In an 1854 “common school” journal at the Victory History Center, the school districts of the town are mapped out including “joint districts” with the Towns of Cato, Conquest and Sterling.

There were nine schools in the Town of Victory: No. 2 - the Lockwood school, No. 3 - the Scott school, No. 4 - the Blanchard School, No. 5 - the Victory Village school, No. 6 - the Martin school, No. 7 - the Benedict school, No. 10 - the Cooper School, later called the Dutcher school in 1855 and No. 12 - the Sayre school, later called the Thompson school in 1856.

Joint Districts with other towns were: No. 1 - the Crowell school, No. 2 - the Vanderhyden school, No. 7 - the Follett school, No. 8 - the Forbush school, No. 8 - the Blass school gone in 1855, No. 9 - the Adles school, No. 12 - the Wood school, No. 15 - the Waldron school and No. 25 - the Qudeau school gone in 1855.

Others were: No. 29 - the Westbury school, No. 36 - the Hiserodt school gone in 1856, No. 40 - the Monroe school, No. 11 - the Upham school and No. 14 - the Koons school.

The Commissioner of Schools in 1854 was H.S. Harris, and the Victory town clerk was David S. Woodford. The minutes of their meetings are in this small journal, and it tells when they added land to the schools, closed schools or opened new schools. All this was done in very official form with a group of trustees.

Teachers at the common schools in the greater Victory area over the years were: Anna Coolican, Zella O. Manroe, Marie Hiserodt Southwick, Blanche Coulling, Laura Leta Coppernoll Tift, Mr. Wilson, Evelyn Jones, Mary Etta Taber Timerson, Lavinia Fields Rorabeck, Ruth Timerson Hager, Stella Timerson Manroe, Frieda Brackett Van Duyne, Velma Sherman Gilbert, Hazel Robertson Timerson, Dorothy Scott Blanchard, Margaret Cuyler, Helena Growney, Fern Ackroyd, Eleen Garnett, Inez Wetmore, Robert Marshall, Clarence King and Vera Cortese.

There is a display of the common schools, complete with pictures, at the Victory History Center.

Our fall open house will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19. We will have our displays and information at the History Center, Routes 38 & 370, along with entertainment from local musicians Rich and Ellen Reynolds Miller plus the Coleman family bluegrass band, Johnnycake Strings.

Also, that same Sunday our Victory firemen will have a chicken barbecue from 11:30 a.m. until sold out.

To order dinners ahead of time, please call 626-6866 at the firehouse. You may take out or eat in, then join us across the road at the History Center for the afternoon events. The public is welcome.

I have been writing my column on the town of Victory for three years now, and it is with pleasure and privilege that I continue to do so.

Thanks to those who have given me story ideas and supplied historical material over the years. We welcome your donations of historical items at the History Center anytime.

See you on Oct. 19.

Beverly Sayles is the Victory town historian. She may be reached at beverlycs65@gmail.com