EARLY SCHOOL RECORDS
SALINE COUNTY, KANSAS

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School District 59 was a place of learning for Saline County children for more than 80 years. Wheeler School, as it was called, was formed November 27, 1875, and teachers there educated the children living in the southeast corner of Liberty township until the district was disorganized in April of 1957.

The register containing these records is falling apart and some of the writing is rather faded. However, much of the script is readable and reveals not only the names of students and their ages, but also gives clues to the nature of the "good old school days" our ancestors enjoyed.

In 1883, the school year in Saline County began on October 1 and ended April 1. Of the 30 students who arrived off and on at Wheeler School, the oldest was 18 year old Charles Carlson; the youngest was Carl Wheeler, 6. All ages of students ranged between, and all levels were instructed by one teacher in reading, arithmetic, U.S. History, grammar, geography and spelling.

Typical of country schools that drew students from farm families, daily attendance appears to have been unpredictable. When everyone in the district came to school, the classroom was overflowing. But cold weather, illness and work schedules could cut class size by a third or more.

On a page at the back of the small school register, O.D. Hough, the teacher for the 1883-84 term, penned laconic impressions of a day here and there, and in doing so, gives us glimpse at one-room school experiences 100 years ago.

The log reads:

"2nd Term Com. Dec. 31st, 1883. Very cold windy day, only 20 present. One frozen finger.

Jan. 1st - Very cold and blustering. Only five present. Cold week. No school on Friday. Sickness.

Jan. 8th - Fine weather. School house running over, 31 in 14 seats.

Jan. 9th - Warm cloudy toward evening. Mrs. Wheeler was part of the forenoon and afternoon.

Jan. 10th - Windy day.

Feb. 4th - Turned cold and that with 1 or 2 cases of sickness cut down the school from 33 or 4 to about 2/3 of that size.

Feb. 11th - Cold blustery day all day. 22 present and they appear to be improving in most of their studies but not as fast as I could wish or as fast as they would if they gave an undivided mind to them.

Feb. 13th - Cleared off but still cold. School elected to debate Friday afternoon. Question resolved: that city life is preferable to country life.

Feb. 17th - Mumps keeping some of them out so that there is room enough now.

Feb. 28th - Mumps keeping some out. Some have hired out and commenced to work.

March 4th - School work and mumps to many.

March 12th - Spelling school. Mr. Wheaton favored us with a reading well rendered. Mr. P. Sargeant gave us a declaration in good style."

RECORD OF ATTENDANCE of Class A, B, C, D, Grade 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th

Study, Reading; Text Books used, Independent

Vernon A. Mapes 14 Clinton Vermillion 15 Libbie Wheaton 13 Autie Sargent 17 Ida Wheeler 15 Grace Manning 11 Nellie Wheeler 13 Mark Wheeler 11 Walter Mapes 9

Floyd Manning Grace Manning Nellie Wheeler Mark Wheeler Charles Carlson C.D. Vermillion

Study, Geography, grade, not given, Oct. 1st, 1883, textbooks used Montukâs (?) com÷

Charles Carlson V.A. Mapes Mark Wheeler C.C. Vermillion Thomas Gallagher Charles Carlson Peter Gallagher Floyd Manning Ida Wheeler Grace Manning Nellie Wheeler Jessie Wheeler Mark Wheeler Thomas Gallagher Autie Sargent Peter Gallagher Libbie Wheaton Study, Watsonâs, textbooks used, Spelling, Dec. 31st, 1883

NAMES OF PUPILS

Ida Wheeler Rosy Kiel Nellie Wheeler Freddie Kiel Mark Wheeler Thomas Gallagher Autie Sargent Peter Gallagher Libbie Wheaton Ida Kiel Vernon A. Mapes May Sargent C.D. Vermillion Charlie Johnson Charles Carlson Gustave E. Fagerberg Grace Manning Amanda O. Fagerberg Jessie Wheeler Eddie Carlson Birdie Wheeler Carl Wheeler Freddie Vermillion Nellie Vermillion Ida M. Vermillion Olof Linnfoss Anna Daniels Floyd Manning Geo. Wheaton Ernest Sargent August Keil

