Dearborn's First Schoolhouse
On April 6, 1829, the township, then known as Bucklin, held a special meeting to divide the the township into school districts. For each fifty families, a school would be maintained for six months out of the year. The teacher could be paid by tax or tuition. There was also to be an election for School Inspectors and a school tax was levied.
The Little Red Schoolhouse (or Wallaceville), was established in School District Number 3, and is the first known schoolhouse in Dearborn .
When John B. Wallace and his family came to Michigan from New York, by ox-cart, they settled on Section 5 of Dearborn Township. He built his residence on Ann Arbor Trial and what is now Beech Road.
A small village sprang up around his residence, consisting of his farm, a Post Office, a Grocery Store, a Tenant house, and the Little Red Schoolhouse. It became known as "Wallaceville", and the bridge which once crossed the Rouge River at Gulley Road, was called the "Wallaceville Bridge."
A Log school, organized by Trustees on March 20, 1824, was built in Township 2, Section 5, on land near Joseph Hickcox's farm. This Schoolhouse was used by Townships 1 and 2, not only as a place of learning, but also a meeting hall for the entire township, and later a portion of the land was used for burial.
Joseph Hickcox was a preacher, (circuit rider) and was sent to Detroit in 1816. During his stay in Detroit, he purchased the land in Dearborn, which was subsequently owned by John B. Wallace. In the early 1820's, Hickcox moved hs family here, where they resided until 1836. He preached in the Little Red Schoolhouse once every three weeks. He was also elected the first Township Clerk in 1827, and served in that office in 1827, 1830, 1831, and 1832.
The total number of students varried from 10 to 20 and their ages were from 5 to 18 years. Subjects were taught in Language, Writing, Reading, Grammer, Arthmetic, Geography, History, and Civil Government.
The first structure was built of logs, but about 1867, it was bricked over. The brickers were hand-made, which was deciphered by the size, shape and contains.
In the early years, the School Board Trustee's had to do all the repair, during the summer vacation period. Ray Losey a School Director in the early 1900's, cemented the window sills, which were originally made of wood.
Teachers in the Little Red Schoolhouse since 1900 were: Alonzo Coon, Georgianna Volgenbacker, William Sackett, Florence Campbell, Claude H. Sims, Ina M. Post, Corah A. Berdan, Mary E. Jorgenson, Helen L. Ferrand, Claribell Lundy, Florence Whitney, Marjorie Wright, Floyd J. Bingel, Florence Warner, Eva Johnson, Mary J. Lathers, Laura E. Johnson, Joyce Maples, Marie Webster, Bessie Manners, Ada Cline, Lois Freshwater, Mrs. Herkimer, Faith Whiteman, Gertrude Spletzer, Jeanne Jones, Lucille DeGroot, and Eleanor French.
In 1935, since there was no well on the grounds, the teacher was commissioned to bring water to school each day in ten-gallon milk cans. This was Lois Freshwater.
During the first 37 years of the 1900's there were no electical lights in the building. The furnance sat squarely in front of the only exit, the front door. The windows were protected with iron screens nailed to the window frames. Luckly the building never caught fire, as these screens were securely nailed in place.
Other Early Schools
School District Number 1
The first known school in this district was the "Scotch Settlement" School, and was located on the north side of Warren Avenue at Asbury Park.
Henry Ford attended this school in his youth around 1877, and when he established Greenfield Village, he had this red brick building moved there.
This school district was annexed to the City of Detroit on May 28, 1925.
School District Number 2
On November 10, 1821, a land patent from the United States Government was giving to Margaret Tompkins (widow of John Tompkins) It was the north Section 9, Township 2, East Bucklin Township. Lot Number 21, was designated as the school lot.
On July 23, 1841 a deed from Valentine Coon to Joseph Coon was reserved to back the water for his mill on this same lot. In honor of the many contributions of the Coon family, the area became known as "Coonsville." The original schoolhouse was built on what is now Outer Drive, facing Ann Arbor Trail.
Contributed by Linda Ball