For the next several weeks we will be returning to the southern section of Chenango County for brief looks at the history of Greene’s one-room schools. Greene has the distinction of having the most school districts and was the last township to accept centralization of the schools of Chenango County.
The extensive school history research, which will serve as the basis of not only this article, but the future articles, credit has to be given to Mildred English Folsom, who over the years compiled vast research material.
In 1969 Mrs. Folsom compiled an extensive history of Greene’s schools titled “Town of Greene Rural School Districts” and in her extensive material she was very precise and thorough with all segments of this often overlooked part of Chenango County’s history.
By 1913 there were 20 Common Schools Districts in the Township of Greene (no. 1-2-3- or 21) and under the Compulsory Attendance law the school year became 36 weeks, starting the day after Labor Day and engine approximately June 22 or a few days later. Additionally that all teachers hired for the year rather than just one term were to receive a weekly salary of $10 to $12, which would change to a minimum weekly wage of $20 by 1921, somewhat different from the salaries of today!
Further research of the “Record of Boundaries” which was established by the Commissioners was written as follows: District #1 - Lost by being attached to Oxford and District #2 - Bounded by the farms of David S. Crandall and Joseph Tillotson (all in the Town of Greene) to the line between Smithville and Greene. That part lying in the Town of Oxford consists of the farms of Zopher Betts - Daniel Loomis - and Benaiah Loomis. And now for the somewhat mystery!
District #1 according to the 1863 map at the Chenango County Clerk’s office shows the location of this district as being at the intersection of what is now known as Wylie and Shaver roads, property being owned in the vicinity by H. Adkins and a C. S. Badger. The 1875 Atlas of Chenango County does not show the schoolhouse as being located at this intersection; however the name of C. S. Badger still appears as being a resident there. Mrs. Folsom did not, according to her documentation, find a deed recorded for District #1 which is somewhat not unusual as if the land was a gift there is the possibility that it was never formally recorded. Yet another piece of the mystery puzzle. Regarding the deed for District #2 her research found that in 1836 Albert Thomas to District #2 in Town of Greene and Oxford to Walter Beach - one of the Trustees for $6.11 - land in 74/3T on which to build a schoolhouse. You have to bear in mind that this first schoolhouse at that location and a later one was built across from the church and yet another, a two story building.

DISTRICT #1 - C. BROWN
The information relevant to #1 is not extensive to say the least and from the data that Mrs. Folsom collected we find that the school was open between 1840 and 1881 when apparently it was merged with another district or changed to District #24 which does show on the 1875 Atlas map of Chenango County. The number of students attending this district school varies from a low of six students to a high of thirty-three which was in the year 1845. The Trustees for this district are documented for the year 1842 and 1843 which were Chauncey Brown (district named for him) and gentlemen named I. Cornish, Jr. and M. Walters. If further research is discovered regarding this early district, we will return.

DISTRICT #2 - EAST GREENE
The history of #2 - which to all who are not familiar with the early names of our assorted towns. East Greene is now Brisben. We will quote directly what Mrs. Folsom wrote regarding this district. “It would appear from the Trustee’s names in Joint District #2 (which was some later than the original district) and #22 (both in Greene and Oxford) that Joint District #2 was at “East Greene” where the “Lower Schoolhouse” was located from 1796 to 1837 (on the east side of the present Route 12, % miles south of Brisben). This was the second school started in the Town of Greene and here Enoch Gray taught for ten years in succession, near his father’s home. This old brown schoolhouse became the “the white school” when a new 20 ft. square building replaced it in 1837. The next year it became the entire District #2.”
Further information documented is as follows: early teachers at this district which were listed by Eli Bartoo (b. 1823-d. 1917) were Betsey Fitts, Carline Lockwood, Wesley Anderson, Edwin Jacobs, Ann Eliza Bradley, Harriet Gray, Roxanna King, Eunice Kimball, George Read, Addison Crandall, Roxanna Crandall and Orrin Davis (1836-37-38).
In closing this article we regret that no photos of these early schools exists to our knowledge, however, we fill state at this time, the historian (Peg Ross) believes this first schoolhouse was located somewhere on the farm owned by the Davis family. In a conversation with Mrs. Ross this week, as this writer was traveling to Greene for a meeting with Mrs. Ross, it was noticed that just after you leave Brisben, going south you will notice (quickly as you are driving) a farmhouse on the west side of Route 12 and directly across the road a rather run-down building which suspiciously looks to be a former schoolhouse! In my conversation with Mrs. Ross, we discussed this possibility and she knew of the building, has the same theory as this writer, but it cannot be documented as concrete. She did state that she believed that building had been moved to that site.
Finally, and this is repetitive, if anyone has historical information relevant to the one-room schools of any of the towns of Chenango County, do not destroy it! Place it with either the local historian, historical society, or pass it to the Chenango County Historical Society or your local library for safe keeping. Once it is destroyed, it is gone forever. Also if you prefer please e-mail news@evesun.com. All information received will be duly acknowledged in future articles.