In the early days of this area’s history, small schools dotted the countryside as pioneer farmers and ranchers came into the area and settled. A place to educate their children was important to them, and they worked together to build a school and staff it with a teacher. The Brown School was one such school, and Louise Dowdell, a 1932 graduate from Brown School, recalls its history.
The original Brown was located on Clay Station Road, ½ mile south of Borden Road, on west side of the road (8 miles east of Galt, CA). It either burned or was closed for unknown reasons and a new school was built on Simmerhorn Rd. (Schermerhorn originally) in about 1918, two miles west of Clay Station Road. It was at the intersection of Alabama and Simmerhorn on the south side.
Brown School was a one-room building facing north. A large porch across the front with wide railings was a favorite place to sit. The grounds were fenced and a wooden stile was centered in the fence across a wide yard in front of the school entrance. A two-story tank house and windmill supplied water. Inside the immediate entrance to the school were two ante rooms - - boys on the left, girls on the right, where we hung our coats and left our lunch pails. Heavy double doors guarded the outer entrance, and inside lighter weight double doors opened into the classroom. In the west corner sat a pot-bellied stove encircled with a high asbestos lined metal blanket with only space enough to open the door forward. Needless to say, no heat escaped into the room. If a child was very cold or had water soaked shoes he or she would be permitted to sit in a chair directly in front of the stove door for awhile. A blackboard was on the wall behind the stove and sometimes chilled students were allowed to use that area. It was the only warm spot in the entire room. On the left side (east) stood the teacher’s desk. Directly behind that was the “library”. It consisted of a built-in cupboard with glass doors on the upper part and wooden doors on the lower section. Books were kept in the upper section and supplies of scratch paper, fools cap, pens, pencils, ink, paste, crayons, chalk, rulers and drawing paper were in the lower section.
To the left of teachers’ desk a piano stood against the wall. On the north wall was a pendulum clock, a flag centered over the double doors, a picture of George Washington on one side of the flag and Abraham Lincoln on the other. There was also a hand crank Victrola between the doors and the Library. It was used to play stirring marches on rain-filled days, and we marched up and down the aisles. It was fun and good exercise. We also did calisthenics.
The floor was oiled once a year and two older students were hired to do the janitor work. Sweeping, (daily), putting up the flag in the morning and taking it down in the evening, ringing the bell to call the students in when it was time for classes to begin. The wood box was filled as needed. On Friday, erasers were gathered up and taken outdoors where they were vigorously beaten together and pounded to remove the chalk dust. Blackboards were washed also. Windows were locked and door padlocked before janitors left. Pay was $4.00 per month for each student worker.
About 50 feet behind the building stood the two “necessities”. Girls on the east, boys on the west. They were about 30 feet apart.
In the east back corner of the yard was a shed with stalls for horses and space for carts or buggies Louise (Loll) Dowdell rode a pony to school, Minnie, a dappled Chestnut with white mane and tail. One day Louise “encouraged” Minnie to climb the steps and ride around on the porch. Miss Mullins had to cover a smile while telling her she shouldn’t do that again.
Classes were from 9-4 daily. Recess 10:40-11am, lunch 12-1pm and recess 2:40-3pm. Various games were played - Dodge Ball, Drop the Handkerchief, Stealing Sticks, Dare Base, Baseball, Basketball, One-o-cat, Hop Scotch, and the girls’ favorite, Jump Rope. Sometimes a difficult version of hopscotch was played beginning with a center square and continuing outward in an ever widening circle. If the circle became quite large it became a very challenging and difficult game.
Irma Wiles, County health nurse, visited once a year. Mr. Golway was the county superintendent and came once a year. He was a large man with a big stomach. He had a mustache, wore a brown tweed suit, and would sit in teacher’s chair while she stood nearby.
Mr. Goldsmith, the Physical Education teacher, was a small wiry man. He came once a year and he would bring a tiny tube of Colgate toothpaste for each student.
Miss Phillips, the music teacher, came once a year with her little pitch pipe. She had pretty gray hair and a lovely smile. She would choose a song, most likely America, blow a little note and we would sing, and then she went on her way.
Special events were Christmas with a tree and real candles, Valentines Day with a crepe paper decorated box which sat on one corner of teacher’s desk, (we made lots of our valentines) and the biggie - Last Day of School. Students performed at Christmas and on last day of school -- songs, recitations, piano solos and a play. Electricity didn’t arrive until the late 20’s. Kerosene lanterns that hung on the walls, served in those earlier years. Some years we had a last day picnic, instead of the performances, on the banks of the lagoon on the Barney McEnerney ranch. There were swimming holes located up and down the lagoon. This one was about a mile east of Alta Mesa Road and a mile north of Highway 104. It was then called Twin Cities Road.
