Rural School Days

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Rural School Days
at the Kansas Museum of History
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This is how Stach School looks today.
This is how Stach School looks today on the
grounds of the Kansas Historical Society. In
many ways, Stach School is very typical of
one-room schools in Kansas.
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The school originally stood in Jackson County,
approximately 30 miles north of Topeka.
The school originally stood in Jackson County,
about 30 miles north of Topeka.
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John Stach, Sr. provided one acre of land for the
school in 1877.
In 1877, John Stach, Sr. provided one acre of
land for the school.
Like many rural schools, it was named for the
family who donated the land.
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School districts were usually six miles square
with a school located in the center.
School districts were usually six miles square
with a school located near the center.
With this arrangement, children would not have to
walk more than three miles to school.
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As you can see in this map, the Stach School was
certainly not alone!
As you can see by the red dots in this map, the
Stach School was certainly not alone. Every dot
is a school!
The area that is not covered by red dots is the
Potawatomi Reservation.
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This is a typical layout for a rural school.
This is a typical layout for a rural school.
On a one-acre rural schoolyard the school was
built front and center, just off the road.
Privies, or outhouses, were placed at the far
corners. There were two outhousesone for girls
and one for boys!
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The original schoolhouse was a very simple frame
building.
It was probably built by a local farmer who did
carpentry work.
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In the early 1900s rural schools were not as good.
In the early 1900s many people thought rural
schools were not as good as schools in town,
where classes were separated by grade.
As a result, many changes were made to upgrade
rural schools.
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In 1915 the building was remodeled.
In 1915 the Stach School building was remodeled.
A new front porch and a cloakroom were added.
This created additional classroom space!
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A bell tower was added.
Other improvements included a bell tower, a
concrete walk from the porch to the road, and a
bright coat of paint.
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As of 1907 every rural school was required to
have a flag and flagpole.
As of 1907 every rural school was required to
have a flag and flagpole.
Stach School got one, also!
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A pump brought the water out of the cistern.
Ideally, a rural school would have had a good
well to supply fresh water throughout the year.
The Stach School had a cistern that was filled by
rainwater. A pump brought the water out of the
cistern.
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Ideally, a rural school would have had a good
well to supply fresh water throughout the year.
During dry weather, pupils had to carry drinking
water in pails from nearby farmhouses.
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In the 1920s, pupils walked to school, rode
bikes, or rode a horse or a mule.
In the 1920s, pupils walked to school, rode
bikes, or rode a horse or a mule.
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Stach School offered classes for grades one
through nine.
Stach School offered classes for grades one
through nine, all within one room and with one
teacher.
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Attendance 1910-1920
The average number of pupils attending Stach
school each year from 1910 to 1920 was between 35
and 45.
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On any one day several pupils would be absent.
On any one day about one-third of the enrolled
pupils would be absent due to poor roads, chores
at home, or illness.
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First Graders
Sometimes an entire grade consisted of one pupil!
These first graders at Stach School posed for a
picture on the front porch in 1923.
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What did boys wear to school?
Boys attending Stach School usually wore bib
overalls and a cotton or flannel shirt. They
also wore caps and leather work shoes or boots.
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What did girls wear to school?
Girls who attended Stach School usually wore
cotton or wool dresses that came just below the
knees. Girls also wore white or black cotton
tights with leather, one-strap shoes.
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Lunchtime at Stach School
Lunch time provided pupils with an opportunity to
go outside.
In nice weather they played games in the school
yard. In poor weather they ate at their desks
inside.
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Whats in your lunch bucket?
Students who attended Stach School brought their
lunches in a tin pails. Sometimes these were old
lard buckets!
Their sandwiches were wrapped in waxed paper.
Sometimes lunch was left over dinner from the
night before.
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Rural schools were the center of community
activities.
Rural schools were the center of community
activities. Here people prepare a fund raising
supper at the Stach School.
Community events were often held to raise money
for the school district.
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Decorated boxes, filled with homemade goodies.
Rural schools were also used for pie socials,
school plays, and town meetings.
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In 1918 or 1919 a small fire occurred under the
stove.
Notice the stove in the front of the classroom
behind the women. Sometime around 1919 a small
fire burned the floor under the stove. A stage
was built to cover the damaged floor.
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In 1920, more than half of the Kansas school
districts were one-room schools.
In 1920 Kansas had more than 8,700 school
districts. More than half of these were rural
districts with only one school.
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Consolidation of rural schools caused many to
close.
In the 1930s people began moving off the farms
and into towns. Smaller rural school districts
combined into larger, modern education centers.
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Stach School was closed as a school in 1956.
Stach School was closed in 1956 due to low
enrollment. It had only six pupils that year.
30
By the 1960s most of the one-room schools in
Kansas were closed.
By the 1960s most of the one-room schools in
Kansas were closed.
The Stach School is one of less than 50 rural
schools in Kansas that has been preserved.
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The Stach School is at the Kansas Historical
Society.
In 1984 Stach School was moved to the grounds of
the Kansas Historical Society. It was restored
and opened to the public in 1989.
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Come visit the Stach School.
Explore the past in the one-room Stach School at
the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka!