Niles Township’s District 5 school existed as early as 1852. That year, three teachers at Districts 4, 5, and 10 were paid $127.541! Six years later, the first District 5 schoolhouse -probably a log building- was replaced after George Huffman granted the township a portion of his farm to build a new structure2.
Like most schools erected during the 1850s, the second schoolhouse, known as the Huffman school, was probably frame. It stood at the northwest corner of East County Road 1200-North and North County Road 600-East3.
For much of its existence, a three-and-a-half mile stretch of County Road 1200-North was known as the Dunkirk and Moore pike after D.B. Moore, who owned a gravel quarry he used to improve many of Niles Township’s earliest roads.
In 1879, Samuel S. Selvey granted the township a section of his land at the southeast corner of the pike and 600-E for a new District 5 schoolhouse5. Two years later, Theo Coyert was the teacher there6. Despite its new location, the school appears to have still been commonly known as Huffman.
The District 5 schoolhouse closed after the 1914-15 term. Jessie Cecil of Albany served as its final teacher7.
Because of its proximity to Dunkirk in Jay County, its students were almost certainly sent there to continue their education.
Today, the old Huffman schoolhouse is a dwelling.
Sources Cited
1 Helm, T. B. (1881). Mount Pleasant Township. In History of Delaware County, Indiana: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. book, Kingman Brothers.
2 Delaware County, Indiana. (1857 December 30). Deed Book 20. p. 558
3 Kingman, A.L. (1874). Map of Delaware County, Indiana : from recent & original surveys, made expressly for this map, drawn, compiled and published by A.L. Kingman and assistants. map, Chicago, IL; A.L. Kingman.
4 A Gold Mine In The County. (1901, October 24). The Muncie Evening Times. p. 1.
5 Delaware County, Indiana. (1879 May 30). Deed Book 44. p. 403.
6 (See footnote 1).
7 Delaware County Public Schools. (1915). School directory, Delaware County public schools, Delaware County, Indiana 1915-1916. Muncie, IN.
