• Friday-What'sUP August 12 - 09:50 pm

Walking through the doors of this building, is like stepping back in time, to the years between 1909 and 1932, when it was used as a one room school. You can sit in the desks, check out the old schoolbooks, ring the bell and even try on the dunce cap! Located in the little town of Pelkie, on the corner of Pelkie Road and Mantila Road, the Historic Pelkie Grade School, is filled with a veritable wealth of information, still teaching folks to this day. Make sure you stop in and visit on your way to the Baraga County Fair, August 12th - 14th. NEWS FLASH: Pasty Central pasties will be served at this year's fair!

Clyde Elmblad has been a contributor for a number of our Sunday Shoebox Memory photos and it looks like perhaps he's grooming his daughter to follow in his footsteps. Displaying her photographic skills, Megan Elmblad snapped today's shots for us. She actually is no stranger to the Pasty Cam, though, as she appeared here in January 2004, demonstrating her shoveling abilities!

We sure don't have the education that we had in those old one room school houses.

I had the fortune of growing up near Big Bay and going to the Powell township school (which was a huge building thanks to Henry Ford and his mills and logging camps in the area.) We had two grades to a room rather than one room and consequently a preview of what was coming next year and a refresher of what was learned the last depending on which grade you were in at the time. One teacher covered it all in the room and my eighth grade class had two boys and 4 girls, the seventh had slightly more as it was the start of the baby boom.

I can hear the bell ringing in the distance. Better hurry and get to school before the teacher comes to the door with a stern look on her face, looking for tardy students!

Good job Megan! Thanks for the memories.

Today's picture made me a little home sick, as I grew up a couple miles down the road from the Pelkie Schoolhouse. Then I find out that the Pelkie Fair is this weekend! That used to be a staple of our summer activities. My sister and I would always try to enter as many things as we could.

Thanks for the memories.

What's the device under the open-wall
shed/carport to the right of the schoolhouse? It
looks like a historic wagon or ???

Thanks!
Eugene, OR

Jeff...It's an old horse pulled school bus.

The nostalgia for those old one-room schools is so strong --
but not with everyone. I remember talking to the lady who
began our historical museum in Adrian. Born in the country in
1900, she went to one of those schools. She said if you were
quick, you got thru your assignments in no time, and then you
had to wait quite a while for another assignment while the
teacher went through the grades. Naturally, you got a little
bored and maybe even a little snoozy. One of her teachers
disliked that. He took care of students like that by whacking
them in the ear with a heavy ring he wore for that purpose. It
left no physical mark, but it got the attention of all the students.
It also left this lady with a loss of hearing in the ear he whacked.
No, she did not care for those schools with their use of corporal
punishment like that.

My mother, Thelma Kuusisto, taught school in Eagle Harbor. My two youngest sisters actually lived in the school room with her. The rest of the family lived in Swedetown near Calumet. My older brother would pick her up on Friday evening so she could be home with us. She'd then spend the weekend baking and grocery shopping. I was in high school at the time.

Does anyone have a photo they could post of the Eagle Harbor School that is now used as the community building?

I have a photo of the Paradise and Peltien or Peltier school picnic probably around 1928 somewhere.My grandmother Taught in the Paradise school. there is a photo in one of the Chassell strawberry festival books of her standing in front of the school with the children. I do not have the orginal and cant post it because of a copyright on the book. I would love to have a copy of the orginal if someone has it . someone had to submit it, so its somewhere.
as for the school picnic one ,Awhile back I sent it to copper country reflections and chuck posted it under new spring photos 2005
The writing was hard to read its either Peltien or Peltier anyone know of a school by either of those names if not maybe it is this Pelkie. I cant seem to find it at the moment to look.

Robin, let me enclose an email I recieved today from my brother, retired historian and onetime editor of the MICHIGAN HISTORY MAGAZINE..So far as I know, I've never been to Pelkie. I suspect that now the population is about 99% Finnish. Most people assume the name PELKIE is Finn. Not quite; it is French Canadian. The name was originally PELLETIER, which in French sounds something like "PELTEEAY." Over the years this became PELKIE.

I would love to see a picture of the old schoolhouse in Gay. It's been a long time!

Alex and family are at "Fran in GA's" house for the weekend!

The teachers sure used crude means of punishment
years ago. It was leather straps, paddles, rulers
and belts. Other means of punishment were squatting in the corner for long periods of time
and putting a wad of gum on the tip of your nose
and standing in front of the class. I remember
when I attended the Washington School in Calumet
a teacher broke his paddle on me and got so upset
over it..he took his belt off and finished the
beating. Wonder how long they would last on the job nowadays using that type of dicipline? And I
was such a angel in school. LOL

HI
Does anyone happen to have a picture of the Nisula school in its day?
I suspect it is gone now.

Alex, is this the school you are talking about? I took this picture in Gay last summer.
https://pasty.com/pcam/albun08/Old_Schoolhouse_in_Gay

Alex,
Hope you, your family and Fran have a wonderful weekend. Hope you are taking care of your health. ;)

Love the pics of the old school house...I love coming across old school house buildings while taking rides in the country...reminds me of when times were oh so much more simplier.

When I was in Jr. High at the old Lakeview High in St. Clair Shores MANY years ago I got brave enough one day to talk to a cute blonde in Study Hall. Got caught, sent to the office where back then we got a ping pong paddle! Ever since, it's still the same, even talk to a blonde and somehow I'm in trouble!

Where we live here at the edge of the tiny town of Peters (It's on the map!) There is a little old one room school house dating back to 1844. Very similiar to the one pictured but smaller. It was slated to be torn down as most around here were. Some people bought it, got the proper permits, jacked it up, put a basement under it, new foundation, reconditioned it throughout and made it into a neat home and are living in it!

Well, thank you for the photos. That WAS the school I meant. WOW! What memories.

Thanx for the well wishes too! I just HATE pricking my finger and giving myself two shots a day, but that's how it is!

Lulubelle, My 4th grade teacher was Mrs. Kuusisto. At Mohawk school 1963-64. Any relation to you?

It's 3 AM my time and 4 AM pasty-time. Do I get in under the line for Saturday's early bird? Or am I a caffinated nightbird who hasn't found sleep yet :>? Whatever , happy Saturday all.

Eddyfitz Thankyou for the info on PELKIE/PELLETIER I was wondering if it was a name change over the years of being pronounced differently.
Anyone know if there are any history books on the old school houses. Eddyfitz maybe your brother could do one, a book with all the old schools .Id like to find out more about the Paradise school and more pics. I do feel like I found a rare treasure when I found the one with my grandmother in the Chassell Strawberry Festival book

http://www.lansesentinel.com/history_pic_47.htm this picture is from the L'anse Sentinel would it be the same corner as the Pelkie school?