2008 Annual Conference
Saturday, May 17, in Livonia

Greenmead Historical Park in Livonia is the site of the 2008 MORSA annual conference. Saturday, May 17, is the date.

Once again participants will eat, talk, listen, reminisce, laugh and learn.

Livonia’s Greenmead Historical Park is a collection of thirteen buildings recreating the four-corners called Newburg in western Wayne County. Our conference will be held in the large Greek Revival (1843) Alexander Blue House and we’ll visit the nearby Newburg School (1861) as well as other restored historic buildings.

We’ll open the conference with “Finding History in the Outhouse,” the unlikely title of Dave Bridgens’ talk. Bridgens is from the Michigan Historical Museum and will show us what outhouse excavation can teach about people and life in bygone times.

Jack Peirce, an expert on oral history, will do a session on “Oral History Basics” and will lead a demonstration of how to conduct an oral history of a one-room school.

Greenmead’s Sue Daniel has nearly completed her historical survey of all the one-room schools that have ever existed in virtually every county in Michigan. She will show her survey results and we are invited to find our own school in the survey.

After lunch participants will share favorite memories of one-room school days and describe experiences with restoring or using one-room schools. Visits to other Greenmead buildings will be held at that time.

Registration materials and directions to Greenmead are contained in this issue of The Slate.

Newburg School
Greenmead, Livonia, MI

Newburg School - Circa Early 1900's

Young Teacher
By William Winglar

Teachers in rural one room schools often assumed roles beyond just teaching. They often served as nurses, cooks, treating students for head lice and so on. One dedicated young teacher, Miss Martha Klawwiter, had a very unusual way of going to the school where she taught. She lived in Grand Rapids (Michigan) when she accepted a teaching assignment in a rural one room schoolhouse,

Riverbend School, (pictured at right) in a neighboring county. The problem was the matter of getting to the school. The schoolhouse was about six miles from the city but there was no public transportation available nor did she own an automobile. There was an inter-urban line going west from Grand Rapids that had a stop in Jenison that was about two miles from the school. But this posed another problem; there was the treacherous Grand River separating Jenison from the school.

Undaunted she resolved this problem by walking to the river and then using the boat of a local farmer to row across the river. After hiding the oars, she walked nearly a mile over hilly terrain to reach the school. There she spent the day teaching 45-50 students in the eight grades. One of the school board members was very concerned about her safety because at times the Grand River could be very turbulent. So she and her brother bought her a Model T automobile to alleviate their concerns about her safety.

White Lake One-Room School Lives Again or How to Rescue a Blackboard!

by Marge Sawruk, Schoolhouse Chairperson.
Written February 13, 2004

Thanks to many volunteers, the township officials, the support of local businesses and trades people donating much time and talent, the Thompson One-Room School will once again be home to students. Only this time, instead of students living in 1876, it will host students from the 2151 century. The school was originally built on the Thompson Farm on Bogie Lake Rd, near Cedar Island Rd. It was used from 1876 until 1943 at that location. When the last teacher joined the Waves during World War II and school consolidation took place, it was moved to Milford on the grounds of then Milford High School on Hickory St. It lived on and was used as a band room until 1960. After this it was boarded up and used as storage for the school district.

In 1989 the White Lake Historical Society, which had just formed two years prior, learned that the school was available for the asking. It was investigated and determined that it was cost prohibitive to move it for the fledgling organization.

On October 25th, 1995 Marge Sawruk read in the Spinal Column newspaper that the Huron Valley Cultural Council, which was hoping to reuse the school, could not find the funds to move the school either. Therefore the school board announced that the Adamo Demolition Company would be arriving on October 30th to take down both schools.

On Thursday October 26th Marge called Randy Westerman of the Huron Valley Schools, to see if they could rescue the original slate blackboards before demolition to use in a possible future replica. He agreed to meet her Friday October 27th and she asked fellow members Jim Thompson and Bill Garvey to join her.

