The 'Miles' School
[from L.D. Miles by Carol (Bickel) Cramer]
This country school house became known as the 'Miles' school. It was so called because
for years there were Miles children attending school there, not, as has been written in a
history of Spink County, because L.D. gave the land for the school. Originally the school
building was one mile south and about one fourth mile east of Conde. Bert Miles and Carrie
Curran attended school in that location. Later it was moved to one and half miles west of
the Miles farm, and that is where the Miles children and Carol Bickel attended. It was a
typical one room school with natural slate blackboards across the north end, Washington's
and Lincoln's pictures, individual desks with lift-up tops (newer than the shove stuff in
the end type!), and a recitation bench. It had a large coal furnace-type heater in the
south east corner. In the winter children often brought potatoes to be placed around the
jacket of the stove and by noon they would have baked potatoes. There were outdoor toilets
and a barn for the horses of the children who drove or rode. The Miles children either
walked or were taken to school. I was usually able to catch a ride with the teacher but
often walked. The drinking water was brought by the teacher.
|
