| Downs Family of Kent Co., Delaware |
| Ida Barabara Hower( twin) 1 |
[DOWNSOF DELAWARE2005GED.FBK.FBK.FBK.FBK] SAWMILL SCHOOL By Shirley Willard Sawmill School got its name from being next to the sawmill a mile south of Rochester on [SR-25]. The sawmill was built by Rueben and Calvin Van Trump before the Civil War and purchased by William Downs and wife Susan Brown Downs in 1866. The first school there was a wooden structure located on the west side of [SR-25] where the south edge of New US-31 crosses over now. It was probably built about 1850, but being in a low spot, it often was surrounded by water. So in about 1870 they built a brick schoolhouse on the rise north of the present highway garage on the east side of SR-25. It is shown as school no. 8 in the 1876 and 1883 atlases of Fulton County. All of William Down's children went to Sawmill School between 1870 and 1890. Lilly Maude Daowns Lowe, Almeda Downs Blackburn, John Downs, James Downs, and Kenneth Downs. Other families whose children attended were Beecrafts, George Black, Enoch Mow, Andrew Jackson Haimbaugh, and Jacob Stevens. Nellie Stevens, born in 1868, attended Sawmill and later married dentist James Leonard Babcock, who was mayor of Rochester 1934-38. At his death Nellie became Rochester's only lady mayor, serving to the end of her husband's term, Oct.-Dec. 1938. Estella Mitchell (Mrs. R. P. True) taught there. Bell Bernetha, sister of Judge [Harry] Bernetha, taught at Sawmill for a time before she became chief operator at Rochester Telephone 1896. From Rochester Sentinel, Oct. 20, 1877: "Sidney Moon was engaged to teach the winter term of school at the Sawmill schoolhouse just south of town. Sid is a good practical teacher and an accomplished manipulator of the rod in dusting the boys' breeches." Rochester Union-Spy, Feb. 28, 1879: "Ex-sheriff S. R. Moon, teacher of the sawmill School south of town, will celebrate the last day of school with a public dinner and a dramatic entertainment. 'Paddy Mile's Boy' is the play named, and prospects are that the entertainment will be highly entertaining. None but those invited will be expected to partake of the public dinner." Sawmill School was closed and torn down around 1900. Otto McMahan taught at No. 8 or Sawmill School 1899-1900 and may have been the last teacher. James Downs took over the sawmill and paid tuition for his children, Warren Downs, Ruth Downs Richardson, Clifford Downs, Leah Downs Smiley, Marjorie Downs Fred, and Morton Downs to go to South School (later called Columbia) in Rochester. The sawmill too has disappeared. . . . The sawmill closed in 1949 when James Downs died. . . . [FCHS Quarterly No. 71, pp 20-21]
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