2nd Ward School in Lapeer, Michigan

This is the 2nd Ward School of Lapeer Michigan

It was built 1898 on Calhoun Street. Dismantled in 1967 to maice room for a parking lot used by the Baird Newton Funeral Home.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Attica School in Michigan

1872

“Attica School”

This two story white wooden school was built some seven yrs after the Civil War in the town of Attica in Lapeer County.

This school was torn down and replaced by a building of hollow tile construction and faced with brick at a cost of $6500.00. In 1926 this building was destroyed by fire. School was then held in the back of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the town hall and the cream station.

This two story school was built for a total cost of $2000.00 including a well taat had good cool water that was pumped to the surface with a large handle pump.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Bassett School in Elba, Michigan

1861-1862

“The Bassett School” is on Orgon Rd and the front of the school faced west on Bassett Rd. It was built just before the Civil War and is still standing in 2007. It was remodeled into a fine home.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Bearinger School in Arcadia, Michigan

“Bearinger School”

This is a very old one-room school and it was located on Bearinger Rd just east of Five Lakes Rd between Haines and Daley Rd in Arcadia Township. Veva Butts was the teacher and she taught some 25 children of all ages.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Blood School in Metamora, Michigan

“Blood School” Metamora

This school was built in 1874 located on Brocker Rd between Blood and Gardner. In 1902 the school was valued at $800.00. Ida Lewis was teaching and her salary was $180.00 for the school year. Morals was one of the most important lessons taught by teachers back then. The town found it hard to get teachers for this school because it was so isolated and to protect the children was a big resposibility.

The school had no well at that time and they very often went without water.

Mary Moses taught there in 1943 and she rrquested janitary drinking water, improved toilets and redecorating of the school.

Five yrs later the school closed for good. At that time there were nineteen students. Bernadine Merritt taught the final yr.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Brownell School in Metamora, Michigan

1874

“Brownell School”

This school was built some time just after the Civil War. This building was on the west side of M-24 between Brocker and Brauer Roads. It was a typical school of the times. Brownell never had a well. There were eight grades in 1890 with the teachers getting about $30.00 a month. In 1926 Doris Ralph was the teacher and she had two pupils. Water was brought from a near by farm by two students would carry it in a pail. When the trip was completed there wasn’t much water left in the pail. This school was closed in 1948. Teachers were hard to find that wanted to work in one room schools where eight grades that might include fifteen diff. levels of ability were required.

The tiny wooden and brick school where grandma learned were doomed by modern education.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Clover School in Lapeer, Michigan

This is the old “Clover” School located just west of Lapeer Michigan on US-21 and Nepissing Rd. It is what I belive to be the oldest red brick school that has been in continuous use since it was built in 1882.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Cole School in Goodland Township, Michigan

“Cole School”

Cole School is located on Summers Rd on the Gooland Arcadia township line. It set northwest of Imlay City a stone’s throw east of Bass Lake. The Cole School was unique in the fact there is no school in a legal or goverment sence. So for the students there is such a school. Cole School was anneked to Emlay City but the caildren still attend Cole School, the school that doesn’t exist. However it was built in the late 1800’s.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Cyclone School in Marathon Township, Michigan

Cyclone School

There is a faded and forlorn white building in the farmlands of Marathon Township outside Otter Lake. Like some long-forgotten compass rose, it sits at the point of five corners where Fostoria, Otter Lake and Cyclone roads meet and cross each other.

Wild grasses and weeds grow thick around it like a long untended grave. Boarded windows and doors gape blindly from its sides beneath a sagging roof line where the rafters have rotted and given way to the ravages of wind and rain.

At various times in the past 100 years, it has been a church, a private home and a secret haunt for local teens. But first and foremost it was a one-room schoolhouse called Cyclone School. It was named after a cyclone blew down the old brick school that was there around the turn of the century.

— Typed account mounted on the back of the frame.

Day School in Dryden, Michigan

“Old Day School” Dryden

Unlike many of the little country schools dotting the country that have fallen victim to neglect, this old day school still has a life.

Its original home was on Dryden Rd east of Lake George Rd on the property owned by the Day family.

This school was built some time before the Civil War, perhaps 1864 or later.

This school became a wing of the Pilgram Holiness which merged with the Wesleyan Methodists church in 1968. The old Day school is still standing as part of the church.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Dryden School in Michigan

The Dryden School in Dryden Mich. was built in 1870 at a cost of $4,000.00. It was later replaced by a brick bldg. Later it became the south wing of the school used in recent yrs.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Elba Township School in Michigan

No note survives on the back of this frame.

Elba's “Red School” in Michigan

“The Red School”

This old school was used for manny yrs. Out of this school came Michigans 23 gov. — govener Louis [John T.] Rich. It was located on the corner of Elba Rd and Genesee St in western part of Lapeer County.

It was a very popular school for the little town of Elba on the Grand Trunk Rail Rd runing from Port Houron to Chicago.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Farmer's Creek School in Michigan

Lee painted the Farmers Creek school more than once — his note appears with the Farmers Creek School entry below.

