of Belden Boy

    P.J. HarteNaus is just an ordinary teacher who lives in a small town in the Midwest  She teaches fifth grade at Abraham Lincoln School. and enjoys reading novels, especially historical fiction to her students.  Having two daughters, two dogs and a rabbit keep her busy, yet she still finds tome to enjoy exploring the unglaciated area of Galena, the Northwest corner of Illinois.   On one of those explorations, she came upon a deserted one room school house called Belden.  That find led to numerous discoveries such as old journals and artifacts, names of students and many anecdotal conversations with those who knew about the old school.
Belden Boy - the adventures of Peter McDugal  was born from that discovery.  The rest is history!

Belden School Goes to Pennsylvania

   One couldn’t be any further from home when presenting the story of Belden School, that is, six hundred and sixty-two miles from Galena to LaTrobe, Pennsylvania. The Country School Association (CSAA) asked Pat HarteNaus, author of “Belden Boy – The Adventures of Peter McDugal”, to bring the story of Belden School to their annual conference this past June-2009.


    Set in the hills of Pennsylvania at St. Vincent College, the conference was in the Fred Rogers Conference Center. With books and the model of the stone schoolhouse in tow, Pat began her presentation with the story of fictional character Peter McDugal and his adventures in and around Belden School in the late 1800s. Many of the stories are fictional, yet some truths are woven into the storyline.



    Describing the river town of Galena with its outcroppings and unique topography, Pat spoke of the cozy location of Belden School set deep in the hills of The Territory. Hearing Peter’s story, as well as that of the journey of how Belden’s restoration progressed to its grand opening in September, the audience of retired teachers and one-room schoolhouse enthusiasts asked for more. So, Pat invited the audience sit back and enjoy a journey into time as her presentation closed with a DVD tribute to Belden School. Beautiful music was the perfect addition to the old pictures of Belden from its past, right to the present.



    Pat reflects “the story of Belden School is unique. Territory residents are proud of their gem, set in the hills of this beautiful area. We are the keepers of this school and its doors will open once again this fall on September 5, 2009. One attendee
said that the story of Belden School brought her to tears, ‘it was very moving. Thank you for being here.’”