MAKE HISTORY COME ALIVE!
There is no better way to
appreciate and understand history
than to live it. Now your students
or organization can have the
opportunity to do so at a
convenient location.
PRAIRIE
COUNTRY
SCHOOL
3RD AND RAILROAD STREET, MURDOCK, NE
During your visit to the Prairie
Country School in Murdock,
Nebraska you will step back into
the 1890s and reenact a typical
school day in a one-room
schoolhouse. Students will
experience a rural 19th century
American education and increase
historical awareness of the
changes that have occurred in
education over the last 120 years.
For more information or to enroll please
contact the schoolmarm:
Jayne Day, (402)994-2377,
email: prairieschoolmarm@gmail.com
or visit us online at
oneroomschool.weebly.com
www.facebook.com/Prairie.Country.School
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Enrollment Options
Three-Hour School Day - $5/student
This includes:

Opening Exercises

Writing on a slate

Writing with quill pen and ink

Reading from McGuffey Reader

Participating in short lessons such as recitation and arithmetic

Spelling Bee or Cipher Down

Lunch
Five-Hour School Day - $7/student
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Some variations of time allowed)
This will simulate a more typical 1890s school day.

Opening Exercises

Writing on a slate

Writing with quill pen and ink

Reading from McGuffey Reader

Participating in short lessons such as recitation and arithmetic

Spelling Bee or Cipher Down

Lunch
Plus:

More in depth 1890s lessons in all eight branches of learning

1890s recess games

Discussing the differences between 1890s and present day schools
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Background Information
The Prairie Country Schoolhouse is a part of the Murdock Historical Society. In
2006 the building was transformed from the Lion’s Club Building to a one-room
schoolhouse with the help of the Elmwood-Murdock FBLA Chapter. Even though the
building was not originally a schoolhouse, it looks much like a traditional one. Inside the
school there are 40 student desks nailed to the floor, along with a wood stove and a
raised platform and blackboard in the front of the room. There are even the typical
pictures of Presidents Washington and Lincoln hanging on the wall. For health and
comfort reasons the Society chose to put in the modern conveniences of heating and air
conditioning and a handicap accessible restroom. But these conveniences do not
distract from the 1890s look of the school.
There were pupils of various ages and abilities in the one-room school, so during
the living history experience we want to resemble the one-room atmosphere as much as
possible. Although the majority of classes visiting will be one grade level, the students
will be divided into three different levels to simulate different ages and learning levels.
So students will be doing different activities at the same time, just like in the 1890s. If
possible it would be helpful to have one adult, which includes the teacher, for each
group. The adult would act as an “advanced” student and help and tutor the children in
her/ his group, similar to how they did in the past.
Our website, oneroomschool.weebly.com, is an informational site for small
groups or teachers planning to bring their classes to the one-room school to experience
a school day back in the 1890s. Included on this website is historical information to
share with your students so they have a better understanding of education in the 1890s,
guidelines for preparing for the day, expectations of your students, and a list of
resources to enrich your learning experience.
For more information or to enroll please contact the schoolmarm:
Jayne Day, (402)994-2377, email: prairieschoolmarm@gmail.com
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Checklist
This checklist is to make sure you and your students are prepared for their day at the one-room
schoolhouse.
 Nametags
Each student should arrive with a name tag on his/her shirt
or dress. Please clearly print their first name on the tag in
large print.
 Lunch
Each child and adult should bring a lunch consistent with
the time period.
 Clothing
Each child and adult should try to dress in time-appropriate
fashion.
 Memory Work
Please work with your students on memorizing The Pledge
of Allegiance (1892 version), “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”” and
some literature work for recitation time.
 Copybooks
Make copybooks for each student or order them in 2 weeks
in advance.
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Guidelines to Help Prepare for your
1890s School Day
There is some preparation necessary for the classroom teacher and the students
in order to make the 1890s school day as authentic and enjoyable as possible. It is
strongly suggested to follow the guidelines listed and have your students and yourself
dress and bring a lunch that is time appropriate to the 1890s. In addition, it is more
meaningful and realistic if work goes into memorizing the pledge said in the 1890s, learn
one song and prepare a recitation. Also copybooks will be used for the pupils to write
with a quill pen. These will need to be made prior to coming or will be supplied to you
for a nominal fee. In addition, a word match of 1890s school terms is included to help
your students learn unfamiliar words and get excited about their step back into time.
1890s Clothes
Students and teachers are encouraged to dress in the style of clothing worn in
the late 1800s. Girls may wear calico or cotton dresses, long skirt or dress (usually just
below the knee), apron, tights, sunbonnet and/or hair ribbons.
Boys may wish to wear bib overalls, jeans or pants with suspenders, flannel,
plaid, checked, or plain long sleeved, button up shirt and possibly straw hats.
Everyone wore long sleeved dresses or shirts in this time period. Also tennis
shoes were not invented yet, so if possible encourage the children to wear other tied
shoes or boots, if they have some. Knit fabric was not readily available on the prairie, so
children during this period would not wear sweatshirts, knit t-shirts or polo shirts. It is
not expected for families to purchase clothing, but it amazing the great authentic-
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looking outfits one can design by incorporating creativity with items found around the
house or borrowed from Grandma or friends.
Lunch
Whether you enroll for a three-hour or a five-hour school day, time will be
allowed for lunch. Lunchtime and bringing food consistent with the time period is a big
part of this living history experience. So encourage children to bring lunches as
authentic to the 1890s as possible.
Pioneer lunches contained whatever food there was in the house—there was no
neighborhood grocery store where Lunchables could be picked up. Some families had
little money for food so the children might have taken molasses, or lard and sugar
sandwiches, cornbread, or cold pancakes left over from breakfast. Bread or muffins
were homemade.
Suggestions for Lunch