The last time any historical society members were in the school it was empty, but when they arrived it was full of beautiful wood that had been stripped from the high school. They asked what would happen to it and the answer was, "It goes with the wrecking ball on Monday". It broke their hearts to see such beautiful oak go to waste so they asked Mr. Westerman if he could get permission to move it in addition to the slate blackboards. The answer was yes, so on Saturday morning October 28th at 9:00 Jim Thompson, Charlie Spoor, Phil Wooledge and Jeff Sawruk met and worked on loading Jim Thompson's trailer truck.

Every once in awhile on Friday and Saturday Jim muttered; "You know we could just take the whole school. All we have to do is cut off the roof and fold the walls down." Marge kept saying, "Jim, as much as I would love to do that we just don't have the time or manpower, remember you are supposed to leave for vacation on Monday."

The idea of rescuing the entire school must have overwhelmed Jim (several relatives had attended the school, so that might have helped his decision) because Sunday night at 6:15 he called Marge and said, "I will take the school down and Jay Brendel is willing to help; can you get permission and additional help?" Marge proceeded to call Mr. Westerman at home and he asked her to call Pat Donahue, Assistant Superintendent of Schools. Marge left a message for Mr. Donahue and proceeded to call for approval and help from society members. In the meantime permission was received and they were told that Mr. Westerman would meet them on Monday and help them with the demolition company so they didn't get in each other's way. Marge spent hours on the phone explaining to members or member's spouses what they were doing and trying to recruit help on Monday. Unfortunately, almost all said, "No" and understandably, based. on previous commitments etc. Bill Garvey, said, "Yes, but I can only stay a couple of hours because I have to work in the afternoon." Another member, Marie Hewitt called several contractors to see if they knew of available men, but to no avail.

Marge arrived at 7:55 a.m. October 30th to make sure the demolition team did not decide to take the one room school first (they had not been informed of the attempt to save it). Jim already had his flatbed in place, but there was no sign of a demolition team. Jim arrived with his sons, Dale and Mike, and friend, Phil Wooledge around 8:30; Bill arrived a little after 9 and things were underway. Marge played unofficial photographer for the day, runner for nuts and bolts, met with Darlene Waldrop, township building official, and Pat Donahue. Ron Hinman joined the historical society demolition team later to take video and help where possible; people wandered in throughout the day including neighbors, a Milford Times photographer and an Oakland County Weighmaster.

Thompson School

After three sides were down at 5:45 Marge said good-bye as light was ebbing; she did not believe it when they told her they weren't going to quit until they had all four walls down.

Tuesday morning 8: 15, October 31st Ron Hinman and Marge arrived in a drizzling rain and Jim and Mike were already at work; Bill Garvey arrived as did Ron Voorheis. This time they dismantled the end piece, cut the floor in thirds and loaded the truck.

Around noon Mr. Westerman came by and mentioned that there might be good wooden flooring left in the high school. Curiosity got the best of them so they had to check it out and Jim said, "Gee, wouldn't this maple make a great floor for the old school?"

A boarded up window on the second floor of the old high school had to be knocked out and they had to see if Jim's "cherry picker" would fit on the sidewalk in front of the school, it did, but just barely.

Bill had to leave as he had to go to work since he had taken off the day before (his couple hours on Monday turned into all day). They started ripping up the flooring, bundled it, and hauled it out the window, into the cherry picker and into Jim's van. It was quite a "bucket brigade".

Ron Hinman and Marge left about 3 :00 in search of the former one-room school foundation on Cedar Island Rd. just about the time the demolition team was arriving.

November 2nd arrived bright and beautiful and Marge met Jay Brendel (who was going to use his truck to tow the flatbed trailer) at the site just before 9:00 to photograph the departure from Milford back to its home in White Lake. The White Lake police escorted it down Commerce Rd. to Bogie Lake to M-59 and to the Kelley-Fisk Farm; it arrived about 9:40 a.m. Before it
arrived Marge managed to snap a photo of it traveling past two other White Lake one-room schoolhouses; now connected and converted to a dentist's office.

