New Addition to the Museum Collection
Earliest known teaching certificate issued in Greenwood County donated to the Greenwood County Historical Society and Museum
This document was researched and discovered by Gib Rhodes and donated to the museum by the Robert Curry family of Madison.
The framed image includes the original hand-written teaching certificate issued to Sarah Lipsey on June 10, 1864 by Edwin Tucker, one of the founders of Eureka, often referred to as “the father of Eureka”; and a photograph of Sarah Reed Lipsey, the recipient of the certificate.
The certificate reads:
“This is 2 (to) certify that Sarah R. Lipsey has been examined and found competent 2 (to) give instruction in orthography, writing, arithmetic, English, grammar, and geography and have exhibited satisfactory testimonials of good moral character is authorized to teach these branches in any common school within this county.
Edwin Tucker
Superintendent Public Instruction of Greenwood County”
Sarah most likely taught at a log cabin or native lumber school in the Madison area. It was also likely the school building probably was not given a name and it was in the days before school district numbers were assigned to schools. Little is known about this period of time because school and teaching records were not required by Kansas law until 1886.
Included in the display are several early textbooks in reading, arithmetic, and English; a wood framed slate; and the lunchbox carried to school by Gladys Beuchat and her sister.
Come in and see this remarkable artifact and many other interesting items at the Greenwood County Historical Society Museum. We are open Monday – Friday from 10:00 – 4:00.
november quilt of the month
Sunflower Friendship Quilt
The quilt of the month was given in memory of Jerry A. Steele and the Steele family, by Betsy Steele Hendrix.
The quilt was made about 1920 in Gridley, Kansas by the Ladies Aid of the Methodist church in order to raise money for missionaries. To have a name written on a petal cost $.50 and to have a business name on the center cost $1.00. When the quilt was completed, chances, or tickets to win it, were sold, and at the drawing, the quilt was won by Eva Steele.
A sunflower on one corner has the names of the Steele family, Fred Steele, Eva Steele and Lois Winters, a little girl they were raising.
Fred Steele was raised in Gridley by a couple who owned Bahr Hardware. He later moved to Eureka to run his Western Auto Store on Main Street until his death in 1951. Fred Steele also served on the school board in Eureka.
The quilt consists of 24 15” sunflowers appliqued onto 16 ¼” x 16 ¾” white blocks. There are 288 names and 24 businesses embroidered on the sunflowers. The quilt is back and bound with white fabric.