Schools of the past : Afton District Number 5
By Patricia F. Scott
Registered Historian
and Charles Decker
Afton Historian
Traveling the highways, byways and assorted dirt roads of the Town of Afton proves to be an enjoyable ride for all who wish to explore the south-eastern section of Chenango County. However at times the “mysteries of history” prove to be a puzzle to anyone one attempting to unravel the threads of the weaving that composes the history of this county! Such is the case with the history of the District #5 of Afton.
The 1863 map of Chenango County at the County Clerk’s office shows a District #4 located on the east side of Afton across the Susquehanna River opposite the Afton Fairgrounds. However the 1875 map of the county do not show a schoolhouse at that location. At what period of time did #4 become #5, school records that show this number change have not surfaced as of this date. However this mystery continues, more informative than previously, that when District #12 was formed to the Union Free School on August 8,1874, Districts # 5 and #12 were consolidated. Historical facts are given that on January 2,1875 the District #5 Schoolhouse was sold for $280 to Harvey Church. Since that time is has served as a residence as the enclosed photo will show. For many years the Milton Dean family lived at this site. Looking at the photo you will note the outline of the building, the placement of windows, etc. bearing some resemblance to a former school. It is with regret that more historical data is not available, but many times the school records were lost, passed into other hands and never maintained by the school district. However if additional data surfaces at a later date, the book of “schools of the past” is always open for additional pages or information to be included.
Continuing with the early educational available we will look at the School Commissioners report for the year 1899 or 1900 when Charles Clinton served as commissioner. In Mr. Clinton’s statistical report for the towns in the second district of Chenango for Afton, the following information was reported to the Education Department in Albany. At that period of time Afton was divided into fourteen districts. The number of official visits during the year to all of these district schools was 19, there were 19 teachers employed, and the whole number of children attending school during the year was 428. This amounted to 48, 374 aggregate days of attendance. The amount of $10,390 was given as the value of school buildings and sites with the assessed value of all at a figure of $1,028,105. The State of New York provided $2,235.68 and the amount raised by local taxes was reported at $1,035.07. Additionally it was reported that eight trees had been planted.
Excerpts from Mr. Clinton’s annual report was the fact that he had a deep feeling of satisfaction and that not a single appeal had been taken from a school commissioner’s order in his district since he took office January 1, 1891. Changes were many during his office, boundary changes, annulling districts, condemning schoolhouses, furniture and out-buildings, cancelling exams, etc.
Further mentioned were the facts that new schoolhouses had been erected, new furniture purchased, wood houses built, new outhouses and assorted trees planted. All of these changes were brought before the local residents who were not opposed to paying additional taxes for the improvement of educational facilities.
Mr. Clinton continued that it was a very difficult task to supply the schools with licensed teachers, simply that there were not enough teachers in the Second District to meet the demand. One determent to this lack of qualified teachers was the fact that the examinations were too severe. He went on to report that competence that results from experience was not given any weight whatsoever in the licensing of teachers. He felt very strongly that this was NOT RIGHT. He felt that the rules and regulations regarding licensing should be amended and had made this recommendation three times in his previous reports.
Concluding his report Mr. Clinton reported that the trustees of the many districts had reported the best reports since his term began. Complete and full rules were given to the Town Clerks and that they were followed. He had received 136 reports of which 79 were strictly correct and the remaining easily corrected from the reports themselves. Of the ten towns clerks in this commissioned district were to be commended for the care that they had exercised in their efforts to obtain correct reports from the assorted school trustees. Mr. Clinton concluded his report with the statement that the reports from Mr. Henry Hall, Town Clerk of Preston and from W.P. Shelton, Town Clerk of Guilford, were all correct.
In conclusion of this brief history, not only of the District #5 school, but also the facts related in the Commissioner’s reports, again if anyone has information or “school memories” that they wish to share with myself and the town historian’s please do not hesitate to contact either myself or the editor of The Evening Sun, Jeffrey Genung. And finally research credits must be once again given to Charles Decker for his extensive information forwarded to myself relevant to the Town of Afton schools.
