Old Schools of Sebastian County

With last week's parent-teacher conferences, we are reminded of the old schools of Sebastian County. The Sebastian County website at Rootsweb has a wonderful collection of photos and information. You can see more at the Old Jail Museum's Redwine Pioneer Schoolhouse. Photos of area schools and pupils line the walls. You'll see the classroom rules and consequences for misbehavior that were posted to make any potential miscreant think twice. The portraits of Lincoln and Washington will remind you of your own school days. A jar of marbles recalls playground fun and the "little house" behind the school makes us thankful for modern conveniences.

The Museum sells two publications about early schools: "When the Old Bell Rang" and the 1998 edition of the Key Magazine. They are available for purchase at the Old Jail Museum.

The 2010 Museum season is drawing to a close at the end of October. Come see us this weekend and enjoy South Sebastian County History and the beautiful weather.

When The Old School Bell Rings

With the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, thoughts go to the early days of education in South Sebastian County. The Old Jail Museum's document room has an exhibit of early school records, photos and artifacts. The Redwine Pioneer Schoolhouse evokes memories of the days when children of all ages were educated in a single room. The Schoolhouse contains items used by teachers and students and many photos of old county schools.

The Greenwood School District's website has an interesting history of education in the city.


Copies of Mr. Redwine's book, "When the Old School Bell Rings" are available for purchase at the Old Jail Museum. Open Thursday-Satuday May 1- October 31, 11 AM- 3 PM.

Summer Reading

There's no time like the summer for a book that reads easy-- a book you can read snippets from now and then when the notion strikes. We have two "easy reads" at the Old Jail Museum: "When the Old Bell Rang" and "Strings and Things."

"When the Old Bell Rang" was written by William David Redwine, former editor and publisher of the Greenwood Democrat, and father of Delma Joyce Woosley. The book chronicles the lives of early teachers. After reading the book, make a visit to the Redwine Pioneer School at the Museum Complex, see the Redwine family artifacts and imagine yourself sitting on one of the benches writing on your slate. And, yes, the school has an old bell.

For a look back at the Greenwood of yesterday, try "Strings and Things." This book, editted by Jane Babin Rogers, is a collection of the newspaper columns of Estella Wright Szegedin. Mrs. Szegedin, who wrote well into her nineties, shared her observations of life in Greenwood with her readers in the pages of area newspapers for many decades. Readers will recognize many familiar events and personalities.

Both books are available for purchase at the Old Jail Museum.

"When the Old Bell Rang".....$15.00
"Strings and Things".........$10.00

Did you know the South Sebastian County Historical Society maintains a Document Room at the Old Jail Museum? Visitors can read historical documents of local interest, view historic pictures, investigate cemetery records and read books about the past of South Sebastian County.

"Spring Cleaning" at the Museum

Spring brings renewal. The museum is busy getting the grounds and buildings into shape. The Redwine Schoolhouse is getting a new coat of paint.

The Vineyard Log Cabin, Old Jail and Redwine School received a checkup when Dennis Driscoll, Technical Support Coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, visited June 17. Dennis made recommendations for the maintenance and preservation of the structures. Many thanks to Dennis and the Historic Preservation Program for sharing his expertise. To learn more about the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, visit their website at http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/