A History of Culver and The Culver Military Academy by Mark Roeder

Author:Mark Roeder [Roeder, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-05-31T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Schools and Churches

Early Schools around Lake Maxinkuckee

The history of schools around the lake dates back to the beginning of settlement in this area. The first schools were taught on an irregular basis. A teacher was employed by his neighbors to teach their children. Often there were not enough students to justify building a schoolhouse so school was held in whatever structure was available. In many communities the schoolhouse doubled as a church on Sundays. In 1836-7, Thomas McDonald taught the first school in this area in a log house near Maxinkuckee, on a farm then owned by Vincent Brownlee, a mile or so from the lake. In 1840, a permanent log schoolhouse was constructed about half a mile east of the original school. The first teachers were William E. Thompson, H.B. Dickson, and Hugh Brownlee.399

To build the 1840 schoolhouse, the members of the community brought in their pole axes to fell the trees, broad axes and adzes to hew and smooth the logs, augers to drill holes, and oxen to move the heavy logs. It was quite a task; a twenty foot hewn log could weigh as much as a few hundred pounds and the finished structure measured 20 x 30 feet. It had a puncheon floor, a clapboard roof, a stone chimney, and a door hewn out of poplar timber, fastened together with wooden pins and hung on leather hinges. The latch was made of wood, fastened on the inside of the door. A leather string was attached which passed through a small hole in the door. When the string was pulled the latch would rise and the door open. Pulling in the string effectively locked the door. In pioneer homes the string being out was a sign of welcome. "You will find the latch string out," meant the same thing as "our door is always open."400

The cracks between the logs were filled, or chinked, with oak slats and mud. A hole was cut at each side of the schoolhouse and at the end opposite the fireplace for windows. There was little or no glass in this area at that time and even if there had been it would have been far too expensive to consider. In the place of glass, old newspapers were greased to make them as transparent as possible. These were then placed in wooden frames and used as windows. They were not much good as far as seeing out was concerned, but they did let in some light.401

The desks, benches, and all other needed furniture was constructed out of hewn logs. Wooden pins were driven in holes augured in the walls to hang hats and clothing. A play area was cleared of brush and used by the students for jumping, foot races, wrestling matches, bull pen, and town ball (the main ancestor of baseball). Not far from the school a good supply of wood was laid in for the winter. A well was also excavated and curbed with red oak boards. The next step was to blaze trails from the homes of the students to the school.

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