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Old Pioneer School, Idaho – 1800s

A family from Missouri moved into Mr. Fouches claim shanty. They had three children, two girls and a boy. A widow, Mrs. Albertson, with her two sons and a daughter camped for a while on part of Fathers land until the older son filed on a forty, a piece further East, built a house and put down a well so they could live there.

        About that time Father began to think of forming a School District. He needed ten pupils and there were only nine in the District. So he borrowed a half orphan from a friend in Oregon, which was just across the Snake River. We kept this orphan boy in our home for six months so he would be a legal resident.

        Mr. Reed gave a plot of ground on one side of his section upon which to build a school house. The men of the community worked together to build the school house. It was a one room building. Had six windows, three on each side and a door in front. There was a large box stove for heating. The families took turns bringing something to burn, which was mostly sagebrush. Each father made a desk for his children. They brought a table with one drawer for the teacher. This was in the Summer of 1891. The nearest School to this was at Parma, a distance of over five miles, which was to far for three small children to go, so Mother had been teaching us at home.

        The building was not furnished when it was time for school to start so Chas. Fergusen loaned them the use of his claim shanty for a few weeks. In the late Fall we moved into the new school building. However we continued to use our homemade desks for some time.

        The first teachers name was Cora McConnell and she (boarded around) which was to stay for two week periods at a time in each of the homes. This was not always pleasant or convenient.

        The next year arrangements were made for the teacher to stay in one home and pay her board. This teachers name was Mrs. Pollard. She boarded in our home and we rode to school on horseback. Mrs. Pollard and I on one horse and Bertha and Earnest on another.

        There was a blessed event at our home that Winter to as the stork came again on December 3, 1892 carrying a baby girl with red hair and hazel eyes. We named her Grace. She was very welcome and there were three very willing nurses. Father was proud of her red hair because most of his family were red headed. She was a good little girl, although Earnest and I tormented her more than we should have at the same time we were her devoted slaves.

        To begin with the land around the school house was covered with large sagebrush. The men just cleared the sagebrush from a spot large enough for the building and a small playground. There was a road in front. On the other three sides just sagebrush. We played hide and seak and run sheep run in it. Also we cut some and made play houses, where we took our lunches to eat when the weather was nice.

        There was a hill near by which we could slide down with our sleds, when there was snow. There was not any well at the school. We carried our drinking water from Albertsons well which was the nearest. We had one bucket and one dipper for all. Germs were not bothersome then.

        We counted it a privilege to be allowed to go after a bucket of water as we went in pairs. One day at noon Etta Martin and I were going and were racing to see who could get there first. We had to go through a two wire fence. We had hung the bottom wire over the upper one so all we had to do was to stop to go under. In my haste I did not stoop low enough and cought a barb in my scalp making a cut about five inches long part of it was to the bone. Of course it started bleeding hard. I thought the end had come. I went on up to the house and Etta went back for Mrs. Pollard. They put me to bed and made me lie very quietly while they stoped the bleeding. I had to stay quietly in bed the rest of the day for fear it would start again. I still carry that scar. It is only about three inches long now and makes a good part for my hair.

        We changed teachers almost every year because of the shortage of money the terms were short, about six months each. Most of the teachers were young girls just starting out and they would teach there one term to get some experience then get a better job, while we trained another one.

        The third year our teacher was Miss Edna Little. We had another scholar that year too. Elmer Hamilton who was about 17 years old but had not had much schooling.

        One day that year we had some excitement somewhat of the old wild west type. As I mentioned before the Martins were from Missouri. Mrs. Martin was a very ardent admirer of Jessy James (a famous bandit of that age who’s home was in Missouri. She was always telling what a bold, badman “her Tommy” was. (Meaning her husband). How he was such a good shot and so handy with a knife. She also Said that if any teacher dared to whip her son Walter, her Tommy would go up there and kill the teacher. Of course with such backing as that Walter was not a very good boy at school. Things went along pretty well tho until that year. One day Walter was very naughty, Miss Little told him to stay after school for she was going to whip him, however he walked out with the rest of us. She cought hold of his coat and tried to hold him but he got away. She told him he would get it in the morning. Mother was afraid of trouble so she caused us three to be late that morning. When school took up Miss Little told Walter to come up front. He came but when she told him to take off his coat to receive the whipping he said “You will, will you, blood will fly” and pulled a knife out of his pocket and started for Miss Little. Elmer jumped up and grabed Walter’s wrist and made him drop the knife. Then Walter kicked at Miss Little. She cought his foot and held it up high. While Elmer held Walter’s hands and Miss Little his foot she gave him a good whipping with a rule. Walter’s older sister, Isora, started to attack Miss Little but Anna Albertsen stoped her. Anna was the strongest of the two so she got Isora down on the floor. Isora bit Anna’s finger quite deeply and Anna pounder her head on the floor to make her let go. When the whipping was finished they let them go home. We were about half way to school when we met Isora coming as fast as her horse could run. She was crying and said she was going home to get Her Pa to come kill Miss Little. A little further on we met Walter and Etta on foot. Walter told us how he had kicked Miss Little and hurt her badly and that Pa would come up there and kill her. We hurried our horses as fast as we could. When we arrived at the school house four men, Mr. Vermeich, Henry Lannan, and the two Albertson boys were on guard with their guns. Mr. Martin did take his gun and start for the school house, but, Bill Rowland who was boarding with the Martins talked him out of going. About time for school to close that afternoon Walter and Bill Rowland came and got the Martin children’s books. Father, as chairman of the school board and also as Justice of the Peace had gone to Mr. Martin and told him that unless his children could go to school and behave themselves or take the consequences he should keep them at home. He did not want any more such actions or threats in the community. The Martin children did not come back to school any more. The family moved away before another school year.

        The school was about two miles from home so we rode horses back and forth most of the time. Sometimes when the weather was good and we did not have to many chores to do at home we walked. The poor horses had to stand and eat (post hay) all day long regardless of the weather. Country schools were not graded at that time. The teacher decided from which reader one was able to read as to what other subjects they should take. For example a first reader child was taught to count and add small numbers. With a second reader one was given multiplication tables and spelling. With the third reader history, grammer and geography were given and so on. The sixth reader was the highest. In a one room school such as ours, one teacher tought all of the pupils.

        When we changed teachers almost every year the main disadvantage was that when a new teacher came she would ask how far we went in our books the year before. She then would say “We will start near the front and do some reviewing”. We were lucky if we went much further than we did the year before. The result was we knew the front part of the books well, but knew very little of the part in the back, unless we did some studying on our own. I was seven years old when I started to school and could read in the second reader. That would be about a second grader now. I went for a few months every year until I was seventeen.

        By that time they had High Schools in all of the cities and had started grading the larger country schools.

        When they could get enough pupils (about five) to take an eighth grade examination the County School Superintendedt would send out questions for the teachers to give. I went to Parma and took the examination with the class there and passed with an average of 98.

        I wanted very badly to go to High School. In order to do so I would have had to go away from home and pay tuition. Father had passed away and Mother could not afford it.

        I have gone into detail about the school situation so that the young folks of today may be able to see and I hope realize and appreciate the opportunities they are blessed with today.

        I have also wandered far ahead of the theme we first started on so we will turn back and take another start.

        The Parma school house was on the South side of the railroad and about a mile west of Parma. It was a one room building and was used for Church when a Preacher would come. There was always a Sunday School there and our Grandfather was Sunday School Superintendent there for many years.

(Source: “In Days of Yore,” by Eva Paul Leigh and Grace Paul Hendricks – No date when this was written)