Contributed by Nute Chapman,Jim Hall,Sally Beatty
| Contributed by Nute Chapman,Jim Hall,Sally Beatty | |
HISTORY OF FOREST TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS BY MARY LYON Forest Township is geographically located in the south-east part of Cheboygan County.
Because of its proximity to Onaway, it is natural that it has become part of the
Onaway Public School System which is in Presque Isle County. It is therefore included
in the History of the Onaway Area Schools. A brief history of the formation of Forest Township shows us that schools actually
began before the township was formally organized as a governmental unit. We are
indebted to the late Commissioner E. W. Baker 1853-1903, who compiled a history of the
School Districts of Cheboygan County, and to Mr. Ellis Olsen, a teacher and historian
of Cheboygan who graciously provided this information. October 12, 1886 the county board detached towns 38N R1E and 34N R1E from Ellis
Township and formed the township of Forest. The first election was held April 1887,
at the Mitchell school house and David Bowen was elected supervisor. The name was
given by Mrs. Gregg. The men wished to call it Zelda in honor of Mrs.Gregg, that
being her Christian name. But she declined the honor and asked to have the township
called �Forest�, because of the many miles of almost unbroken forest of pine and
hardwood. District No. 1 of Forest Township Union Schools was first known as the Gregg
school. Later it was sometimes referred to as the Post school and then in its final
location was called the Buzzell school. District No. 2 was the Mitchell school. This may have been referred to as the Welch
school or Sabin school during different periods of its history. District No. 3 was
the Draper school; District No. 4, the Tower school; District No. 5, the Hyde school;
District No. 6, the LaFond school which in later years was called the Wickersham
school. The business of the schools was handled by one school board and the expenditures were
not listed for each district separately. The first contract for teaching was for four months in the amount of $120.00 to
JohnpHeaphy in September 1884. During the next twelve years, there was a succession of
contracts ranging from three months to eight months, however, most the records show
four months. In 1885 the State Superintendent recommended the common schools be upgraded to Union
schools intended to offer a secondary education in preparation for entry into college. �.page three missing �end of the Cleveland Branch railroad and there were two children of school age. The
board decided to leave the school closed until further notice. Maple Grove must have
been a part of Forest Township at that time because minutes show that on June 11, 1910
it was disorganized for Forest Township. By 1908 the population had grown in the area with ten teachers being hired. Their pay
was $40.00 per month plus $4.00 per month for doing the janitor work. The principal
of the schools, W. L. Coffee received $90.00 per month. At that time the school board
instructed the teachers of the country schools if they failed to attend teachers
meetings every four weeks their pay orders would be held up and they would have to
take the matter up with the board. Teachers were notified to file their certificates
with the Country School Commissioner. The logging industry had already reached its peak and was declining in the area by the
years of 1915 and 1916. This was reflected in the closing of some of the country
schools. The LaFond, Draper, and Hyde schools were discontinued in 1916. It was left
to the discretion of the school board to determine what schools would operate in the
