In Search for Meaning of Our Heritage: One Room Schools in Maine - Orland

Orland, Hancock County

Orland Village

This is the Orland Village taken from the Dark Mountain Road. The village might be small. However, a number of prominant people were produced from the one room school in this community. There were a number of one room schools in this area: Carter School, Crane's Corner School, East Orland School, Hardscrabble School, North Orland School, Orland Grammar School, and Orland Primary School.

Following are the fond memories and accomplishments from some of the students. Some of them paid tributes to their teachers.

Carter School North Orland

Carter School North Orland - Back row Robert Harper, Nellie (Harper) Johnson, Ruth Burgess, Maida White, Laura (Clair) Doyle, and Marshall Gray. Middle row Erma Gray, George Clair, Arthur Harper, Warren Clair, and Mildred Gray. Front row Norman Gray, Katherine (Clair) Bennett, and Lawrence "Lonnie" Harper.

Fred Gray School # 16 North Orland

Fred Gray School #16, North Orland - Back row Hilda White, Edith Douglass, Lena Mumber. Middle row Maida White, Laurae Clair, Front row Momford Douglass, George Clair and Warren Clair

Photo courtesy of Katherine Bennett

Crane's Corner School

Crane's Corner School - 1916 Front row Lewis Snowman, unknown, unknown, George Saunders, unknown. Second row Silas Gott, unknown, Milford Leach, unknown, Una Hutchins. Third row unknown, unknown, Kermit Gray, unknown, Keneth Gray, unknown, Kelsey Gray, unknown. Back row Ruby Snowman, Marshall Harriman, Geneva Gott, Arthur Hutchins, Bernice Snowman and Arthur Gross.

Photo Courtesy of Philip and Shirley Hutchins.

Crane's Croner School - 1935 Front row Fred Snowman, Jane Burgess, Marguerite Gray, Marion Stover, Florence York, Edwin Bowden, Arthur Gray, and Marilyn Marks. Second row Donald Pierce, Eugene Carey, Jean York, Janice York, Connie Swazey, Regina Howard, Elaine Gray, Merrill Clement, and Kenneth Snowman. Third row James Gray, Regina Snowman, and Beryle Snowman. Fourth row Millard Clement, Rachel Clement, and unknown. Back row Maynard York, Glenice Stover, Teacher Ethel Leach and Sylvia Cunningham.

Photo courtesy of Marilyn Marks Jewett.

Kenneth "Ken" Snowman attended Crane's Corner School. He has fond memory of his teacher, Marion Harriman and the musical horn that she had on her car. Ken graduated from Bucksport High School and coached sports at Katahdin High School, Monson Academy, and Phillips High School. He was assistant principal at Woodland high School, and retired in 1987 after thirty-seven years.

Regina "Jeanie" Snowman (Smith) attended Crane's Corner School. Of Orland and school days, she recalled rafting on the frog pond down by Freddie Gross' (pond is all dried up now). Glenice Stover jumped from her raft to theirs and they all ended up in the water. They had to sit around the stove to dry out. She also recalled the tasty Wolf River apples that they "borrowed" from Freddie Gross' tree. Freddie Gross was such a nice guy. She didn't think he minded their helping themselves with the apples. Regina was very involved in all kinds of activities in high school. She was in Civics Club, Commercial Club, National Honor Society, and Library Club. She was on the honor roll and held certificates in shorthand and typing. She was class secretary for four years. Reginia worked at the Ben Franklin Store as assistant manager, then at Central Maine Power Co. and retired in 1981 after thirty years of service.

Millard Clement attended Crane's Corner School. His memories of growing up in Orland and Crane's Corner School differ from some.He was the janitor for 2 years. He said: "I can say that the good old years were not so great! The paths were long in winter,the spring was a long way off and green birch does not make much of a fire. Leveling the toilets was especially bad. I was a victim of the school bully. We at Crane's Corner had no play ground except the woods and a 20 - foot circle in front of the door that was a grass or hay field. Marbles was the sport there and 'Kick the Can' in the woods. The most difficult part of school was walking to and from school when snow was deep and the winters were very cold. We often wore our outside clothes until nearly noontime when the stove warmed up enough and the sun was on the right side of the building." He remembers how students were disciplined by teachers. When Ralston (one of the students) refused to sing, the teacher took him by the shirt and slammed him against the blackboard, breaking all the chalks when they hit the floor. The only time Millard was disciplined by the teacher on the seat of his pants was by Marian Harriman. Millard went to Higgins Classical Institute, the University of Maine and several military schools. He is a registered professional engineer and a profesional land surveyor. Millard has served the town of Orland in a number of positions: thirty-one years on the School Board, seventen as chair; sixteen years on the Planning Board and as chair.

