The old schoolhouse standing on the northeast corner of the square at New California is one among the last of the old landmarks left in that village of buildings erected more than half a century ago.
     The house was very substantially built, as was the custom in those early days, otherwise it would not have stood intact for three score years.  The frame is of heavy hewn oak, doors, windows, casing, weather-boarding and shingles walnut, all worked out by hand.  As you enter the front door there is a small room on the right about twelve or fourteen feet square, used for a hat and cloak room, and a similar room on the left, used for election purposes.  The main room will seat about seventy-five persons, and was heated by a big box-wood stove, standing in the center of the room.  It is undoubtedly the oldest schoolhouse in the county at this date, and according to the recollection of the "oldest inhabitants" it has received but one coat of brown paint since it was erected.
     This house was erected in 1852 and the first "Select School" was taught by Llewellyn B. Curry in the winter of 1582-3.
     By the kindness of my two old schoolmates, Robert McCrory and R. L. Woodburn, a photograph of the old schoolhouse, as it now appears with broken windows and weather beaten by the blistering suns of summer and the blasting storms of more than fifty winters, was placed in my hands.
     As we look at that photograph, what memories of the days of more than half a century ago come trooping thick and fast, some sweet memories and some sad.  Sweet memories, as the old song goes, of
"School days, school days,
Good old Golden Rule days,
Reading, and writing and 'rithmetic,
Taught to the tune of a hickory stock."
     Pleasant days to think about now, but not all so pleasant when the "schoolmaster" used the rod with a heavy hand, as he was wont to do on frequent occasions, but usually not amiss.
     Then there are the sad memories when we recall the great majority who, with us, pored over the hard examples in Ray's Arithmetic and parsed, with the thirty-five rules of the old Kirkham Grammar, Gray's "Elegy" and "Hamlet's Soliloquy," who have crossed the dark river.  No other period in the life of man is so fraught with unalloyed happiness as the good old school days.
     The citizens of that day who by their enterprise and with a view of raising the standard of the common schools, erected the building have all passed to their reward, but their work has borne good fruit.  Among the many old settles who were interested and assisted both by work and contributions may be named Jesse Gill, John, Alfred, Samuel, David and Andrew McCampbell, Samuel B. and John Woodburn, John, William, Templeton and Henry Liggett, James A. Stephenson, Robert and John Curry, Nelson Cone, Jesse and David Mitchell, Dixon, Thomas, James, Moderwell and Mitchell Robinson, Walter Gowans, John McDowell, Rev. I. N. Lauhead, Perry Buck, Judah Dodge, James and David Dort, Jame Ketch, William Bigger, William Taylor, Anthony Wise, Elijah, Ira and Henry Fox, Landon Bishop, John Ruehlen and John Nonnemaker.
     Many other citizens in the township whose names might be mentioned were interested, but the names give are of the old settlers within a radius of two miles who took an active part in this advanced movement in educational matters.
     The building fund was secured by private subscription, excepting $50 donated by the township, with the proviso that it could be used for elections and township meetings.
     As there was no other public hall in the village, it was used not only for elections, but for all kinds of political, religious, Sunday School, singing schools and public meetings as long as it was occupied for school purposes and served the public well for nearly half a century.
     The original idea in erecting the buildings was for the sole purpose of establishing a "Select School" where the higher branches were taught to prepare students for teaching or to enter college.  The teachers were with few exceptions, college graduate, and the branches taught included higher mathematics and the languages.  A literary society was organized and was continued from year to year as long as the Select School was kept up, which was for a period of about forty years and until a graded district school was established in the village.
     The school was largely and at one time it was shown by the records of certificates issued by the Board of School Examiners that there was a sufficient number of teachers in Jerome Township to supply all the schools in the county.
     Many young men and women who attended this school received, through encouragement from these high-grade teachers, their first incentive to secure a collegiate education.  A large number of them did enter college and were graduated with honors and are now successful business or professional men and attribute their success largely to the educational advantages in this school.
     Among the teachers were Llewellyn B. Curry, Rev. I. N. Laughead, Rev. Isaac Winters, Olive Gill, David Cochran, Samuel Graham, Mr. Johnson, Thomas Evans, R. L. Woodburn, George Ruehlen, Mr. McCharahan, Leroy Welsh, James Curry, John Stockton, E. L. Liggett, Calvin Robinson, David H. Cross and J. W. Baughman.
     Of these teaches the following named have died:
     Llewellyn B. Curry, Rev. I. N. Laughead, Rev. Isaac Winters, David Cochran, Samuel Graham, E. L. Liggett, Olive Gill Mitchell, Leroy Welsh and R. L. Woodburn.
     The names and residences of the survivors so far as known are:  Thomas Evans, in Decatur, Illinois; Colonel George Ruehlen, Quartermaster U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.; Rev. James Curry, Newark, California; Calvin Robinson, Hartington, Nebraska; D. H. Cross, Pasco, Texas, and J. W. Baughman.
     Of the other named teachers the addresses are not known if they still survive.
     The descendants of the old settlers named as taking an active part in organizing this school were all pupils of the school, numbering from three to perhaps six in each family, and in all several hundred during the forty school years.  The school term only extended over the late autumn and fall months and did not interfere with the public schools of the winter, and any of the students taught country schools during the winter and "boarded around" among the scholars.
     They are now of the third generation, counting from the first settles of the county in 1798.  Many of that generation have reached the allotted age of three score years and ten, and those who survive are scattered all over the continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
     Many pleasant incidents are recalled of those good old days, and as the classes of boys and girls were about equally divided, in the parlance of today it would be known as a Co-ed School.
     A beautiful woods of sugar and other forest trees, the property of James A> Curry, adjoined the schoolhouse lot.  This was the favorite trysting place of the boys and girls ranging from 16 to 18 years of age.  At the noon hour many of these pupils could be seen walking under the shade of the hickory-nuts, which were usually in abundance.  No doubt some of these joyous-hearted girls and boys, as they strolled along the shady paths, or, seated on the trunk of a fallen tree, plighted their friendship - perhaps love - talked not only of the present but of the future.  Can any of the old pupils,, whose hair may now be sprinkled with the gray tints of the autumn of life, recall such a scene?  Some of these joyous hopes were destined to be rudely broken by the cruel fate of war.  Family ties were to be severed; sad hearts of mothers, sisters and sweethearts were to linger prayerful in the old farmhouses along "Sugar Run" waiting for the loved ones who would never return.
     The fall term of 1860 ended the school days  of many of those farmer boys forever, and they were to play an important part in that great drama of Civil War.
     Already the bark of the war dogs could be heard sounding nearer and nearer.
     The writer, with several other students who had attended this "Select School," had just entered upon a college course at Otterbein University, but in the spring of 1861 our books were packed, and so ended our school days for all time.

