by Mrs. Luther Boone, Wheeling, Missouri

reprinted with the permission of the Chillicothe Constitution Tribune

Raulie School is in Sampsel Township 58, District 25, Range 25, Section 12, eight miles northwest of Chillicothe, 2 ½ miles southwest of Springhill and 4 ½ miles northeast of Sampsel. There have been three school buildings since its formation. Charles Noah, who lives in the district, thinks that the first school was built in 1852, and William Mast, another patron of the district, informed that it was made of logs. The back-less seats were made of split logs having wooden pegs. The room was heated with a wood-burning stove. His mother, Mary Grouse, was a pupil there in 1861. John Lawrence was teacher then, and John Pearl also was an early teacher.

Mr. Noah says that it could not be determined just which year the building was abandoned, nor what happened to it, but that it is an established fact that it was the meeting place of religious groups in the community, and that one such group organized in 1852 became the congregation of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, which edifice was built one-half mile east of the schoolhouse site. James Turner helped organize the church.

AN EARLY LAND GRANT

The school was built on land of the 160 acres that now belong to S. A. and Ida Noah, (brother and sister). They still have in their possession the land grant which was signed by President James E. Polk’s assistant secretary, I. B. Stephens to George D. Williams on November 1, 1848. Williams sold it to William G. Frith on September 23, 1851, and he in turn, sold it to Charles and Anna Noah in 1873. The school first was called Frith School. Mr. Frith deeded the site on June 16, 1860. It was 20 rods from the present one, and the second building which was frame, was a few feet west of it. After a few years, this building burned.

The schoolhouse which now stands, was built about 1873 by John Cooper, who was a carpenter and owned and operated a large farm in the southeast part of the district. He was the grandfather of the late Judge Ross Cooper and Earl, Lewis and James A. Cooper, who still live in the district. On the school premises there still is an old walnut teacher’s desk made by him at the time he built the schoolhouse.

Mr. Noah lists the following as some of the early settlers of the district, the descendents of some of them still residing in the community: Pearl, Allnutt, Frith, Williams, Raulie (for whom the school was later named), Cole Hutchinson, Grouse, Mast, Noah, Cooper, Wilson, Arr, Curtis, Boone, Waddell, Harris, Sterling, Straight, Lowe, Eberlin, Anderson and Hooten.

BUILDING NOW IS VACANT

The building now standing is approximately 20x24 feet. It faces the south, with a door in that end and three windows on both the east and west sides. All equipment has been removed from the building. In the early days of the school, there was a blackboard of painted boards in the south end, with two small blackboards on the sides extending to the first windows. There was a recitation bench with a back in the south end and one in the north used to hold the dinner pails. There were two and a half rows of double desks and stove in the center of the room. It was a box-wood type. The floors were narrow pine boards. The walls were white and the ceiling boards were painted green. The teacher’s desk was in the south end. There was a 3-cornered shelf in the southeast corner to hold the water bucket, which was made of cedar with brass bands. There were several coal-oil bracket type lamps on the walls. Wraps were hung on nails across the north end of the room. This description was furnished the writer by S. A. and Ida Noah. Charles Noah states that in 1939 a cloakroom was built across the south end of the building and approximately 5x6 feet, with a concrete floor, windows in each end and a double window in the south. There was a door in this side also that led into the school room. The cloakroom was built by Virgil McCollum.

Willis, (known as Buss) and Wilson Cole, sons of Moses and Sarah Wilson Cole, attended Raulie School during the Civil War, 1861-65, and later. Willis was the father of Mrs. Maye Cole Stith, who still has her father’s arithmetic, a Ray’s Practical, edited by Joseph Ray. Later one of the teachers, Jim Cusick, who taught a number of years, stayed in her father’s home, and she rode to school with him for six weeks at one time when she was ill.

NINE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL

Miss Ida Noah started to Raulie School in 1860. Her parents, Charles and Anna Noah, lived a half-mile east and a half-mile south of the school. They had nine children who went to school there. Miss Noah’s first teacher was Dr. Henderson. He lived in the neighborhood. She lives with her brother, S. A. Noah, on the home farm. He first attended Raulie School in 1887 and his first teacher was J. H. Lowe. Their brother, John, taught for many years in the schools of Livingston County and taught the Raulie School for several years, first in 1895.

He was a graduate of the Chillicothe Normal and studied at the University of Missouri. He kept complete records of all the schools he taught, the ages of the pupils, and much of the time, the weather and a crop report. He lived with his brother and sister, S. A. and Ida. Miss Ida still has one of her report cards, which was signed by J. H. Lowe, showing subjects studied to be spelling, writing, arithmetic, geography, grammar and history. She was issued a teacher’s third grade certificate after she finished the 8^th grade. She was 20 years old at that time. The subjects on which she had to pass examination for the certificate were arithmetic, language, English, grammar, geography, spelling, reading, writing, U. S. history, civil government, physiology, and school management. It was signed by her instructors, J. F. Mortenstein, Sallie Stone, J. F. Smith, F. H. Sparling and Anna Stewart, who was county commissioner then. She kept it renewed for several years but never taught.

