2010
Compiled and Contributed by Nute Chapman, Jim Hall, and Sally Beatty
| 2010 Compiled and Contributed by Nute Chapman, Jim Hall, and Sally Beatty | |
DRAPER SCHOOL This school was located on M-33 west of Onaway on the McGregor�s Farm and located in
the Tower School District in Cheboygan County. TEACHERS Ruth AugerElizabeth NowlandAzile or Azeil (Graves) EichornFlosie Gray FairclothAnaabell Myers STUDENTS Clyde BowenDavid BowenReba BowenStela BowenBeaudway Children � 2Pete GillmetteMike HigginsDeloris LaForestJoe LaForestMarion LaForestTommy LagoWayne McFallArland MinserLorance MorganMorgan ChildrenMorris Children � 3Clintina SheltsensFaye ShermanHollis ShermanMary Jane ShermanStue ShermanEleanor Van ZantJoe Van ZantTom Van ZantDorothy WaltersManley WaltersRoland WaltersIrere Weeks Tom Van Zant was the janitor in the 7th & 8th grades and was paid $6 per month. The water pump at this school was still in use in the 1960�s by kids
walking to and from Tower. Some were going to Tower to fish or go swimming. Others
were going to the free movies in Tower. It was stolen like many other pumps in the
area when antique dealers were paying a high price for them. The steps can be seen by watching the side of the road between McGregor�s
and Bowen Rd.. This school was sold to Earl Dunbar and moved to the Dunbar farm on
Freeman Rd. Charlie LaBelle and his team of black horses using the county grader then
hauled it to the location on Freeman Road where Charlie hooked on to it again and
placed it on the cement pad where it stayed and used as a storage building till 1959
when it burnt. THE HISTORY OF FOREST TOWNSHIP SCHOOLSDRAPER SCHOOL - #3 By Mary Lyon A meeting was held July 2, 1891 to organize a school district whichencompassed sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 of Town 34N. R 1E,Forest Township. In March 1892, a site was chosen to build a frame schoolhouse 16 ft. by 24 ft., with three windows on a side and one door in the endof the building. A 12 ft. porch and steps of cement were to be built infront. The district was bonded for $300.00 to clear the ground and build thisschool, known as the Draper School. This was located on the W � of the NE �of Section 12 T 34N., RIE. Today in 1989, the cement steps and porch arestill visible on the south side of the highway, 1 1/4 miles west of Onaway, ashort distance west of the Earl McGregor residence. Old records show school was to be taught three months in the fall and threemonths in the spring. However, that soon changed when in 1895 they voted tohave nine months of school. The Draper School District No 3 had its own school board and carried on itsown business through 1895. In 1896 it became part of the Forest TownshipUnion School District. The Draper School was affectionately known as the"Chalkbox" because it was small in size. During the years of 1916 and 1917 the school was closed but reopened again in1918, with the fluctuation of the population. It remained open until 1941when the students went to Tower and Onaway schools. Eventually, the schoolbuilding was moved and put to other use on the Dunbar Property on Freeman Roadwest of Tower. To give an idea of expenditures in those early years, prior to 1900 thefollowing notes were copied:Sept. 1892 Lumber and lath for repair Dell Sabin $9.00Aug. 1893 Painting the school house 5.00Oct. 1895 Digging well William Draper 14.95 Building platform, hauling stone for well Daniel Draper 3.50 Dynamite for well John MacIntosh 2. 73Nov. 1896 Building woodshed D. W. Draper 31. 00 Cutting cedar kindling Bert Kinney 3.00 Banking schoolhouse Dell Crothers 1.50Dec. 1896 Piling wood in shed ` H. Kinney .60Sept 1897 Repairing pump Merritt Chandler .35 Repairing pump Freeman Rose .65Dec. 1897 Building Belfry D. W. Draper 6.00 Building Belfry D. W. Draper 10.00Nov. 1897 Teacher's stage Fare John Gustason 2.00Reference: Part II HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF CHEBOYGAN COUNTY Compiled by Commissioner E. W. Baker Cheboygan, MI 1853-1903*********************SUB-DISTRICT No. 3By James Bowen "This is known as the "Draper School," so called because located near theresidence of Daniel W. Draper, one of the first settlers. The district was organized in 1891 and Theodore Harkness elected director. Thefirst, and present school house was built in June, 1892, on sec. 12, town 34 N, R1Eon the State road. It is a frame building and cost $300.00. In 1901 it was moved� mile west to the present site. The first settlers were John S. McIntosh (dead),Richard Hark (dead), Daniel W. Draper, E. W. Potee, Freeman Rose, Daniel McDonald,Theodore Harkness (dead), Amos B. Kinney, Isaac VanLoon, D. M. Sage (dead), J. L.Crothers, and David Bowen. There were 13 in the first school census. The firstteacher was Delia Doolittle. Other teachers are Becca Kidd, Annie R. Stanley,Phebe Hamell, Bessie Sandison, Ola Crump, Albert Cook, Lucy Glasier and IdaGillis." Compiled and Contributed by Nute Chapman, Sally Beatty, & Jim Hall