POSEY COUNTY SCHOOL HOUSE SKETCHES BY ANN DOANE

BLACK TOWNSHIP - - - BOOKER T WASHINGTON ---BREWERY HILL --- CABORN

CENTRAL  - - -COLLEGE POINT- - -CRONBACH

DUNN --- FARMERSVILLE --- GILL

GRAFTON - - - GREATHOUSE - - -HARTMAN

JEFFRIES - - - LAWRENCE  POINT - - - LAWRENCE

 MAIN - - -MARTIN - - - MILLER

MT VERNON HIGH SCHOOL  1870-1887 - - MT VERNON HIGH SCHOOL 1896 -1929-  - - SMITH - - - SPENCER

SPRINGFIELD - - - ST. MATHEWS CATHOLIC - - THOMPSON

UPTON - - - WALKER - - - WESTERN - - - WEST FRANKLIN

Edwards Eggleston’s The Hoosier Schoolmaster; the scene was laid in a fictional Indiana County of Hoopole, somewhere in the southern part of the state, convinced many people in rural Indiana that the education was backward, and in succeeding years, Posey County with its mythical Hoop Pole Township came to be accepted as epitome of educational retardation.  The general idea, even as late as the Model T Ford days was that such school buildings as did exist in Poswy County were simple rectangular frame buildings, usually on stilts to accommodate the dogs and hogs of the neighborhood.

To remove the stigma that has long been attached to the County, the members of the north Posey high school, Mt. Vernon high school History Clubs, and The Guild of guides of New harmony have gathered pictures of many of the school buildings of the county to show that most of them were built with considerable architectural sophistication, indicating that the people of Posey county had an appreciation of culture and education extending beyond the rudimentary three “R’s”

An organization of the schools of the County in a period termed the turn of the century was of two distinct patterns.  The northern townships of Harmony, Bethel, Robb, Smith and Center each having in its limits a small town, consolidated the schools district into one, and built a building sufficient to house grades one to twelve. The township of Robb, having two towns, built two consolidated schools.  In the townships of Robb, having a large enough school enumeration to justify a consolidated school sent its high school, students to Wadesville.  In the townships of Marrs, Black, Lynn, and Point there were no towns except the city of Mt. Vernon, with the result that there was no consolidation until the South Metropolitan District of Mt. Vernon was organized.  The North Posey District was formed in 1956, resulting in the gradual abandonment of the then existing buildings of that district.  The New Harmony- Harmony Township Schools form the third district of the county. It May be noted that Posey County was the first one in the state to have complete school reorganization.

 About the Artist

Out of the heart of a very generous and talented artist Posey County has beautiful sketches and memories of the old schools of south west Posey county .  These sketches may be found today hanging  in the Mount Vernon. High Schoo Libraryl.   They were presented as treasured moementos of Schoosl past to the Mt. Vernon Metropolitan School District in December 1960.  Principal Charles W. Hames said in accepting the gift“These sketches are valued  by us and will be cherished by future generations.”  Mr. Hugh W. Price, superintendent of Mt. Vernon Metropolitan School District, referred to the contribution as “a gift of great magnitude and we are happy and proud that Mrs. Doane has given them to the Mt. Vernon High School Library.  Out memories may dim with time, but works of art become more valuable in recording what has gone before.”

Mrs. Anne Doane, the widow of Posey County photographer John W. Doane,devoted more than two years of talent and time in making the sketches of one and two-room schools in the area, plus a sketch of a former Mt. Vernon High School.

Her art depicts her heart, as award winning artist Anne Doane continues to paint and draw in her golden years.

“When I married my husband John, I began to live.  My husband tackled any idea.” It was in Long Beach, California when she was in her 30’s that she started painting.  She and her husband John came to this area to run the Airport.  Anne took art lessons in Evansville.  Some of her instructors have been Jerry Baum, Dean Davis, Fred Eilers and Bob Osborne.  She  paints in watercolors, oils, and pastels, but oil is her favorite.

One time she painted a picture from her window of the Methodist Church on Walnut St.  “Built in 1853, the old M. E. Church, first free school was in the basement, and it was also the site of Sam Scott’s Cabinet Shop, a Revolutionary soldier.  Here he kept his coffin standing ready- slept in it, was buried in it.

We invite you to “putter” down the  path and across the fence to the old country school of long ago fond in our memories.  Thank you Anne!

“Painting is a wonderful way to unwind.  The wheels just start turning,”. 


All of the pictures but those of Farmersville from the Mt. Vernon District are from sketches by Anne Doane and  now hanging in the library of Mt. Vernon High School. Not all pictures in the collection were used.

The Posey County InGenWeb Home Page wishes to thank the very gifted artist  ANNE DOANE  for her kind generosity in sharing her sketches.
                             

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