a day in the sheldall schoolhouse
"In my opportunities for observing life I have scarcely noted a greater contrasting of human emotions than were expressed in the sobs and tears, the yells of glee, the howls of pain, the hard-fought games, the funny antics, the sallies of wit, and in the laughter and very joyousness of living displayed in and about the old Sheldall School house."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
-Nehemias Tjernagel
What did they wear?
Students often wore very simple, practical, and homemade clothing to school. Boys wore Kentucky jean coats, hickory shirts, and boots. Girls would have worn calico dresses, knit stockings, and mittens.
What Did they eat?
Lunches typically consisted of bread, lard, butter, molasses, egg, meat, cheese, and sometimes, if the children were lucky, cookies, doughnuts, or Kringla.
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This is a typical lunch pail that would have been used by rural school children, like those at the Sheldall Schoolhouse.
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What did they study?
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"To the willing workers there was opportunity for advancement then as now. The courses of study were, perhaps, not so full or as well planned as they came to be later, but with diligent application under intelligent guidance there was nothing to hinder the pupil from making good progress."
-Nehemias Tjernagel McGuffey readers were a staple in many rural schoolhouses, and the Sheldall Schoolhouse was no exception. "The anecdotes and fables of McGuffy's readers played an important part in moulding into the community the American way of life, all of which created that atmosphere from which grew the great characters of the past into their rich fruitage." -A.M. Henderson |
Often times, the teachers would take advantage of their surroundings and take their lessons outdoors.
“Occasionally the teachers would delight the children by taking them to the woods for a holiday. The school house being situated so near the timber gave fine opportunity for hikes along the "Chicago," the Indian name for our beloved stream, which term having been translated into English resolved itself into plain "Skunk." Once we took a half holiday to visit an Indian camp near its banks. There must have been fully a hundred Indians, men, women, and children, in the band. We watched them make camp, watched them as they roasted their skunk-sirloin over the fire, saw them feed their little ones and put them to sleep papoose-fashion, heard the song of the cry-baby and wondered why he used the same refrain as our babies do, and so on. We looked till we were tired. The Indians did not mind us any, but went quietly on with their business of doing little or nothing. They really preferred to remain unnoticed, nor did they appear to be the least bit curious about us, yet seeing everything that was going on without seeming to see."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“Occasionally the teachers would delight the children by taking them to the woods for a holiday. The school house being situated so near the timber gave fine opportunity for hikes along the "Chicago," the Indian name for our beloved stream, which term having been translated into English resolved itself into plain "Skunk." Once we took a half holiday to visit an Indian camp near its banks. There must have been fully a hundred Indians, men, women, and children, in the band. We watched them make camp, watched them as they roasted their skunk-sirloin over the fire, saw them feed their little ones and put them to sleep papoose-fashion, heard the song of the cry-baby and wondered why he used the same refrain as our babies do, and so on. We looked till we were tired. The Indians did not mind us any, but went quietly on with their business of doing little or nothing. They really preferred to remain unnoticed, nor did they appear to be the least bit curious about us, yet seeing everything that was going on without seeming to see."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
Slate tablets, similar to the one seen here, would have been used in one room schoolhouses like the Sheldall.
How did the Teachers maintain order?
"The teachers, as a rule, were good disciplinarians and where order and system prevail half the battle is won, and to impart as well as receive instruction becomes a pleasurable affair."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“On occasion the offender would be required to go forth, cut down, trim and prepare his own rod of punishment. This in itself was enough to humble most anybody. Sometimes a mischief-making ‘future president’ would be escorted over to the girls seats and made to sit between two of them, to his utter distress and mortification. At other times there would be wrong doers confined at recess and the miserable culprits would sit prisoners, sad in soul and spirit, and listen to the jubilee outside where all was freedom and happiness. Often the truant would be stood on his feet in front of the whole school till his legs ached, an abject example of the wages of wrong-doing."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“On occasion the offender would be required to go forth, cut down, trim and prepare his own rod of punishment. This in itself was enough to humble most anybody. Sometimes a mischief-making ‘future president’ would be escorted over to the girls seats and made to sit between two of them, to his utter distress and mortification. At other times there would be wrong doers confined at recess and the miserable culprits would sit prisoners, sad in soul and spirit, and listen to the jubilee outside where all was freedom and happiness. Often the truant would be stood on his feet in front of the whole school till his legs ached, an abject example of the wages of wrong-doing."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
How did the Students interact with one another?