She told of the schoolgirls making playhouses of logs and moss in the woods. Since the school yard was not fenced, the woods became part of the playground.

Some of her schoolmates were Ollie, Jessie, Mina, Lizzie and Charles Hutchinson; Issie, Etta, Ann, Lee, Mary, Pascal, Ray, Frank, William, Claude, Clarence, Jim, John, Ed, May and Edith Boone; Clara, Clyta, Charles, Kate, Ed, Vernon, Vera and Ruth Nothnagle; Fred, Barbara and Emma Eberlin; Mary, Ethel, Tom, Charles and Edna Waddell; Jim, Lewis, Earl, Rose, Nell, Cecil and Irene Cooper.

A list of the teacher’s names she prepared for the writer, include the names of Dr. Henderson, 1875, Horace Simpson, J. E. Lowe, Tom Stone, Celia Black, Jennie Baine, Robert Lee Black, Jim Cusick, Miss Offield, John Noah, Marie Montgomery, Anna Stewart, John Lawrence, Kate Slattery, Ula Mae Stewart, Hemel Hargrove, Dorothy Cooper, H. K. Pearl, Sally Pearl, Edwin Wilson, Ethel Coburn (1911, two terms), Annie Faulkner, 1908, Lois Withers, Gladys Grouse, W. W. Dunn, Estella Phelps, Lola Withers, Margaret Grouse and Fred Hiskett.

THE AHTA MET THERE

Some activities at the schoolhouse at this time were entertainments known as exhibitions including plays, dialogues, recitations, and there were basket dinners at the close of school. The Anti-Horse Thief association met at the school at regular intervals.

S. A. Noah named rounders, baseball, Blackman, fox and geese, 2-cornered cat and anti-over as favorite games played.

An old teacher’s record book, dated back to September 19, 1881, was furnished the writer by William Mast. There were 67 enrolled during that term, when H. S. Simpson was the teacher. The pupils ranged in age from 5 to 17 years. Subjects taught were reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, geography, English grammar and history. John Lorents was teacher in 1883; Eva Gamble in 1884; Anna Stewart, 1885; J. H. Lowe, 1886; Celia Black, 1887; Robert Black, 1888; Hennie Bane, 1889; and T. H. Stone in 1896. Texts used at this time included McGuffy’s readers and spelling, Spencer’s Copy Book, Ray’s Arithmetic, Ray’s Algebra, Montieth’s Geography, Quackenbo’s History, Townsend’s Civil Government, Harvey’s Grammar, and Brown’s Physiology.

J. H. Cusick taught several terms beginning in 1890, Sadie Asbury, 1894; John Noah, 1895; F. H. Stone, 1896; Marie Montgomery, 1898;W. W. Dunn, 1899; and Nellie Rockhold, 1903.

William Mast started to Raulie School in 1886. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Mast, lived one and one-fourth mile southeast of the school. He had one brother and a sister who attended Raulie School. His first teacher was Anna Stewart. His father was a clerk of the district for many years. Mr. Mast was neither absent nor tardy in all his school years of school. In later years he became an auctioneer, a trade he followed for 39 years.

STARTED SCHOOL IN 1888

Mrs. Emma McDonald Robbein of Phoenix, Arizona, started to Raulie School in 1888. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adolphus McDonald, who lived with Mrs. Robbein’s grandmother, Mrs. Mary Raulie, at that time, whose home was one-fourth mile north of the school. Her first teacher was John Lowe. Mrs. Robbein now is a retired registered nurse, a profession she followed for many years. She was graduated from the Columbus, Ohio, school of nursing in 1908 and during World War I served a year in France as an Army nurse. She was sent there with the Tulane University unit of New Orleans. Mrs. Robbein recalls three mottoes which were tacked up on the walls of the Raulie School when she attended. They were: "He Who is Faithful in Little is faithful in Much….," "Knowledge is Power," and "Kind Words Turneth Away Wrath."

Mrs. Gladys Grouse Lucas furnished some old records, one kept by a district clerk. The highest enumeration of school age children for the five year period of the record was 62. Teacher’s salaries during this period ranged from $33.00 to 442.30. The fuel burned was wood, which was $2.25 a cord. A new blackboard was installed in 1896.

Those serving from 1893 to 1902 as either clerks, directors or secretaries were J. H. Howe, Frank Noah, John Mast, John Noah, George Grouse, J. W. Wilson, W. W. Dunn, John Nothnagel, Charles Mast, Ezra Eberlin, W. H. Boone, Milton Waddell.

A teacher’s record book furnished by Mrs. Lucas began in September, 1913 and ended five years later. Teachers for the period were: Catherine Slattery, with 24 pupils enrolled, Bernice Loney, Olamae Stewart, who taught all the grades. She recorded the names of these texts: Hunt’s speller, Rose Primer, Brooks’ Readers, Hamilton’s Arithmetic, Reed and Kellogg’s Grammar and Language, Frye’s Geography, Benson and Bett’s Agriculture, and in addition these subjects were taught: physiology, and history (American Leaders and Heroes).

