's Totem Pole Tales- The Cement or Schmidt School
Totem Pole Tales- The Cement or Schmidt School
Submitted by Nute Chapman
From Onaway Outlook September 27, 2013



   CAPTION #1:  CEMENT SCHOOL in the late 30s.  Back from left, Harold Ginthur, Gerald Gilbert, Ray Bischer,
Fred Collins, Margaret Collins, Rachel Collins, Ida Bischoff, teacher Ruth Roberts, and ?.  Front from left, 
Ralph Dean, George Bush, Charles Collins, ?, Betsy Bush, Margaret Bischoff, Louise Gilbert, Lucille Gilbert
and Verlin Gilbert.
width="600" CAPTION #2: CEMENT SCHOOL in 1933. Back from left, Verlin Gilbert, George Bush, Harold Ginthur, teacher Mrs. (Rowe) Wheeler, Betsy Bush, Margaret Bischoff and Ralph Dean. Middle from left, Bob McLean, Mildred Schmidt, Claris Robinson, Ruth Bischoff, Pearl Bush, Ray Gilbert, Charles Bischoff, Betty Dean and Loretta Booth. Front from left, Eugene McLean, ?, Billy McLean, Marvin Gilbert, Carl Bush, Jane Bush, Marie Bischoff, ?, Harvey Booth, ?, Ken Schmidt, J.D. Gilbert and Lyle Booth.
width="600" This school is located on North Allis Highway in North Allis Township. It is in Sec 14 T35N-R2E. This school was built in the early 1900s and was of wood construction. The school burned in about 1906. At this time school was held in the old Schmidt house, until a new Cement School was built.
In 1922, a new addition was put on by Ted Thome and William Schmidt. It had chemical toilets and a wood furnace. A new woodshed was connected to the back of the school. In an interview with Elsie Thoms, she told me that one of her fondest memories was playing Ante-I-Over the woodshed. This school was bought by Louis Moberly in October 1954. He built a new entry like the original one and a picture of Abraham Lincoln still hangs on the wall.
Two early teachers in this school were Jessie McGraw around 1908 and Anna McGraw around 1912.
Elsie ten rattled off a list of teachers faster than I could write. Her first teacher was Geraldine (McTiver) Sanderson. In 1917-1918, Helen (Cole) Boring; 1918-19, Ruth (McClutchey) Perry; 1919-20, Ellsworth Birdsell; 1920-21, Gladys (Collins) Gilbert; 1920-1922, Muriel (Rabideau) Cochran; 1922-23, Ruth (Auger) McClutchey; 1923-24, Erma Strayer; 1924, Felix Heron; 1925, Lorena (Glowe) Trafelet; 1925, Ruth (Roberts) Schmidt; 1926 Margaret (Hart) Benaway, Bemeita Wheeler, Ethel Hayner and Shirley Peterman.
The Rainey River School was closed and the children from there came to the Cement School. Elsie remembers some of the families and named off the Shimels, Besmears, Bushs, Collins and Gilberts. The school board members were Henry Schmidt, Mike Rowe, William Caldwell, Charles Hart and Mr. Lake. When the Cement School closed the children were bused to Onaway.
The Cement School still stands today and is a summer home and hunting camp.
-From The Onaway Outlook, September 27, 2013, p. 3. Retyped by J. Anderson.

Return to Home Page