Registered Historian
and Charles Decker
Afton Historian
Traveling the highways, byways and assorted dirt roads of the Town of Afton proves to be an enjoyable ride for all who wish to explore the south-eastern section of Chenango County. However at times the “mysteries of history” prove to be a puzzle to anyone one attempting to unravel the threads of the weaving that composes the history of this county! Such is the case with the history of the District #5 of Afton.
The 1863 map of Chenango County at the County Clerk’s office shows a District #4 located on the east side of Afton across the Susquehanna River opposite the Afton Fairgrounds. However the 1875 map of the county do not show a schoolhouse at that location. At what period of time did #4 become #5, school records that show this number change have not surfaced as of this date. However this mystery continues, more informative than previously, that when District #12 was formed to the Union Free School on August 8,1874, Districts # 5 and #12 were consolidated. Historical facts are given that on January 2,1875 the District #5 Schoolhouse was sold for $280 to Harvey Church. Since that time is has served as a residence as the enclosed photo will show. For many years the Milton Dean family lived at this site. Looking at the photo you will note the outline of the building, the placement of windows, etc. bearing some resemblance to a former school. It is with regret that more historical data is not available, but many times the school records were lost, passed into other hands and never maintained by the school district. However if additional data surfaces at a later date, the book of “schools of the past” is always open for additional pages or information to be included.
Continuing with the early educational available we will look at the School Commissioners report for the year 1899 or 1900 when Charles Clinton served as commissioner. In Mr. Clinton’s statistical report for the towns in the second district of Chenango for Afton, the following information was reported to the Education Department in Albany. At that period of time Afton was divided into fourteen districts. The number of official visits during the year to all of these district schools was 19, there were 19 teachers employed, and the whole number of children attending school during the year was 428. This amounted to 48, 374 aggregate days of attendance. The amount of $10,390 was given as the value of school buildings and sites with the assessed value of all at a figure of $1,028,105. The State of New York provided $2,235.68 and the amount raised by local taxes was reported at $1,035.07. Additionally it was reported that eight trees had been planted.
Excerpts from Mr. Clinton’s annual report was the fact that he had a deep feeling of satisfaction and that not a single appeal had been taken from a school commissioner’s order in his district since he took office January 1, 1891. Changes were many during his office, boundary changes, annulling districts, condemning schoolhouses, furniture and out-buildings, cancelling exams, etc.
Further mentioned were the facts that new schoolhouses had been erected, new furniture purchased, wood houses built, new outhouses and assorted trees planted. All of these changes were brought before the local residents who were not opposed to paying additional taxes for the improvement of educational facilities.
Mr. Clinton continued that it was a very difficult task to supply the schools with licensed teachers, simply that there were not enough teachers in the Second District to meet the demand. One determent to this lack of qualified teachers was the fact that the examinations were too severe. He went on to report that competence that results from experience was not given any weight whatsoever in the licensing of teachers. He felt very strongly that this was NOT RIGHT. He felt that the rules and regulations regarding licensing should be amended and had made this recommendation three times in his previous reports.
Concluding his report Mr. Clinton reported that the trustees of the many districts had reported the best reports since his term began. Complete and full rules were given to the Town Clerks and that they were followed. He had received 136 reports of which 79 were strictly correct and the remaining easily corrected from the reports themselves. Of the ten towns clerks in this commissioned district were to be commended for the care that they had exercised in their efforts to obtain correct reports from the assorted school trustees. Mr. Clinton concluded his report with the statement that the reports from Mr. Henry Hall, Town Clerk of Preston and from W.P. Shelton, Town Clerk of Guilford, were all correct.
In conclusion of this brief history, not only of the District #5 school, but also the facts related in the Commissioner’s reports, again if anyone has information or “school memories” that they wish to share with myself and the town historian’s please do not hesitate to contact either myself or the editor of The Evening Sun, Jeffrey Genung. And finally research credits must be once again given to Charles Decker for his extensive information forwarded to myself relevant to the Town of Afton schools.
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