Corn muffins, corn bread, cold pancakes, biscuits, homemade bread

Cheese, cheese sandwich (if the family had a cow)

Jelly or jam sandwich (mother would make from wild fruits; peanut butter was a
scarce commodity)

Meat sandwich (meat from wild game, deer, rabbit, squirrel, chicken, beef or pork)

Dried meat (beef or deer) or piece of fried chicken

Hard-boiled egg

Boiled or baked potato

Fresh fruits and vegetables (apples, pears, peaches grapes, plums, carrots, cabbage
wedges, tomatoes – they had to be home grown or shipped in by railroad, but that
was expensive)

Homemade cookies (no chocolate chips, chocolate chunks or M & M or other
candy), doughnuts or cakes
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It is not necessary to bring a drink, as water will be provided. If the student has a tin
cup, strongly encourage him/her to bring it. Plastic bags or foil did NOT exist. Wax
paper was coming into use, but was expensive. Please wrap your sandwiches and other
food in wax paper or cloth. Some items that are not appropriate for this adventure are
canned pop, potato chips, pre-packaged lunches, cookies such as Oreos or tropical fruits
such as bananas or kiwi.
Children usually carried their lunch in a tin syrup pail or lard can. A replica of these
can be made from larger cans, such as a coffee cans, and holes can be punched in the
can for handles using a nail and hammer. Then tie a piece of wire or heavy twine
through the holes to use as a handle. A scrap of cloth or cloth napkin may be used as a
cover. Also the child could put their lunch in a large cloth and gather it up and carry it
that way. At the Prairie Country School we do have numerous tin can lunch pails that
are free for the asking. It would be necessary to pick them up ahead of time and leave
them at the end of the day
The Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance will be said during opening exercises. Classroom
teachers, who have prepared their students to participate in the music and the Pledge
of Allegiance, will help set the tone and a positive attitude for the living history school
day. The Pledge was written in 1892 and is different from the one we said today. So it
is important that the children learn this older version.
Prior to World War II (1941) the pledge was not usually cited with the hand over
the heart, but instead with the right hand extended palm up in the militant salute
adopted by the Nazi government in Germany. If it is not objectionable to the classroom
teacher, the pledge will be said in the 1890s classroom in this matter. It is strongly
encouraged to explain this to your students prior to coming the Prairie Country School.
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If the classroom teacher prefers, the standard way of placing the hand over the heart
will be used.
A Short History of the Pledge
Francis Bellamy wrote the pledge and it was published in the magazine, The
Youth’s Companion, on September 8, 1892 for students to repeat on Columbus Day. It
was printed on leaflets and sent out to public schools across the country.
On June 14, 1923 at the first National Flag Conference in Washington, D.C. a
change was made. The words “..my flag…” were replaced with “.. the Flag of the United
States of America…” to make it clear to the new immigrants who came to America and
might still have strong feelings for their old flag.
The words “… under God…” were added in June 1954. President Dwight D.
Eisenhower said, ‘In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in
America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual
weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.”
The Pledge of Allegiance
(As recited in 1892 and should be memorized before attending the one-room school)
I pledge allegiance to my flag,
and the republic for which it stands,
one nation indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
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Music
During opening exercises the first verse of “America” (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)
will be sung. Please have your students learn and memorize the first verse.
Rev. Samuel F. Smith, a Baptist minister, wrote “America”. A musician friend,
who could not read German, took German music books to Rev. Smith to translate some
of the songs. One February day in 1832, Rev. Smith came across “God Save the King”.
He liked the music and in half an hour came up with the words for “America”. It was
first sung at a Fourth of July celebration in a church in Boston. It did not gain popularity
until the Civil War and since then has become the best known and most frequently sung
national song.
America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)
My country, ‘tis of thee, Sweet Land of Liberty, Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died!
Land of the pilgrim’s pride!
From ev’ry mountainside, Let freedom ring!
Most likely another song popular to that time period will be sung during
opening. It is recommended that the students practice at least one of the songs on the
following pages.
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Camptown Races
The Camptown ladies sing this song
Doo-da, doo-da
The Camptown racetrack's five
miles long
Oh, de doo-da day
Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on the bob-tailed
nag
Somebody bet on the gray
Oh, the long tail filly and the big
black horse
Doo-dah, doo-dah
They fly the track and they both cut
across
Oh, de doo-dah day
Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on the bob-tailed
nag
Somebody bet on the gray
Polly Wolly Doodle
Oh, I went down South
For to see my Sal
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
