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Hendy Creek School Photo by Joan NASH O'Dell 1999 Article by Nelda COOK Holton
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When we look at the modern schools we have today, it is difficult to imagine how crude the first schools really were. As the settlers cleared their land and built their homes, schools were established; however, at first the children were taught in the homes by their parents. It consisted mainly of reading, writing, arithmetic, and spelling.
The first schools were wooden structures of the one-room variety. These served as a school and it was a meeting place for Sunday School and other religious “gatherings”
The Rev. Thomas K. Beecher at one time held church services in the school in Rosstown (Christian Hollow) and the school on Dutch Hill also was used for religious meetings.
The first school in Southport was built in 1799 on the northwest corner of Maple Avenue and Cedar Street. It was known as the “Fitzsimmons School”. The next school to be built was in 1806 on the Draper Nichols property near Bulkhead on Pennsylvania Avenue. It was in 1839 that a school was built at Southport Corners. Gradually several other schools were built throughout the Town. Pennsylvania Avenue School was built in 1898 and was abandoned in 1961 when the Broadway School was opened.
As the population increased a more organized system of schools were necessary. It was circa 1812 when a law was passed in New York State creating a system of common schools. The operating costs were met (not with school taxes as we have now), but by giving each family in a district its share of the expenses that were based on the school attendance for that particular family. During the summer the Trustees would visit each family to count the number of children that would be attending school. Each family would pay their share for the salary, board, lodging for the teacher, firewood for the stoves and other services.
In the early schools long wooden benches were located along the side of the room and small desks were arranged in rows in the middle of the room. School usually commenced at 9:00 a.m. and closed at 4:00 p.m. A “pot-bellied” stove provided the heat for the room. These usually stood in the corner of the room or occupied a space in the center of the room --- roasting those nearby and freezing those farther away. The drinking water was provided with a water-pail and a tin dipper. Germs were unheard of!
Often the water froze in the pail on the far side of the room. Later, the schools got “modern” and the water was kept in a CROCK with a “push-button” dispenser. !
In 1865 our town had sixteen school districts and employed sixteen teachers!!
Our town progressed rapidly and when it consolidated with the Elmira City School District on July 1, 1957, it was a major change in the schools for Southport.
Now, with a decreased enrollment, schools are being closed – have or are making a cycle of our educational system? Only time will determine the future educational means for the children.
Nelda C. Holton, Southport Town Historian
Appeared in the Jan/Feb issue of the Southport Historical Society newsletter in 1983.
Retyped by Virginia R McElroy Southport Town Historian 2002
“THE OLD RED SCHOOL HOUSE”
The Dry Run Road School was located on the Dry Run Road, Pine City, in the Town of Southport. To quote from a deed dated July 8, 1845 “beginning at the point where the highway crosses the west line of said lot Number One Hundred and Twenty-four and now thence along said Highway five rods to a stake, thence up the creek and containing the same course about parallel with said Highway ten rods and a half to the west line of said lot Number One Hundred and Twenty-four, and thence along said west line of said lot Number One Hundred and Twenty-four to the place of Beginning containing about one quarter of an acre of land more or less” This indenture was made between James R Chapman of the first part and the Trustees of the School District Number Sixteen in said Town of Southport.
The school was open from 1845 to 1957 but because of the School consolidation, the Dry Run School building was sold at a public action in 1958 to Bob Kinner, who is credited with transforming the building into a livable dwelling. He installed a modern kitchen, rewired the structure and created a loft. Since that time, various owners such as Chuck Machesfsy, Becky Gaines, Tommy Hilfinger, and now Patty Cunningham have occupied the house, which is situated on a picturesque one-acre wooded lot. Patty Cunningham purchased the home from Elmira native and famed fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, who used it as a vacation home and later rented it to a blacksmith.
In 1957 when the schools consolidated, 24 students from the Dry Run School were transferred to Pennsylvania Avenue School and Hopkins Street School.
Source: ”The Chemung Historical Journal” March 1990 article by Nelda Holton,
Southport Town Historian
Star Gazette articles Sept 2, 1969 and April 15, 1993.
