Published: June 19, 2009 09:19 am      

Looking back at the one room school

Shiloh school was named after one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War fought on April 6 and 7 in 1862. Shiloh school stood on a little hill off hwy. 5 not far from North Cedar Creek. The school sat on the present north edge of the property of Robert and Judy Bailey who have lived there since 1970. Also on this farm was the village of Everist, one of the county’s ghost towns that was formed by a temporary influx of miners. The Shiloh building, one of the largest country schools in Marion County, was built to accommodate the children of these workers as well as children of area farmers.

Judy Bailey provided information from Mr. W. A. Young who wrote letters about his memories of the school for the 3rd annual Marysville reunion. Mr. Young started school just before he was five in the spring of 1876 with teacher Rolla Hoyt. Another one of his teachers was R. C. Davidson, a Civil War veteran with a college education. Mr. Davidson spent 30 minutes a day after school teaching algebra to Mr. Young. Mr. Young was still attending school at 18, the same age as his teacher Hiram Curtis. (Farm boys often attended school only during the winter term so it was not unusual for them to be as old or older than their teacher)

Mr. Young names other early teachers: J. W. Kitch, Charles Harlow, Willie Runyan, Lon and Wilson Rice, Kate and Sadie Rose, Bettie and Tabitha Lyman, Eva Scott, Cora Rowland, Della Ruchman, Nancy Cross Nettie Mosier, and Addie Bailey whom he described as gentle and kind, a very capable teacher.

Mr. Young also notes that although most directors were men, two women, Melissa Joliffe and Vashti Demy Bailey, served as very capable directors. This was many years before women were allowed to vote.

Judy’s Grandmother Dessie Bailey Robuck had fond memories of attending Shiloh around 1910-12. She remembers seeing her younger brother Frank spelling aloud for the class the word “Mississippi” as follows: M, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, humpback, humpback, I. “Grandmother was an excellent speller and in a pinch you could use her instead of a dictionary,” comments Judy.

Former student Harry Hart started school in 1941 attending primary through 8th grade. He complimented teacher Bessie Robuck Kenney stating his freshman year at Albia seemed like a review of what he was taught at Shiloh.

Judy’s husband David Bailey also attended Shiloh in the 1940’s when there were 15 or fewer students in this once large school. He says the first floor was about 3/4th classrooms and the rest a small gym with 8 ft. high ceilings and a walk in closet with hooks to hang coats, hats, and slingshots. You could if you wanted to, keep your slingshot in your back pocket.

The second floor had church like wooden pews and a 3 ft. high stage. David tried to avoid the plays and programs given there, stating some teachers didn’t care if you didn’t participate. ( None of my teachers offered that option. We all participated--never even thought to object. )

Corporal punishment was allowed. In fact, his father Charlie Bailey made willow switches for the teacher to use. Switching was not an everyday occurrence and if a student need to be punished the teacher took him into the hallway and he could not go back into the room crying.

Former student Alice Feagins Woerpel writes from Hutchinson, Kansas that she was the only student in her grade and many days the teacher did not have time for a class for her. She felt left out. The teacher did, however, include her in spelling tests with the other grades. She always got an A in spelling. This helped her as she worked 35 years as a Medical transcriptionist. Both she and David Bailey commented on the outside of the school which looks like brick in the black and white pictures but was actually some sort of gray metal, most likely tin.

These teachers taught at Shiloh: Rolla Hoyt 1876, Cora A. Hollowell 1886, Jennie Ghrist, Miss Tillie Hamilton 1891, Miss Ella Maddy, Miss Rose Shannon 1892, Myrtle Eshom, Anna Young 1895, Nellie Wilson 1898, Laveda Van Doren, Elsie Manley 1899, Elsie Manley 1900, Lucina Marshall, T. L. Conrey, Anna Ridenour 1902, T. L. Conrey, Ollie Gelderblom 1903, Mrs. Della Castor, Lulu M. Jones 1904, Mrs. Della Castor, Maude Inskeep, Effie Harmes 1905, Conner Brennan, Nora E. Davis, Mary Rogers, Sara Hart, Effie Haines 1906, W. J. Kincaid, Mrs. C. Maulry 1913, Isa E. Houser 1921, Edna Mae Stone 1923, Beulah Hawkins 1924-25, Eulice Davis 1927, Mrs. Eulice Sims 1928, Leona Bogaard 1929, Leona Baker 1931, Edna M. Stone 1932, Leah Baker 1933-34, Wilma Nicholson 1935-36, Mary Carrington 1937, Alice Edna Smith 1938-39, Bessie Robuck 1940-42, Mrs. Bessie Robuck Kenney 1943-45, Mrs. Thomas 1946, Miss Nicholson 1947, Bessie Kenney 1948-49, Wilma Noah 1950, Wilma Noah, Mrs. Georgia Long 1951, Mrs. Eulice Sims 1952.

Sometimes the Shiloh school was listed in the records as Everist. Here are the teacher listed under that name: J. J. Roue, Mae Davis, Myrtle McArthur, Blanche McClary 1910, J. J. Roue, Mae Davis, Laura Gibbons, Evelyn Slayman 1911, J. J. Roue 1912, Wm. J. Kincaid, Myrtle Sharon, May Long, Hazel Chivers, Christina Moffatt 1913, H. C. Maulry 19145, Kathleen Norris 1915, Isa Houser 1920.

Coming up soon will be the “Ridge” schools: River, Elm, and Pleasant. Your pictures and memories are what make the school stories appeal to readers. Please contact me at 641-628-4716 or helenboertje@iowatelecom.net