My Sal, she is
A spunky gal
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well my fairy fay
For I'm going to Lou'siana
For to see my Susyanna
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
Oh, my Sal, she is
A maiden fair
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
With curly eyes
And laughing hair
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
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Oh Susanna!
I come from Alabama with
A banjo on my knee
I'm goin' to Louisiana
My true love for to see
Oh Susanna
Oh don't you cry for me
I've come from Alabama with
My banjo on my knee
It rained all night
The day I left
The weather it was dry
The sun so hot I froze to death
Susanna don't you cry
Oh Susanna
Don't you cry for me
I've come from Alabama with
My banjo on my knee
Oh Susanna
Don't you cry for me
Cause I've come from Alabama with
My banjo on my knee
Cause I've come from Alabama with
My banjo on my knee
Hey
She'll be Coming Round the Mountain
She'll be coming round the mountain when she
comes
She'll be coming round the mountain when she
comes
She'll be coming round the mountain, she'll be
coming round the mountain,
She'll be coming round the mountain when she
comes
She'll be driving six white horses when she
comes
She'll be driving six white horses when she
comes
She'll be driving six white horses, she'll be
driving six white horses,
She'll be driving six white horses when she
comes
Oh, we'll all go out to meet her when she
comes
Oh, we'll all go out to meet her when she
comes
Oh, we'll all go out to meet her, we'll all go out
to meet her,
We'll all go out to meet her when she comes
She'll be wearing red pajamas when she comes
She'll be wearing red pajamas when she comes
She'll be wearing red pajamas, she'll be
wearing red pajamas,
She'll be wearing red pajamas when she comes
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Copybooks
Each child will use his or her own copybook for Penmanship. They will use a quill
pen and dip it in ink to practice their penmanship. This will make a nice souvenir of the
day for them.
To make copybooks for your students, make one copy of the 2 copybook pages
for each student, (found online at http://oneroomschool.weebly.com/copybooks.html ),
cut the pages apart on the dotted line, which will make a nine-page booklet. Or to be
more authentic, you could use blank sheets of paper and have the student draw straight
lines on them, using a ruler as they did in the 1890s. To make the outside of the
copybook, cover the pages with either brown construction paper or for a more
authentic look, use brown grocery bags cut to size. Punch holes in the left margin and
tie with string or heavy twine.
Or the Elmwood-Murdock FBLA chapter will make copybooks and they will be
available for you at the one-room school. The classroom teacher must request the
copybooks at least 2 weeks in advance of their scheduled 1890s school day by
contacting the schoolmarm,
Jayne Day at 1-402-994-2377 or prairieschoolmarm@gmail.com
Recitation
Recitation or memorizing was a very important part of education in the 1890s for
several reasons. Schoolbooks and paper were not plentiful, so memorizing was very
helpful. Also the prevailing educational belief was that the mind was like a muscle and if
it wasn’t continually flexed, it would atrophy and lose it knowledge. So memorization
was an essential way to exercise the brain.
To keep with the educational philosophy of the 1890s, it is strongly encouraged
to have your students, or at least some of them memorize some form of literature, such
as a poem. A group of children could also recite a work of literature together. Some
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time will be allowed for recitations. The pupils often recited with dramatic gestures and
motions. Students can pick their own piece for recitation, but it is encouraged that it be
published before 1890. Here are a few selections that were popular in the late 1800s.
The Swing
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Bed in Summer
by Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--
I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown-Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?
The Hayloft
by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Wind
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Through all the pleasant meadow-side
The grass grew shoulder-high,
Till the shining scythes went far and wide
And cut it down to dry.
I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass-O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
Those green and sweetly smelling crops
They led the wagons home;
And they piled them here in mountain tops
For mountaineers to roam.
Here is Mount Clear, Mount Rusty-Nail,
Mount Eagle and Mount High;-The mice that in these mountains dwell,
No happier are than I!
Oh, what a joy to clamber there,
Oh, what a place for play,
With the sweet, the dim, the dusty air,
The happy hills of hay!
I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all-O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
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Maxims
Another item that would be good to memorize is maxims.
Here are a few:
“If some task is set for you, do not idly sit and view it. Nor be content to wish it done,
begin at once and do it!”
“An honest endeavor is worth ten promises.”
“Make believe your work is play, and strive with all your might. Then weariness will fly
away.. and work becomes delight.”
“Good, Better, Best, never let it rest until your better is your best!”
“One gentle work that we may speak, one kind loving deed. May though, a trifle poor
