McKenney School, School District No. 1
(Sometimes spelled McKinney School)
|
McKenney School, District No. 1, stood 120 rods North
in (what is now) middle of the road, was later moved West by Crossets Springs.
This was a frame structure was finally torn down in 1857. Mr. William Davison
was a member of the school board. Mrs. Elizabeth McKenney was the first teacher.
She taught eleven years, from 1846-1857. The second school was a log school "kitty-korner" from the present school. This stood there until 1865 when David Irwin, Sr., bought it and made a house out of it. Florence Effers was the first teacher. She taught from 1857 to 1865. The third school was a frame building (on the same land West) of the present brick school. This building was torn down in 1891. The first teachers were Nelly Cogswell, J. McKenney and Fanny Towner. Then the fourth school was built, a real brick structure in 1891, by Kalnin Gibbs, carpenter. Peter Minderhort was the mason. Judson McKenney’s biography relates how he gave so generously to this new brick school. Here are some notes of a letter written by Mrs. Elenore Irwins Williams, of Tustin, Michigan, in 1927, when the McKenney School was having a re-union. In her letter she states that it was in the year of 1857, she was a scholar attending school in the old log schoolhouse on McKenney’s Corners. In that same year her mother died and she was compelled to stay at home and care for her brothers and sisters, David, Dan, Stella and Fanny Irwin. Many a good day she spent in the old log schoolhouse, both playing and studying. For desks, there were large holes bored in the logs and wooden pins put in them and a long board layed across the pins. Then the same thing was fixed underneath to lay our books on. For seats, long benches were used. The teacher’s desk was a table made from rough boards nailed in one corner. There were two schoolhouses before this log one. The first one was a log schoolhouse, built on her father’s farm in Byron township. Her father bought the farm so they had to build another schoolhouse. This one was a frame building built by Mr. Crosset’s Spring. Mrs. Elijah McKenney was the first teacher that taught in the frame building and boarded with Mrs. Williams’ folks. Her first teacher’s name was Florence Effers and she taught the first term in the old log schoolhouse. Mrs. Williams said she never forgot how Matilda Davidson and she thought they could play in school like at home, the teacher had whip us and then she cried, too. Next teacher was Ann n. Effers and then Phebe Arnold, the next teacher was Secratus Sheldon and he always carried Johnny cake and milk for his dinner. One day we girls asked him why he did not bring something else besides Johnny Cake, and he said he would rather have that than anything else. Would we take Johnny cake to school today? Our next teacher was Elizabeth Nichols, then Charlotte Ewings, Williams Wallace, Blaksley, Cassie Towner’s uncle, Eunice Wedgwood and Jane Lovejoy. We will never forget our first teachers. Thos days a teacher boarded around three days at each scholar’s home and a cord of wood had to be furnished by the parents of each