Teacher Margaret Hale: She taught on the banks of the Ohio River

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There are many outstanding educators who have taught in public schools in the United States. One of them was Margaret Hale, an elementary school teacher who taught in a one-room schoolhouse on the banks of the Ohio River, says History Avenue.

Margaret was a widow when she opened her school in the 1830’s, in an area and in a time when many people believed that education was wasted on the poor children of loggers, farmers, and ferrymen. Every morning, she rang the iron bell that signaled the start of the school day, and barefoot boys and girls arrived with their well-worn slates and books.

Margaret taught her lessons by firelight in the winter and by lamplight in the spring. She taught them not only reading and arithmetic, but also dignity—reminding every one of her students that they carried the same worth as the son of the richest person in the village.
In 1833, cholera swept through the region, so Margaret converted her schoolhouse into an infirmary, nursing both students and their families with herbal remedies and boundless energy.

Though she never married again, Margaret always said her students filled her life. Many grew up to be doctors, lawyers, ministers, and even politicians. They all credited Miss Hale with inspiring them to go on to distinguished careers.

Long after Margaret Hale passed away, the little schoolhouse remained, its bell preserved as a reminder of the woman who believed knowledge was freedom.

Source: The History Avenue, https://the-history-avenue.eu/