Jan 1, 2012 4 min read

Lately, several people have sent in photographs of old local school reunions, approached me with school stories, and showed me a very old picture of a mountain school group we have yet to identify. As I think about how classrooms have changed since the one-room school house, I wonder how early teachers would view our present education system.

Over two centuries ago, William Penn ordered that, in the Colony of Pennsylvania, education would be “carefully propagated.” All children were to be instructed in reading and writing so that they could read the scriptures and write by the time they were 12. The penalty to parents and guardians/trustees of orphans for neglecting this order was five pounds ($20).

Many pastors took the role as educator before “normal” schools were developed to train young graduates to teach elementary grades. This term comes from setting educational standards or “norms,” and originated in Europe. Normalville, Fayette County, is named after the Normal School that once thrived there. Normalville is also on the list of “Funny Town Names” at squido.com.

While legislation took its time getting ironed out, schools organized in churches and rough, one room buildings to teach the “3 R’s” (Reading, Writing and ‘Rithmatic). Pioneers of southwestern Pennsylvania also taught manners and morals, and were quite strict in their attitudes. Many communities gathered residents to erect school houses. As we watch our local schools under construction today, it is difficult to imagine an entire building going up in a matter of days or weeks, constructed by its neighbors.

Teachers went door to door seeking students, who walked to school after their morning chores only to sit upon a stump-seat made from a split log, or something similar. Desks as we know them, were not always a part of the classroom, either. These early educators were often left to run the one-roomers at their own expense, being solely responsible for maintenance, cleaning, heat, and supplies.

Students were not carrying heavy book bags of textbooks. Many times the teacher had the only books available. The oldest textbook I possess is entitled, “A Treatife of Arithmetic, in Theory and Practice; containing everything important in the study of abstract and applicate numbers.” The author is John Gough. Mine is the second edition (with burlap, hand-stitched cover). It was revised by R. Patterson, a mathematics professor from the University Of Pennsylvania, in 1738.

Many old photographs of school classes I have collected show students in their bare feet. That is a pleasure long gone … unless you go to cyber school. Now, that would boggle the mind of our ancestors who left school by their early teens to teach, farm, or help take care of their families.

Public, private, and schools of higher learning cropped up all over our region as it became more populated. Before the Civil War, Congressman Andrew Stewart owned the Madison College in Uniontown. He moved it to Jumonville, converting it into an orphanage during the Civil War. Stewart’s estate continued to contribute scholarships to students in need into the early 1900’s.

Stewart taught school locally at age 14, before going to law school, almost becoming President of the United States, bringing the B & O Railroad over our mountains, and developing Ohiopyle. It seems that learning is up to the student, whether sitting on a stump or in Cyberland.

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In January, I will be developing a 90-second Speedway Kings video to publish on YouTube, Facebook, my web sites, and to be sent out to the media. My 2012 New Year’s resolution is to sell my screenplay, and begin production on, the feature film, “Speed Kings.” I will keep you posted.

You will soon find my new book, “Speedway Kings of Southwestern Pennsylvania, 100 Years of Racing History,” at Rick’s Café and Rx Plus in Hopwood, Pechins and more local outlets as the weeks move on. Autographed copies are available from the address below at $30 per copy, free shipping. Thank you for your patience while I get the book through production. Book publishing is similar to child birth. Some are early, some late, some premature.

Marci Lynn McGuinness is the author and publisher of 26 books. To order autographed copies, request book order forms, or to schedule her for Interviews or Speaking/Power Point presentations: Shore Publications, P. O. Box 987, Hopwood, Pa., 15445, 724-710-7801, or marci@ohiopyle.info. Order Online: www.ohiopyle.info and www.uniontownspeedway.com.