Approaching rather rapidly is the holiday season for 2010 and originally the thought would be to discontinue the series for the season and resume after the January 1, 2011. How time does fly when is seems only yesterday that we were approaching the twenty-first century and the concern was would the computer systems throughout the world accept the change from reading 1999 to the year 200, more commonly known as Y2K. Well all is well that ends well!
As this article is #97 in this ongoing series and if all goes as planned, the first article for the New Year will be #100, wish me luck! There were 315 districts in Chenango County when the educational system was put in effect, so as the saying goes “stay tuned.”
The district so named above is described in the boundary lines researched by Mildred Folsom in her book “Town of Greene - Rural School Districts” p.4 as being bordered by the properties of Reuben Peck, Zachariah Bradley, David Winchell, Samuel Carpenter and David Bradley. This early district came into existence in 1828 and was finally closed in 1935, nearly a century of service for education. Quite a remarkable part of the Town of Greene’s history!
Again the boundary lines of this district would see the following changes, 1837 - farm of Samuel Carpenter from #10 to #9, again in 1845 - Samuel Carpenter’s farm from #9 back to #10, and finally in 1880 District #10 was divided in 2 districts. The taxable inhabitants of #10 being Samuel Rooney - Hubbard Sharp - Ichabod Sharp - Eugene Monk - Floyd Whitmarsh - James Clark - S. E. Barnett - Samuel Lee - F. F. Peck - G. D. Mitchell - Thomas Baldwin - Fred S. Cohoon - F. F. Peck (2nd parcel) - G. D. Mitchell - Thomas Baldwin - Fred S. Cohoon and Frank Morehead. This early district was located on what is now known as the Echo Lake Road according to this writer’s interpretation of the 1875 Atlas map of Chenango County and the latest Chenango County map with the naming of all roads.
The deed recorded for this school property according to Mrs. Folsom’s research from the above source p. 11 reads: Book 109 - p. 416 dated 1860 - Willis and Livonia Forbes to Luther Whitmarsh -Trustee of District #10 for a schoolhouse (was this the second building?) - land beginning in center of highway running from Genegantslet Corners to Smithville Flats at northeast corner of lands owned by Stephen W. Davis (the farm previously owned by Eli Webb - deceased) - north to another road intersecting the one mentioned – along it southeast 14 rods to north line of Eli Webb farm (being now a part of said which is owned by Willis Forbes- west to point of beginning: $15/100 acres. $5.00. Yet another deed was filed in Book #288, p. #446 in 1932 where August and Marie Radau to District #17 (formerly #10) for $50. Beginning at northeast corner of district, north 129’, west 75’, and south 211’, east 9’ to southwest corner of present schoolhouse, and north 5 rods. From this information did the school district sell to the Radau’s part of the land that the schoolhouse was located on? Ah, the mysteries of history!
From the school registers, town books, etc. that Mrs. Folsom researched the first two years of this district’s life no scholar population or trustees were named. In the following years the names of Welch, Forbes, Webb, M. Whitmarsh, H. Skillen, E. Whitmarsh, S. Boylen, A. D. Barnes, D. Winchell, and S. Winchell appear as serving the district. The mystery listed above is somewhat solved with the following notation from her research p. 39 the following information: “District #10 was formed in 1828 and the first schoolhouse was located on the Whitmarsh farm near Echo Lake, according to the 1855 map. The District was large and a second schoolhouse was built on the Upper Geneganslet Road near the McKee Road previous to 1875 (Atlas) in 1890 the District was divided, the western half becoming #26.”
After the turn of the twentieth century the following names appear as Trustees, Collectors, and Clerks: Martin Whitmarsh, Wendell Beckwith, S.E. Barnett, Wm. McKee, Joe Mitchell, J.J. Mitchell, H.V. Hoag, Burr Beckwith, Fred Beckwith, Ichabod Horton, C. Taylor, Mary McKee, Fred Beckwith Jr., Leon Cumber, Bertha Parker, Leon Cumber, Henry Gates with the final notation that in 1935 the pupils were transported to Greene.
Known teachers who served this district from the years 1899 through 1934 were as follows: Mable Hoyt Palmer -1898, Sara Hall Oakley -1899, Rose Barnett Adams -1900, Ethel Wedge Taft -1901 (spring), Mable Palmer -1901, Rose Barnett -1914, Mable McGowan Hotchkiss - 1916, Berta Webb -1929, Lena Burke Fitzgerald - 1930, and Dorothy Spafford in 1933.
We will assume with the changes in transportation, changes in persons moving from the district, that it necessitated that this educational building be closed in 1935. The school stood vacant for many years and as appearing in the photo with this article in approximately 1965 the building was made over into a tool shed and workshop. It is not known by this writer if this building still stands; perhaps with the approaching spring weather in 2011 will be the opportunity to substantiate if it is there or has fallen in ruins as has so many of the early schoolhouses.
Finally in closing the weekly plea, if you have historical information, no longer wanted, do not destroy, pass it to a repository for future generations, the school records are a treasure trove of information. Additionally if forwarded by e-mail to news@evesun.com. They will assure it will be passed to the correct persons or repositories. One last plea, this writer is still collecting “school days’ memories,” please forward to the above e-mail.