and weak, prove like a tiny seed, and who can tell, what good may spring from such a
little thing?”
“Doing mean, dishonest deeds… ever leads to sorrow, Short the pleasure won
today…dark disgrace tomorrow.”
Expectations of the Students and Teachers
Spending a day at Prairie County School should be a fun and educational
experience for everyone involved. To make it the best possible experience a few
expectations are asked of you.
Discipline
The schoolmarm will discipline the pupils during the 1890s school day. She will use
techniques that were employed in the 1890s and would still be considered acceptable
by today’s standards. If any child causes disruption to the room that is not curtailed by
the disciplinary actions of the schoolmarm, the regular classroom teacher is expected to
step in and discipline according. It is strongly suggested that the child be taken out of
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the main one-room area to deal with him/her, so as not to disrupt the atmosphere for
the other students and take time away from their experience.
Please inform your students that the expectations for their behavior will be as it
was in the 1890s. Teachers, especially women, were generally respected and loved by
most of their pupils, even though discipline was strict. But pranks did take place such as
putting twigs over the chimney to smoke out the teacher, an insect or an animal’s tail in
a younger student’s pencil box, or water on the seat of a student, who was in front of
the room reciting. Of course the goal of all prankers was not to get caught and endure
one of the teacher’s punishments. The behavior expectations at school were no
different than those at home. At school the teacher was in charge and parents expected
her to enforce rules to keep order. Please share the following rules for students in
1890s with your students, as they will be enforced during the Prairie Country School
day. The rules will also be briefly reviewed at the start of the day and posted in the
room.
1. Students will not speak unless spoken to.
2. When speaking, proper language will be used at all times.
3. Students will abide by the Golden rule “Do unto others as you would have others
do unto you.”
4. Female students will conduct themselves as ladies, males as gentlemen.
5. Good manners will be expected.
6. Male students will remove all headgear before entering any building.
7. All students will assume good posture.
8. When students wish to speak, they must raise their hand, wait to be recognized
and then stand beside their desk before speaking.
LPS Social Studies Department. 2000.
If students broke one of many rules there were several forms of punishment. A
ferula, which was a rod or ruler 15 to 18 inches long, was used by the teacher on
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misbehaving children. Children, who giggled, were inattentive, or recited poorly,
received three or four light blows on the meaty part of the palm. Sharp raps across the
shoulders and back were reserved for really bad behavior. Older boys usually received
the whippings and girls were made to sit in the corner on a one-legged stool called the
“uniped”.
Some other forms of punishments were:
 Being sent to the cloakroom (where coats and lunches were kept)
 Wearing a dunce cap or sign around the neck for pupils who did not recite accurately
 Loss of recess for those who were tardy
 Cleaning the floor if the pupil littered or spit
 Writing a sentence “I will not…” 100 times after misbehaving
 Standing with one’s nose inside a circle drawn on the blackboard
 Memorize long passages
 Stand on a block of wood in the corner of the room
 Whipping with a hickory switch or birch rod
 Using the “peg”. This was when the pupil’s hair was fastened to a clip, which was pegged
into the wall at a height that kept the child standing on tiptoes until the teacher thought
the child had learned his/her lesson
 Fighting boys, after being separated, were given a switch or rod and told to ‘”lay on and
cut jackets” which meant they flogged each other and if they didn’t hit hard enough the
teacher gave a lashing to them
Some of the forms of discipline used in the Prairie Country School, if needed, will
be writing sentences on the board, sitting in the corner or memorizing a passage to
recite to the class.
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Word Match
Common words used in school during the 1890s are words we aren’t even familiar with today. Do
this word match to learn 1890s school words and get ready for your school day back in time.
1. ___ ciphering
a. It was pressed down on the writing to
absorb excess ink and prevent smudging.
2. ___ parsing
b. It was a booklet of plain paper used to
practice penmanship in. Students had to draw
writing lines on it using a ruler.
3. ___ primer
c. Small blackboards students used to write on
sitting at their desks.
4. ___ copybooks
5. ___ slates
d. Memorizing works and saying them in from
of the classroom.
e. Statement of principle or rule of conduct
6. ___ quills
f. The first reading book that contained the
alphabet, numbers, spelling words and poems.
7. ___ blotting paper
g. Explaining the meaning and function of each
word in a sentence.
8. __ recitation
h. Solving arithmetic problems
9. ___ orthography
i. Giving a speech in public
10. ___ elocution
j. Sharpened goose feathers dipped in ink and
used for writing
11. ___ hygiene
k. Health class
l. Spelling
12. ___ maxims
Answers 1. h 2. g 3. f 4. b 5. c 6. j 7. a 8. d 9. l
10. i 11. k 12. e
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Resources
This is a listing of just a few books to enhance your students’ knowledge of the past and
