My father asked me to do some research on the Bundy school, located in Morgan Township, Porter County, Indiana. I found this photo on the facebook page for the Porter County Museum. [1]
(Click on image to enlarge)
The caption reads:
1907 image of the Bundy School in Morgan Township.
Top Row: Grace Hubbel-teacher, Grace Lemster, Pauline Lemster, Unknown, Laura Lemster.
Middle Row: John Shatz (3rd grade), Unknown, Paul Bartholomew, Martha Stoner, Emory Stoner, Unknown.
Bottom Row: Edward Domke, Fred Shatz (2nd grade), Unknown, Harriet Casbon, Floyd Casbon, Herman Casbon, Anna Walen.
Standing on left: Mary Keene
Standing on right: Mary or Madeline Ribly
There are three Casbon children in the photo: Harriet (1904-1983), Floyd (1902-1987), and Herman (1900-1941). They were all the children of Charles Parkfield (1872-1949) and Julia (Bidwell – 1878-1939) Casbon. Charles was the son of my second great-grandfather, Sylvester V Casbon, by his second wife, Harriet Perry. He lived about 1/2 mile north of the school in Center township.
Detail from 1906 plat maps of Center and Morgan townships, Porter County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)
The school is shown at the northeast corner of the quarter section belonging to W.P. Fish. Today this is the corner of Division Road and S150E. The Fish property was purchased sometime before 1910 by my great-grandfather, Lawrence Leslie Casbon.
I’m suspicious about the date of the photograph. In 1907 Harriet would have only been 3 years old. I don’t think she would have been in school yet, and the girl labeled as Harriet looks older than 3 to me. I think 1908 or 1909 is a more likely date.
Grace Hubbell, the teacher in the photograph, is described in the 1912 History of Porter County as the niece of Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher White, of Valparaiso. “She has taught for three years in the Bundy school near this city and has recently been engaged to teach in the schools of Gary.” [2] This also suggests a later date for the photograph.
I haven’t been able to find out when the school was first built, but a history of the county published in 1882 describes it as “probably thirty years old.” [3] A Vidette-Messenger article on the history of Morgan township says it was last used as a school in 1923, and the building was still standing as of August, 1936. [4] A search of the Vidette-Messenger archive shows that the building was frequently used for dances and other social activities up until about 1930.
My father recollects that my grandfather, Leslie Casbon, sold the school building for $500 to be used for lumber, probably in the late 1930s. I’m guessing it was in pretty bad shape by then. He also recalls his uncle Loring Casbon using dynamite to blow up stumps at the site.
Do my readers know anything more about this school?