The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-07-05
Geddes School Celebrates
Its Hundredth Anniversary

birthday festivities at the Tooth an.
niversary OF Geddes School. The
P. T. A. had invited all former stu
dents, parents. teachers and friends
to a get-together on the wide green
lawns surrounding the school house
which is on Geddes Rid. half way
between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti
on the Huron River. Almost every
one responded either by coming In
person or by writing a letter ex.
pressing regret at being unable to
attend.
BY | o'clock in the afternoon the
long board tables on the lawn were
laden with potluck dinners and
everybody was calling back and
forth Hello, Susie, remember when
we -, rs that you Lucy? / have
mt seen her since we were in the
eighth grade!... Reba Foster. how
are you? And there's Harry Rash
/ hear this was your idea, Harry.
A mighty good one II you ask me
nothing like seeing your old school
friends to make you feel young
again.
People had come from Pickney,
Chesaning, Detroit. Saline. Ypsi-
lanti and other communities to
talk over old times. Many OF them
had not seen each other or the
school for % or so years. They
were amazed TO see the changes
which had taken place. The school,
for instance, was almost twice the
size Of the original which, had
been built by George Rash back
in lSi5, a partition about the size
OF the first section having been
added and a basement having been
dug largely because there was no
other way to get rid OF a family OF
skunks which had made its home
underneath the school housed.
An oil burner for heating, inside
toilets, an electric stove for cook
ing. a sink and drinking fountain.
and four bookcases full OF books
were all Injuries which most OF the
former teachers and students had
not enjoyed. In the early days
there were no library books-not
even standard textbooks-the pu-
pills studied whatever books they
happened to have at home. Instead
OF completing eight grades before
leaving school, they had TO finish
three spoilers and TO- arithmetics
and so on. There was a class IN
mental arithmetic which taught
alertness in which the pupils stu
died practical problems such as.
IF l bought two loayes Of bread
for a nickel how many could |
buy for n dime?"
More interesting
While looking through the new
books, a former student was heard
to say, well, these are certainly
lot more interesting than the ones
we used to have-bigger print,
easier words, and no preaching, at
least not SOS you'd notice it, any
way" Another old-timer comment.
ed, Eyes, and the kids nowadays
don't have to furnish wood for the
stove or pay so cents. Many's the
time my name went down in the
old ledger book because I didn't
have time to do all the chores at
home and get in my share Of the
wood for school too"
Everybody outside, the pro-
grants about to begin" called Ros-
coe Brokaw, chairman OF the CEN
tennial committee and master Of
ceremonies. God Bless America"
and other songs were then led by
Mrs. Ruth Deasy Palmer, county
music teacher, after which Mr.. Bro
kaw read the history of the school
and called the names of all the
old families. Many families were
represented by two or three gen.
erations and others by only one
member, but all were applauded
with great vigor as they stood up.
Then Mrs. Dale Parker read the
following history OF the Geddes
School p. T. A.. which Is more than
just a parent-teacher association
since almost all the families in the
community belong, whether or not
they have children in school. There
are no churches or other gathering
places for the people of Geddes al
though in earlier days II had
post office. railway station and
several stores. Now the school
serves as a community center
where all social events and COM
munity gatherings are held, many