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Tell a Tale From left, Marshall Miller, 13, Joe Kidwell, 76, J.D. Miller, 8, and Holly Amann share a laugh Thursday at Pinehurst School. J.D. had just asked Kidwell, a student at Pinehurst in the 1940s, �Did you have to walk to school 10 miles in the snow barefoot?� Jim Craven Friday Feb 8, 2008 at 12:01 AM Thirteen-year-old Joe Kidwell was strolling to Pinehurst School one day in 1945 when he heard a sound similar to a baby crying, the telltale signs of a nearby cougar. By Paris Achen Thirteen-year-old Joe Kidwell was strolling to Pinehurst School one day in 1945 when he heard a sound similar to a baby crying, the telltale signs of a nearby cougar. For the next four days, Kidwell slung a .30-30 rifle on his shoulder to protect himself during his walk to school. When he arrived in the little red schoolhouse at the Greensprings summit, "nothing was said," Kidwell recounted Thursday during an interview with Pinehurst students. "I just put it in that closet." Middle school students are gathering an oral history of Pinehurst School for its centennial this year. They plan to write a book about the school's history, which will be published with a $2,100 grant from the West Family Foundation. About 10 alumni gathered Thursday to talk about their school experiences as a part of an all-day event. In the morning, students in kindergarten through third grades questioned the alumni about what they read, ate and played as schoolchildren. Dorris Kerby, 70, remembered eating gobs of dried eggs and dried milk during World War II. The cafeteria was located where the school's library is now. First through eighth grades used to gather in what are now intermediate and middle school classrooms. "We all kind of played double duty," said Kerby, who grew up to become a teacher. "If I got my work done, I would listen to the younger ones read or spell. That's how I learned how to teach." School hours were from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pinehurst students now attend classes from 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. "By the time I got home it was getting dark," Kidwell recalled. During bad weather, he rode a horse to school. On the first day he went to Pinehurst in 1943, Kidwell and his father had to break a trail through 2 feet of snow to get to the school. Shovels and horses pulling a triangular wooden snowplow were used to clear the way, alumni said. "There was no such thing as snow days," Kidwell said. Later in the morning, fourth- through eighth-graders conducted more detailed one-on-one interviews with the alumni. All of the interviews were filmed. Fourth-grader Ray Impara and eighth-grader Isaac Schaaf interviewed Kidwell, now 76. Kidwell recalled carrying his rifle to school and hoping the cougar could appear so he could shoot it and collect a bounty on its head — set at about $75 for a male and $100 for a female at the time. Isaac said he was surprised to hear guns were once allowed at the school. "You are not allowed to bring guns to school these days even to protect yourself from a wild animal," Ray added. "You still get into one heck of a lot of trouble." Guns were a way of life when Kidwell was growing up in the Greensprings. They were used to hunt and kill pests. "It wasn't a novelty," Kidwell said. "All the kids in school had guns in their houses. By the first grade, you were taught how to use it." Built in 1908, Pinehurst School in southeastern Jackson County now serves about 23 pupils in grades kindergarten through eighth in the rural community of Lincoln. Students hope to locate more alumni to interview for the oral history, which is expected to be published in book form by next fall. "There are still some spots we are trying to fill in," said teacher Jim Impara. "I'm sure there are people out there with the information." For details, call 541-482-1910. Reach reporter Paris Achen at 541-776-4459 or [email protected].