By Judy Perreault
NHCHF
After what seemed like a very short summer, the Halcyon Seekers resumed their monthly meeting schedule in September. We enjoyed a delicious lunch of dainty sandwiches, chips and pickles, and a decadent chocolate trifle.
The view of Highland Lake from the Baker’s porch is superb. A lone heron drifted by against an ocean of blue. A warm, sunny fall day was not an indication of the cold weather ahead.
Led by Pat Baker, one-room schoolhouses were our program. Many of our group attended one of these bygone schools and had stories to share.
At first, the teachers were mainly men, but with the advent of the Civil War and a shortage of males, women began to be seen in the classroom. Of course, they were paid less than men and were held to strict rules of behavior. They could not marry, loiter downtown, travel beyond the city limits, wear bright clothing, at least two petticoats, dresses two inches above the ankle, and had to be home from 8 PM to 6 AM.
A typical school day began at 9 AM and ended at 4 PM, with one hour for lunch and two 15-minute recesses. At first, school was four months a year, as children were needed to work on the farm, but was later extended to six months.
Early schools were simple one-room buildings with an attached wood shed and two privies. There was no electricity or running water, and it was heated by a pot-bellied stove. Desks were slabs of wood attached to the wall, with wooden benches for seating. These were later replaced with individual desks with attached chairs.
Blackboards were actually boards painted black. Windows were placed high to discourage looking out the window and not paying attention to schoolwork.
Water was brought daily to the school in a bucket, and everyone used a common dipper to drink. Lunch was brought in berry pails or baskets. Sometimes soup or stew was provided for all by a parent.
All ages and grade levels were taught in the one room, with older students often helping the younger ones.
Subjects taught were reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, spelling, history, geography, public speaking, and religious studies. One of the main reasons to learn to read was to study the Bible.
How much of each subject was taught depended on the teacher’s knowledge. Requirements for a teacher were pretty simple in the early years. In the mid 1800s, the first Massachusetts “Normal School” was established where they taught the art of teaching to conform with certain “norms.”
As time went by, schools were centralized, and one-room schoolhouses disappeared from the landscape.
Many have been preserved and are open to the public. A prime example is the Tucker Mountain School in East Andover.
Our next meeting will be program planning, where we will set up our meetings for the coming year. There are some very interesting new subjects to explore.
If you are interested in joining our group or want more information, call 735-5493.