A silver jam pot that I've had for as long as I can remember,
this came from Aunt Louise, engraved Sept 8. 1906,
the date of her wedding to Byron Valentine.
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This postcard from Louise to Lionel Brockman.
New Buildings of Thomas Indian School near Gowanda, N.Y.
Louise's description on photo is Main Building and children's dining hall.
There are three postmarks on this card, Iroquois NY April 3, A.M. 1905,
and Rec'd Schenectady, NY April 4, 1 AM 1906. (1-cent stamp)
On the front, Buffalo, NY Transit April 3, 1906.
Aunt Louise taught at this school before she married Byron Valentine.
A little research reveals that the Thomas Indian School was in operation from 1855-1957. It was named for Philip E. Thomas, a benefactor of New York's Native Americans and early financial backer of the asylum.
From the NY State Archives: the Thomas Asylum for Orphan and Destitute Indian Children was a private facility receiving state aid. It was located within the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation but accepted students from throughout the state of New York. In 1875, control of the school was turned over to the state.
The name was changed to Thomas Indian School in 1905 and offered classes for students in grades one through eight. In 1930, the school was classified as a junior high and it extended to the ninth grade. After that, the school's primary enrollment consisted of children who had parents or guardians unable to care for them, children placed by county welfare agencies, and children referred by the courts. A social worker was assigned to the school in 1942 to counsel the residents and to advise the superintendent. The State closed the school in 1957. As a State institution, its purpose was to furnish resident Native American children with "care, moral training and education, and instruction in husbandry and the arts of civilization."
The asylum's name change in 1905 was to reflect its emphasis on education.
The school was placed under the supervision of Dept. of Charities in 1927.
The Dept of Charities was renamed the Dept. of Social Welfare in 1929.
Archives (inaccessible due to privacy) indicate there is more information from the Superintendent's Daily Diaries, 1908-1944 which provide a summary record of activities of the school staff and students. Brief entries mention the following: weather conditions...farm work in progress...maintenance and repair work in progress...entertainment provided to children (ie. movies, visits to fairs)...team sporting events...incidents with specific children, such as death, illness, injury, failure to return from vacation...religious activities...correspondence sent by superintendent...trips by superintendent and staff
Louise Wallace b. April 12, 1873, d. Feb 16, 1968
(Amelia Brockman's older sister)
and Byron W. Valentine...date of photo unknown.
They were married on Sept 8, 1906.
They were both active in missionary education most of their lives.