township. In 1918, the Draper school reopened. Once again, there must have been
enough children in that district to warrant having school again. During the
depression years in the early 1930�s people were leaving the cities and coming back to
the rural areas to live, so once again there was a need for the country schools. The rural schools in the township closed permanently in 1941. Children through the
sixth grades were transported to the Tower school. Those in the higher grades
attended the Onaway Public Schools. This marked the beginning of the consolidated
school education and the closing of the �One Room country School� era for Forest
Township. A new pattern of education began to develop at that time. Students who attended Forest Township schools for their elementary education usually
went on to complete their high school education in Onaway. Later, the township votedpto become part of the Onaway Public Schools and under their
jurisdiction. This
transition took place in 1962. I wish to thank the many people who shared their recollections to add to this bit of
history. It was been a pleasure to sift through the school records going back to the
1880�s. So many names long forgotten were brought back to mind with an overwhelming
feeling of gratitude, knowing what these earlier citizens did to give to the schools
of our community. TEACHERS OF FOREST TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS 1884 John Heaphy, Lizzie Heaphy 1885 John Heaphy, Lizzie Heaphy, Virginia King 1886 George Sinclair, Rosa Heaphy, Medora Hannes, Margaret Heaphy 1887 Amanda Kissinger, Virginia Kinert, Mrs. J. E. Hall 1888 George Sinclair, Grace Loucks 1889 Mary Murphy, Grace Loucks, Manly Conrad 1890 Mattie Shaw 1891 Delia Doolittle, Lucky Buck 1892 Bessie Sandison, Delia Doolittle 1893 Bessie Sandison, Rebecca Kidd, Anna Stanley 1894 Bessie Sandison, Phoebe Hammell, Ella Smith, Emma Flarity, C. Cornell, Anna Stanley 1895 Phoebe Hammell, Rebecca Kidd, Albert Cook, May Clark 1896 Phoebe Hammell, Rebecca Kidd, Bessie Sandison 1897 Bessie Sandison, Rebecca Kidd, Ola Crump, Albert Cook, Grace Allison 1898 Maisey Wheelock, Rebecca Kidd, Grace Allison, Bessie Sandison, Albert Cook 1899 Bessie Sandison, Maggie Jewell, Albert Cook, Grace Allison 1900 Bessie Sandison, Carrie Crump, Madge Sandison, George Botsford, Maude Hulbert 1901 W. R. Caldwell, Mrs. Caldwell, Lucy Glasier, C. W. Spawn, Jeannie Carley, Albert Cook 1902 W. R. Caldwell, Mrs. Caldwell, Lucy Glasier 1903 W. H. Trafford, Margaret Penoyer, Maude Clark 1904 Maude Clark, Margaret Penoyer, Lizzie Nash, Mattie McCully, Lucy Glasier, Ida Gillis, Edna Pette 1905 No records available 1906 No records available 1907 No records available 1908 Ruth Shell, Mrs. L. E. Crossman, Elsie Colson, Mary Kutsche, Eve Sauve, Belle Barron, Winnie Dolan, Nellie White, Marguerite Kinney 1909 W. L. Coffee, Elsie Colson, Millie Sabin, Mrs. Caldwell, Mary Kutsche, Maude Shaver, Marion Diekman, Mattie Case, Evelyn Brabant, Belle Barron, Frances Halleck, Eve Sauve , Myrtle North, Hazel Young 1910 Frances Halleck Elsie Colson, Maude Shaver, Belle Barron, Victoria Rowland, Marion Diekman, Myrtle North, Beatrice McCully, Harriet Egan, Mattie Case, Evelyn Brabant, W. L. Coffee, Miss Clark, Myrtle Gain 1911 Myrtle Gain, Olga Haglund, Mary McDonald, Bertha Kriedman, P. O. Decker, Francis Halleck, Maude Shaver, Victoria Rowland, Harriet Egan 1912 Harriett Egan, Bertha Kriedman, Jessie O'Brien, Bern Hamlin, Laura Graham, Edith Stoffer, Maude Coffee, Elizabeth McKenzie, O. E. Harrington 1913 Bertha Kriedman, Allan, Grigsby, Harriet Smith, Gwendolyn McInnis, Maude Coffee, Mary Searle 1914 Bessie Smith, Myrtle VanNess, Winifred Malavey, George Crooks, Amah Mosser, Margaret Bancroft, Maude