Treasure Chest Thursday: Frank Lewis Lee's Chalkboard

Frank Lewis Lee's School Chalkboard
La Grange, KY, 1894

One of the many treasures I found in my granddad's old file cabinet was this small chalkboard that he used when he was in school in 1894.  With a writing surface on both sides, the chalkboard measures about 8 x 11 inches and is surrounded by a wood frame.  There is also a small hole in center of the top of the frame.  Maybe this was used to hang the chalkboard on the side of the school desk or the wall?  Granddad Lee would have been about 13 years old in 1894 and attending school in La Grange, Kentucky.  With no paper or tablets, students in granddad's school used these personal chalkboards or slates and chalk to write down and figure math problems, to spell words, to answer questions asked of them by their teacher.  As a retired teacher myself, this is one of my favorite family treasures.  What makes it even more special is that my dad chose to keep this and pass it on to me, and that it's in his handwriting that the date and owner of the chalkboard are recorded.