Totem Pole Tales- History of Forest Township schools- The Hyde School Submitted by Nute Chapman From Onaway Outlook October 18, 2013

   CAPTION: PADDY HYDE SCHOOL students back from left, Chester McManemy, Victor Lyon, Roy Hyde, Hilda DuBois, 
Lucy Allan, Gladys Siddle, Laura Hyde, Mildred Allan, and George Siddle.  Middle from left, Margaret Allan, 
Ruby Ostrander, Mary Marshall, Shirley Lyon, Donna Siddle, Ferris Hyde, Nate DuBois, Pearl Standen and Violet 
Van Huysen.  Front from left, Bob Marshall, Sybil DuBois, Maggie Hyde, Billy Allan, Harry Ostrander and Arthur 
Sturgis.  Seated is teacher Mrs. Pierson.


 

   They Hyde School had its beginnings in 1901.  At that time, it was called Hyde’s Corners School because it was 
located on the northwest corner of the J. P. Hyde’s property at the corner of Erratt and South Black River Road.  
This would be two miles south of Highway 68 and 33.


   One acre of ground was purchased from Mr. Hyde for this school site, which with building and furnishings cost $750.


   James Kerry was president of the school board when this district was formed as a division of district number one, 
located two miles further south.


   Lucy Glasier was the first teacher.  Families were attracted to the area because of the logging operations with 
mills on the river to the east near Erratt Road.  At that time, that was the route traveled to reach Onaway from 
the South Forest area.  Most people bought and did their trading in Onaway.


   Attending Hyde School was not always easy for some of the students who lived across the river to the east.  
Donna (Siddle) Allan recalls when the water was high enough to be over the road near the bridge.  The ice piled 
high in the spring breakup and the dangers were there.  She lived on the County Line Road and tells of Mr. Wilson 
who came to the rescue of some with his boat and helped ferry the them across the swollen river.


   Donna recalls a dear and faithful teacher, Mrs. Pierson, who taught at the Hyde School for many years.  She drove 
a horse and buggy or cutter to school depending on the season of the year.  Some of the Hyde boys who attended the 
school would keep her horse in their barn and have it ready for her at the end of the school day.  She too had to 
cross the river to go home and at times ended up staying with the Erratts until the river ended its spring rampage.


   As Donna (Siddle) Allan reminisces more about the Hyde School, she tells of the children helping to put out a 
fire blazing in the roof of the Hyde house nearby.  The children kept pumping water while the older ones ran with 
the buckets dousing the flames and saving the home on a cold wintry day.


   The school was discontinued for a few years in 1916 but reopened again in 1919 with families moving into the area.  
After 1929 children who had attended the Buzzell School were transported to the Hyde School.  In 1941, the children 
were taken to Tower and Onaway Schools.  The schoolhouse was later used as a home by a grandson of the original J. P. 
Hyde and later burned.  The property now belongs to the Harry Hyde Jr. family. 


 

 
   
 -From The Onaway Outlook, October 18, 2013, p. 10.  
    

Retyped by J. Anderson.