The History of Canadice

Chapter 9 - The Schools

by Beverly Deats

1980

There is a conflict in the references regarding the first school so I am stating them as printed and reflect that this is due to the terrain, lack of communication and travel and a feeling of urgency of education for their children.

The first school in Hunts Hollow was on the corner of the crossroad that leads by the ruins of the old stone chimney. It was built in 1806 and the children of Richmond, Canadice and Naples attended this school.

Another source states that the first school was located in Canadice Hollow and taught by Betsey Walker, sister of Gideon and John. The school house was made of logs twelve feet square and had two windows, each having four panes of glass.

The school house on Kimball Hill was built in 1812, and the earliest teachers were Belinds Jackson, Eliza Wilds and Almira Hubbard.

In the northeast part of town, Abrigail Root was the first teacher in this school, also stated to have been built in 1812.

Under the school system formed and employed until around 1935, the town was divided into twelve school districts. Of these, No. 4, No. 10 and No. 12 were joint with other townsand had no schools in Canadice. Teachers lived in the homes of the students and the school year was from October 1st, with dismissal March 1st. In 1837, it was voted to raise $150.00 for the support of the common schools. At the annual meeting of the town government two years later, this amount was raised to $200.00. In 1858, the school population was 449 children.

The School Districts

The following are excerpts from “The Scholar’s Manual,” of which I was fortunate enough to read and copy:

A Day School Journal

Devoted to Literature and Mental Health

Canadice, March 9, 1866

Edition and Compiler - Miles E. Slingerland

Corresponding Editor - Miles R. Stillman

Director and Proprietor - A. H. Tibbals

Motto: What man has done, we can do.

Courage

by Unknown Author

We should brave trouble as the New England boy braves the winter. The school is a mile away over the hill, yet he lingers not by the fire, but with his books slung over his shoulders, and his cap tied down closely under his chin, he sets forth to brave the storm. When he reaches the topmost ridge where the powdered snow lies in drifts, and the north wind blows cold and biting, does he shrink and come down beneath the fences or run into the nearest house to warm himself? No, he buttons up his coat and rejoices to defy the blast and tosses the snow wreath with his foot and so erect and fearless, with strong heat and ruddy cheek, he goes on to his place at school. Now when the fierce winds of adversity blow over you and your life’s summer lies buried beneath frost and snow, do not linger inactive or sink cowardly by the way, nor turn aside from your course of momentary warmth and shelter, but with stout heart and firm step, go forward in God’s strength to vanquish trouble and bid defiance to disaster. If there is ever a time to be ambitious, it is not when ambition is easy, but when it is hard. Fight in darkness, fight when you are down, die hard and you won’t die at all. That gelatinous man whose bones are not even muscles and whose muscles are pulp, that man is a coward.

Mustache

by Alice Stillman

What a troublesome, repulsive and ridiculous thing is a mustache; and what a comfort and how irresistible. The mustache is troublesome on a cold and frosty day when your breath freezes and hangs in icicles therefrom. I should think it would be rather dangerous, as well as troublesome for those who are making their first attempt as I should think it would be apt to destroy their root and branch or do them some serious injury. It is troublesome when eating as your victuals frequently adhere to it. The mustache is ridiculous when they pretend to have one and are so scattering they are scarcely visible and to have to “dye” in order that their mustache may be observed. The mustache is repulsive when besmeared with tobacco juice. On the other hand, the mustache is a great comfort in cold weather in protecting the mouth from the severity of the weather. It is also advantageous in hiding any deficiency in the teeth or outline of the mouth. But, oh what in irresistible thing is a soft, silky, waving mustache. I have not words at my command to express my admiration of it so I will leave it for an abler pen.

Education

by Endora Coykendall

Education is a step stone to wisdom, the science by which we gain knowledge. See education spreading its wings over the broad extent of our universe. It is the educated mind that distinguishes persons from the soundless forms of animated nature around them. Through the means of education, cities have been built, churches, colleges and many other public buildings have been erected, steam engines constructed, the means by which we travel from one place to another, over the world by land and by water. Also, the magnetic telegraph by which news may be sent at lightening speed from place to place, all of which add to the happiness of mankind. A forebear further to test your patience, still much more could be said in this well meant, if not so considered, “composition.”

On Our Faults

by Dora

Let us not be over curious about the affairs of others but take account of our own. Let us bear in mind the excellencies of other people while we reckon up on our faults for they who book at the faults of others and at their own excellencies to those will be unprofitable in many ways. It is very often the case that we are looking for the faults of others when it would be better for ourselves if we were looking for our own, but such is the case, I am sorry to say with most of us. When we see one that has done well, it should be spoken of as such, but when we ourselves have committed a fault, we should become humble. If we act thus, we shall obtain a pleasure, which to most of us is unknown.

Friends and Schoolmates

by Adelbert Slingerland

I would inform you that I have been honored with an invite to help write a school composition paper. You will discover if you have had and practice in the business, that with such thick brains as I have got, it is a pretty difficult task but, however I will do the best I can and the audience will please excuse me if I don’t put on the “airs” that some of the abler ones do. You will no doubt discover that I am not very well skilled in the business as this is the first I ever tried to write and I guess by the time you hear or read, you will wish it to be my last so I will not weary your patience longer but will close hoping for better success the next time.

The Students

by The Schoolmaster

The Admirable, Abominable, Artful, Almighty, Armstrong

The Black, Bellowing, Belligerent, Billing, Bashful, Beautiful, Blanch

The Cowardly, Cadivenus, Crawling, Crazy, Courteous, Civil, Coykendall

The Haughty, Hateful, Humorous, Honest, Handsome Hydes

The Hideous, Happy, Healthy, Heavenly Hall

The Pilfering, Puttering, Peaceful, Pious, Pleasant Partridge

The Pining, Poor, Pretty, Plump, Petite, Prayerful Peabody

The Soft, Silly, Sweet, Simple Struble

The Short, Stingy, Sickish, Surly, Sagacious Sharpsteen

The Strong, Sauch, Sniffling, Sparking, Sincere Slingerland

The Sad, Sneaking, Sacrilegious, Supercilious, Slammering Stillman

The Trifling, Tedious, Tyrannical, Tall, Tiresome, Timid, Teasing, Tattling, Tinny, Truthful, Talented, Tibbals

. . . . . .

Albert Tibbals, the able teacher who tudored this collection taught fourteen winters and engaged in farming after serving three years in the 147th NY Infantry. He was at the battle of wilderness where more than 600 went into the wilderness on May 4, 1864, and less than 100 were left and fit for duty. He also had the honor of being at the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. He married Lucy E. Slingerland in 1866.

We are truly thankful to Schoolmaster A. H. Tibbals and to Marion Preston who were very generous to let these essays become part of this collection.

In 1873, $305.84 was designated for schools for the year, plus $6.25 for the use of School Commissioners.

Around 1895, the school population was 222 and employment was given to sixteen teachers. The value of school property in the town was $4,800.00. The total school tax for the town was $857.97 and from all sources there was raised for school purposed, the sum of $2,014.91, of which $1, 679.00 was paid to the teachers or a little more than $100.00 per year salary.

The first mentioned appointment of a truant officer was November 10, 1898, W. E. Winch.

As of this writing, the district schools were closed around 1935 and due to centralization, today our children attend schools in Honeoye, Wayland, Livonia and Naples.