Bluebell School

Submitted by Carlene Sallee Sidwell

My Dad, Marvin Sallee started to school at Bluebell in 1912 along with his older sister Laura and brother Elbert. Later their younger brother, Cecil attended at the age of six. Their parents homestead was about 11 miles east of Liberal, KS, and two miles to the Cimarron River. They received their mail at an Oklahoma postoffice just over the Kansas-Oklahoma line in Beaver Co. Oklahoma which was their nearest P.O.

When the children of George Sallee & Martha "Mattie" (MEisenheimer) Sallee started school at Bluebell, Seward Co. Kansas in 1912 Marvin was six years of age, Larua was nine and Elbert was eight. Laura and Elbert had to wait until Marvin was old enough! Laura had learned to read at home from the Cappers Weekly, prior to this.

Their Dad, George Sallee had a cart or buggy that he hitched "Old Barney" their horse to for their transportation to school. They had a buffalo robe to cover up with when it was cold. Their dad paid an older boy at school to unhitch old Barney from the buggy and to care for him, hitch him up again after school, slap him on the rear and say "take them home Barney."