CRAWFORD TOWNSHIP SCHOOL HISTORIES
and Fairview in LIME CREEK TWP

Township Map at bottom

 (Contant fromWashington County Genealogical Society, Vol. 23, No. 1 SPRING/SUMMER 2006 Page 9)

EARLIER CRAWFORD TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS

Crawfordsville Consolidated District

    The first school in Crawford township was taught by William Wooley in the winter of 1838 in a log house a mile east of the junction of U.S. Highway 218 and the county line. In 1840 David Franch taught in a dwelling near where a furniture store stood in 1920. This was the first school in Crawfordsville. In 1850, the school building was moved to the location of the 1940 school. In 1904 the building burned and the new brick structure was erected.

    This consolidated district which takes in Stanley, Fairview, Dewey, White Cloud, Possum Hollow, Lone Star, Stringtown, Sunset and Braden sistricts, has the distinction of being the second consolidated district in the state.

   First attempt at consolidation was in 1905. After the matter had been settled and plans made, some of the patrons objected to the procedure, and the matter was dropped. Then in 1909 the first two districts consolidated with Crawfordsville Independent and in 1911 the entire consolidation had been complteted.

Dewey No. 10 

       This district was perhaps the youngest of all in this township, having been organized in 1898. It is said that it was named Dewey in honor of Admiral Dewey. The school house was located near the Ben Miller farm in section 21. The district included all of section 21and parts of 20, 28 and 29. E. M.Anderson was the first teacher, followed by Effie Nelson, Flo Purvis, Maud Murphy, Beath McCleary, Waif Veasey, Mrs. Margaret Wittrig,  Emma Wittrig and Margaret Rich. The families who attended here were Millers, Sommers. Hawthorne. DeHarpers, and  Sayers. Bailey Clossen. Jim Hawthorne bought the old school house when the school consolidated with Crawfordsville and moved it to his farm. Sunset No. 3 Sunset school was located about two and one half miles west of Crawfordsville. About 1856. R. 0. Cunningham taught there. Later his sister, Esther, held the same position for a time, and in 1970 Mrs. N. E. Lease was teacher. Mollie Allen, Jennie Clemons and Robert Ferguson were former Pupils still living in 1940. It was known originally as Tennessee district because so many of the families came from that state.

 Braden No. 6 Crawford Twp. 

    In 1852-1858,  tried to beautify the school by bringing flowers and plants.  1940 Mrs. Rose Craig Moorehead and Deem Cherryholmes were the two oldest living pupils of this old school. School opened here daily with devotionals, reading of portions of the Scripture and in some instances, prayers offered by the teacher.   Even in 1940 the district still retained its name although the pupils had gone and the old school had been sold for a family dwelling. Stanley No. 4, Fairview No. 7, White Cloud No. 8, Possum Hollow No. 1 and Lone Star No. 9 Data is not available for the remaining five districts which were joined with the consolidated district. This was not because they were unimportant or because the districts have been inactive but because most of the older people who knew something of these schools are now deceased, The exact locations and sections included in each district were: Stanley -located on Sam White farm. The school stood in the southeastern part of the district on the county line. Sections 1, half of 2 and 12, and one fourth of 11 were included in the district. Fairview - located in section 3. The district included parts of 2, 4 9 and 10. White Cloud -located in section 13 and included parts of 14, 22 and 24. Possum Hollow - located in section 25 and included parts of 23, 24 and 26. Lone Star - located in section 36 and included section 35. 

Stringtown 

       Stringtown School is located in the southwestern part of Crawford township, section 30.The first school was organized in 1853. The building was located one half mile east of the present site, on the north side of the road, at the end of the Ira Graber lane. It had a very big school yard for play. There was no well, so water had to be carried from the neighbors, Isaac Allen and Joseph Mast. Some of the equipment was a painted blackboard, globe, some wall maps, old fashioned, hand-made double seats and cast iron, larger at the top than bottom. 

      About thirty pupils attended from various ages up to 28 years of age. Some of the first pupils were: Ammon, Alice and Alvin Allen; William and Sam McKee; James  and Matilda Doode; Mary Nickelous; Amanda Bowden; Joseph Mast; and Peter Alliman. Mary Moore Bennett and Annie Cochrane, and Harlan Cummings who was the first teacher. The old schoolhouse was sold to George Herzog and is now being used as a granary.

