is lettered on the front entrance. Picture was taken in 1993 by Ruth Cole.
Bethel School was located in the Southeast, corner of Southwest quarter of section 9 in Derry Township on a fourth of an acre of land. The school was started before 1872 as it appears on map of that year. The first school was probably a log cabin. The last building was of frame construction with a basement approximately 20 feet by 30 feet and there was also two frame out buildings. The directors in 1884-85 were Thomas Spencer, T. J. Ownby, and T. J. Jones. The teacher that year was Lincoln Lacy with 20 pupils.
There was no school held in the 1947-48 school year but the directors were Pres. Clarence Pryor, Anna Meyer, and Loyd Dolbeare when the school consolidated with Barry, Unit #1.
The school was sold to Walter Strubinger for $905 in September 1949. Although in poor condition. the little school is still standing as can be seen in the picture above taken in 1993 by Ruth Cole.
"The teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on old iron." Horace Mann (1796-1859) Amer. Educator.
Collins School, District #122, was located in the Northwest corner of the Northeast quarter of section 7 in Derry Township. It was founded before 1872 as it appears on the map of that year. The first school was probably a log cabin and the last school was a one-room frame building approximately 20 feet by 30 feet.
Also there were the usual two frame out buildings plus a coal shed. The directors in 1884-85 school year were A. H. Kinne, Henry Howard, and G. R. Brown. The teacher that year was J. E. Collins with 30 pupils attending.
The directors in 1947-48 school year were Harry Miller, Alfred Tittsworth, and Leonard Edmiston but thee was no school held that year. The school consolidated with Barry Unit #1. The one acre plot and school building was sold in September 1949 to Alfred and Edna Tittsworth for $840.
The view of Collins School, taken by Ruth Cole in 1993, shows the state of decay of the once active school building.
"The most potent of all indirect influences in the development of our citizenry is the influence of a good teacher." Armand J. Garson (b.1881). Amer. Historian
