A child's schooling is quite important in today's society, but 100 years ago, formal schooling did not hold much regard within a community.
As Ledyard Town Historian, Judy Furness has spent countless hours researching the history of formal schooling, including one-room schoolhouses within the Southern Cayuga district.
“The one-room schoolhouse was the focal point, or the hub of the community in those days,” said Furness during a presentation program of her research held Sunday afternoon at the Rural Life Museum, in King Ferry. “Town meetings, social events and even church was held at the schoolhouse. If you wanted to know what was going on within the community all you had to do was attend a meeting held at the schoolhouse.”
As a retired kindergarten teacher for the Southern Cayuga school district, Furness said that she never became interested in the history of the one-room schoolhouse until after she retired.
“As a teacher I never gave much thought to anything other than doing my job and the building that I was working in,” she said.
“The students would ask me what it was like when I was in kindergarten and I had to tell them that my mother would not allow me to attend kindergarten.”
In doing her research, Furness said that she was able to gather information on 52 one-room schoolhouses in the Southern Cayuga district dating back to the 1850s.
She shared geographic information about the Southern Cayuga district with guests, many of whom recalled attending a one-room schoolhouse.
Bill Stanton, a guest of the presentation, recalled attending the one-room schoolhouse called Eight Square school, in Venice from 1938 through 1942.
“I spent my first five years of schooling there,” he said. “I was the only one in my grade, and completed fourth and fifth grades together in one year.”
Stanton also recalled knocking over the outhouse, or privy as it was then known, in the back of the schoolhouse as a Halloween prank.
According to Furness, in 1855, it was a law that school teachers were to be examined and licensed to be able to work.
“But many were not,” she said.
“And at that time the average pay for a schoolteacher was $40 per term for a man, and $20 per term for a woman.”
She also found locating the exact placement of the original schoolhouses difficult because many were moved and destroyed, and even more had no official records.
The presentation was also a chance for members of the museum to recognize a loyal friend and volunteer, Katherine Stackniewicz.
Not only has Stackniewicz volunteered at the one-room schoolhouse that now houses the Rural Life Museum, but she was also a student of the building, then known as the Franklin District No. 12.
According to Furness, Stackniewicz's father was also a student of the same schoolhouse which was originally located two miles from its current placement.
Furness' research continues and she asks that anyone with information or memories of the one-room schoolhouse contact her.
Although her main focus is on the Southern Cayuga district, Furness said that she welcomes information and memories on any one-room schoolhouse within Cayuga County.
You can help
If you can contribute to the research, contact Judy Furness at 364-8727 or Marilyn Mann at 364-8666
“The one-room schoolhouse was the focal point, or the hub of the community in those days,” said Furness during a presentation program of her research held Sunday afternoon at the Rural Life Museum, in King Ferry. “Town meetings, social events and even church was held at the schoolhouse. If you wanted to know what was going on within the community all you had to do was attend a meeting held at the schoolhouse.”
As a retired kindergarten teacher for the Southern Cayuga school district, Furness said that she never became interested in the history of the one-room schoolhouse until after she retired.
“As a teacher I never gave much thought to anything other than doing my job and the building that I was working in,” she said.
“The students would ask me what it was like when I was in kindergarten and I had to tell them that my mother would not allow me to attend kindergarten.”
In doing her research, Furness said that she was able to gather information on 52 one-room schoolhouses in the Southern Cayuga district dating back to the 1850s.
She shared geographic information about the Southern Cayuga district with guests, many of whom recalled attending a one-room schoolhouse.
Bill Stanton, a guest of the presentation, recalled attending the one-room schoolhouse called Eight Square school, in Venice from 1938 through 1942.
“I spent my first five years of schooling there,” he said. “I was the only one in my grade, and completed fourth and fifth grades together in one year.”
Stanton also recalled knocking over the outhouse, or privy as it was then known, in the back of the schoolhouse as a Halloween prank.
According to Furness, in 1855, it was a law that school teachers were to be examined and licensed to be able to work.
“But many were not,” she said.
“And at that time the average pay for a schoolteacher was $40 per term for a man, and $20 per term for a woman.”
She also found locating the exact placement of the original schoolhouses difficult because many were moved and destroyed, and even more had no official records.
The presentation was also a chance for members of the museum to recognize a loyal friend and volunteer, Katherine Stackniewicz.
Not only has Stackniewicz volunteered at the one-room schoolhouse that now houses the Rural Life Museum, but she was also a student of the building, then known as the Franklin District No. 12.
According to Furness, Stackniewicz's father was also a student of the same schoolhouse which was originally located two miles from its current placement.
Furness' research continues and she asks that anyone with information or memories of the one-room schoolhouse contact her.
Although her main focus is on the Southern Cayuga district, Furness said that she welcomes information and memories on any one-room schoolhouse within Cayuga County.
You can help
If you can contribute to the research, contact Judy Furness at 364-8727 or Marilyn Mann at 364-8666
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