An addition was necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition to the restrooms the remaining space will be used for the research and storage of archival materials.

The "blackboard rescue" obviously became much more and it is sincerely hoped that that future generations will appreciate the preservation of the past and in so doing will carry on the memories in the future. The school is currently located on the grounds of the historic Kelley-Fisk Farm at 9180 Highland Rd. in White Lake Township.

What is a School?
(From 1000 Ways of 1000 Teachers
by A.C. Mason, 1882)

A school is a business institution created for specific purposes. It should be conducted in all of its management upon the principles of business. Its business is to assist, as being one of the many corporations created and fostered by the state, in
increasing the wealth by increasing the productive power of the state. These ends are served when the attending learners are acquiring sound knowledge in the sciences and the arts, when they are learning to respect authority, when they are cherishing a proper self-respect, when they are understanding their elation to their peers, when they are establishing the imperative habits demanded by business, when they are founding all their dealings on the general principles of law, morals, and religion.
— F.H. Hoose.

Old Clipping

A boy in school was asked to write a composition
on a goose and here is the result: “The goose is a low, heavy-set bird, composed mostly of meat and feathers. His head sets on one end, and he sets on the other. He cannot sing much on account of the moisture in which he lives. He carries a toy balloon in his stomach to keep from sinking. A goose has two legs, and they set so far back on his running gear that they come pretty near missing his body. Some geese, when they get big, are called ganders. Ganders don’t have to set and hatch, but just loaf, eat and go swimming. If I was a goose, I’d rather be a gander.”

~ Youth’s World

Two New Books About
Michigan One-Room Schools
By Larry Schlack

Two recently published books give additional glimpses into the history and remaining evidence of one-room schools in Michigan:

“Country Schools of Bay County, Michigan
1838-1970” by Odeal L. Sharp is a 290- page volume depicting the background of virtually every one-room school that ever existed in Bay County. It is profusely illustrated with pictures of the buildings, teachers, and students. A plus is the personal stories of teachers and students telling of their memories and experiences in these long-abandoned buildings. The book was published in 2007.

MORSA member Odeal Sharp speaks with authority. She was born in Bay County in 1912, attended Seidler School through eighth grade, graduated from Bay City St. Mary’s High School in 1929, and then attended Bay County Normal School graduating in 1930. She taught in Bay County schools until retirement in 1970. Her book may be purchased directly from Odeal L. Sharp, 707 Scheurmann St., Essexville, MI 48732.

“A Cultural Incubator: The Post Street
Schoolhouse 1888—Present” by Tawny Ryan Nelb (2006) is a fascinating look at an 1888 building that stands today in Midland, Michigan. Photos of the brick building as it looked in 1888 and as it looks today show a building whose architecture can hardly be classified. Is it gothic revival? Is it classical revival? Does it matter? It’s a Michigan treasure and it’s alive and well with a new life as a research archives facility.

Here are author Nelb’s words, “The Post Street schoolhouse, originally known as the Third Ward School, is one of the oldest school buildings left in Midland County and epitomizes adaptive use over its long history to allow it to survive as a cultural icon in the community.. . .

It flourished first as a primary school and as a
teacher’s training school, then as a theater, an
artist’s workshop, and now a research archives.” Photographs illustrate all of the uses the building has had over the years.

The 46-page book may be ordered from Post
Street Archives, 205 Post Street, Midland, MI
48640 (telephone 989/832-0870). Cost is $5.50.

Do you have a schoolhouse you would like to tell us about?

A special memory of a one-room school?

A one-room school dedication or information about one such school? Pictures?

Please let us know.

Information may be sent to:
Hannah Geddes Wright, Slate Editor
4209 N. Dearing Rd.
Parma, Michigan 49269

The Slate is a bi-annual publication of the Michigan One-Room Schoolhouse Association.