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Ripley Township

Alumni - Schools & Such
Historic Schools Information Below
for
Ripley Township

School Photos, Records and such!

(If you have any photos or records to add, please send them to me as an attachment Karen Zach)
Note: It is obvious some of these came from a book, but I have no clue what / where - I'm sorry :(  Of course, it's not a complete listing of everyone who went to school in Montgomery County, but it's a wow index nonetheless and has lots of goodies for ya'!). Thanks to all who have contributed information, pictures, identification help and locations!!!!!


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For the Historic Township Schools, Please CLICK the links below!

Note: New Market School is located in Union Township, but draws its student base from Brown, Scott
and Union Townships.  In this project we will view it as a seperate school enity.
Brown Township - Waveland School
Clark Township - Ladoga School
Ripley Township - Alamo School
Walnut Township - New Ross School

Ripley Township


Ripley Township Trustees  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000

An Early HISTORY OF RIPLEY TOWNSHIP found in
Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000

HISTORICAL INFORMATION about County the wide school system

EARLY COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS  Thanks to the collected works of Dr. Charles L. Arvin on the Monrgomery County Schools

Township Information  Little tidbits of facts  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000

1908 Commencement Program of Ripley Township Schools   Schools included are: Alamo High School, School No. 4 (Texas), School No. 5 (Potato Hole), School No. 7,School No. 8 (Sugar Grove), School No. 9 (Yountsville).   Thanks to Kyle Bagnall of Alanson, Michigan for this contribution.

 Alamo High School     

School Photos:
  • First And Last   Members of the First and Last Classes together, photo and names, along with a short history of the First.  Shared by Edith Rush in “Crawfordsville Memory Lane” Facebook page in September 2021.
  • An Early HISTORY OF RIPLEY TOWNSHIP  found in Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
  • Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 14 Nov 1872 p3   
    A petition is in circulation praying the Township Trustee to purchase
    the Alamo Academy property and to convert it into a free graded school
  • Maps locating Alamo Academy (1878) and School (1917)   from the 1878 Montgomery County Atlas and the 1917 Montgomery County Atlas.
  • Alamo Academy -- Built 1869
  • Alamo - new school built 1898
  • Source: Crawfordsville Review 11 Feb 1899 p5
    Peter Fishero, the contractor on the new school house at Alamo, claims to have lost money on the contract and asks the commissioners to pay him $300 additional
    Wonder if he got it - lol - Karen
  • Alamo school - nice picture of the outside via Mike Long (in 1968) Shows the Gym. - thanks muches, Mike -same pic as above :) And - thanks Dale:)
  • Alamo School Gym  Not sure of the year, but the car parked next to the gym looks like an "AMC Gremlin" which were not built until last half of the 1960's. Source: Photo courtesy of Robert Elmore , "A Pictorial History of Crawfordsville and Montgomery County, Indiana", Published in 2002 by the Journal Review, 119 N Green Street, Crawfordsville, IN 47933, page 82.  Added a second photo of the gym as it connects to the school building, Thanks to Bill Boone.
  • Alamo School and Gym with students   circa 1960s', no names,  Thanks to Bill Boone.
  • Alamo School  Shows horse drawn hacks, ready to take students home! (old - thanks, Dale Smith : You rock, buddy!!)
  • Alamo School another winter time view of the school 1920 or before.  Thanks to the photo archives of the "Crawfordsville District Public Library"
  • Alamo School Plate (thanks, Mark Smith :)
  • Demolition of Alamo School in 1968

