Old schoolhouses

ohiochris · Sep 13, 2014

Im starting to do some research on the old historic one room type schoolhouses. I was talking to somebody and he said in many places schools were around two miles apart , since they were walked to by the students and they couldnt be very far. Im not entirely sure but seems like it would have to depend on the area and population density at the time. And the best ones to hunt are where the building is long gone. That got me started trying to locate where some once were. But in all the historical mapps Ive seen so far the schools arent marked or atleast labeled. Except for the few I see around the area where the building is still standing I am drawing a blank how to locate the sites. Anyone on here with some expertise and experience finding these places where a little or one room school once stood have some tips they could share ?

ohiochris · Sep 13, 2014

I just did figure out a little with old maps. Some maps have a little picture of a church or school at the locations. I went through a bunch of area township maps and many are just too inaccurate to compare with a modern map but I did luck out with one and located a couple approximate locations that are now farmers fields......thats a good thing! :yes:

But if still looking for tips if anyone has any.

msand · Sep 13, 2014

Did you try this map:

http://www.historicmapworks.com/

Kemper · Sep 13, 2014

Research is good but also talk to people. A lot of elderly people remember where these old schools were. :yes:

goes4ever · Sep 13, 2014

All the maps I use on historicmapworks for my part of ohio, has one room schools marked, and yes it is correct there was usually one every two miles. I only have luck at ones where they have been gone for some many years, if still standing, every Tom Dick and Harry has hunted it.....best to find ones that are crop fields now. I have found a lot of indians, and silver from the ones in my area

ohiochris · Sep 13, 2014

Yeah the maps I have looked at are from historicmapworks , I just cant use the overlay feature since I havent bought a membership. I wonder how well the overlay works ?

matmit · Sep 13, 2014

I remember reading about how the US government required that schools be built sometime around the turn of the 20th century. They were to be spaced one per section, or something like that. Let me look into it again.

SeabeeRon · Sep 13, 2014

ohiochris said:
Im starting to do some research on the old historic one room type schoolhouses. I was talking to somebody and he said in many places schools were around two miles apart , since they were walked to by the students and they couldnt be very far. Im not entirely sure but seems like it would have to depend on the area and population density at the time. And the best ones to hunt are where the building is long gone. That got me started trying to locate where some once were. But in all the historical mapps Ive seen so far the schools arent marked or atleast labeled. Except for the few I see around the area where the building is still standing I am drawing a blank how to locate the sites. Anyone on here with some expertise and experience finding these places where a little or one room school once stood have some tips they could share ?

Not to get too far off topic, but that distance between schools doesn't jibe with what my step father used to tell when I'd complain about walking a few blocks to school. He'd say..."I had to walk 20 miles in the snow to school, up hill both ways!" :roll:

Good luck on this project Chris, could prove to be really useful!! :yes:

goes4ever · Sep 13, 2014

ohiochris said:
Yeah the maps I have looked at are from historicmapworks , I just cant use the overlay feature since I havent bought a membership. I wonder how well the overlay works ?

chris the plat numbers on old maps and new maps match up, no need to have a perfect overlay, you can get close enuff to find the iron patch, I do it all the time, your making it too difficult. It is not rocket science

ohiochris · Sep 13, 2014

goes4ever said:
chris the plat numbers on old maps and new maps match up, no need to have a perfect overlay, you can get close enuff to find the iron patch, I do it all the time, your making it too difficult. It is not rocket science

Thats probably the key ,...I havent been looking at the numbers , just trying to match topography and roads.

ohiochris · Sep 14, 2014

goes4ever said:
chris the plat numbers on old maps and new maps match up, no need to have a perfect overlay, you can get close enuff to find the iron patch, I do it all the time, your making it too difficult. It is not rocket science

Actually the only maps I am seeing online that have plat numbers are the historic ones. Is there only certain modern maps that have plat numbers ?

goes4ever · Sep 14, 2014

ohiochris said:
Actually the only maps I am seeing online that have plat numbers are the historic ones. Is there only certain modern maps that have plat numbers ?

yes the current ones called PLAT maps :laughing:

in all seriousness you need to go to your county auditors office or court house, buy a 2014 plat map, not only does it have the plat numbers but it lists the owners on every parcel of land

amc rulz · Sep 14, 2014

In my area in Michigan, one-rooms are located about one per sq mile.
Talk to old timers, check the maps.

I look at corner lots with old maple trees on the lot line, sometimes there's a newer home on the site. I also look for the old horseshoe-shaped driveway.

ohiochris · Sep 14, 2014

goes4ever said:
yes the current ones called PLAT maps

in all seriousness you need to go to your county auditors office or court house, buy a 2014 plat map, not only does it have the plat numbers but it lists the owners on every parcel of land

That makes sense. I use the county GIS website a lot but that only shows parcel numbers , which Ive noticed seem to be different from plat numbers. The long parcel numbers dont match the 2 or 3 digit plat numbers I see on the old maps.

Kemper · Sep 14, 2014

goes4ever said:
yes the current ones called PLAT maps

in all seriousness you need to go to your county auditors office or court house, buy a 2014 plat map, not only does it have the plat numbers but it lists the owners on every parcel of land

Ummm....What a person could do with that. Visit some prisoners. Visit some people that are behind on their taxes. A few bucks might help somebody out a lot. Just thinking. Sometimes it's fun to ask. :yes:

ohiochris · Sep 14, 2014

ohiochris said:
That makes sense. I use the county GIS website a lot but that only shows parcel numbers , which Ive noticed seem to be different from plat numbers. The long parcel numbers dont match the 2 or 3 digit plat numbers I see on the old maps.

Nevermind , I think I fugured it out. The GIS shows both the parcel number and another number thats probably the plat number as well

Old schoolhouses

ohiochris

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