With the development of the Bainbridge area the pioneer settlers had in their extremely difficult life, the thoughts of having their children educated in either the common schools or if the parents were well off financially, perhaps sending children to a select school which was considered to be a more favorable educational institution and would provide a better education for those attending.
Smith’s History of Chenango County relates that Bainbridge had been developed into twelve Common and one Union Free School districts within the township. Each of these townships has a school house. This fountain of information relates that during the year ending September 30, 1878 there were 17 licensed teachers at one time during 28 weeks or more. Residing in these districts as of Sept. 30,1 877 were 550 children. In the year ending September 30, 1878 records show 9 male and 20 female teachers employed, while the number of children residing in the districts who attended school were 471 with only 7 under age 5 or over the age of 21. There were 653 books in these twelve district libraries with a total value of $1,038. As written above of the thirteen school buildings, twelve were frame and one brick with the sites embracing 3 acres and 89 rods with the schools valued at whopping value of $1,337 and the land at $18,877. Smith’s History gives us the financial statement that the total receipts as of October 1, 1877 were $4,787.93 with disbursements being the same amount.
At a matter of statement, in the book by Dr. Edward Danforth - Chapter #14 - Education it is written that early in the history of Jericho (Bainbridge) had ten districts, all located naturally where the settlements were close together. The long standing theory was so that the children attending did not have to walk further than a mile or mile and one-half. Dr. Danforth went on to say that the early schools were located at East Jericho, one near the junction of the river road with Dingman Hill highway, one at Bush’s Corners (formerly North Bainbridge), one at Bennettsville, one at Humphrey Settlement, one on the east side of the river opposite the present Village of Afton, one at Bettsburg and one at Ayreshire (North Afton). Do not forget the fact that Afton did not become an independent township until 1857.
Relevant to all this historical and financial information. Districts #1 and #2 each received their allotted portion of the money received from different sources. It is most fortunate that a photo of District #1 is available and the photo of that school gives us the information that this was taken somewhere around 1918. This school house still stands today on County Road #39 which is across the Susquehanna River and is the back road to Sidney. This school house is approximately a mile or mile and a half after you leave N.Y.S. Route 206 after crossing the river.
