Dusty Diary examined with great interest today an attendance sheet from an 1860 schoolhouse in Ann Arbor Township. (click for larger image).The schoolhouse was located just north of Plymouth Road, more or less near the confluence between Green Rd. and Plymouth Rd.
Several interesting facts jump out from an examination of this document. First, the school year was November 7 to February 28. This implies the kids were needed throughout the harvest season and perhaps autumn hog-killing season.
You can see that the kids ranged in age from 4 (!) to 18. This schoolhouse was an all-in-one: elementary, middle school, and high school.
You can also see that attendance was at best spotty from week to week.
The kids were drawn from nearby farms in this section of the township. Despite all the "I had to walk 10 miles through snow uphill" mythology, it appears that no kid was more than a mile and a half from the school. On this map, the school is marked in purple and the neighboring farms contributing kids are marked in yellow.You can see that the worst attendance was from Lily and Merrin Cook, who checked out after only 4 weeks of school. Why?
What else do you notice from this document? I'd be grateful for any reflections you had on it.
