The replica schoolhouse at the Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek is typical of the style that Emma Viola Yowell may have taught in.  Born in Illinois about 1862, she began her teaching career there in 1886.  After moving to Florida in 1888, Emma taught at the Athens School in Polk County, followed by a transfer to Davenport in 1889.  The move to Osceola County in 1890 was the beginning of Emma’s fifty years of service to our community.

The one-room schoolhouse of the early 1900s was often filled with benches or desks, but one stood out from the rest: the teacher’s desk. Many times, there were too many students and children had to resort to sharing those desks, as well as books and other school items. However, the teacher’s desk was for one person: the teacher.

The Osceola County Historical Society is pleased with the new additions popping up around the Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek. The original authentic structures, including the Cadman Complex, the Lanier home, and the Tyson home are just a few of the buildings preserved from the late 1800s used to educate the public in the ways of living back in the late 1800s.