to spark interest and enthusiasm in education during the 1800s.
Picture Books
Houston, Gloria. My Great-Aunt Arizona. 1992.
MacLachlan, Patricia. Three Names. 1991.
Sandin, Joan. Coyote School News. 2002.
Wright, Betty Ren. The Blizzard. 2003.
Fiction
Avi. The Secret School. 2003.
Bartlett, Susan. Seal Island School. 1999.
Figley, Marty Rhodes. The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard. 2004.
Hill, Kirkpatrick. The Year of Miss Agnes. 2000.
Jocelyn, Marthe. Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance. 2004.
Lawlor, Laurie. The School at Crooked Creek. 2004.
Lenski, Lois. Prairie School. 1951.
Murphy, Jim. My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Broken Bow,
Nebraska, 1881. 2001.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. On the Banks f Plum Creek. 1937 (For Laura’s further adventures as a school
teacher, see Little Town on the Prairie and These Happy Golden Years.)
Nonfiction
Bial, Raymond. The One-Room School. 1999.
Hausherr, Rosmarie. The One-Room School at Squabble Hollow. 1988.
Kalman, Bobbie. A One Room School. 1994.
Pringle, Laurence. One Room School. 1998.
Schimpky, David and Kalman, Bobbie. Children’s Clothing of the 1800s. 1995
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One-Room Schoolhouses
Our forefathers knew the value of good education and pursued the promotion of
it. As far back as 1787 an ordinance stated “Religion, morality, and knowledge, being
necessary to good government, and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means
of education shall forever be preserved.” In addition the Ordinance of 1785 provided
for surveys that eventually divided the land into ranges, townships and sections with
section sixteen of every township being set aside for education. The concept of land
reserved for schools was present in the future state of Nebraska before we had
purchased the Louisiana Territory and settlers had moved to the Midwest.
The history of one-room schools started in the colonial times with the beginning
of a unique American concept--free, nonsectarian public education. Although it wasn’t
until the 1830s that public schools began replacing the more common private schools.
The country one-room schoolhouse was the backbone of American education and the
heart of each community. This concept was strongly exemplified on the plains of
America with the westward movement of the 1800s.
Schools in Nebraska had a very humble beginning. With the first settlers, formal
districts had not been established yet, and school was held anywhere from a corner of a
home to dugouts, sod houses, cellars and tents. By the 1870s, one-room schools were
common in eastern Nebraska. These schools were ideally located in the center of each
district, which meant it was usually no farther than one to two miles from each
student’s home. In 1890, eighty percent of Nebraska’s population was rural, so the
country school was the backbone of the educational system. Although school buildings
varied the most common appearing ones were one room buildings, no larger than 24’ by
36’ (often times much smaller) with a small vestibule attached to enter through and
where coats were hung and a washbasin, soap and towel stood. The building was
typically located on a treeless acre of land, with one or maybe two outhouses placed
outback.
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Inside the building at the front of the room was a blackboard created by painting
smooth boards black and a raised platform where the teacher’s desk sat. Nailed to the
floor would be rows of desks. Most times a chair was attached to the desk behind it and
many times it was a double seat, which actually made it handy for two students to share
a book. In the early 1800s, it was not uncommon for the children to sit on benches
facing the walls and write on shelves fastened to the walls. Most one-room schools had
a pot-bellied stove in the center of the room to keep the children warm on cold winter
days.
Teachers
When the frontier was first settled, it was not uncommon for mothers to school
their children. But as more people moved to the area, schools were built and teachers
were hired. The country schoolteacher had many hats to wear, not only educator, but
also disciplinarian, administrator and janitor. But above all he or she needed to be a
virtuous model of character for the school children.
Initially, teaching was a male dominant profession. Most districts prefer a male
teacher to a female, especially during the winter term when “big” boys attended school.
After the Civil War one-half of the teachers were male, but by 1900 only 29 percent
were males. One advantage to female teachers was that they taught for a much lower
wage. Actually for men, teaching was a ladder to another career, such as lawyer,
politician, physician, professor or editor. For women, it was an avenue to marriage.
Women teachers were usually young. In the 1880s and 1890s it was not
uncommon for them to be no more than sixteen years old and often younger than some
of the students. Most did not teach for more than three to four years, and then they
married and raised a family. It was not permitted for teachers to be married; and
history has recorded some women, who hid their marriage so they could continue to
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teach. Numerous women, who did not marry, continued to teach for many years, but
they usually moved to larger town schools where the pay was better.
Many teachers began their careers with only with a country school education
and the practical experience of helping drill younger children when they were students
