Hartford School

This is the artist’s rendition of the Hartford School building by Lloyd Eric Miller. He attended school there from 1924 to 1936. Some of his classmates were Maxine Rawson, Helen Hunt, Betty Pyle, Georgia Shoop, Russell Isley, Clifford Isley, Sam Cummings, Kenneth Cloyd, Marguerite Brennan, Leo Harmon. He remembers the elementary staff: Mrs. Martens, Miss Furst, Mrs. Patterson, Miss Speak, Miss Breckenridge, and Mr. Evans. High School faculty were Superintendent Foy, phys. ed. and bookkeeping; Principal Maureen Parker, English and literature in 8-9-10th grades; Mrs. Maybohm, math and science; Miss Benson, senior year literature. He recalls the Palmer method of writing, as well as Mrs. Martens’ phonograph with the RCA dog sitting on top. Students marched around the classroom to the music of John Philip Sousa. When he was in the sixth grade, he wrote a story about muskrats that lived in Turkey Creek. He sent it to the Kansas City Star, and it was published! In High School he remembers reading THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY by Thornton Wilder and reading poetry by Wordsworth. He rode his own horse, Doll, to school if the buses did not run. His senior class took a “sneak day” to Winterset State Park for a picnic and were warned to watch out for rattlesnakes.