Laura Lanz Collection

Organized by Torii Moré
January 2011


Table of Contents

Collection Information
Volume of Collection:
One Box.
Collection Dates:
1865-1947
Restrictions:
None.
Reproduction Rights:
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained in writing from the McLean County Museum of History.
Alternative Formats:
None.
Other Finding Aids: None.
Location: Archives.
Notes:
Additional information on one room schoolhouses can be found at http://mchistory.org/McLean_county_schoolhouses.html.

 

Historical Sketch

Laura Lanz Bernd was born April 24, 1886 at Kerrick, Normal (North Linden Road), the youngest of six children (two died in infancy) to Andrew and Anna Margaret Korn Lanz.

Laura attended Harmony school and graduated from Bloomington High School in 1903. In 1904, having received her teaching certificate from Illinois State Normal, she began teaching either at West Point Grade School or the Little Red School. Subsequently she taught at Harmony (all three were one-room schoolhouses in Normal Township).

In 1910 Laura married Albert F. Bernd of Indianapolis and left this area to live in his hometown. After her children Robert Thomas and Dorothy Margaret were in school, she worked for the Social Service department of the Indianapolis Public Schools taking yearly school census.

The love and interest in people, young or old, was Laura Bernd's motivating force. It had not been easy teaching (at 18) students as tall and nearly her age, yet her innate dignity and love of teaching left deep impressions on her students.

The texts and lab notebooks, kept all these year, attest to her desire to share knowledge whenever sought. It was her expressed wish that these books should be put to some useful purpose. Her notes for school programs attest to her orderly mind: "Organize and follow your notes!"

It should be noted that an older sister, Anna Lanz Dawson taught in McLean County schools while earning her way to a degree in language from Illinois Wesleyan.

 
Scope and Contents Note
This collection contains essays by Laura from high school, her high school report cards, biographical information written by Dorothy Bernd, notebooks, a photograph of Laura Lanz, etc. The collection includes items from the years 1899-1908.

 

Box and Folder Inventory

Loose Items:

Notebook with notes and drawings on zoology

Notebook with notes and drawings on botany

English history notes

Maps lesson plans


Folder 1:
 Biographical information
1.1
 Biographical sketch by Dorothy Bernd

 

Folder 2:
School Essays by Laura Lanz
2.1
 The School and the Garden
2.2
 Hawk-eye and Chingachgook
2.3
 Character Sketch of Clifford. November 16, 1900
2.4
 Attention and Interest
2.5
 The Metamorphosis of Silas Marner's Inner Life
2.6
 Character Sketch of Silas Marner
2.8
 Description of the Combat
2.9
 Wedding Knell
2.10
 The Fagin School
2.11
 Character Sketch of Godfrey Cass
2.12
 Character Sketch
2.13
 Synopsis of Kenilworth
2.14
 Corn Reference Sheet

 

Folder 3:
Eighth Year Instruction Sheets
3.1
 Teachers' examination paper, June 1907
3.2
 Eighth Year Questions for March
3.3
 Eighth Year Questions for January
3.4
 Eighth Year Questions for October
3.5
 Eighth Year Questions for December

 

Folder 4:
Words to Songs
4.1
 2 sheets with 6 words to songs

 

Folder 5:
Misc. Drawings
5.1
 Note: "Found in her teachers book-Harmony School c.1908"
5.2
 drawing of a monkey dressed
5.3
 drawing of a government building
5.4
 News clippings of Will Power by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

 

Folder 6:
 Laura Lanz Report Cards
6.1
 Bloomington High School 1899-1902

 

Folder 7:
 Souvenir picture of Laura Lanz
7.1
 February 1906. With a photograph of Laura Lanz and a list of her pupils from West Point School in Kerrick on the back

 

Folder 8:
Programs
8.1-4
 Program for school performance

 

McLean County Museum of History Collections and Research