SCHOOLS OF YESTERYEAR
Brockway School Memories, Part 2
by Janis Stein

Join me for the conclusion as former students reminisce about their "stone soup" last day of school celebrations and one young lad's mishap with the pump handle.

No matter what the season, many of the children enjoyed playing along the banks of the nearby creek on their way home from school. In the winter months, the children took their sleighs and played on the hills, but springtime meant sucker fishing. More than one boy got a soaker in an attempt to catch the big one!

There is something about water that draws children, and in 1946, when one young fellow was near the creek, he was rewarded with the sight of seeing the first deer in the area. During that timeframe, deer in Huron County were virtually unheard of with the exception of a few of the animals kept in an enclosure in Lighthouse Park.

In the 1940s, two boys always made a point to check out the creek on their way home. They routinely floated their dinner pails under the bridge, but on one occasion one of their buckets drifted away faster than either of them expected. Luckily one of the boy's fathers had been waiting and was quick to assist in retrieving the pail. Though the boy got the switch when he got home, it certainly didn't stop him from floating his pail under the bridge again with his buddy in the not-so-distant future!

The boys' outhouse was located in the northwestern area of the lot, and the girls' was positioned in the southwestern corner of the schoolyard. Though the interior of the boys' privy was just typical wood boards, by the time the school would close in the mid-1940s, the interior of the girls' was decorated with a bit of wallpaper.

The drilled well, along with the water pump, was located in front of the schoolhouse. During the warmer months in the 1920s, the communal dipper hung on the pump, but in the winter months, the dipper hung on a nail in the entry. One young lad was fooling around with the pump handle and was quite perplexed when it broke off in his hand. The boy's father was given the task of welding the handle back on again, and as a result of his shenanigans, the lad wasn't allowed out of the house at night for quite some time!

During the 1920s, it is thought the flagpole stood on the north side of the driveway in front of the school. Everyone took turns raising the flag, and if a resident in the district passed away, the flag was raised to half-mast.

The children of Brockway visited a few neighboring schools over the years. In the 1920s students walked to Rapson School where they applied their wits in both spelling matches and softball games. During the late '20s, students also visited Ward School and enjoyed arithmetic and spelling matches.

A few of the members of the school board over the years included Mrs. Shubitoski, Anna Kociba, Fred Perlick and Walter Kolberg. Board members worked together with residents in the district as well as the teacher to create a good environment for their children to learn. Some of Brockway's teachers throughout the years included Mabel Maschke, Elizabeth Tinsey, Vera M. Leitch and Hazel Gay.

In the Annual Summary of Registration and Attendance completed by Hazel Gay for the 1941-1942 school year, she indicated there were 172 volumes in the library, and Brockway School was equipped with a piano, phonograph and radio. She started the year with an enrollment of 10 students, eight boys and two girls. There were no pupils who were granted eighth grade diplomas that year, though the previous year's graduates who went on to attend high school numbered two. For the 180 days of school Hazel Gay taught during the 1941-1942 school year, she was paid a salary of $765.

Whooping cough struck during the course of the year affecting a number of people and resulting in absenteeism higher than the norm. Student membership at the close of the year totaled nine: There were three students in kindergarten; one in second grade; two in third grade; three in fourth grade; and one in the sixth grade.

There were seldom any major discipline problems with the students specifically because as the years progressed, many of the older students went on to achieve their education at one or another of the schools in Harbor Beach with a religious affiliation. Therefore, those students could make their sacraments within their church and achieve their education at the same time.

Visitors during the 1941-1942 school year included Mrs. R. Burley and Mrs. A. Cloutier. Mr. William Sparling, who was the Superintendent of all of the rural schools at the time, also paid an unannounced visit. He generally visited once a year, and the students were on their best behavior for they could see their teacher became nervous upon his arrival. In April of 1942, students learned about soil conversation from Mrs. F. Watlerworth of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Brockway's students celebrated various holidays by making craft projects. For Halloween, the children made pumpkins with legs, and celebrated with a party.

The annual Christmas program was cause for great celebration. All the families in the district would come for the performance. Folks didn't have much money in the early days, but that didn't stop them from having a little fun; a few of the ladies would scrape enough flour and sugar together in order to bake cookies and cakes.

During the early 1940s, the stage was constructed from boards reserved for the purpose, and bed sheets pulled taut and strung on a wire made an impromptu curtain. The teacher played the piano while the children sang their hearts out to the tune of Away in a Manger, among many other Christmas classics. Likewise, the children performed skits with great aspiration, trying desperately to calm their jittery nerves. Sometimes the students enjoyed the sweet treat of candy canes, and the school board provided peanuts and candy for the children.

The most anticipated day of the school year was the very last one. During the mid-1920s and throughout the pursuing decades, all the families would bring something, and to some it might have looked a little bit like stone soup. One family might bring lemons and another some sugar. Still others would bring hot dogs or buns, and the teacher brought vanilla ice cream so delicious the students couldn't help but smile. When all was said and done the families in the district had their bellies full, along with the students having witnessed a fine example of how neighbors could come together in their community to share a meal and celebrate the simplest of things.

Because of Brockway's close proximity to the schools located in Harbor Beach, enrollment began to steadily decline more rapidly than other rural schools. As a result, Brockway School closed its door in 1946. The parcel changed hands a number of times over the years. The schoolhouse has since been torn down and a private residence constructed in its place.

In researching this article, I gathered tidbits of information from five former students along with one former member of the school board. The information in this article is as factual as their memories would allow. In addition, I gathered a bit of information from the Annual Report filled out by Hazel Gay in 1942. Not much was left of the book since a rather interested mouse (or more likely a raccoon judging by the size of the teeth marks!) beat me to it. I also obtained information from Arthur Woelke, and I appreciate him sharing his findings.

I thank everyone who so willingly offered their time, memories, and photographs, allowing all of us a glimpse inside Brockway School. Be sure to look for my column in next month's issue as I travel to Bingham Township and explore the history of Bingham #4.

If you would like to see your schoolhouse featured in this series and are willing to share your experiences, please e-mail Janis at janis@lakeshoreguardian.com or write to Janis at The Lakeshore Guardian, 9697 Purdy Rd., Harbor Beach, MI 48441.

© 2006 Janis Stein