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Joyce,

As I continue to go through old pictures, and such, of my parents, I have found some additional materials that may be candidates for your great history website.  The attached are the scans of a “Closing Day” booklet which my mother had.  It is for the North Chemung one-room grammar school, Baldwin #1 I believe, for the school year ended June 18, 1930.  My mother, Norma Rafferty, was just 5 and finishing 1st grade.

I have also attached a school picture from this same school, taken, I believe a year or two later than the booklet is for, judging from my mother’s appearance of age, and the fact that only about half of the names match.

Regards, Gary Olin
Milford, NH

Hi Joyce,

Thanks.  I did get some valuable clarification from my Aunts.  The memory book and the class picture are both from Baldwin #1.  This one-room school was/is located in the center of North Chemung (old Hammond’s Corner) near the Union Church at the intersection of Breesport-North Chemung Road and Federal Road.  This school operated at least into the mid 1950’s, because my sister started there in 1st grade in 1953 and we moved the next year, just before I would have started there also.  My mom and dad rented the old Methodist Parsonage which was/is located a few hundred yards north on the Breesport-North Chemung Road.  In the 60’s or 70’s, someone used the school house as a general store.  I was at the Church recently for a family funeral lunch, and noticed the building looked unused at this time.
 

My Schoolmates

Nora Little
Harold Drake
Gertrude Tuthill
Harold Phillips
Herbert Phillips
Herbert Thayer
Edith Theeetge
Ella Theetge
Howard Baker
Forrest Baker
Mildred Moore
Lloyd Moore
 

Clifford Laun
Robert Thayer
Richard Thayer
Mae Little
Frances Little
Richard Courtright
Milton Courtright
Tracey Courtright
Charles Little
Rose Austin
Marjorie McMaster
Norma Rafferty
North Chemung, NY School  (Baldwin #1) picture circa 1932 
Bk Row: D. Gibert, Ona Lockwood, Aspha Nichols, Baby Nichols, Agnes Whitehead, Louise Bowman, Ella Butts, Nora Little 

Mid Row: Geraldine Little, Shirley Drake, Francis Little, Bob Crume, Rose Austin, Mildred Moore, Mae Little, Marian Hogenson, Mary Azad, Marjorie McMaster, Marjorie Austin, Norma Rafferty, Jean Laun 

Standing front of mid row: Jean Lockwood, “Nichols girl” 

Sittting: Earl Doan, Icke Moore, Charles Drake, Clifford Luan, Burr Roberts, Charles Little, Doug Roberts, Don Whitehead 

Joyce,
This is Baldwin #2, located about 2 miles east of the center of North Chemung on Federal Road on the north side of the road adjacent to the Cuer farm.  My grandparents, George & Gladys Rafferty, lived about 1/8 mile west on the south side of the road.  They raised seven children there, and they all went to this school.  Their oldest, my mother, Norma, started at Baldwin #1 in 1929, but finished grammar school in 1938 at this school, Baldwin #2. Their second, George, who was 5 years younger, went all 8 years at this school.  This leads me to believe that Baldwin #2 was likely constructed and opened somewhere in the period of 1931-34.

The attached pictures where provided by my Uncle, George A. Rafferty, with this explanation:

“This is my old school house.  These pictures were taken in 2007 by Wayne Cuer who now owns it. I finished 8th grade here in June 1942. I had the same teacher for all 8 grades. Note that the outhouses are gone. They were on the back corners; boys on the left, girls on the right, and there was a wood shed on the left toward the front.”
Also, as an aside, my mother’s Grammar School diploma indicates that they were under the Edgewood Schools, District No. Three, of Southport, Elmira, New York.  When I looked up the Southport schools information on the site, the district numbers jump from like one up to four, so I am not sure what schools were in this district and where they were located.

Regards
Gary Olin

I will send you some pictures for another one-room school in North Chemung, Baldwin #2, which was/is located about 2 miles east on Federal Road near the Cuer farm.


Two of my Aunts; Barbara (Rafferty) McDermott, and Beverly (Rafferty) Burger, who are both in the attached class picture, provided the following names:

North Chemung School, Baldwin #2,  Picture taken about 1946-47

Front row Left > Right: Marilyn Hughes, Marilyn ?, Beverly Hughes. 

Second row L>R: Irene Dietrick, Kathleen Ettenberger, Beverly Rafferty, Danny Burlew, Wayne Cuer. 

Third Row L>R: Marjorie Brown, Phyllis Hughes, Tom Burlew, Lloyd Brown. 

Fourth Row L>R: Barbara Rafferty, Mrs. Culver, Lloyd Dietrick, Robert Rafferty

Chemung County NY
Published On Site On 01 APR 2009
By Joyce M. Tice