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Buffalo School

Told by: Elzie Blankenship
Told to: Adam Cline

-Before Huff Consolidated School was built the children went to smaller lor2 room schools. One of these was the Buffalo School. It had grades 1 through 8.

There were two teachers at Buffalo Mr.& Mrs. Amos Steele. Both of whom would later teach at Huff Consolidated until they retired.

My grandfather, Elsie Blankinship went to scholl at Buffalo during his 4th, 5th , & 6th grades. He would walk 2 1/2 miles to school and back because there wasn't a bus. When he was in the 6th grade. they opened Huff Consolidated (circa-lae 1940's.

Teachers at Huff Consolidated included Mr. & Mrs. Luther Green , Mr. & Mrs. Amos Steele , Everett Cline , Chester Lester , Zora Morgan , Blaine England , Hazel Shields, Emma Lockhart , and hte principal was Kennie Hatfriels.

Later, Aronld Harless would teach after his completion of collage. The janitor was Little Frank Hatfield.

My grandfather was called on to do many chores. He helped Mr. Hatfield at Huff as well as being janitor at the Buffalo School. His pay was $7.50 a month.

After the start of Huff Consolidated, my grandfather being one if the oldest children would be brought back to teach the children at Buffalo if the teacher at the time (Wanda Beverly) wasn't able to be there.

Mr. Kenny Hatfield was to take him back.

Many of the students that attended the Buffalo School are still in our community. Many, still have family connected with our school even today.

These are a few of the names my grandfather told me were there when he went to the Buffalo School.

Carolyn Riffe Sibo , Roger Riffe , Clarence Blankenship, Ballard Blankenship , Clinton Lester , Roy Gene Vance , Kenneth England , Joann Walker Shepard , Mayrene Walker Sprouse, and the late Judy Weidner Bailey.

Though my grandfather never ccompleted high school he went to work in the coal mines.

Retiring after 37 years many if which he had men working inder his supervision.

My grandmother Rachel Newcomb Blankenship on hte other hand never went to school at Buffalo. She like many other children went to school Pads Fork School on up in the hollow at Steeles , WV.

Many of the pupils from that school are still active in our community also.

Though most of the schools from which Huff Consolidated Schoo; was created have been torn down or destroyed.

The Buffalo School is still standing as a reminder of a time when people I consider old were my age.

cI began school in 1930. I went to a 3 room school. I started in Primer, which included primer through 8th grade .The little room (as we called it) taught Primer, first+second grades. The middle room taught third ,fourth ,and fifthgrades. The big room tauhght sixth, seventh,and eighth grades . We walked to school every day 1 mile each way.

The winters were much colder than they are now .We mostly had snow from November to April. We packed are lunches because they did not have luknch rooms in our school. We put plays on at Christmas and Thanksgiving,which was lots of fun. Our costumers were made of crepe paper, tensil, and ribbon.At Easter, we got tohave egg hurts. Everything was so much cfeaper then compared to now. Soda pop was only 5 cents per bottle. Our classes consisted of Reading, Writting ,Spelling, and Arithmetic,Health, and Language. We also had History and Geography. I really liked school a lot. I once recieved a book as a gift for having perfect attendace. We got that gift for 2consecutive years.I even passed third and fourth grades both in one year.

The Little Two Room School

Told by: Nellie Marie Walker Lester
Told to: Rebekah Koleski

Mrs.Stelle was a very good but very strict. She taught us well. My brother and I had to walk to school about three miles when it was to cold we just didn't go to school. We didn't have very much in the late 30's a