      In 1872 a bad snow storm came up and the parents had to get their children in the morning, at 10 o'clock. If they had waited longer,  the snow would have been so deep they could not have gotten them at all.  Stringtown Literary was an entertainment carried on through the winter months many years. It usually started in November or December, when the corn was husked, and lasted until March. The members elected officers, the meetings being held every Saturday night. Sometimes fights occurred and some went home with black yes. One night every year they had a special program for which they charged 10¢ admission. Large crowds attended. One of the most interesting things they did was debate on such topics as: There is more pleasure in pursuit than possession. Which is more destructive - Fire or Water? Who did more for his country- Washington or Lincoln? Two boys were so eager attend once they walked 4 miles to get there. Play Day. an annual get-together of the three schools --  Stringtown, Eicher and Sommer was organized in 1937. Stringtown became a part of the Noble Consolidation A Stringtown reunion was held the summer of 1938, it was well attended, and we're hoping for another in the future. Some former teachers or pupils who have become well known are: Henry Eicher, William Troutman, William Protsman, Alex Miller, D. A.. Rebel, and many others. By the statements of the pupils we learn how proud they are of their school. Space print all of these. will not allow to equipment added Repair or since last term: teachers' chair, new picture, fence repaired, new outbuildings, swing, ropes, curtains, shades, etc. The directors are quite considerate and supply us with necessary equipment. 

      The present teacher is Roger Wyse. Eleven pupils are enrolled  they are: Deane Rinner, Ruth Freyenberger, Duane Widmer. David Allen Graber, Evelyn Widmer, Widmer Ina Mae Freyenberger, Shirley Anne Leichty, Herbert Swan, Darwin Widmer, Willard Roth and Norma Widmer.   Those interviewed are: Mr. & Mrs. John Leichty, John C. Graber, Mr. Mrs. E. J. Freyenberger,  Mrs. P. R. Schantz, Harlan Cummings, Louise Rinner,  Dan Alliman, Noah Widmer, Emery Leichty. 

Other Rural Schools 

In 1898 when D. C. Coles, Washington photographer set out to take pictures of the rural schools there were 144 one room  county schools. In 1933 there were still 105, but by 1952 the number had dropped to less than half - 52.  Rural School histories for schools that no longer exist from the 1940-41 Journal are continued from issue to issue as space permits. Earlier Schools in Lime Creek Township

Bunker Hill 

continued from page 9 

     In the record for September 13, 1873, was found the notice of the sale of the school building which stood in section 15. This was a quarter of a mile south of the building which was in use in 1940. 

   This first building was a frame one, with siding placed vertically. The inside was plastered, the furniture consisted of long seats or benches of planks as was usual in those days. A teacher's desk and a stove occupied the middle of the room.

    Standing at the top of a high hill, the site was far from a warm place in the winter, but offered an ideal coasting spot. Under the teacher's rule there were pupils from what were later four independent  districts - Grandview, Center, Fairview and Bunker Hill. Very little is known of the teachers here. Rebecca Lewis (Mrs. Add  White) taught in 1865, and Thurston Goodspeed of Lexington was the last teacher in this building.

     Serving the dual purpose of  a school and a place of worship, it was know far and wide as Bunker Hill. As a church, it had its Ladies Aid Society. Itinerant preachers  held many "hallelujah" revivals in it. Its usefulness in this regard ended in 1864 when the new church was built at the cross roads in Bunker Hill, a quarter of a mile north. The building was sold and torn down in 1922. 

     The building in use in 1940 was erected in 1867, but definite records do not begin until July 17, 1873, when a group of men met to form an independent school district, with E. Trussler acting as chairman and J. Stinchcomb as secretary. The results of this and succeeding meetings was a complete school board composed of president, Ira Adams, J. Stinchcomb, secretary, William Hull, treasurer, and Henry Claar, director. The district was named Bunker Hill and a tax of $150 teachers fund and $25 contingent fund was levied. The old school building was offered for sale and the old school lot traded to J. Stinchcomb for a half acre near Bunker Hill church.  

     As time went on, the records Fourteen trees were planted in 1867 with the following specifications, Maple trees not less than five feet one and one half feet deep, one foot from each tree and two sets of girders to each tree nailed to the posts in solid and substantial manner." This job was given to Ira Adams for seven dollars and fifty cents.

     A well was dug by Henry Clapper at $1.15 per foot, with Clapper furnishing bricks for wall and pine boards 3 inches thick platform. This was on the school ground, but no one living in 1940 remembered it or where it was placed. It is interesting to note that in 1866 algebra was one of the subjects in the curriculum and that the school years varied in length from six to eight months. A long line of capable teachers have wielded the rod.  Huisa Laura Goodspeed was the first. Jacob Hicks. who taught here in an early day, walked each day from his home in Nira, a distance of five or six miles. His salary was $17 a month. 