Typed by Virginia R. McElroy, Southport Town Historian, May, 2002
Seely
Creek School was a little school nestled along the banks of Seely Creek
just south of the community of Webb Mills.
The schoolhouse is, if not the original building, only the second one,
as Mrs. Redfield’s father went to school in it, as she did herself.
The Seely Creek School house was moved across the road to eliminate flooding
on Tuesday a.m. of May 22, 1951.
It is no longer in existence today.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” March, 1990 article by Nelda C. Holton,
Southport Town Historian.
Miss Frances Smith, 1748 Penna. Ave., Pine City, NY note to Historian dated Sept 8, 1989.
Typed by Virginia R. McElroy, Town Historian, May 2002
MOUNTAIN VIEW SCHOOL
The Mountain View School was located on Upper Mountain View Drive. Originally it was a red one-room with eight grades; however around 1940 it was made into a two-room school.
Charles R. Farmer was instrumental in obtaining the first school bus to this school. It was a maroon panel truck with seats on both sides and held about 12 children with Jay Bortle as its driver.
The school had its own well in the entranceway with a pitcher pump!
One of the first 4-H clubs was started in this school by Rufus Stanley. The children always had so much fun during the recess – playing around in the surrounding hills.
It remains in an excellent condition today and is owned by Steven Crandall and used for storage.
An excerpt from a letter forwarded to Nelda Holton by the Chemung County Historical Society from Nancy Crandell Long dated Sept 29, 1991, a former student of Mountain View School:
I attended Mountain View School until the completion of fourth grade and our family moved to California in 1947. My teacher was wonderful, Mrs. Anderson, who could handle all eight grades of us. She was a well-organized woman who did not tolerate tardiness or playing pin-the-bottle at recess. Despite her lectures, we still “skated” on the frozen creek across the road from the school and tobogganed down Mt. View Road after a good snowfall.
When I left in August 1947, I recall only one building, with all of us being taught at separate tables by grades. We fourth graders were often assigned to give spelling tests or flash card drills to the younger children, while
Outlined to older students what she expected them to accomplish for the day.
I regretted that I would miss riding on our new school bus, as before that we mostly walked.
I remember some of my classmates as: Barbara Farmer, Suzanne Messing, Donald Cornish, Eugene Bennett and a girl whose last name was Bedrosian.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” dated March 1990 article written by
Nelda C Holton, Southport Town Historian
Letter from Nancy Crandell Long of Calif. Dated Sept. 29, 1991
Typed by Virginia R. McElroy, Southport Town Historian, May, 2002
SAGETOWN SCHOOL
The Sagetown School was built by Charles Wilkins just prior to the Civil War. It sat on a small triangular plot, which also consisted of the present Sagetown Cemetery on the Dutch Hill Road in Sagetown. The white school was quite large and held eight grades. In later years it was torn down. Gladys Cady was once a teacher there.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” March, 1990 article by Nelda C.
Holton, Southport Town Historian
Retyped by Virginia R. McElroy, Southport Town Historian, May, 2002
In earlier times it was known as the Whitlock School, so named as it was built on property owned by a Whitlock family. I first began my education in this school at the age of seven, in the fall of 1921. At that time, depending upon the weather, a two mile walk with my older sister, at seven thirty or a few minutes later, was a long jaunt over dusty, muddy, or snow covered roads. South Creek, now Rte 14, became a cement road in the middle 1920’s. School sessions began at nine o’clock in the one room school, with singing a song, repeating the Lord’s prayer and a salute to the American Flag.
There was a large round, heating stove in the center of the room. An elderly gentleman in the neighborhood was our hired janitor who built the fire in the early morning. Later a teacher threw wood into the firebox during the rest of the day. When the weather grew really cold, we had coal for heat so the chore was simplified somewhat. The older boys were responsible for carrying the wood or coal from the outside woodshed. Our drinking water was carried, by two volunteers each day, from two of the neighbor’s houses. One of them lived close to the school, by the creek, and we could go just a short distance and pump the water from a chain pump. However, during the rainy season, we had to walk quite a distance to the other neighbor’s because otherwise we would have angleworms and muddy water in the pail Ugh! Our thirst was quenched with the water from a long handled, gray enameled, dipper which hung on a nail in the wall above the water pail on a bench. Today there is concern if the wall fountain of ice water isn’t operating. What great improvement, but so much inexperience in country living.
