Figure 1.--This is a photograph at the Flat School Hillsboro ocated in soutern New Hampshire. The photograph is undated, but looks to us like the 1910s. Rural schools vay somewhat. Many are located i the countryside. Others like this one are located in small towns. Hilsboro had spopulain of 2,200 in 1910. The teacher and kids are identified on the back: Miss Thompson, Robert & Donald Franklin and Francs Woodbury & Lolli. Coming to school barefoot was common in rural ares. s.

Americans took to the automobile like no other country. This was in part because American workers unlike all other countries could actual l afford a model-T. And this included farmers. We do not see pick-ups yet. but cars were being used like pick-ups. The automobile was the first major step reducing the isolation of rural America. And it was made by industrialist Henry Ford who introduced the mass produced, low-priced Model-T Ford. It was a car that working people induing farmers could afford and it made trips into the city much more viable. And in the 1910s American farmers like other Americans embraced the automobile. In addition to cars, the tractor was born. Ford himself played a major role in developing the tractor. It was a passion because of his rural background. It was a game changer, significantly increasing farm productivity. The tractor and car was remaking rural life. The consolation of small rural schools was not yet beginning to any extent, but school administrators were noting the high cost of maintaining large numbers of small rural schools. We can for the most part see a difference by the way the children dressed, especially the boys dressed. Especially how common overalls. This varied somewhat regionally. but what was at lay was the movies. Hollywood was making waves all over the country And rural ids were beginning to how the rest of America dressed. There was no TV yet, that would not be a major development until the 1950s. But few rural kids did not at least occasionally see a movie. And because of the automobile rural kids while for the most part were still going to rural schools in he 1910s were making more trips into town than ever before. There was nothing like a yellow school bus yet.

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Created: 10:23 AM 10/9/2025
Last updated: 10:24 AM 10/9/2025