With graduations still fresh in our minds, it seems appropriate to share some school memorabilia with you today.
These were provided by Ellis Kriebel of Harleysville, who submitted some items from 1887, 1888 and 1907.
The items from the late 1800s belonged to his grandfather, Irwin K. Kriebel, and the 1907 items to his father, Alpheus Kriebel. Both attended the Kriebel School on Kriebel Road in Towamencin (this is a lot of Kriebels!)
Ellis Kriebel notes that the school was between Sumneytown Pike and the turnpike overpass on a corner of his great-grandfather Aaron Bergey Kriebel’s land.
The bird postcard bears the inscription, “Compliments of your teacher, James R. Bergey, 1887.” A similar note is on the card showing the dog in the shoe.


The card showing the girl with the lamb is from Feb. 13, 1907, and reads, “With compliments to Alpheus Kriebel by William G. Nyce, teacher. A reward for spelling.”


The “souvenir 1907” item actually is a little booklet, on which Ellis notes, teacher Nyce “even provided a picture for the students, which I believe were distributed to each one at the end of the school term.”


Inside the booklet, it’s interesting to note that it says the school is in “Towamensing Township, Montgomery County.”
All of the students’ names are listed, as are the school board members.
A poem titled, “The Close of School” rounds out the booklet, complete with drawings.
A few of the lines include:

“The school is out!
The school is out!
Proclaim they one and all.
The school is out!
The merry shout
Resounds from room and hall.”