www.welshheritage.org
The GPWHP also owns and operates the Pleasantview Schoolhouse District #81. The Gage County Historical Society donated it to the group on April 1, 2002.
The Pleasantview Schoolhouse District #81 is located in McCandless Park on Hwy 77 in Wymore. It is a fully furnished 1900 era one-room schoolhouse museum.
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Welsh language lesson: Hello-Helo, hylo (hello, hullo) Good Morning-Boreda (BOR-ay dah) Good Afternoon-Prynhawn da (prin-hown dah) Good Evening-Noswaith dda (nos-wythe thah) Good Night- Nos da, nosdawch (nos dah, nos dowch) Goodbye-Pob hwyl, hwyl fawr (pobe hooil, hooil vowr) |
Thomas J. &
Elizabeth (Rowlands) Humphreys held the first Welsh
school in their home until
George U. Jones donated the land in 1878 and School
District #81 was established. The present schoolhouse was built in 1906. This
was the first school to be built by the Bethel Welsh Community for the education
of their children. At first, many children arrived speaking only Welsh and for
that reason, it was important the teachers come from the Welsh community.
Therefore, typically teachers were recent graduates of Wymore High School. The
school was located about 2 miles south of Wymore at the north end of the Welsh
settlement. The creation of the district predates the town of Wymore by three
years.
The International flag display creates a place in which to display and interpret the story of the Welsh throughout the North American Great Plains. This area extends south beyond Texas and north into Canada. A grant received from the Gage County Foundation enabled the group to purchase the flag poles, flags and put in lighting of the flags.
"A Day at Country School" is offered twice a year at the schoolhouse for local 4th grade students from St. Paul Elementary in Beatrice and Southern Elementary in Blue Springs. Teachers dressed in Welsh attire tell the history of country schools and significance of this particular school in the local Welsh settlement. Students are lead through a day of authentic 1929 subjects and learn a little Welsh.
Former teacher at Pleasantview, Helen Kerl teaching
Southern Elementary 4th graders how to say Good Morning (Bore Da) in Welsh.
Click picture for bigger view.
The Schoolhouse is open Memorial Day Weekend, Sam Wymore Days
in June and on request.