Country School

This little oak bentwood student chair came from a rural country school in the area where I grew up. As 80 and 160 acre farms were bought up to become larger farms to fewer owners, the country schools located in every four square mile area, were closed and children were bused to "town school", as we called it.. Auctions were held to sell the fixtures and books, then the buildings were dismantled and there would be another acre to farm. Once upon a time, there would usually be four farmsteads on each square mile section -- 160 acre farms. A very few "rich" farmers would own half a section -- 320 acres. A few squares would include farms of only 80 acres. These were the days that a family could survive financially with these few acres, by growing crops and raising a few pigs, cows, and chickens. Each of those farmsteads had families with at least one child. Most had 3 or more children. There were 18 to 24 kids every year at Union #10, my one room country school --kids from "primary" to 8th grade. Dad brought this chair home from an auction and eventually bought two more, so each one of his kids could have one -- a piece to remind us each of childhood, happy and simpler times, when cares blew away with the wind !