This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/lEC.2ACE/1055.1 Message Board Post: Melodie wrote, "My Pittullo family notes say that James and his sons built a school ... in the early to mid 1800's they nick named it the "Hard Scabble School" because it was so hard to build. ..." Melodie, though I'm not very knowledgeable about the various geographic areas in Grant County, I am fairly certain that the term "Hardscrabble" was associated with a mine (or "diggings"), among other things in Grant County. I'm not familiar with "Old Cass Hollow," but imagine it might be near Cassville. If you're interested in this sort of geographical and historical background, you might want to contact the SW Wisconsin ROom at Karrmann Library (UW-Platteville). There is information about the Hardscrabble Diggings and Hardscrabble Branch in Holford's 1900 History of Grant County, and probably in Butterfield's history, as well. Also note that a google search on "Hardscrabble School" shows that this name was used in other states, as well; I noted one in Iowa and one in Montana. Good luck, Melodie.