Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Sherman Special School

On June 22, 1850 the qualified voters of McLean Township, School District No. 4 met at the house of Henry Sherman. He was elected clerk and John Rottinghaus was elected treasurer. It was resolved by the board that an 18x18 foot schoolhouse be built on the North East corner of the land owned by Henry Sherman. An agreement was entered with John Sherman for building the schoolhouse for which he was to receive $25 when the building was completed.

In 1851 the 25 to 32 scholars were taught for 4 months by William Sherman and 2 months by Henry Sherman for which they were paid $14 a month. Subjects taught were reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar and German language.

In 1883 the district became Sherman Special School District. The present Sherman School was built on the corner of Barhorst Rd. and Rt. 705 in Section 10 of McLean Township in 1903. The contract went to Ben Gerling and Louis Ley of Minster for $1,947.09.

The school closed in 1954 and the students transferred to Ft. Loramie. The children living at Shorts and Filburn's Landings at Lake Loramie attended Sherman School until 1951. The building is now a house.

Starting in 1914 students were taken to school by wagon and sled. The contract was put out for bids and there was only one bid which was rejected so it was put up again and 2 people bid on it. James Chambers promised to do it for $2.35 a day and the board had to provide the wagon. The contract went to William Combs for $2.25 a day. James Chambers conveyed pupils to school from 1917 to 1919 and Elmer Chambers held the job from then until 1936.

Some of the teachers:

Timothy Sullivan - 1888
John Barhorst - 1889
F.J. Kohls - 1891
John Barhorst - 1894-1895
H.J. Sherman - 1895-1898
William J. Borger - 1899
Frank Niederkorn - 1903-1907
Louis Brucken - 1908-1910
Florian Notheis - 1910-1913
Marie Trimpe - 1913-1915
Florian Notheis - 1915-1918
Pauline Ernst - 1918-1919
Joseph Gigandet - 1919-1924
Alma Gigandet - 1924-1926
Robert Gigandet - 1926-1930
Charles Sharp - 1930-1932
Irene Behrns - 1932 for one month
Charles Sharp - 1932-1933
Herbert Walter - 1933-1935
Florence Sommer - 1935-1941
JoeKloecker - 1941-1947
Ruth Carter Barhorst - 1947-1950
Arthur Cetone - 1950-1954.