As for our education, we had no kindergarten, but grades one through eight were taught, varied number of students. My first teacher was Pearl Harris, who lived at 825 Broadway. She also taught piano to my sister and I. We had individual grade recitations in the front of the room, where a single class sat on a long bench for instruction. I thought it was a great privilege to be called upon to write the solution to an arithmetic problem on the slate board with a piece of chalk. Every student was exposed to all the activity of each grade and I am amazed at our ability to concentrate on our individual English assignments at our desk, while another history or arithmetic lesson was being discussed. After Eight years of country learning, I entered Southside High School and my first day was much more scary than in Sept 1921.
Star Gazette Article, June 10, 1946:
Fire caused by lightning, did an estimated $400 damage to Southport District 8 school house on the South Creek Road Saturday night. A motorist discovered the fire about 9:30 pm and gave the alarm.
Trustee Walter Cook, used a hand operated spray. Other neighbors carried buckets of water and controlled the fire which had been smouldering in the partition between the entrance hall and the school room. Mr. Cook said the damage will be repaired as soon as possible. The fire did not get through the roof.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” March 1990 article by Nelda
C.
Holton, Southport Town Historian.
Information compiled by Nelda Holton from Aurelia Campbell, 1988
Retyped by Virginia R McElroy, Southport Town Historian, May 2002
Star Gazetter article June 10, 1946
BIRD CREEK SCHOOL
The Bird Creek School was on Bird Creek Road, about a mile south of
Pennsylvania Avenue.
Not much is known relative to this school; however it has been here since the early 1850’s. Some of the teachers who taught here were: Mrs. Meredith (Cox) McWhorter who later became superintendent of the Second Supurvisory District of Chemung County Schools, Helen Prentiss,a Mrs.Searles, Mrs.Leah(Landon) Strouse (who began her first teaching position here in 1912).
The Southport Historical Society does have in their archival records the original book of “Clerk’s book of the Bird Creek Road School No. 9” depicting minutes from 1950 to 1957.
Some of the children that were attending the Bird Creek School in 1933-1934 were: Edna Mulisen, Arleine Jacque, Alice Elliott, Marguerite Brooks, Marie Mulisen, Virginia Morrell, Helen Madison, Barbara Baker, Gladys Elliott,
Robert Morrell, Herman Mulisen, Rex Balmer, James Madison, Mortimer Elliott, Douglas Wilson, Robert Manchester, Robert Joralemon, Earl Erway Jr., Neddo Brooks, Robert Watkins, Bernice Starr, Fanchion Amey. The teacher was Mrs. Gordon (Pauline Dickerson) Lord.
The school is now a family resident.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” March 1990, article by Nelda C
Holton, Southport Town Historian
Picture from Mrs. Pauline Lord
Retyped by Virginia R. McElroy, Southport Town Historian, May, 2002.
PINE CITY SCHOOL
The first school in the hamlet of Pine City was a small one-room white frame building, built prior to 1864 and located down near Seely Creek, sometimes called the Pine Woods School. Sometime later, it was abandoned and torn down because of flood waters
This old Pine City elementary school and the school bell that called children to class for more than 100 years seem to be among the things that come and go without anyone recording their origins.
Eighty-nine year old Mrs. Julia Edsall of Pine City in a newpaper article in 1962 said that she attended the school when she was 10 (1883), remembers the building when it was in place near Seely Creek. But the school and bell were there when she started.
Mrs. Norbert C. Gehrig of 1550 Pennsylvania Ave., was the last custodian of the old school.Later – how much later is not known – the school was moved nearer to Seely Creek. The same building was moved back to its final site because the school trustees were dissatisfied with the new location. In 1890 this school had an enrollment of 25 pupils and Miss Minnie Moffett was the teacher.
Before the new school was build, the increased number of students made it necessary to hold classes in the old I.O.O. F. Hall (Charles G. Fairman Lodge). This later was razed to accommodate space for the new school.
