Alva Review-Courier -

And Little Johnnie got in trouble on the bus again.

The Westward expansion of the 19th century left families across rural America with limited mobility. Schools were located 10 or less miles apart, making the greatest distance to walk 5 miles, said to be “uphill” both ways. My mother, born in 1904, had many adventures walking to school, from neighbors' angry bulls to deep snow.

Compulsory education meant the government had to help with transportation and the school bus was born. The first were horse drawn, called “kid hacks.” In 1892, Wayne Works, a company in Indiana, built a “school car” wit...