NEW CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS OF TODAY.

     The school building is a substantial frame erected about three years ago, with five rooms and thoroughly modern, with all conveniences for the comfort of the pupils.  To those of us who were pupils here almost three-score years ago, it is a great pleasure to witness the marked progress in educational facilities, although the school here at that early date was considered among the best in the county.  The erection of the old farm schoolhouse which still stands on the corner of the square, marked the first advance in higher education in this community.  While all the old families of enterprising and Christian citizenship who first inaugurated this movement have passed away, still their descendants have kept up their interest in education matters, and it is pleasing to note that some of them are now members of the School Board and join hand in hand with the newcomers in all matters pertaining to good citizenship.
     Professor J. B. Hughes is the present Superintendent, assisted by a corps of competent teachers, all of whom rank among the best qualified teachesr of the county:  Mr. Henry Stewart, Principal; Miss Margaret Strapp and Miss Ada May, Primary Department; Miss Leo D. Wise, Intermediate; Miss Lelon Neill, Grammer; Miss Nora Mulcahy, Assistant High School Principal.  The grand total of pupils in attendance is 196; graduates in 1913, 10; and 39 pupils in the different grades in High School, with three courses: Latin, English, and Commercial, all adapted to the needs of pupils who aspire to a college or university course.
     The Board of Education is now planning to erect a high school building of four rooms during the ensuing year.  The following named progressive citizens compose of Board of Education at this time:  J. W. Mitchell, J. M. Curry, G. W. Carson, John Gugle, John McKittrick, Dr. W. C. Vigor (Clerk), Grant E. Herriott (Treasurer).  Under the management of this board, with Professor Hughes and the competent teachers, this school holds an enviable place among the schools of the county and in all matters connected with the school in its onward progress the citizens of the community take a great pride.
     With comfortable covered conveyances in which all the pupils are carried from their homes and returned safely, it is certainly a joy to be permitted to attend such a school, as compared with the conditions fifty years ago, when the pupils were compelled to wade through mud or snow up to their knees in the winter season, and but few comforts and conveniences in the schoolhouses.
     What a transformation!  Only two centralized schools in the township at this time, and before the system was changed at least ten district.  Graduation from these high schools prepares the farmer boy for business or entry into college.
     Of the many school-teachers of Jerome Township of continuous service for a long period, C. L. Curry is no doubt entitled to the credit and stands at the head of the list.  He taught every year from the winter of 1868 to 1884 inclusive, a period of seventeen years, with no interval - a total of nineteen terms, or seventy months.

     Olive Gill, Emma and Sophia Dodge, Nancy McCampbell and many other teachers of long service might be named.
     Mr. Curry has always taken a deep interest in educational matters, not only in the township, but in the county and State, and still keeps up his interest and is always ready to lend a helping hand for advancement along progressive lines in the public schools.