Bryan Co., OK; Schools - Post Oak Grove School --------------------------------- Viki Anderson vikia@novia.net --------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Oklahoma Indian-Pioneer Interviews is approximately 120 volumes of interviews describing the peoples and their lives in the Indian Territory. According to the "Guide to Manuscript Collections, Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma" (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1994), compiled by Donald L. DeWitt, the Indian-Pioneer Papers Collection is in the custody of that institution: Interview Vol. 62, pg. 429 June 15, 1937 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Elizabeth Kemp Mead, interview Vol. 62, pg. 429 June 15, 1937 George James, national school superintendent, came to my home one day and said, "Fannie, I am hunting a school teacher. I know you are able to teach and you won't have to teach only to the 4th grade." There was an Arithmetic lying on the table. He picked it up and said, "Solve this problem." I did. Then he took a speech out of his pocket from Gen. Cooper and he said, "See if you can read this." I did. He wanted to employ me, but I told him I would let him know so I went home to talk it over with papa; who told me he knew I was capable of managing it. I said, "Yes, father, I can write, read and cipher, so I am going to accept the school." I taught there two years and I still have the old register I used to keep the names of the pupils and where they lived. I had thirty pupils and among them were three children of John Pitchlynn, three of my own sisters, two of Joe Harris, and the balance were fullblood, speaking only the Chickasaw language, but I could understand the language enough to teach them the meaning in English. This school was 10 miles northwest of Durant where Emet is now, and it was called Post Oak Grove, or the Old Council Ground. The school boys dug a spring for our drinking water out of the side of a rock and it was the grandest water. Joe Harris, trustee, came the first morning and helped me to register the children. School opened on the first Monday in October and closed the last Friday in June. It was a free school. I was paid once a year when the Legislature met. I was required to make a report of attendance, deaths and quits. I would give my report to the janitor at the Council House; he in turn gave it to the clerk who read it before the Legislature and they gave me a check and I took it to the Auditor and he gave it to the Cashier, from whom I received my money. During the year I was allowed to run an account with the following merchants; Ebe Reney, Tishomingo G. B. Hester, Boggy Depot Davis, Ft. Washita These merchants would be there when the legislature met and when the cashier received my check what I owed to the merchants was paid. When I went to get my money though Joe Brown was clerk and he would say, "Here is one you will pay in full, nothing against it."