Ida Wheeler Mark Wheeler Libbie Wheaton Autie Sargent V.A. Mapes C.C. Vermillion Floyd Manning Charles Carlson Nellie Wheeler Grace Manning Freddie Vermillion Nella Vermillion Jessie Wheeler Oloff Linnfoss Thomas Gallagher Peter Gallagher

Freddie Vermillion 6 Jessie (?) Wheeler 9 Ida Vermillion 8 Ella Vermillion 10 Birdie Wheeler 7 George Wheaton 8 Ernest Sargent 9 May Sargent 7 Carl (?) Wheeler 6 Anna Daniels 12 (this entry in blue ink over an entry in brown ink) Charles Carlson (?) 18 Peter Gallagher 13 Fritz Keil no age given Thomas Gallagher 16 August Kiel 16 Ida Kiel 17 (?) Olof Linnfoss (Sinfoss) 14 Rosy Keil 14 John Carlson 16 Anna Daniels no age given

Birdie Wheeler Ida M. Vermillion May Sargent Ernest Sargent Geo. Wheaton Anna Daniels Charles Johnson Eddie Carlson A.E. Fagerberg Amanda Fagerberg Carl Wheeler Charles Polehammer John Carlson August Keil

C.F. Polehammer 11 Ester Polehammer 8 John Polehammer 7 John Carlson no age given Walter Mapes Jessie Wheeler May Sargent Clara Vermillion Birdie Wheeler May Gallagher Chas. Johnson Frederic Ebinger Lena Ebinger Wm. Ebinger Mary Ebinger

May Sargent 8 Ida Vermillion 9 Clara Vermillion 11 Birdie Wheeler 8 Jessie Wheeler 10 Grace Manning 12 Clarence Vermillion 5 Carl Wheeler 6 Ernest Sargent 10 Walter Mapes 10 Edward Carlson 12 Clinton Vermillion 16 Floyd Manning 16 Mary Galagher 10 Winnie (?) Galagher 8 George Wheaton 9 Mark Wheeler 5 Delbert Wheaton 5 Eda Wheeler 16 Nellie Wheeler 14 Fred Vermillion 13 Peter Gallagher 14 Thomas Gallagher 17 Rosy Keil 15 Ida Keil 12 Anna (?) Keil 10 Anna Daniels 16 Fritz Keil 8

Ida Vermillion Clara Vermillion Grace Manning Mary Ebenger Lena Ebenger Frederic Ebenger rosy Keil Ida Keil Annie Keil Fritzy Keil Chas. Johnson Walter Mapes Clinton Vermillion Fred Vermillion Clarence Vermillion Wm. Ebenger

Charles Swenson 5 Thomas Swanson 10 Clalrence Vermillion 6 Clinton D. Vermillion 17 Fred Vermillion 14 Clara E. Vermillion 12 Ida Vermillion 10 Walter Mapes 11 Grace Maning 13 Hanna Olson 9 Annie Keil 10 Fred Keil 8 Charley Keil 6 George Wheaton 10 Delbert Wheaton 6 Libbie Wheaton 15 Winnie Gallagher 8 Annie Daniels 17 Tom Galagher 18 Floyd Manning 17 Emily Peterson (?) (very faded) 8 Helena (?) Ebinger (very faded) 12 Mary Ebinger 14 Frederike Ebinger 16 Willie Ebinger 15 Ida Keil 13 Charles Carlson (?) (very faded)20 John Carlson 16

