ROLL School District No. 27
Located NW1/4NE1/4 of Section 11-15-24
The school was built in 1903 by fathers of the community under the direction of Mr. Bill Hanawalt. Mr. Hanawalt built the teacher’s desk, which sits in the Roll One Room School today as it was moved in 1990 from Roll to the Cheyenne City Park and is a living museum. The school had consolidated with Crawford in 1943. The School Board members from 1943 until 1947 were: L.M. Ator, Art McFarland and W.C. Stauber. On April 15, 1947 an election was held to attach Roll (District 27) to Crawford. Ten votes were for the attachment and none against. On the 25th of April, 1947 District 27 was legally attached to C11 Crawford.
Mr. Lavon Pankey wrote of his memories in the Roll School as follows: “I
must have been a problem child from the word go. After being dressed for
Sunday School and church, I might be found in the pig pen mimicking the
pigs by rubbing my side on the board fence. On one occasion I was
punished after I had pulled the heads off about fifty baby chickens and
put them in a neat pile. I soon forgot the punishment and slipped behind
my mother, while she was shelling peanuts and calmly hit her in the head
with a hatchet.
Then came the time I must start to school. I remember the hot day in
September, the goodbye kiss and the “slat sunbonnet” securely tied under
my chin for the mile and a half west walk I had to take to gain my first
introduction to knowledge. I had not anticipated the snickers, giggles
and laughter when the rest of the children saw me. I tolerated this for
about two more days then my rain began to click. All I had to do was
throw the sunbonnet in the weeds beside the road and calmly walk the
last quarter mile bare-headed.
With the motherly love of my first teacher, Miss Rula Woodruff, I decided the world was not as cruel as I had thought. Lunch time was a great event like sharing my sausage and biscuit sandwich with someone who had fresh baked light bread and roast beef. On one occasion a small kitten helped itself to my chicken leg before we were dismissed for lunch. Pity broke me down and I took the poor underfed critter home with me.
My dad bought a quarter section west of where Roll now stands. That made it a little tough in the winter facing the north wind all the way to school. My mother would insert a piece of newspaper between my coat and shirt to keep out the cold. Many times the snow would drift over the top of the fences so I could easily walk over the top of them.
Very few times did Dad take the time to take me to school as he was busy threshing some kind of grain from June to December. What joy it was to see the giant engine and separator pull in at the end of the threshing season. Sometimes school would be dismissed for a funeral and we would all go to the cemetery in a lumber wagon. I remember the casket would rest on two cane bottomed chairs then be lowered in the grave with the lines from someone’s harness.
I never had a teacher I didn’t like. Following my first teacher, Miss
Woodruff, was Earl Whit, Lula Wilmouth(who roomed and boarded at the
Pankey’s home) and Martha McDougal(who also stayed in our home). Thus I
was drilled on the three R’s both day and night.
Very few knew the story I refer to above about my behavior when I was a
few years old. Those who do know it, ask if I might be a little worried
about what I might do when I grow old?
School Year Teacher Census School Board
| 1913 | J.E. White | ||
| 1914 | Mr. Curtis | ||
| 1916-17 | J.E. White | 35 | J.L. Ivy, J.M. Parker, F.E. Hillman |
| 1917-18 | J.E. White | 36 | J.L. Ivy, J.M. Parker, F.E. Hillman |
| 1918-19 | Lola Tracy | 36 | J.L. Ivy, F.E. Hillman, W.H. Pankey |
| 1919-20 | Ellen Bynum | 35 | F.E.Hillman, John Wise, W.H. Pankey |
| 1920-21 | Lula Wilmoth | 32 | F.E.Hillman, J.P Johnson, W.H. Pankey |
| 1921-22 | Emma Stauber | 31 | F.E.Hillman,J.P.Johnson,W.H.Pankey |
| 1922-23 | Emma Stauber | 31 | J.M.Parker,A McFarland,W.H.Pankey |
| 1923-24 | Toyah Sprowls | 19 | J.M.Parker, Art McFarland,J.HMerritt |
| 1924-25 | Toyah Sprowls | 23 | J.M.Parker, A McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1925-26 | Florence Hillman | 20 | J.M.Parker, R.J.Stauber, J.H.Merritt |
| 1926-27 | Mrs Willie Jefcoat | 29 | J.M.Parker,R.J.Stauber,J.H.Merritt |
| 1927-28 | Lorene Aderhold | 29 | J.M.Parker, R.J.Stauber,J.H.Merritt |
| 1928-29 | Lula Mae Miller | 35 | J.M.Parker, R.J.Stauber,J.H.Merritt |
| 1929-30 | Theta Hunt | 23 | R.J.Stauber,Art McFarland, J.H.Merritt |
| 1930-31 | Theta Hunt | 52 | R.J.Stauber,A.McFarland, J.H.Merritt |
| 1931-32 | Pauline Bell | 52 | R.J.Stauber,Art McFarland, J.H.Merritt |
| 1932-33 | Pauline Bell | 50 | L.M.Ator,Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1933-34 | Pauline Bell | 48 | L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1934-35 | Wilbur Spaugh | 47 | L.M.Ator,Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1935-36 | Mrs. Jewell Fox | 48 | L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1936-37 | Mrs. Jewell Fox | 49 | L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1937-38 | Mrs. Jewell Fox | 50 | L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H.Merritt |
| 1938-39 | Floy Phelps | 43 | L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1939-40 | Floy Phelps Purvis | L.M. Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt | |
| 1940-41 | Mrs. Floy Purvis | 35 | L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1941-42 | Opal Heriford | 30 | L.M. Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt |
| 1942-43 | Mrs. Helen Nesgis 3 mos | ||
| Lillie Manhart 5 mos | L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H.Merritt |