Rachel Clement (Holman) attended Crane's Corner School. This is her comment about one-room school: "A one-room school house had lots of advantages. No homework was given since we studied our lessons when another grade was being taught. We walked to and from school. We also walked home for lunch unless the weather was too bad. I remember taking a can of soup to heat on the stove in the corner (the stove is used to heat the building except the outhouse). We got our drinking water from a ceramic jug and each of us had a tin cup. There was never a lack of interest by parents. They came when we had special programs like at Christmas. We went on a picnic each year before the end of the school year. I lived with an aunt sometimes and went to a big city school. I was terrified!!" Rachel went to Higgins Classical Institute where her mother attended before she came to teach at Crane's Corner School. After Higgins, Rachel attended Colby College, then to the Eastern maine General Hospital to become a nurse. World War II was on, so she was sponsored by the government to become a Cadet Nurse. She went back to college. Thirty years after graduating as a RN, She got a degree in hospital management. She mostly did psychiatric nursing. She worked in nursing for forty years before she retired.

The picture on the right is the Clement brothers and sisters taken on Nov., 1946. From left to right Millard, Merrill, Rachel, J. Philip and peggy Clement.

Crane's Corner School - 1941 Front row Wayne Gray and dog. Second row Robert Pierce, Rodney Gray, John Farnham, Elwin Bennett, Alice Mae Burgess, and Clayton Pierce. Third row Donald Robicheau, Fred Snowman, Connie Swazey, unknown, Paul Bowden, Leslie Farnham, Marion Stover, Marilyn Marks, Donald Pierce and unknown. Back row Jane Burgess, Marguerite Gray, unknown, Jackie Marks, unknown, and Gene Carey

Photo courtesy of Marilyn Marks Jewett

John Farnham attended Crane's Corner School. John recalled that once while he was attending Crane Corner School someone climbed up on the roof and put a pail in the chimney so it wouldn't draw. He doesn't know who. Naturally there was no school until that was fixed. John retired after 38 years with Central Maine Power Company. John owned and operated Orland Electric.

Clayton Pierce attended Crane's Corner School before moving to Bucksport. While attending the Crane's Corner School, he received the Seven Point Certificate in 1941, a certificate that was awarded to a student who met all the health criteria for a year. At Bucksport High School,Clayton excelled in sports. He worked forty years in the mill and retired in 1992.

Marilyn Marks (Jewett) attended Crane's Corner School. After graduating from Bucksport High School, she worked at St. Regis and Champion Paper Company for twenty-five years. She retired in 1992.

Nancy Wasson attended Crane's Corner School in September, 1942. Of school days in Orland, she said: "I recall going to Auto Rest Park on a school picnic in Albea Snowman's Pontiac (a woody) station wagon with wooden seats down the side. What a great and comfortable ride! I remember when all the children were fingerprinted by the State Police. I recall my brother Gordon Deans breaking his leg at Fred Gross's frog pond and being in bed at Aunt Jennie's (Farnham) for about six weeks. I remember the walk from my house on the Castine Road was about a half mile longer than it is now before the road was rebuilt. Most of all, I don't remember anyone ever being unhappy about coming to school. Everyone got along and played well togehter. I recall we (Philip Hutchins, Fred Keniston, Ronald Lloyd, and I) were the last class to complete all eight grades at Crane's Corner, the end of a wonderful era in Orland history. We were also the last to walk four years to Bucksport High School as they put buses on in the fall after our high school graduation." At age forty, Nancy enrolled in Husson College and earned a BS in Business Administration. Nancy is retired from the Finance Authority of Maine where she administered the State Student Incentive Grant Program for eleven years.

