The One-Room School Houses of Presque Isle County
Our classroom is open – so get ready to learn a few things about education in Presque Isle County at the turn of the century, and what student life was like in one-room school houses.
From the late 1800s until around 1960, teachers in Presque Isle County educated children in one-room school houses. Teachers juggled lessons for elementary and middle school students, ensuring progress across all grade levels.
By 1951, only 32 school houses left in service across the country, some of them right here in Presque Isle County. By 1960, authorities consolidated the schools into three districts: Rogers City, Onaway, and Posen. The schools of Presque Isle Township voted to join the Alpena Public School System. Rural schools closed and children attended school in newer, larger facilities.
Michigan one-room school houses remain a special topic of interest for historians today. At one point, it’s estimated that about 7,200 one-room school houses existed in the state, and the Michigan One Room Schoolhouse Association has documented 7,000 of them. If you’re interested in one-room school houses, check out their site. It has a database of school houses and you might be able to help them identify one of their mystery locations!