I never went to a one room school, but I did attend grade school at a very small town school. Here is a look at some of the one-room schools in southern Bourbon County and northern Crawford County, Kansas. The schools included were somehow connected to my family. In addition to the one-room schools, I included a couple of bonus schools with two classrooms instead of one.
Arlington School
Arlington School, located in Walnut Township, Bourbon County, Kansas was officially school #81.
Grandma Nellie and her sister Lydia are listed as pupils in the 1899-1900 school year. The clerk is listed as J. Peele. We are not aware of a J. Peele that would have been in that area. Thus, my guess is that it was their father W. J. Peelle.
Bell School
Bell School, District #3, was named Bell because it had a large bell in the belfry. It was in Drywood Township in Bourbon County, Kansas. It originally was located near Appleton along the state line with Missouri. Appleton was absorbed by Memphis and Memphis later became Garland.
The school souvenir shows that the Pellett family attended this school.
Farlington School
Farlington School wasn’t a single room schoolhouse, but it was a small town school. This is the upper grades. The picture includes Florence McCracken, Andrew McCracken’s niece, and Roy Draper, who married Grandpa Joe McCracken’s sister Bell.
Guinn School
Guinn School is school #36 in Bourbon County, Kansas. Located in Drywood Township, Guinn was attended by many of mom’s family. The last year for the school was 1942-1943.
Generally, all of the small schools had big end of the year functions. One year Guinn had a big dinner where everyone brought dishes to share with the crowd. The students of the school presented a program with singing, dancing, playing of musical instruments, and recitations. My Uncle Marvin Pellett was among the students performing.
Additionally, the teacher gave out prizes for spelling, reciting Bible verses, and attendance. My mom and her two older siblings were among the winners of prizes. My Uncle Marvin won the award for most improved penmanship.
Floyd Conner listed as a part of the school board was a relative. The Conner children had attended Guinn.
Photo is from 1898. I am likely related to most of the people shown, but am definitely related to the Pellett and Conner families.
Hiattville School
Hiattville School #101 wasn’t technically a one room school as there was an upper room and a lower room. However, it was a small town school. Clate Farmer, Grandma Nellie (Peelle) McCracken’s cousin, attended Hiattville School.
William J. Peelle, my great-grandfather worked on the Hiattville School. I believe that was the newer school and not Old Hiattville, which is described below.
Old Hiattville District #18 was located north of Hiattville in Pawnee Township, Bourbon County, Kansas. The school had 25 students in 1896. Nora Hartnett, Grandma Nellie (Peelle) McCracken’s cousin, received marks of 90 or above in all subjects for the month ending in February 1896.
Johnson School
Johnson School, District #6, was in Sherman Township in Crawford County, just south of the Bourbon County line. Andrew McCracken was the director of Johnson School for several years.
Joe McCracken and his siblings attended District #6. As you can see, the souvenir booklet states that this is Pleasant Ridge School. The letter shows the same school district with the name Johnson School. Now, I know that they attended more than one school over the years. However, since it gives the same school district in both documents, I believe it is referring to the same school.
For one period in 1908, Ernest, Doc, and Oella McCracken were all above 90% in personal conduct, attendance, and studies.
Grandpa Joe likely did not meet the attendance criteria as in the following school year, he attended a few full days and many half days because of farm work. He missed every day one month because of the harvest.
However, Joe’s conduct was listed as nearly perfect and all his grades except one were in the excellent category 95 to 100. Those subjects included spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, physiology, geography, U.S. history, and Kansas history. His lowest grade was a 94 in Civil Government.
Lone Elm School
Lone Elm School
Lone Elm School, District #84, was located in Walnut Township in Bourbon County. It was a couple miles south and a mile west of where the Peelle family lived and where Don and Kay Davis later lived.
Lone Elm must have been named because there was a single elm tree at the location as in 1891, The Fort Scott Lantern talked about how the district was cultivating some pine trees.
