EAGLE SCHOOLS

From "History of  Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan" - 1880

SCHOOLS.
Up to the summer of 1837 there had been no school taught in Eagle. In the
spring of that year an informal meeting was called at the house of Anthony Niles,
and it was resolved to build a log school-house and have a school.

At the appointed time, accordingly, the men assembled, and, though few in
numbers, strong in purpose, they took hold of the logs with hearty good will, and
soon a commodious cabin stood ready for use on the east side of the quarterline on section 23, nearly opposite the site of the brick residence of G. W. Thomas. The benches were made of slabs, and the teacher's desk was a board resting upon two pins driven into the wall. The fireplace, such as was common in those days, was made of sticks lined with stones and mud.

Mrs. Alice Allen, whose husband had died in the previous winter, taught the first
school. The following are the names of some of the scholars: Fannie, Clarinda,
and Charles Groger, Royal and Marian Benson, Emily, Julia, and Angeline Niles, and Phoebe Beers. In the winter of 1837-38, W. F. Jenison taught four months. He was the first male teacher in the township. The next summer Mrs. Amanda Blaisdale, usually known as Aunt Amanda, taught. She was subsequently married to Chester Brown.

During the summer of 1839 the school house known for many years as the Red
School-House was built. It took its name from a liberal coat of red paint which it received when completed. It was the first frame school-house in the township, and said to be the first in Clinton County. It stood near the residence of Heman Thomas, on section 23. The first school in this building was taught by W. F. Jenison.  It was composed of children from Watertown, some from the Canada settlement in Eaton County, and some from Delta. The next school-house was built on the southwest quarter of section 32.

Previous to the organization of the township of Eagle its territory had been
separated into school districts, but none were organized except district No. 1
and districts Nos. 2 and 5. At the first meeting of the school board of Eagle, on
the 1st of April, 1841, these districts were rearranged, as follows: District No. 1
comprised sections 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, 36, and all of 24, except a part of
the northeast quarter. Fractional districts 2 and 5 included sections 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 in Eagle, and the north half of 4, 5, and 6 in Oneida. No other districts were formed until Feb. 4, 1843, at which time the board set off 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 17, and 18 as district No. 3; but this act became null and void through the failure of its officers to qualify and serve. This territory was set off on the 7th day of May, 1845, and numbered 4. In the mean time (on April 5, 1844) school district No. 3 was formed of the remaining sections in the northeast part of the township.

In the report of this year, for the first time, three schools are represented. The
school fund disbursed among them was thirty dollars and eighty cents, of which
district No. 1 received fourteen dollars and eighty-four cents, districts Nos. 2 and
5 received six dollars and sixteen cents, while No. 4 received nine dollars and
eighty cents. The number of children enrolled in each district was fifty-three,
twenty-two, and thirty-five, respectively. At the meeting of the school board, for
the purpose of examining applicants to teach, Aug. 23, 1845, certificates were
given to Misses Mary Gooch, Clarinda Groger, Emeline Higbee, and Lucinda Barut. On 16th of November following similar permits were issued to Benjamin C. Macomber and Silas P. Fish, as teachers for one term of winter school each. In 1845 four schools were taught in the township, and the amount of money distributed among them was forty dollars and sixty cents:
District.                               Scholars. Amount.
No. I............................................ 50 ....$14.93
Nos 2 and 5.................................. 29..... 8.65
N o. 3............................................ 31..... 9.26
N o. 4............................................. 2.......6.76

School district No. 5 was formed by the school board on the 4th day of
November, 1848, but in the report of 1849, and also of 1850, no returns were
made from this district. On Sept. 7, 1850, the school board formed districts 6
and 7. No. 6 did not organize, however. District No. 8 was first organized on Feb. 27, 1858, and Dec. 24, 1859, district No. 9 was set off. Fractional district No. 10 was formed June 3, 1865. District No. 7 was discontinued and included in district
No. 1, Dec. 28, 1872. This was brought about by the destruction of the school-house in that district by fire.

The aggregate value of school property in the township in 1879 was four
thousand four hundred and twenty-five dollars. The number of scholars enrolled
in the township was three hundred and forty, and there were sixteen qualified
teachers.