Going to school in Marin

Early education was spearheaded by the pioneers of the county, who were determined that their children would be given a quality education despite many obstacles.

Prior to 1860, there were only seven or eight schoolhouses in Marin. Although San Rafael was the county seat, it did not have a school. The county seat hadn’t allocated any money from the state treasury for school purposes. At this time, the law stated that for a district to be given public money, a school should be maintained for three months without aid from public funds.

In addition, the boards of education needed to be composed of a superintendent and two qualified public school teachers. Yet, with no established public schools — only private ones — there weren’t any teachers to serve on the board.

To remedy this situation, Thomas J. Ables, an elected county superintendent, started conducting examinations. Within a year, he issued 15 to 20 certificates to teachers and began setting up their stations. The first certified teacher in San Rafael was Julia C. Gilbert, following a teaching stint at a private school. Her father, the Rev. H. Gilbert; Oliver Irwin; and Marin County Judge R. B. Frank became the trustees.

Many of Marin’s early schoolhouses were built from the 1860s to the 1890s. In most cases, the land for the schools was donated by “public-spirited” property holders. The typical schoolhouse was “a crude affair” built of rough lumber with two or three small windows and rarely painted. The students sat on rough benches and tables. Since there weren’t any blackboards, kids used squeaky slates to write on. Parents were responsible for providing books (readers and penmanship manuals), slates, pens and pencils. Children could stay in school as long as their parents could spare them from chores at home, yet many dropped out early and others attended part-time. A good deal of time was devoted to penmanship, which was regarded as an art in those days. Many schools had a cupola from which a bell was hung, and it was an honor for students to be assigned to pull it.

Early on, the teachers’ ability to discipline ranked higher than their academic knowledge. Spankings, the rod, strap and switch were used on both boys and girls. The “spare the rod, spoil the child” philosophy was accepted at both home and school.

Luckily, not all the teachers were strict disciplinarians. Daisy B. Lawton of Tomales School was self-educated — holding the only county certificate — well-respected and beloved. She began in 1894 and taught for 27 years. She later became the first county school supervisor.

School days lasted until 4 p.m., and children walked several miles home in time for chores. During the early years, school went on hiatus for three months in the winter due to the weather. In addition to other hardships, teachers were not well compensated. In the 1890s, teachers of upper grades earned $65 per month; teachers in the primary level earned $50 per month.

The Marin Journal reported in July 1899 that the census showed more than 2,000 pupils in Marin County public school registers.

The few historic schoolhouses left in Marin remind us of the pioneer educators and parents who endured early bureaucracy, scarcity and hardship all in the name of giving their children and future generations a quality education.

And credit also goes to the resilient students who persevered those early days knowing the value of an education.

History Watch is written by Lane Dooling, marketing and social media coordinator at the Marin History Museum, marinhistory.org. Images included in History Watch are available for purchase by calling 415-382-1182 or by email at info@marinhistory.org