Old Settler's Tales | Kansas One Room School House Project

Kansas One Room
School House Project
Old Settler's Tales

Old Settlers' Tales by F. F. Crevecouer, (1902)

The Kansas Heritage Server would like to thank Teresa Lindquist (merope@access.digex.net) for contributing this material.

"From a book I am currently webbing for KanColl (the places mentioned are in Nemaha and Pottawatomie counties)"

In the matter of education, the Swiss nation is not behind any of Europe, and the settlers were not here long, until they began to agitate the question of a school for their children, who were beginning to grow up. A meeting to see about the erection of a school house, was called for the 21st of March, 1863. The matter of funds troubled the pioneers more, perhaps, than anything else. There had not been money enough raised by taxes to build a schoolhouse and to have a school taught, so a subscription list was passed around, to which $41 was subscribed, and as their being able to carry on a school, they held another meeting on the 14th of May following, when district number 14 was organized, with Fred Bonjour, director, Alfred Bonjour, clerk, and Aime Bonjour, treasurer. James Cooper was hired to teach a three months' term of school, commencing the end of June, the same year. He received the munificent sum of $9 per month, or $27 for the term, for his services. The school was held in Louis C. Simon's house, southwest of where Zelim Bonjour lives, there being a spring near, which furnished water for the use of the school. Mr. Simon's mother, who was the head of the family, received a dollar as rent for her room. The same fall the old log school house, which stood on the hill a little north and across the road from where Tom Kelly lives, was built. Most of the work was done by donation, some hauling the logs, others helping in the erection of the building. Among the teachers who taught in this school house were: Mrs. Hal, now Mrs. Brat, of near Centralia; Mrs. John Irwin, Peter Leroux, Clara Utzy, Miss Ensign, and Flora Preston, afterwards Mrs. Rev. Hogbrin, of the Sabetha Congregational church. In 1871 the district was changed by cutting off district No. 46, and the school site of the Neuchatel district was changed to its present one, and the present stone structure was built. The district then became joint district No. 5, of Nemaha and Pottawatomie counties.

When district No. 46, the Vautravers district, was formed, they held a term of school in Ami Bonjour's house. The seats consisted of boards laid around the room on blocks of wood, while the desks were boards laid on pins driven in the wall. Mary Todd taught this term. The first school house was the present frame one, and Miss Ellsworth taught the first term in it about 1872. The next teacher was Miss Francis Harth. James Summerfield was the first director; George Thomas, clerk; and Fred Vautravers, treasurer.

This covers Lincoln Township:

"The early settlers were widely awake to the many advantages of education, and early commenced to look about them to see what could be done in the matter of having their children taught the first requisites of an education. They met and organized the Vienna school district (No. 13) on Dec. 6, 1862. John Gibson was elected director, S. W. Blain, clerk, and Moses Day, sr., treasurer. Arrangements were made to have a term of school taught as soon as could be done. A term of school was arranged for early in 1863, which was kept in a room of Almon Benton's house, Mrs. Benton being the teacher. Among some of the children who attended this primitive school were Day's, Benton's, and Blain's. Another term of school, taught in a private house, was taught by Mrs. Benedict in her own house. Judge Huffman had been elected director of the district by this time, and in the fall of the year 1863 a school house was built. It was a frame one, and Judge Huffman was the architect. Some of the early teachers in this district have been forgotten, but we give below the names of those whose names are still remembered, or which the school records still in existence show to have taught here, with the year in which they taught: Miss Cheney, of Manhattan, who taught school in the fall of 1866 or 1867, and Miss Kate White, who taught during the summer of 1867 or 1868, and boarded at Major Jenkins'. Prof. J. J. Hostutler taught the school in the spring of 1870. The schoolhouse was enlarged in 1870, and turned around, as it had been standing north and south before this. The first teacher to teach after the above change was E. T. Robinson, who taught the winter of 1870-1. The next was C. O. Benton, in the fall of 1873; Miss Addie Points, the fall of 1874; Jerome A. Buts, the winter of 1874-5; Amelia Resing, the summer of 1875; Mrs. Flora Benedict, the summer of 1876."

Vienna Schools:

"Though the history of the early schools of this part of Vienna may not be so interesting as that of the one to the east, it is no reason that it should be overlooked.

