Green Valley School

Wil Linkugel went away to high school and some college, and the first three years of his teaching career were spent at Green Valley School, near Herkimer, one mile south of the Nebraska line. The school was closed down sometime in the 1950's and has been moved to Rock Springs Camp near Junction City as an exhibit of a form of education that has now vanished. He still has some photos and a number of his records. He took them out a couple of years ago. At the end of each year, the teacher wrote a paragraph report on the progress of each pupil ("pupils" not "students") and he was horrified to see how many times he had written "He trys hard."

School Days 1940-48

Submitted by Elaine Svoboda

No pictures do I have. We had such little money in those days, I never took pictures. Everyone heard of "the wolfe at the door" and maybe even experienced it, but how about a wolf at the schoolhouse door? This was an experience I had at the school called "Stony Point"of Marshal District #118, 1940-1941. This was the first year I taught. He left his paw marks on the door. We left food for him and it would be gone the next morning.

I took normal training at Marysville High School, Marysville, KS, and then took an examination before I was issued a certificate. I walked a mile and one-fourth to school at Stony Point. The school was close to the woods and high on a hill. The winter, with snow a foot deep, was so cold the snow froze and we could walk on top of the snow. I had six pupils and four grades. When class was called the child would come up front to a recitation bench for their class.

We only had eight months school. We even had curtains which was not a common thing at that time and the playground was covered with a carpet of prarie and in the fall the grass was cut for that neat look. We had a well that we pumped our water. Took one bucket in and had a long handle dipper (believe me, we all drank from the same cup - six of us and myself). With six pupils this gave me time to give the pupils individual attention.

Both I and the pupils liked to play ball but because there were so few it had to be a "workup" game. We sometimes went into the woods at noon and children gathered shell bark, hickory nuts, and hazel nuts and the squirrels found our stash and carried them away. We often heard the coyotes yipping and yammereing in mid-day. Finally one day a "lone wolf" timidly edged his way out of the woods and watched the children play. The children called him Bravo. When the bell rang Bravo answered it with a howl.

The county superintendent visited each school once a year. The children told him about Bravo. The superintendent had some doubts about the children's Bravo, and he asked why he hadn't seen him. A little boy piped up, "Maybe he's out there eating your tire."

Two big highlightes: Christmas programs, Santa coming, and last day of school picnics.

1941-43 - Taught in Oketo, just 1st and 2nd grade getting $45 per month and this was for eight months.

1943 - Back to country and had 15 pupils, all eight grades. Parents would come for their children in wagons when it was raining. They would cover it with binder canvas.

Now, looking back, the fathers that were always there for their children had families they could be proud to call their sons and daughters.

We carried in cobs and they bought coal for our heating stoves. One time the stove pipe became red and I was afraid we were going to have a fire, so we all went outside and I called a schoolboard member. We did have a phone. No phone at Stony Point. Pete was missing so I went in and here he was cleaning out his desk. He wasn't going to leave one thing. There was no fire and the school didn't burn. We always had to empty our drinking water bucket so it didn't freeze. Hot fall days were bearable as we had cross ventilation.

We tried to find someone for Santa that the district didn't know as everyone would try to guess who was Santa. Our programs were never in tune. We didn't have electricity at Stony Point. For programs we lighted the Coleman gas lamp and hung it from the ceiling. The stoves never heated the room evenly. You were too hot or too cold. Kids at the back were always cold. We left our lunches in the hall. In winter we put them by the stove. Some brought soup and in a coffe can they would heat their soup on top of the stove. We always kept a kettle of water on top of the stoves for moisture.

First aid kits were avaliable. Vicks was a must. My last three years I got $60.00 a month. We had swing sets at three schools and a merry-go-round at one. Parents were always behind their teacher.