Farmer's Creek School in Michigan

Lee painted the Farmers Creek school more than once — his note appears with the Farmers Creek School entry below.

Farmers Creek School in Hadley, Michigan

This one-room schoolhouse is located on Baldwin Rd is the “Farmers Creek School”, part of Hadley Township just south of Sutton Rd about 3 miles from the little town of “Metamora among the hills”

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Farnsworth School in Mayfield, Michigan

1889

“Farnsworth School”

This school was built some time in 1889 on Daley Rd just east of US-24. It was a well built school on some high ground in good farm land. It still stand today 118 yrs old however it is no longer used as a school. It now is known as the V.F.W. Hall and is in need of some repair.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Fish Lake School in Mayfield Township, Michigan

“Fish Lake School”

This school is still in use as part of Eastern Michigan University in Mayfield Township, Lapeer County.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Lee was right: the school still serves as a classroom at Eastern Michigan University’s Fish Lake Environmental Education Center (verified 2026).

German School in Oregon Township, Michigan

1870

“The German School”

This is a painting of the German school that was located on the northeast corner of West Lk and German Rd half mile south of Stanley Rd. It was a fine old one room school and the teacher taught “K” thru the 8th grades. She was an outstanding young lady by the name of Jean Taylor. The school was closed in 1968.

A very nice lady by the name of Betty [Carnicic] and her sister went thru this school and they still have thier report cards which they are very proud of.

This school had a hand pump however no one seems to remember a flag pole. The floors were made of hardwood and polished with linjerd oil to keep down the dust. It is interesting that these rural schools Aug. pay for teachers at this time in 1865 to 1870 was $28.19 a moonth for male teacher and a female teacher was paid 12.42 a month and there were far more female teachers than male.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Gray School in Oregon Township, Michigan

This is the “Gray School” built in 1863. It is located at Gray Rd and Reamer Rd in Oregon Township Lapeer Michigan — it is one of the oldest schools in Michigan.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Griswold School in Lapeer, Michigan

“Griswold School”

This old school was located on the corner of Pepper Mill and Five Lake Rds in Lapeer County Michigan. It had 8 grades in one room.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Hadley Union School in Michigan

1872

“Hadley Union School”

This two story school included elementary and high school grades. Some students boarded in town during the week to attend this school. Not until the 1930’s was water piped into the school for indoor toilets, that happyly did away with the old smeley outhouses

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Klam Stone School

This is my rendition of the old stone school, sometimes called the “Klam School”. Built in the late 1800 by a good stone mason using field stone which was plentiful in the fields of this area.

It is still located south of Stanley Rd on the west side of Klam Rd just north of 490 which is called Marathon Rd. It is now a private home that will be there long after we are gone.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

McIntyre School in Hadley, Michigan

This is the “Hadley McIntyre” one room school built sometime in the late 1800 or early 1900s.

The school was located on the northwest corner of Sullivan and Hadley Roads.

At one time there were as many as 35 students atending here with 2 to 3 teachers. Many of the children wore straw hats and walked some two miles to school. All the girls wore dresses

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Metamora Union School in Michigan

1875

“The Metamora Unon School”

Built in 1875 on School Street this was a fine old 2 story school. Its windmill provided water for the inside school fountain. The last class graduated in 1946 and the building was sold and nenovated as a one-story residence.

The bell from the school now hangs outside or the administration building as the Boy Scout Ranch called D-Bar-A Ranch.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Millville School in Michigan

“Millville School”

This is a picture of the school in the little vilage of Millville Michigan just north of Lapeer. This school is still standing after 100 yrs.

The artist spent some time there one winter when he was 10 yr old in 1928. The big iron bridge was still standing over the Flint River where we went ice skating in the winters over some thick ice.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Newark School in Lapeer, Michigan

“Newark School”

This my rendition of the old Newark School as it may have looked many yrs ago.

It was built on Newaric Rd just east of Clark Rd a few miles south of Lapeer Mich. Today it is a very nice home in the country. It may have been built around 1885.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Otter Lake High School in Michigan

This is the original “Otterlake High School”

Located on the corner 11th Street and Otter Lake Rd. It was built in the 1870’s. This school burned to the ground some time around 1915. A new school was erected and it also burned. Note the ornate piece on the belfry could be seen for many block away.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Piersonville School in Columbiaville, Michigan

This painting is of the old one-room schoolhouse at Piersonville located at Holenbeck and Klam Rd just two miles north of Columbiaville Michigan

The Piersonville school nestle under this old madle tree.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Rutherford School in Almont, Michigan

“Ruthaford School”

This is the last rural school in Michigan and it was located on Glover Rd just south of Dryden Rd, 3 miles north east of the town of Almont MI., in Almont Township.

This building was a late model constructed in or around 1900. It had no belfry however it may have had a hand pump on an outside well.

Over the yrs there were many country children who went there until the school was closed and set emty for many yrs.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Sag Back Davenport in Hadley, Michigan

The Sag Back Davenport

Roy Magel, a neighbor, took this picture of what he calls the Sag Back School. It is the old Davenport School on Davenport Road in Hadley Township. Closed since 1955, the sagging building is still able to prick memories and start people to saying “Remember when . . .”

