More of Hattie Daugherty Place's Writing

Edna Place Pesicka - Hattie's 2nd child.

I'll continue to share with you this interesting News clipping. "I (Hattie Daugherty Place) commenced teaching in April of 1884 at the Dave Brown school. There were seventeen pupils enrolled. The salary was $25.00 per month - no money in the school treasury, all warrants were discounted 10 to 15% at the banks. We could trade them in at the grocery stores or for farm equipment at face value. This was a spring term of three months. By the fall of 1884 the Bradey school house was completed. Wages had raised to $45.00 a month. I taught here at this school that year. Was married to William H. Place, March 22nd of 1885. I continued to teach some school until in May 1888. My elder daughter was born August 3rd of that year. I rested from school work until 1907. In those years three more children, Lilian Edna, Parke Edward and Dwight Harland Came to bless our home.

When the younger son was 13 years of age (1907) I returned to school work, teaching the Ick Brown School. I remained as a teacher in that school district for eight continuous years. The salary advanced from time to time, never exceeding $85.00 a month.

My record of school work was just 40 years. Most of it in Hand and Beadle counties, a summer in Brookings county and a year in Ziebach county. My first three year's work was in Mason county, Illinois. I was just sixteen and one-half years of age when I began the work and exactly eighty years and seven months when I began the work and exactly eighty years and seven months when I finished my last school work.

As a teacher, housewife, and mother of four children, there were not many notable experiences as a pioneer. I recall one instance; there was a preaching periodically. Rev. Spencer, a homesteader of our township on his way to preach at the Dave Brown school house, had to cross Turtle Creek. He was dipped into the raging water, and soaked to the skin. He came to our house, borrowed dry clothes from my father and went on to deliver his sermon."

During the falls of 1884 and 1885 dances were held at the schoolhouses until objections were raised, then literaries were started. We had splendid turnouts, every one taking part, speaking, singing, and debating. The debates were often very discouraging. No matter which side made the most and best points of the discussion, the side which had the two of three friends as the judges always won the decision.

We had picnics in summer, with a baseball game after the dinner. These were well attended and was the only relaxation and amusement we had during the summer months. Often a family would climb into their wagon and drive to a neighbor and spend the day visiting.

There were many prairie fires. With our strong South Dakota winds, the usual fire break did not always stop the rages of the first. My father had his new horse barn and a few stacks of hay burned in the fall of 1883, the fire jumping Turtle Creek to reach the buildings."

The next Post: Big Snows!