History of Eagleville
In 1849, James Polk was president of the United States soon to be replaced by Zachary Taylor. The Eagleville area with its bustling mill, post office, stores and marshland was the metropolis of the township. Then the time came to add a school to the community.
The task of building a school would take ten years. Many people of the community had conflicting opinions as to whether this school should be built below the big hill or at the top of the hill. From 1849 until 1859, the children attended classes at a home rented by Mr. Andrew Scholfield. In 1859, a 24x30x12 foot high framed building went up on land donated by the Bovee family. Another ten years passed. By 1869, the school needed repairs and the building was moved to a site below the hill where Eagleville Elementary Charter School stands today.
Theodore Sprague was the first instructor during the winter term of 1869-70. He named Maggie Partridge his best student during that term. She later became a much beloved teacher at Eagleville and taught for many years as a new century dawned.
Eagleville Elementary was the site of many interesting activities back in the early years. Winter debates were held in the evenings and drew large crowds. Topics included whether a horse was more useful than a cow and the merits of city living versus country living. Oyster suppers were held a the school with the oysters cooked in a wash boiler on the school stove. Children would sometimes pile into a bob sleigh driven by a team of horses and visit neighboring schools.
By 1931, it was time to tear down the old building and construct a new school. Then, a $25,000 addition was built in 1949 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Eagleville Elementary. In 1960, another addition was built on the east side of the building.
Our retired third grade teacher, Mrs. Lois Dewey, attended Eagleville as a child. At that time it housed grades 1-8. Her mother, Mrs. McGrath, taught first and second grades at Eagleville for many years.
Mrs. Dewey recalls, "During the winter months we brought our sleds or skis to use at recess time. We went sledding down the hill north of the school. There was even a merry-go-round on the playground." When Mrs. Dewey graduated from Eagleville Elementary, there were only eight other eighth graders.
The Eagleville Alumni Association formed in 1929. The association met for many decades and enjoyed yearly reunions held a Wambold Park. Alumni would gather and compare stories on who had done the most daring escapade during their school days.
Today, Eagleville Elementary retains its country school charm as students enjoy the beauty of the nearby lake now known as Eagle Spring Lake and explore neighboring Jericho Creek.
Today students continue a tradition that has taken place for decades at Eagleville Elementary. Every first day of school, each kindergarten student rings the school bell - a bell that has been part of the school since its beginning. The last day of school every year, each sixth grade student rings their bell to celebrate their educational journey through the school.
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