When Barbara Pforr retired from teaching in the Franklin Public Schools, she knew what she wanted to do with her extra time. For one thing, she wanted to join an orchestra where she could play her violin, so she joined the Community Orchestra that rehearses at UWM. For another, she wanted to organize an educational program for elementary school children that would give the youngsters a taste of what it was like to live in Franklin 100 years ago.
Barbara and her husband Dale have been active in the Franklin Historical Society since moving to this community almost 40 years ago. She liked to bring her 3rd grade class to the old Whelan School at Legend Park so the children could sit in the old-fashioned desks and learn firsthand what school was like in their grandparents' or great-grandparents' day. Although the Franklin Historical Society offered tours for school groups at the time, Barbara had some ideas of how to make that experience more than a traditional field trip.
With the support of her brother-in-law Al Block, former Director of Instruction in Franklin Schools and a board member of the Franklin Historical Society, Barbara devised a program where individual classrooms are invited to spend four hours at Whelan School and the other three historical buildings on Legend Park grounds. She has found two other retired teachers who share her passion for local history and alternate with her as lead teacher of the day, whevenever tours are scheduled. In addition, there are half a dozen or so volunteers who serve as assistants. It's a very well-run program, enjoyed by children, their teachers, and volunteer parents who help out.
Last week I volunteered as one of the assistants. The two requirements are to join the Franklin HIstorical Society and to come dressed like a woman from the early 20th century. A trip to the Goodwill store helped me out there. What surprised me is that most of the children came in old-fashioned dresses and trousers as well, and they brought their lunches in cloth-covered baskets or tin pails. There were no zip-lock bags or canned beverages. In fact, one of the tasks before lunch was to make their own drinking cup by following the teacher's step-by-step folding directions.
The previous week I had dropped in during one of the classroom visits to observe a fourth grade class from Robinwood and had a short chat outside the school with a girl identified by the nametag Vivian. "That was my mother's name!" I told her, thinking How quaint that these old names are coming back in vogue! Then I learned that each child is given a different name when he or she enters the classroom, along with some true-life stories of actual children who lived a century ago. Some of the Franklin children were amused to find out they were attending school with a brother or sister, as was common in the days when grades 1 through 8 were all taught in the same school.
Some of the children were asked to carry in wood to place in the box beside the potbelly stove (not operative in 2008.) They also pledged allegiance to the flag and then they sang the "Good morning" song as one of the assistants played the pump organ: "Good morning to you! Good morning to you! We're all in our places, with sunshiny faces. Oh, this is the way, to start a new day!"
The children practiced reading from an old McGuffey Reader in their desks, and they practiced penmanship with pens dipped in real ink. They also had arithmetic problems to solve and lessons in spelling, history and geography. After lunch they played ring toss and other games outside. Then they went on an artifact hunt to the other three historic buildings on the property -- St. Peters Chapel, the Sheehan-Godsell Log Cabin and the Franklin Town Hall, where Dale Pforr, dressed like a turn-of-the century town clerk, demonstrated the victrola and stereoscope, and helped the children identify some of the artifacts listed in their booklets.
All too soon four hours had elapsed and the children boarded the 21st century bus which would take them back to their own 3rd grade classroom at Southwood Glen. There wasn't time to sing the "Goodbye" song printed in their booklet: "Let us put our books away, Study time is over. Happy tripping, homeward skipping, Soon we'll be at play."
To find out more about the Franklin Historical Society and how you can get involved, check out the website: http://www.franklinhistory.net. The book, "From Cabins to Condos," published by the Society two years ago, is available at the Franklin Public Library and through the website, as is the recently published book, "They Came to Bowl," by Doug Schmidt.
The Franklin Historical Society will be hosting a series of Open Houses at the four historic buildings in Lions Legend Park. The next one will be held Sunday, June 22. The buildings will open for tours from 1 to 3 p.m. There will also be a special Open House event on Friday, July 4th, which will run from 1 to 6 p.m. in conjunction with the City of Franklin's Civic Celebration.
Other Open Houses are tentatively scheduled for Sunday, July 20, and Sunday, Aug. 17, between 1 and 3 p.m. There is no charge for admission.
