At times with the lack of history for school districts, not only Lincklaen but elsewhere in Chenango County the ability to compile an interesting documentation, is to say the least, frustrating, and this week’s article is no exception to that rule.
The former historian. Joy Barber, forwarded to me what history she had which included Marion Poole’s writings.
In her documentation, “soon after the Civil War there were ten regular school districts in the township. Each was a frame construction and these same school districts existed until 1945 when centralization took over the rural areas. Many of the schools had been closed ten to fifteen years at the state had purchased much of the hilt farmland and planted it to pine trees in the 1930s. This writer will assume this conservation work was performed by what was known as the Civilian Conservation Corp (the brainchild of F. D. Roosevelt) to aid in pulling this nation out of the depression.
With this article is enclosed copy of the Lincklaen map given to me by Mrs. Barber on which she had underlined all the districts is RED. It was her intention to give this writer idea of the location of school sites.
District #3 - The North Lincklaen District was (or is) located County Road 13 which travels from South Otselic up to what is known as the Mariposa Road and through to the Madison County line (partially through the Mariposa State Forest) until it becomes Madison #61.
As Lincklaen is one of the four square townships in Chenango County, it is estimated this school site is about three miles from South Otselic. If this calculation is in error, this writer would acknowledge a correction in a future article.
The photo of this school is not available, at this time, however if one should come to light, it will be printed in a future article.
District #5 - The Dublin School and this is quoted directly from Mrs. Poole’s documentation, was located north of the Lincklaen Center hamlet on the Dublin Road (once again leading north through the Mariposa State Forest.) It was north of the old Baldwin farm and on the east side of the road. It is difficult to find among the pines. The Holmes’ place was across the road from it. Mrs. Poole’s grandmother, Mary Eliza Stillman taught there in the 1860’s. Mrs. Poole had in her possession one of her vouchers for pay - “to receive $1.55 per week for the period Nov. 1, 1862 to Feb. 10,1863. She “boarded around.” Nearly all the pupils were Irish.”
With this scant history yet a brief chapter of Lincklaen district schools is closed, hopefully with the wish for more historical scholastic information.