Echols School System.

I don't know very much about the Echols School. I don't really know the exact location. About all that I know was the students called it "Pink Hall" and I don't know why this name was given to the school. Could this school had a hall between the two rooms that was pink? If someone will fill me in on these two details, I will make corrections. I do not remember ever seeing the school building. Thus, all that I know is what I have been told.

From the early twenties until the mid forties, Echols school served the needs of the local community. For about twenty-five years, the area youngsters attended school at Echols. In the first quarter of the twentieth century, there was several families in this area. They were composed, mostly of Burdens, Curtis, Gearys, Keys, Woodcocks, and Wilcoxs. There were several other families, but not as populous as the families just mentioned. Most walked to school. There were just not any school buses in the time frame when Echols School was operational. Some of the students may have ridden horses and probably wagons were also used. I think that the Echols school was a two-room school house and heated with one or more stoves. You can forget about Air Conditioning, lunch rooms, good lighting, electricity, and running water. The water container probably sat outside and there was a dipper hanging on some sort of a nail. Forget about ice water. As the day's temperature increased, the temperature of the water increased and vice-versa. Lighting was probably by kerosene lamps. Rough times-Probably. The people just did not know any different and if you talk to some of those that attended the school, I will bet you that they will tell you that those were the good old days.

There were prayers said in school, bible verses quoted and God was not just a three letter word. Guns were certainly taken to school, but in those twenty-five or so years of the school existence, I doubt anyone was shot by a fellow student. About the worst trouble a student could get in to was to get caught chewing gum or smoking. A playground spat would have been met by a spanking by the teacher or principal and this was the same person in most cases. You can bet that none of the parents came to the school trying to get an explanation because their child was spanked. If anything, the child got another spanking at home when the parent found out about the problem at school. Good old days. For sure. Times certainly have changed and in a lot of cases for the worse.

Thanks for looking and for reading. I have not intentionally written anything that I don't believe to be true. I did some guessing and will correct any errors that are pointed out to me. Otherwise, hope you enjoyed looking at some aspects of life in the early years of the twentieth century.

See you.... jrd

;)