History: 

The original abstract of property now owned by Arnold Hafer has a reference of River School having property for a school lot in 1835.  This is again referred to in 1865.  However, there is no direct evidence of a school being built in 1835.  When Pipestone Township was formed in 1843 four school districts were created.  Two of those remained when Sodus Township was formed in 1859 but no record of which two.

It's known that a one-room school existed in 1862, probably of brick and standing only about 10 to 15 feet back from the road.  Fred Gleason was the first teacher of record in 1892.  School records show Mr. Gleason enrolled 56 children in school in 1894, although the average attendance was 26 students.  His salary in 1903 was $320 for the year.  Some supplies purchased in 1903 included:  soap 15¢, gold dust 20¢, mop and pail 25¢, stove blacking 10¢.  Fall school cleaning that year cost $2 and school insurance was $2.50.

On May 2, 1906, a special meeting was held to vote on building an addition to the school. That motion and a motion to issue a $1,200 bond to be paid in three installments both passed.  There is no record of the addition being built at that time though.  The July 20, 1908 meeting showed a motion passed to reshingle, paint, and build a ten-foot wide porch the full width of the school.  Records show materials and labor were purchased for work.  A two-mill tax was voted in for general purpose.  The Director's salary was raised to $10, the Treasurer's to $5, and the Moderator's to $3.   Other expenses included 50¢ for four hours labor to repair the drain across the school lot and 80¢ for lawn mowing.  The teacher's records for that year (and the next also) showed two students could not understand English.

In 1909 the school purchased an organ for $36.  The big problem that year was whether to have a male or female teacher for the next school year.  Evidently they couldn't decide so two teachers were hired -- one of each.  They also voted to have school for eight months.  During these early years J.W. Ludy was hired to do janitor work and was paid $50 to $60 every two or three months.

1910 and 1911 brought big changes.  At the May 12, 1910, meeting they voted to build a new two-room school, 24 feet x 36 feet, and to sell bonds totaling $3,500 for ten years.  On June 10, 1910, they rescinded the original vote and instead voted to build an addition not to exceed $2,000 in cost.  They also bought additional land, two rods wide and the length of the lot, from J.P. Versaw for $25.  A four-foot high fence was then built around three sides of the property.  1911 records show a 20-foot x 24-foot room, built of brick, was added to the north side of the school.  The builder was Mr. Edgecumbe.  A new coal furnace was purchased for $185 and the chimney was built in 1912.  The first bond payment was made July 12, 1912, to F & M Bank for $368.  Tuition paid to Benton Harbor City Schools both years for high school tuition.  It cost $20 for two students each year.

Smallpox was still common in those years and records show school was closed for two weeks in 1913 because of it.  The basement, which did not have an inside entrance, was excavated and two outhouses were fixed in 1914 for a total cost for materials and labor of $82.92.  They also dug a new well for $150.

1917-18 brought a longer school year; it was now 8 1/2 months long.  A floor was put in the primary room.  One expense was long-distance telephone calls to Eau Claire; they totaled 10¢ -- for the year.  School hoard salaries rose; the Director now earned $20, Treasurer $15, and the Moderator $10.  Payment to the Michigan Teachers' Retirement Fund in that year was 1/2 of 1% of the teacher's salary.  It came to $1.84, which was subtracted from the teacher's salary of$368 for the year.  Postage costs in 1919-20 totaled 20¢.  That year has the first record of paying for light and power.  Payments to B.H. & St.J. Light Co. averaged $2 to $3 per month.  By 1922 tuition was up to $60 for each high school student.  Since students went to whichever high school they se payments were made to several schools. The school year was finally extended to 9 months in 1924.