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Bloomfield Blossoms: p. 100-101

Smith, Kay, 1925-

Bloomfield Township Public Library

Schools -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Township -- History

Bloomfield Township (Mich.)

Wing Lake School (Bloomfield Township, Mich.)

GB01a052

part of 'Bloomfield Blossoms' by Kay Smith

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EARLY SCHOOLS The first school in Bloomfield was a private one. It was begun in 1822 in a log house on the property of Dr. Ziba Swan near where Woodward crosses Quarton today. The first teacher was Captain Hervey Parke, who'd followed that profession when he lived in Camden, Oneida County, New York. He taught from December 1, 1822 to February of 1823 when he turned over the teaching to his brother, Dr. Ezra Parke. A few years later, a second school opened on the other side of the Township on the property of Jacob Sly on the southwestern side of Wing Lake. This school later was the site of the organization of the first Presbyterian church chartered in Bloomfield. Other little schools were in operation but all were by subscription until 1833, when on April 13 an act of the legislature made it mandatory for Townships to provide schools. The first free district school was opened in 1834 in the old log house on John Hamilton's property, and the Rev. Lemuel Partridge was the first teacher. Of the later period, we have portions of two early schools left. One is the Tucscarora School which stood near Hickory Grove and Telegraph Roads and is now incorporated in an office building, and one on Woodward near Long Lake, also now a business office. Of this school just the bell remains with a plaque on the side of the building commemorating Circle School. The oldest intact school in the Township is the Wing Lake School, built in 1859. As a Bicentennial project, the Bloomfield Hills School District and Bloomfield Township joined forces to recon- struct the school in the 1890-1910 era for use as a museum and library. The school is now in use for groups who want to see how school was taught long ago.