By Patricia F. Scott
Registered Historian

“Smith’s History of Chenango County – 1784-1879” gives us the facts that in the Town of Norwich there were sixteen common and one Union Free School districts, each having a school building within the boundaries of the township. 1877 gives the fact that there were 31 licensed teachers and the number of children residing in the districts was 1,574. Within the boundaries of the township there were twenty-one framed schoolhouses with the total land in acreage of five acres 3 ½ rods at a total value of $8, 310.
Other financial historical information gives us teachers wages $10, 761.94, libraries $2.57, school apparatus $3.00, houses, sites, fences, outhouses, repairs, furniture $660.72 and incidental expenses $1,740.80.
Of interest Bardeen District School of Chenango County 1874 School Bulletin Publication maps show the following district numbers, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, & 19. The 1863 Chenango County Map lists 12 districts and the 1875 lists 16 districts, though with different district numbers. With merging of districts, the numbers were changed and the dates of these changes remain unknown. There are few trustees’ minute books that have survived the ravages of time, and at times the district number changes are recorded, but this is a rare event.
The History Room of Guernsey Memorial Library is fortunate to have the trustees’ minute book covering the years 1888-1902. This is a wealth of information and since the historical information [relative to expenses] is documented, this writer will share these expenses in this article and in future articles.
For the year 1888-89 S. S. Thompson was trustee [Thompson’s were early settlers of North Guilford] and expenses show ½ doz. window lights - $.l8 – 1 lb. putty $.05 – chalk & erasers - $.32 – a complete school chart $15.00 – money order, and trustees book - $15.50 – a new broom $.28 – teacher salary [C. H. Camp $30. 47 and 67.53 [winter term] $70.00 [Grace Shelton – spring term] – 4 cords wood $5.92 – cleaning the school house $2.00 – box chalk $.15 – last year’s account $12.20 and the balance on hand of public money $24.83 – grand total $229.43
In the year 1888-1889 S. A. Davis was trustee and the total expenses were $230.97 which included wash dish, door latch & screens, window curtain, wood, dictionary, cleaning of school house, chalk, towels, and glass and teachers wages to I. H. Hyde $24.66 an $87.34 respectively and to Sarah Moses [we will assume spring/summer] $96.00.
During the 1890-91 terms G. H. McLagan was trustee [he would eventually sell the property to the district as related in the first article of District 16]. Total expenses were $198.08 which largely was for the teacher’s salaries as follows; L. N. Gould $5.00 and $91.00 – Minnie L. R. Hoag $80.00 and the usual school expenses with a repair bill on the schoolhouse of $.28.
Forward in time to the 1891-92 school year D. T. Aldrich was serving as sole trustee and expenses totaled $222.72 with teacher Emma Aldrich being paid $27.06. At North Guilford four corners the road east is the Oxford Road and the road west is the Aldrich road, apply names for the early settlers of that name. There is recorded in the minute book that $1.15 was due the trustee after the tax list was made out.
For the year 1892-3 C. A. Aldrich served as trustee and expenses were $108.00 with a Miss Loomis being paid $39.52 and $68.48 respectively. We will assume Miss Loomis was the teacher for the winter term as a Jessie Davis is listed next at a salary of $79.78 for a grand total of all expenses $204.03.
Of the above amount in 1892 there was a balance of $39.52 of public money, rec’d from the collector $85.75, public money received $113.01 total $288.31 and after deduction of the $204.03 for expenses the balance of public money was $34.28. It may be related that during this time frame the trustee was frugal with the expenses of the district school.
The term 1893-4 shows Henry C. York serving as trustee and total expenses were $209 of which Leland Smith [teacher] received $34.28 and $77.72 respectively and Minnie Hoag $88.00 for teacher compensation. Of that sum of expenses $34.28 was left from previous year, $86.88 was received from the tax collector, public money $115.45 and additional school/gospel money $.25 leaving a balance of $27.72 after all expenses had been paid.
Interesting facts and figures from 1894-5 give E. A. Davis as trustee, F. D. Aldrich serving as supervisor. Jessie Davis was paid $88.00 for the summer term and there was a problem with the door as there was a purchase of hinges and screws for $.15 and repairing the door $.35.
The question of repairing the school came up in the year 1895-6 and we will close this segment with the listing of the repair costs to the building during the above year.
5 ½ M.R.C. shingles - $16.50 – ¾ M.R.C. shingles $2.12 – 352 ft. clapboards @ $.20 - $7.04 – 180 ft. clapboards @ $.18 - $3.24 – 100 ft. clapboards @. $.20 - $2.00 – 93 feet flooring @ $.18 - $1.69 – 116 ft. flooring @ $.18 - $2.09 – 391 ft. ceiling @ $.16 - $6.25 – Corner boards - $.55 – 28ft. pine boards @ $.25 - $.70 – 64 ft. med. boards $.80 – 1 Door 6-6x2-6 $1.70 – 16 lbs 3d. wire nails - $.56 – 6 lbs. 10D wire nails $.18 – 15 lbs. 6d. wire nails - $.45 – 1 lb 40D wire nails - $.03 – 5 lbs. 8d. wire nails - $.15 – 7 lbs wire nails $.28 - Building paper - .45 – 11 rolls side paper - $.66 – 32 yrs. border - $.96 – 14 ½ bu. mortar and 5 barrels - $4.13 – 112 ½ lbs. lead $7.32 – 8 gal. b. oil - $5.60 – ½ gal. F&C No. 82 - $.80 – 1 gal. H. oil finish - $2.50 – ½ gal. Trpt. [turpentine] - $.25 – ½ pt. dryer - $.10 – 5 lbs. whiting -$.25 – 5 lbs. putty $.25 - ½ doz. window lights 7x9 - $.18 – 1 quart red paint -$.50 – Charles Aldrich 100 ft. 2x4 - $1.20 – Charles Aldrich for work on walls - $5.00 – Burr Hoar for drawing lumber $2.00.
As written numerous times, “to be continued.”