SCHOOLS OF YESTERYEAR
Hillside School Memories
Sand Beach #7, Part 4
by Janis Stein

Join in the conclusion as former students reflect on the last of Hillside’s teachers.

Outdoor wintertime fun included playing Fox and the Goose, and when the snow piled high over the bushes growing in the back of the school, the children crawled inside, making a fort. In the early 1920s, students would enjoy skating down the creek a couple of miles. When the bell rang, they picked up the pace to ensure their timely return. As the winter ice began to thaw, icebergs would form, and boys and girls alike balanced their weight on the bergs as they flowed down the Rock Falls creek.

The real thrill of winter came when the students used the backs of old desks, which were stored in the wood shed, and careened down the snow-covered hillside. One boy enjoyed the thrill of the ride – that is until the hill flattened at the bottom and he slid directly into a fence post, knocking the wind right out of him!

Preparing for the annual Christmas program was always an exciting time. Santa would come, bringing peanuts for the children to enjoy, and the students eagerly exchanged presents with one another.

Every now and again a student would muse on just how he might get out of attending school. About five cement steps on the north end of the east side of the schoolhouse led up to the school door. A cement wall, towering 30 inches higher than the top step, ran along the ends. One day while one young fellow sat atop the steps, he wished out loud that he’d break his arm, so he wouldn’t have to sit through the many lessons taught. Ironically, the same young man fell off the wall of cement, breaking his arm in the process! After that, he was mighty careful what he wished for!

The steps were a great place to congregate. One boy fished from his pocket some .22 shells from his rifle. For fun, he began to hit the shells with a stone. The young lad perhaps didn’t anticipate the consequences, and was almost shocked when one of the shells went off in his hand. Fortunately, the shell went through the space between his fingers, though the explosion did take some meat out of both fingers.

Teachers were often strict, demanding the students conform or face an appropriate punishment. One young man attending Hillside recalls misbehaving; in response, the teacher asked him to hold out his hand. She had a stick three times as thick as a ruler and promptly wrapped his palm. The lad, smarting at the sting, thought he might not misbehave again. To his surprise, the teacher wasn’t quite finished, commanding him to turn over his hand. When she slapped his knuckles, the young man was quite certain he would behave in the future!

For the most part, very little was offered to the students as far as school supplies. The children needed to bring tablets or whatever they needed from home. Over the years, though, a few of the really good teachers brought in some necessities to share with her students.

Good teachers, too, realized studies didn’t necessarily have to be completed in the classroom. The surrounding woods, dense with trees, offered an ample classroom for one such teacher, who took her students on lots of walks, answering their many questions along the way. One family of children always followed the Rock Falls creek home for a good duration of their route; to explore the woods in a new direction was always exciting.

Teachers always had different ways of doing things, depending on their talents. One teacher loved art and stood at the blackboard, drawing wonderful pictures of ships. Perhaps this teacher inspired talent among some of her more creative wards; some parents in the district, however, felt much more time during the school day should be devoted to the students learning their lessons.

Mrs. Ruth Will taught at Hillside in the late 1930s and brought her dog, Doodlebug, to school every day, much to the delight of her students, and by the time Miss Puffer came to Hillside only about a dozen students remained. When the youngest of students exhibited signs of fear about attending school during their first days, Miss Puffer always showed a great deal of kindness.

A few more Hillside children graduated and before long only a handful of students were left. One mother, concerned about the quality of education, set into motion the necessary steps to close the school. Hillside School closed in the spring of 1941. While many of the students resumed their education within the Harbor Beach school district, some of the parents made arrangements to send their children to nearby East Huron School. The building and property were sold thereafter, and the schoolhouse that welcomed so many burned around 1961.

In researching this article, 10 individuals shared memories and photos from their Hillside days. Their oral histories are as accurate as their memories would allow; many thanks to those who shared their priceless photographs as well. Information about the history of Hillside School’s early days was provided courtesy of the Huron Intermediate School District. Be sure to look for my column in next month’s issue as I explore the history of Maurer School, also known as Paris #3.

© 2008 Stein Expressions, LLC