Nancy is a major contributor of the Orland one-room school project/website. Much of the information is taken from the interviews she conducted for the book she has created for the Orland 2001 one-room school reunion. Her work is much apreciated.

Crane's Corner School - Circa 1948 Back row Leland Perrigo, Ronald Lloyd, John Fornham, Albert Keniston, and Philip Hutchins. Third row Sandra Bridges, Lewis Deans, Ralph Burgess, Ellen Bray, Lloyd Deans, and Rose Keniston.Second Row Eloise Gott, Joan Gross, Ethelyn Gott, Caroline Keniston, and Gordon Deans. Front Row Fred Keniston, Arthur Deans and Terry Brooks.

Photo Courtesy of Nancy Wasson

Leland Perrigo attended Crane's Corner School and the Primary School. At Crane's Corner, Lee (short for Leeland) was the only one in his class who attended for four years. Minnie Bowden was his teacher. He chummed with Philip Hutchins. It was a great life, plenty of pretending, playing in the woods, swimming in the salt water. At the Primary School, Lena Cunningham was his teacher. Lee recalled the Orland Fair was one of the highlights in Orland. Lee graduated from the University of South Florida. He returned to Maine and became a fraud investigator for the State of Maine.

Albert Keniston attended Crane's Corner School. Retired from the service, Albert lives in New Jersey.

Philip Hutchins attended Crane's Corner School. Of attending Crane's Corner School, Phil recalled that he liked the plays that students put on at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. The largest group of students during his eight years was forty-four, and the teacher always bought each child a gift. His teachers were Marion Harriman, Minnie Bowden and Vera Hutchins. He recalled one Christmas he went out with the older boys to get a Christmas tree, set it up, decorated it only to find it was Skunk Spruce and had to be replaced the next day. For play, they used to slide down the hill on pasteboard boxes. In the winter season, the Gilpin Road was a sheet of ice. You could make one trip at noon and it was time to go back to school. They used to have someone stand at the Castine Road to make sure no cars were coming. They would cross the road down into Slas Gott's field. They also would run through the woods to Fred Gross's frog pond to skate. Phil was a janitor for two years. He carried the wood and water in, swept the floors, kept te fires going and put the flag up for $3.00 a week. After graduating from Bucksport High School, Phil became employed with the Maine Air National Guard and worked in the mill for thrity-three years.

Ralph Burgess attended Crane's Corner School and Orland Consolidated School. At Crane' Corner School, Ralph liked most of the students. He enjoyed playing baseball in Fred Gross's backyard. Ralph was employed at Champion International Paper. He has served as both union negotiator and union president for several years. Ralph has served on the Orland School Committee.

Coraline Keniston (Moulton) attended Crane's Corner School. She worked at Tall Pines for fifteen years. Widowed, Caroline has one child and two grndchildren.

East Orland School

East Orland School - Back row Mrs. White teacher, Jean Bowden, Virginia Gross, Ora Soper, unknown, Victor Bridges.Third row Virginia Hatch?, unknown, Gladys Ginn, Doris Lynch, Pearl Carpenter, Virginia Hatch?, Lillian Carpenter. Second row Edna Bowden, Ferne Bowden, Carolyn Dunbar, unknown, Rebekah Gross, Beverly Ingalls, Ends Merle Bowden and Helen Lynch. Front row Herbert Soper, Adelbert Conary and unknowns.

Photo Courtesy of Jean Bowden Dorr

Jean Bowden (Dorr) attended school in East Orland. Widowd Jean has three children, eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Jean supplied several of the photos for this website.

Doris Lynch (Judkins) attended the one-room school in East Orland for all eight grades. She is a "stay at home" mom. She has three children, two stepchildren, and four step grandchildren.

Lillian "Lil" Carpenter (Dunbar) attended the school at East Orland. Her special memories are of school days, Mrs. Alice White; the teacher and special friends, Helen Lynach, Gladys Ginn, Gene Lally, Linwood Bowden, Rebecca Gross, Freda Cunningham and others at school. The rest of her memories include growing up on a farm in Gilpin, the freedom to roam the woods and fields, and being allowed to do their own thing.

