West Mt. School District No.19

Location

Located on Lot 404, now St. Rt. 6. Land was in the "land use project" in 1937 Oct. Now part of Partridge Run State Wildlife Management Area.

Teacher and students

Teacher in 1936 was Gladys Cornell from Westerlo. Students were: Carl Barkman, Howard Bolster, Clyde Furman, Catherine Messer, Linda Sisson, Merlin and Leonard Tubbs.

History

Known as Partridge Run School. School continued to operate until 1944 when it was closed and the land bought by the USDA's Resettlement Administration under the Farm Security Administration of FDR. The school continued to stand until sometime before 1970 when it was torn down to widen the road. .

Student Memories

• Otto Messer recalls that several of the teachers boarded with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Messer. Also that he received 5 cents per day for going to school early and building the wood fire, sweeping the floor and getting the pail of drinking water before the teacher and pupils arrived.

• Howard Bolster's memories of the West Mountain School from a telephone conversation with him on May 25, 2010. Mrs. Gladys Cornell was his teacher and he started school here in 1936. He was 6 years old. A few of the students he remembers at West Mountain School were Carl Barkman, Catherine Messer, Merlin and Leonard Tubbs, Clyde Furman and Linda Sisson. Howard remained at this one room school through the 7th grade when at that time he started 8th grade at the Rensselaerville Academy. Howard remembers Gladys picking him up in her 1939 Chevrolet Coupe. She traveled from her home in Westerlo to the West Mountain School. He remembers some times in the harsh winter on West Mountain, the road being drifted in and being impassable. Gladys would park her vehicle at his parents farm (Asher and Libby Bolster) and together they would walk the 2 to 3 miles to the school house.

• 

  Students with sailor suits on are Merle and Leonard Tubbs.
• 

  student standing is Howard Bolster, Teacher is Mrs. Gladys Cornell.