Prairie Schoolmates
Public education and moral development were valued on the frontier. Many times schools were built before permanent homes were constructed. The one-room school house gave focus and purpose to many isolated communities and were a meeting place for educational, religious and political activities.
Teachers were often very young, sometimes younger than the oldest students. Usually, room and board made up a large portion of the teacher’s meager wages. This condition of employment required homestead families to rotate the responsibility of feeding and housing their educators.
Teachers were often very young, sometimes younger than the oldest students. Usually, room and board made up a large portion of the teacher’s meager wages. This condition of employment required homestead families to rotate the responsibility of feeding and housing their educators.