File - Clarksville Historical Society

Clarks"ille
Soci",~
Volume 13 #4
June 2009
Cla..ksville's Geo..ge Roge..s Cla..k Eleft\enta:ry
School: Into its Second CentulV
George Rogers Clark School. originally
known as the Howard Park School, was the
third school built in Clarksville.
It took quite a bit of doing early
Clarksville to get a school. In 1825,
residents were asking for a town school, but
it wasn't until 1857 that the town's first
school was actually built. It was built of
brick and was located just east of the present
Mill Creek bridge, in the original town of
Clarksville, on Lot #19.
The second school was the Ohio Falls
School, built in the field that is now at the
edge of the Marathon Oil facility and in
front of the Colgate building. That was a
two-story frame school, built when the town
of Ohio Falls was in its heyday.
The development of Howard Park as a
new residential subdivision brought about
the establishment of the third Clarksville
school, Howard Park School, on the north
side of Ely A venue (now Kenwood) and
Agnew. It was a small, one-story, frame
building.
In 1899, construction began on a new
Howard Park School at a site on Stansifer
A venue. It opened early in 1900 and
featured a classic entrance with 2 columns
and a round pediment above the door.
There were 4 large classrooms with a
central hall. There was also a bell and
bell tower. The bell tolled for many years
after the 1900 opening to advise students
that it was time for school to start. It was
rung for the last time at the end of the
1974-75 school year.
A new 3-story addition was built in
1926 and a kitchen, auditorium and
several classrooms were added. At this
time, the school was renamed for
Clarksville's most famous resident,
General George Rogers Clark.
Over the years there were other
additions. In 1936 a gymnasium was
added. Three additional classrooms were
added in 1945. 1969 brought four more
classrooms, a forum area, and a new
cafeteria.
In 1974, the Colgate School school
closed, and GRC was ready to be
transformed once more. The original
1899 buildings of GRC were demolished
to make way for a new building. That
fall, while the school was under construction,
students attended school at the nearby Harrison
Avenue Methodist Church until February,
when the new George Rogers Clark School
opened.
At the time of that construction, a concerted
effort was made to locate the "time capsule"
of the original 1900 building. After a search
behind several plaques listing the 1900 school
board members and those of the 1926
rebuilding, the cornerstone box was finally
found behind a non-descript block of concrete
in the lower east wall of the school. In the
box were some marbles, coins, and some hard
to read cards advertising William Somebody's
groceries and vegetables on Market Street in
Louisville. Also found ws an October 20,
1899 copy of The Louisville Courier-Journal,
which told about Governor W. O. Bradley's
opening campaign speech, and mention of "a
fair sprinkling of ladies" in the crowd of
4,000. A three-inch bottle and an assortment
of rusted nails, pencils, and pins rounded out
the collection. It was turned over to the
school board.
Known principals over the years have been
Mrs. Emma L. Hay (1923), John B. Brock
(1928), James E. Pernett (1933), Dan
Bullington (1975) and Leon Stocksdale (to
present) .
Clarksville has few old buildings and
institutions that go back beyond the 20th
century. The George Rogers Clark School is
one of those rare things, a primary landmark
of "old Clarksville" that remains today. In the
more than 100 years of its existence, literally
hundreds of its alumni have provided the fiber
and weave of life in the town. The Clarksville
Historical Society is proud to dedicate our
June newsletter to the school, its students,
principal, faculty, and staff.
In a new partnership of GRC school and
the Clarksville Historical Society, we are
cooperating in an effort to restore the old
columns and bell tower from the damage of
many years. In addition, we are working with
GRC teachers to incorporate instruction on
Clarksville history into the curriculum. •
7be Chosen by Mike Abbott
The playground at Geroge Rogers Clark
school would spring alive at the sound of the
recess bell in mid morning and mid
afternoon. As we jumped from our seats and
spilled out into the hallway, we would dodge
the teacher"s "chosen pupils," who were
allowed to leave the classroom early in order
to toll the bell, as they clung to the rope like
Tarzan swinging from a grapevine. The
momentum of the bell's weight pulling them
up and down reminded me of the horses on
the merry go round at Fontaine Ferry Park.
By third grade, the bell tower had become
silent, with the installation of an electronic
doorbell sounding device that activited at the
same precise moment each day.
Some playground activities were prone to
fads that came and went from year to year,
while basketball remained throughout the
eight years as the main activity on the
playground among the boys. The balls that
were furnished amounted to what we would
classify today as inner tubes. The balls were
balloon-like, and quickly were worn to a
point where continuous airing up was
required. These balls were also used for
"Dodge Ball" and a favorite game in the later
stages of elementary school called "Keep
Away."
\
"Mumbley Peg" was the earliest game in
my memory, which was about the time I was
in the first grade, around 1945. Mumbley
Peg was a pocket knife game, whereas each
person had their own pocket knife opened to
the biggest blade. The object was to finiah
an assortment of knife throws into the dirt so
that the blade was stuck into the ground. If it
was leaning, it could not be less than two
fingers width above the ground. If it did not
stick, you had to let the next person take his
turn. There were a series of knife throws that
you had to make, starting with the knife in
your open hand, and flipping it to the
ground. Next you went to the back of your
hand, the your wrist, knuckle, elbow, nose,
head, shoulder, and so on. The penalty for
losing is where the game got its name. A
wooden peg or match stick was driven into
the ground by the winner, using his knife as
a hammer. The loser had to pull the peg out
of the ground with his teeth, while burying
his face in the dirt in order to reach it.
As a reward for accompanying my
grandmother on a train trip to visit her
parents in London, Kentucky, she purchased
me a switchblade knife. I survived 4 days
of extreme boredom by practicing knife
flips in the back yard of that little house, in
preparation for my triumphant return to the
grass fringes of the asphalt jungle.
Mumbley Peg passed on and is likely never
to return or be heard from again on a
playground.
A second fad that came and went several
times was marbles. The size ofthe sock
mattered, as you proudly dumped your
marbles onto the ground in preparation for a
game. A stick was used to scribe a circle
and a lag line. Whoever got the closest to
throwing at the lag line went flrst. Prized
"shooters" were called "Steelies," which
were nothing more than ball bearings that
your dad brought home from the plant.
Cheaper marbles were always culled from
the clear crystals and better marbles that
were placed in the circle, because they were
prone to end up in someone else's sock.
Some girls became good marble players.
Losers would replenish their socks at
Granninger's little gift shop on the way to
school. I was a good customer.
Another fad that came along at about the
time I was in 5th grade was YoY os. There
were several attempts later at a comeback,
but it never quite got to the momentum that
it once had. "YoY o-ing" took lots of
practice. I never got past the "walking the
dog," "sleeping," and maybe one time
"around the world." The Duncan was the
most popular brand. Owning a Duncan
and seeing the offlcial Duncan YoY 0 man
perform was an inimitable part of
childhood. The Duncan was made by the
Flambeau Company in Baraboo,
Wisconsin. I spent some time in their
factory several years ago, when their future
looked bleak. Their claim to fame today is
duck decoys. Today, most YoYos are
made in China.
Jump rope was always a girl's favorite.
Sometimes they would use 2 ropes going
in opposite directions. It was called,
"Double Dutch." I never learned to jump
rope very well. It was a good exercise to
work off the warm milk that was brought
in from Shannon's Dairy and served with
graham creackers each day for those who
brought in "milk money ." Those who ·
could not afford this treat, had to watch the
ones who could.
Long gone from are the playgrounds are
the knives, dodge ball, Shannon's Dairy,
and the chosen pupils who perhaps drank
milk, ate graham crackers, and got to toll
the bell.
(Thanks to Mike Abbottfor another
wonderful trip down memory lane.)
Next Meeting
Wednesday June 10th
4:30 p.zn. (Social tizne at
4:00)
Clal'ksville Contznunity Centel' on Pl'ogl'ess Way Pl'ogl'ant: Robed Fox: .Ilbl'ahalD Lincoln and the Gettysbul'g Addl'ess J or;elf/- .Nc:!..UI d..
The first Anglo American School (within
the present borders ofIndiana) was taught in
Clarksville, where settlement was begun in
1785 and probably 2 or 3 years before that.
The place was a small town in 1789 and
although it was never a place of more than a
few log houses, we might safely assume that
schools of some sort were provided for the
children of the settlement. Indiana Magazine of
History Vol 2, page 44, March 1906:
From the old records of Clarksville, kept
from the first, there are frequent entries
relating to the schoolhouses and schoolmasters
almost from the very first. "The Early Schools of
Indiana:, by D. D. Banta.
Clarksville, which a few years ago had two
old dilapidated frame buildings, has now two
large modem brick buildings that are a credit
to any town or city in the State. The Indianian
January 1900, Vol 5, #1:
Last year (1919) influenza caused the loss
of much time in Clarksville Schools. In 1920
money ran out to fund the schools and they
were to close early in the year. March 20, 1920
Don't forget our "Colgate Farewell Party". It
will be held on Saturday June 20th at 11 :00 a.m.
. in the field across the street from the Colgate
building.
Members have signed up to bring dishes for
the pitch-in meal. If you have not yet signed up,
please call Jane Blunk at 945-9417. Jane is
handling the food arrangements. The society
will furnish ham and members can choose to
bring side dishes, salads, deserts, condiments,
bread, drinks, etc. We do need your help, since
we are hosting Colgate retirees and others who
will share their Colgate memories with us, and
we wouldn't want anyone to go away hungry.
We are also asking everyone to bring their
own lawn chair. We will have a tent. There
will also be a photo display and former plant
managers will speak.
*****
We will be having a field trip to the Frazier Museum to see the Fontaine Ferry display. More information at the June meeting. ******
Our Museum has received a generous donation
in memory of John Weidner. Those donating:
Jeffersonville Evening News.
Clarksville Schools:
First School
Ohio Falls School - 2nd Ohio Falls SchoolColgate School
Howard Park School - George Rogers Clark School
McBride
Midway
McCulloch
Greenacres
Clarksville Junior-Senior High School
st. Anthony
Providence
Parkwood
Mike and Judy Schnell
Rose Lynn and Sam Greene
Cindy and Bill Krehely
Sue and Russell Coulter
Steve Schnell
Richard Feehan
We would like to thank them very much.
******
Memberships to the Clarksville Historical
Society are individual and are $10 per person,
per year. Dues can be sent to
Clarksville Historical Society
2000 Broadway
Clarksville, IN 47129