With the writing of the article this week, if you were confused with the previous week’s article, let me continue with this confusion. Greene, has the distinction (and I believe to date) the most school districts of the townships in Chenango County. The research information that this writer has obtained counts approximately forty-two different district numbers. Part of these was joint districts and part was district numbers that were change: example last week #2 to #22 then to #16. However, Greene has the distinction of having two #17 districts as is titled above.
The first #17 - Lansing District was in existence from 1871 to 1901 and the school house is no longer in existence. The second #17 - Echo Lake was in existence from 1901 to 1933 and during that time was taken from Joint #10 then changed to #26 and again no longer standing.
The only research information that Mrs. Folsom found relevant to the boundary lines of District #17 and this writer is unaware whether this is Lansing or Echo Lake, is that the district lines state Captain Harmon Terwilliger (partly in the Town of Lisle), this writer will assume this information is relevant to the Echo Lake district. The first District #17 - Lansing District does appear on the 1875 Atlas of Chenango County, however in a conversation with Margaret Ross, Town of Greene historian, the Lansing District was located off Stillwater Road on Jackson Hill Road. Turning off Stillwater on left hand side to Jackson about one mile up Jackson near the top of the hill. As written above both of these districts buildings are long gone. The second #17 - Echo Lake was located in the northwest area of the township on Echo Lake Road near the intersection of Ott Road. For exploration, if we have spring and no snow yet another Sunday afternoon drive.
LANSING DISTRICT #17
Research information relevant to this district records that in 1875 part of the Lansing District was given to District #4 (Village District - October 28, 2010 article) from McNitt and Jackson farms on river road to the south line of #17. Again in 1877 the farm of C. G. Juliand (he was trustee for Wm. L and Mary C. Juliand?) the district lines were again changed from District #4 to District #17 (147 acres formerly owned by Lewis Juliand from the Guernsey farm on east - south by Mrs. Lansing - west and north by J.B. Juliand farm. On the 1875 map of the county, the names of Lansing, Juliand, and Jackson appear as living in that area.
Not to be repetitive, research unearthed the following information regarding Lansing, which does appear as being quite near the village (hence #4) and in 1878 with 27 students Charles W. Gray taught there when he was 21 and walked from the Mardula Gray home below the village across the aqueduct to the school. Further information reveals that in 1888 N. B. Barnes was a trustee and that in 1901 the district was dissolved and added to District #4. In 1901 an interesting note appeared that the older children from the village went to C. W. Gray’s school in 1878 to learn calculus and advanced subject which he could teach them. Teachers that taught here were Clara D. Rumph (1895-6 an 1899-1900 and longer). Pearl Skillman and Lillis Preston Jackson. Also noted that Laura Jutland attended this school in 1877-1880 when her family lived on the farm.
In Mrs. Folsom’s research (and the debt of gratitude for this information cannot be measured in words) this writer will quote verbatim what she wrote. “At least part of this district was in the old #22 (Brisben) from 1825 to 1848 when “Lewis Jutland’s” farm and the arm of John M. Chappie were transferred from #22 to #4. In 1877 the Juliand farm was changed from #4 to #17.”
“The school house was built on a plot of ground in the Lansing cow pasture and the children obtained drinking water from the Lansing house (1969 now Haslett’s). The Juliand farm adjoined at the east and a right-of-way was given to cross the Lansing land to the Lansing Road. the schoolhouse set in the southeast angle formed by this “lane” and road.”
“When this District was dissolved in 1901 the building stood vacant for some 9 or 10 years. Donald Jackson has a faded (bear in mind when this information was documented) picture of the framework of the school as it was being torn down by Hugh Elliott about 1919.
From all this information, and the approximate location of the school it will be assumed that as the district schools were never more than two miles from the families with children, that with the “age of progress” this caused the school to be discontinued and the students all eventually going to the village school.
THE ECHO DISTRICT #17
The second district #17 which, written above, located at the northwest section of the township lasted as an institution until 1933 when, with the “age of progress” it was closed as written above.
