An old schoolhouse stands silently beside a country road, door ajar, windows broken, with nothing to say of who was here.
In the 1870’s, one-room-schoolhouses sprouted on the Kansas prairie like wildflowers. Wanting something better for their children, homesteaders who claimed or bought their 160 acres of farm land donated the land and built the schoolhouse and sent their wives and daughters and sometimes their sons to teach their children about a better life.
If one is in a hurry to get from Kansas City to Emporia, one takes I-35. The trip takes an hour or so, depending on where one starts and where one finishes. If one is not in a hurry, one takes Old US 50 from Ottawa and winds through Homewood, Waverly, and Lebo before coming to Emporia. The route follows the now defunct Santa Fe Railroad tracks, that are long gone. Waverly has kept up the old depot.
From the pavement of old US 50 between Waverly and Lebo, I spied this schoolhouse off to one side. The county lines all come together here, so I am not even sure if it is Coffey County, Osage or Lyons. Curious I drove down a dusty road to visit.
As it goes, it is not very old. It lacks the old pot belly stove common to the oldest schoolhouses. Perhaps it was built in the 20’s or 30’s. At some point electricity was added to give light and heat. There are three different wallpapers layered one on top of the other. A piano stands in the corner with a chair. The schoolhouse was cared for.
No one is left to tell the stories of the children.
I am not sure what my fascination is with old schoolhouses. Still, I like to visit and imagine, who went to school here, and where did they go.
Kansas One Room Schools 