Records School

[David Sechrest]

The request for a Thread regarding the Records School is now up and running!

[RER]

Records School House From 1869 to 1942 because of WWII and the Construction of Camp Atterbury"



The Records School House was open for 73 years until the US Army bought the school land and the Records' Farm and land on Atterbury. The School was part of the Bartholomew County Nineveh Township school system prior to closure in 1942.

Bob

Note: This was transferred from another site within.

[RER]

"Records School House 1869 to 1942"


David Shecrest's other Historic Columbus Indiana web site has an index of the 2003 History of Bartholomew County from the Bartholomew County Historical Society. Apparently, the "Society" has a book and it is for sale (which I don't have) and it lists the school. It states at David's Web Page (scroll down to Records School):

www.historiccolumbusindiana.org/bcindex.htm

Records School House Bartholomew County, Nineveh Township, page 213 (Aka School No. l) In those days part of that township was in North West Bartholomew County. The 3rd picture below is Bartholomew County in 1875. Note Nineveh is upper left corner of map.

Anyway, you say so what, and get to the point Bob. Well, here is a picture of the school and the one room teacher in another picture. The Teacher is Eva Records. The story goes once the children completed school here they went to Edinburg High School and not Columbus. Part of the land then was the future Atterbury Army Camp, and split of two counties. Enjoy these two pictures (the school has been torn down for years):



Teacher Eva Records and two of her wall pictures that hung in here classroom. The pictures look like Betsy Ross making a flag (with 13 stars) and Valley Forge Battle possibly.






Nineveh is upper left corner of the map that follows (late 1800s county map) This map is dated 1875:



Note: This was moved from another site within.

[RER]

"Records School House From 1869 to 1942 In Relation To Atterbury"


Nineveh Township formerly part of Bartholomew County School district was eliminated, by the formation of Camp Atterbury during WW II. In the year 1869 six district schools were shown on a plat of the township. One was the Records School, one and a half miles east of the village of Kansas on the Kansas-Edinburgh Road.

At the time Atterbury was formed in 1942, there were only three township schools in operation. They being "The Records School, The Kansas School and Hogbottom School." Read the first paragraph at this next web site for the closures:

www.indianamilitary.org/Timelines/1942.htm

The last known teachers names were Ralph Roth, Ray Stillbower and Miss Alta Harrell. Miss Eva Records taught in the Records School in the very early 1900s. My father J.L. Records attended the Records School until his high school transfer to Edinburg.

On January 1, 1942 the Atterbury Army Time Line Report said that the Records School House and the Kansas School house were going to close very soon and the third Hogbottom School House (also called the Renner would be moving students also).

In the earlier days there were over a hundred one-room school houses in the Bartholomew County Townships, built to be within a reasonable walking distance of farm and village residents.

Reference source: Columbus Historical Society 2003 book, pages 213, 300.
Thanks to Richard's research in his book.

Reference of School Closure (Atterbury Time Line 1942: www.indianamilitary.org/Timelines/1942.htm

Bob

Note: This information was moved from another site within.

[RER]

The six early district 1 schools were: (1) Records, (2) Kansas, (3) Stucker, (4) Drybead, (5) Nevill and (6) Hogbottom (also called Renner School).

Bob


Note: Transferred from another site within.

[RER]

"Records Educational Talk By Great, Great Grandfather"

Settlement of German Township

How the People Worked, Eat, Slept and
Lived, With Names of the Old Settlers.

[Clipping from the Columbus Republican, Bartholomew County, Indiana, April 10, 1886] QUOTE:


About 1824 or 1825 there were two log school houses built in the townships. The floors were made of huge puncheons and the lofts of clapboards five feet long. A log was cut out of one side of the house and greased paper pasted over the opening, this served as a window.

For a writing desk we had a large puncheon placed on pins driven in the wall. We had writing paper but little better than ordinary wrapping paper now, ink was made from maple bark and pens from goose quills, such a thing as a lead pencil was unknown. For seats a log would be split open, the flat side turned up, and legs put in it.

A large wooden fire-place and chimneys were built at one end and plastered with mud, the mud being mixed with straw or hog's hair to make it stick. The fire place would be filled with logs six feet long, which would burn nearly all day. The pupils would burn their shins and freeze their backs at the same time.

There were only two or three months of school in the year and not many attended who were old enough to work. We did not have free schools then, as now, nor any money to hire a teacher. If a man could be found who would teach and take his pay in "truck," sheep, a piece of linen a few bushels of corn, etc., they would hire him and when he had taught the amount would quit.

Webster's spelling book was about the only book we had to study. The young folks would meet at each other's houses and have spelling schools and learn a good deal and have much fun. How would our young folks now like this plan of getting an education.