Coffey, Harriett Solomon, Hattie Smith 1915 Mary Searle, Maude Coffey, George Crooks, Winifred Malavey, Arthur Gross, Naida McClanathan, Agnes Kilpatrick, Pauline Robertson 1916 Agnes Kilpatrick, Pauline Robertson, Maude Coffey, George Crooks 1917 Maude Coffey, George Crooks, Florence Greenless 1918 Marie LeGault, Maude Coffey, Veronica Tobin 1919 Hildred Gross, Angie Jarvis, Olive Ennes Veronica Tobin, Mildred Schlienz, Edna Erratt 1920 Hildred Gross, Veronica Tobin, Olive Ennes, Agnes Wait, Mrs. O. W. Pierson, Minerva Tubbs 1921 W. H. Morgan, Mrs. W. H. Morgan, Agnes Wait, Nona Minier, Mrs. O. W. Pierson, Minerva Tubbs 1922 Olive Ennes, Foster Burch, Mrs. O. W. Pierson, Edith Anderson 1923 Mrs. O. W. Pierson, Edith Anderson, Olive Ennes, Lillian Sikorski, Bernice Brownlee 1924 Mrs. O. W. Pierson, Floyd Merritt, Elizabeth Newland, Ethel Hillier, Adelaide Sikorski 1925 Bernice Brownlee, Floyd Merritt, Marion Duffey, Pearl Baker, Flosssie Gray 1926 Bernice Brownlee, Floyd Merritt, Flossie Gray, Pearl Baker, Carl McClutchey 1927 Bernice Brownlee, Floyd Merritt, Flossie Gray, Pearl Baker, Carl McClutchey 1928 Helen Ennes, Floyd Merritt, Carl McClutchey, Ruth McClutchey, Pearl Baker 1929 Clara Crannell, Ruth Wood, Azile Eichorn, Pearl Baker 1930 Clara Crannell, Ruth Wood, Azile Eichorn, Victor Lyon 1931 Clara Crannell, Ruth Wood, Azile Eichorn, Victor Lyon 1932 Clara Crannell, Victor Lyon, Azile Eichorn, Annabelle Myers 1933 Clara Crannell, Azile Eichorn, Victor Lyon Annabelle Myers Mary Ennes 1934 Clara Crannell, Azile Eichorn, Victor Lyon, Annabelle Myers, Mary Ennes 1935 Clara Crannell, Azile Eichorn, Victor Lyon, Annabelle Myers, Mary Ennes, Glenn Warren, Marion Wilton 1936 Clara Crannell, Mrs. LeBlanc, Marion Wilton, Annabelle Myers, Quincey Leslie 1937 Eileen Daly, Arthur Sturgis, Esther Dumsch, Fern Burgess, Manley Tate, George Gray 1938 Miss Peppler, Ray Wait, Fern Burgess Dorothy Hart Inez Robinson, Manley Tate, George Gray 1939 Lois Ennes, Ray Wait, Manley Tate, Melvin Pritchard, Inez Robinson, Harriett Wheelock 1940 Lois Ennes, Ray Wait, Manley Tate, Melvin Pritchard, Harriett Wheelock, Inez Robinson 1941 Ray Wait, Harriett Wheelock, Manley Tate, Lois Ennes 1942 Ray Wait, Harriett Wheelock, Manley Tate, Lois Ennes 1943 Barbara Russell, Lois Ennes, Mildred Schmidt, Harriett Wheelock, Beatrice Haines 1944 Inez Robinson, Barbara Russell, Bernice Lyon, Leslie Hart 1945 H. Chamberlain, Leslie Hart, June Willey, Irene Haines 1946 Irene Haines, June Willey, Edith Larson, Leslie Hart, Hazel Chamberlain 1947 Florence Wheeler, June Willey, Hazel Chamberlain, Irene Haines 1948 Florence Wheeler, June Willey, Hazel Chamberlain, Irene Haines, Mary Mero 1949 Eugene Snell, June Willey, Hazel Chamberlain, Irene Harris, Mary Mero, Dorothy Hart 1950 Eugene Snell, Hazel Chamberlain, June Willey, Irene Wing, Dorothy Hart 1951 Phyllis Stone, Dorothy Hart, Janet Badgero, Azile Graves, June Willey 1952 Dorothy Hart, Janet Badgero, Azile Graves, June Willey, Dorsella Morgan 1953 Janet Badgero, June Willey, Celia Latsch, Azile Graves, Dorothy Hart 1954 Celia Stutesman Janet Badgero, June Willey, Azile Graves, Ethel Szala 1955 Rita May Reno, Celia Stutesman, Audrey Drier, Azile Graves, Eldred Collick 1956 Dave Clark, Azile Graves, Barbara Erratt, Celia Stutesman, Lois Reynolds 1957 Celia Stutesman, Barbara Erratt, Azile Graves, Dave Clark 1958 Celia Stutesman, Caroline Pregitzer, Janet Badgero, Azile Graves, Dave Clark 1959 Celia Stutesman, Janet Badgero, Ruth Nelson, Carolyn Pregitzer 1960 Azile Graves, Celia Stutesman, Ruth Nelson, Mildred Everingham, Naomi Hart 1961 Celia Stutesman, Azile Graves, Naomi Hart, Mildred Everingham, Ruth Nelson Contributed by Jim Hall