Again we return to the Township of Greene for another chapter in the history of the one-room schools that dotted the township. This week we are concentrating on a district located in the more central section of the township and the photo which accompanies this article had the inscription that this schoolhouse is located on County Road #2 near the blinker light of N.Y.S. Route 206. The photo will show that this former educational institution has been converted to a private home. Thank goodness for small favors, it could have been torn down, burned or even worse turned to a storage facility or left to deteriorate till is fell in ruins as has been the case with several of the abandoned “schools of the past.”
The deed for the property is documented as follows: “Along the Genegantslet: Reuben Peck, Zachariah Bradley, David Winchell, Samuel Carpenter, David Bradley, Israel Carter, Thomas Upham, Henry Beals, Hester Ketchum, Morris B. Adams, Thomas D. Walker, Ashael B. Holcomb and Benjamin Harrington. This writer has not researched this deed and is in ignorance as to whether all these gentlemen owned the land the original school was located on or what? This whole research project in itself and since the history of the Greene district schools is extensive, will be postponed until a later date. As has been written numerous times before, the pages of the book remain open for future inclusions.
District #9 came into existence in 1826 and would serve the area designated by district lines until 1941 when centralization became popular and then closed. During the life span of active use the district lines would be changed many times. Details of these many changes are as follows:
1835 - That part of #9 (Greene and Coventry) lying south of Great Lots #77 and #78 to Coventry from #9 to #15 (Coventry). 1839 - #9 (Greene and Coventry) restored to its original boundaries (made in 1822). 1843 - Farm of George W. Chalker in #9 (Greene and Coventry) to District #1. 1845 - 2 100 acre lots of David Cullen and Joseph Porter (this name was questioned) from #9 to #25 (Coventry and Colesville). Again in 1845 - Land ofAzariah Beach (or Bolt) from #4 to #9 and Samuel Carpenter’s farm from #9 to District #10 Upper Genegantslet. 1846 - Part of Jesse Johnson farm from District #9 to District #1.1850 - Farm of George P. Ketchum from District #5 to District #9. The last lines to be changed occurred in 1877 when the new district #24 was formed from #9 (Coventry). We will assume this is the same Greene/Coventry district as written above.
In Book #282 p. 210 of deeds at the Chenango County Clerk’s Office the following deed was recorded and we will give a brief description as researched. 1930 - George and Katherine Hollenbeck to District #9 for $100 beginning at the southwest corner of district to east 86’ to south. The east corner, south 129’ to north line of Fred Hagaman, west 86’, north to point of beginning: portion of premises conveyed to George Hollenbeck by Caroline H. Hoyt in 1909 (Book #225, p. 194). Was this a new land purchase for a new school or did the Hollenbecks own the land this school was located and perhaps they thought it was time for a legal deed to be filed with the Chenango County Clerk’s Office! Ah, the mysteries of history!
Extensive documentation of the number of students who attended this district school range from a high of 82 (1833) to a low of 13 (1940). There were no trustees listed for the year 1826-1832 and in the ensuing years the names of Carter, Newton, Brewster, Lee, Jesse Johnson, Jr. Huntley, Newton, L. Carter, Decker, Isaac Sherwood, Bradley, A. Newton, Rogers, J. Sherwood, S. Carpenter, and H. Carter Jr. and G. Sibley were documented as serving this district school. No documentation for the years of 1844 -to 1881 (we will assume the records were not documented in detail) and from 1904 till 1940 the following last names were recorded: Rogers, Cone, Kinsman, Bradley, Cook, Rogers, Hagaman, Hollenbeck, McGowan, Seymour, and Cook until 1916. Ending the years of active use from 1917 till 1940 the names of Walker, Martin, Cook, Hagaman, Rogers, Beardsley, Hollenbeck, Hammond, Alvin Slater, Seymour, 1936 - Mrs. Alice Beardsley (the first female to serve), Mrs. Ruth Bartlett (1938-9) and finally in 1940 Marshall Seymour.
A proper tribute is due to the many teachers who served this district faithfully, most of them under what we would consider archaic conditions today and they are documented starting with the year 1892 Carrie Seymour, 1893 - James Kinnier -1894-6 - Fred Webb/Carrie Hoyt, 1896 - Vira Reed, 1897 - Nellie Skillman, 1898 - Maude Reed, 1899 - Ethel Reed, 1900 - Guy Cummings, 1901 - Grace McMoran, 1902 - Katherine Redmond, 1906 - Charlotte Smith (Cook), after 1908 - Breta Page and Clarissa Bixby, 1915 - Mable McGowan (Hotchkiss), 1921 - Dorothy Briggs, then Amy Rounds, 1922 - Amy Rounds, 1923 - Carrie Hoyt, then lone Gates, 1929 - Raymond Loomis, 1933 - Ruth Seymour Bartlett, 1934 - Frances Johnson, 1935 - Ruth Bartlett, and finally 1937-41 -Julia Evans.
With centralization taking place in 1941 District #9 was the first to close and Mrs. Julia E. Evans was the only rural teacher to go to Greene to teach. Parents of the 13 scholars who were the last to attend this school were Charles Furgeson, Leon Horton, George Hanna, Lynn Norton, John Simpson, Luman Ward, Arley Sartwell, Marshall Seymour and Earnest Youngs.
November 23, 1945 was a sad day for the local residents who had attended this District school, on that day an auction was held to dispose of the schoolhouse. It was purchased by Stanley J. Mohr who had a cellar built underneath, remodeled it to a dwelling for his mother, Mrs. Helen Washburn Mohr, a retired village employee. The photo of this dwelling was taken in the year 1968 and Mrs. Mohr was still living in residence at this location.
Finally in closing this chapter of Greene educational history, the research credits are given to Mrs. Folsom from her book of history relevant to Greene’s one-room schools. Also credit must be given to Margaret (Peg) Ross and to the Chenango County Historian’s office.