Golden Days of Tree Tag and ABC's [at Bethel Grove School]
Glance Backward, by Barbara Bell
The Ithaca Journal, Sep 13 1975, P. 10, with photos
Extracts:
'When Bethel Grove "fans" held a reunion to observe the end of the school era there, some former pupils who could not attend sent written recollections. This is from Elsie Phillips Lewis:
- When I attended the Bethel Grove School from 1903 to 1911, the eight grades were taught in one room by one teacher... The class periods varies from five to 15 minutes each. A large coal and wood heater in the center of the room was the heating system.
- We carried drinking water from neighbors' wells. The teacher's salary was $10 a week in 1904-05, the year my aunt taught.
- Some of us walked over a mile to school. We had 15 minute recesses in mid-morning and mid-afternoon, played ante-over, I spy. guard the sheep. etc. Also tree tag.
- The school house then stood in a beautiful grove of oak and pine trees.
- Bethel means House of God and the school house was intended to serve as both a church and school when it was built. Services were held there for many years.
...
In the early years, the school year was divided into two separate terms; public funds were usually allocated along with road funds for the winter term and the rest for summer. There was a most practical reason for this division of terms. The older children were apt to be vital to family farm operations. This way, they could help during the planting and harvest seasons without missing school. I suspect that it was a help to the woman of the house to have the younger children in school during the busy growing season, too.
...
When the Bethel Grove School started, each family was to provide a quarter of a cord of wood for each schollar (as it was then spelled), to be a suitable size for the stove and delivered whenever the trustee requested. The pay for the teacher, that year, was $47.
There were, later, times when the wood would be purchased by bid. There never was a country school but had its problems getting the wood delivered on time, of the right size for the fireplace or stove, and of a good heating quality.
Wheeler Grant was the first librarian in this school, a duty he performed several terms. He also served the District as trustee and clerk Another man who assisted in several ways for several years was Garrett Schoonmaker.
There were others, of course, including
Samuel Halliday who was a lawyer, bank director and New York State assemblyman during his career.
The name of Marion, still well-known as a Bethel Grove neighbor, appeared frequently in the school records, too.
It was 1882 before a woman was elected to the school district board and then there were two. One was Mrs. William Hungerford, trustee. The other was Mrs. Laucretia Phillips, clerk.
Having a library was considered quite a plus in a rural school. More than one district meeting grew rough as residents argued about the merits of investing money this way. When the one got underway in the Bethel Grove School, rules specified purchase of children's books "of juvenile nature only." This meant no light and frivolous tales or romances. Also not allowed were books "imbued with party politics or religion.'