    Class Photos and Information:
    • 2023 Alumni Banquet Photos  71 photos total, includes 1 photo from 1993 and 2 photos from 2018.  Thanks to Kathy Hesler for scanning, submitting and adding names to the faces..
    • ALAMO ACADEMY  Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 30 Dec 1869 p5
      Alamo Jottings” – JM Simpson took charge of Alamo Aademy on last Monday. School opened with 75 scholars and I understand the prospects if fair for 100 this week. Under the managment of the Odd Fellows and Mr. Simpson, its Principal, it will doubtless succeed.
    • 1896 Class taught by Flint Lee  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000   Photo from the Indian State Library, Newspaper collection (?), Dated Sunday Morning, February 25, 1934.
    • Alamo 1897 Graduation Announcement in "The Weekly Argus News - June 5, 1897"
    • It will be some time in October before the Alamo schools open up to business but the teachers and scholars are all going to feel quite proud when they take their places in the fine new b uilding prepared for them and well they should be. They should think how much they are honored, especially the children should improve every hour in close study. Remember how some of our great men and women received their education. Their school houses were log cabins with a huge fire place in one end with greased paper for lights. The seats were high benches where the feet failed to touch the floor. Home spun clothes were their apparel and very coarse leather shoes and yarn socks and stockings.  Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 23 Sept 1898 p 4 (This is an exert from the article)
    • Photo of Teachers 1904-1905   Names Listed   Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Students with Hack in front of school early 1900's   ADDED Names for picture!  Thanks to Andy Rice for finding this information.
    • Alamo School (one in Ripley Township - Roscoe Matthias Elmore teacher - right of photo - possibly about 1905) - thanks Edith Rush - it has been thought this might be the Alamo church, also but I personally don't think so - not right lay of land.
    • Pre 1920 group of Students only with names   Photo submitted by Andy Rice   Contains photo of local historian Ruth Glee Clodfelter McCormick as a student.
    • 1920 Alamo Classroom of Roscoe Elmore We need help to name the students, thanks for the picture
    •  Class of Students around 1923 or 1924  Photo submitted by Andy Rice  The only one Andy knew was Daisy (Fruits) Davis who graduated in 1929.  Any help in identifying the other 15 people would be appreciated, THANKS!
    • Alamo HS list of students 1910-1932 (thanks, Dale)
    • Alamo Grade School Students 1923-1924  With Names Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000  This is a scan of a photocopied picture!
    • Alamo 1st and 2nd graders in 1930 (thanks so very much to Sally Simpson (who gave me this from her mother-in-law, Bettie's interesting goodies :)  We need help to name the students!!!
    • Alamo Teachers, 1928 (News Article)
    • 1929 First Grade, with names Found by Paula Leonard Hutson in a Montgomery Magazine, Thanks Paula
    • Alamo HS Hack - driver, Harold Melvin - (early 1930s -- thanks so much to Alan Melvin)
    • (Updated with a new Scan, Names June 16, 2020)  Alamo HS Students 1935 - thanks, Mark
    • Alamo Junior's 1941-1942  with names  
      Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Alamo Eighth Grade Class 1945-1946  (sorry no names)  Picture provided by Jim Perry thru Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Alamo HS 1935-1967 Senior pictures (thanks, Dale)
    • Alamo Alumni - early 1960s  Members of Sports Teams!  (anyone know who???)
    • Alamo SCHOOL Teachers  1901 thru 1934 and 1935 thru 1967 (active earlier-SEE HISTORY ABOVE) Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
      No teacher assignments after ther 1966-1967 school year!
    • Alamo 5th and 6th Grade Classes of 1949/1950  Names are included  Thanks to Kathy Hesler for scanning and submitting.
    • Class of 1910  Honored in 1967  They were the first graduates from the newly certified Alamo High School in 1910.  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • 1967 Graduates of Alamo High School   Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Alamo Graduating Classes of 1883 thru 1909 and Graduating Classes of the Certified High School 1909 thru 1967.   Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Gathering of WARRIORS   Found by Paula Hutson, setting looks like old Crawfordsville Gym.  Year?  Some names listed, NEED HELP with the rest of the names!


    Sports Photos:


    Alamo High School Yearbooks

    See Alamo listed in the Montgomery County "TOWNS".  Click the link and scroll down the page!

