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DOTY HILL INDEPENDENT DISTRICT
In the 1840' s the farmers of Doty Hill were in better financial circumstances than the farmers in the rest of the area around them, so they wanted better advantages for their children than either South Creek or Ridgebury could provide. So in 1846 the School Boards in the two townships met together and agreed to form an
Indpendent District on Doty Hill and build a
schoolhouse. They met at Smith B. Brown's house, and after careful
deliberations, agreed to build a log schoolhouse on Mr. Brown's line, which was
also the boundary line between the two townships.
| This is the only log schoolhouse that we have any record of in the area. According to the minutes, the schoolhouse was built and in June 1847, we .find that both school boards met at S.E. Brown's house, for the purpose of examining the house (school), getting the deed to the lot, etc. The lot came from Smith Brown's farm, and the building was built where George Pautz now has a farm pond. About 1880, the log building was no longer fit to use, so a framed building was buit which is still standing. (1962) |  |
They elected their own School Board and made their own tax levy, which was always a little higher than that of the adjoining townships. Doty Hill remained an independent district as long as a school was maintained there. On June 3, 1940, we find that there was a hearing held in Towanda at the request of the Doty Hl11 School Board for the purpose of abolishing the Doty Hll1 School District. There had only been 7 to 9 pupils in attendance for six years previous. A.A. Soper was Secretary, C.C. Campbell was its Treasurer, Mrs. Lyle Stevens was the last Tax Collector. There was no difficulty about getting a court-order from Judge Charles M. Culver as the District had no indebtedness. In fact, the Treasurer, Mr. Campbell turned over $413 and some cents to Mrs. Belle Coursen, Treasurer of South Creek Township, this being the amount of funds left in Troy Bank after all debts were paid. The last check was given to Genevieve Osbourne May 13, 1940 for her last month of teaching.
Thus the school had operated continuously as an independent district for 92 years. The last teachers were, John Updyke, Grant Rob1yer, Hazel Roberts, Ruby Chamberlain, am Genevieve Osborne. The farmers whose land bordered the district, or were partly in the district had the privilege of sending their children there or not as they wished. Few did as the taxes were always higher than in the adjoining townships.. Independent District of Doty Hill, Sept. 1940. No use made of it.
Article excerpted from The Ridgebury story by Gladys Burnham
| Doty Hill School Souvenir Booklets | 1901 | 1904 | 1908 | 1909 | 1912 |