Ionia County MI Archives News.....SEBEWA CENTER SCHOOL RECORD - 1847-1855 October 1981 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: LaVonne Bennett lib@dogsbark.com October 15, 2007, 5:27 pm THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR, Volume 17, October 1981, Number 2. Submitted With Written Permission Of Current Editor Grayden D. Slowins October 1981 SOME NEW LIGHT SHED ON LOCAL SCHOOL HISTORY - Recently Ron Currigan, who owns and lives in the house built for Elem and Sadie Tran on Shilton Road, made a discovery of the first record book of School District No. 4, Sebewa Center. Ron was relocating some windows in the house when he found the book in the wall where he was working. We can only speculate that the Trans brought the book with them when they moved into the house about 1917, tucked it away and forgot about it. Perhaps that treatment of the book was what saved it from the trash pile. Other early school records of pupil lists, grades and attendance were known to have met the bonfire when Lydia Watkins decided the "boys dinner pail cupboard" had to be cleaned. Ron has shared the book with us and the contents of the early proceedings are presented in the following pages. Sebewa's earliest settlers located in the south-east part of the township. The Terrills, Ingalls, Browns and Showermans started teaching their children in their homes soon after getting established in their Sebewa locations about 1839. In 1843 they built the first schoolhouse in the township on the banks of the Sebewa Creek on Keefer Hwy. in section 25. That, as other buildings of the time, was of logs and was destined for a short life. In 1847 the boundaries of District No. 4 were drawn and a schoolhouse was built on a quarter acre of land just south of the half mile mark on Sunfield Road between Musgrove and Bippley in section 22. Number four would indicate that three other school districts had been formed previously. Those became known as the High, Goddard and West Sebewa respectively. Many years ago Heman Brown, who attended the first District No. 4 school, gave this description of the building in a "'Member When" in the PORTLAND REVIEW: "This schoolhouse, built on the Hugh Showerman farm, deserves more than a passing glance, as it was there the first ideas of knowledge began to shoot, in the new Center School in Sebewa. The house was 16' x 24', was built of logs and had a large fireplace in the west end and a door on the north near the west end. "In 1857, Luryette Brown, sixteen years old, taught her first school in the Benjamin Probasco Coopershop. (the senior Ben then lived at the Center where LaVern Carr now lives.) The old log house became dilapidated and soon a good (frame) house was built on the Probasco corners. (NE corner of section 22)." The contract for building that schoolhouse was published in the December 1968 volume 4, #3 Sebewa Recollector. Miss Luryette Brown later became Mr. Probasco's second wife. Here following are the first records of the long lost book. At the 1847 meeting Walter Harmon, Jacob Showerman and Eleazer Brown were chosen as School District No. 4 officers. Sebewa--Sept. 25, 1848 At the annual School meeting of School District No. 4 in the Township of Sebewa, County of Ionia and State of Michigan. Voted that Eleazer Brown be Moderator for the ensuing year. Voted that Walter Harmon should be Director for the ensuing year. Voted that John Waddell should be Assessor for the ensuing year. Voted to raise five dollars by tax for repairs on the School House. Voted that one cord of wood be delivered for each scholar that attends school. Voted that the wood be delivered by the first day of December. Voted that we have four months School. School to commence the first day of November. Voted that the resident tax be retained in the District. Voted that the meeting be adjourned one year from this day, Sebewa Sept. 25, 1848. Sebewa, Sept. 30, 1848. I do hereby accept the office of moderator in School District. - Eleazer Brown Sebewa, Sept. 30, 1848. I do hereby accept the office of Assessor in School District. - John Wadell Sebewa, October 5, 1848. I do hereby accept the office of Director in School District. - Walter Harmon It is agreed between Walter Harmon, Director of School District No. 4 in the township of Sebewa and Willard L. Barr, a School Teacher of the township of Danby That the said Willard Barr is to teach the primary school of Said District for the term of two months and a half, commencing on the 12 Day of December, 1849 for the sum of Ten Dollars per month and for such services properly performed, the said Walter Harmon is to pay the said Willard Barr the Amount of his wages as ascertained by this memorandum on or before the first of June next, in witness whereof the said parties have hereto set their names this 12 day of December A. D., 1849. ~ Walter Harmon, Director (and) Willard L. Barr, Teacher. Sebawa, Sept., 30, 1850 At the annual School meeting of School District No. 4 in Said Township it was agreed on notion John F. Olry was chosen clerk of this meeting in place of Walter Harmon, absent. On motion it was voted that John Estep is Moderator for the ensuing year. On motion it was voted that Eleazer Brown is Director for the ensuing year. On motion it was voted that John F. Olry is Assessor for the ensuing year. On motion it was voted that one dollar is to be raised by tax in this district on each scholar between the ages of four and eighteen years. On motion it was voted that a tax of Ten Dollars is to be raised for buying one stove for the School House. To Walter Harmon, a taxable inhabitant of School District No. 4 of the Township of Sebewa, Sir: You will hereby notice that we, Benj. D. Weld and Wm. Packard, School Inspectors of Said Township of Sebewa have formed a