scholar. Mrs. Josephine VanNess Pheiffer taught in the red frame school in 1875, during the summer term which lasted 90 days, and she received $30.00 a month. At this time she walked two miles, and long skirts were such a nuisance, when it was muddy. The VanNess and McKenney schools would have a spelling bee to see who could out spell the other. Afterwards they would have pop corn and apples. The younger children went to school in the fall and spring term but the winter term the older children went, sometimes as old as 22 years. |
List of McKenney
School Teachers, 1846-1945
McKenney School Class, 1906
McKenney School Reunion, 1925
List of McKenney School Teachers, 1846 - 1945
|
TEACHERS |
YEAR |
REMARKS |
|
---- |
1906 |
CIVIL GOVERNMENT |
|
---- |
1934 |
|
|
----, SARAH G. |
1880 |
|
|
ABBOTT, ELIZABETH |
1862 |
17 WEEKS |
|
ADAMS, JAMES |
1874 |
|
|
ADAMS, SI. |
1874 |
|
|
ARNOLD, PHOEBE |
1846 |
|
|
ARNOLDS, JUNE |
1865 |
12 WEEKS |
|
AVERILL, HIRMA |
1864 |
3 MONTHS |
|
BACHMAN, CARLTON |
1930 |
|
|
BAILEY, M. LESTER |
1926 |
|
|
BAILEY, M. LESTER |
1927 |
|
|
BARNES, WILLIAM |
1877 |
|
|
BEEBE, CHARLES |
1878 |
|
|
BLAKELY, HATTIE |
1871 |
|
|
BLAKESLEY, WILLIAM WALLACE |
1850 |
|
|
BOMASTER, MARGARET |
1897 |
|
|
BOMASTER, MARGARET BALKEMA |
1893 |
|
|
BOMASTER, MARGARET BALKEMA |
1894 |
|
|
BOYNTON, SARAH |
1873 |
|
|
CHLER, MARY |
1885 |
|
|
COGSWELL, NELLIE |
1867 |
|
|
COLWELL, LILA |
1910 |
ORTHOGRAPHY |
|
CROCKER, CAROLINE |
1865 |
13 WEEKS |
|
DAVIS, MABEL |
1911 |
PENMANSHIP |
|
DAVIS, MARY |
1886 |
|
|
DELLS, DELSIE M. |
1905 |
ARITHMETIC |
|
DILLENDECK, GEORGE |
1860 |
3 MONTHS, 15 DAYS |
|
DRINKALL, ANN HAMILTON |
1884 |
|
|
DUEL, RATIE |
1889 |
|
|
EFFERS, ANN |
1857 |
|
|
EFFERS, ANN |
1858 |
|
|
EFFERS, FLORENCE |
1857 |
|
|
ELLIOTT, MIRANDA RODGERS |
1888 |
|
|
EMMONS, NICHOLAS |
1873 |
|
|
EWING, ARTHUR |
1893 |
|
|
EWING, ARTHUR |
1894 |
|
|
EWING, CHARLOTTE |
1846 |
|
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FALLIS, MRS. |
1868 |
|
|
FERNER, NINA NARRENGANG |
1902 |
|
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FERNER, NINA NARRENGANG |
1903 |
|
|
FITCH, FRANK |
1901 |
|
|
FITCH, FRANK |
1904 |
ALGEBRA |
|
FULLER, D. F. |
1875 |
|
|
HACKER, WALE |
1850 |
|
|
HAINING, SILAS |
1862 |
3 MONTHS |
|
HALL, HARRIET HOYT |
1846 |
|
|
HALL, MRS. B. |
1857 |
|
|
HALL, MRS. B. |
1858 |
3 MONTHS |
|
HALL, MRS. B. |
1863 |
|
|
HAMMOND, BELLE |
1876 |
|
|
HAMMOND, BELLE |
1877 |
|
|
HARTMAN, MRS. |
1850 |
|
|
HIGBY, PHILEAN |
1870 |
|
|
HOLLEMAN, NORMAN |
1939 |
|
|
HOWARD, GENEVIENE |
1907 |
GENERAL HISTORY |
|
HOYT, HARRIET |
1846 |
|
|
IDE, ELGIE M. |
1909 |
GRAMMAR |
|
IRWIN, LESTER |
1928 |
|
|
IRWIN, LESTER |
1929 |
1929 - 9 to Byron & South High |
|
IRWIN, MARY BURDICK |
1887 |
|
|
KEITH, DAISY CLARK |
1895 |
|
|
KEITH, DAISY CLARK |
1896 |
|
|
KELLOGG, HARLAN |
1940 |
|
|
KELLOGG, HARLAN |
1941 |
|
|
KELLY, MARION V. |
1922 |
|
|
KOSTER, MRS. J. |
1920 |
3 MONTHS |
|
LANE, FLORENCE |
1912 |
PHYSICS |
|
LANE, FLORENCE |
1913 |
PHYSIOLOGY |
|
LANE, FLORENCE |
1914 |
READING |
|
LEONARD, SARAH |
1883 |
|
|
LILLY, LEDIE |
1880 |
50 PUPILS IN 1880 |
|
LOOMIS, ADLIA |
1864 |
15 WEEKS |
|
LOOMIS, JULIA |
