 Lobsters, Oysters and Eels, "Oh, My!!!" If you're lucky enough to have a schoolhouse that is open during the Thanksgiving holidays you might add a lesson on what the Pilgrims actually ate at the first Thanksgiving. It is not surprising that the feast didn't exactly mirror the one we see in the Norman Rockwell painting or on our own tables. No green bean casserole with Onyums? No sweet potatoes with marshmallows? No apple pie? No Pepperidge Farm Stuffing? If you ever read of the Pilgrims' condition (after losing half their number in the first year), you'd find that eating whatever they could muster up was a luxury! A good source for that information comes from a food timeline site and their references were Plymouth Plantation, now called Plimoth-Patuxet Museums, in Plymouth Massachusetts. I've adapted their article as a PDF for use in our schoolhouses and you can access it by clicking on the photo below. Link to: www.foodtimeline.org  CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO ACCESS THE ARTICLE
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Books by Our CSAA Members for Children Christmas is around the corner and we have a couple recommendations for our youger schoolhouse enthusiasts. Our CSAA authors have been hard at work keeping schoolhouse stories alive for both children and adults. During the past year and a half we've highlighted a number of CSAA writers and their inspiring books, and we appreciate their determination to tell the stories of our country schools. The two posts below are geared for children and will make cherished Christmas gifts. Your support of our writers is much appreciated and you will be rewarded by their creativity and research!  CLICK PHOTO FOR WEBSITE ORDERING Relaunch of the Beloved Belden Boy Series: A Journey Sparked by the Rescue of a One-Room Schoolhouse By P.J. HarteNaus In 2003, an unexpected discovery behind the Jo Daviess courthouse set the stage for an extraordinary preservation effort to save the 1859 Belden School in the Galena Territory. Stockton’s gentleman farmer, Big Bob Kleckner, had a passion for the history of one-room schools. One day (much to the dismay of his wife), Big Bob went dumpster diving and discovered numerous one-room school journals from the area being tossed. Among them were the 1871 and 1923 journals of Belden School. That one search preserved, for future generations, firsthand records of school life from a bygone era. But it didn’t end there. It began in 2003 when Big Bob, Galena Territory managers, Beth Pomaro and Dave Oldenburg, and Territory resident, P.J. HarteNaus, began researching its history. They found Belden artifacts around the school grounds and in the nearby creek. As part of a Master’s class, P. J. interviewed elderly students who once attended the school before it closed due to consolidation in 1943. The stories were incredible. So much so, she decided to preserve them. P.J. fictionalized the oral and documented history, creating the anti-bullying series, Belden Boy, for children of all ages. These events introduced the idea of possibly saving the Belden School structure. After years of discoveries, discussions and presentations to those interested in preserving the school, a committee of volunteers was officially formed in 2005 to authentically and successfully restore the little one-room limestone school in Galena, Illinois. The newly restored Belden School opened to the public in 2009 offering tours and events. The dedicated commission continues to this day, providing education to all who enter the doors of Belden School. The award-winning Belden Boy series takes place in a small farm community in the 1880s where children of all ages learn their lessons in a one-room schoolhouse. Life is simple but rich with challenges and timeless lessons of courage, empathy and understanding. The four-book series is tied to Core State Standards for figurative language and perspective. It is the perspective that makes the series special. The first two books are told from the perspective of the victim, Peter, and his bully relationship with “sometimes pal”, Franky. The third book allows Franky to talk about his confusion when everyone calls him a bully. He just doesn’t see it. The fourth and final book in the Belden Boy series introduces a young girl who comes to Belden School from Minnesota. Annie and her pa have returned to the family farm to help her aging grandpa who is, as they say, “soft in the head”. She has her own limitations but helps to pull the boys and community together, including the new schoolmaster who has a tendency to be a bully, as well. The 2024 relaunch of these timeless tales in the Belden Boy series introduces beautifully illustrated covers, glossy pages and interior sketches by a local Galena artist. The endearing story of Belden School continues to live for future generations. Note from Susan Fineman- P.J. HarteNaus is a two-time winner and recipient of the CSAA Scholarship and Artistry Award. She has presented at numerous CSAA annual conferences. We highly recommend this series for your children and you can locate other children's books by Pattie HarteNaus on her website below.  "The Happy Little Schoolhouse"- Santa Rosa School This illustrated children’s book by Debbie Soto, a 2024 CSAA Scholarship and Artistry Award winner, tells the story of the Santa Rosa Schoolhouse in Cambria, California. The schoolhouse is the main character telling its own story from being built in 1881 through all the major events including the Santa Rosa being moved twice by a large crane. It highlights the happy years with children attending school sessions and the years of abandonment, then the moves and revitalization with children once again returning to the school. In this delightful hardcover book the illustrations are engaging and colorful, and some pages incorporate vintage photos of the school building. We highly recommend it for your children and grandchildren! The author, Debbie Soto, invites you to request a copy through her email at: [email protected]. Note from Susan Fineman-Debbie is a prolific writer promoting schoolhouse history and that of her town of Cambria, California. Her four other outstanding titles include those below: "Let The School Bells Ring" This informative book details the early history of one-room schoolhouses on the north coastal area of San Luis Obispo County, California around Cambria and San Simeon. The author's unique connections to Cambria's pioneer families provide her special insights into the history. Anyone interested in the history of the area will want to take a look at this book. "Living in Harmony- The School, Creamery and Town" Have you ever wondered how the tiny hamlet of Harmony California came to be? Over the years, truth and myth have mingled. Through extensive research, author Debbie Soto provides insight into the history of Harmony - the school, the creamery, and the town. Harmony (population 18) played a surprisingly huge role in California's dairy industry, and supplied William Randolph Hearst and his illustrious guests with their local cheese and butter. Experience the joys and tribulations of those who were lucky enough to live in Harmony. "Glimpses of A Bygone Era: One-Room Schools Along the Hearst Ranch" This informative book details the early history of one-room schoolhouses on the north coastal area of San Luis Obispo County. Anyone interested in the history of the area around Hearst Castle will want to take a look at this book. Packed with area famiy stories, documents, and photos! "Christmas Eve at Bethany" Thus beautiful Christmas story brings the reader memories of an old-fashioned celebration in a vintage church and the real meaning of Christmas. Delight in the idyllic oil paintings and lyrics by Debbie Soto and share a very special Christmas Eve at Bethany.    Primary Sources are Priceless! by Susan Fineman Original documents are treasures to those of us who are researching our one-room schools. Whether we are trying to piece together the typical school day, learning about the rigors of teaching in a district school, or getting a feel for the community of the time, reading the words of those responsible for their schools brings the search to life. I am one of the fortunate schoolhouse docents who have access to priceless primary sources, the annual reports of the Superintending School Committee of our town or city, reports that are so detailed and numerous, we can trace the evolution of the district schools from their construction, to school consolidation, and eventually to their demise. The three men who comprised my city’s early committee were elected officials, often influential businessmen of Nashua, NH. They were articulate and thorough in their reporting, never short on words. It appears nothing escaped the notice of the committeemen and they spared no one's feelings in their very public observations and opinions. After visiting district schools to witness recitations and year end examinations they would write their reports. They openly assessed the job done by the prudential committeemen (prudential referring to each of the 11 individual district committeemen in Nashua), the teachers by name and school, the scholars, and even the parents! I have read reports that extol the virtues of loving teachers who deserve the “approbation” of the public, parents who were attentive and supportive, and scholars who excelled at their closing examination days. I have also seen specific teachers vilified in these reports as totally incompetent, parents as uncooperative and abusive, and scholars as vicious and unruly. They discuss in detail the progress or deficiencies of scholars, the effectiveness or failure of various teaching methods, the specific texts and quantities in each school, and disciplinary tactics. They discuss the condition of school buildings and offer lofty opinions about why some schools are run better than others. They chastise the parents about their children’s absenteeism, laziness, truancy, lack of cleanliness and their ganging up on teachers to drive them from their positions. They tackle a myriad of topics including the lack of uniformity in textbooks, districts not attending to the repair of their schools, ethnic newcomers and the troubles they cause in the schools, the poor articulation of teachers and scholars in recitation, the insidious practice of “whispering” in class, and corporal punishment. On the other hand, they are quick to praise districts that build sound new schools, readily name the schools whose scholars displayed good manners, sweetness in singing, or knowledge of geography, and often report on the proficiency of the readers and mathematicians among the “advanced” scholars of Nashua. The list of topics is seemingly endless, but quite familiar even in contemporary school settings. When you read a smattering of the reports you'll find that the more things change, the more