The First Kindergarten
Information from Dr.
L. Z. Bunker
First kindergarten was
started in 1907 and continued until 1910. A Mrs.
Edna Boots was the teacher. Her husband was in
business with a Mr. Goldsmith and they had a
general merchandise store on Main St. Mrs. Boots
had 5 children of her own which included a set
of twins. She was remembered as a large woman
with blue eyes, dark blond hair worn in a
pompadour. Her usual dress was a shirtwaist and
skirt. She was a kind, caring woman.
The large living room of her
home was given over to the approximately twelve
5-year-olds who came to her kindergarten. The
children sat on chairs around a counter type
table with legs sawed off to accommodate the
children. A one horse cab called a hack was sent
to pick up the children, deliver them to the
school and pick them up and return them home
each day. They attended five days a week.
There was a fee to attend
this private school and the children who
attended were considered privileged children.
Dr. Bunker remembers the Tom Wetzel, Joe Urschel
and Vera Hayes were among her classmates. She
remembers being sent to school each day wearing
a clean white apron over her dress and a clean
white handkerchief in her apron pocket. The
school was structured; there was a plan for each
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