Schoolhouse exhibit displayed in Stockbridge

Many of the area’s one-room schoolhouses  have faded from the landscape, but the Stockbridge Area Genealogical/Historical Society recently offered an opportunity to recall or learn about those school days.

The traveling exhibit “The One-Room Schoolhouses of Ingham County” recently was presented by Audrey Martini and Jacob  McCormick of the Ingham County Historical Commission.

The exhibit was displayed in the lower level of the historic Township Hall in downtown Stockbridge on the evening of Sept. 28.  It featured photos, news clippings and other items.

Visitors could view the informative exhibit at their own pace, rather than with a formal lecture. Those who attended a one-room school were invited to bring photos and mementos. In the casual open-house-type setting, they also could share memories and stories from those times.

“This was our third showing and every one is a little different,” said Martini. “I especially enjoyed this one because so many people had actually attended a one-room school.”

The traveling exhibit is part of an ongoing project by the Ingham County Historical Commission to preserve this rural history. The commission is gathering stories, photographs, and information on the rural districts, teachers and buildings in the county. It also is working to compile this information into a book.

For those who missed the exhibit on Sept. 28,  a long-term display is planned for the Ingham County Courthouse in Mason, Michigan.

The Stockbridge Area Genealogical/Historical Society hosted the event after taking a long pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. The SAGHS cemetery tour, which usually takes place in early to mid-October, will return in 2022.

Photos taken by DigitalCrumbs Photography

Janet Pendell, left, and Dan Wilson examine a map showing the location of one-room schoolhouses.

Josh and Kaelyn Carpenter (left) view the exhibit, while Jacob McCormick and Audrey Martini of the Ingham County Historical Commission (center) talk with Sue Lindemer (right).

The SAGHS board members are (standing, L-R) David Lindemer and Janet Pendell; (seated L-R) Diane Carpenter, Frances Laird and Laura Walsh.

The Stockbridge Area Genealogical/Historical Society holds its annual meeting Sept. 28 in Township Hall.

Two visitors look through photos at the exhibit

Photographs, clippings and mementos are part of the traveling exhibit.

This poster details information on the area’s one-room schoolhouses.

The Stockbridge Area Genealogical/Historical Society hosted “The One-Room Schoolhouses of Ingham County” traveling exhibit Sept. 28 in Township Hall.

The Stockbridge Area Genealogical/Historical Society conducts its annual meeting Sept. 28 in Township Hall.