they remain the same! Familiar themes are common to schools of yesterday and today. I begin by offering one of my favorites from the 1846-47 school year regarding the District #2 schoolhouse: “The school during the first six weeks of the winter term, under the charge of Mr. Cummings, was worse than useless. In the early part of the term, one young man assumed the authority on the school, and was of course expelled by the Committee, but by application, after suitable acknowledgement, was reinstated. Soon however, a combination appeared amongst the larger scholars, and during the night, the (master’s) desk would be nailed up, or benches pulled up and piled on top of it, talking aloud, and corn and beans were resorted to in school, etc. etc. All this was known to the district, without any knowledge of the Committee, to prevent it. This state of things was known to the Committee by an application of the teacher to dismiss two of the riotous leaders, and the larger scholars then all left, and by the advice of the Committee, the teacher left also, though no application was made to dismiss him. If these grossly outrageous proceedings had been perpetrated by young beardless boys, there would have been perhaps less cause for complaint, but when young men combine to get rid of a teacher by insults and injuries upon him and the schoolhouse, they should be taken into custody by legal authorities. (However…) their parents or guardians informed of the Statute should have provided to dismiss any teacher, who is not competent, suitable, or profitable. Finally, a man who has not authority enough to maintain his own supremacy in school should not undertake to teach.” Poor Mr. Cummings! More than a century and a half has passed and he remains indelibly incompetent! Apparently he needed a mentor like the teacher in the following account. In reading the following 1847-48 report on District #7 school, I began to wonder if the “loving” Miss Whitford was, (as was often the case) somehow related to a reporting official! Such a tribute: “The summer term continued three months and eleven days under the charge of Miss M.L Whitford. The whole number of scholars during the summer term was thirty-one, with an average attendance of twenty-three. The teacher secured the willing obedience of all her scholars, by adopting the law of kindness and love. She loved her scholars, loved her employment, loved to do her work by system, and to see her pupils doing theirs in the same way--- the scholars seeing the manifestations of that love, made a return of it, by being obedient to her instructions." They continued... "We have seldom seen so strong affection between teacher and scholars, as was exhibited in this school. The constant attendance of most of the scholars, and their rapid progress in the elementary branches, are good evidence of the teacher’s fidelity and success. Miss Whitford possesses a remarkable faculty of training small children to love their lessons and to learn—she infused a lively, attentive, and thoughtful spirit among them. Their movement in the schoolroom was easy, graceful, quick; that sluggish movement and awkward manner, sometimes observed in scholars, had been completely changed by her system of physical training---and the manners of her pupils had been molded by the example of the teacher. Whatever was peculiar and pleasing in her they copied. The children were taught to think and act quickly. There was more general satisfaction manifested by the parents of the district, at the success of Miss Whitford, than is often shown; their approbation of the school is certainly to her praise.” The beleaguered Mr. Cummings wasn't the only teacher to fail miserably in his efforts to command a one-room school. Turnover was common and expected. Teachers both "loving" and "worse than useless" rarely found themselves in a life-long profession in the classroom. Clearly, what stands out most in reading these reports is the eloquence in which the superintending committee wrote of the trials and tribulations of the school districts under their care. It is clear they set a high bar for the improvement of their school districts, while taxpayers demanded a great deal from the small percentage the town allotted to education. That's another story....  The Tradition of Greeting Cards...Click on the Photo! Thanksgiving is all about food and family for most of us, but if you're a collector of artifacts appropriate for your school's time period, this might be a good time to check through the ephemera section of your favorite antique shops. Add to your collection of Rewards of Merit and see if you can find Holiday Cards of the past....even for Thanksgiving! We have a number of members who make a point of collecting vintage cards. Our schoolhouse visitors enjoy seeing things from simpler times, and you can discuss how Thanksgiving has changed and what themes have lasted right up to modern times. They might be surprised that Hallmark didn't invent the tradition of holiday cards. Sending greetings and wishes were common even before paper was invented. I'll save some time and offer you a link to that history at left! In the meantime, here are few examples from Google photos, some of which include typical greeting card poetry suitable for a schoolhouse recitation lesson. Have some fun creating a new subject for your program. By the way...if you wish to copy these cards for display, click on each photo and it will enlarge nicely. |
