In the early 1900s, Williams County began transitioning from one-room rural schoolhouses—which provided for grades one through eight only—toward consolidation with village school systems that had high schools. Local one-room schoolhouses were approximately two miles apart; following consolidation, distances to and from school were too great for pupils to walk, so transportation had to be supplied.
This colorized photograph, taken in the spring of 1919, shows a horse-drawn school bus used prior to motorized buses. This bus traveled east and northeast five and one-half miles to bring pupils to the Pioneer school.
Those in the picture are identified as:
First row, left to right: Ralph Fackler, Don Bollinger, Lillian Whitney Hastings, Clarence Slagle, John Slagle, Lola Slagle, Virginia Orewiler Wright, Francis Bollinger Bohner, Doris Farling Richards.
Back row: Teacher Emma Keiser, Carl Fackler, Paul Bollinger, Elves Slagle, Alice Whitney, Russell Keiser, driver Vern Grimm, and Esther Keiser.
First row, left to right: Ralph Fackler, Don Bollinger, Lillian Whitney Hastings, Clarence Slagle, John Slagle, Lola Slagle, Virginia Orewiler Wright, Francis Bollinger Bohner, Doris Farling Richards.
Back row: Teacher Emma Keiser, Carl Fackler, Paul Bollinger, Elves Slagle, Alice Whitney, Russell Keiser, driver Vern Grimm, and Esther Keiser.
This vintage image is from the Williams County Public Library Huffman Photographic Archives.
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