It was just like a school, but all the classes were studying spelling. Before they went home they would "spell down. One leader chose some one. When all were lined up in two lines, the teacher gave out the words. The first person in one line spelled the first word, then the leader of the other line spelled a word.
Then the next in line spelled and so on down the lines. Whenever anyone failed to spell a word correctly, he or she had to sit down. The last one up was said to "spell down" the school. Sometimes the young men and women, or the young men alone, started debating societies or literary societies. They often called their society a lyceum. Here the young men debated, argued, and gave orations.
The girls usually recited some selections they had learned. Such societies took the place of movies for these young people. They liked to go and they learned a great many things. These pioneer young people wanted to learn to sing, too. In those days none of the houses had pianos, organs, victrolas, or radios.
A few people had violins. The pioneers called them fiddles. But for the most part singing was the only music they had. How glad the boys and girls and young men and women were when some one who could sing well came into the neighborhood! This gave them a chance to have a singing school. The music teacher gave out the song and started it on the right key. How they did like to sing, but perhaps they liked the rides home in the sleighs and cutters even better!
Probably you are thinking that these pioneer boys and girls could not have learned much in these log schoolhouses. Many of them did not, but they did learn to work at home and some of them learned to read, write, and spell very well. Governors, senators, members of Congress, and many other famous men came from these pioneer schools. Of course the people had academies or high schools and colleges, too, as soon as they could; but most of the pioneers attended only the country schools.
Your family must work hard to build a house and raise food. But then what? Answer: Yes. Most teachers were strict. Watch a video about modern one-room schoolhouses. Learn more about old schools. Declan, Tobin. Tobin, Declan. American History for Kids. Pioneer School. This is the second in a four-part series about childhood in the frontier town of Tacoma. The first part about morning routines is available here. The third part about fun and entertainment is available here. The fourth part about evening routines is available here.
The first settler children in Tacoma attended school in the cabin of William and Sarah Baker along the Tacoma waterfront. In , the townspeople decided it was time to build a school. The first year in the schoolhouse 13 students attended from three local families. The stone monument at the corner of N 28th and Starr Streets marks the location of Tacoma's first school house. In , however, the log school building burned down under mysterious circumstances.
Some believed this was a misguided attempt by the students to stop a lousy teacher from continuing his practice.
The teacher was not discouraged, however, and quickly reopened the school in another nearby building. As the population grew, new and larger school buildings were constructed across the city.
Source: Tacoma Public Library. For most students on the frontier, school education usually ended by 8 th grade unless the family could afford to send their child to a high school.
When the teacher rang the school bell around 9am, the students formed two lines, one for boys and one for girls, from tallest to shortest. After taking their seats and before starting lessons for the day, the class said a short prayer or sang a song. By the s, Tacoma had grown large enough that students were divided into classes by grade level.
The name was changed to Lowell Elementary School in This building was replaced after an earthquake in The students learned about reading, writing, spelling, penmanship, math, history and geography. Virginia McCarver Prosch was one of the first Tacoma teachers in the early s. You'll often hear Pioneer School parents talk about how attending our school feels like you are joining an extended family. It feels that way for a reason.
The families who attend Pioneer School tend to be like-minded when it comes to their childrens' education. They are very committed to helping their children with their studies beyond when they are in school and value the education their children receive.
Because our school is small, the families get to know one another on a personal level, creating a positive experience for both the students who attend our school and their parents. If you're interested in becoming part of our Pioneer School family, we encourage you to take a tour and learn more about our school.
The Pioneer Difference. Small Class Sizes.
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