The opening on Saturday saw a few visitors, including Amy Burns, whose mother attended the Bovina Center School, Joan Archibald Townsend, who was a student at the school in the 50s and Marion Jardine, who not only attended the school but whose mother, Mary Jardine, was the last teacher at the school. Joan and Marion shared some stories of the school, as did some people who couldn't attend, such as Marcia McPherson Lichtman and my sister, Susan LaFever Hughes. Susan and my sister Diane were in the last class to attend public school in Bovina.
As I've noted before, I just missed my opportunity to attend a one-room school by a year. I do recall making a couple of visits to the school. Once, my mom dropped me off and I recall getting upset until my cousin Alan started drawing some funny cartoons that made me laugh. I also remember going for what probably was the last Christmas in the school - and being torn about with which sister I should sit.
Speaking of sisters, Susan vividly remembered her first day of school. She kept getting her Mickey Mouse lunchbox thinking it was time to go home when it wasn't. Mrs. Jardine finally had to put the lunch box on a high shelf to stop Susan from taking it. She explained that it would be time to go home when she saw her mother coming to pick her up.
Row 1: Nancy Hilson, Richard Mercadante, Diane LaFever, John Hilson, Gary Robson
Row 2: Tim McIntosh, Marcia McPherson, Tom Hilson, Kenneth Mercadante, Marcia Lay
Row 3: Barbara Hammond, Mike Hall, Marlene Lay, Lois Quackenbush, Leonard Gould, Susan LaFever
Such a cute picture! The only negative thing I remember about my experience there was becoming a third grader, because once you were in third grade, you stayed an extra half hour or so at the end of the day to learn social studies. I'm afraid to say that I retained my negative association with the subject all through school.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if that would have bothered me or not. I loved social studies, but introduced like that, I might have felt different.
ReplyDeleteWonderful collection of history and images Ray. I enjoyed seeing the Maynard school on Cape Horn. I used to bike Cape Horn and that structure always fascinated me.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, while off topic do you know how Cape Horn got it's name?
Dean Lapinel
Dean, sorry, but I don't know how it got it's name and I'm not sure where I would find any documentation. One quick guess is that it looks like Cape Horn in South America?
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray,
ReplyDeleteThat is what I assumed but so many roads have names based on local geographic structures or residents I was hoping for an unusual story.
Dean