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Clayton 4-H Club tours Bushwhacker Museum
The Clayton 4-H Club met at the Bushwhacker Museum Tuesday night. After a short business meeting they were treated to a tour of the museum.
Peggy Pyle, Vernon County Historical Society member, Bushwhacker Museum volunteer and former 4-H project leader related a short history of Deerfield and Vernon County, including a few Civil War stories about military skirmishes in the Deerfield area.
Pyle said, "Although they had planned on touring the Bushwhacker Museum at some time, having the tour at this particular time was because the Shiloh school building had some problems." 4-H clubs are known for their "family friendly" emphasis and the Clayton 4-H is a fine example. Many of the members started attending meetings from the age of toddlers.
Once a member always a member applies also as the leaders of the Clayton 4-H Club practically grew up in 4-H and eagerly introduced their own children to the program.
"I've been in 4-H since I was a toddler myself," Glenda Wolf, co-leader of the Clayton 4-H Club said. "We have members now from ages five through 17." Young and old members of the Clayton 4-H have an avid interest in Vernon County history. Their clubhouse, the old Shiloh School, has been loyally serving the Deerfield community for more than 100 years, first as a one- room school building, then a community meeting place for township business, a voting precinct for Coal Township, and as a meeting place for the Clayton 4-H.
Like any century old building, the schoolhouse has ongoing problems. This latest one being broken water pipes and resulting floor damage.
However, like the good caretakers they are, the Clayton 4-H Club members and other volunteers from the community, will fix what needs fixing and carry on.
Patty Comstock, co-leader of the club said, "Our club has been meeting at the Shiloh School for many years and taken care of it over 44 years." The Clayton 4-H Club was started in 1940 and began meeting in the Shiloh School building in 1941.
The Shiloh School No. 91 was built in 1877-'78 and served as a one-room school for 72 years. Closed in 1949 due to rural school consolidations it stood empty except for Coal Township voting, occasional community events and 4-H meetings.
In 1964 the Deerfield Consolidated School District C-7 sold the empty and badly deteriorated building to the Clayton 4-H Club for one dollar.
With a lot of volunteer efforts, a small amount of grant money and many donations, the school was renovated and improvements were made to the aged structure.
Since then the 4-H motto, "learn to do by doing" certainly applies as the care of the building is on-going and the complete responsibility of the Clayton 4-H Club. Using the four H symbols of head, heart, hands and health, the members keep the building and its history alive.
It continues to serve as the Clayton 4-H club house as well as the voting precinct for Coal Township.
For many years, a fund-raising chili dinner has been served each February to provide funds to maintain the building and to fund other community service projects.
For more information on the Clayton 4-H Club or the old Shiloh School building, contact Patty Comstock (417) 927-3499, Glenda Wolf (417) 228-1018 or Cindy Irwin (417) 667-8519.