      The registers with the names of the early pupils were lost. However, Annie Adams is known to have attended this school the first year. L. Q. Huffman was another who went in the early days. The name of Palmer seems synonymous with Bunker Hill as some of the family have resided here since 1880. Following are some of the family names of those who were prominent in Bunker Hill early school and community life until 1900: Trussler, Stinchcomb, Adams, Hull, Huffman, Fordyce, Besse, Whetstine, Knockenteger, Claar, McIntrye, White, Ryan, Smith, Robinson, Roson, Matthews, Wetrick, Moore, Moore, Morrow, Nesmith, Chapman and Green.  

    A. O. Taylor, judge for twenty five years in Whittier, California. was a former pupil and , teacher in this school. Other one-time scholars or teachers who made places for themselves m this world are: Huisa Goodspeed, prominent school worker in Chicago; Jack Hicks, teacher for many years in Wellman, Iowa; and Blanche Palmer, who was a missionary for sixteen years, eleven years in Manilla and five years in Hawaii school term was Elsie A. Miller,with (students) Geraldine Wagamon, Junior Wagamon, Richard Geyer, Wayne Geyer, Gene Vincent, John Vincent, Raymond Geyer, Margaret Vincent, Marilyn Kinsinger, Myrna Kmsinger, and Junior Hagist.

Lime Creek Center 

     The Center, or Coffey school as it was long known, is located about one and one half miles northwest of Wellman on the old Wellman North English "short cut."  The boundary of the district is very irregular in shape, running four miles in the north and south direction and about an average of one fourth mile in the other directions. 

      The legal voters of this sub-district met on August 10, 1873, to organize an independent district by ballot. J. W. Wishard, J. I. Hop and Fred  Klokenteger were named. By a drawing, the district was named "Center." After the organization of the board, the following officers were chosen: E. M. Bascom, president, G. G. Steninger, secretary, and J. W. Coffey, treasurer.  The first teacher for the fall term of 1873 was John F. Blandin,  followed by Susan Wellman for the winter term. The school by 1940 had had sixty-nine teachers during the sixty six years of operation. 

      Terms were often very short, often ten weeks, and hiring  teachers was a frequent ordeal.   Jennie Turnipseed was recorded as  teaching four terms of ten to sixteen   weeks each during four different   years, and Jennie Wimer taught three such terms. There were thirty-two of the sixty-nine who taught terms of sixteen weeks or less.   During seven of the years there were twenty-one different teachers.   Mrs. Bernice Nickell (1939-'40) is  the only one on record that taught more than two years.    

  Center in 1939-'40 were Darlene  Novy,  Raymond  Flanders, Adis Novy, James Rugg, Robert Yoder,  Emery  Bender, Kenneth Brenneman, Yoder, Wiley, Melvin Rosetta Bender, Elmer Miller, Ferrell Lee Brenneman, Cecil Townsend, Leon Horst, Willis Roth, Betty Green, LeRoy Green, Marilyn Horst and Ellis Roth.

Fairview 

    Fairview school, nicknamed "McGahn," is located in the southeast corner of section 7 in Lime Creek township.  The 1940 is located on the same site as  the first one. The first school was organized in 1889.The building was a crudely constructed frame structure set upon pilings, with windows placed very high. It had been built by J. White as a store house for apples. The people of the neighborhood decided that they needed the "Apple Shed". The only equipment in this old building was a small blackboard.

   The erasers were made of sheepskin nailed over small pieces of wood.  The desks were rough boards and the sears were one long board which could accommodate seven or eight pupils. The only books used were a few from which both the teacher and pupils read. This first school also served as a meeting place for the Christian church. Here also the people of this section held monthly meetings to decide what to do with horse thieves. In 1940 this old building was being used as a corn crib on the Noah Beer farm. The second building and the one used in 1940 was a frame structure. It was a small house with six windows and an enclosed porch.

   The equipment in this school was far better than that in the first. The desks were smooth and the stove had a ventilating system. A water fountain took the place of the old wooden bucket and tin dipper.

Some of the first teachers in this district were Scott Davisson, Libby Butterfield, Scot Griffith and Sadie Butterfield. Scott Davisson was one of the few men left in 1940 who had served in the Civil War. He was ninety years old. His daughter Mae Davisson was the first woman admitted to the bar in the State of Nebraska.

Several tribes of Indians often passed along the river, but never bothered the school. However, sometimes they would take chickens and other articles that belonged to the people of the neighborhood.

The teacher for the 1940-41 term of school were Dorothea Beer, and the pupils were Junior Nelson, Evelyn Davission, Glen Reber, Gene Reber, Richard Lester, Donald Zwicki, Harlan Berger and Donald Reber.