Common Schools
The early organized Common (township) Schools were designed so that a school would be located every 2 miles; and by 1874, Noble County had many one-room schools, with some having more than 60 students, aged 5 through 20.  Children could attend as long as they wished.  For some, going to school was for socializing, with book-larnin', a side benefit.  Starting in 1885, completion of Common School was recognized with elaborate ceremonies.  Graduation was a celebrated event, with diplomas being issued and ceremonies held for the participants.  Students as young as 11 and as old as 20 were often listed as graduates from these schools.  Anyone could try to pass the test, and some would try as many as three times before making a grade high enough to graduate.   If they failed to pass the test, which required an overall grade average of 75% with no subject below 60%, they just stopped going to school and went on with life.  Eventually rules were established to keep a student in school until age 16.  All students in each of the one-room schools were taught by one individual, and sometimes a student would graduate and return to teach the following year.  Later added High Schools were originally attended by very few Common School graduates.   Common School records were transcribed from a record book kept by the county, souvenir booklets, and news items from the Albion New Era and the Kendallville News Sun.

Some of the early common schools were named as follows:
   Allen Township:  Allen Chapel, Maple Grove, Collier, Gawthrop, Pieper, Lisbon, Mt. Pleasant, Germany, Turkey Pen, Singrey, Lisbon., Randall, Spencer.
   Elkhart Township:  Eddy, Pancake, Poplar Grove, Kansas, Rice, Cosperville, Union, Golden, Centennial
   Green Township:  Mulberry, Stanley, Summit, Huckleberry, Green Center, Sugar Grove, Charter Oak, Cherry, Green
   Jefferson Township:  Harvey, Kline, Sweet, Woodruff, Zion, Foster, Jefferson Center, Hill, Prouty, Rehoboth or Walnut, Anspaugh, Hazel College.
   Noble Township:  Burr Oak 1870 & 1882, Pleasant Lake, Adventist, Jones Hollow, Poplar, Stults, Chapel, Little Lake, Bug Island, Wild Cat, Wolf Lake.
   Orange Township:  Oak Grove or Grannis, Sonday, Center Chapel, Shroyer, Weaver, Cazier or Faux, Rome City
   Perry Township: Union or Bowser, Burr Oak, Good Hope, Fairview or Stage, Independence, Spring Hill, Buzzard's Glory, Harper's Ferry or  Hen Peck, Shobe's or Hopewell, Cosperville, Union, Golden, Centennial, Brush College, Moses.
   Sparta Township:  Stone's Hill, Greencastle, Slusser, Kreager, Pleasant Valley, Sparta, Indian Village, Broadway, Spangle
   Swan Township:  Preston, Hooper, Hopewell, Swan Center, Miller, Kugler, Salem, Haag, Fulk, Rosenberg, Swan, LaOtto
   Washington Township:  Galloway, Ground Hog, Stringtown, Salem, Washington Center, Old Center, Brushwood, Oak Hill or Knapp
   Wayne Township:  Centennial, Grannis, Warble or Oak Grove, Kimmell, Stony Ridge or Muskrat, Longyear, Wayne Center, Poppy, Sawyer, Forker, Roberts, Oviatt.
   York Township:  Oak Grove, Pleasant Hill, Pucker Street, Mullin, York Center, Lake Lucid or Blackman, Crow Hill, New and Old Port
      Mitchell.

   Parochial schools: St. Mary's Catholic School, Avilla; Immanuel Lutheran, Avilla; 7th Day Adventist, Wolf Lake; Ege, Swan Twp

Common School Graduates    1885-1907      1908-1929       1930-1942
     
High School Graduates
   
   County High School Graduates -  Some graduates from the county high schools 1918-1929 - Albion, Avilla, Cromwell, LaOtto, Rome City, Wawaka and Wolf Lake.  (These high schools, plus Ligonier and Kendallville, have now all been consolidated into three corporations: East, Central and West Noble High Schools.)

   Albion High School - 1884 to 1968

   Avilla High School - 1888 to 1966   

   Cromwell High School - 1897 to 1964

   Kendallville High School - 1879 to 1916

   Ligonier High School - 1879 to 1955

   LaOtto High School - 1902 to 1937

   Wolf Lake High School - 1899 to 1969

Student Rosters and Photographs

   1897 County School Enumeration -   A-K     L-Z

   1899 County  School Enumeration - Includes names of parent or guardian and children age 6-20.

   LaOtto School - 1928 students 

   Wayne Center Students 1927-1928 

   Albion School - 1915 Photograph of Students

   Green Center School - 1910 Photograph of Students

   Hopewell School - 1892 Photograph of Students

   Jefferson Center School - 1936 Photograph of Students

   KHS - 1912 Photograph of Students

   LaOtto School - 1896 Photograph of Students             

   Lisbon School - 1910 Photograph of School

   Port Mitchell - 1917 Photograph of Students

  Rehoboth School - 1904 Photograph of Students

  Stanley School - 1893 Photograph of Students   

   Sugar Grove School - 1911 Photograph of Students
  
   Wawaka High School - Class of 1896 Photograph
  

   Wolf Lake High School - Class of 1913 Photograph