Each country school had its beginnings in the early 1840's. Each two mile square set up a school to train their children in the three R's. Some of the area school's names were BRODOCK, BRAHMAN, East and West Maple Grove, Tamarack and FULLER.
In 1844 a board of inspection met and organize the district schools. Isaac HOAG was chairman. One district had twenty-four pupils and was taught by Emily FISH.
The first Frontier School was a building at the corner of Clark and Montgomery Roads on land formerly owned by George BLOUNT who gave it for a school. The first teacher here was Miss Jane BARCLAY. The first superintendent of the school systems was Stanton LAMPHERE. Teachers were inspected each year by the school board to see if they were qualified to teach. Teachers were paid by the year and each child's parents took turns boarding and rooming the teacher. Each family was responsible for so much wood for the stove according to the number of pupils that they had in school. A few years later, one family took the teacher for the whole season and so this family was then exempt from furnishing wood. In 1860 the school went from a fifth to a sixth grade school.
In 1873 a larger Frontier school was necessary. A site was chosen on Brad Street because it was far enough away from the road so that the fast-moving horses could not hurt the children. A two-story, three-room building was erected at a cost of $3500. The grades were primary, intermediate and high. The completion and dedication of this ten grade school were held in the summer of 1895. The head mason who built it was John CURTH. As the school began sessions, George WISMAN, husband of Blanche WISMAN, was the superintendent, carrying forth from the old school. He served this school as headmaster for four years.
The first graduating class (1895) held its ceremonies in an orchard just in back of the Methodist Church across the road from the school. The first class graduated six students: Mary WARNER, Leroy ZUVER, Fay CELLAR, Clyde WOLFF, Fred BLOUNT, and Warren CLAY. The next few classes were larger. The graduation exercises took two nights. Each student graduating was required to give a speech before receiving his diploma.
The second graduating class graduated Will WARFIELD among seventeen others. He took a short college course and came back as principal of the school. Records state that Will WARFIELD received $540 for nine months teaching in 1912. Another teacher, Ross HOPKINS, received $360; Floy NICHOLS received $120 for three months teaching; Dale BROWN and Lucy FIELD were paid $360 for nine months teaching. Eighty-five students were taught. Seven of these were from Ranson [Ransom] Township. They paid a tuition of $9.00 per student for graduate schooling.
In 1912 the Ransom School district joined Frontier for the high school education by sending their students to Frontier to complete their schooling. In 1913-1914 there was no graduating class as the school changed from a ten-grade to a twelve-grade school.
In 1914 Professor REED, superintendent, applied for and received accreditation for the school. Under the direction of Edith CLARK, the beautiful maple trees surrounding the school were planted on Arbor Day 1918. The 1968 tornado took several of them down.
In 1926 a mass meeting was held for a discussion by the people of a proposed bonding of the school district for $17,000 so that the high school building could meet the state requirements for accreditation and standards. The election, held on May 9, 1926 carried 2 to 1. The bonding included a two-story addition 40 by 45 feet for a new high school. The old high school became a grade school. The new building was to include a heating plant. The committee to oversee the building was W. J. WESTFALL and R. I. KINNEY. The jubilant students were so pleased about the vote they rang all three church bells and the school bell. Some fired guns and firecrackers.
The school bell was brought by horse and wagon from Angola, Indiana by Fredric CHESTER. It had been in a church there but the church had bought a new bell, so they sold the old bell to the Frontier School. Pete FOSBENDER was one of the first janitors. He rang the bell from the second story each day. It wasn't till some years later that Guy SNYDER, as janitor, fixed the bell so it could be rung from the main floor.
In 1928 the Frontier school was placed on the University of Michigan accredited list. This same year the first alumni meeting was held.
In 1929 C. E. SWIFT was given a big thank you for serving thirty-five years on the board of education - quite an achievement.
Commencement and baccalaureate exercises were held in both of the Frontier churches, with one church serving one year and the other church the next year. When the school cafeteria was begun in 1942, Wynola LOTT was head cook. Iola VVENIER, Lois SHANEOUR, and Vina SHIFFLER were her helpers.
Mrs. Hazel DRUMM, a teacher in the Frontier school, started a Mothers' Club in 1945. It is still active in the school system.
In 1945 the last graduating class exercises were held in the Frontier school.
Two of this community's people, Grover and Edith CLARK, had been active in school affairs for years. She was a teacher for 31 years. Grover had been a member of the school board.
