Waverly School System, Cheboygan County MIGenWeb

Cheboygan County MI Genealogy

WAVERLY SCHOOL SYSTEM

Contributed by James Hall & Nute Chapman, 2010

Waverly organized it’s first public school in 1883, the same year Waverly became a township. The first school made of unhewed logs was located in section twenty-five (T35N-RIE NE1/4, NE ¼) and its first teacher was Evangeline Stewart (1883-1884). A term of school lasted six months. This school was the only one in Waverly until April of 1893 when Waverly No. 1 (SE ¼, SE ¼) was built in section twenty-six. This land was purchased from E. A Sayers at the N. W. corner of the intersection of Twin School Road and Black River Rd. (FOS) What happened to the first school is unknown although there is a mention of an old school being sold to Benjamin Sayers for $10.00 in township records. The new school was a 20 by 30 foot board building. Sandord A. Lester was its first instructor and was one of the County examiners for Cheboygan County. When Mr. Lester left two years later, Mrs. Evangline Stewart Roberts took his place. At the annual town meeting two years later a special tax was levied for the purpose of building a new school, and the board accepted the bid of C. J. Hutchinson to erect the school for $320.00. This building is the smallest of the two buildings known to most folks as the Twin Schools.

District No. 2 (NE ¼, NW ¼, Sect. 24) school was first a log building on the same site where the second building now stands west of the Clarence Stockwell residence. In the spring of 1940 this school closed its doors.

Both No. 3 and No. 4 schools burned in forest fires were replaced by new buildings about 1911. No. 3 (SW ¼, SE ¼ Sec. 28) was built near Shanty Rapids on the northeast corner where Twin School Rd. turns to run next to Kleber Pond or across from park on Kleber Pond., and the new school erected on the same site. No. 4 school (SW ¼, SE ¼, Sec. 29) was first located where Don St. Germain now lives and was relocated west of there on the hill near the Brady’s when rebuilt.

In 1909 a great many woodsmen, mostly from Kentucky, were employed at a large camp on the Western part of the township (west side of Section 10 T35N-RIW). They were far from any school, so a school was hastily made from logs near the water hole on the old railroad grade going west to LaGrand in a small settlement known as Kentuckyville. Gladys Cole was employed to teach there. When the timber was removed, about a year later, the camp was disbanded and the school was discontinued.

A new District No. 1 school house was erected by 1912 and the old building was sold to the township for a town hall. The new school was built just north of the old one and they became known as the Twin Schools.

In the spring of 1940 the Waverly School No. 2 closed it’s doors, there were no children left at that locality to teach. Since then a few children, whose parents moved into the locality of School No 2, and these are transported to the No. 1 School.

There were no high schools in Waverly, but the children ordinary go to Onaway and take advantage of the facilities for learning offered by that small city. In addition to Onaway High School there in the Presque Isle County Normal was also located at the same place and available to all who graduate acceptably from High School.

Waverly had a total of eight schools through the years.

The school district provided someone to build the fire and keep the school building in repair for all the lady teachers but all of the men teachers were expected to tend these chores themselves for an extra $5.00 per month.

This Page Was Last Updated Saturday, 03-Mar-2012 12:40:29 MST