"Though there were no bullies or 'rough necks' in our school, human nature expressed itself here as elsewhere, and "boys will be boys" as the newcomer said: therefore, when a passing spark happened to touch tinder, there would be a sudden rumpus, unexpected as a bolt from heaven, subsiding, however, almost as quickly as it had come. The teacher, as a rule, kept an eye out for such performances and, of course, forbade them. Nevertheless, the belligerents would forget and get into trouble again and again and then, oh my! how the chips would fly. The girls were all regular ladies, of course, but they certainly could scratch."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
-Nehemias Tjernagel
What games did the children play?
"We used to play Anti-over, Blackman, Drop-the-handkerchief, Needle's-eye, Norwegian ball, yes, even Sock-ball. In Blackman, Needle's-eye and Drop-the-handkerchief the girls joined, but Sockball, which simply consisted in throwing the ball as hard as possible where it might hurt the most, was taken part in only by the bigger boys. It was a foolish, cruel sport. A few of the boys happened to be hit killing blows in the abdomen, and each had much ado in regaining his breath, let alone recovering from the pain which would linger on for days. Fortunately for the school the rough sport was abandoned.”
-Nehemias Tjernagel
"The glorious old game of Norwegian ball remained ever the chief amusement as far as the boys were concerned. None of us will forget the master hits of a muscular new-comer pupil, when with his hickory bat he sent the ball soaring to meet the sun, thus enabling him to make the home-run and with time to spare before the tantalizing ball would reach the hands itching to catch it and put him out. One of the boys wielded his batting-stick so that the ball would fly over his head and rearward, where nobody thought it necessary to be on guard to meet it. Another batter's terrific drives sent the ball hurtling straight ahead like a cannon and woe to him who got in its way. The skillful hitter made the home base in leisurely fashion, smiling all the while as the outfielders hunted frantically for the ball last seen bobbing up and down far beyond the schoolyard in the Sheldall meadow. To see one's side lose a game just because some awkward performer didn't ply his legs in proper order when about to touch the base, and then to hear his despairing yell as the ball unmercifully bored into his flesh and put him out, was trying to say the least."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
"Sometimes the teachers would join in the games, and often they acted as umpires. The better the games, the better the spirit throughout, and as long as such amusements were not overstressed they were really beneficial to the school work in general."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
-Nehemias Tjernagel
"The glorious old game of Norwegian ball remained ever the chief amusement as far as the boys were concerned. None of us will forget the master hits of a muscular new-comer pupil, when with his hickory bat he sent the ball soaring to meet the sun, thus enabling him to make the home-run and with time to spare before the tantalizing ball would reach the hands itching to catch it and put him out. One of the boys wielded his batting-stick so that the ball would fly over his head and rearward, where nobody thought it necessary to be on guard to meet it. Another batter's terrific drives sent the ball hurtling straight ahead like a cannon and woe to him who got in its way. The skillful hitter made the home base in leisurely fashion, smiling all the while as the outfielders hunted frantically for the ball last seen bobbing up and down far beyond the schoolyard in the Sheldall meadow. To see one's side lose a game just because some awkward performer didn't ply his legs in proper order when about to touch the base, and then to hear his despairing yell as the ball unmercifully bored into his flesh and put him out, was trying to say the least."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
"Sometimes the teachers would join in the games, and often they acted as umpires. The better the games, the better the spirit throughout, and as long as such amusements were not overstressed they were really beneficial to the school work in general."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
What sort of Mischief did the Students get up to?
“There was a pinching mania that spread through the whole school, which persisted for a considerable time. One would steal behind another and pinch his or her arm with might and main. Though the pain was maddening, a few would let on, but craftily watched for their chance to get even. Our arms were black and blue for weeks and weeks afterwards. It was all done so cleverly that the teacher was only able to note the result, not the cause.”
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“Sometimes we would walk on stilts, but only a few proved to be expert at it. One of the older boys was long and lanky and athletic to a degree, and when with his enormous stilts he swung along-side the school house, shook hands with the chimney and sat by the belfry to eat his dinner, we thought he was the greatest acrobat ever. He would rise and crow gleefully like a self-confident rooster when he had finished his meal, then stride majestically forward. But on one occasion he was too cock-sure in his movements, causing him to break one of his stilts. The mishap flung him forward thrice the length of his body before he was properly flattened out on the ground."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“Sometimes we would walk on stilts, but only a few proved to be expert at it. One of the older boys was long and lanky and athletic to a degree, and when with his enormous stilts he swung along-side the school house, shook hands with the chimney and sat by the belfry to eat his dinner, we thought he was the greatest acrobat ever. He would rise and crow gleefully like a self-confident rooster when he had finished his meal, then stride majestically forward. But on one occasion he was too cock-sure in his movements, causing him to break one of his stilts. The mishap flung him forward thrice the length of his body before he was properly flattened out on the ground."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
What sort of Extracurricular activities did the Students participate in?
Many of the students at the Sheldall Schoolhouse were musically inclined, so much so that a few of the students created their own band. The Riverside Band was founded by the Henderson and Tjernagel brothers, who sold cattle and eggs in order to afford their instruments. The band competed in several competitions, in one such competition the Riverside band competed against several other bands made up of city 'dudes.' These bands were a bit intimidating, but the Riverside Band was able to show as one of the best bands present. In all the excitement the boys had not stopped to consider how they would make the trip home. Realizing that they did not have enough money for the train fare, they convinced a grumpy old Irish man with a couple of rickety wagons to drive them home. The Riverside Band was instrumental in the preservation of the Sheldall Schoolhouse. After its closure in 1885, the Riverside Band had the house moved to a nearby farm, in order to use it for band practices. In 1915, the Riverside Band also oversaw the move of the Sheldall Schoolhouse from Randall, where it was being used as a private residence, back to its original site.
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The image on the left is of the Riverside Band in their youth. The above image is of a later reunion of the Riverside Band.
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"There was much sociability among the people in the early days, and this spirit communicated itself to the children at the school; they loved to go a visiting. Sometime the school would tramp in a body to a neighboring school just for a friendly call, or to be present at some program.”
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“The pupils would have a royal time getting acquainted, and in combining in one grand aggregation during a game. Some of the boys rather new to each other reminded one of strange dogs accidentally thrown together, that sniff and smell around, hair bristling and all that, but finally make up and nearly run their legs off in their eager show of friendliness.”
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“When such visits were made during winter we would pile into bob-sleighs and scud through startled neighborhoods to the accompaniment of bells and general vocal hullabaloo. In going to spelling matches in the evenings we would generally fill up Henry L. Henderson's big sleigh drawn by his two powerful mules, and off we were with a flourish, the champion speller and owner of the outfit at the reins and his henchmen huddled in a heap behind.”
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“The exhilaration of the ride and the excitement of the contest helped rouse us to action and initiative. Rarely, if ever, did these spelling-matches or debates deteriorate into anything objectionable. The teachers as well as many of the patrons attended; and the great majority of the pupils themselves had no desire for other than good instruction provided together with opportunities for wholesome recreation."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“The pupils would have a royal time getting acquainted, and in combining in one grand aggregation during a game. Some of the boys rather new to each other reminded one of strange dogs accidentally thrown together, that sniff and smell around, hair bristling and all that, but finally make up and nearly run their legs off in their eager show of friendliness.”
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“When such visits were made during winter we would pile into bob-sleighs and scud through startled neighborhoods to the accompaniment of bells and general vocal hullabaloo. In going to spelling matches in the evenings we would generally fill up Henry L. Henderson's big sleigh drawn by his two powerful mules, and off we were with a flourish, the champion speller and owner of the outfit at the reins and his henchmen huddled in a heap behind.”
-Nehemias Tjernagel
“The exhilaration of the ride and the excitement of the contest helped rouse us to action and initiative. Rarely, if ever, did these spelling-matches or debates deteriorate into anything objectionable. The teachers as well as many of the patrons attended; and the great majority of the pupils themselves had no desire for other than good instruction provided together with opportunities for wholesome recreation."
-Nehemias Tjernagel
How else was the Sheldall Schoolhouse used?
In addition to hosting extracurricular educational events, the Sheldall Schoolhouse also played host to a variety of other public events. Being the only public building available in the area, the schoolhouse was often the site of local band practices, the singing school, church services, weddings, community forums, elections, and even traveling medicine shows. These additional uses of the schoolhouse worked to serve the area farm families as a whole and built up a stronger sense of community.
The above photo is of the ballot box that was used during the presidential election of 1860 at the Sheldall Schoolhouse.
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