Back to School!

Here we are in the last few days of September, the traditional "back to school" month in Mantua Township. What a time of year this was when we were young. Summer was over and--following in the footsteps of our parents and theirs before them--we were excited in spite of ourselves. How we hated to lose the freedom of vacation! And yet, the adventure of a new class, a new teacher, new subjects, new activities--a new beginning--was invigorating (even with the occasional stomach full of butterflies).

In the tradition of September, then, we offer this week a look at some classes from the past. Maybe you will find one of your parents or grandparents, or some other relative. You might even see yourself.

Memory is a fallible thing, and typographical errors occur all the time; please let us know if you notice any inaccuracies in the captions of the photos. Also, if you recognize any of our unidentified students or teachers, please drop us a note.

1910s

Over one hundred years ago Miss Hamilton's class congregated along the outside wall of the Union Street School in Mantua--the same building that today houses our museum. The students are not identified in the photo but, tantalizingly, we have a partial list of students from the class. We just don't know where they are in the picture. Can you match any of the faces with a name?

Miss Hamilton's class at the Union Street School, Mantua. 
Known class members, in alphabetical order, include: Jessie Batten; Grace Bundens; Harvey Burkhart; Grace Darlington; Anna Hendlymer; Elsie Huff; Bill Hughes; Bertha Jones; Mildred Jones; Camella Kean; Emma Madciff; Marian Munyan; Franklin Myers; Margaret Myers; Fenimore Neuschafer; Frances Owens; Alvin Park; Mae Pike; Frank Ramsey; Arthur Updegrove; Loren Vandergrift; Gordon Warner; Cecil Zane; Marion Zane.
Photo courtesy of Barbara Jones Scott.

1920s

About eight years later at the Union Street School Miss Florence Willey gathered her 7th and 8th grade classes for a group photo. Some of the young ones from Miss Hamilton's 1912 class are among these older students. 

Miss Florence Willey's 7th and 8th grade class, Union Street School, circa 1920.

(Left to right): Front row - Loren Vandergrift; John Kean; Joseph Wolf; Bertram Miller; Kenneth Lore; Mildred Burkhart; Adrian Vandergrift. 2nd row - Grace Rose; Clifford Young; Charles Cooper; Roger Kean; Cecil Zane; Everett Foulke; James Chew. 3rd row - Oscar Gruber; Dorothy Myers; Katherine Davelstien; Sophia Gonserkevis; Alice Haines; William E. DeLaney. 4th row - Harold Feltman; Byron Budd; Martha Leisy; Eunice Simmons; Mildred Jones; Eva Freschcoln. Back row - Lewis Chew; Thomas Munyan; Eugene Neuschafer; Louise Bewley; Bertha Jones; Elsie Bendel; Grace Apgar.

Photographer: R. Jaggers of Paulsboro. Photo courtesy of Bertha Jones Scott.

1930s

The Great Depression was at its height when Mr. Yacovelli (teacher) and Mr. Johnson (manual training teacher) assembled their smallish 7th and 8th grade class for a photo in front of the Sewell School. 

Mr. Yacovelli's 7th and 8th grade class, Sewell School, October 1933.
(Left to right): Front row - Mr. Yacovelli; James Cogan; Thressa Smith; Estelle James; Frank Clark; Ted Micklin; Mr. Johnson. 2nd row - Grace Leach; Patty Barrett; Mary Chadwick; Lelia Arnold; Helen Peirce; Walter McCarty. Top row - Marcella Farestad; Henry Strabuk; Russell Ferguson.
Bert Sorden of Mantua, photographer. Photo courtesy of Thressa Smith Jones.

1940s

Regional conflict in Europe was fast turning into World War 2 when Miss Mary Lippincott's fourth graders had their pictures taken at J. Mason Tomlin School in Mantua. The Mantua Township Historical Commission's Theresa Ratz DiGiamberardino is in the upper left-hand photo. A line of blanks in the caption ("___") acts as a placeholder for unidentified students.

Miss Mary Lippincott's 4th grade class at J. Mason Tomlin School, 1940-41.
(Left to right): Top row - Theresa Ratz; Ruth Marshall; Jean Hunter; Anna Lonia; Kathryn Fleming. 2nd row - Shirley Dissinger; Loretta Foulke; Faith Glenn; Betty Parker; Fay Leisy. 3rd row - Harry Snoke; Alfred Ristine; Howard Kammerer; Ruth Anderson; Ruth Histand; Sue Brown. 4th row - Edward Kay; John Higgins; James Cartwright; Richard Lisborg; George Freshcoln; George Landwher. 5th row - George Gallagher; _______; Harry Scott; Moselle ____; Mattie Fortune; Estelle _____.
Photo courtesy of Theresa Ratz DiGiamberardino.

1950s

After ten years of war and its aftermath, Mantua Township, along with the rest of the nation, was hopeful and prospering. The thirty-nine (yes, thirty-nine!) members of Mrs. Jones' third grade class at J Mason Tomlin school reflect the growing population of the community. Carolyn Harris of the Mantua Township Historical Commission is second from the right in the second row.

Mrs. Jones' 3rd grade class, J. Mason Tomlin School, 1950.
(Left to right): Front row - Janet Mihlebach; Lester Barger; June ____; Jules Weissman; Patsy Park; Carter Brown; _____; John Romano; Patsy Kammerer; Charles Mogar; Virginia Jones; William Schickle. 2nd row - Grant Kircher; Jeanette Donnelly; James Hirst; Carolyn Stecher; Tom Davis; Susan Parks; John Raffo; Janice Porter; Edward Dempsey; Bernice Lonia; Paul Kaufman; Carolyn Harris; Donald Carson. 3rd row - Ed Haig; Charles Firman; George Randall; Calvin Samson; Frank Exler; John Parks; Bobby Slater; Eddie Jones; _____; Teddy Slater; Mrs. Jones. Top row - Bessie Shelmire; Jean Mantal; Jenny Howard; Carol Hebert.

1960s

Ten years later the "Space Race" was heating up on the international scene. Space was also a concern in the burgeoning schools of Mantua Township. This Barnsboro School first grade class came together in the school's spruced-up basement to take a photo in 1961. Unfortunately, we have no record of the names of these students or the teacher. Please let us know if you recognize any of them.

Unidentified 1st grade class, Barnsboro School, 1961-62 school year.

It of course takes teachers as well as students to make a school. Another photo from the 1960s is this image of the 1965 faculty of the Centre City school. We have no names for them, so if you remember any of the faces please notify us.

Faculty of the Centre City School, 1965.

Bonus mystery photo

At the museum we sometimes find a photo about which we have very few clues. We assume that the image below is from a class in Mantua Township, but there is nothing to show which class it is, who the students are, from which school it comes, or when it was taken. If you recognize any of these students, please let us know.

Update--Thanks to Herb Hood of Sewell for identifying his relative John Schnee, born 5 Feb 1940. This helps us estimate the class was from sometime in the late 1940s. Excellent sleuthing!