Every now and then you get an email that needs to be shared and that's
exactly what I'm doing here. And every now and then you learn about a
piece of history in those emails, which is what you'll read and see
below. Enjoy!
Contractors began work on four classrooms of Emerson High School in
Oklahoma, they knew their remodel would improve education, but they
never expected it would impact local history. This story is what they
found hidden behind the chalkboards.
Looking to upgrade the rooms with new whiteboards and smartboards,
the workers had to first remove the outdated chalkboards. But when they
began to pull away the old ones, they made a startling discovery.
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Beneath the current boards rested another set of
chalkboards - untouched for nearly 100 years. Protected and totally
undisturbed, the century-old writings and drawings looked like they were
made just yesterday. Here, a November calendar rolls into December. A
turkey marks the celebration of Thanksgiving.
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A multiplication table gives us a glimpse into the curriculum and
methods taught in 1917, techniques perhaps lost in the passage of time.
When regarding a wheel of multiplication, Principal Sherry Kishore told
The Oklahoman, "I have never seen that technique in my life."
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But Oklahoma City school officials aren't just shocked by what is
written, but how it is written. Penmanship like this is clearly a lost
art. This board reads, "I give my head, my heart, and my life to my
God and One nation indivisible with justice for all."
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Within each of the four rooms, the subject matter and
lessons mirrored one another, indicating, as an Oklahoma Public School
Twitter caption reads, "aligned curriculum in 1917."
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And though the boards' style and subject matter might be unfamiliar to
younger folks, they certainly resonate with older generations. Principal
Kishore told The Oklahoman what it was like to show her 85-year-old
mother the boards: "She just stood there and cried. She said it was
exactly like her classroom was when she was going to school."
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But these boards actually predate Principal Kishore's
mother by 13 years. Two dates were found on the boards: November 30,
1917, and December 4, 1917.
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Some of the writings and drawings were done by
students, while others were made by teachers, but I'm not always clear
whose is whose.
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Regardless, the work is a striking look into days long
gone. While reading the boards, like this one listing "My Rules To Keep
Clean" - the past comes alive in a very personal way.
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English teacher Cinthea Comer told The Oklahoman, "It was so eerie
because the colors were so vibrant it looked like it was drawn the same
day. To know that it was drawn 100 years ago, it's like you're going
into a looking glass into the past."
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Built in 1895, Emerson High School has seen many
renovations and improvements throughout the years, but nothing like this
has ever been discovered.
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When removing old chalkboards in the past, contractors
have only found broken pipes and wires, so this is a shocking surprise.
Oklahoma City and the school district are now working to preserve these
beautiful boards.
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Hopefully, the spirit of these teachers and their students will be
enjoyed for many years to come. Who knew that scribbles on a chalkboard
could become such a precious piece of history.
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