Prairie Schoolhouses: Teaching on the Frontier by Caroline Clemmons

When we picture frontier life, most of us imagine covered wagons rolling across endless prairie, families carving out a living with grit and plain determination. But the story of prairie schoolhouses is just as rugged, full of hope, laughter, and—sometimes—heartbreak. 

Let me tell you about my father, P.M. Johnson, and his adventure as a prairie schoolteacher. When Daddy was growing up, school meant eight grades in a one-room schoolhouse where one teacher did her best with every child in the district. Education was cherished, but it was also practical—just enough to give each student a good start in life. 

When Daddy graduated, he stepped into a pair of shoes many young people filled on the frontier: he became the school’s new teacher. Imagine the challenge! After sharing desks and secrets and even organizing classroom pranks with his friends, he returned just months later, tasked with leading them. My father loved learning, but the transition wasn’t smooth. Those same friends—the pranksters and troublemakers—just couldn’t see past the old classroom camaraderie to respect their new teacher. The result? My daddy lost his teaching job after just one year. 

He often told me, “I should have moved to another district and kept teaching.” And who knows? Maybe he would have flourished elsewhere. His story is a reminder that frontier teaching demanded more than book learning—it required resourcefulness, authority, and a dash of bravery. 

Prairie schoolhouses could be lonely, but they pulsed with the future. Teachers weren’t just instructors—they were leaders, mentors, and sometimes the only lifeline to the larger world for farm children. They juggled recitations, spelling bees, and recess—and sometimes, like Daddy, the nearly impossible task of teaching friends. 

Though my father’s teaching career was brief, his love of learning influenced our whole family. Every time I see an old photo of a prairie schoolhouse, I remember the laughter and mischief, and the dream of education that was at the heart of the frontier spirit. 

So here’s to the prairie teachers—each one a pioneer in their own right. And here’s to my daddy, who taught me that sometimes the hardest lessons are the ones outside the classroom. 

Do you have a frontier schoolhouse story in your family? Share it in the comments—I’d love to hear! 

My book Adeline is a lighthearted look at another hazard teachers, especially female teachers, had to survive:  matchmakers.  If a female teacher got married, she had to stop being a teacher.  If a male teacher got married, he could continue teaching.  Here is the blurb for Adeline:  Mix a woman in sorrow…A man’s longing…Two matchmaking girls’ mischief…Result-mayhem!  https://amzn.to/40qxyMQ