The residents of Salem Township earnestly established early schools: the first was held during the winter of 1828-29! In 1870, a brick schoolhouse was built on the land of Jonathan Shepp1, whose house just west of the structure was erected the following year2.
The schoolhouse was known as District 4 in 1874. Confusingly, the township was redistricted six years later. Afterward, the Shepp school served students from District 63. William Bowman taught classes at the schoolhouse -then called Walnut Grove- in 18814.
Despite its location near Daleville, the Walnut Grove school remained open until 19145 when it closed and consolidated into that community’s newly-enlarged structure6. Today, the old schoolhouse is used for agricultural storage. It’s just west of Saunders Cemetery on West County Road 500-S; Daleville Road.
Sources Cited
1 Delaware County Office of Information & GIS Services. (2021). Parcel ID: 1405300002000. Delaware County, Indiana Assessor. map, Muncie, IN.
2 Kingman Brothers. (1874). Map of Delaware County, Indiana. Chicago, IL.
3 Salem Township Shows. (1880, March 24). The Muncie Daily Times. p. 2.
4 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 (pp. 268–269). book, Kingman Brothers.
5 Delaware County Public Schools. (1913). School directory, Delaware County public schools, Delaware County, Indiana 1913-1914. Muncie, IN.
6 New Daleville School. (1910, June 25). The Muncie Morning Star. p. 3.
