White (Mann) and Walker School
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Copied
from the files of the Holt County Historical Society. This information is
believed to have been gathered and written in the late 1970’s; not sure by
whom.
West
of Walker School, was the first school back of Big Lake. It was closer to the
river on the Charley Mann farm. Some called it the Mann School and some the
White School. Joe Catron, and Steve, Bill, and Alice Cunningham were among those
who attended this school. Joe Catron was just a young child and was afraid to
walk alone from the Catron home to the school. Mrs. Minnie Lundy Goolsby stayed
with the Catron family and walked to school
with Joe. Later on, Mrs. Linda Chuning stayed and accompanied him until he got
old enough to go alone.
The
river cut in this school and it was necessary to move it. It was moved over to
the George Walker (Gracie Chuning Boyd’s grandfather) farm.
The Walkers donated a corner of land for the school so it was referred as
the Walker School in the future.
O.P.
Light, who lived in the Kelso neighborhood, taught at the Walker School. Joe
Catron returned at the age of 19 and took the 9th grade under him. He
later returned to teach again and he was Joe’s daughter, Mae Catron Dodson’s
teacher in 1904-1905. That year they only had school for 6 months, until
February, because they lacked the money to run the school.
Willie
VanVickle taught in 1905-06; Tom Zachary in 1906-07; Albert McCown in 1907-08;
Bessie Stanley Laukemper in 1908-1909; Albert McCown returned 1909-1912;
Josephine Wilson 1912-1913; Allen G. Stanley 1913-1914. It was during Allen’s
teaching that they started the Literary Society. They chose up sides at Walker
School and debated and sometimes entertained other schools. They had one program
a month. Frank, Albert, and Henry
Dougherty, from the Glendale School area, were champion debaters.
In
the 1904 span of years, Walker was a very large school. Children had to bring
their own boxes to sit on. It was at this time that folding chairs appeared, one
pupil bringing one to school for his own use.
Some
of the families attending at this time were the George Chuning family; the Bob
Mullins; the four Coonce children; Paul, Ralph, and Gerald Graham; Bryant
Family, Alexanders; Goolsbys; Bridgmans; Grace and Harry Coatney; Jim Rowland;
Jim Smith; the Kissell family; Frank Chaney’s girls; and Ada and Pearl
Jackson.
Skipping
up to 1908-1919, we had Mrs. Julia Minton teaching 2 terms; Mrs. Bessie
Laukemper, 1921-1923; Gladys Varvel 1923-1925; Lois Smith Goolsby in 1925-26.
Other
teachers since were Mrs. Ulmer, Mrs. Stigal, Mrs. Lowry, Hallene Barker, Clara
Belle Hill Wiley, Constance Gaskill
Siekmann, Lila Dodge Williams, and Zella Morris. Zella was teaching in
1938 and 1939 years when they decided to move the Walker School into Fortescue
at Christmas time.
Constance
Gaskill Siekmann related that when she had her three programs during the year,
she borrowed the Latter Day Saint Church stage curtains to use and then returned
them to the Joe Catron home for safe keeping.
The
rock road back of Big Lake was a speed-way for the automobiles just coming into
use at that time. It was the smoothest road in the area anywhere to try them out
on.
I
am sure there are many more facts that could be added to this history of Walker
School, but these recollections came from interviews with: Mae Catron Dodson,
Gladys Lease Varvel, Jennie Lundy Kent, Marie Lundy Stone, Josephine Coatney
Morris, Ada Jackson Chuning, Constance Gaskill Siekmann, and Bryan and Lois
Smith Goolsby.
-Author
Unknown
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