The following are the memories of Clara Simcox, who attended Salsbury School in Blakley in 1904. Her story was transcribed for the book “Blakley Township’s Walk Through History, published in 1976
One room schoolhouse outside Shakopee, early 1900s. Photo from the SCHS Collections.
The schoolhouse I remember was much like the others in the township. Some of the “seats” were double- a row of these along the east wall, and single seats otherwise. The teacher’s desk was at the south end of the room. On either side in the front there were book cases for the library books, of which there were quite a few. Also, a large dictionary had a special stand. The black boards were behind the teacher’s desk and one on each side wall. the room was lined with tin. A large stove with a tin jacket stood on the northwest corner. We carried the drinking water form the August Kahle well. There was no pump on the well, but the water was drawn with buckets. We had a pail and one dipper, which we all drank from. Later a crock fountain was installed where the water was emptied into. After recess or at noon when we all came in from playing, usually everyone had to have a drink, so one pail of water did not hold out for a day. I started school in October 1904. We only had 8 months of school in those days
My first teacher was Ms. Helen Theissen. At the time I thought she came as near to an ange as any human being could. She made my early recollections of school never to be forgotten. Ms Theissen taught all subjects in all eight grades. We always had a very large and good library and many books were read to us for our opening exercises. She also taught us songs which we sang during opening exercises when she did not read to us.
So many nice things happened in country school. Our holiday program was always a mountain-top experience. Several weeks before Christmas we were allowed to go along when the older pupils cut juniper branches in the coulee. We helped carry them to the schoolhouse and the teacher and older students decorated the schoolhouse with them. We also gathered “bittersweet” and “wahoo” to give the effect of the red and green Christmas colors.
Practicing for programs was always so much fun. Who dressing rooms were made with sheets for the boys and girls (Later we had curtains and did not have to bring the sheets from home). Members of the school board put up a stage at the front of the room. The teacher always trimmed the tree after we were excused for the day when the program was to be held in the evening. The first Christmas I was at school, Santa was late getting there after the program. He brought his wife along. He explained that he was late because one of the deer had fallen and broken its leg and they had to put splints on it. Of course, there was no doubt in our mind that this was the case.
In later years we drew names and Santa would distribute the gifts as well as the bags of nuts and candy. At that time we appreciated all we got and no one criticized the kind or amount. Out programs consisted of songs, recitations and dialogues.
In the spring of that year we always observed Arbor Day. Some of he older boys were dispatched to the nearby coulee to get a tree and we planted it with proper ceremony. Then, too, our annual trip to Salisbury’s hill to pick up Mayflowers or hepaticas which was another exciting experience. We gladly sacrificed our opening exercise and recess so we could have a longer noon hour for the trip.
We always played games during recess and the noon hour after we had our lunch. “Ball” was the most popular, but we also played “ante ante over”, “run sheep run”, “grey duck”, “stealing sticks”, and others. In winter we always had a “fox and goose” ring. We had an enrollment of at east 30 pupils.