1861 |
17 WEEKS |
|
LOVEJOY, JANE |
1855 |
|
|
LOVEJOY, SARAH |
1859 |
17 WEEKS |
|
LOVEJOY, SARAH |
1863 |
|
|
MARSHALL, LILLIAN |
1942 |
|
|
MARSHALL, LILLIAN |
1943 |
|
|
MARSHALL, LILLIAN |
1944 |
|
|
MARSHALL, LILLIAN |
1945 |
|
|
MC CARTY, MARY |
1917 |
|
|
MC CARTY, MARY |
1918 |
|
|
MC CARTY, MARY |
1921 |
|
|
MC KENNEY, JAMES |
1867 |
|
|
MC KENNEY, MRS. ELIJAH |
1846 |
FIRST TEACHER IN SECOND BUILDING |
|
MONROE, OTIS |
1923 |
1928, paid tuition to 4 pupils - Byron Center & South High School |
|
MONROE, OTIS |
1924 |
|
|
MONROE, OTIS |
1925 |
|
|
MORAN, MAUD Z. |
1915 |
U.S. HISTORY |
|
MORAN, MAUD Z. |
1916 |
|
|
MYERS, ZULA N. IRISH |
1898 |
|
|
NATHAN, EMILY |
1866 |
|
|
NICHOLS, ELIZABETH |
1846 |
|
|
NOEL, JENNIE |
1897 |
|
|
NORTON, CATHERINE |
1908 |
GEOGRAPHY |
|
OCOBOCK, MRS. NORINE |
1933 |
|
|
OCOBOCK, MRS. NORINE |
1935 |
|
|
OCOBOCK, MRS. NORINE |
1936 |
|
|
OCOBOCK, MRS. NORINE |
1937 |
|
|
OCOBOCK, MRS. NORINE |
1938 |
|
|
OSBORN, H. K. |
1872 |
|
|
PELTON, VIOLA |
1890 |
|
|
PHIEFFER, EDITH |
1899 |
|
|
PHIEFFER, EDITH |
1900 |
|
|
PHIEFFER, JOSEPH VAN NESS |
1875 |
|
|
PHIEFFER, JOSEPHINE VAN NESS |
1872 |
|
|
RICHARDSON, ESTHER |
1898 |
|
|
RICHARDSON, ESTHER |
1899 |
|
|
RIDDLE, LOTTIE |
1885 |
|
|
SAGE, CRINNE |
1881 |
|
|
SHELDON, SECRATUS |
1846 |
|
|
SKEELES, DORR |
1868 |
|
|
SMALLEGAN, MRS. D. |
1919 |
(EXPIRED JUNE, 1919) Students above 8th grade pursued in school: Algebra, Physic |
|
SMITH, ADOLPHUS |
1860 |
37 DAYS |
|
STILES, D. MILLARD |
1861 |
3 3/4 MONTHS |
|
STONE, JOHN |
1859 |
4 MONTHS |
|
STONE, JOHN |
1869 |
|
|
THOMPSON, INES |
1882 |
|
|
TIBBLES, JAMES D. |
1890 |
|
|
TOWNER, CARRIE |
1870 |
|
|
TOWNER, CARRIE |
1871 |
|
|
TOWNER, FANNIE |
1867 |
|
|
TWINING, TELLIS |
1900 |
|
|
TWINING, TELLIS |
1901 |
|
|
UTTLER, CLAY |
1931 |
|
|
UTTLER, CLAY |
1932 |
|
|
VAN LAN, LEO C. |
1902 |
|
|
VAN LAN, LEO C. |
1903 |
|
|
VAN NESS, IDA |
1883 |
|
|
WARREN, CAROLINE |
1866 |
|
|
WASHBURN, HELEN |
1920 |
2 MONTHS, 8 DAYS |
|
WEBB, JENNIE FITCH |
1892 |
|
|
WEDGEWOOD, EUNICE |
1856 |
FALL TERM |
|
WESTON, ADA |
1888 |
|
|
WESTON, ADA |
1889 |
|
|
WESTON, JOHN |
1869 |
|
|
WESTRA, LIDA MELINN |
1891 |
|
|
WESTRA, LIDA MELINN |
1892 |
|
|
WILSON, WILLIAM |
1879 |
|
|
WRIGHT, SUSAN |
1920 |
1 MONTH, 19 DAYS |
|
ZIMMER, EDITH |
1891 |
| Teachers in doorway - Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Norton (later Mrs.
Dan Weaver) Top Row Left to Right - Frank Sisley, Emery Pepper, Carl France, Elgie Ide, Jay Thompson, Jay Glerm McKenney, Ada Morman, Paul France Second Row Left to Right - Ines Weaver, Narva Ide, Raymond Sterkens, Gertrude Patter, Lelia Blain, Pearl McKenney, Rebecca Granthan, Hallie Thompson (Mrs. TerHaar) Third Row Left to Right - Henry Potter, Warren Weaver, Otto Grance, Hazel Morman, Gertrude Nynbrink, Pearl Minnisee, Hazel Thompson (Mrs. Owen Barney), Hermon Potter, Henry Hunderman Bottom Row Left to Right - Visitor to school, Unknown, Hattie Nynbrink, Lila Blain, Phoebe Kenyon, Sarah Morman, Lucy Minisee, Jones, niece of Minnisee, Katie Pepper, Bertha Weaver, Trilby Pepper, Mary Kenyon. |
McKenney School Reunion, 1935 Johnson Park
Created: 7 November 2013