Some of the early teachers were Mrs.Hazel Pampel, Mrs. Phoebe Hobday, Mrs. McQuirk, and Mrs. Waldruff, Mrs. Effie Allen taught 1924-25, Miss Elizabeth Gann 1925-26, Mrs. Luella Goff 1926-28, Miss Annabel Mullins 1928-32. Miss Mullins later married Clarence Hauschildt and taught in the Galt school.
Some of the students of those by-gone years were the children of William and Genevieve McEnerney, Curtis, Elizabeth, Thomas, Dorothy and Marjorie.
Children of Charles and Bertha Burnett, Helen, Paul, Mildred, Russel, Myrtle and Ira.
Children of Henry and Alwine Kohnke, Anita, Alvina, Otto and twins John and Amanda.
Children of Athos and Stella Loll, Carl and Louise.
Other children: Harry Parker; Margaret and Sylvester Wise; Stanley Johnson; Evelyn, Agnes, and Dorothy Stofka; Robert Lee Cooper; Frank Christie, Vernon and Dudley Gardenhire; Lydia, Esther, Edna, Emil, Arthur, Leah and Tabeha Kranzler; Robert and Leonard Davies; Edna Nitschke; Jack, Joe, Tom and Dolly Klaner; Vivian, John and Philip Georgi; Leah, Jake, Dorothy and Emil Geigle; Pauline and Roy Baumbach; Walter and Marvin Mettler; John, Lucretia, Cesaer Carter; Jessie and Berniece Beam; Albert and Clifford Parker (no relation to Harry Parker); Ellis and Orton Marsh; Yvonne and Randy DeWant; Goldie Sherwood; Gladys Clement.
The Detoys lived just east of the school at one time and may have had children in school. The Thornes lived east of the school site but probably before the school was built as the house was deserted and in bad condition by 1924. Delbert and Cora Wilson lived ½ mile east and had children Ralph, Roy, Marie and Delbert who may have attended in those first years.
During Miss Gann’s term (1925-26) a very dangerous episode took place. A man who was referred to as “Old Man Goings” went on a murderous rampage killing several members of the Noble family and Mr. & Mrs. Marengo and their daughter. Miss Gann’s father was constable of the Lee Township and he sat in his Model T coupe by the side of the road in front of the school with a gun at his side (rifle or shotgun). We learned later threats had been made against the Gann family as well as others in the area.
In 1932 the school was permanently closed for lack of students. The building was sold to the Woodbridge Women’s Club and is still there on the lower Sacramento road in Woodbridge. It is used as a Grange hall now. The bell which had called so many students into class went to the William McEnerney ranch.
It has gotten a new roof
This piano is now in the old Brown School building. An old newspaper article was recently discovered that showed that this piano was donated by Addie M. Benedict. Do you have any historical information about this school? Please forward it to the address just below.
The refurbishing of the school house began at the end of August 2008. All the lath and plaster was removed. Two bathroom walls had to be moved out 10 inches to meet ADA requirements as well as widening the doorways.
Three ceilings were removed. All of the windows will have to be replaced.
The electrical was knob and tube. The building is being completely rewired. A central heat and air system has been installed which will make the place much more comfortable.
Our project completion date is 12-30-08.
photo of ramp to go here
The ADA ramp had to be shortened to 30 feet
photo of hole in the rafters to go here
The hole in the rafters is where a huge chimney was hanging by 2 small wires. I'm thinking that's where the potbelly stove must have been when the building was a school house.
Here's a bit of Grange history I came across recently:
Woodbridge Grange #482
Members paid $250.00 for this triangular lot in 1938.
Grange purchased an abandoned school house in Galt in 1939.
School House $ 275.00
Moving to site $ 150.00
Foundation $ 55.00
Insurance $ 15.00
Lumber $ 186.00
Plaster & Roofing $ 93.00
Initial Cost of Hall $ 250.00
Total: $1,024.00
Stage built in 1941 $53.88
Outside painted and aluminum roofing installed 1958 $880.47
The Woodbridge Grange is trying to find people who would be interested in becoming Grange members to take over the Woodbridge Grange by forming a board, committees, renting out the building once it's refurbished and creating activities for the community. Contact Glenda at WoodbridgeGrange@aol.com
The Galt Area Historical Society offers a book of our local history called Tapestry. Click here for more information.
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Last edited 5 October 2008