Learning the Three R’s
in Franklin Township
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About 1898 the railroad straightened its tracks, and they purchased the Earlville schoolhouse, moved it a short distance, and transformed it into a dwelling for the section hands. The R.R. then built the pictured building. L. G. Davis was the school’s instructor. Breakneck School was opened in 1821, while Kent was still Franklin Mills with half a dozen buildings. At the time fathers were required to supply 1/4 cord of wood per month for each boy in school. Picture is the third building, with an enrollment of 30 pubils. Attendance had been reduced by a measles epidemic, evidenced in this photo of Maple Grove School. The building was built in 1858, after the little red schoolhouse at the bottom of the hill was outgrown. Mrs. Senica Green donated the plot of ground. |
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efore Portage County adopted centralized school districts, Franklin Township had one-room school houses scattered across her landscape. The 3 featured here are Earlville School, Breakneck School, and Maple Grove School. At the time these photos were taken the school year had just been lenghthened to 9 months and new programs were being introduced into the school program by Kent Normal School (todays Kent State University).
