Schools Archives - Lost In Michigan

East China School

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

East China is situated along the St Clair River and is in the eastern part of China Township. I guess that is where the name of the town came from. While passing through town I saw this cute little brick schoolhouse with a historical marker mounted to the brick wall. It reads:

East China Township was set off from China Township in 1859. In 1868 Harriet J. Comstock, an heir of pioneer Andrew J. Westbrook, sold a parcel of land to School District No. 2. A frame school, built in the site prior to 1853, was replaced by this brick school around 1873. It was one of three mid-nineteenth-century schools in the township, and is the only one remaining. Classes were held here until 1954. The township restored the building in 1988-1991 for use as a museum

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Paradise School

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools, upper peninsula .

I came across this old building which I thought was a farmhouse in the Keweenaw Peninsula not far from Chassell. I just assumed it was an old farmhouse but then I came across something that referred to an old school called Paradise School. When I think of Paradise I think of the small town near the T-Falls. I then realized this old building was on Paradise Road so I figured that made sense.

I always thought the shape of it seemed a little odd for a schoolhouse, since most one-room schools are simple buildings with a simple roofline. It’s hidden behind the trees but it is a “T” shaped building and roofline. I came across this photo this old photo on the internet that said it was the Paradise School near Chassell so I guess that it is the old Paradise School.

P.S. I wonder what became of the children in the photo. I look at old photos and I always wonder about the people in them.

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Thorington School

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

This old schoolhouse stands quietly along the road near Romeo. From what I could figure out it is the Thorington School. It looks as if it has been sitting vacant for a while.

This is a bittersweet day for me. My daughter is graduating from high school, but there will be no ceremony as planned. My heart goes out to all the students who have worked for 12 years to graduate from school. Graduation is not the end but the beginning. It may not be the start they wanted, but it is up to them to move forward especially in these difficult times. I am depending on this generation to take care of me when I am old. Congratulations to the class of 2020

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The Old Scottville School

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Schools .

This old school stands silently in the town of Scottville a few miles east of Ludington. The main building was built in 1888 and additions were added later in the early 1900s. It was used as the high school and middle school until 1976, when the Mason County Central Middle School was built. In the 1990s it was used for retails stores for a short period. It now sits empty but recently sold to a new owner who is trying to renovate the old building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985

I live in Saginaw and I have seen photos of several old schools, similar to this one in Scottsville, that no longer exist. They have been replaced years ago with newer advanced buildings to mee the needs of students and more energy efficient. It is a good thing that new schools are constructed to provide students with the best education but most of the old large school buildings are gone or neglected and waiting for demolition. I hope the owner is able to restore this old school building for some purpose like retail stores. It would be interesting to visit to get a feel for what the old schools were like.

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School of Hard Knocks

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

I saw this old building somewhere near Evart. I can only assume it was a school at one time. I imagine the students have learned a lot about life in the hard time they witnessed. Students are not in school right now, including my daughter who is a senior in high school, but it does not mean they are not learning anything. Some of the most important lessons we learn in life are the experiences we go through. Unfortunately, some of life’s lessons are really difficult and I would much rather learn from a book then have to live through them if given a choice.

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The Silent School In Boyne City

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

I love hanging out in downtown Boyne City. It has some wonderful bars and restaurants and nice gift shops to explore. A few blocks north of Downtown I saw this old building which I am safe to assume was a school. It is strange how there are no windows in the front other than the one in the center. I figure that must be where the chalkboards were hung. It reminds me of the Lincoln School in McMillan HERE. I am not sure what is happening with the old building now but it looks as if it has been a long time since school kids learned to read and write within its walls.

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The Curious Case of the Octagon Building

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Schools .

A few yeards off the road is an old octagon shaped block building slowly being consumed by the forest in Sauble Township, in Lake County. I saw one website that had it listed as a schoolhouse, but I am not sure it was at one time. I looked at an old plat map and it did not show a school at its location. A piece of plywood covers the brickwork above the door where a school name usually would be. From the research that I did, I found out that it was not uncommon to build an octagon school. They were especially popular in the late 1800s in the New England area, and many are found in Pennsylvania. I am not exactly sure what this old building was originally used for, but it is interesting to see seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Because Amazon has pushed back shipping of books I have started selling books from my website. I have them in stock and you should have them in a few days if you live in Michigan. You can order them HERE

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The Old Brick Schoolhouse

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Schools .

I saw this old brick building on the backroads somewhere near Remus. It looks like it was an old schoolhouse at one time but I am not sure.

Without any history, I don’t have much of a story to tell so I am just gonna say thank you for taking the time to read my daily posts. I am looking forward to the warmer weather and the time change is nice. I think we should just leave it this way.

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Brick Schoolhouse

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Schools .

I saw this old brick school somewhere southwest of Alpena. It looks as if school has been out forever for a while since the trees are slowly growing around it. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any history about it I can only hope that the students that learned within its walls went on to do great things.

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Big Red School

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

I have driven past this old building on M-25 east of Bay City several times. It looks like an old school but I have never been able to find any information about it. It looks to be a lot larger than just one room but it looks as if it has closed many years ago. I think it is used as a farmers market now. Anyways, I thought it was an interesting old brick building and looked beautiful in the white snow and blue skies.

If you live near Bay City, Lost In Michigan books are available at Coyer Candle Co. in downtown and Midland. You can visit their website for more HERE.

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