Charles Noah, whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Noah, lived one-fourth mile east of the school, had two sisters, Mary Ellen and Clyta, who attended Raulie School. His first teacher was Anna Faulkner. He started to school in the fall of 1908. He is a graduate of the Chillicothe High School and though he received a teacher’s training certificate when he finished, he never taught. He lives on the home farm. He has two children. One is a daughter, Mrs. Shirley Chase of Columbia, Missouri, who now is teaching home economics at the University. She was voted by the curators at the Missouri University, in 1952 as the most outstanding woman on the campus that year. His son Charles William (Buzzie) was a junior in the Chillicothe High School the last term.

MUCH DATA IN RECORDS

Mr. Noah, in addition to securing valuable early data of the school, furnished the writer several record books of the school. One was a teacher’s record beginning September 16, 1918, and ending on April 2, 1935. Teachers during this period were: Olamae Stewart, John Noah, Edna Offield, Hazel Hargrove, Eunice Mae Akers, who had recorded an interesting weather remark that the absent marks shown were caused by a big snow the third week of February that drifted the lanes full. Miss Offield recorded that music was given ten minutes a day.

A district clerk’s book belong to Mr. Noah began April, 1920, and ended in 1935. Presidents, secretaries and clerks during this time included G. N. Oxley, O. B. Straight, H. P. Lewis, Charles Noah, Joseph Anderson, O. T. McLallen, P. J. Zullig, John Noah, Frank Noah, May Prewitt, Otto Kohl, N. E. Grouse, Oscar Cooper. Salaries of teachers ranged from $40.00 to $80.00. Teachers during this period were John Noah, Eunice Akers, Ruth Lewis, Edna Offield, Hazel Hargrove, F. N. Hiskett, Robert Venable, Edwin Wilson, Harold Myers, Lenora Hargrove, Mrs. Ed McCollum, Dorothy Cooper. The latest record was that beginning April 8, 1935 and ending in April of 1951. Teachers were Gladys Cooper (two terms), Mary McCarthy (three terms), Margaret Grouse, and Mrs. Ola Young. Directors, clerks and chairmen listed were Juanita Beedle, Robert Straight, Ode King, J. W. Lucas, Hazel Mast, Lenora McCollum, Mrs. Marie Wilson, and Margaret Gillilan. The coal house was sold in 1938 for $1.75. The heating plant was recorded as bought in 1937 for $204.80. Gladys Grouse started to Raulie School in 1914. Her first teacher was Kate Slattery. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lived one-half mile east from the schoolhouse. She later taught the school and served as clerk. She now is Mrs. Wesley Lucas and she lives in the district, nine miles from Chillicothe. She has taught in a number of schools in Livingston County and first taught at Mead, Colorado. She also has taught in the Chillicothe High School and is now teaching English, citizenship and geography at the State Training School for Girls at Chillicothe. She attended St. Joseph Academy and two years at St. Teresa College in Kansas City, has a degree from Northwest Missouri State Teacher’s College. She has a son, Eugene, who is the fourth generation to live on the home farm. Another son, Duane, was killed in Korea. Mrs. Lucas’ father was a clerk of the district for many years.

ENDED IN 1944

Mrs. Ola Young taught the last term of school at Raulie beginning September 6, 1943 and ending April 21, 1944. Her salary was $110.00 per month. At that time Mrs. Young had taught 16 years.

Board members for the term were Ralph Mast, president, Ira straight, member and James Cooper, clerk.

At the beginning of the term, seven pupils – five boys and two girls – were enrolled; however, three moved from the district during the term. There was one in the first grade, one in the second, three in the seventh and one in the eighth. They were Raymond Summers, Roberta Chapins, Orville Chapins, Eugene Lucas, Duane Lucas, Warren Cooper and Shirley Noah.

Subjects taught were agriculture, arithmetic, health, art, literature, music, reading, language, spelling, writing, history, geography, language arts and elementary science.

In later years the blackboard was changed to the north end of the room and the desks were changed to face the north. There was a built-in library in the northwest comer and the room was heated by a jacketed circulating heater. It was near the door in the southeast comer. The school had a piano and a record player. The well was at the northwest comer of the building. The flag pole was at the northeast comer. There were two small walnut trees in the front yard and an elm in the back. There were also several peach trees on the school grounds. There was a barn for horses, which later was used as a coal house.

Playground equipment included swings and slides.

There was a PTA organization at Raulie for a long time.

Pupils who gained success in their life’s work other than those already mentioned in the history include Belle Lowe, a distinguished who has been connected with the Ames, Iowa college for many years; John Lowe, a teacher and mail carrier. Celia Lowe, a teacher; Olamae Stewart Young, teacher; Fred Grouse, county judge; Vernon Nothnagle, county treasurer; John Lawrence and Willie Boone, preachers.

The most recent school board: Eugene Lucas, Ed McCollum, Minnie Burton, and Mrs. Charles Noah, clerk.