School District in said Township, numbered it and bounded it as follows to wit: Commencing eighty rods east of the North West corner of section 13, thence west to the North quarter stake of Section 16, thence South to the south quarter stake of section 28, thence east to the south quarter stake of section 26, thence north to the south quarter stake of section 14, thence east three fourths of a mile, thence north to the place of beginning. The first meeting of said District will be held at the school house in said District on the 27th of Sept., 1847 at four o'clock P.M. and you will in pursuance of the laws notify every qualified voter of said district, either personally or by leaving a written notice at his place of residence of the time and place of said meeting, then and there to transact such business as the Law requires. Given under our hands this 18th Day of Sept., A.D. 1847. ~ Wm. Packard and Benj. D. Weld, School Inspectors All notified personally and by writing on the 20 and 21 days of Sept. 1847. - Walter Harmon, Taxable inhabitant The School Lease of School Dist. No. 4 in the Township of Sebewa, County of Ionia, State of Michigan: Know all men by these presents that Jacob Showerman of the Town, County and State aforesaid of the first part for the consideration of Twenty-Five Cents do hereby lease unto Walter Harmon, Eleazer Brown and Jacob Showerman, the school district board of School District No. 4 in the Town, County and State aforesaid, party of the second part and their successors and assignees the following parcel of lands: Namely commencing at the east quarter stake of the South East quarter of Section 22 Thence west 5 rods, thence south eight rods, thence east five rods, thence North to the place of beginning, with all the priviliges and appurtenances to have and hold the same for and during the term of twenty years from this 12 day of March, A.D. 1846 and the said party of the second part for themselves and agree to pay the said party of the first part for the said premises the annual rent of twenty-five cents. In testimony whereof we the said parties have hereunto set their hands and seals this 25 day of March A. D., 1846. District board of School Dist. No 4, Sebewa. Signed and sealed in the presence of Luciius E. Showerman, Jerome L. Harmon, Jacob Showerman, Walter Harmon, Eleazer Brown Received of Walter Harmon, Eleazer Brown and John Waddell the School District Board of District No. 4, Ten Dollars in orders on the Treasurer, being in full for building schoolhouse and lease of one quarter of an acre of land for said School House - Sebewa, December 23, 1848. - Jacob Showerman On motion it was voted that one third of the public money is to be kept for the summer school. On motion it was voted that a Female teacher shall be hired for the year. On motion it was voted that it shall be four months school in this winter. On motion it was voted one half of cord of wood should be furnished by each scholar. On motion it was voted that school shall begin on the first Monday of November next. On motion it was voted that this meeting is adjourned for one year to this place Sebewa, Sept. 30, 1850 - John F. Olry, Clerk and Eleazer Brown, Director. Sebewa Sept. 29, 1851 The taxable inhabitants of School District No. 4 have met to elect officers and transact other business. Voted that John Estep be Moderator for the ensuing year. Voted that Eleazer Brown be Director for the ensuing year. Voted that John Waddell Jr. be Assessor for the ensuing year. Voted to raise one Dollar by tax on each scholar between the ages of four and eighteen years of age for school purposes. Voted to raise five dollars by tax for repairs on the school house and other purposes. Voted to have three months school taught by a man teacher. Voted that five dollars be applied to the summer school. Voted to furnish 3/4 of cord of wood for each scholar, corded at the school house. Voted to raise one dollar for book, pail, cup and broom. Voted to adjourn this meeting to one year from this day at this place. - Eleazer Brown, Director; John Estep, Moderator. I do hereby accept the office of Moderator to fill vacancy occasioned by John Eastep removal from the District. Sebewa, February 7th A. D. 1852 - J. F. Olry The undersigned members of the district board, District No. 4 in the township of Sebewa do hereby appoint Lucius Showerman director of said district to fill the vacancy created by the death of Eleazer Brown, the late incumbent. - J. F. Olry, Moderator (and) John Wadell, Assessor At a meeting on Sept. 27, 1852 Major Brown was chosen as Director. At a meeting on Sept. 26, 1853 Charles W. Ingalls was chosen as Director. At a meeting on Sept. 25, 1854 Ephraim Probasco was chosen as Director. July 11, 1855. At a special meeting of the qualified voters of School District No. 4 of the township of Sebewa held at the schoolhouse of said district No. 4 on the 11th day of July, 1855 pursuant to public notice, the Moderator presiding and Ephraim Probasco as Clerk. Resolved that the School house site be changed and located near the south east corner of section sixteen, leaving it with the school board to choose and purchase land site above named being a two thirds vote of ten ayes to four noes. Resolved that this meeting be adjourned unti the 5th, fifth day, of August next at 2 o'clock P.M. - Ephraim Probasco, Director; John Waddell, Jr. The August 5 meeting was adjourned to August 11, 1855 and at that meeting the specifications for the new building were put into the minutes. It was not until June 1856 that a meeting was held changing the site of the new building to the northeast corner of section 22. Some years later the building was moved across the road to the southeast corner of Section 16." 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