, Numbers, cont’d from page 2 Cornelius Bailey 104 .63 (Shew Hollow, cont’d from page 4) School was held 7 months and 13 days Nancy Martin 239 1.46 picked up children from Cape Horn that year. Public money collected Peter Golden 79 .48 Road, down Meeghan Road to the $16.70: $11.38 from Blenheim, $5.39 Jos. Ruliffson 45 .27 Pete Meeghan farm, and then back from Jefferson. Hamilton Judd 11 .07 on Shew Hollow. Gilboa Historical Society Children taught: 62. Thomas Maynard 102 .62 As a bus monitor, Betty once had Philo Johnson 30 .18 to crawl out of the back door’s emer- Spring 2007 Volume 9, Issue 1 1842 William G. Maynard 104 .63 gency exit to get to a farmhouse for Ariel W. Lawrence 47 .35 help when the bus went off the road Among the Lawrence papers were Hiram Bailey 4 .02 and slid down a hill. Restoring the Roof found the School District Clerk’s Ebenezer P. Merrill 13 .08 OWLSVILLE SCHOOLHOUSE of Old Stone Fort Oath of Office and the Collector’s Samuel Latham 10 .06 Warrant for the year 1842, signed by Schoharie Museum Director to Elisha Jones 37 .23 Kristen VH Wyckoff Philo Johnson and Stephen Haines, address the Historical Society Benjamin Howard 52 .32 Gift Basket Extravaganza Trustees. On it is listed the bill for 3 on this important restoration Ira Carrington 11 .07 e think the Owlsville Schoolhouse was built in 1858, and we have maps months of teaching, to be paid by This year, our glorious Gift Baskets Oscar Howard 6 .04 dating back to 1866 showing Schoolhouse District #2. It is located on uilt in 1772, the church was forti- each parent as follows: will be on display in late spring W David Bailey 20 .12 the corner of Flat Creek Road and Kingsley Road (Kingsley Road was origi- fied in 1778 for the then-current No. days Amt. and early summer with the winner B Daniel Stewart 50 .30 nally Owlsville Road). unpleasantness. The church/fort was Names sent pd. being picked at the Ice Cream 13.22 Social in July. The Gilboa-Conesville Central School was built in the 1920s, and therefore finally bought by the state in 1857 and Charles Whiting 320 1.95 Contents will include local the small local schools were closed and the land given back to the original was used as an arsenal until 1873 when Ruliff Ruliffson 156 .95 • Three months of teaching @ $12 owners. The Wyckoffs had kept a good roof on it and used it for storage, and it was deeded to Schoharie County. per month = $36.00 products and historical society Elijah Steward 180 1.10 items. Look for them around town that is probably what saved it all these years. It was reborn last year when we There is a lot of history here, and for Casper Martin 59 .36 • Public money applied on this renovated the Owlsville Schoolhouse so our daughter and son-in-law had a the first time in more than 150 years bill—23.41 and buy tickets! Money raised Peter Brady 140 .85 from the baskets will be used to- place to live. the roof of the Old Stone Fort has John Beach 114 .69 • Collector’s fee being 5% of 12.59— Doris Steinhardt, a member of our historical society, had told us that they been completely restored. .63 ward operating the museum and Peter Hiliker 118 .72 printing the newsletter. would put old shoes in the foundation of buildings to keep out witches, and Schoharie County Museum Direc- Jas. McKenzie 110 .67 • Amount of tax to be raised in this she had brought in a pair of shoes found in the old Manorkill Church while tor Carle Kopecky will present an il- bill—13.22 having the structure moved. It was very interesting. As superstitions are lustrated talk on the restoration proj- handed down from generation to generation (and the Gilboa area was well ect and what was learned about the known for its folklore and superstitions), I was of course on the lookout while history of the building during the my nephew and daughter were crawling around underneath the building try- course of the restoration. He will also Gilboa Historical Society U.S. Postage Paid ing to get plumbing hooked up. I was not surprised when they found old shoes bring some historic materials recov- Post Office Box 52 Permit Number 9 in the foundation of this schoolhouse—they found a big sole to a shoe and ered during the restoration. Gilboa Historical Society then a whole bunch of little shoes! The March 21 meeting (7:00, at Gilboa, NY 12076 P.O. Box 52 I wanted to put these historical little shoes in the Gilboa Museum and this is the Town Hall) will hear the history Gilboa, NY 12076 where we had a disagreement. My husband, Walter Wyckoff, felt they should go of this building and the facts and back under the foundation because that’s where his ancestors had fictions that were hidden beneath the (Please turn