The village of Salamonia sits about seven miles southeast of Portland, Indiana. Laid out as Lancaster in 1839, the community got its current name after postal officials realized Lancasters existed elsewhere in Indiana1. The town’s first schoolhouse was built in 18772.
Continue reading “Madison Township’s Salamonia schoolhouse in Jay County”
Jackson Township’s White Oak schoolhouse sits on sixty-four wooded acres just east of the Loblolly Marsh Wetland Preserve. “There’s a very good reason why you can’t come upon the school as you drive along,” a reporter for the Portland Commercial Review wrote in 1968. “It is located near a road which was abandoned about a decade ago. You can see it by car, with the aid of binoculars, from County Road 99 between County Roads 16 and 20 in Jackson Township1” Now that we’re firmly into the 21st century, a drone works too.
Continue reading “Jackson Township’s White Oak schoolhouse in Jay County”
John Bergdoll was an early settler in Jay County, one of three people to arrive in Knox Township in 18411. At some point, probably in the 1850s or 1860s, he deeded the trustee of Knox Township about an acre of land on which to establish a schoolhouse. Eventually, the institution evolved into Knox Township’s District 7 schoolhouse, known commonly as Beaver Hill2.
Continue reading “Knox Township’s Beaver Hill schoolhouse in Jay County”
As of this writing, I’ve been to 232 old schoolhouses across East Central Indiana. I’m sure there are more in the counties I’ve only dipped a toe into, but by the numbers it’s easier to find an old schoolhouse than it is to find a Filet-O-Fish or a Five Dollar Footlong as long as you know where to look. I tend to research most of the schools I come across in advance, but today I wanted to discuss the methods I’d use to identify old schoolhouses if I found myself driving around aimlessly. I’m not an expert, but these tips have worked pretty well for me so far:
Continue reading “How to identify an old schoolhouse when you’re out driving around”