Maxinkuckee School House, 1908 - 18473 Queen Rd.

1908 - June 18 - A New School House

Plans have been drawn and bids have been invited for a new bbrick school house at Maxinkuckee to replace the present frame building

It will be 28x14 and will contain two rooms each 22x14. A 10x20 hall and cloak rooms will form a projection in front

A belfry will surmount the roof. - Citizen

1908 - Plat of Maxinkuckee Villiage actually shows the school within the village.

1908 - Jul 16 - School House Contract Let.

The letting of the contract for the Maxinkuckee school house was postponed from Saturday until Monday when the following bids were opened:

M. R. Cline......	$3200
Lee Easterday....	$2790
James Wilson.....	$2750
Fred Thompson....	$2569

The contract was let to Thompson.

1908 - Jun 30 - Maxinkuckee School House - John Gill has the contract for the new brick school building at Maxinkuckee, having been given that job by the contractor, Fred Thompson - Plymouth Chtinicle.

1908 - Aug. 27 - Lawrence Gill and family return to South Bend today. Mr. Gill has finished his brick contract on the new Maxinkuckee school house. His family have been here the past week with Mrs. Gill's sister, Mrs. O A Gandy.

1908 - Sep 24 - The Maxinkuckee school house is not ready for school use, but is expected that the structure will be completed within a couple of weeks

1908 - Oct 1 - Maxinkuckee is to have a fine new school house which will be completed in about three weeks. -- Weekly Republican, Plymouth

1908 Brick School

1908 - October 29 - Maxinkuckee School House

A model Country School Building on the East Side



The new school building at Maxinkuckee has been in seesion the past three weeks.

The view in connection with this sketch will serve to show the taxpayers and people interested what has recently been done in the way of erecting a first-class school building at a very moderate cost to the people of Union township.

A beautiful location war secured on the corner lot of what is known as the Bigley farm. Tradition has it that the building stands on the exact spot where the wigwam of the old chief Neeswaugee and the Maxinkuckee tribe of Indians once occupied as their principal home or tenting grounds.

However that may be, the location, overlooking the valley southward and the waters of Maxinkuckee on the west, is an ideal spot for such a building.

The sturcture is a solid brick building faced with red pressed brick, with ten large windows facing south, and divided into two main school rooms, each getting an equal amount of light

The contract for the building was let about the middle of July to Fred Thompson who lives near the grounds and who, while not being limited as to the time when the building was to be finished, put forth every effort, and only sixty days was consumed from start to finish.

Therefore the patrons should appreciate the interest manifested for the welfare of their children to have the school occupying the rooms before cold weather has come.

The size of the building over all is 44x34, with a 14-foot story, finished with clear yellow pine varnished.

How careful and proud should the children who attend school therein be not to mar or scratch the clean new seats, white plastering or casings.

With Mr. Thornburg and Miss Wiseman as the teachers it is believed everything will be kept in the best of order and the property will be well cared for.

The township advisory board and trustee Parker should be complimented for their effort in establishing one more up-to-date school building in Union towsnhip.

A photo of the horse drawn school bus for the Maxinkuckee village school, taken in 1909 or 1910. The school building still stands at the corner of 18B and Queen Roads on the northern corner of the Bigley orchard and farm property. Ira Mattix, according to the caption here, was the driver.

1914 - Sep 17 - County Teachers appointd... Maxinkuckee School - Enda Woolridge

1915 Dec 9 - District School Honor Roll - Maxinkuckee School - Richard Wooley, Frank South, Irene South, Louis Beck, Florence South, Clarence Ginther, Harry Beck, Hervey Bartlett, Ruby Carlisle, Cleo Pontius, Lefa Andrews, Mildred Bartlett, Ruth Benedict, Ethel Mutchel, Clifford Vermillon, Catherine Wooley, Josephine Bigley Ada Fletcher, Alice Ginther, Louise South, Portia Ginther, Victor Benedict, Dorothy Fletcher, Lucille Wooley, Ferris Zechiel, Alferd Vermillion. Percent of attendance, 99.2. R. L. Easterday, Teacher.

