Hello List: I recently acquired pages of memoirs kept by old South Bend residents John N. Wherry and his son Oscar Mabon Wherry. They were sent to me by a descendant of Oscar and Susan Kepple Wherry. If it's appropriate and welcomed, I'll post portions as I transcribe them. Reminiscences of John Nesbit Wherry, November 27, 1932, in his 85th year My earliest recollection was of my sister, Harriet, and Mary Adair trying to kill a rooster I claimed. I was so angry that I used some bad language, and Lou Adair gave me a switchin. I must have been six or seven years of age when I started to school. The schoolhouse was on what is now the William Dunmire farm. Walter Lelless and James Kier later owned the farm. The schoolhouse stood to the right of the road as you go up from the Wherry schoolhouse. My first teacher was Alexander Wilson, a brother of "Billy" Wilson. He was a cruel teacher. One of his methods of punishment was to bore a hole in a board with a red-hot poker and then make the older, unruly pupils stick their fingers in these holes. A white thorn rod or two always stood in the corner of the room. The schoolhouse was of logs, hewed flat on the inside. The cracks were filled with yellow clay to keep out the cold air. The big fireplace about four feet wide was at the rear end of the schoolhouse. Logs three or four feet long were burned for fuel. The seats were made of slabs set on wooden pins. Wooden pins were placed in the sides of the walls under the windows, and boards placed on! these serves as desks, and we sat on slab seats in front of these. Slates and pencils were used by the older pupils. Goose quill pens were used at that time. If the pupils could not make the pens themselves, the teacher made them. The three "R's" were taught. I think McGuffey's Speller and Reader were used. It may have been Cobb's Speller. Others who attended the old log schoolhouse were the Findleys, Fulmers, Kings, two or three Allshouse families, the Georges, and Susan, Nancy and Theodore Lelless. A fellow by the name of Hugh McKee also attended. He got a licking almost every day. He left the country, and I don't know what became of him. I was probably ten years of age when the Wherry schoolhouse was built. It was an improvement over the log schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was used as a meeting place also. Weekly "singings" were held. My first singing teacher was "Billy" James. He would hold a singing Friday afternoon and teach music. The round notes were used when I started to singing school. The buckwheat notes were used in father's time. A tuning fork gave the pitch. People came from all around for three or four miles to the singings. Silas King was one of the teachers after I grew up. We attended church services at Eldersridge in the first brick church there. Father had a surrey. Later the West Lebanon Church was erected, and the Presbyterians about South Bend went there. Dr. Donaldson preached at both churches. We often walked to West Lebanon and attended Sabbath School and Church. Dr. Donaldson used to come around once a year and ask catechism questions. He rode horseback and was a large man. We often rode horseback to West Lebanon. We kept four or five working or riding horses. We usually kept four or five cows. We used a dog churn and later a barrel churn.

Reminiscences of John Nesbit Wherry, November 27, 1932, in his 85th year ------------- Tom, I have a FEW ancestors that resided in Armstrong Co., PA, but even if I had none your transcriptions of John Nesbit Wherry's notes are to be treasured. Please keep posting. Pat-T

My great grandparents, John Nesbit Weaver and Anna Margaret Beighley Weaver lived in South Bend. I don't know if there is a family connection because of the common middle name of Nesbit. I would enjoy reading the memoirs. Sue Weaver in Ohio ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom" <tomchapman@adelphia.net> To: <PAARMSTR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 9:07 PM Subject: [PAARMSTR-L] South Bend Memories > Hello List: > > I recently acquired pages of memoirs kept by old South Bend residents John N. Wherry and his son Oscar Mabon Wherry. They were sent to me by a descendant of Oscar and Susan Kepple Wherry. > > If it's appropriate and welcomed, I'll post portions as I transcribe them. > > > Reminiscences of John Nesbit Wherry, > > November 27, 1932, in his 85th year > > > > > > My earliest recollection was of my sister, Harriet, and Mary Adair trying to kill a rooster I claimed. I was so angry that I used some bad language, and Lou Adair gave me a switchin. > > > > I must have been six or seven years of age when I started to school. The schoolhouse was on what is now the William Dunmire farm. Walter Lelless and James Kier later owned the farm. The schoolhouse stood to the right of the road as you go up from the Wherry schoolhouse. My first teacher was Alexander Wilson, a brother of "Billy" Wilson. He was a cruel teacher. One of his methods of punishment was to bore a hole in a board with a red-hot poker and then make the older, unruly pupils stick their fingers in these holes. A white thorn rod or two always stood in the corner of the room. The schoolhouse was of logs, hewed flat on the inside. The cracks were filled with yellow clay to keep out the cold air. The big fireplace about four feet wide was at the rear end of the schoolhouse. Logs three or four feet long were burned for fuel. The seats were made of slabs set on wooden pins. Wooden pins were placed in the sides of the walls under the windows, and boards placed on! > these serves as desks, and we sat on slab seats in front of these. Slates and pencils were used by the older pupils. Goose quill pens were used at that time. If the pupils could not make the pens themselves, the teacher made them. The three "R's" were taught. I think McGuffey's Speller and Reader were used. It may have been Cobb's Speller. > > > > Others who attended the old log schoolhouse were the Findleys, Fulmers, Kings, two or three Allshouse families, the Georges, and Susan, Nancy and Theodore Lelless. A fellow by the name of Hugh McKee also attended. He got a licking almost every day. He left the country, and I don't know what became of him. > > > > I was probably ten years of age when the Wherry schoolhouse was built. It was an improvement over the log schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was used as a meeting place also. Weekly "singings" were held. My first singing teacher was "Billy" James. He would hold a singing Friday afternoon and teach music. The round notes were used when I started to singing school. The buckwheat notes were used in father's time. A tuning fork gave the pitch. People came from all around for three or four miles to the singings. Silas King was one of the teachers after I grew up. > > > > We attended church services at Eldersridge in the first brick church there. Father had a surrey. Later the West Lebanon Church was erected, and the Presbyterians about South Bend went there. Dr. Donaldson preached at both churches. We often walked to West Lebanon and attended Sabbath School and Church. Dr. Donaldson used to come around once a year and ask catechism questions. He rode horseback and was a large man. We often rode horseback to West Lebanon. We kept four or five working or riding horses. We usually kept four or five cows. We used a dog churn and later a barrel churn. > > > > > > > ==== PAARMSTR Mailing List ==== > >