No longer will students have to cross the highway with a pail to get water from nearby residents. The new school has a well which will soon be equipped to purify its own water. No longer will students all be next door neighbors.
A picture was donated to the Town Historian by Mrs.Elsie Edsall of the Pine City School and Class of 1910. Miss Addie Chilson was the teacher and listed in her class was: Dee Collier, Florence Burlew, Willard Ripley, George Parmelee, Gladys Andrews, Jessie Warner, Granite Collier, Ethel VanCuren, Helena Edsall, Leon Andrews, Alfred Burlew, Alta Colony, Maisy Colony, Laura Sevaly, Elizabeth Cassada, Frances Lieback, Donald Sevaly, Franklin Cassada, Gordon Ham, Arthur Baker, Conrad Collier, Alfred Colony (?), Mildred Young, Anna Young, Stanley Zieback and Marion Collier.
The new Pine City School’s history began in September 1957, after the Elmira School District was consolidated with 29 other small local districts. The school board authorized the construction of a new school building that was to incorporate seven very small schools: Dry run Road School No. 2, Seely Creek School No. 5, Mountain View School No. 6, Sagetown School No. 7, Bird Creek School No. 9, Pine City School No. 10 and Kinner Hill School No. 12. Mr. LeRoy Opelt was the first principal of the new Pine City School and in front of the new modern school stands the old school bell, a fading memory.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” dated March 1990 article written by Nelda C.
Holton, Southport Town Historian.
Picture from Mrs. Elsie Edsall & Nancy Edsall Marsh, April 19, 1993
Star Gazette article dated: November 20, 1957, February 27, 1962, January 13, 1976, and Sept 26, 1986
DUTCH HILL SCHOOL
The Dutch Hill School was located on the northwest corner of Dutch Hill and Clark Hollow Road. The original school house burned and was replaced about 1891. It was a large school. During the late 1800’s it also served as a church when the Rev. Rudolph Vieweg often came up from the German Evangelical Church in Elmira and held religious services here.
Some teachers who taught here were: Betty Kerr, Molly Kerr, Mary Kimport, Carol Reynolds (Mertens), Marguerite (Ryan) Bower, Elizabeth Wade, and Gladys (Newell).
Iva Osborn Riley remembers when she was only eight years old she started school at the Dutch Hill School in 1927. Her sister, Myrtle, was fourteen at the time, also went there with me. It was a one-room school with a backroom built on. You entered the school through an “anteroom”. Every morning two of the children went up to the Motchman home (1/4 of a mile away) and carried a pail of water to be used at the school. We had a large tin dipper in the pail and everyone drank from the dipper; however, we later had our own cups. In the anteroom we had a bench with a wash basin and a cake of Lifebuoy soap to use. At noon time, we would take our turn washing our hands before we ate our lunches. We wiped them on a hick roller towel. Each time we dried our hands, you would pull the towel down a notch to get a new clean spot. We had a clean towel every day. The teacher must have taken the towels home at night where she boarded and washed them.
We had three rows of desks. Each seat would seat two pupils and the seats were screwed down to the floor. Up in the front of the room on the right was a big old square piano. Then in the middle in the front of the room was the teacher’s desk with a blackboard behind it and a blackboard to the right of the room. There were benches under the blackboards. Then over at the left in front of the room was a huge stove with a large tin around it. The tin must have been at least 6 feet in circumference. Many mornings and sometimes all day long, we had to sit in front of the stove to keep warm. The stove also had a water pan on top of it. It had to be washed and filled with fresh water every day.
Every morning we had a hygiene inspection. If we passed, we got one of those stick-on stars on the chart. We had hooks to hang our wraps on and we had to put our boots underneath our hook. Each morning we all recited the Lord’s Prayer and saluted the Flag.
