Browns Valley (Brownsvalley) School ... 1895 range

Donated by Isobel Arvin

This photo of a Browns Valley (Brownsvalley) School is approximately 1895. Nellie Galey Canine was born in 1890 and appears to be around age five or six. The slate has District No.-- written on it, but it is unclear what number is shown -- possibly No. 11. The back of the photograph lists names as: front row: Sally Penn Burroff, Ruth Goff, Opal Grimes. The second row: Cleo Miller, Margaret Durham Demaree, Cloa Miller Butter, Edith Wiltermood, Victor Graham, Glee Vice, Nellie Galey, Canine, Irene McIntire, Joe Williams, Clyde Buser. The third row: Ada Graham Hennings, Claude Durham, Eugene McIntyre, Bessie Penn, Guy Durham, Tom Durham, Flavia Lydick Bayless Burford, Blaine Graham, Aaron Graham, Ben Allen, Charley Miller. The fourth row: Salley Galey, Walter Penn, Fannie Allen {Clark Sights), Frank Johnson (teacher), Zona Graham (Goodwin), Mary Allen Seybold, Grace Penn, Gertie McIntyre.

Frank Johnson has a teaching examination record for 1889 in the Teacher Examination database (Johnson's home mailing address was Waveland in 1889). The Patton family owned land where the school house was in Section 21 of Brown Township, so it is possible this school was named after the family. In the Waveland history books, School #11 was not given a name, and plat maps only show S.H. (for school house).