to Owlsville, page 5) roof. Published by the Gilboa Historical Society Post Office Box 52, Gilboa, NY 12076 Copyright © 2007 All Rights Reserved Shirley Kutzscher, President Connie Ruehle, Treasurer Box Holder Jeanette Reynolds, Secretary Wilma Jones, Treasurer Gilboa, NY 12076 Irene Hess, Richard Lewis, Kathleen Sanzari, Linda Stratigos, and Kristin Wyckoff, Directors Feedback Gerry Stoner 607 652-2665 [email protected] The Gilboa Historical Society meets at 7:00 PM at the Gilboa Town Hall, the third Wednesday of the month, March through December The Owlsville School as it appeared before restoration. Photo by Kristin Wyckoff , , Meetings, cont’d from page 3 REPORTS ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS TOURISM MAP OF THE TOWN OF GILBOA James White refers to himself as an “instructor,” all the others spoke of Gerry Stoner their work as “teaching.” I don’t understand why, but Bee Mattice went south for the winter. Before she left, she passed us a folder relating to the risten Wyckoff has had a goal of producing a map of Gilboa which would Newsletter’s one-room schoolhouse theme. These articles refer to South Gilboa school district 6 (Kemper Mountain 1848—Average teachers wages, $12.00 emphasize the historical aspects of our town and be useful for guiding Road) and school district 7 (the Fork-in-the-Road schoolhouse) and date from 1813 through 1842. K per month. Winter term, 3 months. The tourists in the area. This dream is slowly becoming a reality, and the current whole amount paid that year for wages draft is inserted with this Newsletter. History of School District Report of number of Record of the First Meeting was $67.00. For library books $7.27. No. 7 South Gilboa children between of School District No. 6, 1813 The map is currently 11" × 17" and covers all of Gilboa and most of ages of 5 to 16 residing in Conesville; plus the adjacent edges of Delaware County, Greene County, and Feb. 5, 1848—Voted to build a new In an old notebook carefully sewed Originally Part of Blenheim and District 6, 21st Feb. 1826 the Schoharie County towns of Blenheim and Jefferson. schoolhouse on the old site, cost to together by brown linen thread ap- Jefferson There are icons locating trails, campgrounds, cemeteries, churches, fire tow- be $260. Later, to re-roof the old by Horace Lawrence, Clerk pears the minutes of the first meeting ers, restaurants, picnic areas, and other tourist activities. On the reverse side of school with a double roof of hem- of District No. 6, held May 22, 1813. Luman Lawrence, South Gilboa, has the map are brief descriptions of each of these highlighted attractions with co- lock boards. Note: No action was “Proceeded to choose a moderator, the original lease for the land on Children ordinates in square brackets. taken because the school would be- also chose 3 trustees, viz: Casper which School No. 7 was built. It was come part of Gilboa if the merger of Asabel Franklin 4 Martin, William Choat, Jr., Ariel Well- given May 18, 1812, by David Stewart, The problem is that we need to make sure that we add all attractions that Blenheim and Broome took place. Benjamin Kenyon 1 man; also 1 collector, William Choat, Jr. farmer, of the Town of Blenheim, should be included (we don’t want to miss anything); that all attractions are Theophilus Howard, Jr. 5 Whereas, there was a good school Below is a list of books bought for Schoharie County, New York to the correctly located on the map; and that the descriptions and directions on the Casper Martin 2 house in said district, the meeting District 6: Trustees of District No. 7– viz., verso are complete and accurate. John Beach, Jr. 2 had no other business before them, Aaron Stevens, John Beach, Thomas Cat. Library Books District 6: Orrin Beach 1 therefore adjourned to the same Maynard and Ariel Wellman and We would like to have the map available for this summer. Therefore, please look Cost Thomas Griggs 1 place, viz: the school house.” their successors in office. For the sum carefully at it and get your suggestions to us within the next 3 weeks. I’d like to “Way to do Good”—Abbot .75 Cornelius Baley 3 Ariel Wellman, District Clerk of one shilling he leased, for the pur- ask for all feedback by Income Tax Day—15 April 2007. “Life of Franklin” .50 John Hunt 2 pose of building a school house, a Note:–From 1813 until 1839, the last “Judson’s Offering” .63 Johnathan Smith 3 parcel of land in Blenheim described minutes in the Lawrence collection, • Are there categories of attractions that should be added? For instance, is there “Guide for Young Disciples” .50 Luther Williams 1 as follows: “Beginning at the north- the order of business was the same.