      Bunker Hill - Ripley Twp. - School District 1

    • Map locating Bunker Hill School  Section 19-Yellow outines the section, orange circle shows school, from the 1878 Montgomery County Atlas
    • Exerts from Ruth McCormick's book on the history of Ripley Township Schools.  Starting 13 October 1855 thru June 1875.   Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000   Their were two seperate schools with the name Bunker Hill.  The early one, then a few years later, it was replaced by another which operated into the early 1900's.
    • Also called Weir on land in Sec 30, Ripley Township - known as School House #1. There also seems to be a Bunker Hill in Section 19, Ripley Township, a school on land given by the Keys family.
    • Source:-- Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, October 8, 1881 -- The school at Bunker Hill, two miles east of here, has been dismissed on account of scarlet fever. Two deaths have occurred from it in the family of James Keys.
    • Source: 7 January 1869 Crawfordsville Weekly Journal - . —Daniel Horton Gilkey is teaching a good school at Bunker Hill. —Joseph A. Gilkey has revived No 7, till it is one of the best schools in the township. If you want a live school, employ a live teacher such as "Ad." —Evan Fink has a large school near Yountsville. A young Mr. Munn assists him.
    • The school began last Monday at Bunker Hill with Wilford Ammerman as teacher   Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 23 Sept 1898 p 4 (This is anexert from the article)
    • SCHOOL Teachers  1901-1907 (active earlier-SEE HISTORY ABOVE) Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
      No teacher assignments after ther 1906-1907 school year!

    See Bunker Hill listed in the Montgomery County "TOWNS".  Click the link and scroll down the page!


      Denman School -- see Texas (link takes you to "T's")


      Fruits School
    I believe it was located on property owned by W. Fruits (marked in orange) around 1991.  This was at the northwest corner of section 18 in Ripley Township.  Looking at the map, you will see the Fruits Post Office on the southwest corner of of Indiana 32 and Indiana 25, in section 11 on property owned by Andy Herron.  There looks like another school just west of it a few hundred yards (marked in yellow).

    See Fruits and/or Fruits Corner on our "Towns" page, click here and scroll down!


      Hibernia School - District School 6

    • A short history of Hibernia School  - I am assuming this is from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools.  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Hibernia School Photo   Students and Teacher-Clarence Fink in 1895.  This is a scan of a photocopied picture!  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Picture Post Card of Teacher and Students.  The Post Card was sent by "Harry" Russell Fruits (one of the students), to his Aunt Myrtle Keller.  Thanks to Andy Rice for this wonderful contribution!
    • In 1906 Hibernia School was closed for one year and the students were hauled to Alamo.  After one year it was reopened and was used as a school until 1911.  (Exert from above History)
    • SCHOOL Teachers  1901-1911 (active earlier-SEE HISTORY ABOVE) Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000   No teacher assignments after ther 1910-1911 school year!
    • Map locating Hibernia School Section 17-Yellow outines the section, orange circle shows school, from the 1898 Montgomery County Atlas


       HOPPING SCHOOL

    Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 4 Jan 1901 p 4
    “Yountsville news” – Several from here attended the oyster supper at the Hopping School House Friday evening.  


      Hornbaker School (a short history) or Mt. Plesant School
    from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools.  Some of this information was given to Ruth McCormick by Sarah Hornbaker, who was a student of Charles Smith.  Other people who provided information were Phylis Dunlap and Gordon Crowder.  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000

    Map locating Hornbaker School  Section 4-Yellow outines the section, orange circle shows school, from the 1898 Montgomery County Atlas



      MAGNOLIA -- see Sparks

    • A short history of Magnola School.  I am assuming this is from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools.  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000

       Mt. Plesant School or Hornbaker School (a short history)
    from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools. Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000


      POTATO HOLE (in Alamo) - School Academy 5 on map

    • On property given by the Truax family, this was in Section #24 (23) and was also School #5. It existed in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
    • Map locating Potato Hole School Section 23-Orange outines the section, Yellow circle shows school, from the 1878 Montgomery County Atlas


      Ridge Farm School - School District 5

    • SCHOOL Teachers  1901-1917 (active earlier) Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000     No teacher assignments after ther 1916-1917 school year!


      School #4 -- Ripley Twp -- see Texas

      SCHOOL #5 - Ripley Twp -- see Potato Hole Link takes you to the "P's"

      School #6 - Ripley Twp -- See Sparks

      School #7 -- Ripley Twp

    • This school was in Section #15 and existed in the late 1800s up to early 1900s - the land for this school was given by the Elmore family. Thanks to Suz
    • - Source: Crawfordsville weekly Journal 7 Jan 1869 -- . —Daniel Horton Gilkey is teaching a good school at Bunker Hill. —Joseph A. Gilkey has revived No 7, till it is one of the best schools in the township. If you want a live school, employ a live teacher such as "Ad." —Evan Fink has a large school near Yountsville. A young Mr. Munn assists him.
    • At #7, Arthur Weller commenced putting new ideas into the head of the next generation.   Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 23 Sept 1898 p 4 (This is an exert from the article)

