One-room school life was different

Published 11:46 am Saturday, March 1, 2008

By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – School children today sure do have it lucky, according to one man who remembers going to school in a one-room school house.
Computers, desks, pens, textbooks, in-school lunches, heat and restrooms indoors may be taken for granted today, but before the 1960s, some children would have loved to have those necessities.
Just a little over 50 years ago, some rural children still had to go outdoors to use the restroom, walk to school, regardless of weather conditions, and share a classroom with other students, no mater what age or grade they were in.
Robert Hullinger remembers those days fondly.
When he was in kindergarten, until his seventh grade year, he attended Dutch Corners School, which was located on the corner of Bertrand and Portage roads. The school had just one room and everyone, no matter what grade they were in, not only had to share a room, but were taught the same subjects.
"Kindergartens were taught things eighth graders were being taught," he said.
There was no heat or hot lunches.
"We had to brown bag it. Everyone brought their own lunches," he said.
Even snow days were unheard of. No matter how bad the conditions were outdoors, students were expected to make it to school.
"I can remember when the snow would come up to our chests, or reach the windows of the house, but you would still see kids walking. The teacher would sometimes get lucky and find a ride from someone who owned a tractor. She had to be to school early to start the fire. We had a coal furnace that would heat the building," he said.
People had cars in the 1950s, but the ability to plow the roads was tough.
"Portage Road was a dirt road. Not much traffic passed through this area. So most of the students would walk to and from school. I was lucky enough to ride my horse to school. He would leave after I was dropped off and head back home. He never did learn to pick me back up at three o'clock though," Hullinger joked.
He also fondly remembers his teacher, Miss Wilma Carlin, who taught at the school for 37 years. Carlin was born in 1897 and also attended the school as a young child. Hullinger said she was known as being one of the only teachers in her community to have one or more sets of twins in her classes each year. She also taught many of her very own nieces and nephews. In 1958, she was named Michigan Teacher of the Year.
"Everyone liked her. She won a lot of awards over the years," Hullinger said.
In the 1950s, computers were not yet heard of and only a few families had television sets in their home, including Hullinger and his family.
"My uncle worked in the television business, so we were lucky to get one before most people," he said.
When something important would come on television, the entire school, which consisted of about 20 students, would head to Hullinger's house, gather in the living room, and watch a program on the family's 17-inch Emerson TV.
"It was a little round TV and we would all gather around it. I can remember watching one of Harry Truman's speeches," he said.
After his seventh grade year, Hullinger's parents decided it was time to move closer to town and put Hullinger in a school where he could receive a better education. Hullinger was in the graduating class of 1957, the first graduating class in the old Niles High School, which was located where the post office and Hi Rise Apartment building currently sits between Broadway and Main streets.
"I was so lost my first year. I was in eighth grade and did not know what to do," he explained.
Hullinger kept two of his school pictures from the 1950s and plans to hang on to them, not only for memories, but as a constant reminder of how life used to be.
"It was different. We've come a long way since then," he said.
Dutch Corners School was apparently built in 1859, as it states on the top of the old school building. At one time, it was moved from its original location and used as a private pre-school. Now, it sits at a site off of Portage Road. It's use is unknown.
"That surprises me. I wasn't even sure if it would still be standing," he said.
The school bell still sits in the cupola on the roof and it appears as if someone added on to it in an attempt to make more room. Hullinger said the school used to be white, but its current color is deep red.
After graduating high school, Hullinger went into the United States Army. He went through basic training in Hood, Texas and was sent to Germany for 18 months. In 1960, he returned to Niles.