This helpful presentation will discuss common migration patterns into and out of the region, key record sets for tracing these migrations, and more. Register Now
Upcoming In-Person Conference, September 24-28
36th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences
Join us for this renowned biennial genealogy and heraldry conference—the first ever to be held in the United States! Explore the theme of Origins, Journeys, Destinations through:
More than fifty-four sessions over three days
Speakers and experts from around the world
Social events & cultural excursions
Special exhibits of heraldic & genealogical treasures
Share your thoughts about the survey!Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Your submission may be featured in an upcoming newsletter or shared on social media; please note in your email if you do not want your story to be shared. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
Your Ancestors' Grade School and High School Experiences
Total: 3,631 Responses
97%, At least one of my ancestors attended public school.
30%, At least one of my ancestors attended religious school.
14%, At least one of my ancestors attended a secular private school.
15%, At least one of my ancestors attended a boarding school.
8%, At least one of my ancestors attended a military school.
18%, At least one of my ancestors attended a vocational or trade school.
5%, At least one of my ancestors attended a school in the United States where the primary language was not English.
4%, At least one of my ancestors attended a school for the deaf and/or blind.
1%, At least one of my ancestors attended a school for students with special needs.
5%, At least one of my ancestors attended a type of school not mentioned above.
3% I don't know about the types of schools my ancestors attended.
Readers Respond
Brandy Ciraldo, Glastonbury, Connecticut: My grandfather Robert Harold Potter was living in Jamestown, Rhode Island, when World War II began. He was 13 years old. During shop class, the boys made torpedo parts. After school, Navy personnel from the nearby base used the school’s shop to manufacture more complicated devices. This experience had a profound impression on my grandfather. He became a devoted military man, as did his two sons.
Rachel Dobson, Cottondale, Alabama: My grandmother Daisy Snellgrove Tucker went to the newly built elementary school run by Bibb Manufacturing, Inc., one of the largest textile mills in Georgia. In high school, Daisy attended what was then known as the Secondary Industrial School (later Jordan High School), the first public industrial/vocational high school in the U.S., now on the National Register of Historic Places. She graduated as valedictorian. After several years of nursing, Daisy had a long career at the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, eventually becoming executive secretary to the publisher.
Brenda Jackson, Joplin, Missouri: I went to the same small country grade school in Eastlake, Colorado, that my father had attended. One day when I was in the backstage area of the auditorium, I saw his name scrawled on the wall. I was thrilled to see my father’s autograph there 25 years after he graduated!
Bob Hall, North Easton, Massachusetts: My dad lived on Isle La Motte, Vermont, an island in Lake Champlain close to the Canadian border. The island had two one-room schoolhouses for the 106 residents. My dad’s tiny stone-wall schoolhouse (seating a maximum of 15 students) was a mile away from his house. It now houses the historical society. My grandfather, a subsistence apple farmer, died of pneumonia when my father was just 7 years old, leaving five children ranging in age from a newborn to a 12-year-old. My dad left school after finishing grade 6 to work on the farm. Work became his life. I saw the negative effect that educational deficiency had on him. I became a schoolteacher.
Jeanne Baldwin, Sacramento, California: My mother, Nellie Lalor, was an excellent student. The local school ended at eighth grade, and Nellie's teacher encouraged her to continue her education. However, her father—my Irish immigrant grandfather Patrick Lalor—didn't believe that women needed an education beyond reading and writing. My grandmother Ellen Lynch Lalor felt differently. Ellen contacted the Dean of Girls at a large high school about 60 miles away and made arrangements for Nellie to board with the Dean and work in her home in exchange for the room and board and some spending money. In the meantime, Ellen sold homemade bread, rented out a room, and saved every penny to send her daughter to school. Despite Patrick's protests, my mother graduated from high school and went on to have a very successful career in management.
Scott Herbert, Merrimack, New Hampshire: My father, Paul Herbert, and his three brothers attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse in Pelham, New Hampshire. The school was located down a dirt road about 100 yards from his home. During the winter Paul’s mother—or, later, his older brother—walked to the schoolhouse early in the morning to start a fire in the small stove to warm the classroom before the students arrived. In 1927, when Paul was 10, the single classroom included sixteen students at various grade levels and a single teacher, Miss Glavin. Eventually the schoolhouse was converted into a home. The building remains standing today.
What We’re Reading
Tree of Peace, Spark of War “The white pines of New England may have done more than any leaf of tea to kick off the American Revolution.”
A Selection of Student Confessions “Did you break a campus rule? Let the students of Millersville Normal School [in Millersville, Pennsylvania] show you how to confess to the administration.”
The city of Waverly, seat of Bremer County, is located in northeastern Iowa. The Waverly Public Library has made a newspaper database available in its digital archives. The collection comprises more than 210,000 pages from twelve local newspapers. Titles include Waverly Democrat (1880-2019), Bremer County Independent (1881-2019), Waverly Republican (1856-1915), Bremer County Independent and Waverly Republican (1929-1959), and Independent Republican (1915-1929). The resources also include a six-volume collection of rosters of Iowa soldiers in the War of Rebellion, GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) post member records and histories, and a Bremer County atlas. The databases are keyword searchable and can also be browsed. Search Now
Database News
New Sketches: Early New England Families, 1641-1700
We’ve updated Early New England Families, 1641-1700, adding two new sketches. The sketches feature Samuel Gaylord (m. 1646, 1681) and Gamaliel Phippen (m. 1649). The Early New England Families, 1641-1700, study project is led by Alicia Crane Williams. This project highlights heads of families mentioned in Torrey’s New England Marriages to 1700 and focuses on individuals who immigrated from 1641 through 1700. This database is available to Individual-level and above members only. Search Now
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