“The school was built in 1849 at a total cost of $182,” Magel said. “It was the center of attraction in the old community with its many box socials, plays, programs, picnics and the heated school board meetings. Often it would serve as a meeting place for community business. On Sundays, often church was held there by a visiting minister.”

— Newspaper clipping mounted on the back of the frame.

A typed account kept among Lee’s schoolhouse files adds:

Davenport School was built about 1882. Before that school was held in a log cabin building at the Oliver Davenport home. Teacher was Sarah Davenport, probably sister of Robert Davenport.

The original entry of the school was not much bigger than the door entering the school today.

In about 1930 a new entry was built by men of the neighborhood, Rudolph Schiffman, Herman Jens, Arthur Hurd, and John Paslean.

Then next page is a copy of the students enrolled at Davenport School in 1846.

The students enrolled at Davenport School in 1846, from the handwritten roll:

Student	No. of days	Age	Person responsible for the payment of school bill
Jesse Davenport	82	15
George Davenport	95	13
William Davenport	96	9
Theodore Davenport	17	4	Oliver Davenport
Elizabeth Davenport	89	9
Hannah Davenport	92	5
Frederic Hoxey	87	11	Robert Davenport
Melvina Goodrich	82	8
John Goodrich	82	6
Flavin Goodrich	57	3	C P Goodrich
Charlotte Houghtaling	58	16
Nathan Houghtaling	75	10
Martha J. Houghtaling	51	6
Joseph H. Houghtaling	42	19	John Houghtaling
James G Eastman	35
John Eastman	72		J. H. Eastman
Alonzo Handy			Daniel Handy
Martha C Babcock	2	6
George M. Phillips	61		Thomas Babcock
Austin Bunnell	30	16
Miron Bunnell	12	14
Joel Bunnell	3	8	Hiram Bunnell
Freeman E Barnes	71	11
Philander H. Barnes	5		John Barnes
Miles Nelson	2	12
Harriet Nelson	28	15	Alden Nelson
William Beden	9		Smithsfield [?] Beden
Caleb A Lamb	16	17	Caleb A Lamb
Charles M Miller	11		Jacob Miller
John Taylor	17	13
Napoleon Taylor	15	9
Total	1296

The sources disagree on the building — Roy Magel’s clipping says built 1849 for $182; this account says about 1882, with school held earlier in a log cabin at the Oliver Davenport home. Both agree the district was teaching by 1846, per the roll.

The “Mystery School”

“The Mystery School”

I call this the Mystery School because there is very little known about its location or if it is still standing. I have been told that it was some where in the southeast of Lapeer County. It was built as an octagon building and had a very large chimney for the size of this building.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Lee painted a second unidentified school as well — his note for it is with the notes at the end of this page.

Thomas School in Metamora, Michigan

“Thomas School”

This old brick Thomas School was built on the Jesse Lee property section 33 and located near the railroad tracks on Davison Lake Road between Metamora and Thomas Roads. The school was also called “Lee School”

The property for this school was donated in 1875 and the school was built shortly afterwards.

The school was red brick and quite large for a one room schoolhouse. There was a very good well just outside. Outhouses and woodshed were in the back. The chimney and stove were on opposite end of the room, they were connected by a stove pipe running along the ceiling on the inside of the school which needed repair each yr. The building was torn down in 1934 leaving a good foundation for a old homestead house to be built there.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

Turrill School in Lapeer, Michigan

“Turrill School”

This old one room school was built on the corner of Turrill Rd and M-24 in Lapeer township about a mile south of town. It had no belfry or well. It was built some time in the late 1800’s. The teacher in 1911 was Lena Rust. She taught some 20 children at ths time. The windows all had wooden shutters that could be closed.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

“Indian School” at Pero Lake, Michigan

“Indian School” — Pero Lake

Many yrs ago there was a small groupe of Indians that settled for a time around 1860 in an area near the south end of Pero Lake in Oregon Township. The Indian bands moved from one area to another. Indications show Ottawa, Potawtomi, Huron and Caippewa most probbably inhabitied the area at one time or another. A 1931 atlas of Michigan shows that there are at least 15 mounds along with six burying ground and 15 villages in the Lapeer district. An Indian school was built along with a small store at the end of Indian Rd and Pero Lake Rd. And this is a painting made by the artist of what it might have look like back then.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

“Millis School” in Deerfield Township, Michigan

“Millis School”

This old red brick school was located on Millis Rd and Norway Lake Rd in Deerfield Township 3/4 of a mile east of 24.

In 1938 there were some 31 students in this one room school — from K-1 to 8th grades. It was a well built building and is still standing in 2007

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.

“Vermilya School” in Columbiaville, Michigan

“1890 approx.”

This is the “Vermilya School” located at the corner of Vermilya and Catlin Rds.

The design of this building is not like many other one-room schools in Lapeer County.

It has some trim along the eves that are quite unique and the bellfry is very tall also. The windows are very tall for this school. The chimney was on the north end of the building.

— Lee’s note, hand-lettered on the back of the frame.