The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-11

ings to their schoolmates for fear the
whereabouts OF the depot would be-
come known to the pro-slavery men.
These refugees with their escorts
were overtaken by the slave owners
just as they reached Holton- They
took refuge in a house and there We're
besieged until reinforcements from
Topeka came to their rescue. One of
the slaves, an old man, contracted
pneumonia from the exposure he had
undergone, was brought back to
Rochester and died. His was one of
the first burials in Rochester ceme-
terry. While besieged the negroes were
told to pray for help. They replied
that they had never prayed and did
not know how.
General Sherman a Guest.
Many of the settlers at this time
were unmarried men, Mrs. owen said,
who lived on their land in small houses
or cabins and were boarded at her
fathers house. The Packard house
was one of the largest and finest in
the county at this time and for many
years afterward. one of Mrs Pack
ards boarders. not a settler. was w.
T. Sherman, afterward General Sher-
man. who as Il young man was sur
veying land in this part OF the country
in the late fifties-
An incident of the early days of
Rochester school related by Mrs.
Owen. is especially pertinent at this
time when Miss Lorraine L Wooster,
state SuDeTlnLenuGnL NOI pubic
structiOn, is making so determined
fight against the use of tobacco by
teachers. Mrs. owen related that she
remembered her fathers telling of
passing the school house one day when
the primary class was reciting the a.
b. cs- Standing in front of the pupils,
pipe in his mouth, was the teacher,
repeating the letters between puffs of
smoke.
With the coming of the settlers to
81 81 - cCl,r
building where their children might
learn their a, b. abs, and the three Rs.
was one that engaged the attention of
the leading men of the community.
Rochester School Built in 1859.
In 1859 the first Rochester school
was built. Previous to this there had
been a subscription school, but this
was inadequate and the pioneers de-
cided to build school house on the
site of the present school building.
Norris McNown, who came to Roches-
ter with his parents in 1855 when he
was nine years old, told how he helped
his father make and haul shingles, or
shakes" as they were sometimes
called for the new school house. The
shingles were planed into shape with
an ak and these and the lumber of
which the house was built were made
from native timber. Trees of a suit
able size were felled. sawed into
lengths and then into planks.
When the school house was fin
ished the youth Norris. with his
lsrother John, who had previously gone
To the IndianOla school, became pupils |
Of Miss Phoebe Plummer. the first |
teacher to hold school in the original |
school house. Miss Phoebe |
PIummer. who lived in the Rochester |
with her brother. is now
living in the old family home in Rhode |
Island, at the advanced age of 81 |
years.
Among other pupils who had gone |
to school in this school house and who |
we're present at the homecoming were |
Mrs. Alice Owen Neiswender. Mrs |
Matte George Harries and c. NJ. Nor |
row, principal of Quincy school, who |
all attended during the last term in /
Inc old building.
In 1850 this building proved toe |
small for the increased enrolment, |
and bonds were voted to build a brick 1
school house. The old building was /
moved 20 a corner of the lot and for /
years was used as avoting place 1t
now stands on the Hazel farm where it L
does duty as corn crib.
Most of the u1iddle aged men and /
women and not a few of the younger
lnes of this neighborhood went to
school in the second. lor brick. school |
house. Among the number were
George Fleischer. Jim and John Nau-
nan. the children Of the William owen
md Doctor Morrow families, one OF
which was Clay Morrow, who after
ward taught in this school house,
oslo Raemy, Homer, Clyde and Eu-