Another Dutchess County Schoolhouse

Mrs. Susan Sackett

Our Mabbetsville School Teacher

As remembered by Dick Heidrick, a student from 1933 to 1939
Ably assisted by his cousin Alice “Cutie” Heidrick


Sometimes our most vivid memories of school are of a particular teacher who taught us most of what we remember and value - or perhaps who terrified us most.
Susan Sackett (“Aunt Sue”) was one of those very special teachers. Dick and “Cutie” tell the story of this legendary educator, known for being strict and having very high expectations for her students.. As Dick says today in describing Susan Sackett, “Regarding the word “strict”, I personally would use “thorough” instead, though I need a dictionary to spell it, so maybe she wasn’t strict enough.”

“She used to tell us that she had eyes in the back of her head. With her back to the class, writing on the blackboard, she would be watching us in the reflections of her rimless glasses. Or she would be doing something over in the corner where the glass door cabinet was, watching us in that reflection. When we were bad, we had to learn a poem….If someone was caught passing a note, she would make them stand up in front and read it to the class…Other punishments: The most common one was to be made to sit on the stool behind the stove. I once had to sit on a little stool in the knee space behind her desk.

…When giving us a test, she’d often urge us on, saying, “Exercise your gray matter” or “Cudgel your brains.” She was very particular about pronunciation and use of the English language….she showed us how to parse a sentence…Sometimes she would ask us to act out a phrase from a book…We had to learn all the counties of New York State. Incredibly, she could draw the state on the blackboard, draw in all the counties, then name each one. All from memory! As she drew she remarked that we were lucky to come from such a nicely shaped state, instead of on such as Delaware or Maryland!...

We received a good start in both History and Geography, from ancient history, the Greeks and Romans and their panoply of Gods…Then the Crusades…through the age of exploration, the colonial period, and in my case, up to the American Revolution. Then I was transferred to Millbrook and History became Social Studies…I had to study the Civil War on my own.

Various people with special skills were coaxed into giving us lessons of a cultural nature. Jack Newlin, a quite good but reclusive local artist, came to give us weekly art lessons. He was paid a dime per week from each student…We were given music lessons by Mr. and Mrs. Gannett Herwig…and dance lessons were given by Miss Bryan…and I think Ted Briggs’ Mom came to teach us singing. She had a really melodious voice.

In the later years “she lived alone... Truth be known, I think she considered her students to be her real family. There was a general sense of caring for one another, and during the time I knew her and school almost like a home away from home.
…I feel she gave everyone the best education she could.”

There is much more to the reminiscence which hopefully will be published in its entirety some day.. Thanks to Richard, “Cutie”, Nellie May, Dottie, Bob, and others for a wonderful account of the school in Mabbetsville!


Ginny Augerson, past president of the Town of Washington Historical Society, tells us that Susan Diegnan Sackett was born in 1877 and began teaching at the Mabbetsville School in 1914. She taught until 1949 when she retired at the age of 72. She died at Meadowview Nursing Home in Amenia, New York in 1960.

Memories from Noxon Schoolhouse in LaGrange, New York

Memories from a Dutchess County Schoolhouse – School #3 in LaGrange, New York

By: Ginny Russell Stoetzner, Amenia

Ginny attended the District 3 schoolhouse known as the Noxon School on Diddell Road in the Town of LaGrange in 1944. She went to that school for first grade only when she was 5 years old. The school closed in 1945. She describes her schoolhouse experience as follows:

We walked to school a half a mile each way.
My teacher at the Noxon School was Miss VanWagner . She was nice but I never saw her again in later years.

I remember the older boys going outside in the morning to pump a pail of water and putting it on the coal stove to warm. There was a holder with paper cups near the door for students who needed a drink.

The only heat was the coal stove and it was kept filled by the “big boys”. I don’t remember being cold. When it rained, or was snowy, the wet coats hung on hooks near the front door, mittens dried by the stove If you were small you tried not to get too wet or you’d go home with a wet coat and snow pants. I think I had perpetually chapped hands from the wet mittens.
Before lunch we lined up for hand washing. One boy sprinkled powdered soap and another poured a little water. We washed and were rinsed with the water falling into another pail on the floor.
There were no reading groups that I recall. Even though I do not remember learning to read or write, I certainly remember Dick and Jane. We had music class with the teacher - she played the piano while the class sang. I don't remember the desks or a library shelf but I know there was no playground. We played across the road in a field. I also remember one of the older girls always fighting with the boys and one day she chased one into the boys’ outhouse. Big trouble that day!


After school most of the kids had farm chores to do. We had chickens and a big vegetable garden. I only had to gather eggs and pull weeds-but many had to bring the cows in from the field and milk them. My first love in those years were the cowboys on TV on Saturday A.M. westerns (1949).

Before Christmas, the students began to practice for the Christmas pageant. Only two first graders were chosen to be in it, and I was picked! Both of us got to be dolls under the Christmas tree and I got to wear lipstick! I wore my "Sunday" dress and shoes(usually I had to wear old fashioned high-tops), a bonnet and of course - the lipstick. My brother was the Jack-in-the-Box and drove my parents crazy practicing at home.
The only gift I remember for the teacher was at Christmas. My mother made corsages for the teacher with "real" evergreens, holly - berries and ribbons. She made them every year for all our teachers. We did have a school Christmas tree decorated with paper chains and handmade ornaments.

One of my biggest wishes for Christmas was a bicycle…I always wanted one, but I never got it. We lived on a narrow dirt road and had a long but rutted driveway. “ Too dangerous!” according to my parents. I learned to ride on my cousin’s bike one summer while visiting in Newport, RI.



When the Noxon Road Schoolhouse closed, Ginny Russell and her brother took the bus to Raymond Avenue School in Arlington and, according to Ginny, getting a ride was fun after walking to school. She was scared at first but had a wonderful second grade teacher. Ginny ran into her when the teacher was in her 80's and she remembered Ginny’s name.

Tell us your schoolhouse story!

Tell your one-room schoolhouse story on the Indian Rock blog….for the whole world to read on the internet. We are collecting as many stories of the old fashioned one room schools as we can ..anywhere, anytime.

Send your reminiscences about your school days as a word file, and a jpeg photo (or one of your childhood drawings) to IndianRockschool@aol.com. If you are uncomfortable writing the story…just give us a punch list of the facts you remember.

We are especially looking for stories about the kids in your school, some of your most memorable teachers and what the area was like where you lived….what was the coolest prank ever pulled by the class bad boy? Did your teacher keep pet spiders? (mine did)
What was your favorite day ever at school?

Please don’t forget to include your name (and maiden name if applicable).
This is just for fun…so there are no fees involved or paid.

Memories from a Country Schoolhouse

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