We had to walk two miles one way to school over hill and vale and there weren’t any houses for about a mile and a half. I remember the snow used to drift about 20 feet deep at the top of Hazen Hill. One time, in the spring when it was still quite cold, we saw a bear sitting down by the edge of the creek with his back against a stump… asleep – sunning himself. We tip-toed by him and ran all the way up Hazen’s Hill. We had a graduation party down at the school in Hendy Hollow, District 14. It was complete with diplomas and a dance in 1934. We would go down and visit the Hendy Hollow School quite often, all six or seven kids and teacher. Some of the students were Dermont, Anna, Marian Miner, Melvin Sawyer, Alma and myself. Some of the teachers were Marguerite (Ryan) Bower, Betty Kerr, Molly Kerr, Mary Kimport, Carol Reynolds (Mertens), Elizabeth Wade and Gladys Genung (Newell). Other teachers have been Miss Sue Gillmer of Charles St., Elmira, and Helen Shelanskey Tolbert
The Rev. Rudolf Viewieg served as pastor of the German Evangelical Church in Elmira and also conducted services in the No. 11 School on Dutch Hill and in Hendy Hollow for a number of years. This church was in existence during 1898-1899.
In early 1987 the school building was sold to a Dr. Mary Skinner and moved along the Clark Hollow Road and converted into a private home. Owen Hofbauer owned the land when the school closed . Hofbauer bought the farm in 1944 from John Motchman. Although the land became his when the school closed, the buildings didn’t go with it. So Hofbauer bought the school, shed, garage and two outhouses for $125. He was the only bidder. He sold one of the outhouses for $25. to a resident on Dry Run Road whouses it for a tool shed. The rest of the buildings have been used to store things like an old altar that once served the faithful at St. John’s Catholic Church in Elmira. The altar goes with the school. Skinner plans to use it as a food counter.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” Sept 1989 article by Iva Osborn Riley
“ The Chemung Historical Journal” March 1990 article by Nelda Holton
Star Gazette article Jan 29, 1987
KINNER HILL SCHOOL
The Kinner Hill School was situated on a hill three miles west of the Sagetown Road. The land for this school was taken from the former Lewis fruit farm. It, too, reverted back to the owner of the farm when it ceased to be used as a school. Ed Olds owned the farm at that time and later sold the land and building. It was remodeled and served as a home for two different families.
According to an old record book this is the second school that has stood here as the first one burned. School taxes were high in this district as it contained only farm lands, we had no businesses or railroad to help with our taxes in this district. School meeting nights were a time of heated discussions over the teacher’s salary, the price of wood or coal, etc. and how much our taxes would be. We do not have any record of when the first school was built. Likely, in the mid 1800’s when people began to settle on the hill.
The teachers of all one room schools taught all eight grades and usually was the janitor, as well. The heat was a wood or coal stove in the center of the room with two rows of seats on each side of the stove. You came to school in the winter time just about frozen, hands and feet so cold after walking long distances, in the snow, over snow drifts and in the wind. You sat by the stove to thaw out. The teachers and pupils had great fun together making soups and hot chocolate which was the highlight of the school day.
Some of the early teachers were: Gracy Bly, Edna Cleveland, Robert Dowling, Bernice Ham, Genevieve Kelly, Grace Killigrew, and John Ryan.
The water supply was carried by pupils from a spring nearby in the orchard of Ora Kelly and on occasion it was obtained from the Herbert Rozell’s farm down on the Bly Road. The building is still standing today, but in a state of disrepair.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” March 1990 article by Nelda Holton, Prudence C Ham & Frances Jerram Brown
CHRISTIAN HOLLOW SCHOOL OR ROSSTOWN SCHOOL
The Rosstown School is located on the Christian Hollow Road and the corner of the Lightizer Road. The original school house was a log structure, which stood on the opposite side of the road, and across the creek from the present school – in the point of land between the creek and the Miller Hill Road. There may have been a frame building erected on that site previous to the building of the present structure. George W. Heaxt, who lived near the school, and was a carpenter with his son, Martin, erected the building on the present site.
The boundaries of the Rosstown School were as follows: beginning at the Northwest corner of the old Job Smith farm and running southwardly on the line between the Job Smith farm and the Abram Gornee farm to the southeast corner of said Gornee farm. Thence south on the east line of the Lawrence Tract to the Pennsylvania line. Thence west on said Pennsylvania line until it intersects the southwest corner of School District No. 9. Thence north on the east line of said No. 9 to the northwest corner of Edmund Miller’s lot. Thence west along the north line of said Miller’s lot and Samuel Carr’s lot and the south line of Draper Nichols lot to the place of beginning.
