The Hebron Preservation Society presents "Patriotism in the Classroom"

About this event

The Hebron Preservation Society will present “Patriotism in the Classroom”, a program by Dale

and Joan Prouty on Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in the Munson Hollow Schoolhouse

at 6560 State Route 22 in East Hebron (Salem), N.Y. This is Part I of a two-part series on

education in the Munson Hollow Schoolhouse, District #16, Hebron, N.Y. (in use as a school until 1945)

The program will feature poems, songs, and lessons students learned via recitation and daily

beginnings of the school day in the early 1900s. They will display period artifacts along with the

evolution of the Flags flown during our nation’s formation.

Dale and Joan Prouty are long-time area educators and museum programmers who have

enjoyed interacting with youth of all ages. They are charter members of the Country School

Association of American with both serving on the Board of Directors. They have presented at

various local and national conferences.

In retirement, their interest in early American educational artifacts grew through visitations to various historic sites giving them the opportunity to note the great variety of school curriculae, student slates, and teaching aids that had been available to teachers and young scholars a century ago.

On Saturday, August 8th at 1:00 p.m., “A Schoolboy’s Memories from Hebron District #16”, Part 2 in the Munson Hollow Schoolhouse series, will be presented.

Ralph Greene attended the one-room schoolhouse on NYS Route 22. He completed his first three years of schooling in the little schoolhouse and has many fond memories of his time there which he will share during his program. After completing his time at District #16, he went on to attend Granville Central for

grades 4 and 5 and then south to Salem Washington Academy for the remainder of his school days. He remembers most of his teachers’ names, in particular Miss Mulligan in Salem who was his teacher in the 6th grade (interestingly, she was also his niece’s teacher as well as the reading teacher of the author of this article!) He will talk about the

subjects they studied, responsibilities the students had to help prepare the school for the day, how far he had to walk to get to school. (He really had to walk over one mile uphill to get home

after the school day up a narrow dirt road that was only recently paved in the past 20 years!)

Please join us for this interesting and informative program given by someone who actually lived

what he will be sharing with the audience! Ralph says he will be glad to answer questions to the

best of his memory after the program!!

Ralph Greene at age 90+ believes he is the last surviving student who attended the Hebron District

#16 Schoolhouse. After his years at the local schools, Ralph went on and enlisted in the Air Force in 1954

and served in active duty for 3 years. He took President Eisenhower’s “Early Out” program and

left the service before he completed his 4th year. After leaving the service, he came back to

Hebron and worked on the family farm for a time as well as for several other farms nearby.

In his younger life, he was a big fan of stock car racing. He was also a member of the Granville Uncas as part of the Tri-County Rifle Team. He moved on to work for the State in the prison system, living for a time in Comstock and also on Hadlock Pond in Fort Ann. He earned the nickname of Mr. Do-It-All when he was working because he had so many skills from his years on the different local farms. In retirement, he and his late wife enjoyed traveling by motor coach for over 13 years.

Ralph currently spends his summers in Newcomb and winters back home in the Salem/Hebron area.

Both programs will be given at the Munson Hollow Schoolhouse at 6560 State Route

22 in East Hebron (The schoolhouse is directly across SR 22 from the former East Hebron Presbyterian Church (6559 SR 22) where many of the HPS programs are held).

  (please park in the church parking lot across the road or on the grass behind the church).  Walk across Route 22 to the schoolhouse. Those with mobility issues may park on the grass to the right of the schoolhouse. Unfortunately, the schoolhouse is not handicap accessible. These programs are free and open to the public. Donations are gladly accepted. Please join us to learn about attending a one-room schoolhouse right in our own backyards