| The Prairie Dale School Dist. #33,
was organized in 1908 by Ben Houston Blackwell who circulated a
petition among five or six families who had school-age children. The
families were: James W. Parks family, eight children; Bob McLendon
family, four children; Jack Sanderfur, four children; Ben Blackwell,
seven children; Mrs. John Allen, one daughter (my mother). Rovilla
Allen attended the first school in 1908. The first teacher was Glen
Clark, second teacher, Claude Harville, and Dave Gray. Francis Russell
McCartney (Earl Russell’s sister) taught in 1912-1913. Community Entertainment: School Programs, socials, spelling bees, contests in math—ciphering speed and correct answers, spelling bees or matches—choose sides, adults and children contestants, stand in two lines. Contestants are seated on misspelled words. The last person standing was the winner (contested other schools). Musicals, country music singings, literaries, plays, drama, readings, speeches were exchanged as entertainment with adjoining schools. Also contested other communities. Then the annual pie box supper and cake walk to raise funds for the Christmas treats, tree trimming and Christmas programs. During a Christmas program in the early 1920s real wax candles were lighted on the Christmas tree. The tree caught fire as the wind from the open window blew the curtains into lighted candles on the tree. A child, Lonnie Pallard, who was dressed as Santa Clause for the play, caught fire, and then the “real Santa, “ George Stanley, the teacher’s husband, tried to help the boy and his suit caught fire. Both Santas had second-degree burns. They ran outside and rolled on the ground trying to extinguish the flames. People carried water from the pump to put out the fire of the tree. The building was saved. The school closing day picnic, all families came in wagons bringing covered dish dinners to Wild Horse Creek. Entertainment was sports, baseball, sack races, tug-o-war games. Other community functions were Beef Clubs during spring and summer months to provide fresh beef for members of their families , usually there were eight families to a club. Every two weeks a club member would butcher a special grain-fed beef yearling and divide it into eight parts. Each member would receive a different portion until he had received all parts of a beef calf. This was usually on the same days as a quilting party. Community church was held in the school building about twice each month, including Sunday School, by pastors from nearby communities. I remember one Choctaw Indian preacher, Semian Charleston, preached several months. On Saturday night, patrons would invite families to their homes for play parties, tacky partied, candy pulls and popcorn balls as well as singing and country music played on string instruments such as the guitar, violin, piano, banjo, etc. Sometimes round and square dancing were also enjoyed if the family had room for them. In the summer we would have ice cream socials serving home-made ice cream and cake. The Prairie Dale Patrons were a friendly, active and entertaining community group. Every family would get involved in some of the activities during the year. Our home was always open for weekend entertainments. Mother and Daddy both played stringed instruments. There were musicals, singing ice cream socials, play parties, candy pulls and tacky parties for the children. Several children would spend the night with us. We had an old Edison record player and a radio with a wind charger for the battery. Our friends would come listen to Lum and Abner, the National Barn Dance and the Grand Old Opera on Saturday nights. |
To see Prairie Dale School,
1933-1934 photo and student
list click this link
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Webpage design copyright Tammy Sharp, 2001-2008
Updated March 01, 2008
Graphics courtesy of
