Today going through stuff trying to compose some kind of history for
the family I found this written by Grandma B sometime and it is not in
the book she wrote in such detail so decided to copy. Catherine Dunlap
I, Clara Kerslake Baker started to Springdale school in 1905 when I was
7 years old. I had started the year before in Cedar school across the
Sandy river but only went for a short time before I had to quit because
of the distance and my older friend that walked with me became ill. At
that time we lived with my grandfather on Kerslake Rd on the farm now
Hilltop Farm. The Cedar school though not the same building was where
the old Cedar School building still stands on Troutdale Road. That was
actually quite a walk for a six year old.
My first year at
Springdale was quite hectic as I remember. I was a large child, bashful
and unused to being around other children my age for sure. My only
friend was a neighbor boy named Erland Byberg and he too was in the
first grade. We walked through the woods to the school and there were
older kids that scared us and bullied us daily.
My first teacher
was an old lady with white hair or at least she seemed old to me. Her
name was Miss Adams and she had a really bad time with discipline but it
was easy to see why. Some of the boys were 16 and 17 years of age
because they worked on the farms and only went to school a few months in
winter. There were older girls too and I don't believe it was learning
they were interested in. Miss Adams tried to rule with the ruler used
for discipline but it didn't seem to work very well.
My folks
always said if I got a whipping in school I would also get one at home.
Well, I did that first year from Miss Adams but I did not tell my folks
until I was in the 8th grade. By then it was too late.
To get
drinking water we walked to the Northway place and carried it back in a
bucket. Everyone drank from the same dipper out of that bucket. Some
time later it was determined that was not sanitary so tin cups were bot
for each child, nails put in the hallway to hang them with a name tag
over each cup. A bit more sanitary but the not exactly.
There
were some very serious diseases that hit people including smallpox and
diphtheria in addition to the usual measles, mumps chicken pox etc.
Usually it was confined to one or a few families. During those times our
teachers would put formaldehyde in water on the stove, get it boiling
hot and steamy and then would make us run into the building around the
room and out again to hopefully fumigate us all. We would get out of
there coughing and gagging but none of us got the diseases.
As I
remember there were four teachers during my eight years all of which
were good except the first one. They were Miss Adams, Miss Penny, Miss
Stevens and Miss Gable. A woman could not be married and teach school
then.
I feel I got a good education in my eight years in a one
room school. One thing I think helped was every Friday we had a Spell
Down though it was not just spelling it could be states and capitals ,
times tables, fractions, history and dates etc. All grades were
involved and the teachers always included questions for all of them.
Phonics came in when I was in the eighth grade so all grades were
included in those lessons. That helped me when my children started
school.
Penmanship was an important subject and we had to work
in our copy books at least twice a week. There was no homework because
we stayed after school if we had not finished our work even if it meant
walking home in the dark.
Beside school work we put on programs,
had basket socials to make money to buy things for the school. I could
go on and on but one thing I have observed by going to a one room school
and also having my children attend one that we did learn the basics and
learned to appreciate getting along with all ages in a very easy way.
We had few frills but managed to entertain ourselves and learn from each
other. No regrets.
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