2023 PROGRESS:
Accomplishments from 2023 included the reorganization of the Society and the election of officers. We were able to participate in Fichland Tarnship's Cornmurity Day and over 40 people visited our display. We have had 30 new members join, including
11 Life Members. We have created a new website to provide the community with news of our events and the history of the one-room school system in Richland Township. We will soon be able to accept payments through PayPal on our website for donations. memberships and purchase of books and memorabilia.
Wan reorganization, we will resume a tour program and also aller programs to the public at our general meetings. Come visit us soon!
2024 DATES TO REMEMBER:
ALL GENERAL MEETINGS ARE ON THE 3rd SUNDAY AT 2 PM - SHELLY MUSEUM
MARCH 17 - GENERAL MEETING
APRIL 21 - GENERAL MEETING
MAY 19 - GENERAL MEETINGS AND PROGRAM
JUNE 16 - GENERAL MEETING
JULY 4 - RING THE BELL FOR FREEDOM PROGRAM STARTS AT 1:30
JULY 21 - GENERAL MEETING
AUGUST 18 - GENERAL MEETING AND PROGRAM
RING THE BELL FOR FREEDOM:
Since 1998, we have participated in the "Let Freedom Ring” ceremony, a national program that honors Independence Day. We invite the community to celebrate 248 years of our Country's independence by taking part in this nationwide event. Bells across the country toll thirteen times at 2 PM
Our large bell, located between the schoolhouse and the museum, was in the belfry of the 1908 Richlanatown School and donated to the Society.
The Shelly School and Museum will be open to the community at 1 PM. The program starts at 1,30 PM and the bell ringing begins at 2 PM. Come rig the bel um us for the 27 year
2024 SOCIETY OFFICERS
President - Arvil Ray Erwn
Vice President - Robert Beck
Secretary - Sandra Shelly
Treasurer - Nancy Ackerman
Curator - Evelyn Gerart
Sally School Phone Number: 215-586-5055
Website: www.richlandhistoricalsociety.com
Follow us on Facebook: Richland Historical Society
COLLECTION NEWS - Donations New to the Archives in 2023
Judy Stauffer: Meda Bader Stauffer collection of mid-1920s photos, letters, and membership cards, including 1923 & 1924 Wimmer's School Report Cards
Joe Bobiak: His grandfather's copper pot still and 1963-1964 Quakertown Community Junior High School Handbook
Late Robert J. Mease and Vasta Farily: Painting of Mease Homestead at 388 E. Paletown Road (Richland Township), by Mary Stahr of Quakertown Lorraine Orewniak Oearden: In memory of her mother, Mildred Gross Drewniak, ca.
1820s north side view photo of Shelly School
David Barbours A.G, Bader Poster, Dealer in Home Dressed Meats, Richlandtown, PA
Donna Mood Dietz: 1984 Diploma from Public Schools of Richland Township presented to Charles L. Mood
Sandra Shelly: Ca. 1948-1949 photo of students from Kauffman's One-Room School (Richland Twp.) embarking on a school outing to Bowman's Hill
REMEMBER that we accept donations of items relating to the Shelly School, the ane-room school system, and Richland Township history. We are currently looking for photos of the schoolhouses and the classes of the one-room schools to copy or display.
MEMBERSHIP:
Membership is our lifeline! Your 2024 dues are due! If your label says 2084 or L (Life), you are up to date. Please use the enclosed Farm Far 2024 membership If It shows an earlier date. This form can also be used to make tax-deductible donations.
Last year, the Society concentrated on increasing membership while we reorganized, and we had a great response from new and returning members. 2023 brought us 30 new members. Along with 19 new yearly members, we welcome the following Life Members: Shirley Bach, Kathymn Finegan Clark, John Dickert, Judy Frank, and Or Harold and Esther Shelly, Mark Shelly, Sandra Shelly, Darlene, and Tam Smicker, and Rick Taylor
Many thanks to our donors that have helped "Save Our School". They include:
Steve Biddie, Wendy Body, Paul Clymer, Lorraine Dearden, Ruthann Ely, Chris and Walter Feliman, Dennis and Mary Hagenbuch, Carol Hails, Anjanette and Greg Hoffman, Cleanor Procht, Dorothy Shelly, Lois Stevens and Vickilee Wolhbach.
