Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Pendleton Log School House

These are some of the books on display in the schoolroom. It has taken every bit of self-discipline I have not to reach up and look at those books. There are geography and history books. It's always interesting to see how history is perceived from a "historical" standpoint.

I've had several people tell me that the blocks above the podium are misspelled. I remind them that there was no standardized spelling in the 1840's. People spelled as it sounded. One of my favorite spellings to show from that time period is "bertato" spelled in our day potato. On the stool you can see a slate. Our slates are really made of slate and they are heavy.



This is Calvin Pendleton. He joined the church in Kirtland, while he was studying to be a doctor. He was sent on a three year mission to Maine, from whence he hailed. He returned to Nauvoo and married. The man who performed the ceremony had been his missionary. He learned the trade of blacksmithing and helped Jonathan Browning in the making of wagons. He was an excellent penman, so he often did the writing but also taught penmanship to adults, along with the school children he taught. He went west, but his first wife died also his daughter in Winter Quarters. He married again, and that wife died. Finally, he married a third time and they moved west and settled in Parowan, Utah, where he served as a member of the stake presidency





Above the fireplace you can see some herbs hanging down. Calvin had studied to be a doctor but his wife, Sally convinced him that he should use those skills to help people. He was more into preventative medicine and herbology as opposed to the purging and bleeding that was common to the day. Ironically, he earned his living teaching school and did his doctoring for free.







Although none of the furnishings are original, this gives an idea of what a pioneer family home would have contained. The rocking chair was almost essential as so many of the families had large families. There are some great things in the cupboards, but I couldn't get them into view as it was too dark to shoot in there. The rag rug was made here in Nauvoo on the loom in the family living center.









This is the rebuilt home and school house in the back of Calvin Pendleton. The home was built on the orginal foundation and done by use of pioneer tools by the owner of the Allyn House. He also did the windows for the Nauvoo Temple. It has an upstairs and living/kitchen area and in the back is the schoolroom.











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