themselves. But by 1880 state laws required certification. There were five levels of
certification and the higher the certificate the longer one could teach before having to
retest for the next level. Some high schools offered courses for teaching but most
country schoolteachers were trained in county teacher institutes. The potential teacher
would travel to the county seat for a few weeks during the summer. In this short time
frame, professional teachers from nearby normal schools taught them everything from
grammar to algebra. Since time was short, the institutes focused on subject matter and
not teaching method. At the end of the institute, the teachers were given challenging
tests over all the branches of learning. The tests were difficult. In1894, two hundred
eighty-two hopeful teachers attended a Kansas institute, 196 took the examination, but
only 121 passed and of those 66 received a third-grade certificate, the lowest of all
certificates.
After receiving her certificate the teacher would look for a job. These came to
her in various forms, such as recommendations by a friend or family member, letters of
recommendation by the county superintendent, or driving her buggy into the
countryside to meet with members of the school boards, who were in need of a teacher.
The teacher held a position of importance and respect in the community and it
was very important that she was an upstanding citizen and a role model for her
students. Expectations were high. Moral conduct was closely watched. She had to
dress well, but not overdress, be seen only with reputable men, and not partake in
learning questionable new dance steps that were coming into fashion. In addition,
teachers had menial chores, including all the janitorial work at school, such as sweeping,
scrubbing, mopping, dusting, blackboard washing and starting the fire on cold mornings.
She was a nurse to the children, dealing with anything from head lice, pulling teeth,
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mending cuts and stomachaches. She dealt with many potential disasters from
poisonous snakes to severe weather, like tornadoes and blizzards. She was expected to
be knowledgeable in all subject matters, be a counselor to the older children, record
keeper, school administrator and disciplinarian.
Here are some rules for teachers of the late 1800s:
1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys and the floor, and start the stove in
the morning.
2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and scuttle of coal for the day’s session.
3. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.
4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two
evenings a week if they go to church regularly.
5. After 10 hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the
Bible or other good books.
6. Women teachers, who engage in unseemly conduct, will be dismissed.
7. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay period a goodly sum of his/her
earnings for his/her benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a
burden on society.
8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or pubic halls, or
gets shaved in a barbershop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention,
integrity and honesty.
9. The teacher, who performs his/her labor faithfully and without fault for five years,
will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his/her pay, providing the
Board of Education approves
LPS Social Studies Department. 2000.
In return the teacher’s compensation was a monthly salary of $15 to $40, the
schoolhouse would be kept in good repair and heating fuel provided. (Forty dollars in
1890 would have a 2005 purchasing power of approximately $885.) She did not receive
sick leave or any pension. The teacher would room with families in the district and it
was very common to stay at one house for a month then move on to the next one.
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Privacy in many situations was virtually impossible. It was not uncommon for the
teacher to share a bed with one or more children. He or she stayed longest with families
with the greatest number of children thus, the least privacy and provisions.
The teacher’s biggest helper was Welch’s Teachers’ Classification Register, which
taught her everything she needed to know about organizing her classroom. The
Register instructed the teacher how to classify children into primary, middle and upper
forms or levels and listed each branch of learning that should be given to each grade
and instructions on how to present it. This was no small task. A teacher with 20
students of varying ages and skills might have had to prepare as many as 40 daily
lessons. It also gave suggestions on arranging a daily schedule and details on keeping
records such as number of students, tardies and absences that were turned into the
county superintendent and used for determining some of the school’s finances. The
Register was also a record book where teachers listed students’ names and grades they
made in each subject, along with remarks about the students. These comments were
intended for the next teacher. This was an important practice because in the 1800s
teachers normally taught no more than one term in the same school. The reason for
this practice is unknown, but maybe the community felt it was best for the teacher not
to become too enmeshed in the community and school. There were certainly
disadvantages and advantages to this constant changing of instructors. Unfortunately, it
did not permit students to benefit from good teachers, but also students did not have to
suffer under bad teachers for long. In addition, frequent moves might have made
