The two-room 1892 Osgood School, located in the Rouse coal ming camp six miles south of Walsenburg, honored John Cleveland Osgood, who founded the Colorado Fuel Company in the same year, 1892.
The primary teacher in the Osgood School in 1902 had 94 students enrolled in her classroom, according to Camp and Plant, the company publication. Although that horrifies us today, actually attendance generally was poor in these early days as both boys and girls would be kept at home frequently to help with chores, but, still, the school board recognized that one teacher, no matter how efficient, could not do justice to so many children, and decided to employ a second primary teacher. There was an upper grade teacher also and even a kindergarten.
The building cost $2,000 to build, but when the whole building was moved in pieces to New Rouse in 1900, the move cost more than the construction- $3,500. Even the 1600 lb. bell was moved.
Next Wednesday Osgood’s biographer, Darrell Munsell, will speak to the Huerfano County Historical Society at its annual meeting, 7 pm, Oct. 7, in the La Veta Library. The public is invited. The Society′s annual business meeting for members will follow Munsell′s talk and power point presentation.
Munsell wrote the book From Redstone to Ludlow and will have copies for sale and to be autographed. Osgood was known as strongly anti-union and had a role in the 1913-14 strike and the Ludlow Massacres. This is chronicled in the book.
The photo is courtesy of the Walsenburg Mining Museum, which has a copy from the August and Mima Chatin Collection in the Pueblo Rawlings Library. Information from Coal was King by Nancy Christofferson and Camp and Plant 1902.