Edna Bowden (Simpson) attended the Harding School in East Orland. Of growing up and going to school in Orland, Edna said: "I always felt blessed and privileged to have grown up in East Orland. I was free to run and play anywhere if I didn't bother anyone. I was sort of an only child; my sister and brother were several years older. The only playmates were the Lynch kids, mostly I was with Eleanor and Bobby. Helen and Doris were a few years older. The schoolhouse was almost in our dooryard, so I was always at home there even before I was old enough to go to school. The eight years I spent there were the best. We always had the best of teachers, I thought. We always had Halloween and Christmas parties, and of course thee was graduation and picnics at the hatchery at Craig's Pond and at Pine Shore Park on Toddy Pond. The only graduation I felt sad about was my own. I knew I had to leave it all and go on with life." Edna was employed at James Taylor Osteopathic Hospital for twenty-five years as an X-ray aide, switchboard operator, medical records aide and many years as chief admissions clerk until retirement.

Helen Lynch (Gross) attended the one room school in East Orland.Alice White was her teacher most of the tim. Two other teachers were Ruth Lynk and Merton Smith. Of the one room school, Helen said: "With all eight grades in one room, I seldom took a book home. We learned a lot by hearing oral responses of the upper grades. Lasting friendships were made as we were a small group with love and respect for each other and for our teachers. I wouldn't trade my one-room school experiences for all of the (so called) benefits of this current generation."

Adelbert Conary attended East Orland School. Del (Adelbert) had a special fondness for his teacher of seven years Mrs. Alice White. Del went into the army in 1942, took his basic at Fort Jackson, SC, then went to Fort Bragg for a few weeks before being shipped to Italy and into World War II. He returned to Fort Bragg from there to Medical Hospital in NM for medical service. He was assigned to Germany for six and one half years. He retired at Fort Bragg in 1963.

East Orland School - Back row Fannie Hodgton, Edna Page, Walder Wardwell, Maxine Churchill, Arthur Page, Harvard Bennett, Robert Wardwell, Clifford Bennett. Second row Loti Eaton, Frances Randall, Esther Bennett, Clyde Dorr, Madeline Dorr, Maxwell Dorr, Larana Bennett, Gordon Bowden. Front row Velma Eaton, Curtis Dorr, Dorrance Wardwell, Aldana Bennett, Loraine Dunn, Mary Bowden, Arline Snowman Fred Snowman, Madeline Woodbridge, Maxine Dorr, Carolyn Bennett and Polly Dorr.

Photo courtesy of Jean Bowden Dorr

Orland Grammar School

Orland Grammar School - Back row Velma Harper teacher, Ruth Ames, Eleanor Snowman, Granville Doughty, Eugene Ginn, Virginia Leach, unknown Chambers, Hilda Saunders, and Frances Soper. Second row Robert Small, Hildred Leach, Jody Hutchins, unknown, Edna Bennett, Helen Dorr, Emma Chambers, Virginia Bowden, Virginia Gray, and Evelyn Hutchins, Front row Marshall Soper, Kenneth Rockefeller, Max Ames, Wilson Dorr, Grover Dorr, Clinton Carpenter, Harold Snowman, Frederick Wood, Neal Soper, Carl Bowden and Clayton Chambers. Boy in back of otheres Kenneth Bennett.

Photo courtesy of Ruth Ames Bunt.

Orland Grammer School - Class of 1941 Left to right Leslie Dorr, Pearl Springer, Virginia Ripley, Elois Gray, Margaret Gray, and Donlad Johnson

Photo from the collection of Leslie Dorr

Donald "Don" Johnson attended the village schools. He especially remembered two of his teachers, Lena Cunningham and Rena Sawyer Grey. "They were both wonderful teachers", he said. "I can still remember Friday afternoons at Orland primary. Children were chosen to either play a record or tell a riddle. I remember how excited we were at Orland Fair time. After the fair Miss Cuningham let us go to the fair grounds to look for changes that may have been dropped. Somene always found something if only a penny." Don't jouned the navy and served for four years. Soon after coming home, he moved to New York to be close to his future wife. He worked for New York Telephone Company and retired as a 2nd level supervisor in 1984.

