Ferndale, CA

There is something lacking in our schools today. Not just in Ferndale, but in the entire educational system in America. Our children are being ‘graduated’ without learning how to read very well and many of them can’t write or do simple math. I’ve seen it in quite a few places … Idaho, Utah, Oregon and California … and I can only assume it’s in every state and every school. We used to be at the top of the list as far as an educated population is concerned. Currently, we’re about 4th from the bottom … truly.

Just to let you know how low it’s become, here is a copy of a test given to 8th graders back in the late 1800’s. You’ve probably all heard about someone having only “an 8th grade education,” yes? Well, that person, if he or she was educated back then, would run circles around any 8th grader you find now! Even a college graduate has difficulties with this test!! See how well you do … and never say “an 8th grade education” with disdain again. Being born in an age where education was considered an asset, Ferndale had every opportunity to be as great as it is. Without the “smarts” of our ancestors, Ferndale would be a cow town alright … full of nothing but cows!

1895’s 8th Grade Test

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of”lie,”"play,” and “run.”
5. Define case; Illustrate each case.
6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.