SPECIAL THANKS:
To Dave Gerstenberg, owner of Dave's Services for his assistance in removing the dead ash tree in front of the schoolhouse, along with the grinding of the stump. A much nicer and safer view of the Shelly Schoolhouse was created. To the Quakertown Woman’s Club, Richland Township, Giant, and The Quakertown Farmer’s Market for their generous donations.
To QNB, our Corporate Sponsor for the past 21 years.
Excuses, excuses, excuses…
With the advent of Compulsory Attendance in May of 1911, for children in the schools of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, every parent or guardian was required to send their child to school. Using an excuse note to justify absence came into practice. The ‘neglect of duty’ for not sending a child to school or having a reasonable excuse in 1924 was a fine of two dollars for the first conviction and five dollars for each subsequent conviction. If the fine was not paid, the ‘person in parental relation’ would be sent to the county prison for a period of time not exceeding five days.
When the Scholl’s School was sold in the 1960’s as a private residence, a collection of excuses was found and donated to the Richland Historical Society by the new owner, Dorothy Rudolph. The reasons for absence for the students that year had a broad range: a sore finger ~ bilious ~ going to a funeral ~ a cold ~ vaccination ~ toothache – my sister being dead ~ having an operation and sickness ~ helping his father for a day ~ having an unpleasant odor caused by a skunk ~ too cold to walk 2 miles to school.
A FOND FAREWELL TO PAST PRESIDENT, VICTOR (VIC) STEVENS
Victor Stevens was the President of the Richland Historical Society for 25 years. He was the driving force behind many of the projects of the Society and made the expansion of the museum and addition of a meeting room a reality with his untiring work.
He was instrumental in having the Shelly School included on the National Register. Vic worked tirelessly towards the continued preservation of a cherished landmark in Richland Township: The Shelly One-Room Schoolhouse. He will be sorely missed. Vic’s family has asked for donations in his name be made to the Richland Historical Society.
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
The California School was located at the intersection of Dickert and California Roads in the northern part of Richland Township. It was rebuilt in 1890 of “bricks and the best material…” and modeled after the Shelly School. John Weiland won the construction bid with the lowest price of $855.98. The school was completed in the fall of 1890. It is the only school in the township that was demolished, during the 1950s.
REPORT CARDS:
The concept of report cards has remained basically the same over the past 100+ years, as you can see by this copy of Meda Bader’s report card from the Wimmer school. Along with showing tangible evidence of progress in a variety of subjects, the school administration encouraged parents to take an active role in their child’s education, quite commendable in this rural society. Report cards were issued monthly.
VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE:
www.richlandhistoricalsociety.org
Our newly-minted website is already getting filled with history. We will continue to add much more content as we move forward. Our wish list includes stories and photos of the old schoolhouses. Feel free to contact us with information and photos to add to the site.
Many thanks to Rick Taylor for having our website reconstructed. We will soon be able to accept donations and payments for purchases and memberships on the site through PayPal.
WHY WAS THE SHELLY SCHOOL SAVED?
After consolidation of the one-rooms schools began, the school board began to sell the unused buildings. By 1958, only Central and Shelly schools remained to be sold. When the school board met, there was a suggestion read from a member of the PTA that one of the remaining one-room schools be “retained by the board as a shrine or memorial of the past.” Mr. Lyman Koehler, who read this request, took the lead to keep one of the old one-room schools in this manner. In May, he had contacted 39 people who were all in favor of the project. In June, he proposed that the board keep Shelly School as a memorial for the Township and to hold up the sale of the building for nine months.
The plan to keep Shelly School as a shrine did not lose momentum. By January 1959, a group had formed a historical society. In February, Koehler and the group presented their views on preserving the Shelly School. After much negotiating over the next few months, this newly-formed Richland Historical Society made an offer two days before the building was slated to be sold. After discussion, a motion was passed to sell Shelly School to the Society for $1,750 with money loaned to the Society by Mrs. Ellamanda Lewis.
ENTER OUR CONTEST AND WIN A MEMBERSHIP!
Enter to win a one-year membership to the Richland Historical Society by correctly answering the following question:
In the very early 1950s, what author who received both the Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Award spent a whole day visiting with students at the Shelly One-Room School in Richland Township?
Mail your answer to our address so it can be entered into a drawing; include your name and contact information. The first winner with the correct answer will be drawn at our Annual Bell Ringing event on July 4, 2024.