For
many years the schoolhouse was also used as a church. The Rev. Thomas
K Beecher came out from Elmira to conduct services and his picture hung
on the wall for the entire period. Some of the students attended
grammar school as late as in the 1900’s. It was the schoolhouse from which
the funerals of the local residents were held, sometimes with a minister
from Southport Corners or upon occasion, Mr. Peter Swick, a local resident,
conducted the services.
Until
recent years, the Christmas entertainment of the pupils of the Rosstown
School was attended by the entire community. The festivity featured
a large tree with lighted candles and Santa himself to distribute the gifts.
The building has been made into a lovely dwelling.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” date March 1990 article by Nelda Holton
District No. 13 School Clerk’s Book
Retyped by Virginia R McElroy , Southport Town Historian, May, 2002
UPPER HENDY HOLLOW ROAD
Little is known concerning the school on Upper Hendy Hollow Road near the Chemung Steuben County line. It was mentioned by Iva Osborn Riley that parties and other doings were held here on various occasions. It is now a lovely home
The Historian’s archive files have some pictures of students from Southport District No. 14 dated late ‘40s or early ‘50s, but no names.
Source: “The Chemung Historical Journal” dated March 1990 article by Nelda
Holton, Southport Town Historian
Retyped by Virginia R McElroy, Southport Town Historian, May 2002
SOUTHPORT CORNERS
Hi Joyce,
You have a great genealogy site and I hope you don't mind if I point
out an error on one of the articles on this school page (see below).
It's an error in the original article that was transcribed, I think,
not the transcription.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp/souvenir/soutscho.htm
SOUTHPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 13
CHRISTIAN HOLLOW SCHOOL OR ROSSTOWN SCHOOL
The Rosstown School is located on the Christian Hollow Road and the corner of the Lightizer Road. The original school house was a log structure, which stood on the opposite side of the road, and across the creek from the present school – in the point of land between the creek and the Miller Hill Road. There may have been a frame building erected on that site previous to the building of the present structure. George W. Heaxt, who lived near the school, and was a carpenter with his son, Martin, erected the building on the present site.
Washington S. HEAXT (1818-1890's) was the carpenter who built the school. The article is correct in that his son Martin E. HEAXT (1860-1938) helped him. I have a copy of an old undated newspaper clipping that says this also. Unfortunately the clipping I have didn't give Martin's father's name and who ever clipped it didn't put the date on it. It was in the 'Round Town Column of the Star-Gazette probably in the late 1920's or early 30's.
George W. Heaxt (1867-1955) was another son of Washington Heaxt. He was nearly 7 years younger than Martin.
This is the part of the column that relates to Martin Heaxt if you are interested:
Part of an Elmira Star-Gazette column 'Round Town by Matt Richardson of unknown date:
MARTIN HEAXT, former Elmiran, of Miami, Fla., now is dividing his time
in this city between a son, Don J. Heaxt, Jay St., and a daughter, Mrs.
Walter Monks, Beecher St. ... Born here, the Elmira guest lived the
greater share of his life within our midst ... Intermittent attacks of
wanderlust caused Mr. Heaxt to journey back and forth to Miami for five
or six years accompanied by his wife .... Thus exposed to the tropical
contagion, the Heaxt family decided to make its home in Florida ... Mr.
Heaxt's present visit north is due, as much as anything else, to recent
references here to James Wilmot Lightizer of Christian Hollow, who he has
known for the past 65 years ... He decided he would like to look up Mr.
Lightizer and other old acquaintences ...