1916 - Jan 13 - District School Honor Roll - Maxinkuckee School - Ledger Pontius, Frank South, Irene South, Elsie Woolley, Florence South, Clarence Ginther, Encoh Andrews, Harry Beck, Hervey Bartlett, Cleo Pnitus, Mildred Bartlett, Ruth Bendicit, Hazel Mutchel, Clifford Vermillion, Ada Fletcher, Victor Bendict, Louise South, Ferris Zechiel, Alfred Vermillion. R. L. Easterday, Teacher.

1916 - Sep 7 - Mrs. Marmon has a force of men at work improving the Maxinkuckee school ground

1916 - Nov. 2 - The Maxinkuckee School

One of the most attractive school grounds of this part of the country is the one at Maxinkuckee.

The front lawn has been terraced off and sown to grass. A substantial lawn fence surrounds the entire lot. A wide cement walk leads from the front entrance of the building to each of the two roads. Several concrete benches have been built near the walks. Tree and shrubs have bee set out and in a few years will add materially to the beauty of the place.

The lot at the side and back of the school house has been equipped for a playground. One large "giant slide", a teeter-board and horizontal bars help to make the play hour of the children one that is of some real worth to them.

We are told that Mrs. Elizabeth C. Marmon is the good angel who has effected this fine transformation and in doing so has again proved her interest in the community which has on other occasions enjored the benefit of her generosity.

1918 - Feb 6 - The Maxinkuckee school had been closed due to the prevalence of smallpox

1922 Plat of Maxinkuckee Village shows that the original school property was sold to G D & Ida Wooley by 1922

1931 - Mar 18 - Teacher Faced Empty Room

On two days of last week Miss Barr, teacher at Maxinkuckee school had the unsual experieince of arriving at the school all ready to teach the rudiments of grade school lore, but there were no scholars to teach. The snow kept all from getting to school

1931 - Aug. 5 - The list of teachesd for Union township follows... Maxinkuckee: Abbie Burwell

Miss Margaret Barr, who taught the Maxinkuckee school last year, has been elected to a postion in the Plymouth city schools. Miss Abbie Burwell, of Bourbon, has been chosen to fill this vacancy. Miss Burwell is a graduate of Indiana Central College of Indianapolis and comes highly recommended.

1934 - Aug. 23 - Shingle Roof Fire At Maxinkuckee School

The children of the Maxinkuckee school were sadly disappointed Monday afternoon when the fire at the school house did no more damage tha burn a hole in the roof, giving them no opportunity for a prolonged vacation.

The fire stated when sparks fell on the wooden shingles as the building was being cleaned for the opening of school next week.

1936 - Aug 5 - Maxinkuckee School Ordered Closed by State

The Maxinkuckee school building, one of the landmarks of the township, has been condemned by the state and the school ordered closed by the State Department of Public Instruction.

This means the pupils of that vicinity will attend the Culver schools and will be transported by bus, as are most of the children of the township.

Last year 15 pupils were enrolled in the shool with a daily average of attendance only slightly above the figure that makes it mandatory on the trustee to close the school.

To establish the new bus route, the advisory board is calling for bids in this issue, to be opened on August 17. The successful bidder will furnsih the chasees and the township the body.

Sometime afer 1936 when it closed as by picture it seems the bell tower windows have been bricked shut

Maxinkuckee School Built 30 Years Ago, Sold to John Bigley

Many a fond memory will be revived by the countless number who attended the Maxinkuckee school when the read that the building and grounfs had been sold, thus definitely ending its day as a seat of learning.

The building and gorunds were sold to the highest bidder, John Bigley for $505, the shool having been closed a few years aso when the attendaence dropped below the state requirement.

It is understood that Mr. Bigley, whose orchards agjoin the school propert, will use the structure for a storage house for fruit.

It is rather a coincident that exactly 30 years ago bids were opened for the erection of the Maxinkuckee schoolhouse, with the the award going to Fred Thompson for $2,569. - Citizen - 12 Jul 1938

Maxinkuckee School today. Built in 1908. It closed in 1936. At the corner of 18B and Queen Road on what was a part of "Bigley's Orchard" and owned for years by them. The property is now is now owned by another

2001 -2002 May - David H. Bigley

2002, May - 2018, Feb - John W. Bickel

2018, May - 2024 Joseph B. Elder and Linda A Witton