teachers more conscientious and less prone to familiarity that could lead to
carelessness. Also the system made it less likely that a teacher would have certain
students as their favorites. By the 1900s this practice was overturned, and it became
common for teachers to stay at the same school for many terms.
Teaching was challenging and not easy. But many educators had very fond
memories of their teaching days, remembering spelling bees, socials at the schoolhouse,
friendly people and a job that gave meaning to their lives. In addition, quite a few
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women teachers found their husbands in the district and eventually used their
experiences to help their own children.
The School Day and Curriculum
In the 1890s children did not go to school nine months a year as we do now.
There were two terms a year, a summer one and a winter one. These terms were
scheduled around the busiest times of the year for the farmer, the planting and harvest
seasons. The summer term usually ran from June to August or September. The winter
term started after harvest, usually in November, and went to spring planting in early
May. After 1900 the standard nine-month term was started, which was based on the
city schools’ schedules. Older boys, such as 17 and 18 year olds, usually attended only
in the winter term. During this term most districts preferred a male teacher so more
discipline could be exercised on the boys. Initially, women only taught younger children
during the summer term. Also, it was not unusual for farmhands and immigrants to
attend during the winter term.
Not until the late 1800s and early 1900s were students organized into eight
grade levels. Most times there were three levels--beginners, intermediates and
advanced. The students were organized by ability and not by age. The one-room school
was an excellent place for reinforcing and reviewing because pupils were exposed to
lessons many times. As young children, they heard older students recite; and as older
children, they experienced constant review by listening to recitations of lower levels.
Also the teacher encouraged assistance from older pupils to help younger children. Each
child worked at his or her own pace and was promoted to the next reader when the
teacher said he or she was ready. Schoolrooms hummed with activity. While some
students were reading or reciting out loud, others were working problems on the
blackboard and others were at their desks writing on their slates or studying.
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Generally, school was in session from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. When the teacher rang
the bell--either the bell in the bell tower or a hand bell--the students would form two
lines outside the school, one for girls and one for boys. Also the children would line up
from youngest to oldest. The girls would enter the building first and stand by their
desks on the right side of the room as the boys entered to go to their desks on the left
side. The teacher greeted the children, and then they were seated. The first order of
the day was morning exercises, which commonly was religious and consisted of a
prayer, the reading of the Bible, singing of a hymn or all three. In addition the pledge
was said and a patriotic song sung.
No time was wasted getting to work. Taught were the eight common branches
of learning—reading, writing, arithmetic, history, geography, grammar, orthography
(spelling) and hygiene. Music was also taught depending on the musically ability of the
teacher. But the most important subjects were the three Rs – reading ‘riting and
‘rithmetic.
The first subject of the day was reading. The textbook of choice for many years
was the McGuffey’s Reader. It contained excerpts of great works, like Shakespeare, the
Bible, biographical sketches of great men, and portions of orations and Socrates. It was
intended to inspire children with noble goals and give purpose in life. It also
indoctrinated the students with moral lessons. Morals were taught as much as possible,
incorporating them into the opening exercises, reading, penmanship and other lessons.
The McGuffey’s Reader has six volumes and an eighth grade graduate was expected to
complete the fourth or fifth reader. Even for high school graduates today, mastering
the sixth reader would be a formidable task.
The students were divided into reading groups, according to the volume of
reader they were studying. Groups would alternate their tasks. The younger students
were the first to recite their lessons at the front of the room to the teacher, while the
older students worked on other assignments at their desk. Then they would change and
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the older ones would recite while the younger pupils worked at their desk. Recitation,
memorization, copying and reading went on at the same time.
At mid-morning the students were allowed free time for “privy privileges” and a
short recess. The girls were let out first followed by the boys. After recess the most
practical subject, arithmetic, was taught. It was the most practical because everyone
used and needed it, from farmers calculating yields and prices, to homemakers buying
the proper amount of fabric for a new dress, to store owners placing orders and
calculating bills. Arithmetic assignments were made and again the rotation of older
children being called to the front to be quizzed on mathematics and the younger
working at their desk took place. Then roles would be reversed.
After math came penmanship. Penmanship was considered a valuable skill and
