School Days

Right now I’m sure most local school-aged children are wondering where this summer has gone, lamenting because most of the schools in our area opened this past week. I remember those days.

I have been sorting through several groups of photos that I obtained this summer. There were several school pictures among my dad’s photos and he had even identified and labeled some of them.

So, to commemorate back-to-school, here are a couple local school photos.

I have been told that the old building to the right is the former Chattanooga School. Chatt School, aka School No. 3, was located in Section 8, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, on what is now the southeast corner of Schaadt Road and State Route 49. The school was listed on the 1876, 1888, and 1900 Mercer County plat maps.

During the local oil boom a second school house was erected to house the additional pupils. There were four grades in each building. The north building was a little smaller and there was a pump between the two buildings. Chatt School closed over 70 years ago, in 1939. After the school closed the students were bussed to Willshire.  [1]

Below is a photo of the students and teacher at Chatt School during the 1935-36 school year. Clark Sipe, the teacher, is standing in back. Clark Sipe and his family lived a couple miles from where I grew up and I remember him. He was the sixth grade teacher at Willshire School when I started school there but I never had him for a teacher.

Chatt School, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio,1935-36. Clark Sipe, teacher.

Row 1: Glenna Smith, Alfred Schott, Anna Lee Schott, Dale Schott, Kenny Branstetter, Norma Mae Schaadt, Donald Deitsch, Bob Carr, Anna Lee Schaadt, Bob Hunziker, Jug Andrews, Norval Weitz.
Row 2: Margaret Schaadt, Dale Baumgartner, Genevieve Wendel, Floyd Andrews, Geevieve Johnson, Barney Sapp, Catherine Leininger, Gene Duff, Genevieve Baker, Betty Hunziker, Paul Schott, Dorothy Leininger.
Row 3: Lois Schaadt, JoAnn Smith, Rex Vining, Rosemary Schaadt, Harold Sapp, Bob Wendel, Bob Deitsch, Vera Mae Andrews, Robert Heffner, Helen Jean Hileman, Bob Andress.

The photo below was taken about 1927 at Mosier School, Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Ohio. According to Ohio HomeTown Locator, Mosier School was located on the corner of State Route 49 and County Highway 50, aka Willshire-Ohio City Road. The school was northeast of Willshire.

Mosier School, Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, c1927.

(1) ? (2) Mamie (Cully) Tumbleson (3) Calvin August (4) Mildred (Bowen) Johnson (5) Mr. Troutner, teacher (6) Mildred (Cully) Friend [cousin to Alvera] (7) Bob Swoveland (8 & 9) ? (10) Bob Cully [brother to #6, Mildred] (11) Alvin August (12) Mercedes Swoveland [sister to #7, Bob] (13) Wilma (Swoveland) Hileman [w/o Isaac Hileman] (14) ? (15) Mary Lou Suman (16) Maxine Stetler (17) Virginia (August) Johnson (18) Ruth (Cully) Baker (19) Marjorie (Cully) Baker (20) Maxine (Pond) Briner (21) ? (22) Barbara (Cully) Freestone (23) ? (24) Tim Dull (25) Robert August (26) Jack August (27) Tim DeBolt (28) Uler Dull [brother to #24, Tim] (29) Eugene “Biscuit” Stetler (30) Oakaleea Stetler.

It is interesting to note that Jack August later resided in the Chatt area.

[1] Joyce L. Alig, editor, Mercer County, Ohio History 1978 (Dallas, Texas: The Taylor Publishing Company, 1980), 696-7.

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