Mom and I were deep in Owen County near Cataract Lake searching for old Long Line towers when we sped past a sign for the Cataract Schoolhouse and General Store. We couldn’t resist the detour! After we turned around, three winding miles rewarded us with the sight of a genuine pioneer-era schoolhouse, albeit one I still don’t know much about.
The one-room Cataract School was completed in 18861. Today, it stands as a relic of Jennings Township’s early educational efforts. For more than sixty years, generations of local students studied at the building until it closed its doors in 19472, Details about its daily operations and stories from its students are elusive, but the building still speaks to its era.
In 2013, the school underwent a renovation that gave it a new life as an ice cream shop and historical museum. Inside and out, visitors can enjoy a scoop of their favorite flavor while exploring exhibits that capture the school’s legacy and the history of the Cataract area.
This is a puffier piece than what I usually publish here, but I’m hoping someone chimes in with more information about the Cataract school. Where did it students go after the schoolhouse closed, I wonder? What was it used as from 1947 to 2013? I haven’t the foggiest Idea. I could have asked, but the store and museum were closed when Mom and I ventured past.
Sources Cited
1 Emerson, J. (2016, October 30). Old Cataract Schoolhouse Flickr. Web. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
2 Welcome to Cataract Schoolhouse (n.d.). Cataract Schoolhouse [Spencer]. Web. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
