School Year 1929 – 1930

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Some of this information is extracted from the 1930 Census. It appears that four teachers are living essentially on the school Corner, probably in the teacherages. Mr. Biffle, 24 years old and his family and another teacher, Biffle’s sister-in-law, Winnie Battloup (spelling of surname not clear), 24 years is listed in the same dwelling. An adjacently numbered household is comprised of two teachers, Robert T. Atchinson, 22, and his wife Orina, 24. Those who remembered or made notes sometimes gave the name Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson which spelling may appear on other pages. The first names are from the census. Also in an adjacent household, a widower, Mr. Burdick, age 68, is a janitor by occupation. Dorothy Estoll Shelton remembers him from a few years later and whittling while in his moments off duty. I think he must have still been there whittling and janitoring in 1935 when I began school. I don’t remember his name but do remember the janitor sometimes giving away products of his pastime with wood and knife. Particularly, a rather intricate puzzle which, if assembled properly, made a cube about 2 inches on a side, and this one was stained a blue or purple perhaps with laundry bluing or shoe polish.

Mr. Atchinson later taught high school (see 1932-1933) and probably did so this year. Miss Mannen was remembered by Eskil Holt as her first-grade teacher for this year. Mrs. Orina Atchinson probably taught grades 2 and 3 but is remembered as teaching the first grade in the next year after Mr. Biffle had left. Miss Battloup may have taught in another grade room. This leaves only need for one additional teacher. If Shiloh operated this year, then Miss Stella Fraley would have been the teacher there instead of at Con. 8.

The seventh teacher is probably Mr. John H. Lomax. In January 1930, he was 23 and living close to Russell Shockley and Winford Bock. According to an article in Vol. III of PKC (p. 106) by his sister Vera Roberts, he graduated from Lonewolf high school and then taught at Con. 8 for two years.

Mr. Dewey Beeson was appointed County Superintendent to replace Mr. Voyle Scurlock who had served from 1925 and left this year to join the State Department of Education. In the following years, Mr. Beeson was elected to 4 two-year terms serving until July 1939. The County Superintendent was very important as Con. 8 because of its size was a dependent school, and County Examinations had to be passed for eighth grade diplomas. His office also provided enrichments of the curricula with various special programs and services. His office was even more importantly involved in aid for the one and two-room schools. Hobart of course was an independent school as were all of the larger schools.

John Bock is the father of Winford, Haynie is father of the many Haynies attending Con. 8 in the thirties including Melba, Lorene and Margaret all Con. 8 graduates, Charles R. Smith is the father of Mattie Thelma and Ivolee, 1933 and 1938 Con. 8 graduates.

It is probable that the 8th grade was combined with high school and the five upper grades had three teachers based in the 3 east rooms and the first seven grades had four teachers in the four west rooms with the first grade taught alone.

J.T. Biffle may have taught higher grades instead of 6 & 7.

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President: John H. Bock (father of Winford Bock)

Clerk: Burris H. Haynie (Haynie is father of the many Haynies attending Con. 8 in the thirties including Melba, Lorene and Margaret all Con. 8 graduates. He replaced L. G. McNutt in January but then was replaced by C. H. Heien in May.)

Member: Charles R. Smith (The father of Mattie Thelma and Ivolee 1933 and 1938 Con. 8 graduates)

Superintendent: J. T. Biffle

• 1^st Grade: Miss Mabel M Mannen who later became Mrs. Wilks.
• 2^nd & 3^rd Grades: Robert L. (Orina) Atchinson?
• 4^th & 5^th Grades: Winnie Battloup (Probably in Room3)
• 6^th & 7^th Grades: Stinnet? in Rm. 4. Mr. Robert L. Atchinson may have taught as well.
• 8^th through 12^th Grades:  Mr. Robert L. Atchinson, Mr. Stinnet?

#4 Mr. York, Bud Smith, Leon Messick all drove in the 1929-1936 period.

#2 Mark McFarland most years in 1929-1936 period.

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Edward E. Burdick

There was a student newspaper during part of this year, a precursor of the Student Review, called the Blue Bonnet. I learned about this from the 1941 Student Review in which one edition of 1930 is described.

• Editor: Flo Terry (sister of Oscar the Business Mgr. and a 1932 12-grade certificate winner)
• Sports: Eunice Trotter (sister of Velma McFarland who later married Mr. Marvin Johnson)

• Cartoonist: Truman Scurlock (This is a sibling of a large and active brood of Scurlocks. Voyle Scurlock, an older brother, became County School Superintendent about this time. Minnie Mae an older sister taught at Con. 8 in 1943-1944. She was then Mrs. Willard Smith. Lula Dee, a much younger sister, was a 1939 Con. 8 graduate. Their father J. C. Scurlock and his wife were early settlers in the “Frog Pond Community” and most of the children did early schoolwork there.¹
• Business Manager: Oscar Terry (the one farming in the community in 1941, Son of John H. Terry later marrying Helen Briggs.

Footnotes

Pioneering in Kiowa County, Vol. 3, p 139. An article about the J. C. Scurlock Family. John Calvin Scurlock married Mary Marie (Molly) Thompson in 1897 and did not settle in the community until 1911 when he and an uncle, Ed Gunn, purchased a quarter section on the correction line which they divided. This was purchased at a school land sale in Lawton. J. C. served on school boards in the area, but which when is not clear. He would have been a likely member of the school board at “Frog Pond”.