Long Creek School - 1877

Long Creek School - 1877. Washington County Heritage Trail. Early settlers valued education and established "country schools" throughout the rural areas of Washington County. Long Creek School District #8 Fort Calhoun, was organized in 1866, built by the creek it was named for. By 1877, a new larger one was needed, so this school was constructed on the hill overlooking the creek. , A wood stove heated the rectangular building, Shutters on the windows were closed in cold weather. By 1912, the front porch was added, and in 1929, the rear window was replaced by a door, probably to make it easier to bring in firewood. Electricity arrived in 1941. The brick chimney is original to the school. If you look closely, you'll find student's initials carved into the brick. , Students walked to school or road horses. The horses were stabled in a shed behind the school, and water was drawn from a nearby farm. Boy's and girl's outhouses and a storm cave were nearby. In the late 1890s there were about 40 students. The largest enrollment was 62. , Often the teachers were young women fresh out of school themselves, and they taught children from 1st to 8th grade in one room, being disciplinarian, nurse, and teacher. Generally they roomed with families in the community. As expected, students were not fond of teachers staying in their homes. , There were over 50 county schools dotting Washington County in the early settlement years. Like Long Creek School, they fell victim to the pressures of funding and dwindling student enrollment as more of the population migrated to towns. The one-room schoolhouse consolidated with the modern public-school system. Long Creek School saw its last students in 1969 before it was merged into the Blair School District. , Schools as Community Gathering Places , Schools were the hub of the community and hosted many types of events. 4-H clubs, Sunday School, family reunions, dances, and baseball games all used the school for their meetings and events. In the 1920s Box Socials were popular as fund-raisers. Lunches were made and placed in pretty decorated boxes and auctioned to the highest bidder. In 1921 the students purchased their one and only piano from money they had raised with Box Socials.. That piano remains in the school and was beautifully restored in 2024.