Apalachin Community Press, Sept 1999

Some Observations from the Hill

By HH (Hub) Brown of Owego

The other day I had a piece of good fortune. Jeanie Thompson, who is the daughter of Irene Doane, gave me this old book. It mentions the minutes of school meetings of District 21, or, as Billy Welch always called it, Lisle Road University, from 1889 to 1941.

Some of the first meetings recorded were held in the old building located north and west of the crossing of Gary Hunt and Lisle Roads. It was proposed that the district raise $500 to build a new school. W. Welch raised the issue and the following voters went along: N. Shirley, J. Brott, J. Hunt, Sam and Gary Hunt, W. Hollenback, W. Thomas, S. Shirley, A. Brott, S. Sears, H. Welch, S. Ingersoll, C. Hunt. One of Ag's relatives, F. Brott, cast the only dissenting vote.

As the years passed, these yearly reports would be much the same with some variation in names of those attending and voting. By 1910, they were paying as much as $4.30 a cord for wood which was twice what they paid in 1889. On looking back, I see they paid $3 that year, but some years after that they paid as little as $1.60. When they built the new school, they sold the old one to Billy's father for $4.25 but he had to move it within 10 days.

As the new school had been built at the top of School House Hill instead of the bottom, new privies had to be built. They called a special meeting to work out the details. Too bad the man that recorded the meeting had such a light touch or had a poor pencil. The vaults had to be 6 feet deep and had to be raised one foot above ground, all fence post holes had to be two and a half feet deep, fences seven feet high and tite. The old privy hold had to be filled with the dirt from the new ones and stones 12 inches thick. Frank Brott took the job for $10.75. This was the hardest page in the whole book to try to figure out and some of it I never did.

In 1911, they voted to change from burning wood to coal. Frank Brott was to haul it for $1.45 per ton and that would be handled by scoop shovel but the price per ton of coal isn't mentioned.

Most years back then the teacher received from $184 to $200 per year. One year they voted to extend the school year from 32 weeks to 36. In the early years, there were detailed accounts such as 8¢ for a pane of glass.

At the meeting of August 4, 1903, public money (what would be called state aid now I suppose) was $150.19 raised by tax $70.86. Teacher's wages, $192. Back then no women were ever mentioned, but by the 1930s they would make up to near half of those present.

In 1916, they voted to shut up the school and send the pupils to adjoining districts.

Attendance varied. In 1916, four men came, but in 1940, they had a special meeting to see if the trustee, who was Agnes Brown that year, had the right to hire a cousin for the teacher. John Hannon, who was the teacher at the time, got out and visited every voter and convinced them that he was the man for the job. Result - 13 no, 2 yes.

Hank Scrafford, who is mentioned often in one part of this book, was a sheep farmer who was on the farm where Vroomans lived later. Billy told me once that a man came to visit one day and Hank offered him a drink. He asked, "Does your wife let you keep that around?" Hank said, "Oh, I always keep some in the house."The man said, "I don't even dare keep it in the barn."