neat handwriting was the sign of a cultured person. The teacher would pass out
copybooks in which children would practice their skills and copy maxims while
pondering their meaning. This was another opportunity to include morality in lessons.
In addition, it was common to see the classroom decorated with maxims expounding
the virtues of hard work and morality, such as Try, try, try or Do Your Best. Younger
children first practiced writing their name with a dry quill pen before using ink. At the
end of penmanship, the meaning of the maxims was discussed.
At noon classes were interrupted for an hour lunchtime. The students would
have to sit at attention with hands folded on their deck, then the teacher would dismiss
them row by row to get their lunches and water. In warm weather children were
allowed to eat outside. At some schools in the wintertime, children would take turns
bringing milk to warm up on the stove to make hot chocolate; or they might bring stew
and keep it warm on the wood or coal stove.
The afternoon session often began with reading a moralistic story followed by a
discussion. Then came history, geography, grammar, and hygiene. Grammar was an
exercise in parsing and diagramming, so the meaning and function of each word in a
sentence were learned and rules were memorized, but the understanding of written
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grammatical usage was never stressed. History consisted of learning about the
greatness of our nation, development of patriotism and our state’s history. Geography
also encouraged patriotism by learning about our countries physical features from rivers
to state borders to state capitals. Hygiene or Physiology devoted much time to teaching
the ill effects of alcoholic drinks and narcotics, along with the evils of tobacco and
learning the bones of the body, circulation and the importance of cleanliness.
On Friday the much-anticipated spelldown was held. Many times, instead of the
spelling bee format we are familiar with, they would toe the mark. The student toed the
mark at the head of the line and remained in that position until he or she misspelled a
word. When that happened the student went to the end of the line and started over.
Also cipher downs were held, where students would do mental math problems.
Recitation or memorization was a very important component to the school day for
several reasons. It was helpful due to lack of textbooks and paper, but it was also a
prevailing belief that the mind was like a muscle and if not continually flexed it might
atrophy and lose it knowledge.
School programs were important events for the children and the community.
The quality of the program was the standard that measured the success of the teacher.
The program might consist of math drills, readings, recitations, songs and plays. Many
school hours were spent preparing for the programs, especially the all-important
Christmas one. Programs might also be held at Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, Arbor
Day, Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays and the end of the year picnic.
The school did not provide the textbooks. Children furnished their own books
and slates on which to write their lessons. As late as 1890, Nebraska had no
standardized texts; curriculum consisted of whatever books the children brought from
home. So several children in a reading group might be reading from different textbooks.
But children were still learning. In 1900, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska had the highest
literacy rate in the nation.
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At the end of eighth grade, students could sit for the rigorous daylong eighth
grade exam, usually held at the county seat under the tutelage of the county
superintendent. It was a difficult test. In 1922, forty percent of students in South
Dakota taking the comprehensive examination failed. Some were poor students; some
had poor teachers, but most probably failed because they had spent more days working
on the farm than going to school. Here is a small sampling of test questions: Extract the
square root of 5904. Who in your opinion are the four greatest living literary men of
America? Give an account of the settlement of Maryland. What are the effects of
stimulants upon the digestive organs? Mention five powers of Congress. Graduation
was a glorious event for country school students. It was the ticket to attend the closest
high school and go on to become teachers, lawyers, physicians and political leaders.
The School as a Community Center
The one-room school was not only the place for educating, but was the
community center as well. Since it was the heart of the community, it was never locked.
People might gather there for singing sessions, to learn English hymns and songs or
attend dances and musical concerts. In addition, it was the place for box, ice cream or
pie socials, where money was often raised for fund improvements to the building. The
school building also served as a polling place, church and a place for other meetings,
such as debates. Debates were popular in Nebraska and Kansas and might be on such
subjects as “Which is the most useful, the dish rag or broom?”
Bibliography
Gulliford, Andrew. America’s Country Schools. Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1984.
Fuller, Wayne E. One Room Schools of the Midwest: An Illustrated History. Lawrence, KS:
University Press of Kansas, 1994.
Kalman, Bobbie. A One Room School. New York: Crabtree Publishing Co., 1994.
Lincoln Public Schools Social Studies Department. Heritage Village School Teacher’s Guide. 2000.
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