Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Otisville in Genesee County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

The Country School

 
 
The Country School Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 25, 2018
1. The Country School Marker
Inscription.
When you lived in a rural area say before 1950, in most parts of the US, you didn't hop on the school bus and ride miles to your local town school. At first, in the early years your family had horses and a wagon to get around. Then later you had a tractor and maybe a car. But your father drove the car to work. When your brothers and sisters and you went anywhere on your own, you "WALKED". That is why we had THE COUNTRY SCHOOL!

The country school was generally a one room wood framed building about 24' by 36' with entrance on the front, big front door with many windows for light. With a wood or coal stove right in the middle of the floor. You had one teacher teaching kindergarten through the 6th grade. And maybe 15 to 30 children in each building.

The teacher was also the custodian. The boys would stock the woodstove and the girls would help the cleaning. The restrooms were called OUTHOUSES. They were outback behind the school. Each little building was about 5' by 5'. There was one for boys and one for girls. There was a bench with a hole in it to sit on. There was no water in the outhouse.

Each school had a hand water pump on the outside of the building. You pumped the water into a bucket and carried it into the back door of the school.
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
There you set it on a table to wash your hands in a wash basin and used a dipper to drink from.

On the roof of every school was a little mini-building called a cupola. Hanging in the cupola was the "SCHOOL BELL". A rope was attached to the bell and ran down through the roof to the entrance at floor level where the lucky pupil of the day got to RING it signaling the start of the school day.

This particular bell in front of you, came from "Henderson School". It was located on the corner of Henderson and Crawford Rds. It was donated to the Otisville Museum by area resident ROD GOOCH. Thank You Mr. Gooch.

Otisville area country schools were located mainly on Irish Rd. and Henderson Rds. about every 3 miles throughout the countryside from Lake Rd. south to Stanley Rd. (Forest Twp. to Richfield Twp.) with the exception of Miller School at M-15 and Mt. Morris Rd., Whitesburg School on Vassar near Dodge Rd. and Delmar School on Willard Rd. Some buildings remain today rebuilt as houses. A nearly complete collage of all the country schools can be viewed in the entrance of the museum. Can you name your teacher from your school?

There were at least two more schools in earlier days. A small school, built by lumberman in the 1850's, on the south end of town was moved in the 1860's 1 mile north of town
Marker detail: Teacher: Mr. Beauchamp, 1920'S image. Click for full size.
2. Marker detail: Teacher: Mr. Beauchamp, 1920'S
to a new lumber camp called Huntons Mill. Around 1912, a Weeks District school building was moved into town and placed along Beecher St. to ease overcrowding.
 
Erected by The Otisville Area Historical Association, Inc.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.
 
Location. 43° 9.992′ N, 83° 31.401′ W. Marker is in Otisville, Michigan, in Genesee County. Marker is on East Main Street east of Park Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, directly in front of the Otisville Historical Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 122 East Main Street, Otisville MI 48463, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Otisville High School (here, next to this marker); E. S. Swayze Drugstore (within shouting distance of this marker); Smith Hill Cemetery (approx. 0.8 miles away); Laing-Mason House (approx. 1.8 miles away); West Forest United Methodist Church (approx. 3 miles away); The William Peter Mansion (approx. 5.7 miles away); United Methodist Church (approx. 5.8 miles away); Columbiaville Depot (approx. 5.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Otisville.
 
Marker detail: Henderson School, Henderson & Crawford Roads image. Click for full size.
3. Marker detail: Henderson School, Henderson & Crawford Roads
The Country School Marker (<i>wide view with Henderson School Bell in background</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 25, 2018
4. The Country School Marker (wide view with Henderson School Bell in background)
The Country School Marker (<i>wide view; Otisville Historical Museum in background</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 25, 2018
5. The Country School Marker (wide view; Otisville Historical Museum in background)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 299 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:   1. submitted on July 28, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.   2, 3, 4. submitted on July 29, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.   5. submitted on July 30, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=120860

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisements
Mar. 28, 2024