One-Room School
House History
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Costs
ne-room schools started in the colonial
Three Hour School Day - $5/student
times with the beginning of a unique
This includes:
American concept—free, nonsectarian public education. However, it wasn’t until the 1830s that
public schools began replacing the more common
private schools.
With westward movement, the
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country school became increasingly important and
was the heart of each new community. It was not
only the place children and sometimes immigrants
learned but was also a site where socials, dances,
concerts, literary meetings, debates, voting and
church took place.
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s early as 1908, and especially after
WWII, consolidation was promoted to im-
prove “the rural school” and to encourage efficiency. Despite young, not highly educated teach-
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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. It will include all of the above
activities plus:
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ers and lack of standardized texts, children were
learning in the country schools on the plains. In
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1900, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska had the high-
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In depth 1890s lessons in all eight
branches of learning
A discussion of the differences between
1890s and present day schools
1890s recess games
Preparation
est literacy rate in the nation.
ne-room schools are an important aspect
Opening exercises
Writing on a slate
Writing with a quill pen and ink
Reading from McGuffey Reader
Participating in short lessons such as
memorization and arithmetic
Spelling bee or cipher down
Step Back In
Time and
Experience a
Day in an
1890s
One-Room
Schoolhouse
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Bring lunch consistent with the time period
Arrive in 1890s attire
of Nebraska history and continued to be a
thriving part of our educational system. In the late
20th Century, Nebraska had the distinction of
having more one-room schools than any other
state in the nation.
Recently, the Unicameral
passed legislation to consolidate K through 8th
grade schools with larger districts thus ultimately
eliminating the one-room schools.
To register or for more information
contact the schoolmarm,
Miss Jolene McLaughlin,
at jolenemcl@futuretk.com or
(402) 994-2925
Prairie Country School
Murdock, Nebraska
1890s School Days
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Prairie School
History
Step Back in Time
ne-room schoolhouses hummed with activities
while children of all ages learned.
The
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eight common branches of learning (reading,
writing, arithmetic, history, geography, grammar,
Murdock Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
along with incorporating morals into the curriculum.
Chapter, that dream was realized in the spring of
It wasn’t until the early 1900s that many one-room
2006. Through joint efforts, funds were raised and
schools adopted the grade system, where students
renovation was completed. The FBLA went on to win
were passed from grade to grade until they
classes were loosely organized into three general
grades (beginners, intermediates and advanced)
making it possible for farm boys to drop out to
work on the farm and re-enter school without the
embarrassment of being assigned to a beginning
class. The school day consisted of calling groups of
transform the Lion’s Club Building into a one-
room schoolhouse. With the help of the Elmwood-
orthography (spelling) and hygiene) were taught,
graduated from eighth grade. Prior to that time,
he Murdock Historical Society had a dream to
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here is no better way to appreciate and remember
history than to live it. Now your students or
organization has the opportunity to do so at a convenient
location. During your visit to the Prairie Country School in
Murdock, you will step back into the 1890s and re-enact
a typical school day. Students will have the opportunity
to experience rural 19th Century American education and
increase their historical awareness of the changes that
have occurred in education over the last 100 years by:
children to the teacher’s desk to read or recite,
first place in the Community Service Project at the
State Convention. For health and comfort reasons,
the Society chose to put in the modern conveniences
of heating and air conditioning and an indoor
restroom. But these are not noticeable and do not
distract from the 1890s look of the school with a
raised platform in the front of the room, blackboard,
wood stove, desks nailed to the floor, and even the
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Learning according to the rules of the 1890s
typical pictures of Presidents Washington and
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Reading from McGuffey Readers
Lincoln. The Prairie School building has an interesting
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Writing on slates
history of its own.
A highly anticipated time each
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Writing with quill pens and ink
gymnasium for the Murdock High School basketball
week was the cipher downs and spelling matches
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Participating in 1890s lessons of recitation,
elocution, arithmetic exercises, spelling bees,
geography, history, grammar and hygiene
teams. It was built in 1906, by Modern Woodmen of
while other children worked at their desks doing
slate work, diagramming sentences, studying their
McGuffey’s Readers, or working math problems on
the blackboard.
on Friday afternoons.
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Playing 1890s recess games
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Singing songs of that period
n addition, an online package is available at http://
www.murdockmuseum.org/ to prepare you for your
visit to the school. It includes historical background
information and guidelines to get ready for your 1890s
school day, along with suggestions for clothing and lunches
appropriate for the time period. School-day activities
can also be customized for your group.
Until 1924 it served as a
America, it has been used as a meeting place and
community center.