In the School Yard, 1943-1952 (part I)

     Sunshine School, District #21, (I think that's the correct #?) lay on the next section north east of our farm...a mile from our house and 'uphill both ways' of course. It was the site of my first eight years of school and was five when I first walked that mile.  Typically, there were about twelve students in the eight grades with one teacher.
     We considered ourselves fortunate because there was a hill on the school grounds which was steep enough to use to slide our snow sleds.  The track down the hill would take a little grooming and then we'd get a good ride on our "Flyer" or which ever model of sled we had.  Running as fast we could we'd slam belly down on the sled at the top of the hill and get a good ride to the bottom.
     Five structures graced the grounds when I began school.  There were outhouses (no running water in the school) for girls and boys, a coal shed, horse barn and the school house.  When I was in the 5th grade an oil burned replaced the coal stove so the room would still be warm in the morning...the building had no insulation...and the coal shed was used for storage.
     When students no longer rode horseback to school, student's fathers gathered one day and turned the barn into a backstop for our baseball games.  The level ground at the base of the hill was large enough for a baseball field.  However, the right field was not very deep and a ball hit that direction could end up in the road ditch.  Balls lost in the tall grass had to be recovered to continue the game because we had only one ball.  If a few minutes of searching did not recover the ball, a boy would roll in the grass until he felt a bump, i.e., the lost ball.
     The special nature of our school grounds was further enhanced by a double row of fir trees on three sides; east, north and west with  partial rows on the south.  With five structures and the trees Hide And Go Seek was a favorite game because of all the good hiding places.
     There were two permanent pieces of playground equipment.  A rather high teeter totter with long planks that lifted one high in the air.  Older boys would use it as a challenge ride for daring bicycle stunts.  A wheel on a fifteen foot high steel post provided an unusual swing.  Chains draped from the wheel and had wooden hand holds attached at various heights.  Students would hold on, run rapidly and lift their feet for circular ride.

(To be continued.)

Note the trees...I'm wearing bib overalls :)