Every effort was made to reproduce the inside of the building to the way it would have looked all those years ago. The old teachers desk was found, old school books lay atop it, waiting for the teacher, or perhaps a student, to open them. The hurricane lamp stands ready to be lit when it was needed for those occassional dark, cold days. You can only surmise how many children would have looked at the globe and dreamed of those far off places and you wonder how many of them had their wish fulfilled, when they got to travel over the seas. The old swivel, wooden chair is empty now, but the spirit of Elmer Duck can rest on it now, knowing his job is done.



The American Flag stands on the platform next to the desk. Every morning the children would say the "Pledge of Allegiance" to that flag, and, I can be certain that every morning a prayer was probably said, or perhaps the prayer might have been said at the end of the school day - to help get the children home safely. Some of them would have had a very long walk to and from school. The blackboards line three walls of the school. Countless days were spent learning the A, B, C's, reading, writing and arithmetic. Can't you see them now - squirming in their seats, staring out those windows and dreaming. The old stove in the middle of the room kept the cold outside. Little hands would have probably burned themselves by touching it - or getting to close.


Elmer Duck, the teacher in this school of the longest duration, put his heart and soul into teaching and shaping the young minds of this community. He would be proud of this day, and all that it represents. He is surely smiling down from heaven as this day now comes to an end. There were few teachere of his calibre in the schools of yesterday, The Doe Creek Community was truly blessed to have had him here for such a long time.

Many of the speakers here today are from Doe Creek. They are very lucky to have known such a strong heritage. The cemetery is filled with the ancestors who gave all they had into building a strong and faithful community. As with this little one-room school, the fruits of their labor have been successful.

I want to thank the committee for allowing me, and Genealogy Trails, to be a part of this work.
I will continue to gather information about the community, the people and history of Doe Creek.
The website will continue to grow as more and more information comes our way.
This little building stood as a church and school, for as long as it could.
And now, because of all of you, it will stand for another hundred years.