Traveling south this week the district above as will be detailed was located in the actual village of McDonough and we are fortunate to have more documentation of this early district school than has been the scenario with certain districts located in this township.

The photo with this article gives us the picture of when it was actually in use and the photo is unfortunately undated. However with this photo we are quoting verbatim what Mrs. Jennie Preston documented in her research of the assorted districts of the township, bear in mind this research was done in 1976.

“Along with the population that settled in the village of McDonough came School District No. 7. The first schoolhouse was built on West Street. It was built about 1845 on a site just east of the converted schoolhouse that is now the American Legion Home. It cost $350. Gates Wilcox and Reuben Wilcox were elected trustees at the first school meeting.

“As was similar to other districts, there was a ‘man school’ in the winter and a ‘woman school’ in the summer as recorded in the minutes of the annual school meeting. Also included was the price of education for each scholar, one-half cord of wood or a fine often shillings per cord. The wood was undoubtedly for a fireplace because handirons were authorized to be purchased.