The first school held at Rolling Prairie was taught by Mrs. McClellan, at her home, in 1870 or 1871. The spring of 1871 the people of this part of the township concluded their locality was populous enough to deserve and support a school of their own. Accordingly, a move was made to have that portion of the Vienna district lying west of the Vermillion river detached from that on the east, where the school house was located. A meeting was called, which was held in Jim Gorman's house, to select a site for the school house for the new district. The people of the east part of the detached portion, which afterward [my version cuts off here!!]

There came with Wm. C. Garrett, when he moved here, in addition to those mentioned, Sirena Winscott, a daughter of J. W. Garrett's sister. Nettie Garrett's name was overlooked in enumerating J. W. Garrett's children. Wm. C. Garrett first settled on the "Krames" instead of "Krous" farm. was set off in the Victory district, wanted to locate the school house by Dave Cook's, which location was a mile from the east boundary of the new district and three and one-half miles from the western, to which the people in the west part of the district objected. Then a vote was taken to build the school house a mile further west from the first proposed site, which was carried by a majority of one. Then the people of the east part moved that the school house be built still further west, which was carried. The people of the east part then immediately petitioned to have the new district sub-divided into two, which was done. The east part selected a site one on the Guffy farm, and the school was known as the Victory. Then it was left for the people of the western district to select a new site for heir school. The people became divided into three factions. One wanted to have the old Roosa log house bought, which could be had for $5, and move it to the site which should be selected. A second wanted to build a moderate-sized building. The third went to the other extreme, and wished to build the largest and finest school house in the township. The selection of a site was a difficult matter, and before it was done a number of the voters got into a fight over it. Then James Taylor offered to donate two acres of land on which to build the school house, which finally was accepted. When it came to deciding what kind of a house to build, the faction in favor of buying the log house went to the other extreme and took sides with those who wished to build the highest priced one. The two factions, combining, had a majority, and then they wanted to vote $800 bonds for building purposes, as they expected the railroad land in the district to bear the brunt of the taxes to pay the bonds. Mr. Taylor suggested $500 as a sufficient amount to raise, to which could be added the $70 already in the district treasury, and that if these two amounts should prove insufficient more could be raised by direct taxation to finish the building. This suggestion was well received by the more conservative element in the district, and finally voted. At this time there was a suit in court to decide the claims of the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific railroads for possession of the railroad lands, but the bonds had to be paid. As there were but two residents of the district having deeds to their farms, and these were the only ones liable to taxation, the bulk of the taxes had to be paid by them. The two were Phil Thorne and Joseph Makins.

About Mill Creek Schools:

"The first building used for a school house in district No. 14 ( the Mill Creek or Onaga district) was the house (a frame one) that Calloway lived in on the Selbach place, which was boughht of him when he moved away from there, early in 1863. The house was moved to near George Cockerel's. After a while the building was again moved, this time to the August Wegner farm (James Louis'), where it stood north of Mr. Wegner's house. In 1869 the stone school building was built south of Mrs. Joseph DeGraw's, near the railroad. Tom Bowers, of Wabaunsee, took the contract for building it, and it was put up by some Swedes. The old school building is still in existance, on Antoine Fischer's farm, where it was moved when the stone school was built. P. P. Grim was the first clerk the district had. The first teacher they had in this district of whom we could learn was J. Hugh Wilson, who taught in 1864 or 1865. Mrs. Fannie Grim taught it, also, the same year (1864). The next teacher was Horace Jones. He was followed by Adget McGuire, who taught two or three winter terms about 1865, 1867, and 1868. Miss Lemira Lewis taught it in the winter of 1866. Prof. J. J. Hostutler taught the school the winters of 1870-1 and 1871-2. The winter of 1871-2 Prof. Hostutler gave a term of lessons in vocal music in the district school house, and the same winter he also taught a term of singing in the Pleasant Valley district. Before they had a school building the people met in private houses, such as Cockerel's and others, and had spelling schools. Unlike the spelling schools of today, where only smaller children take part, everyone took an interest in the spelling schools then, from the children to the grown-up folks, married people and the older members of the family, and they were enjoyed accordingly, too."

Saturday, October 13, 2001 8:11 PM

Old Elsmore -- Douglas County

Spring Valley -- Geary County

This covers Lincoln Township:

Vienna Schools:

About Mill Creek Schools:

Also see: Kansas History