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This is a blog of the history of the Fabius Township schools named Johnnycake from 1853 to 2010 and the students who attended it from during the 1950s and 60s, Hopkins School was school district 9 of Fabius Township and on Gleason Road, Three Rivers, MI.  It merged with Johnnycake school (district 1 Fabius Township) in 1959 and the resulting Johnnycake-Hopkins merged with Three Rivers schools in 1966. 

According to Cutler’s history, “The first school house in the township was built of logs in 1833, and stood at the edge of the woods on the south line of section 35.” As late as the 1950’s seven one-room schools under county supervision provided elementary education in the township. They were consolidated into three schools in 1953 – Lake Section, Johnny Cake, and Hopkins. The new Lake District, building, now Norton School on A.L. Jones Road, was opened in 1956. The last classes of the one-room schools graduated in May of 1956. The three consolidated elementary schools became part of the Three Rivers Community Schools in 1966. The last Johnnycake school (two rooms) was at 15464 Millard Road, Three Rivers, MI.  It was opened on May 4, 1953 to replace the red brick one room Johnnycake school that had to be removed for the expansion of US-131 from two to four lanes.  That red brick school was located approximately where the Advance Auto Parts is at 320 US-131, Three Rivers, MI.  On the east and north sides of last (two room) Johnnycake school were US Department of Agriculture grain storage buildings.  The Johnnycake school building was removed approximately in 2010 for better access to the new Wal-Mart store. 

The painting was commissioned by Warren and Thora Hoshel, parents of classmates Margaret (Marie) and Ruth Hoshel.  The artist was Laurence Guetthoff.  He graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1921 with Warren and Thora Hoshel.  From there he and Warren Hoshel studied at the Chicago Art Institute.

 

Contact Information:   

 

RiceRPFP@Gmail.com 

R. Peter Rice, 4594 Chase Oaks Drive, Sarasota, FL  34241