Alcona County Schools

In the mid-1800s, the first white settlers came to what is now Alcona County, and as the population grew, schools became part of nearly every settlement or logging camp. The first school was built in 1860, and before and after Alcona County was established in 1869, schoolhouses were scattered throughout the county. Each township created school districts governed by a school board, and schools were usually located within two or three miles of each other so children could walk because other transportation was not readily available. Land was often donated or sold by a family in the district, and local residents built the schools. There were at least 75 one room schoolhouses in Alcona County. Most schools educated children through 8th grade, and most students did not attend high school because of the distance and the cost; the county had only one high school, in Harrisville. The earliest schools were built of logs, but most were wood frame buildings, and some were made of brick. In the 1930s, the federal government used the Work Projects Administration to improve and update schools. Over time, some schools were moved and consolidated. In the mid-1950s, five multi classroom schools were built, school buses transported students, and all of the one room country schools were closed. Some of the school buildings still stand as private residences. In the early years, teachers rarely stayed at one school for more than a year or two, and women could not be teachers if they were married. In 1931, there were around 5,100 one room schools in Michigan, but by the 1950s such schools were obsolete.

Michigan · United States