Press Release
September 3, 2020
Contact: Renee Trindle
Sod House Museum, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 580-463-2441
sodhouse@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/sodhouse
“History of a One-Room School” Exhibit and Presentation at Sod House Museum
ALINE, Okla. — In early September, the Sod House Museum will open a new exhibit, “History of a One-Room School,” exploring the one-room schoolhouses in rural Oklahoma. Schoolhouse desks, books and a washstand, among many other artifacts, will evoke memories of a bygone era when these one-room, one-teacher schools dotted the landscape. These simply built structures, supported by local farmers and merchants, served as a place to educate children, hold community meetings and host social gatherings.
On Saturday, September 19, at 10 a.m. Brenda Dixon, who retired from teaching in Alva Public Schools, will give a presentation about one-room schools in conjunction with this new exhibit. Her program will examine the history of the one-room schoolhouses of the area. Dixon’s great-grandfather donated land and was influential in an effort to encourage his peers to donate timber for the original log structure of the Oakdale one-room schoolhouse, known as the “Stockade School” because of the vertical placement of the logs. The schoolhouse was rebuilt in 1902, and it was in that structure that Dixon’s mother was a student and her aunt began her teaching career. Following Dixon’s talk there will be a question and answer session, as well as a time for audience members to share their memories of one-room schoolhouses.
The Sod House Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located southeast of Aline on State Highway 8. For more information, contact Director Renee Trindle at 580-463-2441 or sodhouse@okhistory.org.
The Sod House Museum is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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