RECALLS MEMORIES OF EARLY SCHOOLS

By Helen M. Myers

Caption under photo:  Miss Annie Blacklaw . . . before her retirement in 1939 spent nearly 50 years as a teacher, a large part of which she taught many boys and girls in the Lebanon area.  She was also correspondent for The Lebanon Express for 40 years before she was forced to give it up because of illness.

There are many men and women in the Lebanon community who can proudly say that they went to school to Miss Annie Blacklaw.

She taught school for nearly 50 years before retiring in 1939.  There was an additional job she liked to do, too.  For almost 40 years she was a correspondent for The Lebanon Express.  Her sprightly columns contained a variety of news concerning neighbors and friends out Tennessee way.  A severe illness several years ago forced her to give up the column.

Miss Blacklaw was born in a small town in the southeastern section of Nebraska.  At a fairly early age she decided to become a school teacher.  She set forth for Shenandoah, Ia., not too far away from her home where she attended normal school.

Soon afterwards, when she was 17, school duties began in earnest.  She was able to obtain a position in her own district.  Her father, John Blacklaw, passed on and in 1891, Mrs. Blacklaw and three sons; James, Bert and Will found a likely spot north of Lebanon in Tennessee.  There was also a sister, Josie, who completed the family circle.

Many Duties for Teacher

A teacher those days according to Miss Blacklaw, was required to build the fire in the school-house stove as well as do their own janitor work.  A salary of $28 and $30 per month was considered very good indeed.  Quite often she managed more than 50 students in one room

“Many teachers boarded around the neighborhood,” she explained, “but, I never had to do that.  Some of my students, in those days would now be thought of as rather old.  Why, some of the boys even had moustaches.”

“After I came out here I went a little while to Mineral college at Sodaville.”  Miss Blacklaw taught in several districts including Mt. Hope, Mt. Pleasant, Griggs, Lacomb and Tennessee.

“I remember some excitement we had out at Griggs.  On this particular day one of the girls came up to my desk with a book and pretended to ask me a question.  When she got close to me she said: “Teacher, the schoolhouse is on fire.”  I got up and went to the back of the room and looking up saw a blaze in the attic.  The students filed out.  The boys rang the bell vigorously.  Since school had only taken up about three-quarters of an hour before, the men in the neighborhood came running when they heard the bell.  The fire was soon put out with not a great deal of damage done.

Teaches in Tennessee

Although she taught elsewhere in the country, Miss Blacklaw always seemed to relish coming back to her own district of Tennessee.  She recalls that the first board of directors of that district was composed of George Davis, Ed Myers and P.L. Wallace.  Serving as school clerk for many years was Jack Alleman, affectionately known as “Uncle Jack” Alleman.

As a rule, there were about 40 students at Tennessee.  There seemed to be plenty of the “out-of-door” type of girl.  It seems there were some pretty good girl baseball players – and always welcomed when sides were chosen.

Other well-known Linn county teachers who held posts at Tennessee include the late Claybourne Bigbee, Will Ross, George Ross and Albert Munsey.

While teaching at Lacomb, one of the school projects was to write news for the small weekly in Lebanon.  After acting as an advisor to these student contributions, Miss Blacklaw later began to correspond for the paper from her own neighborhood.

For many years her sprightly news appeared each week in the columns of the Lebanon paper.  The paper changed ownership several times and then even the little town began to change.

Miss Blacklaw Retires

Several years ago, because of illness, the pioneer teacher was forced to give up sending items to The Express.  She had to move several times.  And now she resides in a home at 92 east Maple street.

Here she continues to radiate good cheer.  She keeps busy with handwork, reading and her general interest in the activities of others.  A bedside telephone helps to keep her in touch with relatives and friends.  Company is always welcomed.  A sister-in-law, Mrs. Ethel Blacklaw, also an invalid, shares the same room with her.

A nephew, Loren Blacklaw, still operates the old farm out in Tennessee where the family settled some 60 years ago.

Quite frequently, The Lebanon Express receives news items written in a good strong hand from their faithful correspondent – Annie Blacklaw.

THE LEBANON EXPRESS,  February 1, 1952

Contributed by Patricia Dunn, March 2003