Reed School

This past Saturday, Ruth, my daughter, Sue and I visited the Reed School, a former one-room country school on Highway 10 east of Neillsville and now a Wisconsin Historical Society site.  It’s open for visitors from ten to four on weekends from May 3 to October 26.  Sue’s new book, One Room Schools: Stories from the Days of 1 Room, 1 Teacher, 8 Grades, (Wisconsin Historical Society Press) features the Reed School on its cover.

Visiting the school reminded me of my days attending the Chain O’ Lake one-room school west of Wild Rose with its pictures of Lincoln and Washington hanging on the wall, the Red Wing water bubbler, the black board stretching across one end of the building, an upright piano standing off to the side, and the seats, some designed to fit first graders, some for eighth graders, all lined up in rows.

 

Hanging on one wall was the big regulator clock that I remember so well from my school days.  Our teachers were tough disciplinarians.  They wanted it so quiet in the school that we could hear the ticking of the clock.  Still today, I can hear the “tick-tock, tick tock” of that old clock, telling us how much time we had to be quiet before recess and we could race outside and play pom-pom-pull-away, anti-I-over, or kick the can—and use our outside voices.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: One room schools evoke many memories.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  It’s time to sign up for my writing class at The Clearing (Saturday, November 1). It’s all about writing stories from your life—to be shared with families, friends and more. Go to this link for further information. http://theclearing.org/current/classes_workshop_description.php?id=3

If that doesn’t work, write or call The Clearing:
12171 Garrett Bay Rd, Ellison Bay, WI 54210
(920) 854-4088.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

August 20, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. Madison. 5-7 p.m. Stories From the Land.  For more information: elindell@wisconsinacademy.org

August 22, Verona Library 7:00 p.m.  Farm Stories.

August 26, Neville Museum, Green Bay. 6:30 p.m.  Breweries of Wisconsin

September 9, 6:30 p.m., Monroe Library, Limping Through Life.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):

The library now has available both of Jerry’s DVDs, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps A Farm Story.

Also available are several of Jerry’s book including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, (which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story).

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.