William P. Records (1801 -1889)

Note: This was transferred from another site within. William P. Records was very aware of the Records School house and perhaps financed it's building for children.

[RER]

"Records School House From 1869 to 1942 because of WWII and the Construction of Camp Atterbury"



Notice: The above information on the Records, Kansas and Hogbottom (former Renner) School Houses have been updated with closure and moving data provided by the Atterbury Time Line 1942 article sited. The Records School House was open for 73 years until the US Army bought the school land and the Records' Farm and land on Atterbury. The School was part of the Bartholomew County Nineveh Township school system prior to closure in 1942.

Go back to the same subject above and read the updated information if interested.

Bob

Note: This was transferred from another site within.

[RER]

"Records School House Gets Open Cockpit Buzz By Aircraft"


The Snoopy Red Baron Tune: www.jacquedee63.com/snoopyvsredbaron.html

J.L.Records 2nd From Left (skull cap & goggles wearing all white)

J.L. Records (Dad) was 19 years old in 1932 when he flew aircraft with open cockpits and by-wings, wearing a leather skull cap and goggles over the Records School House. Snoopy The Red Baron was to come later, after Dad buzzed his school he graduated from in 1929.

The teacher was 28 years old Eva Records and all the students assembled outside to watch his air show demonstration.

Dad had graduated from the Lincoln Nebraska Airplane Flying and Mechanics School. This one year school was for his pilot license and mechanical abilities. The school required that pilots had to tear down, overhaul and repair the piston engines of those days. After graduating he rented an aircraft at the Franklin Indiana Airport and did his buzzing of the Records School House.

Many years later he went to Cummins Engine in 1940 to stay 38 years, until full retirement. What an event for a young guy and the students of the time at the Records School House.

Interesting Summary Of J.L. Records:

The Wright Brothers first flew in 1907. The first American War Pilots were in 1918 (mostly gliders) and some engine types. Lindbergh flew in 1927. Well, 5 years later J.L. Records flew by-planes and multiple engine planes. J.L. Records was one of the first American Aviators even during the depression era years. His private pilots license was issued by the Aeronautics Branch, The Department of Commerce and the license number was 27691. I suspect there were a limited amount of pilots around in those early years. I have his wings and my brother has his license today. J.L. was an adventurous young man in his days.


Bob

[RER]

Records School House Official Closure Date and Last Teacher

Quote:

"At the Records School on Mauxferry Road, the enrollment dwindled day, by day as the families moved away ( construction efforts of Camp Atterbury). The teacher Miss Alta Harrell, had earlier lost her school near Madison Indiana, when that school was swallowed up by the Jefferson Proving Grounds development.

The Records School had 29 students at the beginning of the term, and only a few were left when the school closed May 5, 1942."

End Quotes In Part.

Reference: Camp Atterbury Historical Time-lines at this address:

www.indianamilitary.org/Camp%20Atterbury/HoosierTrainingGround/HoosierTrainingGround.htm


Bob

[Jane Gharst]

Thank you for making this site. Eva Records was my mother and I had never seen the picture of her with the 2 pictures. Thank you very much for posting this. All of the articles are wonderful.

Thanks again.

[RER]

Records School House Before Camp Atterbury Year 1920

The family Records School House was open for 73 years until the US Army bought the school land and the Records' Farm and land on Atterbury. The School was part of the Bartholomew County Nineveh Township school system prior to closure in 1942. The school was open from 1869 and closed in 1942.

My father attended this school in his younger days. He would have been 7 years old during this picture. The children names in this picture are unknown to my immediate family.

When Camp Atterbury was established only 3 schools remained. They were the Records, Kansas and Hog Bottom Schools with 85 elementary and 30 high school students. The high school students attended either Edinburg or Nineveh high school in Johnson County.



Comment: I was very surprised today to discover this picture which my brother and I had never seen. It is a family school and the history has been mostly lost. I met two older gentlemen several years ago that attended this school. They, and my father are now deceased but their exposure and comments still remain in my mind.

I just spent several hours reading this Army Report in book form. It is full of Bartholomew County History and lots of pictures. If you like history about the county, Columbus, Taylorsville and Edinburg this is packed with details.

Source & Details (Read W/Adobe Reader):

Go Here:
www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA513125
When you try to open this book it is slow just wait & it will arrive. The book is available in HTML.

Name of Book (176 Pages): The History of American Settlement At Camp Atterbury


US Army Corps of Engineers
Engineer Research and Development Center, January 2010
Publication Number: ERDC/CERL TR-10-3

By: Steven D. Smith & Chris J. Cochran

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited

Special Thanks: To the Army and Mr. Herman Johnson. I did not know Mr. Johnson but my father probably did.