One room! What?

Jesse Stuart, was an American writer from Kentucky. I've read several of his books, poetry and stories; usually given to me by my Papaw. Papaw loves Jesse Stuart's catalog because he wrote a great deal about rural living in Kentucky around the turn of the last century. His writing proves to be very reminiscent of growing up in Western, Kentucky during that time.

One particular autobiographical book written by Stuart is; The Thread that Runs So True. This book discusses Stuarts experience as a young teacher fresh out of college teaching in a one room school house in Appalachia.

It's no question that I would rather hear Papaw tell stories about his school days at Poole's School, but at the same time for a little insight into this educational practice from days gone by, pick up The Thread that Runs so True.

Papaw usually begins a story by saying: "Son in those days."

In those days the "school house" sometimes doubled as a church and general meeting place. It consisted of one room with a pot belly stove in the center that heated the place. Papaw mentioned that in the winter time nice men would usually go by and stoke up the stove so it would be warm when the boys and girls arrived. These school houses taught students through to the eighth grade at which point they would need to attend the nearest high school, if they so chose. Where I grew up that would have been Nortonville, Princeton or my hometown of Dawson Springs, Kentucky.

Usually teachers were remembered very fondly, much like today. Families were often larger than today's average family and often a teacher would get to know a whole family of youngsters. Lunch was not provided, so you brought your lunch along. I have often heard my Aunt Aminell reminisce about her mother sending a homemade country ham biscuit in her lunch box and a piece of fruit from the orchard if it was in season. Most of the time the "school house" was located in central locations surrounded by farms, so there was usually a story about the walks to and from school. I am sure you are aware of these two way up hill walks. Regardless, it was a different way but it seemed to work well.

Several members of my family on both sides attended one room schools. They were dotted across the country side and it would have reminded you of an episode of The Little House on the Prairie. Recess would be in the school yard and usually a bell would be rang to hustle the boys and girls back in to study.

Papaw was one of ten children and most of them attended Poole's School in an area where Christian and Caldwell Counties meet. My Nannie, on my Mother's side of the family was one of eight children and she attended Menser School, a one room school in the community of Menser a few miles outside of Dawson Springs.

Corporal punishment applied and usually a trip to get a switch or just a good whack with a yard stick would suffice in case you acted out. I can't imagine what a child today would say if a teacher asked him to go grab a switch from the yard.

Regardless, times change as they do but the memory of the way things worked in the past often help us to generate ideas about the future. These schools were plentiful so the classroom size was small and the children got a great deal of individual attention from the teacher. Obviously there were no computers, or cell phones, not even telephones. Carrying your girlfriends books really might be an act of chivalry, rather than walking a few paces to her locker you might walk her and her books a couple of miles and then still have to head home yourself. Before you left for school, since your family didn't own a television, you might get up and milk the cows, collect a few eggs, hunt for a few squirrels or rabbits for your breakfast. Then your mother used the bounty from your morning chores to serve you breakfast and lunch she was sending along. Upon getting home from school you probably have a few evening chores to do as well before you ate supper and hung around the Radio in the living room to listen to one of Roosevelt's Fireside Chats, or your favorite radio show.

Times really were different and as we progress through this century we may be certain that our way of doing things will begin to look archaic at some point too. But it will not stop us from remembering or charging forward for our own children and families. Because even though the days of the one room school houses are over in this country, there are many people among us that attended those schools and turned out to be some pretty smart folks...ask around!

Stay tuned.