My Country School is a poem about the old country school that the author attended. It was in Horse Branch, Ohio County, Kentucky. This is a rural area, with a county population of around 25,000. The population is probably less now than when the author was growing up there.

The author started to school there in the second grade, having gone to first grade in McHenry, about 12-15 miles away. As Wallace was born in Rosine, about three miles from Horse Branch, he grew up in that rural area.

The school burned when the author was 11 years old. The buildings were wood. The children practiced fire drills several times a month. When the fire alarm came this time, the students all went out in an orderly manner, as with the usual drill. But, with the drills, the time outside was only a few minutes. This time, there was no call to return to the building. As it was December, some of the boys and girls were getting pretty cold, as most hadn't bothered to get a coat when leaving the building. After some time, the word went out that the school was on fire. No one believed it, though, until the smoke became visible. Soon afterward, the entire structure was engulfed in flames and was gone in less than an hour. The only fire department was a volunteer one at Rosine, three miles away. By the time the men got together and got to the school, it was in ashes. Fortunately, not one, single person was hurt in the slightest.

Fortunately, a new building was already under construction. Before it was completed, the students went to school in the local churches. One man, Louie Sandefur, had a vacant house and offered it for school use.

Many, many of the children walked to school, as did the author, who lived nearly two miles from school. Two times a day made for a pretty good walk. In the winter when the roads were muddy, Clyde Davis, who lived on a paved road going to the school, allowed the author and his brother and sister to stop and change their muddy shoes for clean ones in Mr. Davis' house. From his house to school was by paved road and, also, an old, brick sidewalk.


Paddling was a common punishment in those times, as well as getting a switching. The author received some of them. This punishment was not at all a beating, but it did show the unruly student that he could not do what he wanted. Discipline was maintained, and no one could ever imagine that police would someday be in the public schools to provide safety.

During the rabbit season, some of the older boys would bring their guns and put them in the cloak room. When school was out, they would go hunting on the way home. That practice was all out in the open. No one ever heard of any trouble, either around there or anywhere else. Guns didn't cause trouble, and the students who brought them were very responsible.