Vandercook Lake High School - Reviewer Yearbook (Jackson, MI)

Page 8 text:

VV V I, BELOW: Draper - 1891-1922 The red brick school was located at the corner of Draper and McDevitt, ln 1915 two rooms were added at the north end, The school was closed in 1922, re-opened in '26, closed in '31, re-opened in '48, sold to the Odd-Fellows in '49, and vacated in 1953. LEFT: A Log Cabin - 1841-58 Log cabin school houses were used in rural frontier communities in Michigan into the late '5Os, Pictured here is a cabin built in Jackson County in the 1840s. MIDDLE: Draper - 1858-91 It took seven years and many spirited meetings to get voter approval to build a one-room frame school- house, The stormhouse over the entrance was not added, however, until 1881. Then, the school as originally designed, was completed - 24 years later, ram rs 1 1907 J: MN, .',., 3. BACK ROW: Ruth Huntoon, Alera Blake, Alice Harper, Teacher, Claude Clemons, Unknown, Emmett Greenwood, Glen Blake. FRONT ROW: Wilfred Dodge, Dodge, Madgel Greenwood, Alice Cochran, Theresa Cochran, Nina Huntoon, Camelia Greenwood, Leone Green- wood, Bernice Lee, Leah Lyons, Nellie Draper.

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For 26 years Burdette W. Andrews has served the community of Vandercook Lake as its superintendent of schools. Mr. Andrews began his superintendency in the fall of 1946 at which time he also taught government and economics until 1950 Prior to accepting the position at Vandercook Lake , Mr, Andrews held several te a c hi ng positions. He began his career with an assistantship at the University of Michigan. Upon completionofhis Master's degree he accepted a position in South Dakota as an instructor in a high school and community college. He held that posi- tion for one year and then returned to Michigan where he taught for a year at Homer. The nextyear was spent at Holton followed by seven years at lron River. Mr. Andrews held two positions as a superintendent prior to coming to Vandercook Lake. The first one for two years at Horton, Michigan was accepted only after consultation with his good friend State Superintendent of Education, Eugene Elliott, for whom he served on many legislative committees for the improvement of education in the state of Michigan. The second at Armada was for three years. A desire to return to the Jackson area caused Mr, Andrews to accept the superintendent's position at Vandercook Lake. The district's enrollment of 699 students, K through 12, all were housed in the present McDevitt building. The 1972 enrollment is 1519. Under his thrifty guidance and the willing assistance of the taxpayers, the district has remained financially sound, shown growth and progress in all areas of education including curriculum, extra- curricular activities and building programs. In 1952 the Floyd Avenue School, since renamed the Townsend Elementary School was built. lt has had two additions in the classroom area. In January 1961 the new high school was opened on its present site. Additions to this building have included a kitchen, junior high wing, enlarged library and home economics area and administrative offices. The most recent addition includes a new band room, an enlarged art room and industrial arts area, Throughout his years in education Mr, Andrews has received the moral support and assistance he needed from his wife Ann and their four children, a daughter Judy and three sons, Don, Dan and Jon. Recognizing his many years of dedication to the Vandercook Lake School District, the Reviewer Staff proudly dedicates the fiftieth anniversary yearbook to Mr, Burdette W. Andrews, superintendent of schools, I have ever deemed it more honorable and more profitable, too, to seta good example than to follow a bad one, - Thomas Jefferson

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Early History Of The Vandercook Lake Schools By Fred L. Yoss At the Annual Meeting of fractional School District No. 10 of Jackson and Leoni September 25, 1848 - Selah Loomis Moderator and J, Waldren clerk protein the following were chosen officers for the ensuing year: Moderator, Thomas Vreelandg Assessor, William B, Josling Director, L. T. Higgins. The above minutes are the earliest available of what is now the Vandercook Lake Public Schools. The earliest record of any kind is a quitclaim deed to what is believed to be the earliest site, dated March 22, 1841, lt is difficult to locate the first site because of the unusual wording of the deed. Beginning at the southwest corner of the Ami Filley Land . . . is difficult to locate with any degree of accuracy inasmuch as land changes hand and boundaries are altered, Based on the records of that time, the site was located one-fourth of a mile north of present McDevitt Avenue and some distance west of present Oak Lane, a street running northerly from McDevitt just west of the US 127 overpass. Why the school was located so far from a road is somewhat puzzling, Perhaps there was a high- way of some sort 'near the school site, Many of the roads of that era were merely two parallel wheel tracks going where they were needed. Usually only those which followed section and half-section lines were legally established rights-of-way, So it must be assumed that there was a road near the school and both have disappeared from sight and memory, One might wonder why that location was selected, being so far removed from the center of population, But one must remember that there was no center ofpopulationw outside of Jackson in 1841 and that some ofthe district extended into Leoni township, At the 1849 annual meeting, September 24 , the following officers were elected: Moderator, Selah Loomisg Assessor, Owen Ellisong Director, Daniel O', Lee. However, lvlr, Lee's tenure was short because the record shows that on October 23 of that same year, L. T. I'iiggiI1S WHS appointed Director . . in place of Daniel O. Lee, deceased, It is apparent that all officers were elected each year because, in 1850, ll. H. Vandercook became Moderator, Ezra Davis, Assessor and Isaac Bennett, Director, ln later years officers were elected to three year terms, At that same meeting it was also voted to raise three dollars to repair and furnish the school house for the ensuing year! , At the 1851 annual meeting it was voted to a ' Ixlr, lli ins thirt '-ei tht cents, That was fol- O P 5 SS 5 5 lowed by a vote . . that the District reject all accounts for labor for the district by officers, Perhaps Mr, Higgins had been indiscreet, The elusive first school was obviously unsatisfactory because as early as lS5l an effort was made to build a new school, At a special meeting in October of that year it was . . motioned to locate the school house at Youniflox'e's corners. Lost. This was followed b ' a motion to . . . to Q D purchase one half acre of land on the East Side of Sec, 233 within 15 rods of quarter post on the East Side of Said Section 253. There was no record as to whether or not this motion carried or lost, llowever, a following motion to build a new school house lost.