NAMES OF PUPILS AGE

Ida Vermillion 11 Clara Vermillion 13 Grace Manning 14 Walter Mapes 12 Tommy Swanson 11 Charlie Swanson 6 Clarence Vermillion 7 Clyde Gaumer 6 Mathilda Carlson 9 Charlie Keil 6 Freddy Keil 9 Ed Carlson (ink smudge) 14 Clara Johnson 9 Fred Vermillion 16 Mary Gallagher 9 Emily Peterson 7 Elof Peterson 7 Bessie Olson 8 Hanna Olson 11 Lena Ebinger 13 Annie Keil 12 Ida Keil 14 Peter Gallagher 17 Thomas Gallagher 19 Floyd Manning 18 Swan T. Olson (?) (very faded) 12 (?) Charlie Johnson 14

Ida Wheeler 15 R. Wheeler Liberty Oct. 8, 1883 Nellie Wheeler 13 " " " Mark Wheeler 11 " " Nov. 5 Autie Sargent 17 D. Sargent " Oct. 1st Libbie Wheaton 13 C.O. Wheaton " " Grace Manning 11 M.M. Manning " " Floyd Manning 15 " " " C.D. Vermillion 15 C.W. Vermillion " Oct. 1st Freddie Vermillion 12 " " " Nellie Vermillion 10 " " " Ida M. Vermillion 8 " " " Jessie (?) Wheeler 9 R. Wheeler " " Birdie Wheeler 7 " " " Carl Wheeler 5 " " " V.A. Mapes 14 L. Mapes " " Walter Mapes 9 " " " Geo. Wheaton 8 C.O. Wheaton " " Ernest Sargent 9 D. Sargent " " P. (?) May Sargent 7 " " " Charles Carlson 18 " Oct. 15th Peter Gallagher 13 " Oct. 22nd Anna Daniels 14 " Dec. 18th Freddie Keil 8 Keil " Nov. 12th August Keil 16 " " Dec. 11th Rosa Keil 14 " " " Ida Keil 11 " " " Thomas Gallagher 18 T. Gallagher " Nov. 19th Olof Linnfoss 14 unknown " Dec. 13th John Carlson 16 J. Carlson " Dec. 15th G.E. Fagenberg 15 Fagenberg " Jan. 7, 1884 A.E. Fagenberg 10 " " " E. Carlson 14 J. Carlson " Jan. 8, 1884 C. Polehammer Esther Polehammer John Polehammer

1885 Sep. 29 Ada Vondy Liberty Twp Sep. 30 Libbie Wheaton " Oct. 1 Maggie Johnston " Nov. 11 Alida Mapes " 1886 Feb. 8 Mrs. L. Mapes " L. Mapes " Feb. 9 A.J. Carruthers, Saline County Superintendent Feb. 22 Miss Stevens Saline County teacher Miss Julia Lerter Liberty twp Miss Libbie Wheaton " Miss Lulu Moore " Miss Zulu Moor " Miss Gertie Moor " Mar. 5 Mrs. L. Mapes " Jennie Swanson Alida Mapes " Vernon A. Mapes " Mar. 17 Alida Mapes " next page 1886 and 1887 Sept. 14 Miss Ada Vondy Liberty twp. Teacher Sept. 28 Miss Libbie Wheaton Sept. 29 Mrs. L. Mapes Nov. 12 J.C. Dana Dec. 20 Grace Manning Dec. 24 M.M. Manning Liberty, Saline Co. Ks. Jan. 19 A.J. Carruthers Saline Co. Supt. Feb. 28 Gertie Moor March 7 Maggie Johnston Bonnavill McPherson Co. Grace Manning Liberty Mar. 4 Lizzie Vondy Mar. 17 Emma Strohg Salina Jennie Swanson Liberty Alida Mapes " Vernon A. Mapes " April 1 P. Sargeant Liberty Clerk April 25 Zulu Moore The reader may wonder why we have repeated the same names so many times. By comparing the names and especially the ages of the children, the reader may deduce a birthday year or month. It is also interesting to see the older students leave and their younger siblings take their places in school.