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The creation of of schools in rural areas throughout the country beginning with the Northwest Ordinance (1787) left most farm children within reasonable walking distance of a school. This was especially important for youngr children. How many modern parents would send a 6-year old on a long walk to school. Walks over a mile were common, sometimes 2-3 miles. These long walks could be gruling during the winter especially in the North with severe winter weather and snowfall. These school walks were generally manageable east of the Mississippi where the population density reduced the length. There were exceptions such as areas of Appalachia where productive farm land was more limited. Notice the boys on the previous page are from eastern Kentucky in Appalachia. And of course the South where the Northwest Ordinance did not apply. Once one moved beyond the Mississippi, especially the first tier of Great Plans states, population density fell off and rural schooling became more of a problem because of the distances involved. Even in well populated areas, the children might have to stay at school when a blizzard struck. (Remember that weather reporting did not brcome common until well into the 20th century as both commercial radio developed alomg with weather related sciences.) Rural children until after World War II (1939-45) mostly walked to school. Some states began to employ school busses before the War, but the major changes came after the War.
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