MR. HEAXT himself was of Christian Hollow ... He was brought up there as a boy attended the little public school in the village which his father built ... Mr. Heaxt helped his parent with the work ... It was there he first learned carpentry work from which he earned a livlihood ... Those days the Rev. Thomas K. Beecher of the Park Church used to visit Christian Hollow occasionally Sundays to preach the gospel and enlist recruits in the army of God ... One of Mr. Heaxt's prized possessions is a New York State Business Directory published in 1864 which explains the vocations of the best known citizens in the various population centers ... The book among other names lists the Gill Brothers, cigarmakers ... It was from one of these, the father of the late William Gill, newspaper worker, lawyer and and police justice, that Mr. Heaxt secured the publication ... That was 35 years ago but our friend still prizes it as one of his cherished possessions ... He has left it with me now to thumb through idle moments in pursuit of local names which held interest in the past ... I presume there are many of these about whom one could write an interesting column ... When the spirit moves me, I am going to conduct a special tour of the volume with this in mind ...
The reference to Don J. Heaxt on Jay St. is not completely correct either. It should be Donn J. Heaxt, Ivy St.
I have found a lot of useful and interesting things on your genealogy
site.
Thanks,
Sandy Heaxt
I just ran across an old legal document, a transfer of real estate property, which involves the alteration of School District No. 1 and the consequent dissolution of School District No. 10 there in Southport. It was signed by my great-grandfather Augustus Pickel (my mother's maternal side of the family) on Sept 12, 1903. He was the Sole Trustee of School District No. 1 there in Southport. My mother had it in an old tin box that looked like it came from the army- that greenish color.
I thought you might like to post it somewhere. It was typed on Berkshire Typewriter Paper, USA- the watermarks. It is riveted together at the top with two fancy brass rivets. Pretty cool. Pretty fragile, too. The paper is long, like legal paper, so when I scanned it I didn't scan the rivets. <grin> That way I got all the print in the scan.
Let me know if it's of any use to you.
An aside: My mother told me that August's hair turned snow white in
just a few days when he had to bury all five of his siblings in less than
a month, from December 12, 1889 through January 4, 1890, due to an outbreak
of diphtheria. He was only 24 years old at the time. They were actually
half brothers and half sisters. His mother died when he was quite young
and his father remarried when he was only 11 years old. I don't know why
he was elected to bury them but he did. Maybe he volunteered... Very sad...
August was a blacksmith. He signed the paper I sent as Augustus but
everyone referred to him as August.
Ron Kelly
I, August Pickle, sole trustee of school district No. 1, town of Southport, county of Chemung, do hereby consent to the alteration of said school district by the transfer of the following described real property:
Beginning at a stake driven in the ground on a bluff situate on the southerly bank of the Chemung river at the northwest corner of the lands now owned by the Elmira Water, Light and Railroad Co. and at the northeast corner of the lands now owned by William Curran, Jr.; thence south (76) seventy-six degrees west (201) two hundred one rods to the southwest corner of the lands now owned by William Curran, Sr. and to the east line of the lands now owned by C. L. Johnson; thence north (14) fourteen degrees west (123) one hundred twenty-three rods (18) eighteen links to the northwest corner of the lands now owned by C. L. Johnson and to the southeast corner of the lands now owned by James c. Johnson; thence south (75) seventy-five degrees west (144) one hundred forty-four rods (3) three links to the southwest corner of the lands of James C. Johnson; thence north (4) four degrees east (177) one hundred seventy-seven rods (3) three links to the northwest corner of the lands of James C. Johnson; thence south (85) eight-five degrees east (189) one hundred eighty-nine rods (28) twenty-eight links to the northeast corner of the lands of James C. Johnson near a highway; thence south (17) seventeen degrees east (94) ninety-four rods (11) eleven links to the southwest corner of the lands of George and William Edminster and to the east line of the lands now owned by William Curran,; thence south (73) seventy-three (30) thirty minutes east (86) eighty-six rods to a pile of stone at the southeast corner of the lands of George and William Edminster; thence north (17) seventeen degrees east (57) fifty-seven rods (12) twelve links to the southerly bank of the Chemung river and to a point opposite the line between the lands now owned by George and William Edminster to the lands now owned by F. W. Reynolds; thence south at low water mark following the various courses and windings of the bank of the Chemung river to the place of beginning. From school district No. 10, town of Southport, county of Chemung to school district No. 1, town of Southport, county of Chemung.
Dated: Sept. 12, 1903
August Pickel
Sole Trustee of School District No. 1,
Town of Southport, County of Chemung,
State of New York.
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