Continuing the history of the above district we will once again refer to the statistical information that had been previously researched. The Teacher’s Records Book of #15 from 1843 to 1861 in the possession of Fred Wheeler (1969 - date of research) was generally pasted over with clippings and poems (would you call this recycling?). At that time the pages were very brittle and writing had faded with time and only part of the information was able to be deciphered. However the information gathered is of great value as far as families were concerned as the parents and children/guardian were listed as well as the teachers. These books that have survived the span of time are invaluable to any person(s) researching their family history and are often overlooked and forgotten.
In the year of 1843 the teacher for #15 was Ambrose Salisbury with the term beginning December 18th. As this documentation is lengthy, this writer will only list the parents/guardians names with number of children in parentheses: Thomas Upham (4), Adam Van Valkenburg (2), Harvey Gilmore (3), George S. Bingham (4), Henry VanNess (2), David Shoales (1), Aaron (?) Smith (3), Lorin Fitch (2), Ephraim Wheeler (5), Wm. D. Wheeler (2), Job Biy (1), Stephen Bly (5), Daniel Osborne (3), Mrs. Mead -guardian (1), Mr. Wheeler-guardian (1), Mr. Graham (1), Mr. Graves (4) - guardian (2), Robert Young (5).
In the research it is noted that in 1844 besides the above listed was also Isaac Fitch, Harvey Warren and a Johnson child. 1845 one more Graham, one Eddy, a Shepard, 2 Quons, 2 Divines and 2 Andrews. 1846 would see 2 Elliott’s, 2 Whitman, 2 Morse, 2 Northrop’s, and 1 Hubbard. In 1848 Apollos D. Foote as teacher and among his pupils was Elliott, 1 Osborne, 1 Hall and 2 Burrows with the notation that Harvey Gilmore and Robert Young were parents of others.
The term beginning May 1, 1854 to August 21, 1854 saw thirty-eight pupils enrolled at the school with Mary L Lyman servicing as teacher. The parent’s names were basically the same as listed above, VanNess, Gilmore, Wheeler, Davis, Leonard, Burrows, Bly, McQuone, Manwarring, Padgett, Mead, Elliott, Hung, Mr. Carrol, Elliott and Salisbury being listed as having children enrolled in the district school.
The time line continues with April 15, 1856 to October 1856 saw Annis Fitch as teacher and in the term November 10, 1856 to March 15, 1857 Elizabeth VanNess teaching this term with 39 pupils. The spring term for 1857 would see Maria W. Wheeler teaching with the same number of students as for the winter term. The number of students would increase to 42 for the November 23,1857 - February 20,1858 term and the teacher retained was Charles Winter. Parents listed for that period would be VanNess, Gilmour, Wheeler, Leonard, Burrows, Bly, Hunt, Hotchkiss, Higley, Beardsley, VanValkenburgh, Mr. Fitch, Benedict, Davis, Cook, Lenox, Youngs, Elliott, and Hall.
For the spring/summer term in 1858 a notation was found that the teacher was Ruth E. Horton and the records kept by her were “destroyed while left at the schoolhouse” signed H. Gilmour, trustee. Winter term from November 1858 to March 1859 saw another increase in pupils to 44 with the same parents names basically named as in the previous term. The spring/summer term of May to August 1959 another increase to 46 pupils with E. VanNess teaching and in the winter term November to March 1860, 45 pupils with John J. Lansing teacher.
Continuing to the winter term of November 1860 to March 1861, E. D. Northrup was retained teaching a total of 55 pupils and a notation that 19 of these children attended school less than two months. April 1861 to August 1861 would see 35 students enrolled with Annis M. Fitch teacher.
The records from 1861to 1892 were not found, however in 1892-3 Carrie Hoyt would be teacher with the following children enrolled: Chalker (2), Johnson (3), Ford (2), Page (1), Harrington (3), Wheeler (3), Meade (1), Watrous (1) and Fairchild (1).
Throughout the later years when student group photos were taken 1910 saw nine in the photos, the 1911 photo was last week’s photo, 1917 eleven in the photo, 1925-26 would see Leona Matteson teacher with eleven pupils and 1927-28 again with Leona Matteson teaching ten students. It is regrettable that we do not have only the one photo showing pupils!
In conclusion of this Part 2 article of the Coventry Road School, the photo taken in 1966 shows the schoolhouse after conversion to a private dwelling with the storm damage from a very violent thunderstorm. Finally in the next week’s article this writer will conclude District #15 with the “School Days Memories” speech that Mildred Cochrane presented to the fourth grade in Greene Central School at the request of her daughter-in-law, Kay Cochrane, which was followed by a walk to the sites of schoolhouses in Greene.