      School #8 -- Ripley Twp -- see Sugar Grove

      SLAB SCHOOL - Hornbaker School - School 2

    Also known as School #2 in Ripley Township - on land in Section 4 given by the Hornbaker family - thanks to Suz


      SPARKS School - Maganolia

    • Map locating Sparks School   Section 36-Yellow outines the section, orange circle shows school, from the 1878 Montgomery County Atlas
    • This school was located in the tiny burg of Maganolia which it was sometimes referred to and was also known as School #6. It was located on land given by the Pickett family.
    • Sparks School-A short history  I am assuming this is from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools.  Oral history information was obtained from Lex Stonebreaker, many years ago.   Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000


      Steam Corner School - aka - Sugar Grove - District School 8

    See Sugar Grove School for a Histoory

     SUGAR GROVE - District School 8, also Steam Corner School  
      

    • Located in Section #18, this school existed at least in about 1895-1920 or so, built on land given by George Fruits - thanks to the Crawfordsville District Library's awesome image database for this picture -- unknown date but about 1910
    • Map locating Sugar Grove School Section 18 - orange circle shows school, from the 1878 Montgomery County Atlas
    • A short history of Sugar Grove School  I am assuming this is from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools.  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • SCHOOL Teachers  1901-1918 (active earlier-SEE HISTORY ABOVE) Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
      No teacher assignments after ther 1917-1918 school year!


      Texas School - School District 4

    • Map locating Texas School   Section 35 highlighted in Yellow,  School circled in orange!  From the 1898 Montgomery County Atlas.
    • Also referred to as School #4 and Denman School, this was located in Section #34 (35) in Ripley Township in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Thanks to Suz
    • Texas School photo    Taken in 1963 by Rev. George Beaty  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • A short history of Texas School.  I am assuming this is from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools.  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Jesse White is at his old place in the Texas building.  Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 23 Sept 1898 p 4 (This is an exert from the article)
    • SCHOOL Teachers  1901-1913 (active earlier-SEE HISTORY ABOVE) Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
      No teacher assignments after ther 1912-1913 school year!


      Weir -- see Bunker Hill Links to the B Schools


      Yountsville - School District # 9

    • A short history of Yountsville School  I am assuming this is from Ruth McCormick's history of Ripley Township Schools.  Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
    • Map locating Yountsville School School  Section 4, Yountsville School highlighted in Yellow,  Hornbaker School circled in orange!  From the 1898 Montgomery County Atlas.
    • Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 10 March 1899 p 5 “Yountsville news” – Next Friday will be our last day of school at this place. Our teachers, Newt Gilkey and Miss Kittie Goble, have taught two profitable terms of school here and the teachers, as well as scholars, regret that the last day, “the saddest of the year,” has come. They have given perfect satisfaction, and the parents of each child are well pleased with the efforts they have put forth. May success follow them as they go in other places as it has here.
    • Yountsville School Students around 1905  (Photo with names)   Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000  This is a scan of a photocopied picture!
    • Students of 1919 - 1920  Including Grades 1 thru 8 and teachers, all named
    • Yountsville Students 1934-1935   (Photo with names)   Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000  This is a scan of a photocopied picture!
    • Yountsville School from Bill Boone, thanks,  an earlier 1 or 2 room building by the looks maybe around 1900s or before'?
    • Yountsville School (outside about 1935 - thanks to Edith Rush)
    • Another photo of Yountsville School after the school fell into disuse.  Thanks to Bill Boone
    • Yountsville - basketball team 1937 -- thanks to Ron Keedy for this one :) Great Ron - love it!  Added another view, with names, from the Montgomery Magazine found by Paula Leonard Hutson, showing her dad as a young boy!  Thanks, Paula
    • SCHOOL Teachers  1901-1938 (active earlier-SEE HISTORY ABOVE) Source: "RIPLEY TOWNSHIP", prepared by Charles L. Arvin, April 2000
      No teacher assignments after ther 1937-1938 school year!

    See Yountsville listed in the Montgomery County "TOWNS".  Click the link and scroll down the page!


    Note: Sports Fans -- you might also enjoy Bill Boone's site for Girls' Basketball

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