Orland Primary School

Orland Primary School - Front row Joyce Hopkins, Gail Wardwell, Marjorie Mann, Alfred Chambers, Bobby Spencer, Betty Stubbs, Ronnie Spencer, Patty French, Alvertie Patten, and Carroll Patten. Second row Stephen Snowman, Loretta Ginn, unkown, Noreen French, Madeline Stubbs, Donna Soper, Rosalie Bridges, Linda French, Frnaces Hutchins. Third row Donna Hutchins, Beth Nute, Ronald Potter, Billy Blynn, Sandra Snowman, Edith Chambers, Mary Gray, and Prentiss Stone. Back row Dick Ames, Eddie Mealy, Leola Snowman, Donna Preble, Melvin Harper, Donald Bickford, Sandra Bowden, Robert Lanpher, Jimmy Ginn, Douglas Snowman, Lena Cunningham teacher.

Photo courtesy of Orland Historical Society.

Gail Wardwell (Wight) attended the Primary School. Gail recalled how at the Primary School Miss Cunningham had chairs in a semi-circle around the pot-bellied stove. The children would take turns sitting there to get warm. She remembered the icy cold out-house in the winter months. Gail graduated from Bucksport High School and Eastern Academy of Beauty Culture in Bangor. She worked as a cosmetologist in Bar Harbor and in Bucksport.

Robert "Bobby" Spencer attended the Primary School. Of his days in Orland Bob recalled the few names of the kids he went to school with. He remembered Douglas Snowman. He remebered he used to put on shows and charged a penny to get in and watch. Bob has owned and operated a restaurant and bar.

John "Ronnie" Spencer attend the Primary, Crane's Corner and the Grammar Schools. His special memories of Orland are his grandfather, John J. Obey who was the highlight of his life in Orland. According to his mother, Ronnie has a bell used in the schoo. It was discovered by his grandfather in the abandoned school. Ronnie served in the US Army for two years, part of which was in Korea. After the military he began work in purchasing where he remained until his retirement in January of 2001.

Rosalie Bridges (Doughty) attended both the Primary and Grammar Schools as well as Crane's Corner. Rosalie told of two incidents she has had in her one-room school days: 1) The school house was heated with a wood stove and had a stove pipe that ran across the room. One day the pipe broke and down came soot across her shoulders and desk. She was covered with soot. 2) The children were allowed to walk to the store when they had a penny or two to spend. Her first experience of going to the store was interesting in that she did not know how to get back to the shcool. She walked towards Castine for at least an hour beforea car stopped and picked her up. The only thing she could tell the driver was that her school had a flag flying. She was exhausted but not afraid to ride with a stranger. She also told about bringinig home chicken pox, whooping cough and LICE. She had her head washed with kerosene and with a wire brush.

Sandra Snowman (Harvey) attended the Crane's Corner, Grammar, and Primary Schools. Sandra said: "Growing up in Orland was the best, sliding on Orland Hill, going up to the frog pond, walking out to Walter Jones' to swim. There is always something to do. At Orland Primary School, Miss Cuningham had a long string running the length of the blackboard. Those who got their papers right could hang them up on the string after she put a star on the paper. We were encouraged to memorize Bible verses. After reaching a hundred, we were given a Bible of our own. I remember earning three. We also had a visiting nurse. When I went to Crane's Corner, the best thing was riding on the bus which my dad drove. We had big double desks shared with a classmate. Then I went to Orland village school which meant walking on Orland hill."

Edith Chambers (Edmundson) attended the Primary and Crane's Corner Schools. Of her school days, she recalled moving from Portland to Orland. She remembered walking to school hand in hand with her brother Alfred. She also recalled a fire they had and everything was lost. She found that her childhood days in Orland were great, playing ball, sliding, and being a brat.

Leola Snowman (Dean) attended the Primary School and moved to Brewer. She recalled that while at the Primary School Miss Lena Cunningham was her teacher. The boys lugged water from the Staples home. Her friend were Rosalie Bridges and Betty Stubbs. Leola worked in shoe factories and at Emple Knitting Mill. She is currently employed at Maine Shell Fish in Ellsworth.