In the 1902-1903 school year, Grandma Nellie (Peelle) McCracken and her sister Lydia Peelle were not tardy or absent during a 6 month period. Passco Peelle was a visitor at the school. It is assumed that this is Grandma’s grandfather, but it could have been Grandma’s brother Passco “Pat” Peelle as he would have turned 4 before the end of the school year.
Pawnee
Pawnee School was in what is known as Pawnee, Pawnee Station, or Anna in Pawnee Township, Bourbon County, Kansas.
O’Ella McCracken taught school at Pawnee for two years (1941-1942, 1942-1943). The photo is from before she taught at the school. However, it includes Pellett relatives and the McCrackens’ good friends the Keeney kids.
Pleasant Valley
Pleasant Valley School District #9 was located in Pawnee Township, Bourbon County, Kansas. It was due north of Pawnee.
In 1891, The Fort Scott Lantern described Pleasant Valley as small, but having “all the characteristics of a wide-awake progressive school.” (I wonder what that meant.)
O’Ella (McCracken) Ross taught school at Pleasant Valley for 4 years (1937-1938, 1938-1939, 1939-1940, 1940-1941). The contract shown indicates that for the upcoming school year (1938-1939) that she will make $65.00 per school month.
Possum Trot School
I had heard about Possum Trot, but I didn’t think it was a real place. However, in 1916 Uncle Pat and R. E. Lozier were working on the Possum Trot Schoolhouse. Later it was Lem McCracken who was working with R. E. Lozier.
Rocky Vale School
Rocky Vale School #78 was located just north of my dad’s property line in Pawnee Township, Bourbon County, Kansas.
In 1891, The Fort Scott Lantern describe the Rocky Vale School as small, but “full of life and energy.”
Grandpa Joe McCracken was the director of the school for many years (20+-) and all his and Grandma Nellie (Peelle) McCracken’s children graduated from there with their 8th grade diploma.
Teachers at Rocky Vale
1891-1892 Millie Coffern
1895-1896 Miltie Preston
1900-1901 Mr. Owens (Did not finish the year, illness)
1901-1902 Maud Coghill
1903-1904 Stella Emmitt
1904-1905 Florence Wiedenman (of Hepler)
1906-1908 Lela Killion
1908-1909 Mabel Boyd
1909-1911 Minnie Roeske
1911-1912 William Bentley
1912-1913 Verna Perry
1916-1917 Nellie Armstrong
1917-1919 Clara Roland
1920-1921 Sarah Runkle
1921-1922 Eugene Kelley
1922-1923 Viola Park
1923-1924 Roy O. Soellner (of Pittsburg)
1924-1925 Pearl Johnson
Later, O’Ella (McCracken) Ross, Dee (McCracken) Burnam, and Don McCracken all taught at Rocky Vale. O’Ella taught at the school 1933-1935. Dee only taught there one year in the 1940s.
Rocky Vale was the center of their community as were most schoolhouses. They were more of a community center. Besides school, the buildings were used for community events, lectures, political groups, elections, preaching, organizations, and more. Rocky Vale became so much more than a school that the neighborhood had its own items in the newspapers under the name Rocky Vale. The school and maybe you could say the schoolhouse became the catalyst for creating a community.
Schofield School
Schofield School, District #37, was in Marmaton Township, Bourbon County, Kansas. It was located almost due north of Hiattville on old Highway 39 just after the highway curved eastward. The Peelle family lived just down the road from the school after they first moved to Kansas. In 1883, great-grandpa William J. Peelle’s sister Mossie was one of the favorite performers during an evening of entertainment at the school.
Great-Grandpa W. J. Peelle indicated in his journal that he worked on this school (along with numerous other schools). The family moved to Hiattville and then west of Hiattville before moving back to this home.
In 1908, the school was a bustling place with Maggie Gift charged with 31 students split almost evenly. However, the Peelle family had moved to what became known as the Homeplace at what is now Highway 7 & Birch Road. However, Lydia, Nellie, and Pat Peelle (grandma and her siblings) came to visit on the last day of school.
Years later, O’Ella (McCracken) Ross taught at Schofield School for two years (1935-1936, 1936-1937).