Returning again this week to District #6 the photo with this article appeared at an earlier date in The Evening Sun having been forwarded to the paper by the late Ruth Harrington Bliven. The caption with this photo read as follows: “YESTERDAY - The schoolhouse is not there anymore but fond memories linger about the little building that was located by the McDonough/East Pharsalia line. This photograph was taken in the spring of 1908.” The students/teacher is identified as follows: seated on ground, left to right, Ruth Preston, Pearl Harrington, Ruth Harrington. Standing by teacher left to right, Leila Harrington, the teacher, Cora Phetteplace, Ora Preston, Geraldine Harrington. Back row against the schoolhouse, left to right, Gerald Preston, Lila Harrington, Mary Richardson, Leora Harrington, and Grace Richardson.
When this photo was first published, all of the children except two (Mary Richardson Morse and Geraldine Harrington Corey) and the teacher were still living. The photo was undated, but we assume it first appeared in the newspaper approximately forty-five years ago.
The credit for the information again is given to Mrs. Jennie Preston for her research relevant to the McDonough district schools. “Part of the Pharsalia Township population went to school here along with the McDonough residents. Little evidence survives a once-used dwelling (note as a later photo will document) this district has been called in former years, the Preston School District.
“As a matter of fact, it was often only the Preston’s and Harrington’s who comprised the whole student body.
“My great-aunt (Mrs. Preston’s) (Mrs. Frank Mayer) told how on a sunny day classes would be held under a huge, shady tree nearby the school building. The tree doesn’t stand there today but many fond memories about it surely must.
“Directly in back of the school is a stone fence which shows the boundary line between the McDonough and Pharsalia Townships. The foundation is barely visible and it took some scrounging around in the brush to find the field stone foundation.