Sandra Bowden (Dillon) attended Crane's Corner where her mother Minnie was the teacher. Minnie felt she had a double standard and sent Sandra to the Primary School. Sandra noticed the difference in structure of the classroom; Crane's Corner was a buzz of activities while the Primary School was very quiet and strict. Shortcomings at the Primary School were met with a major punishment, not just a lost recess but a writing assignment, a slap with a ruler, a call to the parents and the whole town knew you had been "bad" in school. Sandra told of an incident where she had the privilege of cleaning the boards and missed part of recess which resulted in a "wet" snowsuit and the ensuing embarrassment. She did not wish to take her snowsuit off when they returned from recess because she was "cold." She was allowed to sit next to the stove to get warm, and warm became hot. When the school bus arrived and she stood up to leave, she passed out. Miss Cunningham wrote a quick note to her mother, which resulted in a visit by Minnie to the school. After that Sandra was allowed bathroom privileges.

Sandra said that the only breaks teachers got were when the Bible teacher, the music teacher or the superintendent of schools came to visit. Students had the idea of learning Bible verses to earn a Bible and other prizes including a trip to a summer Bible Camp. The Bible teacher came every two weeks. She always had a flannel board and told Bible stories. She also listened to students' Bible verses. The music teacher, Mr. Wescott would teach a new song for the students to practice each week. Sometimes he would get sidetracked with talk about the high school band and chorus. When Mr. Jewett, the superintendent came, he only said hello and goodbye to the students, but spoke with the teacher.

Sandra learned three academic things because of the set-up of the one room school. She learned how to tell time in the first grade by looking at what the older kids did. Somehow she had problem with the number combinations, 4+5, 4+2, 7+3 etc. She really learned them when the younger kids were introduced to the concepts. She felt in love with diagramming sentences in first grade, work that fifth graders were doing.

Things she didn't like about the one-room school: 1) there was nothing so embarrassing, so cold and so smelly as the outhouse in a one-room school, 2) it was amazing that more people were not deadly sick drinking from the school water pail even though there was a dipper and students had their own drinking cups, 3) there was never enough room for all your stuff in your desk because you had to share it with at least one other person, and 4) in the winter, the floor was always wet; in mud season the floor was always slippery; in the fall and spring, it was always very dusty.

After high school in Bucksport, Sandra went to Boston and Temple Universities. She became a music teacher teaching vocal and instrumental music in numerous school systems in Maine and Pennsylvania. Sandra is the only band director nationally to have a student "make it" to the Grammy All American Jazz Band for four years in a row. She taught Nathan Morris, BOYS II MEN, Orrin Evans of the Orrin Evans Trio, and several members of professional music organizations. She has conducted many different orchestras and band festivals in a number of States.

Douglas Snowman attended the Crane's Corner, Grammar, and Primary Schools. Douglas along with his wife Charlotte Snowman, (Orcutt) recalled Hilda Walls the teacher cooking pea soup on the wood stove and they sliding down Carter Hill on a piece of cardboard.

Orland - Pictures taken in front of the scap metal collectin during WWII

Orland - Left to right Carroll Leach, Ed. Facteau, Donnie Leach, Stuart Saunders, Neilia Gray, Gloria Cotton, and Nina Conary. Boy hidden in back Leon Gray, boy hidden to left unkown,

Photo courtesy of Staurt Saunders.

Stuart "Stu" Saunders attended both the Primary and Grammar School. Of his childhood and school memories, Stu recalled when he walked to school in the winter he would see Dave Buck come down to the river to break the ice and go for a swim. Stu said as long as he could break the ice, Mr. Buck would go in. Stu told that he, Donnie Eldridge and the York boys, Keith and Clyde would shoot ducks in the river and take them down to the point and cook them. Stu also told of Verrill Hutchins (the town constable) sitting on the post office steps watching the traffic and chasing the speeders on foot while frantically blowing his whistle.

Nina Conary (Smith) attended Primary and Grammar Schools. Of memories of Orland, Nina said: "We look forward to Orland Fair. My two teachers were Lena Cunningham and Rena Gray.

Left to right Jackie Lozier, Alayne Gray, Peggy Jo Spencer, unknown, Jack Findlay, Joanne Marks, Dick Wardwell and Ralph Gray

Photo courtesy from Jack Findlay