Former Lincoln Township Schools
La Porte County Indiana - Detailed History

Schools in Lincoln Township
Prepared by Pat Van Dierendonck

EARLY 1880 SCHOOL - - In the early 1880’s a school house was built on what is now known as the Beringer Farm. The Stevenson, Quinn and other children attended this school. It was a one room school, about 20 x 14 in size. It had a chimney in the back, and a door in the front. There were two windows on each side of the building. The siding was plain boards nailed up and down with small strips nailed over the cracks. School was held here for a period of time, after which the children were transferred to other schools. The building is still located on the Beringer farm, where Clem Worthington now lives.

BARTHEL SCHOOL - In 1906, the school known as Woodburn School was moved to the property of Lewis Barthel, and the name changed to Barthel School. School was held here until about 1929, children were transferred to the Mill Creek School. The building still stands on the property of the late Lloyd Barthel, being moved closer to the dwelling in 1935 to be used as a garage.

COLLEGE CORNER SCHOOL
College Corner School was the first school built in what is now Lincoln Township. It was built in 1835. It was named after a man named Franklin College and was located at College Corner where the two roads meet.
The building faced the East, with a door in the front. The building had two windows on each side. The roof was made of tamarack poles for rafters and cross ties to fasten the stakes to. The stakes were made from cedar logs about 1-inch thick, 10 to 19 inches in width and 40 inches long. They were lapped about 2 inches to shed the water.   The building was made of logs 18 by 24 feet. The logs were held together with marl and clay secured from the nearby marsh. They burned the marl to use as a substitute for lime.

They used hickory sprouts for pegs to fasten the cross ties for the roof. The hinges for the door were made by using two wedged shaped pieces of wood with holes bored in them to match the casing holes, through which they ran a pole as an axis. No nails were used in the building. When the pegs dried out it would be necessary to drive them in farther.

The first year they had a dirt floor. The second year, they put in a floor made by splitting walnut logs and placing the split side up. They used logs about 10 inches in diameter and banked them up with dirt so they couldn’t move. The desks were made by splitting walnut logs about 4 feet long. Stakes were driven through the middle for legs. The seats were made the same way.

John Berry McDonald planned the school and his father-in-law, John Dudley built it.
Thomas Fisher built the fire place of field stones. It burned 4 foot logs. Mr. McDonald was the first teacher, graduating from the College of Science at Athens, Ohio. He took the first teacher examination in the county. The first year enrollment consisted of 14 white and 4 Indian children.
  School was held for 4 months during the winter. He received 50 cents per month for teaching from each of the 8 families whose children went to school. A total of $16.00 per term. Indian children did not pay. At noon recess the children had to cut wood for the fire place. Nineteen of the boys who had attended school here, served in the Civil War.
At noon recess the children had to cut wood for the fire place.

Nineteen of the boys who had attended school here, served in the Civil War. (Description of School by Mary (McDonald) Sharp, daughter of John McDonald and Sarah (Dudley) McDonald. Born in 1835 her father and mother settled in what is now Mill Creek.
We are indebted to her for the information we have with regard to the College Corner School. She was married in 1857 to Benjamin Sharp, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Haymond) Sharp. He served in the Civil War with Co. G. 87th Reg. of Indiana Volunteers and died in the war.)
Submitted by: Pat VanDierendonck who shared this wonderful article

CUBA SCHOOL - No information given on this school.

DARE SCHOOL - Dare School was located southwest of Fish Lake on the Yellow River Road, now State Road 104, about 3 ½ miles from Stillwell in District 4 of Lincoln Township. The first school was small and clapboarded, later moved across the road to become part of the residence of Mrs. Minerva Amor. The building was built about 1890. After this building was erected, the Wabash Railroad was built through this area (about 1892) missing the corner of the school building about 6 ft from the right-of-way. (Description of Stroud School and Dare School by Esther Taylor Kaufman).

by Carson Siddles, later known as the Allison Brownlee Farm. Lincoln Twp

LAKE VIEW SCHOOL - Lake View School was built about 1890, on land settled by Carson Siddles. This was later known as the Allison Brownlee Farm. The building was built in a north and south direction, with a door in the north. In the middle of the room there was a large round wood burning stove. On each side were several rows of seats. Across the south end of the building there was a platform with black boards on the wall. In front of the platform was the teacher’s desk and also recitation seats. On each side of the door was a cloak room. School was held here for about 20 years. In 1932 it was torn down with the wood part of the building being sold. It is now a part of the home of Walter Wilson.

MILL CREEK SCHOOL - The first school house, which was one room, was built on the south end of Mill Creek about 1885. The first teacher was Miss Maggie Quirk of Walkerton. James Collom, father of the late W. W. Collom, was trustee at the time. After the building was no longer used for a school, it was moved across the road and used as a Sunday School. W. W. Collom went to the school for 8 years, 20 years later, he became the teacher there and taught for five years, 1898-1903. (As told by Mrs. Myron Ramier and Mrs. Wilbur Schiele by the late W. W. Collom).
 ****The second Mill Creek school*** The School House in the north end of Mill Creek was built about 1912 and an addition about 1927. The school was destroyed by fire in 1938.

ROYSDON SCHOOL - Roysdon School was built after school was discontinued at the Old Fag Down School. Dow Harness purchased the building, and moved it onto the property now owned by Mrs. Anna Ames. This was part of the house that burned in March, 1959.

SCHOOL ON SNYDER FARM - - This school was built in about 1869 on land owned by Jacob Snyder. This 40 acres was later owned by Joe Custer. The road leading to the school was private and was claimed to be through what is now Walker Wolff’s yard. The building was about 32 by 40 feet and located in an east and west direction. The door was in the west end of the building with a belfry and bell on the roof above it. There was an outside chimney to the east, with a window on each side of it. The north and south side had two windows. Hewn logs were used for the foundation, and wide boards about 8 inches wide were used for siding. Each board had a groove along one side for the next board to fit into. A platform was built in the northeast corner of the room. Also in this corner was a hook on which the rope was fastened used to ring the bell. The walls were plastered. When school was discontinued, Jacob Snyder built in partitions. It was used for a dwelling, and later to store his grain.

STROUD SCHOOL - The Stroud School was built on the Fredrick Stroud farm on Yellow River Road, replacing Dare which was abandoned in 1916. Stroud School was very modern for its day. Constructed of brick, with basement and furnace.

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS - The first school bus drivers from the Fish Lake area were John Long and Joe Hough. Adam C. Wolff began driving when William Stevenson was Trustee. He also served under Trustees James Taylor, Archie Snyder, William T. Quinn and Donald Smith. The North Liberty Lumber & Coal Co. built the first school bus body for Adam when James Taylor was trustee. This was a horse powered vehicle. A motor powered vehicle later served. Picture is that of Adam Wolff with his first bus.

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