Friday, August 14, 2009

If These Old Walls Could Talk: Part 3

Old, Old Schoolhouse? I blogged earlier about "The Old School House". While I was on my photo safari, I spotted this old foundation on a narrow road. I had decided it must be the remains of a school or church because of the wide step. Then Aunt Dinah told me that the previous school had been North & West of the "New, Old School. Exactly where this is. There are no buildings around it for miles. Can you imagine having to mix the concrete for this by hand, maybe even hauling the water. Building was really hard work back then. I wonder if there was a well, probably an outhouse. What did they heat with. It didn't look like there was a source of firewood nearby. Do you suppose the kids rode ponies to school at one time?



See how far back it sets from the road, just the footprint of a memory. I wish I could order up a video of that time. Would I see muslin and homespun?

P.S. Yes, I do know that this doesn't actually have walls.

5 comments:

Girl Tornado said...

I love this picture, with the wide open plains all around this ghost of a building. Like you, I can just imagine it in its heyday, with children milling about, laughing and playing.

Wonderful photos!

Anonymous said...

I, too, can imagine life/activity around these steps. Don't you wish you could step back in time and observe? Blessings to you this day Mary. Have a great week.

The Silver Age Sara said...

Beautiful picture and you made me think about life back then.
Part of our property is on an old stagecoach road and the foundations from the old schoolhouse and other homesteads are still visible. Life was so different back then.

Tipper said...

If you figure out how to order the video-I want a copy too! Oh to be able to go back in time and just sit and watch the goings on.

(I liked seeing where you 'relax' around town)

Vonita said...

There were two outhouses that stood behind the school. There was a slipper slide, swings and a see-saw.
As you went into the building, we put our lunch pails on a shelf. There was a water jug with one cup that we used to get a drink of water. Funny, I don't remember how it was heated. I'll have to ask around to find out.
This school closed for lack of students. Two districts combined to make the new school that was built. I went there in 1st grade and had the best teacher in the world, Mrs. Mary Bundy. She taught school into her 80's and had taught my great-uncle at the beginning of her career. When I went to school at Ft. Hays State, an assignment was to tell about our favorite teacher. Two people in that class had Mrs. Bundy as a teacher, me and another girl who is about the age of my oldest daughter. How often would that happen?